Wadayama day tour

Today the HPAC orchestra visited the small town of Wadayama to perform a concert.  Two hours northwest of our Takarazuka home, our day trip introduced us to new places and faces, foods and phenomenons.

After about an hour on the bus, we stopped for a short break....

The takoyaki man at the rest stop, yaking his tako.

Information guide for toilet stall type and availability in the women's restroom

When we arrived in Wadayama we were greeted by a billboard for our concert.  Our conductor was very intense.  

Guitar soloist (left) and conductor (right) for our concert in Wadayama

Beyond their welcoming gaze lay the gateway to autumn and to Jupiter Hall.  

The first (and only) changing leaves of Hyogo thus far

Lunch time brought about an obvious choice:

The Big Bang Family Restaurant

I wouldn't say that it is impossible to eat poorly in Japan, but I think it's a lot harder than America.  Or perhaps it's the novelty fairy painting the world like candy.  Regardless, for about $5.50 I had this delicious lunch of "egg."

Egg with onions,  herbs, spices, seaweed and fish cake over rice; and miso soup

The concert was an interesting experience, one quite foreign from the typical HPAC concert.  Normally we play to a huge sold-out hall for an audience that will clap the encores out of us, but never stand up.  Today's much smaller "Jupiter Hall" could not encourage the town fill it to one third of its capacity and this included the junior high school students with whom we shared the program.  They didn't clap long enough for the guitarist to play her encore and they stopped clapping at the end of Carmen before the orchestra could even stand up.  But perhaps this was due to some confusion because at the very end of the concert, after Bolero, they continued to clap; and although temporary and shy, two individuals rose in standing ovations.  It was really sweet to see two people in an audience of 200 do something that no one in an audience of 2,000 would brave to do.  And it was encouraging.  It's really rewarding to play for a full house and much more difficult to play for empty seats.  Should it matter?  Regardless of how it effected our performance and whether or not it should, I welcomed the warmth of the uncommon ovation.  

After a rainy bus ride home, some friends invited me to a coupon subsidized dinner of okonomiyaki.  Sometimes I regret putting that sign on my mailbox requesting relief from junk mail.  Is it really junk if it can bring about this culinary bliss?  I wish I had enough Japanese to modify the sign so that it would include incredible coupons to delicious restaurants within walking distance, but I'm afraid that by the time I acquire such linguistic acumen I will no longer be forgiven the gaijin (foreigner) transgression of such a request.  Luckily, I have wonderful friends.  

Anahid (left) and Bernice (right) enjoying okonomiyaki

Detail of a thick okonomiyaki (egg, noodle, and in this case,  seafood pancake)- Osaka style

At the moment, I am still quite full.