Swing Dancing in Tokyo Again!

 Hey! So after yet another dancing hiatus (thanks, covid), I've jumped back into the swing dance scene!

My summer break this year was shorter than usual because I had to make up time from my previous, uhhhh...covid vacation last winter. I can't complain too much because at least I didn't lose money, but it sucked working on my birthday. Anyway, I decided to look up swing dance events going on during my week off. I'd been occasionally checking the Facebook events, but they always fall on Saturdays when I work, or Sundays when I have play rehearsal, but can only maybe make it later in the day. During summer vacation, I was able to go to 3 events!

Event Number 1 Aug 11

First one was on the Odakyu line, Soshigaya in Setagaya. I chugged a 5% chu-hi for a bit of liquid courage on the way from the station and followed Google maps. It lead me to some neighborhood house's parking lot. That couldn't be right, so I tried looking it up again and changing it a bit, but then I got a different address about an hour away! I could make it in time for the dance, but I wanted to go to the lesson first to meet people and brush up on my dancing. I wandered a few minutes trying to figure out what to do, when an older man came up to me and asked me in Japanese if I was heading to this swing dance event, and I was like yes! Yay, so I'm not the only one who ended up confused in front of someone's parking lot. So we (he) asked a neighborhood person where the hall was, and it was actually one street down, right behind the parking lot!

We went in and were just on-time. I was hoping to see at least some people I met years ago when I was dancing before, but I did not. The teacher spoke some English and asked me if I'd danced before, and I told him yeah, but not for a while. Then, the man I met outside previously started speaking to me in perfect English! It turns out he wasn't Japanese, as I'd assumed he was, with his mask on and good Japanese language ability. He is also from America! 

The lesson went well, I realized I remembered a lot more than I thought. Dancing came right back to me. Me and me new friend hit it off, not only conversationally, but dance-wise. We have good dance chemistry! His specialty is west coast swing, but most circles in Tokyo tend to be east coast focused. We had a shortage of leads, but still I was dancing quite a bit. I met another few foreigner people, a girl and 2 guys who were nice. I wanted to try to break into the Japanese group and speak more Japanese, but I was too shy.  

At the end of the dance when it was me and the Japanese girls cleaning up, I lingered a bit to help out hoping to connect with someone, and one comment kinda bothered me. Maybe I am overthinking or misunderstanding something, but one girl complained something along the lines of all the leads being "gaijin". The word "gaijin" can be taken or meant in a negative way. The kanji literally translates to "outside person", while the true word for foreigner is "gaikokujin" which is "outside country person". The word gaijin is short and sweet, and we even call each other that, no hard feelings. I have no problem with any "bad" words on their own, but I got the feeling her meaning behind them was a bit stronger. Idk... It bothered me as the only obvious foreigner in the room who lingered behind offering to help, and like she just assumed I had no idea what she was saying and acted like I was invisible. 

Anyway, I still was hopeful that someone would try to include me or talk to me or something. One girl was talking about getting drinks together after, and I was there, but at that point I really felt invisible. Whatever, I don't wanna be negative, but I wanna be honest, and this was how I felt at that time... Maybe they need to get used to me and realize I wanna be there and be friends. I gotta speak more Japanese and overcome my shyness? I am glad I went. I met a couple of cool people along with a person who makes me look forward to and feel passionate about dancing again.  I also learned that here's a lot I need to learn dance-wise. A lot of the Japanese women there were EXTREMELY good dancers. As leads, follows, everything. Like, I'm ok. I'm a good enough follow, but I learned that there's so much more I need to learn! I left this day feeling inspired and slightly sad. 

Event number 2 Aug 14

Zoshigaya in Toshima-ku. This one seems to have a monthly, same location. I decided to skip the lesson, but I came early enough to watch some of it. They were doing a solo jazz routine thingy, and my new swing friend dude was there. Also when I checked in, I recognized the check-in guy and he did me too! He said "hisashiburi" which is "Long time, no see!". That was nice. Then, me and my friend started dancing as soon as the lesson ended, and I got a little video for you! We danced A LOT, and I saw some people from the previous dance too.

