I should have read a bit more about taking photos of fireworks before going as I could not figure out the proper settings to really make them come alive. Hence no photos. However, there is a video at the end of the post that turned out pretty well. All photos shot with a Canon Kiss X3/500D.

When using wordpress our theme (or some other component) might want to check a wordpress defined variable. In a regular install of WordPress (single site), you can access them directly because they are defined in wp-config.php.

We can access this on only the base site of our multi-site install. However, if we use it, we would have to litter our theme with inconsistent access methods, or worse, duplicate code depending on our site.

How can we access this in our multi-site install?

Solution

You can define variables in wordpress via the web interface. Strangely, these aren’t run through define(), hence the above doesn’t work. I end up with something like the following:

If you’re checking the language, nothing appears. As luck would have it, you can simple use the get_bloginfo() method to pull this same information.

Conclusion

This might not map for all variables that you can define for wordpress in wp-config.php. Moreover, the inconsistency of naming is rather frustrating. What is defined as WPLANG is accessed via get_bloginfo(‘language’); Sometimes words are abbreviated and other times they aren’t.

The year I spent teaching English was not something that I had planned at all. In fact, it was something I was desperately trying to avoid because I didn’t want to become “just another English teacher” i.e. The stereotype.

Looking back on it, I know it was good for me. I was able to see another level of Japan I hadn’t seen before. I became very comfortable speaking and presenting in front of largish groups (40 or so people). I grew.

I learned to not take myself so seriously and discovered what I was looking for in terms of working. Starting last week, I’ve started working for myself. I am now a full-time freelance programmer.

And I couldn’t be happier.

Just like I had thought, it was a lot lighter, maybe 100 kilograms instead of the 800 kilograms of the regular mikoshi. Everyone gathers at 8am in front of the children’s mikoshi. We take a shot of Japanese sake before we begin. As we are drinking our shot I notice some ropes tied to the front of mikoshi. Puzzled I’m not sure what they are for, but I’ll find out soon enough I think.

My friend directs me to the front of the children’s mikoshi and lifts up the rope. We are supposed to use these ropes to help the children carry the mikoshi. This makes sense because there are only a few junior high students and the rest are 4 or 5 years old, nowhere old or strong enough to carry one of these bad boys by themselves.

My naivety led me to believe that these ropes would make carrying this thing simple. I soon discovered the exact opposite was true. They weren’t long enough to allow us to comfortably carry it with our shoulder and have to carry with mainly our forearm.

We manage to survive our 2 or 3 hours of children’s mikoshi with a few hours to spare before the yattai. Yattai is like a small car with some taiko on them and long ropes in front. The entire neighborhood pitches in and pulls this cart around town for the next 8 hours or so.

All of the neighborhoods in the area pull their yattai to a meeting place next to the ocean and play a song songs and rest for a while. Talking with the locals, I discovered that this part of the festival is for asking God that the town receive a good catch this summer fishing.

As the yattai start to head on the 5 hour path home, I notice something I hadn’t seen last year. People dressed crazily. Not traditional Japanese “crazy”, but crazy crazy.

I had missed this part last year, but discovered that my friend’s neighborhood has a tradition of having people cross-dress or dressing crazily for most of Day 2. A fun way to enjoy the festive spirit indeed!

Maybe next year I will partake in this part of the festivities, I am still undecided.

We slowly made our way back to our neighborhood. Pulling yattai, listening to taiko, and generally just relaxing. I also got to really use my camera all night long and learn a lot more about night photography – sans-flash.

Boy playing Flute

Woman playing Taiko

Matsuri really are a great. A perfect chance to let your hair down, enjoy the company of your neighbors, meet old friends, and make new friends.

I’ve posted all of my photographs from the Matsuri in Flickr in my Chikura Matsuri 2010 set.

This year I also finally understood the proper way to carry Mikoshi. No, it’s not to bend your knees a bit and let everyone else carry it. Rather, you should be leaning on it with your feet outside and on walking on your sides. The theory is, if everyone did this, you would collectively form a triangle, which are strong. Also, you can walk forward together without stepping on each other’s feet. It feels unnatural at first, but you get used to it and “trust” the Mikoshi.

This being my second time around, I had a bit more trust with the locals. They knew I could carry it and wouldn’t give in. A few people in town also thanked for me coming every year.

The Mikoshi and Festival is mostly prepared for by the towns local sonenkai, or “General Age Club”. The sonenkai is made up of males between the ages of 18 – 47ish. It seems reminiscent of a lions or rotary club of sorts in that they do things for the local community. It seems I’ve proven myself to them and I am joining the club. No secret handshakes though…

Having an opportunity to participate in the Matsuri from start (well, almost the start) of the festivities through clean up, really gave me a new respect for the work that goes into a Japanese Matsuri and the kind of community and cooperation it requires. Moreover, joining and being “accepted” into the local community like I have is a rather humbling experience.

As a “member” of the sonenkai, I only have 20 some-odd more times that I am required to carry Mikoshi. To most, this might seem a burden, and truth be told, it is a burden. It’s a burden that simultaneously strikes fear and excitement into my heart. A burden that I will gladly carry. And then promptly thank God the moment it’s over that I don’t have to carry it for another year.