Sports Day

In schools all over Japan during June or September, students don their polyester gym clothes and showcase their talents in endurance, speed, agility, strength, and the how loud they can cheer for their team, otherwise known as sports day. It is a somewhat militaristic exercise with the playing of anthems, raising of flags, and the marching, but again many of the things in Japan are throwbacks to their imperialistic days...anyways, enough sociological analyzation from me...

Yesterday my school had their Sports day. Let me describe how it works: The entire school including teachers are divided into 4 teams based on their homerooms, yellow, white, red, and blue. Once again, I was put on the "photography" team....yippie!!!. With a total of 3 members, we had to compete in the events of shooting of moving figures, capturing facial expressions, and finally rapid installation of film...tough events I tell you...As you can tell, tad bit bitter about not being put on a team, although I have been here two years and really wanted to be on a team...Anyways, I digress. The students must then participate in different events, consisting of relays, running, obstacle courses, three legged races, and so on. The event that stands out in my mind, would never be allowed because of liability and the potential lawsuits, the Chicken Fight. This is the event all my Gr. 12 boys look forward to and prepare for. One boy is put on the shoulders of two other boys, with one boy holding him there, and a teacher close by to "catch" anyone that falls.. The object is to take the ribbon tied around the head of the opposing team. It gets quite violent and I am always shocked that no kids fall off and break their necks. I told my friends that I am always surprised that no fights result from it. I know at home, that if they did that event kids would be brawling and fists would be flying. Well I guess I spoke to soon, yesterday it got a little violent and a full fight nearly occured had it not been for the big burly Phys Ed. teachers rushing. A few punches flew but not too much bloodshed occured.. It was a little scary, because boys were rushing the field.
I must say that I did enjoy myself yesterday, I think that after being here 2 years I have been accepted by the students. I was promptly invited onto a team by the kids once they found out I was not on a team. My initiation consisted of letting them go nuts with a tube of white paint to show my team loyalty. I had white paint all over my face and looked somewhat like a aftrican warrior princess with war stripes. The only low point I can think of was the full posterior moon that one of my boys thought he would proudly display for me. Not a pretty sight I tell you. I have not seen such a white ass in a long long time.....

Teen boys are teen boys no matter what country they live in. Yesterday, once again some of my boys took upon themselves to ask me my phone number...you know it was in the hitting on you kind of way and not the innocent kind of way....that along with the spontaneous winks I got from many of the baseball team, it reassures me that boys no matter what country they are in are boys...I must say that I give two thumbs up to one of my Gr. 12 boys that I saw last night at the train station. He promply defended my honour when one his friends from another school made a snide sexual comment. My Gr.12's are great and are making my last two months here worth all the initial headaches a mere memory