Obon 2008

Obon time came around and we almost missed it. As usual we forget exactly when it was. It just so happened I was looking at pictures from last year and looked at the date. Thankfully we didn't miss out on the fun. We went down to the Salt Lake Buddhist Temple for the festival. We arrive at 1 pm for lunch. Richard, Lisa and her kids, Mark and Molly all came along. We even brought my little sister Julie along for her first time at Obon. We ate wonderful food like sushi, somen, terriyaki chicken, and Spam. I didn't touch the Spam. But those Spam eaters are adamant about how good it is. I will take my food without the jelly coating. Back to the day... after eating lunch Brian, the boys, and I toured the chapel of the temple. A woman asked if the read carpet on the alter had meaning behind it. The tour guide said "I think it was the cheapest carpet." That gave everyone a good chuckle. It was very interesting to learn a bit more about the Buddhist culture.

Later that night Brian, the boys, Julie, and I came back to the temple for the Taiko drums and Obon dancing. It was really hot and I felt bad for the women dressed in Kimono's. They all looked gorgeous and I guess it goes to show beauty is pain. It is so calming to watch the slow and precise movements that the dancers make. I am happy they are dedicated to learning the dancing and sharing them all with us. At the end of the night the audience can join in and dance a few dances also. We all had a great time dancing and embarrassing ourselves with our lack of grace. Check out our Flickr site for videos and pictures of the day.