Turkey Day

Look at this regal motherfucker!

Unfortunately, we had a turkeyless Turkey Day this year. Morgan made her delicious chicken 'n dumplin's though, which is better than turkey anyhow. And yes, I did spell it chicken 'n dumplin's. Deal with it.

They don't eat Turkey here at all. My students didn't even know what a turkey was, which really surprised me. I hadn't thought about it before, but Americans eat a whole lotta turkey, and not just on Thanksgiving. Turkey burgers, turkey bacon, turkey hot dogs, turkey sausage, turkey chili, lunch meat turkey, etc. We'll substitute turkey for just about anything. Screw bald eagles. I think they should have listened to Benjamin Franklin and went with the turkey as the symbol for the United States of America.

Tomonoura, and My First Tanuki Encounter!

Today's trip was to Tomonoura, a little fishing village just a few bus stops away from our apartment. It's the place that inspired the Miyazaki film Ponyo! I should probably write about the sights and sounds of Tomonoura, all of which were amazingly beautiful. Instead, I am most excited to announce that I saw a real live tanuki in person for the first time ever! It let me get up pretty close too!

A wild TANUKI appeared!

Onomichi Betcha Matsuri

He's coming for your children!

Morgan's mom and step-dad are here visiting, so we're doing a bit of traveling this week. Today's trip was to Onomichi for the Betcha Matsuri. It's basically a festival that parents bring their children to in order to have them hit on the head with sticks by men dressed as demons for good luck.

pepsi NEX ZERO

Japanese Pepsi is even worse than American Pepsi.