Fujieda Hanabi

August 7 is my town's fireworks festival--the city shoots a dazzling fireworks display from a park hillside for nearly 2 hours. I met a new ALT there, an English teacher & her family, some Japanese friends, & one of the Swedish guys from church. I ran into lots of my students, most of whom pointed at me with surprised expressions, "Ah, Sa-la!" There was food and carnival-like souvenirs for sale along the streets. The night passed too quickly & I said good-bye to everyone for a few weeks, until I return from the US the end of August.

Kanako and I dressed in our yukata (summer kimono). Kanako is a senior who loves English & invited me to her family-run bakery where every morning her obaasan makes fresh anko (sweet bean paste) 3 of my ni-nensei (11th grade) girls
An English teacher who lives near me--the first time I met her was last year at this same festival

The international group: Japanese, Canadians, a Swede, a Brit, and an American