Hipp hipp...

Having spent 12 years of my life in a marching band, I used to have a bit of a strained relationship to May 17th. My instrument being large and unwieldy, strapped to my front (with a harness ironically branded "comfort") sticking out from my body in a way that created a wonderful leveraging ampification of weight, my primary memory is that of backpain. Sore feet, bleary-eyed earliness and oh, oh, the backpain.

Insult to injury, I didn't even get to walk out in front in a cute dress. I was third row between the tenor horns. It sucked.

My bell lyre actually looked exactly like this, except for the n00btastic
note-hint on the sides.

This year was a little different.

I, and all other Norwegians in the area, got invited to celebrate our Constitution Day at the Embassy in Tokyo. 

Balloons are an essential part of 17. mai celebrations.

For me, this was made extra special because the offices of Innovation Norway are located at, you guessed it, the very same embassy. As very recent news have told me, this will thus be my workplace anno August.

Not too shabby.

There is a pool.
I will be working here, and there is a pool.
OhmydearsweetCHRYSANTHEMUM I LOVE POOLS!

The guests were greeted with Norwegian-style waffles (remember me trying to make these without a waffle iron way back when?) with real goaty brown cheese, making me feel right at home.

Yuuuum

I also had to appretiate the patriotism of the flag-colored flowerbeds. Our very special red white and blue colour combination that is so unique to our fair country.

This could be the patriotic flowerbed
of any one of 35 nations. #redwhiteblue

We had joy, we had fun, we had waffles in the sun.

It wouldn't be 17th of May without childish drawings,

I really needed this program too, because
I know embarrasingly few 17th May song lyrics.

speeches,

The ambassador spoke, and also the Norwegian childrens... something.
What on earth is "barneombud" in English anyway?

cake,

Delishhhh!

ice cream,

Not raisin flavoured, even if it is Dole.

sausages-inna-bun/potatopancake,

Pølse i lompe. This one is fanschypants. On offer were also the regular simple kind.
"Lompe" is not only one of my favourite Norwegian words in general; because of the whole
 l/r thing, it also gets very funny very fast in Japan. #rompe

and a PARAAAADE!

Pre-parade selfie.
Ready...

Set...

woo-hoo!

We walked noisly around the block with marching band music on a boomblaster yelling "Hurra!". The neighborhood of the embassy is very quiet, so the few onlookers did not know what hit them.

There was also a cold buffet overflowing with a delicious mix of Norwegian-style koldtbord and Asian influences, a raffle, and the most brilliant weather anyone (not in a bunad. Gods, the heat!) could have asked for. 

A chance to meet a large proportion of the Norwegian people living in the Tokyo area (and some from more remote parts of Japan as well), I got a really great sense of community. It of course didn't hurt that I was "the new Innovation Norway trainee", not "the sad person who was here last week but unfortunatelly didn't get the job". I appretiated that.

Also, random ISFIT-reunion:

These weirdly lit people all volunteered for the International Student Festival in Trondheim, 2013.

I gotta say, I think this might qualify as my first-ever cocktail party. While I am aware that it was a very informal affair, I felt quite fancy standing poolside in the sunny day with my food and wine.

After the official event ended people went to Fuglen, an Oslo bar/cafe that has had great success with its Tokyo branch, and I joined. From there, we celebrated Norway together with a Swede at a Japanese izakaya, because multiculturalism is awsome especially when it leads to Nåmihådai.

And because of reasons, after having had a constant buzz since 11:00 a.m., we went on to make more party. I felt obliged to join, since I so far never actually tried going to a club in Tokyo, and while I'm living here it really would be a shame if I didn't at least try out some different aspects of the nightlife.

On our way there, I noticed to my slightly tipsy great amusement that one of the stops, aoyama itchoume, actually literally means "the first city block of the blue mountain". ...Kom blåååååååneeee, kom JENTE kom GUUUUUT!

"...snaaaart kommer julen til Aoyamaaaa"

The day ended with me feeling very cool on a rooftop bar in Roppongi. 

And when the day ended came a good night. But I gotta say the district lived up to its slightly sketchy reputation. Having now finally seen it for myself, I don't think I'm going to go back in a hurry. Since we stayed after 1 a.m., we had to stay until 5 a.m., because that is just how it works here. Quite enough for a long time, I think. The club-place was quite expensive, so I stayed more or less completely sober most of the night, and saw a lot of ...activity... happening. Remembering the jazz-club scene from Downton Abbey, I couldn't help but think about what the Dowager Countess would have said if she had seen this "dance" floor. I found it more my style to retreat back up to the comparatively quiet rooftop, where you could have more intelligent (or at least intelligible) conversation.

"Here you will find ...things"

Bone tired, I finally stumbeled in the door at my dorm at around 6 a.m. Even with 12 years in a marching band, I don't think I've ever had a more exhausting May 17th. But I've very rarely had a more eventful 24 hours either. All in all totally, totally worth it.

To all my fellow 'weegies, a belated gratulerer med dagen! :D

Hurra!