Almost.

They leave in less than two weeks at this point. I am happy that I have chosen to stay a year. Since they are leaving so soon, they are trying to stick many weekends worth of activities into two weeks. I haven't gone with them lately because it's just too expensive and I can go next semester. Today we went to the park for a pick-nick!

Left: Carlos, Heather and Akane (not American)
Right: Raena and Jenny

I have been very good friends with them since coming here. Hey, Americans have to stick together in Japanland right?

I hope you enjoy your last two weeks, you Americans. I'll be sure to visit you guys when I return to the states. I'll definitely visit Raena because she lives in Hawaii. I want to go there! It was nice meeting you all! Let's be friends for a long time!

Hiji town! A quiet, small little town about 15 minutes from Beppu. When we take the bus down the mountain, it takes a right to Beppu city, but this time we went left to Hiji! We visited the community center which was much nicer than anything I would ever find in the US.

First we tried on Yukata which are light, summer kimonos. Maybe it's just my opinion but I think I look the best! Even men wear yukata which are slightly different looking. The sleeves are shorter and the obi (the sash around the stomach) can be different.

 

We then had lunch which consisted of Somen! Somen is a very thin wheat noodle. It's typically eaten cold which makes it a favorite during the summer. Of course you can just eat it out of the bowl, but this looks much more fun huh? After grabbing it with chopsticks (which is easier than it looks), you dip it in your bowl of Tsuyu. In very basic terms, Tsuyu tastes like a milder soy sauce.

Out of the same bamboo they made chopsticks!

We then visited Hiji Castle ruins. It's really ruined. There is nothing left. On top of the castle site is now a high school. Hiji had beautiful views of Beppu though! It was cloudy, hot and muggy, but never rained. (We did not walk around in yukata!)

We went to a school performance which featured multiple dance and drumming circles on campus.

荒馬緒 arauma-chiyo: Is a circle (club) whose dance is a Japanese traditional dance called Arauma from Aomori prefecture. It shows gratitude to the horse for helping with cultivating a field for harvest.

エイサー団いちゃりば eisa-dan ichariba: Is a drumming group originating in Okinawa. Eisa is a form of folk dance whose origin is a Bon dance. It is commonly seen during Bon festivals to honor ancestor spirits back into their homes! Please fast forward past the talking.

よっしゃ虎威 yossha-koi: A traditional dance from Kochi prefecture. This group has made it modern, makes their own costumes and songs. They performed twice but the second time was my favorite.

 

I had to turn the shutter speed up they were moving so fast!

和太鼓"楽" wadaiko-raku: Is the taiko drumming group on campus. They are very intense and taiko can ware you out! My friend is in it and her practices take up most of her free time!

Also known as, a cabbage pancake, pizza like but with no cheese thing smothered in sauce, bonito flakes and Japanese mayo. Sounds complicated? I have no idea how or why this was made, but it tastes great!

Okonomiyaki is exactly as I said. It's made like a giant pancake, but mixed with the batter is lots and lots of cabbage! From there, you can add anything you'd like. Different meats like bacon, pork, beef, chicken, then you can add cheese, or seafood.

On top is okonomiyaki sauce and Japanese mayo. Everything tastes better with Japanese mayo. It's different, but it's hard to explain why...

We made a Hiroshima version. After making the okonomiyaki, you make yakisoba (panfried soba) and put it on a fried egg, then put the okonomiyaki on top! So much food! Each massive pancake is for each person!

Chef Naruho at work.

Sous Chef Kanako

"Did I do it right?"

OKONOMIYAKI!

一緒にお好み焼きを食べよう!

(Let's eat OKONOMIYAKI together!)

Monkeys and fish, monkeys and fish, the best combination.

Beppu has two really fun attractions that we waited way too long to go to. They have an aquarium on the border of Oita (the big city) and Beppu. There is also a mountain park area that has the cutest little monkeys! Loudest too...

We went right at the right time because it was feeding time! What better time of the day than food time? These monkeys were screaming but went quiet while they ate.

Don't touch the babies, don't traunt/feed or chase them.
Don't look into their eyes. O.O

Yum yum yum yaaaams!

A whole monkey family!