Oiro Naoshi

A bride’s change of costume

It is difficult to talk about Japanese wedding because it has a lot of traditional meanings, so I picked just one point up in the wedding custom. In wedding reception, a bride( and a groom; but the main is a bride)change clothes a lot. It is called “the bride’s changes of costumes (Oiro naoshi : oiro = color, appearance / naoshi = fix , change)”

 Primarily, it means to change white kimonos to colored kimonos, but nowadays many brides want to enjoy wearing western dresses, so it is common to change white kimonos to colored dresses. While they are changing clothes, it is normal to show some performances or videos for guests not to bore them.

“Oiro naoshi” is inherently meant “the bride is not colored from everyone, so she wear the white kimonos(she is pure), and have a wedding ceremony. After that, she will be colored from that groom’s house color, so she will wear colored kimonos ”

Now, recent “Oiro naoshi” has been said like there are two types of origin stories.

1)The first one is that: from Nara period(A.D.710~784) to Meiji period(A.D.1868~1912), all wedding clothes were white, and a bride had continued to wear white kimonos(not same one, I think) for 3 days; then in the 4^th day, she was allowed to wear colored kimonos. Now, it became just to be speedy, and everyone finish that custom in the party.

2)The second is like this: until before 1945, it was common to have wedding party in the groom’s house; then a bride went to his house, and she had showed some bridal stuffs to every guests. After that, it became to be that custom.

Every girl wants to wear many dresses as possible, but it is so hard to change clothes again and again… 3times is the most normal, but I heard someone did 7times! It was crazy, but I guess that was the fabulous party. I want to just 3times… or 2.  If you want to try it, just come to Japan to have a wedding party! I will help you ;)

Spring came

Canadian thinks it is a lucky year? Or do you miss the winter more because you did not enjoy the snow enough? How about your country, did you miss some signs of seasons? My inside clock were little confused because I have missed the sign of spring this year… cherry blossom.

When you feel seasons, you see some symbols of the seasons such as flowers, weather, events, or clothes. How can you notice the spring has come or will come here? In our country, April is the new starting month for everyone. Many students start a new glade or year, and workers start to work at new places with new members in the beginning of spring. Then, there are cherry blossoms at those places. It is really famous tree in Japan, so wherever you go, you can see it in new season, so many people feel fresh if you cherry blossom.

I was lonely because of something, but I could not come up with any reasons for a long time…; however, I understood when I saw the picture of cherry blossom …I have missed the important transition to new cycle! After that I felt so fresh and I thought I want to do my best for many things from now on! Also that picture had “carp- shaped streamers”; it is a symbol of a festival of May, but my town flies these cloth craps from April to May, (but they will be fried away in May… lol)this is traditional spring symbol of my town, so it make me refresh a lot!

While I stay in Canada, I have missed a lot of traditional events, but I have experienced a lot of Canadian traditional events. I think after I go back to Japan, I may feel lonely because I miss the events in Canada….then I will be a Canadian.

My "Full" Days

In this week end, I ate huge feasts! I do not want to see any food now!

On Friday, we had a dinner for my host aunt at the one of Chinese restaurant at university crescent. I had really wanted to go there to eat Chinese food, so I was really happy about it. I have told to children how to hold chopsticks; however, I could not use it well because it was a little bit big for me to use, so I changed it to my own chopsticks.

We ate some different dumplings, noodles, vegetables, chickens, a MapoTofu, and some rice. It was so great to eat, but we ordered so much… I was really full. After that we went to DQ to eat ice cream… at first I had been too full to eat, but I felt like I could eat just one ice cream…it was misjudged…. I got a stomachache for hole night…;(

On Saturday, host parents were so busy to do a lot of things, so they decided not to make supper:P; then went to pizzapita, and it was first time to us. We ordered some kinds of pizza, they were really good. After we went back to home and children went to beds, we have been watching a movie….We ate ice cream seacretlyJ(my stomach was better) I loved that time, so I also should try to do that in Japan.

On Sunday, at first, Easter Bunny came and she gave me few chocolates. I had not known this culture, so it was interesting for me to look for them. And we had a fabulous breakfast. We died eggs and we had an “egg war”. We hit these eggs each other to break. I won once and I lost twice…lol. My host mother also had made bread, and we ate it. There were also strawberries with chocolates. We usually do not eat enough breakfast like this, so it was great for us.   

 Two hours later, I went to host grandmother’s house to have family supper(lunch) as Easter party. These dishes of host grandmother were great as usual, and we could enjoy it. After that, members of family started to play game; throwing eggs. It was so fan to watch; they threw eggs, and a pair of them would win if they did not break it, and I think it is going to be one of the official sports in Canada in the close future. Also my Chinese friends have told me Chinese language and culture with a green teaand Japanese snack(Arare: dried rice cake).

I have tasted a lot of kinds of food… I will gain weights a lot… so I have to start to be on diet! Do not give me any candies to me please!!!!

Farewell Bangs !



