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this isn't an official cultural event but it was my first meal in japan, and my first taste of REAL ramen. YUM!

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one event was to have an american bbq and invite the japanese students.

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i was the only female griller. my grill (middle) kicked ass.

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dave, andrew, mita-sensei.

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it was yum. VERY hard to find really american food over there.

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tea ceremony.

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wherein we learn to fold napkins. this is angie.

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enough with the napkins!

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napkin-folding is hard work for andrew.

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i honestly have no idea what is going on here. all i know is we were working with japanese high school students that are in the english club.

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us and the high school students.

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flower arranging time. mine is kind of in the middle.

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i think this is the ikebana sensei's creation, and therefore an example of "good" ikebana. you can tell it's good because she broke her flower.

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here is my ikebana, an example of "crap" ikebana. i rather liked it but the sensei kept coming by and looking scandalized and trying to fix everything.

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then we made japanese food with the japanese students in our little dorm kitchens. this is our yakisoba.

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TRY to find good yakisoba in america. it can't be done.

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eventually there was quite a spread, all delicious.

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mita-sensei and andrew. i like this picture because it gives a tiny sense of how funny and animated mita-sensei is. kodomappoi.

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we did karaoke as a school once and this teacher got really into it. he was awesome.

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we did some shoudou (calligraphy).