First Half Of The Ten Day Stay!
The family from Taiwan has completed their
stay as the final homestay guests this summer vacation. It was the first time
we hosted guests for such a long period of 10 days, and we were uncertain about
what to do during this hot season.
However, after it was over, we were filled
with the feeling of "Thank you so much for coming!"
As mentioned in the previous article "Two Families At The Same Timing?!," the guests who stayed for 10 days in this rather irregular situation were a mother and her elementary school-aged son from Taiwan.
In the first few days, time flew by as they interacted with another family, and the real homestay experience began after the first family moved on!
After the first-time okonomiyaki experience with the other family, we and the Taiwanese guests went back home for a short break and prepared for the Dekansho Festival. We usually drove to the festival venue, but this year we decided to use the shuttle bus instead to avoid the parking lot chaos in the castle town area.
The result was... "Why didn't we do
this every year?"
It was so comfortable and convenient!
The venue was bustling with food stalls, lanterns, and of course, the central stage with live performances of the Dekansho music and dance. We first took the guests to the night market area to experience the atmosphere. They enjoyed buying and eating candied apples, sweet potatoes, yakitori, and the drink in a twinkling bottle, having a great time. 😆 After exploring the night market, we went to the dance performance area to enjoy the dancing, singing, and fireworks, and then took the nice cool shuttle bus back.
The next day, we took a slow day at home, and the following day, we went sightseeing around the castle town. For lunch, we went to nearby Himalayan Waltz curry restaurant, where we heard they had non-spicy curry options suitable for young children. The mother was intrigued by the various crafts in the store, so she not only enjoyed the lunch but also enjoyed some shopping. 😊
In the castle town, many people were in the midst of cleaning up after the Dekansho Festival. We visited the Sasayama Castle ruins and the Oshoin, but it was just so hot... 😵
So, after the Oshoin, we drove around to see the typical spots like Kawaramachi and Makekirai Inari, viewing them from the car. Just before leaving the castle town area, we mentioned Kishida Kamiten, a local stationery shop, and the mother showed great interest, so we stopped by.
Inside, the guests were delighted by the abundance of items like karuta, washi products, and paper soaps. The shop owner was very kind, showing them various products and recommending items that would suit the child.
Shopping while conversing with the locals like this seemed to be very enjoyable for both of them. I think when we travel abroad, we also tend to enjoy the local, authentic shops with a sense of community rather than the typical "souvenir shops."
And that's how the first half of the 10-day homestay went. The second half was also packed with activities. Please stay tuned to our next blog! 😆👍