This weekend I trained (for the triathlon), cleaned my house (for my sister arriving this Friday) and performed Tiako (practiced tiako lots too). The training went pretty well, I even survived doing a mini triathlon during the midday heat on Monday (we had the day off) as I had the taiko later that afternoon. One is not supposed to do anything strenuous in the midday sun right now but I had no choice. Besides I had trusty aquarious (sports drink) to keep me going, although the heat was a tad bothersome during the run. My desire for more tiako practice has been satisfied, on Sunday I practiced for 5 hours straight (with the elementary school kids and then the junior high schoolers). The performance was yesterday and I dare say it went well. I and a mixture of elementary and junior high school kids performed for a group of visiting high school students from somewhere near Tokyo. It was my first tiako performace, I am hoping to do it again in the big summer King Shoen festival. The only cloud on my horizon is an incoming typhoon which may hit Naha at the time my sister is due to fly in (Friday), hoping it veers off and gives Okinawa a miss!
Please go to this link and read (including the comments at the bottom)!
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/magazine/5140912.stm
Thank goodness for our sense of humour! Probably the last redeeming feature of our small island nation, nothing else springs to mind anyway.