Today I done got me some culture I tell you what

Today I got up really, really late for Japan (11) since I was hideously tired from yesterday's event.  Nothing happened.  THEN WE WENT TO THE BALLET.
Yes, that's a thing I did.  My host dad and I went to a ballet performance, half because the school is across the street and he's good friends with the owners, and half because we're the manliest of men.



THIS ELEPHANT.
HE WILL PUT OUT ALL THE FIRES.

There was an Ikebana display at the cultural center just because.

Seriously, every event has these things.  EVERY.  EVENT.  DO YOU BELIEVE ME YET?

This is the curtain before the show started.

And this is after the show started.

A variety of age groups performed, from about age five to age thirty-something or so, and the skill levels varied just as widely.  Of course the children were TERRIBLE, but as the ages went up so did the refinement.  Starting at middle school or so, some people were dancing at near-or-equal to professional level, and I was very impressed.  When Japanese kids get into an activity, they get good fast.

Now it's bed time.  I have a sore throat, so hopefully sleep will cure it.  I'll be okay as long as it goes away by Friday, because I have been invited to karaoke with my host parent's first son and his friends.  He's a tennis instructor, spent his high school years playing sports, and also has a nostalgic fondness for visual kei.

BECAUSE OVER HERE IT'S NORMAL.
I'm still pretty happy about that.