Friday, September 29, 2006

The Marriage of the Foxes

The rice is being harvested. Where there was once a sea of green, the brown stalks are bundled and hanging upside down drying in the sun. Our time in Japan has been marked by the changing fields and we are both shocked to realize how quickly time goes.

After the rice harvest the Japanese turn their thoughts to weddings, (because the heavy bridal get-ups that are too hot to wear in the summer). The whole affair was kicked off by “the Marriage of the Foxes”. This is an elaborate wedding ceremony done Japanese style: slightly different, though, in that it is outside at night by the light of many bonfires, and everyone gets their face painted like a fox. Also, I don’t think that the “Dance of the Happy Forest Spirits,” as we have dubbed it, is usually included in a traditional ceremony. Or, for that matter, the hairy serpents that invaded the celebration with strobe lights and scared the bride. All and all, it was an interesting affair.

Luckily we will get to find out exactly what a real wedding ceremony is like in Japan. You know, the fox wedding really got us thinking about our commitment level, and Daniel and I have finally decided to get married... Or rather, we were asked by a Wedding Kimono shop to model for them next weekend. We will do an entire mock ceremony including hair and make-up, sake and multiple outfit changes. The newspaper is coming and we have been instructed to pretend that this wedding is our real wedding when we are interviewed. Our translator is the owner’s daughter and Daniel’s student. She told us that she would just say what her father wanted us to say in the interview. Whatever happens I just hope the hairy snakes don’t show up.


We are trying our hand at the art of glass blowing. Our teacher is a pretty cool guy: he is our age and has just finished art school and he has a brand new studio with all the latest equipment a showroom and a loft for his band to practice in. His English skills are only slightly better than our Japanese. With sketchy communication and molten glass at temperatures of one thousand degrees, you can imagine we have had a couple arm hairs singed. But, as Danny says, “The heat builds character.” Together we have successfully managed to make four cups, one bowl, three paper weights, and a bead
Anyways, you’ll hear from us again after the mock Honeymoon.

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