AIU Festival, Apple Orchards, and Changing Colors

The past weekend was quite the festive one.  If you'll excuse the pun, Akita International University held a school festival over the course of this past Sunday and Monday.  Events consisted of numerous dance performances coordinated by various student clubs, traditional music, local foods,  homemade fashion shows, bands, and a variety of other performances and activities showcasing AIU, student clubs, the community, and culture.  The amount of involvement from the student body was incredible, and many of the students have been preparing for the festival since their arrival at the start of this semester.  The past several weeks, students could be seen rehearsing past midnight and the amount of work and hours put into the preparation for the festival was very impressive.  It was encouraging to see so many student leaders, community members, and faculty collaborating to create something special.  Being someone who values student development theory and the role student involvement plays in creating a positive learning environment, I really enjoyed speaking with many of the students about their involvement and experience.  I also was able to join in on the fun!

I volunteered for the "World Cafe".  We were based in one of the classrooms where we had a variety of teas and treats from around the world that visitors could try for free.  The main focus of our station was we were the final stop for many kids who had been participating in a stamp rally.  They and their families had visited different stops and participated in different activities to gain a stamp.  After attaining three stamps they came to our spot for a prize of candies and some refreshments.  It was also a chance for parents, students, and kids alike to order things in English if they wanted.  I had a great time talking with the kids and community members as well as some friends who stopped by.  The festival was an enormous success and drew in visitors from all over the area.  Including a family from as far as Kyoto!  A good time was had by all!  Below I have posted some pictures of the festival including the World Cafe and the Taiko performance.

However, before I went to the festival, Saturday night a friend of mine, Yuno, and her family, actually the same family that came all the way from Kyoto to see the festival, invited me to come to Akita city with them.  So, on Saturday afternoon I went with them to pick apples in a nearby apple orchard and then to Akita city.  I stayed with them in the E-Hotel (which is a clever name because in Japanese いい, pronounced "ee" means good or great), where I was able to go experience a traditional Japanese style 温泉 (on-sen) (similar to a bathhouse).  Mr. Itoi kindly showed me how to properly enter the onsen and the proper way of doing things.  It was a great experience and very relaxing!  Afterwards we all enjoyed some tea and conversation before heading to bed.

お体に気をつけてください。
終わりました！：）