Saturday, October 22, 2011

Ball Juggling and Arachnophobia

So I have been extremely MIA lately, but only because I have been juggling a lot of balls. I have a lot going on right now, which is a departure from before, when I could only focus on work. I have work, preparations for going to Mozambique in December (passport pages added + international driving permit = headache), and the grand kahuna - grad school applications. But I am doing everything piece by piece and I know that it will eventually get accomplished. I have this habit where when I want to procrastinate, I read the news. Maybe I am trying to kid myself and tell myself it doesn't feel like I am doing anything bad if I am informing myself on current events.

Hmmm, the latest news?

I killed the biggest spider I have ever seen this afternoon. I was returning from running errands after school when I saw a spider the size of my hand. My hand if I were doing jazz hands. Gigantic! And it was perched right above my door so I thought I could open and close the door fast enough to keep it outside. Au contraire. I was wrong. So it rushed inside and I gave chase. I feel like people who have severe paranoia about what's inside their shoes only live in countries with large insects. Before I ever put on my shoes, I shake them to make sure there aren't any spiders or centipedes in them. It's a valid concern as I now know two people who have been bitten by mukade centipedes in their shoes. (See below, probably the most informative video ever about mukades)



Anyhoosies, I eventually tracked the gigantic spider across my kitchen floor and vanquished it with my shoe. Super nasty. Kind of reminded me of the spider I killed in Moz that had babies inside it. It's a disturbing clean-up that often involves me looking away. I need to start considering living in places without spiders. Maybe antarctica.

I was going to go to the Yosakoi festival in Sasebo this weekend but the weather has turned out to be less than inviting, so I have decided to stay home. Nothing turns me off of a trip to the mainland like a rocking ferry and stomach. But Yosakoi is a dance festival that is held throughout Japan and is very entertaining to watch. Dance groups of up to 150 people parade through the streets, performing traditional and modern Japanese dances for crowds. They often wear costumes and have dramatic hair and make-up. Last year, it was pretty rad so I am disappointed that the weather isn't cooperating. Here is a video I found of a Yosakoi dance from 2009 (not from Sasebo, but from another part of Japan). The enthusiasm of the groups is very entertaining and I definitely recommend attending Yosakoi festivals.

1 comment:

andrew said...

I am a current education PCV serving in Rwanda. My wife and i will be travelling through Mozambique in December and i would like to send you an email to get travel advice in your country. I see that you are now a RCPV but i am sure that after 2 years in Moz you know the ins and outs of travelling there. Please email me at andrewskinton@gmail.com if you are willing to help out. Thanks. - Andrew