This blog will be an attempt at updating you all on the extra curricular activities that have gone on in the almost 5 months I have been in japan. Some of the pictures and events, I have referred to in previous emails.
This a picture at the Ashikaga English speech contest. The preparation for this contest consumed all my lunch time breaks and even after school, where I would have to coach the kids in being more believable in speaking English, a task which was not so easy. Task such as pronunciation, volume, eye contact, emotion, pausing, tone ... my kids struggled a lot with emotion. Although, the 2nd grade girl (the one next to me) did win 2nd prize. I thought she should have won honestly. I was still like a proud popa *tear*. My English teacher is the one on the right.
The next few photos are of the Ashikaga junior high school Iki Den, Its sort of a long distance relay running event. The sign above is Daichi Chugako's (my school or "Ichu" for short) slogan for this year's Iki Den. Yeah! "Never give up" that's what I'm talking about!
One of my girls running the second leg of the 6 leg race. At this stage, they were coming first.
The change-over from 4th to 5th runner. By this stage, the girls had dropped to third
Yeah! My girls claimed third place in the race. Good on ya girls!
All is ready for the thrilling boys turn. My school has enough runners to enter two team, as do many other schools. They have an "A" team (stacked with all the best runners) and a B team (other 6 boys that didn't ran as fast). One of my boys is to the far right in the green. Bright green is pretty easy to spot.
And we're off and running, pace yourselves boys, pace yourself, its a long race
This is a fitting picture, the 2nd runner, running against our slogan. We had just taken the lead. This kid actually did the best time of all runners in the end. Yeah! Never give up
A change over on the boys B Team
Some of my girls supporting their school and classmates. Notice how excited they get over photos being taken.
Yeah! We are the champions my friends ... da da da dah! Yes, the boys won the relay marathon. Not bad for a school of only 120-odd students. Claimed 3rd for the girls and 1st for the boys. Its kinda like Australia beating the US (population wise). Hehehe, I know John would love that comparison.
All the competitors line up from all the Junior high schools in Ashikaga in readiness for the medal and trophy ceremony. Once again, notice the bright green uniforms ... yep, my school.
The next set of photos of of the Bunka Sai (School festival) which only occurs once every three years for junior high schools. So the kids only ever experience one Bunka Sai during their time in Junior high. This is a picture of the Welcome sign.
The theme of our school festival was "Beautiful Heart". No idea why they chose this.
The school captain making a speech at the opening ceremony of the Bunka Sai. Notice the flag of Japan and next to it on the right is the flag of Ashikaga. Sorta looks like a "cat" doesn't it.
One of the 1st grade classes putting together some games for the kids. This particular is how many beans can you transfer from one plate to another in 30 seconds. I could only get about 4, those small slippery suckers.
The 2nd grade class, out together a hunted house setup. Notice the fear in the faces of the kids waiting .... NOT! Due to my lack of Japanese, I wondered through the hunted house, where clues were presented to me ... but this was useless as I could read them. So, don't really think I got the full experience. To be fair, some of the kids were screaming while walking through.
One of the third year classes decided to go with a "maid cafe" setup. If you've never heard about maid cafe's, let me enlighten you. Maid cafes are cafe's where the (mostly) waitresses dress up in maid uniforms to serve you your food and drink. More recently in Japan, the staff have dressed up in your favourite Manga wench. Yep, low cut tops and high hitched skirts ... not the level of bustiness often seen in the manga cartoons though. This class also put on a dancing show for their patrons.
Here's one of the wenches serving you. I did say mostly females are engaged in this role
The Choir club singing angelically to the audience. 
This is a group of kids putting their musical talents to work. Most of the performances were by the 3rd year students. Since the these students are not allowed to participate in sporting club activities for fear that it might interfere with their high school entrance exams, most of them take up music.
This is where all the kids are dancing a traditional Dance called the "Yagi bushi". This particular version is the new yagi bushi. The coats they are wearing are called "Hapi". They all made them, themselves. I have excellent video footage of this and will put it on at a later date. It was really cool. Some of the kids were doing flips and all kinds of acrobatics.
This is a picture at the chorus contest (or the konkuru kontesto as the Japanese called it). This is one of all the 3rd graders singing a song together
Finally we have my kids all excited about "Clean up day". Now on one particular day, the kids had volunteered (or been roped into volunteering) to clean around the the schools area. Picking up trash and raking all the leaves. They were seriously trying to pick up every leaf. I mean a task that would have even been difficult for paid cleaners let alone some very unenthusiastic kids.
Anyway, hope you enjoyed this program brought to you by Tung Dinh productions.
Later
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