A Grand Party

~Today I went to an international party at the Nagaoka Grand Hotel(長岡グランドホテル), the finest hotel in the city. There were people from many different countries there, including Japanese, Americans, Brazilians, Germans, Swiss, Malaysians, Australians, and even a group of Jordanians.

The party started with a speech from the President of the Harashin company, a chain of supermarkets which serve as my primary food source. I had no clue what his speech was about; for all I know, he could have been describing his most recent poker game.

However, after him a group of students spoke, and I learned what this was all about. The Harashin company had provided scholarships for the students to travel to Fort Worth, Texas, which is a sister city of Nagaoka. They went there on a homestay program and experienced American culture (by which I mean "rodeos").

Once the speeches were done, it was time for the food!

^ Fitting with the international theme of the party, there were foods from all over the world. Each section of the buffet line was marked with a flag indicating the country of origin for the type of food. I noted with amusement that the Tex-Mex food was marked with an American flag and the word "Texas", which may as well be an independent nation.

While people were eating, an official from Bamberg, Germany (Nagaoka's other sister city) received some sort of award or commendation from the mayor. I half-expected him to say, "Ich bin ein Bamberger!".

^ National origin issues aside, the food was oishii (delicious). There were about 300 people there, and I'd estimate that between 1/2 and 2/3 were Japanese. Everyone ate at round tables, and served themselves from the buffet line. Drinks were provided by the hotel staff. Unlike some of the other city events I went to, this party wasn't cheap (~$35)...but there was food!

^...and entertainment! Some of my Brazilian friends sang on the stage. After them, the Jordanians did some kind of traditional Arab dance which involved much clapping and making yipping noises. Everyone joined in and it was great fun.

^ There was also a collection of objects from the sister cities on display; I think they were gifts to the people of Nagaoka. This plaque is obviously from Bamberg.

^ A model house from Bamberg. Interestingly, the figurine on the right side of the building appears to be Japanese.

^ I'm not entirely sure what this gift from Fort Worth is. Perhaps it's a giant rodeo cowbell? Or a saddle strap? A commemorative toy from Taco Bell? The bell itself is engraved with the words "Nagaoka 2006" and "Fort Worth", with pictures representing both cities.

^ Another community that Nagaoka maintains links with is the Taiarapu-Ouest Commune in French Polynesia. The word "commune" in this case designates the lowest administrative level in French territories (there are 36,568 in mainland France); the Taiarapu-Ouest Commune is located on the island of Tahiti in the South Pacific, and these canoe oars were a gift from the people there.

I enjoyed the party a lot, and talked to many interesting people. It's always fun to go to international gatherings like these, and it broadens your horizons, too. ~Oyasumi!