House Blessing

We all went off to Igiri today, where we met Kanashima-san. We then walked to the location of her house to be. It is located next door to her parents' house, where Kanashima-san used to live, and the plan is to finish the house, and all three of them move in. Afterwards they will knock the parents' house down. Well, actually, four of them are moving in as Kanashima-san got married last May but has yet failed to mention it to us!

The place is actually a live building site as the workmen were still building when we arrived, using a crane to lift packs of wood up to the roof. It was all very crazy. But there was beer and, importantly: umeshu! Lots of Kanashima-san's family was there, and there were little nibblets and things.

The blessing part consisted of them taking a whole fish up to the roof, and then throwing about a hundred bags of mochi (rice cakes), and a few ￥5 coins. It was carnage, and I have no idea as to the significance of it!

Kanashima-san then made us sing some songs, even though we have never practiced. We sang "For She's a Jolly Good Fellow", and "Amazing Grace"! They seems to like it - I thought we were quite good. Afterwards, the Japanese men all sang us a song, but I have no idea what it was. I took a little video of it though.

When we left, she gave us each a little lunch-cooler pack thingy. A Disney one no less. I got Marie from the Aristocats - it's pink. Maybe I'll give it to Hannah.

This evening we had our first barbershop rehearsal. We are going to perform for the university festival in mid-November. There is a little "counselling room" on the floor, and it has a little organ in it, which is useful for practicing. We sang "The Story of a Rose" and "Goodnight Sweetheart". We were pretty good!