We meet here for our dress rehearsal to say, "I wanted it this way"...

"...because the only people for me are the mad ones, the ones who are mad to live, mad to talk, mad to be saved, desirous of everything at the same time, the ones who never yawn or say a commonplace thing, but burn, burn, burn like fabulous yellow roman candles exploding like spiders across the stars and in the middle you can the blue centrelight pop and everybody goes 'Awwww!' ".

Perfect quote to segway into my Japanese Independence Day. Photos and all!

By Japanese Independence Day I'm really referencing American Independence Day celebrated in Japan, which was infinitely more entertaining. I haven't had a Japanese Independence Day yet. Not of the accepted, calendar added variety, but the day I feel I've overthrown the culture shock and reveled in my own revolution. I'm certain it's forthcoming. Wars of this massive scale aren't often won overnight.

Regardless, I met some friends in the park nearest the Hiroshima Castle. What a beautiful thing to be walking to a destination, a tepid July evening, meeting friends at a Castle's entrance. I'll never again read a text asking to meet at a castle, turn left at a shrine. It's certainly something to blog home about. Well, we had ourselves a lovely time as Japanese children's stores sell fireworks a-plenty. Alone, yet obnoxious in the park, the police didn't mind if we blew off our own fingers, so long as our danger sticks weren't pointed at the nearest road. What followed was silly pyro-technic shows, attemtps to scale trees, and and grand tour of Hiroshima's nightlife well into the early hours of the a.m.

oh Hiroshima. I'm tired.

No matter, the city is still breathing and my bronchial infection has finally subsided.