Talking Airplanes

I saw something remarkable today, but before I get to that here is a picture of the kids new Winter uniform.
It is so cute and they have this little navy blue French looking hat they wear with it. I was standing on the playground at school today watching the kids when I heard what sounded like a vehicle talking. I have seen these quite a few times in Japan, street cleaners, ambulance, and also vehicles promoting certain candidates for elections drive around and give a message to the people at a very high volume. Sometimes saying "Caution" or things of that sort but what I was hearing today was not a talking car, but a talking airplane. Yes that right. I couldn't make out what it was saying but I asked quite a few people and I suppose it is pretty standard for planes to advertise sales at department stores or impending festivals. This is one of the many surprises I have encountered in Japan. A few other notables are that every Wednesday the whole country smells weird because it is trash burning day. Also, the Japanese have a bunch of funny noises they make as they engage in particular tasks. For example, when someone is about to fall they say "Otoitoitoi"on thier way down, or when they see somebody else lifting anything they say "yoish" for them as if they are helping them lift the object. There are also a new set of superstitions for me to learn that are indigenous to Japan. It is bad luck to clip your fingernails after nightfall, the number four is very unlucky (because the number four/shi is the same word for death) and is often left out of most buildings, and you are supposed to hide your thumbs if a funeral procession passes me by. I learn new ones everyday. Just yesterday my boss told me that I should be careful to make sure my right shoe is on the right side when I put my shoes on. I had accidentally flopped them down backwards a few times before. It also really bothers Japanese people if you go out side into the rain without an umbrella. Having lived in Seattle for the past year or so I gave up on having to constantly tote around an extra object that I was likely to lose at any given place so this is a hard one for me to accept. I don't like riding a bike with an umbrella but I would rather try then have ten people stop me to offer me their umbrella. More to come. Here is a clip of my apartment.