One of My Best Days Here

I'm almost straight-up copying and pasting this from a conversation earlier, but that's ok, right?

So at like 2 or 3, alex and his host parents came by to pick me up. I thought that he'd call me first so i wasnt completely ready but I felt so bad that I ran around like a chicken with my head cut off and hopped in. We drove to a temple to celebrate aoi matsuri, blue festival. We made it just in time for the last horse race. Unfortunately I had thought we were only going to eat lunch so I didn't bring my camera and I tried to take a picture with my phone but allI got was a horse's leg, and a blurry one at that. Then we wandered around. It was a very old temple (but nothing compared to China). We did the whole little spirtiual cleansing, cleaning your hands and sipping a little. It's a lot like Catholicism, actually. Afterwards, we went to this itty bitty udon place which was very cute and cozy. And of course his father knew the owner since he knows everyone ... speaking of which, -- this is the best part of the day -- we were walking by this amazing old japanese style home, right along the stream with a little bridge across to it and I thought to myself, Wow, wouldnt I love to live in such a house someday?? And his otousan said, oh I know these people, they were my students: let's see if theyre home so we can show you a seriously nice japanese style home. As soon as we entered the house, I was bowled over by a scottish terrier. It seriously went all out and the lady was like !! he usually hates other people!! and he was just soo affectionate it was ridiculous. We sat down and had tea and the tea snack with her and dog (it took me a looong time to be able to sit in my seat cause her dog just stayed in it, getting petted). Anyway, it turns out she and her family have been the makers of maiko meishi for generations. (Maiko are geishas-in-training and meishi are their business cards).

She showed us how they're made, with these special carvings with some sort of ink or something on them. It was very neat. They're all handmade and maiko usually order about 100 at a time. Then she was like, why don't you take one? and I was so surprised. So I started looking through them and it was a very hard choice and then she said, well, take 5! And then she went and brought out another stack and was like 8, how about 8? So I am now the proud owner of 8 authentic maiko meishi which she told me to write my own name on. She invited us back, and then, as we were leaving, said it to me especially. I was sooo happy cause from the moment I met her and her dog I knew I would want to come back again and again so I hope she meant it! What a nice lady ... According to Alex she called his house and again extended the invitation, saying we were very nice children ^^

Afterwards, his otousan brought us to a field of crocuses that are on the verge of blooming. It's going to be gorgeous!!

And later, talking about it made me happy all over again :)