Tuesday, August 24, 2010

some dancing and then...wait. is it the 24th? of august?

The hula festival that I was angsting about so terribly last week has come and gone and I survived.  Oh, I knew I would be okay, it's just I have this tiny little fear of getting on stage and then forgetting everything that I've practiced.  In Japanese, they call this ma shiro ni natta...."my mind went white".
The ladies in our group and I walk out on the stage and get into our starting pose....deep breath...focus..."crap those lights are bright"...music starts...smile...breathe...breathe...and kaholo here we go.

One of the best things about this event, other than the actual dancing and whatnot, is this....

...brought to me by these two...

Debbie.................Jan..................Karen

These two friends come to these events and it's a bit of a tradition that we sit outside the auditorium, after my group's performance and drink a beer (or two) to celebrate.  People no longer look at us strangely as we are sitting on the floor or on the stairs, talking...laughing...and having a beer while the hula goes on around us.

When people ask me who my foreign friends are, I tell them that while I know of many foreigners here in the city, there are especially two that I consider really good friends.
Jan and I have known each other for almost 18 years....Karen and I met about 15 years ago.
Our lives are similar in some ways...married to Japanese men, we all three have kids...and yet, our differences are what keep it interesting.
These two are my "oxygen masks". 
When life gets tough or hard to handle, when I can't breathe.... Karen and Jan are the forces that help me keep it all together.  I think I'd be making a correct statement by saying that the 'oxygen mask' idea is a mutual one.  That's what friends do.
Life would be very different without them in it.
Mahalo, my friends....Mahalo.
*************
Today is the 24th of August.  This morning it dawned on me that today is the K-Man's and my anniversary.
We met a little more than 16 years ago.
We've been married for fourteen.
For someone who had not planned on staying in Japan for so long, let alone actually getting married (here or anywhere, for that matter) and having a family, this has been an interesting adventure with the K-Man, and now the boys.
Happy Anniversary, K.
who loves you? yeah yeah yeah....

*Aren't those little boys the cutest? Three of them are my nephews and 14 years later, they are still cute... handsome, even...and bordering on muscle-bound, mandomhood....but this picture? This is one of my favorites and how I will remember them for many years to come.



8 comments:

Jenn @ Juggling Life said...

Those ARE the cutest kids ever--what a great shot.

The hula pics are wonderful, too.

shrink on the couch said...

Your friends sure know how to make a T'expat happy!

smalltownme said...

Happy Anniversary!

Janet said...

Happy Anniversary, my friends!

ChiTown Girl said...

Happy Anniversary! Glad to hear the dance festival went off without a hitch. :)

Gina said...

I love it! I think that has to be one of the cutest wedding photos ever. I'm so glad the hula event went well (I never doubted that it would!)

Moxy Jane said...

That wedding picture is SO sweet and funny!

Happy Anniversary...how the time flies...which can sometimes be a blessing;-)

HURRAY for a successful hula, too. I know you were a bundle of nerves but WE all knew you'd knock 'em dead. How nice to have good friends there to support you and encourage you and share a beer with you!

Nancy said...

Just catching up here.

Happy Anniversary. LOVE those little boys and yes, it is sure to be the best photo from your special day.

And look at you Ms. Hula Hoooooo!

You look beautiful, you need to post a video of the dance =)

As far as posting FF on Saturday ... I never can calculate the day and time difference, I just watch for your comment of drinking your morning coffee to know the time, lol!