大変

たいへん(difficult)

I got an email today from my mother that my dad is in the hospital. So far nothing serious but then again people dont go into the hospital to have a picnic. I really hope everything is ok and I am worried. I left messages at home and on my sisters cell about it.

So a quick wrapup of other things... Monday we went to Ginkakujin, a famous and beautiful temple in Kyoto, and after that to Arashiyama monkey park. Both places I went 3 years ago but that didn't stop me from taking lots of pictures. Today we went to the official Gion festival, a parade thru downtown Kyoto of beautiful ancient style mobile shrines. Basically the festival started in the 1100s when to stop a rampant plague a bunch of different cities made portable temples and sent them to Gion in Kyoto.

It worked, and the plague dissapeared, so they continue the tradition and it is 1 of the 2 big festivals in Kyoto and one of the 3 biggest in Japan. It is amazing how they turn these giant wooden things that have no suspension or turning ability on their own. I really wanted to get a video of them turning it up close, but we left all too early so we could go practice our speech. Because I had been out all weekend, speech practice was also the first time I read my speech.... it did not go well. By that I mean disaster. I have been practicing since and I think it will be a bit better tomorrow afternoon when I have to present it.

Tomorrow before the speech we learn causitive form, then Thursday some Keigo and Friday is an individual 20 minute oral test. Then free till the farewell party that night.

I have no idea when I will upload the next batch of pictures, I took a TON this weekend and have no time to label them all. In some ways things will get much quieter when all the IJP people leave on Saturday morning. It will also be a bit sadder, and I still will have a lot left to do.

Anyway, I need to practice my speech, but dad, I really hope you are ok...