Movies, an unexpected event, and a Fish Festival

This weekend there was nothing huge planned, which suited me because I have a Japanese test in just over a week. However, the weekend was not all fun and games. My roommate went to the hospital on Saturday because it hurt to swallow food. He said it felt like something was stuck deep down in his throat. He is fine, but it was interesting because in Japan you go to the hospital for anything that is wrong with you. If you have a bad cold you go to the hospital, flu, hospital, sprained ankle, hospital. Obviously Daniel did not want to go to the hospital because in America we only go to one if we are dying or are seriously injured. That aside it turned out he had a stomach ulcer (not a serious one), but they decided to put him on an IV drip for two days so he did not have to eat and the ulcer could heal. The doctor will evaluate him today (Monday). I went to visit him on Sunday and he was fine, did not feel bad at all, but he was bored. He shares a room with six other beds, four of the five other beds are occupied and the TV by his bed requires a 1,000 yen card to turn it on, and we're not clear on how long the card remains valid for, so he just doesn't get one. There is also no internet in the hospital, wired or otherwise, for patient use. So he reads. I hope for his sake, and that of my host family, he can come home today. It is both interesting and sad to see how worried they are about the situation, not that I don't understand it, but I am not much for worrying about things I have no control over, so I almost feel a little bad that I'm not more involved in my concern, but I don't really see it as profitable to change that. Obviously with this happening there were no opportunities to sit down with the family and get pictures this weekend, but I will do it before I leave.
What I did do this weekend was go see my first Japanese movie: Dog X Police.

This is the Trailer if you're interested, though it is in Japanese

It was a decent movie about an officer transferred to a K-9 unit where he is reunited with a dog that he helped deliver a few years back. However, the dog, a white German Shepard named Shiro (Shiro (n.) is 'white' in Japanese), has a genetic condition and is thought to be unable to be a guard dog. This story of friendship and overcoming difficulties is set against the backdrop of a psycho who is blowing up buildings, and killing people in the process, because he was fired and hates his former boss. There is also a love interest for the main character who has some hardship in her past, but the details were lost on my inability to understand. That said however, I was able to understand quiet a bit of the movie and only failed to understand the finer plot points, this made me happy. The movie was also subtitled in Japanese for the hearing impaired, I know this because sound effects were also listed on screen. I do not know if this is common in all Japanese movies, only time will tell.
Movie theaters differ greatly in Japan, food is cheap, but drinks and tickets are expensive. I think the Japanese understand that if you buy food you will undoubtedly buy a drink as well and so they over charge more on the drinks and leave the price for food fairly reasonable. They also collect your garbage at the end of the show. The other interesting about the food is that there is a wide variety, you can even get caramel popcorn, a BBQ rib sandwich or potato wedges, they even have beer to drink. It feels more like a mini restaurant than a US theater.
Beyond food you select your seat when you buy your ticket, for which you use a terminal with a large touch screen, this has the upside of being able to stop by the theater in advance and buy a ticket for a later showing (the later the better, prices start dropping after 8 pm, though there are no showings after 10pm at the mall theaters) and then go about your business until your show starts seating knowing you will be seated where you want to be. Once the movie begins, no one talks or uses their cell phone for anything, these actions can get you ejected from the theater (this makes me so happy because I get to enjoy my movie without commentary or interruption from other people). Once the credits begin to roll talking is permissible in hushed tones (from what I observed), but the lights do not come up until the credits have finished, apparently in Japan it is bad manners to leave during the credits.
Sunday morning was a little rushed, I put my laundry in first thing (because it was the first sunny day in the last couple days, so it was a good day to dry clothes) and ate breakfast watching my normal Sunday morning lineup of Sentai and Kamen Rider. Then I got ready, skyped

 This is the stage were performances were, though at present it is being used for a fish auction

 A look at some of the festivities

 And more of the festivities

This is a Taiyaki stand where they make fish shaped pancakes filled with sweet bean paste.

This was a performance by some children using Taiko (Japanese drums)

There was also a place set up where kids could catch their own fish to take home (presumably to eat as they were a little large to be pets), I wish I had pictures from it, but I saw it on the news when I had gotten home that night. The water is covered with bubbles so it is hard to see. I had seen the bins earlier, but did not realize the purpose at the time. Other interesting things that happen include failing to get a ticket for the free sashimi tasting only to have a kind gentleman give me his ticket as he had two for separate events at the same time and decided to go to the other. While I was eating my sashimi, which was amazing, I was interviewed by a local news station. I don't know if I was actually on the news last night or not, but I'll get another chance to see tonight at 6pm. To my embarrassment I did botch a few particles as I was speaking, silly mistakes that I would not have made if I wasn't a little nervous, but it was fine overall and the lady interviewing me seemed to have no trouble understanding what I was saying. This is a short week for school as we have Friday off because Saturday and Sunday are the school festival, and we also have a Halloween party Sunday night, but since it is just for the JASIN students I haven't really decided if I am going to go or not yet, that and I don't really want to buy a costume to add to pointless things taking up my limited space, we'll see how it works out though.