Halloween isn’t so big here, but the lady who runs the English conversation school where Sarah helps out had a Halloween party for all her kids. Everyone was dressed up, including us; we went as Harry Potter and Hermione Granger.
We live in the most excellent neighborhood in Takeo. The first festival we went to was like a big street party/tug-of-war tournament a block away from our apartment. The part with horses happened elsewhere the next day.
Nicholas and Sarah spent a Saturday afternoon wandering around Mifuneyama Rakuen Amusement Park at the base of Mt. Mifune (Takeo’s famous mountain in the middle of town). It was the off season and nothing was in bloom, but it was still pretty.
Sports day. Oh, sports day. After weeks of afternoon practices, all 900 students at Takeo Junior High participated in a variety of amusing and vaguely sportish events.