halloween, macro, hugs

Halloween: The other night was our Yosakoi "Washoi" Halloween party. I usually don't celebrate Halloween, but this seemed to be a relatively tame, alcohol-free alternative to most of the shindigs going on around town. In the late afternoon it was interesting to see people walking around in their costumes...there was someone dressed as Captain Jack Sparrow who went around to random classes acting like a pirate. There was also someone dressed as Edward Scissorhands who was taking his role so seriously that he wouldn't answer people who went up and talked to him on the street. Also, our local Chipotle was giving free burritos to people who came in wearing aluminum foil, so there were a couple of people walking down the street wrapped in the shiny stuff. Interesting, let me tell you. In the evening we had our yosakoi party, and ate Chinese food (ironic at a Japanese function, but tasty all the same) and watched videos of different Yosakoi styles from a festival in Japan. We also played "conversation bingo" to get to know other members better, and had a costume contest. I won a bamboo fan for my flamenco dancer outfit, complete with swishy red skirt and roses in my hair. It was a fun night.

Macro: I'm not talking about the mind-numbing economic stuff. It was at the party that someone showed me how to use the macro lens on my camera. The macro button was right there the whole time, and I've been taking blurry up-close pictures the last few weeks because I didn't see the button. It takes a certain amount of talent to miss the idiot-proof macro lens button, and I must say I've got it. But now I can photograph cute fuzzy spiders like the one above, that we made at the party. (My friend Noreen's is the biologically correct one with eight eyes.) Yay!

Hugs: I don't believe in karma, but just after posting the Free Hugs Campaign video here the other day, I got what I would believe was a dose of it if I did believe. I was getting ready to start my second day at my new job when I walked into the 'employees only' area upstairs. One employee, who I had not yet met, was looking at me strangely as I left my jacket with the other employees' wraps and started towards the computer. "I don't think I've met you," I said, smiling at her bewildered expression.

"So you work here now?" she asked.

"Yep, this is my second day," I answered.

I was suddenly thrown off-guard when she said "Yes!! Another one of us!" and ran over and gave me a big hug. I don't know about you, but I think that's a pretty good way to start out at a new place. It's all in the little things...