Nara-ken

Today was full of surprises.

First, as usual Ogawa, Sugi, and A-san and I went to Nara park, where all the cities holy deer just sort of hang out. You can buy deer chips to feed them and it was an interesting experience. My first deer cookies got thrown when a really large deer got very pushy and you know what? I didn't want the cookies that badly... My second try was better, much better. The deer are smaller than the Minnesotan deer I'm accustomed too. They also have a bit of fuzz on their antlers. Cute as buttons. 

Eating a traditional rice cake. Later I learned it was made from grass and beans. Surprise! Never would have guessed......

Then we had lunch at another cool sushi bar with the sliding conveyor belt. I just ate two because I wanted to try more Japanese traditional sweets. And just as an answer to my prayers, the shop next door was a.. sweet shop! I bought an ice cream cone and a sweet with red bean paste inside. It was actually very good and even better together.

Next we had to go to the Nara Prefecture Office for Ogawa to give a presentation on what he does and hope the government continues funding him. Then he asks me if I could talk about what we do and about the WWOOF program to the board of reviewers. I said sure, and then he said "Oh, in Japanese." So I gave a surprise 1 minute speech (my Japanese class friends will laugh at that, that was often a required assignment). I had to sit in front of 6 professors, and then a 7th "unknown" guest, but outside Ogawa heard them address the guest and he looked surprised and said "It's the Mayor!" So, for my on the spot performance he bought my ticket to Todaiji temple. I felt I earned it.

The temple was gorgeous. It has the biggest buddha statue inside and very intricately sculpted. I had fun seeing the inside while a bunch of school groups were swarming the place. Teachers yelling left and right. Then there was a pillar that has a hole in it the size of the hole in Buddha's head. If you can crawl through it, you are supposed to have good luck. A bunch of middle school boys were doing it so I thought piece of cake! Well, my hips got a little stuck but I made it through (I see why they had it easy). Hopefully that will result in some super luck : ) 

"What is ichi plus ichi?" (1+1?)

"Niiiiii" (2)

Is the Japanese "cheeeese."