Funadomari Festival!

Wrote this one in Japan and didn't manage to post it! Here it is!

The town of Funadomari had a city festival a few days back.  The elementary and middle school children of the town carried around two small portable shrines and then stoped and did some fun dances at a couple of key spots. The town is very small so this didn't take very long.  The end of the "parade" was at the sports centre and featured a yakisoba stall, a shaved ice stall, takoyaki, and yakitori.  I had the takoyaki (octopus balls) and some Blue Hawaii Shaved ice (blue slushy).  Both were good.

Getting ready to start

All dressed up in front of the shrine

The smaller shrine

Bigger kids = bigger shrine

Getting started

Waiting

They are singing enthusiastically

less enthusiastic with a heavier shrine

Dance break!

Pretty flexible

Second group has a more complicated dance

And a snazzy ending

This girl was particularly good

Kind of boring I guess

Cute little shrine!

All the dancers

yakatori

yakisoba

Goldfish!

 The entire festival was very fun.  Lots of cute kids, who seemed very pleased to see a bunch of foreigners show up to see them. In fact, we went to a second festival in Hamanaka and some of the kids from the first festival came up to tell us that we had seen them dance earlier that day.  They also showed up their frog.  Kids are kids.

This one was inside!

Another cute shrine

Win fun prizes!

Overall, it was a really great day.  I would recommend it!

Heritage Festival

I went to the heritage festival in Edmonton this weekend.  It was really fun.  There were booths from all over and lots of music and dancing (folk dancing from the different countries). It was huge.  We were there 4 hours walking around and didn't really exhaust or options.

I had delicious Takoyaki otherwise known as octopus balls.  They were pretty good.  Not quite what I was expecting as they do not taste fishy at all.

I also had a bit of camel from the Somalie place (the flavor was great, I wish I knew what spices were used, but it was a bit tough . . . tastes a bit like goat). I had a orange mango shake.  A Bangladeshi samosa. I had some sort of bad pineapple drink from Guatemala. Really good bannock (an aboriginal Canadian specialty).

I also had some Kvas - a Russian drink that is fermented (though non-alcoholic) something.  The initial taste is fairly unpleasant, but the aftertaste is actually kind of nice.

After the fair we went to the T&T (my favorite Asian grocery story ever).  While there I got a steamed mochi cake (in rainbow colors!).

I know its blurry but you get the idea!

I don't know Mary, but she makes good mochi!  It has a real gentle sweet flavor with a hint of coconut. It is very very soft and rich. Not for eating in one sitting though its only about 4in around and 1/2 inch thick.  I may have to buy another then I get back to the T&T!

In keeping with talking about food.  I also made myself a pretty delicious lunch.

I have a cut up plum (I don't like to bit fruit with pits). Black bean salad and cucumber salad.
Both of those are easy to make.

For the Black bean salad I used 1 can of black beans, 2 small tomatos chopped, one avocado chopped, and the juice of one lime.  I then salted to taste and added a bit of Mexican hot sauce for spice.

Cucumber salad is just as easy.  Take 1/2 and english cucumber.  Cut in half the long way and remove seeds.  Peel a bit of the peel off to make a nice pattern and slice thinly.  Make dressing by combining 1/8 cup rice wine vinegar (white vinegar will work if that's what you have or another form of wine vinegar), 1/2 tsp sugar, and 1/8 tsp salt (or to taste). Stir together until dissolved.  Add cucumber and 1tbs toasted sesame seeds.