A Weekend and a Half

I've waited for this for so long, ever since my friends started taking their Obon vacations while I was stuck at the office. I've asked my company why on earth ours was the only one not doing so and they replied, "Because we are abnormal company. Very hardworking".

I definitely had to agree. It was so true.

But hey, even abnormal companies have to obey the law, lest they become abnormal law-infringers. And thus resulted in September's 3-Day Weekend! Though I'd have to thank the grandpeople for that, it's their holiday~

Yes, every second Monday of September is 敬老の日 (Keirō no hi) or Respect for the Aged Day as dictated by the Happy Monday System; Japan proposed to move some holidays to Mondays in order to have long weekends. Pretty thoughtful.

I've read that this is the time where they take the opportunity to feature old people and their lives on TV. And with Japan having an overflowing population of people over 70, and a series of Guinness World-Record 'Oldest Person' title holders, I'd guess the media will be "having a picnic" so to speak.

And to top the holiday off with a Japanese Toffee Apple, there's an on-going matsuri just outside my building! I went down to buy some lunch (a measly Sea Chicken onigiri) and while standing in line a foreigner exclaimed, "Oh look! There's a festival! How lovely~" which sent me running out the store and into the plaza.

I wish to thank the heavens for the blessing of a cool early-Autumn temp and bright blue skies, to which I was able to enjoy the matsuri and the stalls it had put out. I'm not sure what the festival was all about, but I'm guessing it's either for Autumn or for the Respect for the Aged Day. Either way, I had fun. While roaming around, I found a friend roaming around also, then we went and gawked at everything; from the water balloon game, to the shooting gallery, the sweet ampan bread pastries, yakisoba, and much more.

When we realized that lunch break was over and it was time to return back to the office, my friend decided to buy a couple of yakitori sticks for me. And off I went munching on grilled chicken. Yum!

I like how today has begun to be so much fun, preempting the 3-day weekend. Tomorrow's my birthday, then the day after that we're planning to go to a local highschool's festival, then by Monday we'll bum around and maybe go off to watch a movie. And to think that next week, there's going to be another holiday coming up.

Japan and its holidays at its best.