Drachenfest 2006
Last week the Yoshida clan joined 4500 others at Drachenfest 2006. For us it al began at monday when we went to Annet and Nico to put our stuff in the van and after some chitchat and a game of domino we went to bed, already anxious for the things yet to come. The next day Sander and Annelies brought their stuff to the van as well, and we drove to Mike and Yvonne in Nijmegen. There Mike, Annet and I did big time grocery shopping at the Sligro and when we came back others already arrived. That night we watched Spirited Away to get in the mood and I put a few parts of the harness of Mike together. The next morning we woke verry verry early and after we divided all the stuff over the cars we climbed in the huge van and drove off.
We arrived around 12 and after a terrible climb up a hill we saw the massive terrain, already there were wooden walls and camps slowly getting their shape. We had to unload the van at the beginning of the terrain, since we couldn´t drive uphill due to the rain and the slippery grass. We reserved a spot and waited for the others, who had trouble getting the rented trailer wagon uphill. Fortunately a friend with a huge van saw the struggle and brought the four wheel trailer to our camp where we could begin building our house for the next days. It took us all day, putting on the great green tent, and carpent it with our own 'tatami' Decorate is with tables, flowers and hanging paintings to the walls. We had little shoe racks and a platform for the Daimyo. In the corners we had brand new harnesses, they al looked awesome.
Then we had the two big party tents, one for the cooking and one which was divided in two: a bath house and a shrine. Furthermore we had an entrance tent with at one side a table with a bowl were people could wash there hands. And last but not least: we had our own Zen garden with white stones and a pond with wind up fish and next to it a little herb garden for the alchemists. The result was awesome.
That night at 12 DF officially opened, we checked in in costume but didn´t get to the roleplay that much since we were all pretty tired from the whole journey and the building of the camp.
Offcourse there were good things and not-so.very-good things about this DF. I hated the dixie toilets and the fact that there were only 12 showers somewhere at a half an hour walk. Water you could only get at the middle of the battlefield and it felt real stupid to walk there with a bucket when everywere around you people were fighting. I hated the rain and the thunderstorm, luckily when that broke loose I sat next to Linda and Annet under a blancket since Linda didn´t like the lightning and thunder either....I´m such a baby when it comes to that argl...The rain made the terrain slippery and I fell down once when we walked downhill, the only thing that came to mind: ow no...there goes the kimono. But the overall feeling is a good one

The last day was hard. Everyone was tired and slowly we broke up our house which we lived in for three days. We did not hurry and it went quite relaxed. Finaly we did not had to act as Japanese without emotions and it showed. We had noodles and the oni, now only half red, joined us. We drove off at about 16:00 arriving at Nijmegen at 20:30 were we had fries and watched photos on tv. When the goodbyes were said, I missed the lot as soon as we drove off. I slept almost all the way to Rotterdam and Nick, Gijs and I stayed the night. We stayed at Nico and Annets the whole next day just fooling around int he park with bokken, djo, bo and bow.
The they drove us home and stayed for dinner. And then it really was over. damn...
What I did those three days at DF I will put in an IC entry, for the moment the very last of Nanami Koyuki.