Nearing the End

Today is our last full day of exploring everything Japan has to offer. Tomorrow we will head back to Tokyo for some last minute sight-seeing and shopping and then we will be on our way to Hawaii. This trip has felt like ages, yet at the same time , I have no idea where the time went. It seemed like yesterday we were boarding that plane for probably the longest flight in our lives.

We are currently in Uto, Japan, and today is our free day with our host families. As I said, when we arrived Friday, we got to experience some Japanese culture first hand. We began as a big group, learning the art of making sushi. There were four types of fish-yellowtail, salmon, tuna and shrimp (which I guess isn`t necessarily fish) that we used, along with a little wasabe, and a small ball of rice. After wetting your hands, you take a small ball of rice in your right hand, get a little bit of wasabe on the index finger of your right hand to wipe onto your meat of choice, lay the meat on top of the rice and press it down until it is attached to the rice. VOila! Sushi!

After sushi, we went in our pre-determined groups to experience our activitites. I started with archery, which in Japan is actually a form of meditation and art, versus a sport in the US. There are a lot of special steps and moves you do before you even get ready to shoot the arrow. It`s very relaxing and very cool to watch.
Next we got to learn how to play Sakura Sakura on the Japanese kuto, the thirteen stringed traditional instrument in Japan. It was fairly easy, but really cool to learn. I wish we had gotten more time there.
Our last activity was a tea cermony. We didn`t get very long there, but there`s a whole process of pouring the tea for each other, bowing, praying at the shrine and of course eating the sweets and drinking the extremely green, green tea. That`s about the only tea I have discovered I like though.
My group didn`t get to do taiko drumming, but we got to watch anothing group learning rhythms, patterns and chants that go along with some of it. It looked like a lot of fun!

Our last thing before we met our host families was the planting of some of the Hydrangeas we sent to Uto from Waverly. Dr. Hancock and band council members got to help plant the beautiful hydrangeas and the rest of us took lots of pictures. There are even plaques stating where the hydrangeas came from, so we will always be a part of Uto City.
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Yesterday, three ensembles played at three different elementary schools. I was in the flute ensemble that played at one of them, and it was so much fun! We got to hear the middle s chool students play some songs for us on accordions and percussion, and then the whole school sang the school song and If You`re Happy and You Know It, Clap Your Hands. We could actually sing along with that.
The flute ensemble then played some pieces, Professor Cawley played her cool yet different solo, and then we taught some of the students how to play the flute using our headjoints. It was quite the experience for all of us, since we`re not quite able to communicate with each other. It was lots of fun though, and all of us got pictures with origami flags on them as gifts. I know some of the other schools gave Wartburgers paper crane/flower necklaces that were really neat too.

The concert last night was a great end to a great year. It was sad for the seniors that are leaving, and those of us who really look up to them. However, we all played well and had a good time. The concert began with a traditional Japanese dance and drums with people dressed up as an animal with horns. It was soo cool, even with its length and repetitiveness. Then we listened to the combined middle school and community band, and then it was our turn. After the concert, we left with our host families.

Today we are exploring Uto with our host family, hopefully buying some wooden swords to bring back home, and at 5pm I have an ensemble concert in Ichi New Town park. Supposedly, we`re supposed to have the biggest crowd ever. I guess we`ll see, but it`s a little intimidating. Well I suppose that`s enough for today, and I must make my other internet rounds. Thanks for reading my posts! See you in a few days!! Jen