Canon visit and Arigatou Evento Toride

Goodevening everyone! So I did not update my blog yesterday. I am sorry, but I was very busy and had no time to update my blog.

So yesterday we went to the Canon company plant in Toride. You know, [Canon, you can], producing digital cameras and printers and stuff. We went to the plant of the Canon company were they produce printers for commercial use. We went there by bus. When we arrived, we took a picture of the whole group. Which was very strange, because we usually take a picture after the event.
Anyway, we took the picture, had a short introductionary presentation about the Canon company and its view on the future, enginering, its products and efficiency. After that we had an exclusive tour in the plant! I saw how a high quality printers is produced. I was surprised, because it was all made by hand. Every worker used state of the art machines to improve the efficiency of their labour. Each worker is trained to work there. They each had to pass a special test to work there. It was very interesting.
After that we went back to the community center of Toride, were groups of people were waiting for us to introduce us to different aspects of the Japanese art scene. We were divided into 4 groups, with each group doing a different Japanese art. There was Japanese stick dance, koto (Japanese instrument), old kids games and Yasugi bushi (a traditional folk dance in which a fisherman tries to catch eels by using a basket-like thing; kabuto). I did the last mentioned art. It was hilarious! You should see pictures of it... I can not explain it. I will upload them later.
Then my host family picked me up and we went to an Izakaya in Abiko (were we live right now. I do not live in Toride, but a city near Toride called Abiko) with two collegues of my host parents, Yushi and Mayoko. Very delicious food and had a great time!


Left of table: me and Chong, right of table, upper: Satomi-san and Toshi-san, lower: Yushi and Mayoko

Today was Arigatou Evento. We practiced the event, and two o'clock we have been told to perform the traditional Japanese arts we have learnt yesterday! That was so funny! I have never played as a joker like in that dance...
After that, Arigatou Evento! It was awesome. Like always. But I felt a little bit emotional, because it is the very last Arigatou Evento for a lot of my friends; like Chong (China), Maria (Denmark), Kevin (USA), Meg (USA)... Only Zuxin (China), Raymon (USA), Synnove (Norway), Liz (Canada) and I will proceed to the next session of this group. Again, it is hard to say goodbye. But today it was not bye bye day. Tomorrow will be host family day and the day after tomorrow will be personal day. On personal day we will go to Tokyo with the whole group (yeah!). Oh, and by the way, guess who joined this Arigatou Evento from Osaka? RIE! Yeah, I do not know why, but she was here, chilling and dancing with the WCI like in the first session. It was awesome to see her again.
After the Arigatou Evento, my host family, Honda-san, Chong and his host family went to the firework show of Toride together. It was beautiful! Here some pictures. I talk to ya later Bye bye!


OOOOOH!


AAAAAAAAAHH!


The whole group. My two host brothers are at Aikidou camp, so they are not in the picture


Me with the Honda family. I will stay at Honda-san for the last two days in Toride program


Me and Chong. Enjoying the pleasant things of life.