The Obon Carnival

Every summer across the world, people of Japanese descent celebrate a holiday called Obon (pronounce it "Oh-Bone"). Obon has been celebrated for over 500 years in Japan and has spread wherever Japanese Buddhists have immigrated and put down roots. Over the centuries Obon has become a family reunion style of holiday with members of the family coming back to the cities and towns they are from. My family settled in the San Fernando Valley in California after World War II and helped establish the San Fernando Valley Hongwanji Buddhist Temple. For decades the traditional Bon-Odori (odori means "dance") along with the carnival games and food have been going on in San Fernando and my family has gone every time.

As a child I went to a lot of different Japanese Buddhist churches who held Obon festivals. My mom and dad liked to bring us to the local carnivals but the highlight was always the San Fernando Obon. Aside from its better games, the San Fernando one also included sushi made by my grandmother and the other ladies of the church. In my experience, the food at the San Fernando Obon is THE BEST.

Before Sarah and I got married, I took her to Obon to show her what I did every summer growing up. Part of the fun I have at Obon is bringing people who have never been and haven't heard of it before. This year, we brought Sarah's parents and they loved it. Its awesome to see other people experience a big part of what I experienced growing up.

Obon is a holiday with similar themes to other cultures, but done in a unique and very Japanese way. Obon is a time to honor your ancestors and during this season, they are said to walk amongst their living relatives. The dancing is done as a joyful celebration for the time spent with family whether they are still here or passed on.




Participants usually wear yukata (a light kimono) as the weather in July is ALWAYS hot. However dressing up is not required and anyone is welcome to join. You don't even have to know how to do the different dances. Along the inside ring are a group of people who know all of the dances and are available for people to watch and copy. Each song has a different dance associated with it and is always accompanies by a pair of Taiko drums in the tower in the center of the dancing rings. Spectators line the outside ring and watch while eating a snow cones or some teriyaki beef. There are a lot of food options.

One of the coolest aspects of Obon here in Southern California is that Japanese Americans are just one group amongst many others. Many people from the neighborhood and surrounding cities stop by to enjoy Obon so the ethnic makeup of carnival-goers is quite diverse. It also isn't necessary that one be a practicing Buddhist. All are welcome to come enjoy some dancing, good food and good company.

Second Snack: Behind The Scenes

Our blog goes up every week day at 6AM on the dot. We travel around the country, have sick days, busy days, and bad days, and yet, the blog is updated every week day at 6AM. Some people think that we write daily and are up early to publish each post each day. We hope this does not ruin Second Snack for you...but that is just not the case.

When we started Second Snack at the end of December 2010, we spent about 3 or 4 days compiling a total of 30 blog posts: 10 to launch with on our first day and 20 to be posted daily throughout January. We launched the blog on Monday January 2nd, having last written a blog post a few days prior. We didn't write a new post until mid-January, and that was to start populating the February dates. Thankfully, it is not required that we write daily. With out busy lives, I do not think that we would ever manage to get something posted!

We created an editorial calendar that we populate once a month, about a month or so prior to when the posts will publish. Then, we spend a Sunday or two writing all the posts and setting the publish dates. We chose 6AM so that they post would published each day before we wake up. The only daily work that the blog requires is linking the blog on Facebook and coming up with a cleaver title to attract readers, which depending on what is going on in our lives that day, we sometimes actually forget to do.

In the end, maintaining Second Snack does take work and effort, but we enjoy the writing and topic brainstorming so much that we both look forward to our blogged Sundays.

We hope this didn't ruin the website for you, but instead, hope that you see how it is possible to maintain a blog like Second Snack while having a busy life as well. We would love it if you started a blog to, so that we can read yours as well!

Any other questions about our blog or want help starting your own? Post up below in the comments section!

Do It Yourself

It was midnight one and a half years ago and I was wide awake. I had been laid off earlier that day and wasn't able to sleep. Too many thoughts raced through my head. It was one of those situations where a person sits and takes stock of his surroundings. Think of Tom Hanks in Castaway waking up on an island making the initial assessment of the resources he had and what needed to be done immediately.

