Golden Week

Carp Streamers
Originally uploaded by pookie_san99.

Well its Golden Week again.That week or so when most of the country takes a break.Public facilities and airports even shopping malls, (which to my mind have replaced amusement parks as places to spend ones leisure hours) are crowded.
Public transport is packed.I waited for two buses this morning before finally managing to a ride to work.
Hordes of old people,some bent almost double,all of them clutching maps and dropping coins made ragged lines by the bus stop.
The more aggressive of the old women "obattalion"
brazenly cut into the lines as if it were their birthright ignoring the muttering of their more polite and considerate brethern.Seems all the fuss was for a local flower festival "fuji" or wisteria a kind of vine like plant with purple and white flowers that is grown over trellises or above decks and patios.

Some people get the whole week off while others just the national holidays which fall during this time ,namely Constitution Day May 3 and Childrens Day May 5th.As part of the decorations for Childrens Day large carp streamers are traditionally flown.
Locally a family of carp streamers i.e father,mother and child carp are flown on one pole with the father carp the biggest at the top followed by the smaller mother and child carp further down.Carp are said to possess courage and spirit as they navigate their ways up-river attributes parents hope their children will acquire.The carp streamers are very impressive and colorful when there is a good wind to make them flutter..

The weather recently has perked up.Finally moved to spring mode.Lat weekend was fine and sunny and the temperature today was forecast to hit 28degrees celsius.Sunny and hot but without the overbearing humidity that literally dampens your spirit that is part and parcel of summer.
Time to put the catci back on the balcony now the threat of low temperatures and frost has gone...