Photo Booth Extraordinaire--July 31

Today I experienced my first photo booth, or pericura (I think, sounds like pelicula). Emi took me around the surrounding area today; we went to Mihama (beautiful beach) and Enjugahama (?) to see the ocean. Not much of a beach, a bit rocky, but it was nice to see the coast and get a gage for where it is. I can ride my bike there next time. We went further along the coast, to Mio area, otherwise known as America village because there was a big number of Japanese from this area that went to America, the continent that is. It actually refers to Canada. I did not understand the entire story, but apparently there were a large number of Japanese from the Wakayama area. So, at this particular sight that Emi took me to, there was a small museum devoted to this Japanese exchange with Canada, including pictures and accounts of the internment camps in Canada during the war. I had not realized that there were camps in Canada (not as many as in the U.S.), but there were about three and the Japanese from these camps went through a similar redress process as those in the United States.
After this, we went to Roman City to meet up with Emi’s friend Naoko. In a habitual fashion, we headed straight for the photo booth. The way it works here, is that you have a certain amount of time to take as many pictures as you can. The background changes automatically. When you are done, you choose which photos you want and then can decorate them, with words and pictures, shimmering symbols, etc. It is a process and a creation, much different from our stone-age booths at home.
Then like clockwork, we headed to karaoke, my first visit during the day, my first visit sober. It really is just another activity, done by all. Just like going to the movies on a Sunday afternoon, or having a picnic, Japanese all over the country, enter soundproof rooms, order food and beverages over the phone and sing, sing, sing. It’s nice, because ability to sing and the quality of ones voice seem to be irrelevant. Willingness to participate is all that matters. However, I think I am more of a night karaoke-er

*Side note: T-Shirt award of the day, yesterday I saw a shirt that caught my eye. The front read “Jingle Jangle Following,” and the back read “Pratinum Shine.” Classic.