If I were a heroic sort of figure, you would assume I picked myself up right away and made the most of what I had. The truth is, I didn't know what I had to work with. All I knew is that I had a mish-mash of skills and no solid answer to give anyone when my favorite question, "So what is it that you do?" was asked.

My head was spinning with a ton of different thoughts and feelings. I couldn't nail down any solid plans. I was sitting in the darkness of our living room with my laptop glowing back in my face. For some reason, I started building a website. I used a free trial of Squarespace to build a mock up of a website that featured a blog and a picture gallery. I didn't know what to write about so instead I focused on how the page looked. A few hours later I had something I liked so I closed the lid to my laptop and crawled in bed.

I never returned to that mock-up of my first website. My trial ended and I slid into a cycle of job searching and passing time. However, the thought of owning my own website lingered in the back of my head. I still had no idea what I would do with it. Promote myself as an independent contractor? Sell something? Write a blog? I didn't know how to start any of it.

A full year after that sleepless night, Second Snack launched. It took the combined effort of Sarah and I to write it, design it and grow it. The key to all of this is that we did it ourselves. This was a project born from a murky idea that flourished into something that's helped me in business and opened up new relationships and opportunities.

Now that my life has flipped upside down from where it was, I will keep growing this website. No matter how busy I am, this outlet will be a priority for me. Maintaining this site has taught me that jobs will come and go, but home grown projects and outlets for creativity are essential for grounding a person. Because of this idea turned reality, I have something outside of my profession that I can throw myself into and be proud of all on its own.

So what about you? Do you have ideas hanging out in your head that aren't fully formed or realized yet? Have you spent a sleepless night dreaming about the projects you want to tackle or the creations you could be responsible for? For the year between that first night and the day we decided to make this website, fear of rejection or failure kept me from doing it. Would people like it? Would I give up on it two weeks after I started it? Was I silly to even think about making this blog in a time of unemployment? Is there something you have been thinking about pulling the trigger on and just jumping into? I suppose the point of this post is to show you that its possible to make something all your own and that the simple act of believing you can do it, will make it a success to the only person who matters...you.

6 Month Work Out/Weight Loss Update

It has been 6 months since I started my journey towards a healthy weight. When I started in January, I pictured myself toned and lighter by this time. I imagined I would be exercising more often, and possibly even loving it at this point. That's not quite what happened. Instead, I find myself 6 months later having lost all the weight I wanted to (even a pound lighter than I intended) but doing it in a manner I never expected to work.

I know I have been saying for months now that with work being crazy and my free time dwindling, I have not had the chance to work out as I would like. I feel lucky if I have the chance to walk to the store at the end of a long day just to get some sun and fresh air after being cooped up inside all day. I am disappointed my arms are not toned and gorgeous for tank top and strapless dress weather. I am bummed out that my stomach, though smaller, is not tiny and sexy to show off in a bathing suit.

But despite all that, I still reached my weight goal of 136 pounds (even hitting 135 or 134 on some days recently). This has taught me just how much smart eating can do for maintaining a healthy weight, how portion sizes and carb control lets me still eat what I want, but not go over board. I have learned a lot and have a new appreciation for people who eat smart all the time.

I reached my goal weight, what now? Well, I still did not get the toned body I was hoping for. That can NOT (sadly...) be accomplished with healthy eating and zero activity. So my goal for the next 6 months is to maintain what I have learned, but to find a way to be more active. With work ramping up over the next 6 months, I fear that time will be a huge limiting factor. Yet, the crazier work gets, the more I need a stress release, and going for a walk at the end of a long day can do just that.

So here is to the next 6 months....wherever they might take me. I look forward to what I will learn this time.

Meme Monday: Closed For July 4th

Meme Monday brings you a weekly Internet Meme that we have found. Internet Memes are described as something that catches on like wildfire with Internet communities with no outside source of promotion. They exist purely for enjoyment and laughs.