fandomhigh | Japanese Etiquette & Tradition, 2/08/10, Period 5

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japanese etiquette

Japanese Etiquette & Tradition, 2/08/10, Period 5

Once again, class was held in the Danger Shop. The layout was flashy, eye-grabbing, and particularly colorful today. After all, Algren's students had essentially stepped out of the school hallway and into a brightly-lit fairground. The sky was dark, with the promise of fireworks later during the class, and there were rows upon rows of stalls with everything from food to games, just waiting for the students to poke around at them.

Of course Algren had to make them wait with a lecture.

"Because today's lesson on the syllabus happens to fall the better part of a week before Valentine's day," he began, "and because my syllabus said that we're covering festivals and holidays, I'll give a quick explanation of how Valentine's day is handled in Japan, just to get this holiday obligation out of the way before letting you ransack the festival." He was nice like that. "Valentine's Day in Japan was pretty much imported by chocolate companies as an excuse to get people to buy their wares."

He was certain that everyone was surprised. Really.

"The big difference between the holiday there and how most other people celebrate it would be that in Japan, it's tradition for women to give chocolate and gifts to pretty much all of the men in their lives on the fourteeth of February." And here, he paused to allow a moment for righteous feminist rage to set in before he added, bemused, "Of course, never the sort to turn up an opportunity to sell more chocolate still, they created a second holiday, celebrated exactly one month later, called White Day. The tables are turned, then. Any men who have their eye on somebody, or who simply want to return the favor by getting chocolate for whoever gifted him a month before, are encouraged to shower their objects of affection with gifts and sweets. Everyone is happy, confectioners across the nation can now afford to send their kids to college."

See, that lecture wasn't so difficult to sit through, was it?

"If you want to learn about other Japanese holidays, there's a handout for you at the door. I'm not going to keep you from enjoying the festival, which isn't related to any holiday in particular, any longer than I have to."

And this was mostly because there was a monja stall that was calling his name. He wouldn't deny it.

What are you waiting for? Go, have fun!

[~~After the~~ OCD is up!]

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Like you're about to enjoy a festival!

Yamanaka Ino

Annja Creed

Didi

Kate Gregson

Morgana

Momoko Akatsutsumi

Elena

Listen or don't. The stalls are kind of attention grabby, after all.

Momoko was listening! Totally listening! She could eat and listen, after all.

What, were they supposed to wait?

Just because you're in the danger shop doesn't mean the prizes and food you're about to encounter aren't real. What can Algren say? He's not rich by any stretch of the imagination, but it isn't like he has anything better to spend his money on than a few cheap prizes, some goldfish, and a whole whack of food. He doesn't have many students in his class. He can afford to spoil them.

The kimonos that are laid out for you to change into if you want to, however, were borrowed from the school's old theater department and are not to keep. Sorry, kids.

Test your sharpshooting skills by shooting at the same sorts of cheap toys you'd expect to see at festivals! If you knock them over, you get to keep them!

Annja was definitely stopping here after she changed into a blue kimono for the class.

That small little bear was too adorable not to win and take home.

Entirely too much fun. Elena was going to spend a great deal of time here, shooting at cheap toys and giggling.

Yes, goldfish scooping. Can you get the little goldfish into the little bowl using the little, easily breakable, paper scooper? Remember, they flop, wiggle, and try to swim away! But on the upside, whatever fish you catch, you're totally allowed to keep.

Because Algren is completely irresponsible and apparently trusts you with living creatures. At least there are jars to put them into, and fish food to take home, if you want.

The goldfish she already had might get jealous if Didi took a little sibling at home, but she was scooping some up anyhow. She'd pour them back before she left.

Morgana wasn't sure how Rose felt about animals, but surely a little fish wouldn't bother her. Assuming Morgana could catch one, of course.

"Wai! Goldfish!" Momoko spent quite a bit of time here, trying to get a particularly flirty red goldfish. "Ah! Almost!" Her scoop collapsed again and she rolled the sleeve of her kimono. She was totally getting this fish!