Event number 3 Aug 20

This one was near Futakotamagawa. I was lucky that my work location this day was nearby. I could take a quick bus to get there. I, again, grabbed a quick chu-hi before-hand. It was so much fun! I met a girl who had her own drink, and was planning to hop onto another dance event after this one and she was a GREAT lead when she'd asked me to dance. The teacher knew English really well, and my new friend was there too. I danced until my whole body was sore! 

Event number 4 Sept 11

After work started up again, and my friend wasn't able to come, but I met some new interesting people. I had rehearsal for Midsummer Night's Dream with my company that morning, went to eat Yakiniku nearby, then left. At the event, I got to join only the last bit of the lesson. One girl was one of the leads, and she was really nice and complemented my outfit. This event also included a Balboa circle, which I don't know at all, so some of the leads were I guess newish to the swing crew or at least new to me. Anyway, after the lesson, I found out that that girl was really good at English, so I'd asked her why she joined swing and she said she was into musical theatre, so I told her about my theatre/English job and the show I was working on that morning, and she was like wait, I know your job.... she had been a student at my company for years up until right before I started! She knew the people I was with that morning! What a small world!

Anyway, after that, I was a bit shy because there wasn't anyone else I knew well, and then she left. I think everyone there thought I was totally new and only learned what we did at the lesson which was suuuuuuper basic Charleston, so every lead I met at the lesson who asked me to dance assumed that was all I could do and didn't try anything else with me. All the others who came later didn't ask me to dance, and I don't ask people, I wait to be asked. So, I didn't dance much. But then I made another friend who was from Colombia, but unfortunately doesn't live in Tokyo. She likes Japanese fashion, music, and has been into swing dance for years!! How is it possible to meet someone so interested in these specific things like me? XD She is a student and lives far away, so I just hope our paths line up again someday. She seemed to have found and liked every cool place in Tokyo I also frequent after only being here for a short trip.

Anyway, those ar my recent swing dance adventures! I've got some more coming up again this weekend and later in October 😉

I needed to blog suddenly

 Hello everyone, long time no blog! 

It might be the sight of beautiful ikebana and the lady who suddenly handed me flowers, or the scent of kinmokusei in the air reminding me of my study abroad blogging times, but I have such a need to write right now. I haven't vlogged for Youtube in a while, or if I had, I never went back and edited/posted because I've been so busy, and it's just not the main focus of my free time right now. 

I've realized a lot of my hobbies revolve around capturing memories (vlog, blog, photog). I think it's because I easily forget, or can't remember little details. But I feel really happy when something reminds me. I don't ever go back and watch my videos on Youtube. I don't even check out my friend's YouTubes, even though I should. But, I do go back and reread this blog occasionally, and I ALWAYS love to read my best friend's blog (here if you're curious)

Anyway, what brought this blogging need on was a festival. Festivals are one of my most favorite culture things in Japan. A lot of really fun memories I made were at Japanese festivals. My favorite one that I'd been going to every year was the Asagaya Tanabata Matsuri that always fell on my birthday in August. It's been cancelled every year since covid. This year, they were planning to have it, but a covid spike jumped up and ended that dream. 

Festival Day 1

Me and my husband moved about a year and some months ago to the place we're living now, and it's near a huge shrine, which tends to mean they probably must have at least one festival at some point. We went there for New Year, and they had food stalls and stuff. Then the tell-tale festival lanterns popped up along the street! Friday my husband messaged me and told me the festival was happening!

