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
Thursday, June 05, 2003
Tuesday, June 03, 2003
Wednesdays
Normally, Wednesdays are my favourite day of the week, but today I am tired and hot and dreading that it is Wednesday. In a about 20 minutes I am going to hop my bicycle, (the orange popsicle has been fixed) and ride out to kindergarten to face 25 screaming kids. I just do not have the energy today. After that off to my first of two Japanese lessons this week. Then after that an Eikaiwa...I cannot wait for this day to be over so I can crawl into bed and sleep.....and it is only noon....
Normally, Wednesdays are my favourite day of the week, but today I am tired and hot and dreading that it is Wednesday. In a about 20 minutes I am going to hop my bicycle, (the orange popsicle has been fixed) and ride out to kindergarten to face 25 screaming kids. I just do not have the energy today. After that off to my first of two Japanese lessons this week. Then after that an Eikaiwa...I cannot wait for this day to be over so I can crawl into bed and sleep.....and it is only noon....
Monday, June 02, 2003
Blame it on my Alarm Clock
For the first time in two years I was late for work. I was about 10 minutes late this morning, and it was not due to the snow gremlins holding me down....ask Courtney about those guys. Anyways, I woke up and looked at my alarm clock this morning and it said 6:45 so I turned over and went back to sleep. I woke up again it still said 6:45, it was actually 7:15. So I decided to sleep until 7:00 according to the clock. I got up and showered and did my usual morning stuff. I was reading the paper when I decided that I needed to find my watch. I found it and looked at it and it said 8:20. Yikes, usually I am at school by that time and firmly ensconced in front of the computer. I still had to do my hair and brush my teeth. So I quickly did that and high tailed it to school. Lucky for me I only got a few raised eyebrows when I snuck into the teachers room. Stupid Alarm Clock....
For the first time in two years I was late for work. I was about 10 minutes late this morning, and it was not due to the snow gremlins holding me down....ask Courtney about those guys. Anyways, I woke up and looked at my alarm clock this morning and it said 6:45 so I turned over and went back to sleep. I woke up again it still said 6:45, it was actually 7:15. So I decided to sleep until 7:00 according to the clock. I got up and showered and did my usual morning stuff. I was reading the paper when I decided that I needed to find my watch. I found it and looked at it and it said 8:20. Yikes, usually I am at school by that time and firmly ensconced in front of the computer. I still had to do my hair and brush my teeth. So I quickly did that and high tailed it to school. Lucky for me I only got a few raised eyebrows when I snuck into the teachers room. Stupid Alarm Clock....
SCARY
Sometimes I am bored and I do things to keep myself entertained while I am at work to prevent me from going completely insane and off my rocker. Well, I typed my name into a search engine...come on try it one day and see what comes up....Well, this is what I found, the only one hit for "Charlene Phung" and that was it. ....Scary, not sure who Michel Agel is..cannot remember ever meeting someone called that......
It is entitled Michel Agel vs. Charlene Phung
Sometimes I am bored and I do things to keep myself entertained while I am at work to prevent me from going completely insane and off my rocker. Well, I typed my name into a search engine...come on try it one day and see what comes up....Well, this is what I found, the only one hit for "Charlene Phung" and that was it. ....Scary, not sure who Michel Agel is..cannot remember ever meeting someone called that......
It is entitled Michel Agel vs. Charlene Phung
Sunday, June 01, 2003
PUNK ROCK BABES
Every other weekend here, this club opens up on Sunday afternoons and lets kids use the facilities to put on a punk rock show. Well, yesterday being super ALTs, (stalking kids even on the weekends to make sure they use English even on their down time) we went to see the concerts that some kids were playing in. It turned out to be junior high kids with the max. age there around 16...needless to say we were definately the oldest ones there. It was strange to see the kids outside of school sans uniform. They were dressed as in British 80's punk rockers, safety pins, spiked hair, dog collars, and standard issue black leather was the attire. Once I got over the initial shock of having my ear drums blown away, they turned out to be really good. I was really impressed on how well most of the bands played. Hower, my ears are still ringing today. It was fun though, it was nice to see break out of their molds and be kids, albeit a little full of rage on stage.
Every other weekend here, this club opens up on Sunday afternoons and lets kids use the facilities to put on a punk rock show. Well, yesterday being super ALTs, (stalking kids even on the weekends to make sure they use English even on their down time) we went to see the concerts that some kids were playing in. It turned out to be junior high kids with the max. age there around 16...needless to say we were definately the oldest ones there. It was strange to see the kids outside of school sans uniform. They were dressed as in British 80's punk rockers, safety pins, spiked hair, dog collars, and standard issue black leather was the attire. Once I got over the initial shock of having my ear drums blown away, they turned out to be really good. I was really impressed on how well most of the bands played. Hower, my ears are still ringing today. It was fun though, it was nice to see break out of their molds and be kids, albeit a little full of rage on stage.
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