IrishOboe

The last day of the school festival was just as entertaining as the first two. Once again, the ichinensei weren’t allowed full participation, but the ni and sannensei were allowed to transform their classrooms into whatever theme they wanted. Many chose to make haunted houses, and some made carnivals or fortune telling centers. Other clubs also had stations set up and tea ceremony club served tea all day, but I get ahead of myself.

First we all met in the gym for a performance by the drama club, which I partly understood. I caught many more words than I did at the first drama performance I saw! After the drama various bands played, but I didn’t watch because there were too many other interesting things going on. While all the classrooms were open for visitors there were competitions in the courtyard (this made for good entertainment while one was waiting in line to enter a haunted house). They had arm wrestling, karaoke, and air guitar competitions. Omoshiroi yo! (So interesting!)

First I went to the tea ceremony, and that was great, but they honored me by giving me the seat that’s served first so once again I didn’t have the opportunity to watch someone for the proper way to behave. It made it difficult to enjoy because I was confused and had a lot of Japanese flying at me. I’m great at understanding when I have an idea of what I’m being told, but specific arbitrary instructions are quite a different matter. I still enjoyed it, though and I a got a great picture with all the students dressed up in their yukata (summer kimono) and me sitting at the tea-maker’s seat!

After the tea ceremony I visited the classroom exhibits. I generally found the haunted houses more funny than scary, though they did a good job of making it quite dark. I also discovered that somehow it is a romantic activity for couple to do since some male students refused to enter with me because they had girlfriends. I wonder what they thought I was asking . . . It can’t be too serious because a male teacher went in one with me. I’ll never understand the teenage Japanese mind. Anyway, I enjoyed the festival themed rooms more (it also wasn’t so hot!). I played darts for prizes and won firecrackers, fished for bouncy balloons with paperclips and string (I won, and they really had a kiddy pool set up in the classroom!), and threw hoops around prizes (I won bubbles, which were fun later in the day). I didn’t mind giving money to the students, but it also helped that their prices beat festival prices by a landslide.

After the last event everything was stripped away faster than you could blink. The packrat in my was sad to see all the work go into the dumpster so quickly after its use. Since the students usually clean the school it was only a matter of degree to clean up the whole school after the last crazy event. In about half an hour the school was looking as drab and dreary as any ordinary day. I thought that was it, but how could I possibly have though there wouldn’t be a closing ceremony?! It was actually rather brilliant. They did most of the cleaning before the last event so that after it was really over everyone could just go home and didn’t have to think about cleaning up. Hmm, that might help me keep my apartment clean . . .

The closing ceremony did not disappoint. They started by giving out awards for the cutest couples in each grade. This is not so much of a deal in America, but in Japan, where relationships are a secret matter and even if the whole school knows of a couple they never show affection in public, and only a few bold ones will be seen together at school. So, to be named and recognized before all the students and teachers is quite an embarrassing deal. Three couple in each grade were named and each time both the guy and the girl had to stand up with the spotlight on them (of course this was done in the dark, too and the glowing paraphernalia was not lacking) and say a few words. Usually it was all they could do to get out “I like you.” One ninensei asked his girl to marry him, but she didn’t take it as a proposal and just said something like “Please stick by me.” I have to admit, I was quite interested in learning about who was with whom and I had a few surprises. Of course the kids went crazy when each couple was named.

Naturally, there was a number one couple out of the sannensei. The girl was so embarrassed I never saw her face even though they made her (practically carried her) go up on stage. I might say it was her girlfriends that dragged her up there, during this whole time there wasn’t the slightest contact between couples. I remember in high school couples first of all were probably already sitting together, and if they weren’t they’d probably run to each other dramatically and kiss. Not so in Japan. At the end of this show they music swelled and in much embarrassment and amid great cheers the climax arrived when the winning couple walked off stage actually *gasp* holding hands! I would like to say Japanese high school kids have more innocence than their American counterparts, but I’m afraid this is not the case.

After the love awards they announced the winners for the different events in the festivals. There was a winner for each grade for the stage performances, one winner for the sports day, and overall winners. I have no idea who judges or how each part is weighted, but the students made a big deal of it.

Finally, we watched a movie with shots from the festival, including from that day’s events! I really hope to get that movie, too. It had many of the highlights I really enjoyed (though it didn’t have a shot of the hip-hop group, which had won the best stage performance award!).

The student council leaders closed the ceremony as they had started it by processing out of the gym, but first they gave their farewell speeches. I think I mentioned that this is their last event on student council because they have to quit soon to study for college entrance exams. I don’t know if it was saying goodbye to fun, hello to misery, or something else, but they weren’t afraid to show their emotions. They were all male, and a few really broke down into violent tears while trying to say their goodbyes. They had the support of the crowed, though I could see the ichinensei were a bit baffled, the sannensei shouted “gambate” (fight on, you can do it). I wish I could see into their minds. I did quite a bit of thinking about it, but I have no idea if my thoughts are near the mark or not. I know that school becomes their life and their homeroom is their family in a very real sense, so I can imagine that that has a lot to do with it. As for making a value judgment, I think it’s safer not to. I know there’s so much more to it than I can ever be aware of! So, as the festival brought me closer to my kids at the same time it showed again how I can’t ever close the gap.