On Wednesday 7th we had our final Tai-Chi class and afterwards we were taken for dinner. Ever since our first Tai-chi class way back in April i have been telling everyone there that i do not eat fish, any type of fish. If it comes from the sea/ocean i do not eat it. So they took us out for dinner to a lovely fish restaurant. You can just imagine my disappointment when i walked in and there was different kinds of sashimi on the table. However Ezoe-san reassured me that she had ordered fried chicken for me. SO 5 courses of fish later the fried chicken arrived and there was hundreds of it and i was expected to eat it all. Throughout the fish courses there had been some soba noodles which i had eaten, i even tried to eat some form of fish but i just could manage it. I'm not sure why but its just one food i cannot bring myself to eat. Despite all of the fish, it was a lovely meal and it was a lovely setting as well. The people we have met at Tai-chi are really lovely and funny people and i will definately miss them! It was really sad saying goodbye to them, especially our sensei and his wife who have been really nice to us.
That weekend a fellow lattitude volunteer, Matthew, who has been volunteering in Hiroshima came to visit us in Nagasaki. We took him around China town, the shopping arcade at Hamanomachi, up to Mt Inasa and to the beach on Iojima Island! We had a lot of fun at the beach floating about in our rubber rings and looking out for the many fish! Unfortunately we all got a little bit burnt despite having factor 50 on!!
the amazing sunset!
On Thursday 15th i took part in the Nagasaki Spirit Boat Procession which is a Buddhist event. It is held every year and families, groups of friends, businesses and organisations build and decorate boats which are then carried down to the harbour. These boats are said to carry the souls of the deceased and the hospital makes a boat for those who have passed away in the past year at the hospital. The boat was sat in the hospital car park so that patients and visitors could come to pray before we set off on the walk. Everyone taking part, about 50/60 of us, had bento dinners in the hospital canteen and some drinks. Before we left, there was small fireworks and firecrackers set off in the car park. I thought when we left the hospital that would be the end of the fireworks etc but i was so wrong. There was various staff members with bags of firecrackers which were set off every minute . They were so loud and you never knew when they would go off next. They were being thrown onto the road, infront of cars and trams, into people..im pretty sure that would be illegal in the UK! To me it seems pretty dangerous but no one seems to bat an eyelid and the numerous amount of firecrackers about. As we were getting closer to the harbour we began to see more people carrying boats for their loved ones. It took about 2 hours to walk down to the harbour and at the end all of the lovely boats were crushed by a crane! It was such a shame and seems such a waste but in the past the boat were set off into the water, because of pollution etc they no longer do this. Afterwards Oka-san and i wandered to the station, occasionally stopping to watch people marching with their boats. It was a very enjoyable night :)
That weekend a fellow lattitude volunteer, Matthew, who has been volunteering in Hiroshima came to visit us in Nagasaki. We took him around China town, the shopping arcade at Hamanomachi, up to Mt Inasa and to the beach on Iojima Island! We had a lot of fun at the beach floating about in our rubber rings and looking out for the many fish! Unfortunately we all got a little bit burnt despite having factor 50 on!!
On Thursday 15th i took part in the Nagasaki Spirit Boat Procession which is a Buddhist event. It is held every year and families, groups of friends, businesses and organisations build and decorate boats which are then carried down to the harbour. These boats are said to carry the souls of the deceased and the hospital makes a boat for those who have passed away in the past year at the hospital. The boat was sat in the hospital car park so that patients and visitors could come to pray before we set off on the walk. Everyone taking part, about 50/60 of us, had bento dinners in the hospital canteen and some drinks. Before we left, there was small fireworks and firecrackers set off in the car park. I thought when we left the hospital that would be the end of the fireworks etc but i was so wrong. There was various staff members with bags of firecrackers which were set off every minute . They were so loud and you never knew when they would go off next. They were being thrown onto the road, infront of cars and trams, into people..im pretty sure that would be illegal in the UK! To me it seems pretty dangerous but no one seems to bat an eyelid and the numerous amount of firecrackers about. As we were getting closer to the harbour we began to see more people carrying boats for their loved ones. It took about 2 hours to walk down to the harbour and at the end all of the lovely boats were crushed by a crane! It was such a shame and seems such a waste but in the past the boat were set off into the water, because of pollution etc they no longer do this. Afterwards Oka-san and i wandered to the station, occasionally stopping to watch people marching with their boats. It was a very enjoyable night :)
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