We had a long weekend this weekend, due to the Veteran's Day holiday. Have you hugged your Vet today?

Really didn't do too much...sort of lounged around the house and did some tidying up. I did go out for some curry last night, and ran into our friend Chibu and his wife. He is a hairdresser, and his wife owns Melody's favorite shop, Ikat. Not to be confused with Ika, or squid. Chibu was throwing a party for his kids and some of their friends from college. There were actually a couple of Americans there, too. A kid, Joe, from LA who is here in Japan for his junior year of college. He's studying Japanese, and is planning on coming back here to teach English afer he graduates. With all the time spent with my colleagues at work, it's always nice to talk to folks that have nothing to do with the military.

I hung around for an hour or so chatting with Chibu and the kids, all the while being struck with the fact that I was the second oldest person there, had a couple of beers and caught up on the local news. Then, I headed home and heated up my curry.

The house that was demolished around Labor Day is rapidly coming along. The foundation was laid about 2 weeks ago, and they're putting up scaffolding today to start the actual construction. Around the corner, by my parking space, another house started to go up on 26 Oct, and it's already being framed. When people around here start to build, they just get to it and make it happen. Since the time I've been here, no fewer than 5 houses have been torn down and reconstructed.

Here are a few pictures that I've been meaning to post...

Kids at the Shichigosan festival, Hachimangu Shrine.

Buddha's folded hands, Daibutsu of Kamakura

Fisherman mending nets