Dancing at WLA Obon (#20)

I was thinking that the West LA Obon is becoming one of my favorite obons.  I thought it was about the food, but really I think it's about the sense of community. I ran into my friend Stacy who lives in the neighborhood, who I worked with in college. It's walking distance from Uncle Bill's house and it's in the neighborhood where Tony grew up.  This year, it was all about the dancing.

 Arriving at the WLA Obon.  Maiya was looking for the games.

 I was looking for some corn (photo credit:  Maiya)

 WLA Taiko, my favorite multi-generational taiko group

Shooting hoops at the YMCA game booth

 Getting dressed by the pros...

 ...who scolded me for not ironing her yukata 

which was rolled up and stuffed in my purse. 

They put cardboard in her obi to make it stiff.

One of Grandpa Larry's Mochizuki cousins

 

Dancers from up above

Where's Waldo?  I mean Maiya & Tony.

NaBloPoMo#20

Venice Obon #2

Maiya dancing by herself at Venice Obon 2010

Time to go home!

We enjoyed Venice obon again this year.  We went with my parents, and Tony decided to walk and met us there.  We ate a lot of food (my review of the food is the same from previous years), lines were fairly long, parked a few blocks away, which is like most obons that we go to.  What I like about Venice is that it is close to home and we get to see many of the people who helped us on the Aloha Market Mural that we did 12 years ago.  Their kids, who helped us paint, are all grown up now.

Maiya was excited because she recognized Tampopo Ondo which she learned at preschool, and she recognized that Auntie Nobuko sings the song.  She was also happy because she got to say hi to Tula's grandpa.  I was a proud mama because Maiya asked if she could dance by herself.  It makes me feel great that she isn't afraid to try new things, or do things without me.  It was very cute to see her copying other dancers.  I think I took some video, I will post it when I find it.  Next week:  WLA.

Performing at Nishi Obon 2010

It's obon season again!  Here we are at Nishi Obon, you could say it is our home obon since it is where Maiya has been going to preschool for the last 2 1/2 years, and we are members at Nishi.   Between our family, we sampled just about everything there is to eat and drink this year.   This year was cool, not hot at all, and not as crowded as in the past two years.  It was fun watching the kids dance.  It was nice that my mom, dad and Auntie Keiko came to see her perform, her 3rd time on the Nishi stage.

Nishi kids getting ready to perform

"Futatsu" one of 3 dances from Odori class

Pretty sure we have a picture from last year in the same yukata, same location

except that she is wearing her great grandma's obi.

Grandma and Grandpa came to see Maiya and for the snowcones

Tony and Auntie Keiko having some obon foods

Somen time, slurp, slurp

Nishi Center kids penguin sumi-e paintings and figurines on exhibit

Tony hard at work at the snow cone booth

Kuida-Osumi, heading home 

A few more obons to go... pix to follow.

Odori Oseibo

Maiya's Odori class performed at the Oseibo, a year end party at the Buddhist Temple where Maiya goes to preschool. It is a chance to thank the ministers and teachers for their work all year long, and a chance for all of the temple groups to perform in a little showcase. Then afterwards, it's chili rice, hot dogs and pizza for everyone. It was a nice event. For the proud preschool parents, it is a highlight and a photo op, to be sure.

Nisei Week Community Ondo 09

Maiya and my first time to go the Nisei Week Community Ondo, the Sunday that closes out Nisei Week activities in Little Tokyo. Here are some pictures.

I thought he was a squirrel, but no, Akita the Dog.

Maiya was happy to see her friend Lotis from preschool dancing

Lotis knows the moves pretty well so she's a good one to follow.

Actually, Lotis was following Tamlyn Tomita, who also knew what to do.

A bit of chaos as the line dance becomes circles

Maiya sees the Nebuta from the Nisei Week Parade

in front of the Far East Cafe on First Street

I have to say, it was pretty fun. Aside from a very cranky girl and a hot day, she did have a lot of fun dancing in the street. At first she wouldn't let me drag her out of the Koban because she was doing origami with Nancy. We had our first Shave Ice with Mochi Bits from Fugetsu-do, and man was it delicious. Often when we drive down First Street on our way to preschool, she will say, "hey this is the street with the dancing." Happy to be making memories of J-town for my little girl, wearing my grandma's obi. NaBloPoMo#28

More Obon: Senshin

Senshin's obon is among my favorites mostly because of all the people we know who go to Senshin. There is more emphasis on the spiritual and Buddhist traditions. They don't have festival games... and only a few food booths like chili rice n' hot dogs or snow cones, but odori dancing and taiko performances are highlights. Senshin is always early, used to be the 1st weekend of July, but every now and then it's the last Saturday in June, and if I'm not paying attention, am likely to miss it.

Ms. Susan from Nishi Center (BTW, we saw either Ms. Susan or Ms. Elaine at EVERY obon this year.)

Karen, Carrie, Ev, Tad and Friend

After the dancing, we go through the hondo/temple, and do oshoko (incense offering). Since Maiya goes to a Buddhist preschool, I find I am now watching her for the protocol, which she does before me. Then we walk up and out of the hondo. Someone passes us a lit candle, and we see the mesmerizing 1,000 or so oil candles lit one by one in memory of those who have passed before us. As you pass by, you light a candle and then pass the candle to the person behind you. It is a beautiful and solemn moment, one that makes you take a deep breath.

Then inside the Social Hall, where I have spent a lot of time, as Senshin is Great Leap's spiritual home and rehearsal space. We get in line for some free soba noodles and sit down to watching taiko performances with resident company and OG taiko group Kinnara Taiko. Ooh, and at the time of this blog posting it is 7:08 am, and as I typed the word taiko performances, Maiya stirred from her sleep and said, "taiko... taiko."

WLA Obonalicious

WLA Taiko members range from kids to 70-somethings

Sao... Darin's how's the udon?

Eating shave ice with Grandpa Walt & Uncle Bill

Might be my favorite picture of the summerTrying to take a picture with grandma and grandpa

Hey Kevin.. let's see your face!

Sparkle, sparkle, sparkle

Clap clap... clap

We had a great time at the WLA Obon. Uncle Bill joined us and we arrived just in time for the big dinner crowds. My parents and brother Darin's family and their friends also were there. Food was great and the long lines went pretty fast, but it was just so crowded. Tony & I ate Feast from the East salads, while Maiya had her usual hot dog & shave ice. The shave ice is one of the better ones. Uncle Bill enjoyed the teriyaki chicken. Maiya (and I) probably waited 20 minutes in line for the bouncer. Tony was busy chatting with various friends he hadn't seen in awhile, so there's no pictures of him or me.

Uncle Bill and Tony walked back to Uncle Bill's house, and Maiya and I stayed to dance. The bummer is that by the time we dance, Maiya is usually a little cranky and annoying, but the great thing is that she and I did a lot of dancing this year and we are actually starting to learn the dances! It is fun to be with her and watch her watching others and catching on to the moves, at the same time I am learning. It's fun doing Tampopo, Auntie Nobuko's song. My favorite one is the one with the "sparkle, sparkle, sparkle." Still, some of the dances are too hard and we take a little break.

Odori class

Maiya has been pretty excited about her Japanese odori dance class which she started about a month ago. I had to change my day off at work and it totally messed up my schedule, but it is so worth it. I never learned how to dance odori when I was a kid, so it's very fun to watch her learning and having fun.
You got to check out the adorable video I took a few weeks ago, she's the one in the royal blue yukata with red goldfish and my red bathing suit sarong as an obi belt practicing "Teru Teru Bozu."