A Golden Week!

I got down and dirty earlier this week and helped a friend of mine with a little potato pulling. Okay, so I didn’t actually pull any potatoes myself, they had a machine for that, but I did get my hands into some dirt and put lots of potatoes in lots of potato baskets. Something about sorting potatoes into baskets was surprisingly quite enjoyable. First of all, it’s nearly impossible to mess up potato sorting which means I didn’t have to actually think about anything. Additionally, the warmth of the sun and the songs of the birds complemented the experience making the morning that much more pleasant. With a smile on my face and sweat on my brow I quietly sang along to the tune of one potato, two potato, three potato four as I thought to myself today is surly going to be an incredible day.

Later that afternoon Curtis, Rina Sensei, and I headed into the city to see Spiderman 3. I didn’t ever see the 1st or 2nd movie so I didn’t expect too much from the 3rd, but because I had never been to the theater in Japan I thought I’d give it a chance. Curtis spent about an hour in the car catching me up to speed on the entire Spiderman story so now that I have become a Spiderman expert I will gladly challenge any one of you to a serious Spiderman Trivia Challenge Off (Yeah, you heard me).

Unfortunately, the movie wasn’t that captivating and I accidentally fell asleep through parts of it, but I was I glad I was awake for the best scene of the movie - when Spiderman swings across the screen to the backdrop of a gigantic American flag. . . Oh, and then I remembered I was in Japan and one of the only two Americans in the entire sold out theater - Yes, It was really bad and I wasn’t the only one to notice:

UK Times Online: Also disappointing is the inability of the director, Sam Raimi, to end the romp without a fleeting shot of the American flag. The Stars and Stripes just happens to be fluttering behind Spidey as he makes his triumphal return to honour, probity and good honest fist-fighting.

NPR: There are some real-world parallels for a super-powerful American (with black goo possibly coloring his thinking) who imagines he can take on the world's bad guys all by himself — especially when you throw in a revenge motive centered on a father figure, people falling from pulverized skyscrapers and enough swirling sand to suggest a Middle Eastern desert. I'm not sure these parallels have actually occurred to Raimi, but when Spidey finally decides he needs "allies" to fight the evildoers, he does put on his red-and-blue suit and swing in front of an American flag. Isn't comic-book-land refreshing?

Los Angeles Times: In one telling scene, as Spider-Man arrives for the final battle against the latest incarnation of evil, he lands in his ready-to-rumble pose in front of an American flag. With the New York crowd cheering, the Stars and Stripes lovingly swirls around Spider-Man, caressing him for a second before he goes into battle. It’s an American moment.

Yesterday (May 5th ) was Children’s Day, a national holiday in Japan. This day is set aside to celebrate and respect the happiness and individuality of kiddies in Japan. Traditionally, this day was only for boys and not for girls. The day for girls is celebrated on March 3rd, however it is not a national holiday. In 1948, the national government declared May 5th as Children’s Day and not just Boy’s Day. Despite the renaming of the Holiday many people in Japan still refer to this day as the day for boys.

I went to a party yesterday to celebrate the good health, happiness, and individuality of little Rintaro Furuta, my friend Akari’s new baby boy. Her house was packed with people from wall to wall eating, drinking, singing and dancing. As always, Curtis and I were forced to entertain drunken old men with our dancing and singing. We don’t mind because when were not dancing and singing others were and it was really amusing. Congratulations little Rintaro (American name – George) you are a little man now!!

Golden Week is over and I teach tomorrow so good day to those in the west and good night to those in east.