The Sweets Festival
'Kashihaku,' or sweets fest, is an event hat happens every year in which the best confectionary makers from all over Japan gather in one spot and show off their goods. This year Kashihaku just happened to be in Hiroshima, so I got to go during Golden Week (more on that later).
The place was jam-packed with people. Everyone had lined up way before they opened the gates. We got there 40 minutes beforehand, and even then the line was unbelievable. I wish I'd thought to take a picture before we entered the crowd. Luckily once the gates were open everyone just kind of flowed inside, but manoeuvring around that many people is really tiring.
I'd eaten a massive breakfast so only managed to try out two shops - Danish Heart and this fancy chocolatier I don't remember the name of. My sisters and I each bought one thing and helped each other to finish them.
By the way, that cocoa was the single most delicious thing I've ever tasted.
Next we went to the art exhibit, with all sorts of massive sculptures made entirely from sweets. They were amazing but we weren't allowed to take pictures so sorry about that. I was allowed to take pictures of the cool cakes afterwards though!
Other Adventures
So the other day of Golden Week I had off, I spent at a family barbecue. Japanese-style barbecue, of course, not sausages and chicken legs. Strips of beef, grilled starchy veggies like sweet potato and corn, prawn, grilled rice balls, that kind of thing. There I met a third cousin once removed or something like that - my grandfather's cousin's granddaughter - who went on a 10 day exchange to Hawaii last year, and we clicked pretty well.
So today, Yukina-chan (my cousin) and I went shopping at a local mall. She thought I'd probably like it cause she'd heard there was some anime stuff there or suchlike.
Oh. My. God. It was like I'd stepped into a fantasy world. There wasn't really anything anime-related I cared about, but instead there were several floors of lolita and punk-goth fashion stores. Proper quality goods! And so much of it! I felt like I'd died and gone to heaven! It was all the better because I wasn't expecting it. My cousin was like, oh yeah let's go look at the anime stuff, and I'm like yeah cool whatever, and then the first shop I arrive at on the next floor is freaking Alice and the Pirates and I just about died. I think the shop assistant just about died too. You could totally see she was dying to dress me up like a French doll, but I just didn't feel comfortable trying on $300+ dresses when I had about $30 in my pocket. I wish I could have taken pictures of such amazingnesses, but I wasn't allowed. Luckily I found a more affordable store with some seriously awesome punk-goth stuff, so I intend to remedy the lack of photos next week when I have money ;D
Here's some more purikura, by the way!
Life and Sidenotes
So there has been no club activities all of last week and there will be none all of next week. Also, there's no school on Monday. Sound like a relaxing two weeks? Don't be fooled. Monday's a holiday because there was school yesterday instead, and the club activities have been suspended to give us time to study for the tests that start on Tuesday. Woooo. I am so screwed, by the way.
Golden Week: not what it sounds like. It's actually only four days, and if that sounds pretty good, nuh-uh, those days are Friday-Monday. I did actually have Saturday and Sunday off, but on both the Friday and Monday I had club activities in the morning, so I had to get up at 5am anyway. Some week. Also, plenty of homework was unloaded on us to do during Golden Week, so, boo.
There's definitely more but tomorrow's the only chance for me to sleep in and I'm tired so leave me alooooone
Talk to you later :)
-Isabelle
