Why I Need A Different Camera

Today while writing I decided to go take a walk to go clear the fog that overcame it while attempting to write a massive paper and study Japanese at the same time. No easy feat, I assure you, but my brain was pretty much telling me to shove off and rightfully so.

So I decided that, hey, finals are next week. Might be a good idea to head down to the Shrine and pick up a 学業成就 amulet. That is to say, an amulet meant to help with studying. I figured why not, luck couldn't hurt.

But as I approached the Shrine, I saw paper lanterns and festival stalls. I was wondering if I had come across another random festival. As it was, it happened to be 七五三, that is, the celebration of children reaching the age of 7, 5, or 3. You saw little kids in fine kimono being wished luck and health and I saw something of particular interest.

As I approached the sacred precincts proper, I noticed an American family and color me surprised when I saw a little girl of 7, blonde hair and blue eyes dressed in a fine kimono with her makeup done and a cute parasol having her ceremony performed.

This was when I cursed myself for not carrying my camera everywhere with me, but it's so cumbersome. It turns out that family actually lives two blocks from ICU and they jog there frequently. I'll have to run into them again sometime.

Well, that's my adventure for today. If I can finished this paper before evening, I'll go back to the shrine again to take in the festive atmosphere.