The weather seems to be undecided - winter? Spring? Winter? Spring? I sit comfortably in my apartment now, without the heat on, for the first time in months. The temperature is in the mid-60's - and the air is quite calm, the skies gray, outside. I hardly slept last night due to what sounded like some torrential rain storm. Rain and wind, pounding the windows, rattling the doors. I can't complain though, as it is so nice to finally enjoy a comfortable temperature.
So a few things to discuss from the past few weeks. One thing is now for sure - David's transfer to Shizuoka (where I am) was approved. There's a bit more ambiguity following this for how things roll out in the coming months - so we're hoping for the best. So I find it interesting, now, to think about being in Japan for some time. I am excited about it, and wouldn't have it any other way, but just strange in some ways since I never imagined I would be in a place in life such as this.
Last weekend, I attended the wedding of a coworker of mine. She's about my age and we talk somewhat frequently. Of course I committed so many faux pas I think I seemed pretty ridiculous. First of all, I don't own a dress, so I decided to wear a skirt and sweater, figuring those would be at least presentable enough. Yet, in Japan, most women dress up, REALLY dress up, and so all the women at the wedding were decked out in what seemed more like formal wear or something. Sparkly wraps, shiny heels, extravagant up-do's. And here was I...plain brown skirt, blue sweater (which was a V neck, like most of my sweaters, and though I wear a shirt underneath it and lack anything resembling cleavage, I think I scandalized the mother of the bride, as she couldn't stop disgracefully looking at my bright white exposed neckline. In Japan, most women's shirts are not V's, or they are very small V's, and they say that girls here prefer leg-revealing clothing rather than chest-revealing clothing), and my hair down. As if my blond hair isn't enough to make me stand out - the clothing definitely didn't do anything for me. "Hello! I'm a foreigner! Look at me!"
Tradition expects that wedding guests bring a monetary gift - in what apparently requires a fancy, decorated envelope. Well, I was at the store the day before the wedding, searching for an envelope, but I can't read all of the kanji so I wasn't sure which envelope to get. I asked Josh (David's brother) about one I emailed him with my phone, to which he responded that was for funerals so not to use that particular one. I was tired, and didn't feel like spending this much effort picking out an envelope, so I chose a more plain one with no kanji written on it. I also figured this act would cut down on environmental waste (I tend to use this as justification a lot...) Of course this ended in failure as well. I pulled out my rather plain envelope while waiting in line with the other guests, and as I peered around me, noticing all the sparkly ribbons, colorful papers, etc... I realized I had again committed some social mistake. I apologized as I handed my envelope to the attendant, who smiled and thanked me anyway. As I walked away to sign the guest book, I peered over my shoulder to see her stuffing my homely envelope under the pile so it was hidden. I couldn't help but laugh at that.
The guests all waited in a room drinking tea and non-alcoholic cocktails as we waited for the wedding to begin. The bride's mother attempted to converse with me in Japanese - I held on for the most part until she asked something out of my vocabulary range. My kocho-sensei (principal) saved me at that point as he came over to translate and talk to me in English. That began a long day of him announcing to each and every guest that I was next to get married.
When the wedding was about to start we were ushered out of the room. However, this was done according to family, then men, then women. I, of course, wasn't really listening closely and started walking with each group (family and then men) and my coworkers had to remind me to wait each time. You would think I may have noticed all the men at least when they called the men...
The ceremony was in some castle-like tower at the hotel we were at. It had a square-shaped spiral ramp that rose gradually to the top of the tower. The ceiling of the spiral was quite low, and held off from the main area by bars. So the guests all line up around this narrow "passageway", pressed against the decorative iron, and watching the procession in the center. The bride then walks down this corridor (with her father), as all the guests snap millions of pictures. The groom stands with the man performing the ceremony (who was a foreigner, to my surprise, though I couldn't determine his accent, as it wasn't one I am familiar with). As the bride joins the groom, the man, dressed in a cloak, begins with: "Welcome to my castle. I am the Lord of this castle," proceeding to perform most of the ceremony in English, though I doubt many people understood him. Getting married in Japan is slightly less complicated than in America (so it seems) and so all you technically need to do is go to city hall and sign a piece of paper - Congratulations! you're married. I mentioned this to a fellow teacher and she replied, "yes, but it is very difficult to get divorced!" Touche.
So as I bit my tongue to keep from laughing at this cloaked lord, suddenly smoke begins billowing out around the floor so they look like they are standing in fog. I think it was supposed to be romantic - or maybe just cover the less aesthetic green carpet... 
It wasn't a traditional Japanese ceremony by any means, but certainly felt like something you would experience in Japan. Like the rings floating down from the top of the tower, on a heart shaped pillow, held by balloons. Everyone oohs and ahhs and exclaims "sugoi!!!!" (like... great, or wonderful or something to that extent). After the ceremony the bride and groom walk back up the corridor as everyone throws fake petals right in their face. Then the bouquet toss... which was actually three fake bouquets (the bride kept hers). I joined in the catching fun, mostly because I was practically pulled in. Someone told me if I caught it I would be the next to get married (I don't think they knew we do bouquet tossing in America) to which I replied, somewhat tongue-in-cheek, "well I am the next one getting married..." Now, when you think of a bouquet toss, perhaps crazed single women pushing and shoving to grab the thing might bear image in your mind - but in Japan, because of the cultural mores of humility, the bouquets just fall to the floor each time and the girls all motion to each other to "go ahead", "no you, really, go ahead" and so you have everyone standing around motioning to each other to pick up the bouquets, whilst they just lay on the floor. I found this indescribably funny because of the irony...
The reception included various typical events akin to western weddings, cake cutting, stuffing cake in each other's faces, etc. The bride and groom's parents also walk around filling all the guest's glasses with some alcoholic drink (though I had OJ). It was an 8 course meal - of which I could only eat part of, or chose to eat part of because it tends to be fancy food which really just tastes horrible. Bingo was played...somehow I won. The entire thing. A portable DVD player was my prize, to which I've been attempting to figure out how to hack and make it all regions instead of region 2.
The guests are also given various gifts. I left with two bags and the centerpiece (everyone told me to take it). I received a few boxes of food, and some catalog you can choose an item from and order. Definitely different... but not anything we are going to mimic so don't get your hopes up.
And that folks... was my first experience at a wedding in Japan.
My restrictive diet is going somewhat well. I believe my body is going through some intense detoxing right now and so I am a bit all over the place - emotionally (and my wonderful fiance never complains - seriously that's a great guy right there...). So I can hardly eat anything but am trying to be creative and experiment, and hanging in there when I feel like driving my head through a wall. Valentine's Day has made the chocolate cravings all too intense, to the point where I have this incredible loathing for Valentine's Day simply because of its advertisements for creamy chocolate truffles....... oh sigh.....
I also think I may have discovered a food intolerance I have, though its still too soon to tell for sure. We'll see in the coming weeks if my hypothesis is correct or not.
Despite my constant fatigue and general blah feelings, I went to the flower arranging club (ikebana) last week so I could silence my superiors about their constant expectations for me to be involved - even though I probably do much more than they see, and hardly have energy to take care of day to day things, much less do more. So I went, and had fun with the girls, creating art of course with flowers. They were all amazed and asked if it was my first time, which it was. But... I used to do this kind of thing when I was little, with my mom, and besides, I have a general eye for these things, not to mention taking numerous art classes and learning all about how to create something "dynamic." Anyway, it was quite enjoyable, and has made it feel more like spring in my apartment, which is wonderful. 
I suppose this has now become quite long... and I do have more to do today in the way of cleaning, cooking, errands, etc. It's my domestic weekend.Until next time.
