Things to come and things to miss.

Well apparently a MASSIVE tyhpoon is on it's way just in time for the weekend so I'm presumin that I'm in for the usual apartment shaking, strange whistling noises and storm shutters over the windows during the next few days hurrarr. In a strange way I actually quite like typhoons theres something exhilarating about seeing the force of nature slamming itself into the earth all around you. Of course there's something less exhilaration about having to ride your bike through the rain and howling winds as you have to duck birds flying/blown at your head. It does remind of the time last year when I made a small fool of myself when I asked my teacher and his class what the Japanese was for Typhoon, cue lots of pondering looks and a very slightly bemused one from my teacher. (by the way, the answers Typhoon)

It should (hopefully) be only a week left till I head back to blighty for my hols YEAHH (hmmm hols in blighty does sound a little strange doesn't it) So apart from hiring out the pope mobile and touring the country waving I haven't made too many plans. See the family, attend any gigs that might be on, eat chips you know the usual. Anyway obviously while I'm away all the best things are happening in Japan so I thought I'll have a series of posts on things I'm missing while away, cunningly entitled "Things I'm missing while away" you know this stuff just writes itself

Part one - Otsu fireworks display.
Well if there's one thing the Japanese do quite well (apart from play sports no one else plays (see handball, soft tennis oh and almost baseball) it's fireworks. Most people have ohhhed and arrhhhed at some sort of display but the Otsu fireworks display was the best display I've ever seen, it wasn't just the setting of the lake side surrounded by thousands of people but the actual intricacy of the display. The way the fireworks twisted in the shape of flowers, animals far more skillfully than I've ever seen in England, oh and the fact that it went on for almost an hour I was never bored just made it cool.

Oh and this may all have changed but last time I was in blighty you had to practically had to have written permission from the mayor and a signed photograph of the queen, but in Japan you can buy fireworks from the local 24 hour family mart store (although true they are slightly less power full from the ones you buy in England often labeled things like ARMAGEEEDDDDOOON!!! (that usually fizzle out) still handy when you get that craving to burn something at 4 in the morning. Anyway its difficult to describe fireworks display (usually going, and this blew up, and then we went ohhh and then that blew up and we said arrhhhh) So hopefully these videos will give a good impression of what I'm missing.