Okay, it's not really a game of skill. Pay the man at the booth with your fake danger shop money, and then draw a ticket. Whatever the (cheap) prize on the ticket is, that's what you get to keep. Will it be a stuffed animal? A squirt gun? A slightly bigger stuffed animal? A cheaply made toy robot? There's only one way to find out!

Elena was staring at the tickets. Something good ... something good ....... this one? Nope, a squirt gun.

Okay, again! Something awesome ................ this one? No. That was another squirt gun.

One last try. Elena closed her eyes and reached out for the first ticket her fingers landed on.

Ooooh! Polar bear (http://www.freebears.com/store/media/ss_size1/babyiceberg3705s.jpg)! Score!

Elena was going to giggle and cuddle her polar bear and leave the nice lottery man alone.

Because there is not enough OCD in the world for me to include everything else, but if your heart is set on something, feel free to fill in the blanks.

Well, of course there's candy at the festival. In fact, there's a wide ~~moddable~~ selection of everything from cotton candy to candied apples, with a few detours along the way for more traditional Japanese fair, such as candied sweet potato, chocolate-dipped banana, and some tasty looking sweet dumplings on skewers. Challenge the vendor to a game of Jan Ken Pon (Rock, Paper, Scissors) for a chance to get two instead of just one!

Didi was totally nomming on a pink-chocolate-covered banana with extra sprinkles.

Mmmm, dessert first.

After three rounds, Momoko totally had the vendor's tell and she walked away with enough dango and eclairs to feed a small army! Or at least until she found the takoyaki stall.

Because you can't live on sweets and sweets alone, of course. Far more of the traditional Japanese food can be found along further stalls, including takoyaki (bite-sized balls of octopus), karaage (fried meat), monjayaki and okonomiyaki (a Japanese variation on pizza), and tomorokoshi (grilled corn on the cob). Dig in!

Elena was very careful not to get any okonomiyaki on her stuffed polar bear.

Festivals were awesome.

Momoko was probably going to cry, seeing so many of her favourite foods in Fandom. It was like heaven as she dipped her toothpick into another takoyaki! Professor Algren was totally her favourite teacher EVER now.

There are plenty of other vendors for you to take in, selling things like cheap plastic masks of your favorite cartoon characters, sparklers, and good luck charms!

Momoko browsed the vendor stalls, carrying her fish and eating yet more dango. Oooh! Was that an Abaranger mask?

Because there was totally a reason for Algren to set the Danger Shop program to the nighttime setting. Set to go off ten minutes before the end of class, sit back with your stuffed animals, food, masks, and goldfish, and enjoy the fireworks show, kids!

Best Teacher Ever!

Momoko watched the fireworks and suddenly decided that she wanted to try to make chocolates for people this Valentines.

Who Algren suspects will be enjoying herself this class.

Yes, yes she was.

And absolutely playing with her sparklers and dressed up the way this sort of festival was meant to dressed up to.

It was exciting. Ino was grinning like a dork.

Whose mouth is possibly full. Don't let that stop you.

Trufax: I actually did have takoyaki and okonomiyaki at a festival once, at Heritage Days in Edmonton which showcased food and entertainment from hundreds of nationalities worldwide.

It was tasty, but cold by the time I finally got through the lineup for it. D:

This was made all better when I followed it up with some Irish stew and bannock. And now I have made myself hungry.

~~Also wtf OCD crazy me.~~

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Japanese Etiquette & Tradition, 2/08/10, Period 5

Sign In

Re: Sign In

Re: Sign In

Re: Sign In

Re: Sign In

Re: Sign In

Re: Sign In

Re: Sign In

Lecture

Re: Lecture

The Festival!

Games!

Cork Shooting

Re: Cork Shooting

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Goldfish Scooping

Re: Goldfish Scooping

Re: Goldfish Scooping

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Lottery!

Re: Lottery!

Moddable other games!

Food and Other Buyables!

Sweets!

Re: Sweets!

Re: Sweets!

Less sweet!

Re: Less sweet!

Re: Less sweet!

Not sweet at all!

Re: Not sweet at all!

Fireworks!

Re: Fireworks!

Talk to the TA

Re: Talk to the TA

Talk to Algren

OOC