Over the Rainbow

みんなさん! ごめん!

Sorry about the late blog post! The school year has just started up as I mentioned, and this year I am without a JTE! Eep! So I've got a lot more planning and prep this year! But I've gotten back into the groove and that goes for my blog posts as well! 

This past Saturday I finally did something that I've wanted to do for a while...

Color (colour**) Me Rad!~~~

     Osaka hosted Color Me Rad again this year and some friends and I decided to sign up! We signed up in advance, back in March but you can also pay and join the day of. Since we signed up earlier we received our wristbands, sunglasses, temporary tattoo and t-shirt in the mail about a week or so before the actual event. It was definitely less stressful this way, and I recommend it. Plus if you sign up earlier, it is less expensive! 

     We took the train to the closest station to the event. At the station Color Me Rad had shuttle buses available to take you the rest of the way for free! You just needed to show your wrist bands! It was super convenient and even though it was busy, they had a lot of buses so we didn't wait very long at all! Once we arrived, there was an area with tables where you could get plastic bags to put your backpacks or whatever else you brought in, and a monitored storage area. Though Japan is a pretty safe country and theft isn't as common as it is back home in Canada I personally took my wallet and phone and kept it in a fanny pack I brought to wear. Yes, I rocked a fanny pack! I'm bringing them back people! 

getting ready to go!

     Before we started the actual 5k my friends and I put on some cute neon scrunchies, hair bows, and metallic tattoos for fun. Some of the girls there were in full out group costumes! It was super cute actually! They wore flower crowns, twin hair buns, matching shoes, tutus...if I am being totally honest, a lot of the groups were wearing quite similar looks. But it was still really cute! Everyone was having a good time, and that's what is most important! 

example of a cute group costume

     Finally we headed over to the start line where there were two foreign (American?) Color Me Rad hosts and a Japanese host to go over the route and rules and to get everyone hyped. They did a super good job! We counted down from ten, and then we were off! 

pumping everyone up!

     The colours are separated, and spaced out along the 5k route. What happens is you'll run, walk, whatever for a bit, and eventually you'll approach a inflatable tunnel. The colour of the tunnel is the colour of the powder you're about to become covered in! Inside the tunnel there are Color Me Rad representatives with squirt bottles of powder spraying everyone who enters! And if you have friends like mine, they will also be waiting with handfuls of powder ready to be thrown at your face, hair, anything is game! Each station also has different music playing. Everyone is running around, throwing powder, laughing and just having a good time. It's awesome energy! 

first up - yellow!

colourful legs!~

pink!

     At the end of the 5k there were Color Me Rad reps handing out bottles of water (bless!), wet wipes and little packets of coloured powder. The coloured powder was for the dance party that was waiting for us! After taking a quick rest in the grass we head over to the stage for some more powder-throwing and dancing! Finally, completely exhausted we got on the shuttle bus (now with seats covered in plastic bags!) and headed home. 

 

peace!

the stage!

This is how we got "clean" for the ride home!

     Color Me Rad was so much fun! I totally recommend signing up if there is one near you and it's something you've been thinking of trying! Don't worry about running...it isn't a serious marathon and many people walk it to make it last longer! In fact, I would say about 95% of people at Osaka Colour Me Rad were walking. It isn't easy to run in tutus! It is just a good time with friends and you'll be able to create some unforgettable, colourful memories!

<3