Took the cubs to the 'Japan Festival' in Box Hill today...
<whimper> Hundreds of people there but that's not why I'm whimpering. So much tempting stuff to buy! Could've spent about 5 times the amount I'd brought if I'd been allowed to stop and browse properly. Heh, kids sometimes do have their uses.
Did get myself something really cute though, from a second hand stall: a 2" plastic figurine of a gorgeously buxom goth chick with black hair and red eyes, holding a bottle of Coke. If, as I suspect, she's from a vending machine (a 'capsule toy') she's part of a series. On the bottom of her stand is '12 Lulu'... I'd say that's a big hint. Wonder what else is in the series?
While waiting to see the cubs' father take part in a naginata demonstration, we watched some traditional Japanese dances, the ones performed with fans... <shining eyes> I want to do that! So beautiful, and there was so much joy in the last, combined, dance it brought tears to my eyes. (Hee, though one of the dance props made me giggle - 2 fans joined together, bedecked with bells and frondy things... it looked like a muppet scallop... and the first dance we saw was performed to a Japanese version of Tom Jones 'Green green grass of Home'... that was odd.. :)
Not surprisingly the cubs were far more interested in the martial arts demos (blimey, full-on kendo is fast!) and they were dead chuffed to see their father up on stage.
Fortunately I was able to dump them - er, leave them to the care of their father and his girlfriend so I could snatch a few minutes to myself before the taiko drumming.
<happy sigh> Now that was fun! Really enjoyed it, even though the enjoyment was marred a little by tired, fractious cubs who said it was too loud. <rolls eyes> But I guess it was the end of the day and we'd been there for hours...
All in all a fun time - I'll keep an eye out for next year's festival.

My journey to the darkside is almost complete...
There's an anime convention in Melbourne in August [see here - link provided by the ningen. She wants to go too...] and I'm seriously considering going, for one day at least. Of course, this is an anime con, not a yaoi con so I suspect there'll be wall-to-wall geeks in places :)
And - Oooh! - cosplay! I could make a Penelope Ham-ham costume! Yellow sheet and ham-ham ears. <evil smirk> Dead simple...