I was working a bit late that day. I decided to walk home from my station, and noticed a lot of people biking, and groups of high school boys laughing and heading the opposite direction. My husband called me and we briefly met as he was heading out to meet his previous coworkers. He mentioned that the festival was going on and LOTS of people were there. I continued home, thinking it was too late to catch the festival because it was already 8:30ish, but when I passed by the shrine, it was still crowded with people! I quickly went home to grab my camera. I knew I wouldn't have fun going alone, but I was slightly hopeful I'd meet someone cool or someone I knew, or something good would happen. I got some nice pictures.

Alas, I met no-one. I felt lonely. It's extra lonely going to a festival alone and seeing all the people having fun like through an invisible barrier. But, I had that stupid little hope pushing me to go. This is the 3rd time this year I ended up at a festival alone. Maybe one of my students was here. A friend. A random old man who lived in America and wants to talk to a foreigner in English. A girl who thinks my clothes are cute. Anything! A local connection. 

Day 1, I was not so lucky. But, I got some really cool pictures I guess.

Festival Day 2

My husband was meeting another previous coworker. I have my craziest and longest day of work on Saturdays because that's how eikawa works. I walked home again from my station and saw lots of people heading home. I got to the Lawson convenient store that's 4 minutes from my house and there were SO MANY BIKES parked there. I was planning to cross the street and just head home, but I couldn't with that much excitement nearby. 

I wandered toward the festival yet again. I didn't feel as lonely as last time, then I suddenly felt like I wanted to cry, then I decided to go further into the shrine than I did Friday. I heard drums. Japanese taiko drums I guess? Something about them just captivates and moves me. The first time I realized and felt this way was the Washington DC Cherry Blossom Festival the one time I went. Anyway, I followed the sound until I was at a Japanese style theatre (that I learned the name of at some point during my theatre and/or Japanese studies but forgot) and I watched. I was captivated. This person had a mask and a really long white wig on and was just walking around shaking some bells to the drumming and flute thingy, but I couldn't look away. I wanted to run home and grab my camera but I couldn't leave. I did get some video.

Then it was over. But I went deeper into the shrine and saw that they had ikebana displays (Japanese flower arranging). I took a class on in it Nagoya when I studied at Kinjo, so I wanted to have a look. There was a lady taking them down, she said that this was the last day and handed them to the person she was talking to. Then she wrapped up some more, turned around, and handed them to me! 

I was feeling low, coming to this festival again, alone, watching and listening to everyone else's fun. But the show and the flowers brightened up my mood and my urge to write this blog. 

First of the Sakura in Matsuda

Hello and hisashiburi! It’s around that time of year where work is suuuuper busy with lots of stuff coming to an end, and lots of other stuff getting ready to begin. It’s a hard time of year because the end of the winter where it’s hard to get out of a dark cold slump (every year, it happens), and then everything is getting ready to happen all at once, but you know when it all ends, it’ll be spring and warm and flowers and new beginnings! I liiiive for the sun and hot weather, and I’ve finally finished the last big work event of the (school) year. Now there’s just a few more things to tie up, and it’ll be the the transition into the new year, and then a little break for golden week! Actually, I got covid right between 2 of the biggest events of the year and my timing was so lucky (?) I guess? 😆 So I didn’t have to miss anything extremely important, and kind of got a chance to recharge between them. I was totally sick and fevered for about 4/5 day, but then I recovered. 

Anyway, enough about all that stuff, and onto why I started this post! Well, I did wanna give a little life update, but more importantly, flowers!!! Early blooming Kawazuzakura to be exact. I decided suddenly on Monday to head to Matsuda in Kanagawa and catch some of there’s sakura in bloom up on a mountain along with the yellow nanohana. 

And shockingly, I ran into some people I knew! Sundai and her man were out and about taking photos for her clothing line and I joined in a bit along with stealing a few quick snaps of the gorgeous Sundai (thank you both for brightening up my day a bit 💕🌸) 

Soooo yeah, a lonely adventure ended up being a lot more fun than I’d thought! 😊🌸

Vlog will be here after 3/21/22