Weddings, Temples, Anything
Dad and mum came back to the Kak on Thursday evening and of course I was very happy to see them again. On Friday morning we went to the local temple that I mentioned visiting a few weeks ago. I didn't go in with them but returned home as I had my manager's wedding to get ready for. The three of us went to the station together and met my fellow teacher Yukari there. We all went into Kobe together and then mum and dad went back off to Steven and Nabuko's and Yukari and I headed for the wedding. When we arrived we immediately saw Jason and Keisuke, our fellow AEON Kak workers and also our Shibucho, or regional manager.
This is me with my Shibucho, and the second is of Shibucho with two other AEON managers.
Here's a picture of the inside of the chapel, as you can see the minister was very Japanese! :P But the service and all the hymns were in Japanese. It was a relatively short service, maybe half an hour tops, just the way they should be. :D
We all lined up to throw rose petals and blow bubbles on the newly-weds and then they took some pictures but no where near as many as at most od the weddings I've been to, it was really quite quick.
We made our way inside after the photos. I was sitting with Yukari and Eisaku, one of my high level students, so they kept me posted on what was going on through the many speeches. I even participated in one of them, a short English lesson hosted by Yukari, I provided the pronunciation. The food was French and delicious. Although one course was a champagne flavoured sorbet that Yukari and I and one of our fellow tablemates didn't fancy so since Eisaku was out of the room we donated them to him. When he got back to the table he was a man about it and got through them all, picture below.
Once the meal was almost done Yoshiko and Satoshi disappeared to get changed. When they returned Yoshiko was wearing a pink ball gown. They went around the room lighting all the table candles from one long lighter as you can see in the picture underneath. Then we all made our way back outside for dessert.
The evening ended with Yoshiko and Satoshi and their parents giving thank you speeches to each other, which I naturally again didn't understand. However it was amusing watching Yoshiko and various friends and relatives getting all teary, as pictured below.
Then it was time to do a farewell line, handshaking in the west, bowing here, and then head home for home. Yukari and I went together and I was very glad that I was with her because when we were just a few stops from Kakogawa the train stopped at an unscheduled station and didn't start again for over an hour. Had I been alone I would have had no idea what was going on. It turns out that it was a suicide, apparently there are around two per day in Japan, it's hard to comprehend, but it's even harder to comprehend why they choose to do it by train, their family is then expected to pay the rail company compensation!
This is me with my Shibucho, and the second is of Shibucho with two other AEON managers.
Here's a picture of the inside of the chapel, as you can see the minister was very Japanese! :P But the service and all the hymns were in Japanese. It was a relatively short service, maybe half an hour tops, just the way they should be. :D
We all lined up to throw rose petals and blow bubbles on the newly-weds and then they took some pictures but no where near as many as at most od the weddings I've been to, it was really quite quick.
We made our way inside after the photos. I was sitting with Yukari and Eisaku, one of my high level students, so they kept me posted on what was going on through the many speeches. I even participated in one of them, a short English lesson hosted by Yukari, I provided the pronunciation. The food was French and delicious. Although one course was a champagne flavoured sorbet that Yukari and I and one of our fellow tablemates didn't fancy so since Eisaku was out of the room we donated them to him. When he got back to the table he was a man about it and got through them all, picture below.
Once the meal was almost done Yoshiko and Satoshi disappeared to get changed. When they returned Yoshiko was wearing a pink ball gown. They went around the room lighting all the table candles from one long lighter as you can see in the picture underneath. Then we all made our way back outside for dessert.
The evening ended with Yoshiko and Satoshi and their parents giving thank you speeches to each other, which I naturally again didn't understand. However it was amusing watching Yoshiko and various friends and relatives getting all teary, as pictured below.
Then it was time to do a farewell line, handshaking in the west, bowing here, and then head home for home. Yukari and I went together and I was very glad that I was with her because when we were just a few stops from Kakogawa the train stopped at an unscheduled station and didn't start again for over an hour. Had I been alone I would have had no idea what was going on. It turns out that it was a suicide, apparently there are around two per day in Japan, it's hard to comprehend, but it's even harder to comprehend why they choose to do it by train, their family is then expected to pay the rail company compensation!
posted by nokillingkenny at 11:55 am
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