How to give yourself a haircut

Have you ever tried to cut your bangs? Many people　afraid of cutting their hairs by themselves because if you missed, hairs would not return to same shape anymore…
But, do not worry about it! It is easy to cut your hair if you know some points to cut.





 1)First, you have to prepare tools: a comb, pins, normal scissors, and a comb scissors. The comb scissors is a special scissors that edge is like a comb, and you cannot cut down all.

2)Second, you have to wet your hair a little bit because dried hairs will spread around the floor if you cut dried hair. It is easy to clean up after finish; however, please be careful about this point: wet hair looks like longer than real, so do not cut a lot! Just stop even if you feel it is little longer.

3)Third, you comb your head all to check which hairs are for front, sides, or back. And put up the point of hairs, which you want to cut, with pins; then be careful not to pick too many hairs up.

4)Fourth, you use that comb scissors at first, and cut just once or twice for one part. After that, you can use a comb and normal scissors to remove some longer hairs.

When you go through these parts once, remove pins and check your hair. Then you can do these processes again if you do not like it. This is the easiest way to cut your hair by yourself. You should try to do it next weekend!

My...

Two close friends

I do not know the definition of “best friend”, so I am not sure if I have some best friends or not. I have been thought about it, but I cannot find the answer. So I start to think about my 2 close friends who are in same junior high school in Japan.

One of them is Saki. We hung out a lot, and after we graduated the junior high school, we sometimes met on trains. She has had funny stories, love stories, and some gothic. Every time we talked, and she listened to my stories even if it was not so funny. Now, we hang out sometimes and drink. In addition, 2 days before I came to Canada, I did not prepare to buy a suit case. She said to me “You are too lazy and easygoing!”, and she helped me to buy it. She is like my sister I think.

The other is Eri. We met at the 3^rd grade in junior high school. We got along with each other really well. It was fun to say stupid things, and still now I can say anything to her. We hand out sometimes, and go to her house. Our hobbies are similar, we love maccha(green tea), comics, and she had lived in U.S. for 4 years from a baby, so we like English too. I do not bother about her action and thought and so does she.

They have other friends like their best friends, so I do not know if I can call them “my best friends” or not. But it is ok because I like them so much. I think we will keep being good friends in the future too.

F i r e

 After our mother came back home, we have had some alcohol and talked a lot…such as about new session, some memories of this house, Japanese earthquake, boyfriend, and so on. There was not exciting mood like some big parties or hokey cheers but nostalgic atmosphere, but I thought I liked it. I felt my growth from 7 month ago… Someday, I want to have quiet fire party again.

 

I had a bonfire on Saturday night with my host family. Around the7o’clock, family started to prepare to make a fire. Before it started, older brother had collected dead branches and leaves. Father has been chopped some bigger woods down, and while he preparing that, I and brothers have played “21”; it was a kind of basketball mini game. The person won who get 21 points fast as soon as possible….. I won. (I tried to lose…lol) Anyway, it was so fun.

 After that, some friends of brothers came, and the bonfire was started! We have just sat and talked for one hour with marshmallows; boys burnt a lot, and they ate them! I could make better one, so it was delicious. Also I have asked to other boys if they usually make fires, they are same school as our boys, and many things. I could talk with them normally than I had thought, and it made me really happy. Boys started an original kick ball game; on the other hand, we have thrown a lot of papers to fire. We made some paper planes, origamis, ninjya stars, and paper balls, and threw them. In the end, our mother came back and boys left for their houses...

It was beautiful time ever...I like to see fire like this.

Remember simple things

After “now”, what will you do? I got a time to think about my future because my friends will leave soon, and my Japanese friends already had started job hunting in Japan, so I was thinking what I would do in the future.  I sometimes I forget why I am here now because my major is Japanese modern literature, but I’ve studied English in IEP. This is not normal study case in Japan, so I feel worried about my future job, or life. Of course I do not know all these studies are going to be effective for job hunting or not, but I sometimes became to be lazy to do anything, and nowadays, I was lazy because I was tired of thinking my future and studying English …

However, this weekend was busy for me, so I do not have time to just sleep in my room. I had some parties with my friends. I went to a pub on Saturday. I was talking with some people like bartenders and waitresses. I just tell names of drinks and snacks, but they could not hear well. And I also went to Hikaru’s host house on Sunday, and almost all family came there, and we ate supper together; then I and Hikaru play with children. It was so excited and aggressive exercise as usual, and we talked a lot. A boy was pretending being Santa Clause (I don’t know why), and he asked me something I want in Xmas and so on, but I could not pronounce those words well; then he could not understand soon.  Also, I went to convenience store and I asked a clerk “I am looking for cookies”, but I was asked again. These experiences were annoying for me because I’ve thought I can speak with anyone now, but it was wrong. But, they reminded me why I am here… I just want to talk many people as well as possible. Nowadays I just care about future jobs or licenses, but I remember I just want to become be the person who can talk with many people in some language. It is simple, but it is also easy to forget. I could remember that feeling, and I will try keeping this in my mind in the future, so it will also help me. Also, I will study hard from today.