Happy Halloween from Nakajo, Japan.

This year Halloween was a bigger event than usual.  Probably because we have more kids in the family and they are getting to be the right age to really get into it. Also, I love Halloween!! So now I can party without looking like a big goof.

Mary started shopping for Halloween goods in the middle of September.  We wanted to get the best costumes and they all sell out near the middle of October.

Jack O’Lantern 2002

Then we had to shop for pumpkins... too expensive, even for the holiday lover like me.  So we put out the word that we needed big orange pumpkins - locally.  A few days later one of our students showed up at our house with 2 monster size ones, fresh from the field. Her friends father in Sekikawa village grows them.  Now we have one for the Jack and one for eating (lots of pumpkin pies). Yea!

The Pirate Guys

Our Youngest Pirate

On October 31st, we had the Kurokawa Party and then I taught NHS and we had a little party.  I got home for a little breather and then took the kids Trick or Treating.  Mary and a couple of other families loaded up and went to all the homes of the kids in Kyler’s school. They were gone for almost 2 hours... Me? I just stayed home and took a hot bath because we have another big party at Toyosaka tomorrow.

Kohei and Natsuki

Getting Ready to Knock

The Trick or Treaters

The Inside Pumpkin

With the costumes bought and the pumpkins prepared we thought we were ready for the event. Then some things happened.  Wonderful things.
1st: Mary’s class in Toyosoka decided to have a big Halloween party.  It has 80 kids and we needed games and goodies for all of them.
2nd: Kurokawa Elemantary school (300 children) asked for a cultural event and I suggested a Halloween Party on October 31st.
3rd: The Halloween Party at SIUC-N that we thought had been canceled, was rescheduled by popular demand. It was on the Sunday before Halloween (Oct. 27th)
4th: My students at Nakajo High School wanted a Halloween party
5th: Kyler’s Yochien friends wanted to have a night of Trick-or-Treating

So as you can see, we were suddenly pressed for time and ideas.  We started shopping for huge amounts of candy Halloween decorations, prizes and other goods. We had to plan carefully so that everyone had fun and we had to look good doing it. Time to use the credit card and go internet shopping.

Pirate Mary

Kurokawa Party

Kyler and the Pumpkin