Cultural Festival

TUESDAY, AUGUST 7

Today was the Koko cultural festival. The day started with an all-school opening ceremony. I didn't understand it, of course, but I went with Ottawa-sensei who translated the most important bits. The students were well behaved at the beginning, but by the end they were quite fidgety.

Back in the teachers' room, I studied a bit of Japanese, then met up with Ottawa-sensei, who was recruited by Mustache-sensei to guide me through my first tea ceremony. Mama had bought me a ticket. It was in the seminar house. There was an older woman in a kimono and we were served by students. It was a brief ceremony, with the sensei instructing the students through it, but it was a good low-pressure introduction for me. The ceremony started with each of us being presented with a bowl and we had to use chopsticks to pull a red-bean paste dessert from it. These were quite sticky and soft, so it was hard to pick them up without mangling them. I took ages and I think the man next to me thought I was inept, until it was his turn and he practically cut his in half. That felt good.

Japan didn't have sugar, traditionally, so Japanese deserts are things like sweet red beans or sweet potatoes. Now they have ice cream and chocolate cake, too.

It was my first time having matcha, the Japanese tea used in the ceremony. The girls performing the ceremony (all clad in a floral white kimono and wearing black panties underneath) scoop the tea powder into a small bowl, and whisk it with hot water until it froths. This bowl is about the size of a rice bowl, although it's barely filled with any tea. I had been warned that it would be bitter, but after all of the green tea I've had in the teachers' room, it didn't even register. The texture was odd. It's also apparently ridiculously high in caffeine, but I didn't notice anything.

Then Ottawa-sensei and I wandered around looking at the exhibits and class productions. We stopped in and looked at a display of Japanese floral arrangements. There are strict rules and systems for it as it's a traditional art, but I didn't know anything about it. They were pretty, though.

Next we played games. We did a shooting game (with a realistic-looking rifle that shot corks – that would get someone expelled/fired in America!) and I was dreadfully bad at it. When I explain that I've never shot a gun, everyone is shocked. They all assume that, as an American, I must have a gun. Another game involved having a hook on a paper string and submerging it in water to try to pick up a balloon before the string disintegrated. Along the same lines was a game that involved picking up floating bouncy-balls with a little racket with a paper net. You could keep all of the bouncy-balls you caught before the paper broke (for me: two.) There was a Japanese fortune teller (shake a box until a chopstick falls out with your fortune) and a ring toss, at which I proved horrendously bad.

Several of the classes had Halloween-related activities set up, despite it being the beginning of September. Ottawa-sensei and I went through a dark twisted maze haunted house. I give the kids credit – it did spook me – but I was also determined not to scream because that I am such a shrieker that I'd never live it down. I was lucky though and the students were mostly just shocked to see me. Rather than jumping out at me (and there were groups of guy students who ran out the door screaming, so these kids could put on quite a frightening show) they mostly just stared before squeaking out, “hello.” The banshee-like girl was quite freaky. This was Murakami-sensei's class, so I told him I had high expectations. When I passed by later, he had me go through again and the kids were better, but I knew the layout, so it wasn't as frightening. Also, lights kept shining accidentally revealing students and ruining the surprise. As it was, I kept hitting any shadows with the plastic rose they gave me to lay on the coffin (complete with GIANT painted gold cross) at the end. (Spoiler alert: the body wakes up to grab you.)

There was also a Halloween themed maze. The students timed everyone so Ottawa-sensei and I were determined to win. We... failed. The students were clever and you had to actually climb UNDER a desk, which we didn't notice the fist time we hit dead ends. I was skidding around in my slippers, which have long since lost all traction. I'm going to fall one of these days.

The art studio had some paintings up, and the science room had an exhibit on rock climbing up, as well as a rock wall that some nerdy boy students were climbing on. They didn't even acknowledge me, but I had been hoping they'd invite me to try the wall.

We went to the gym where students were doing a talent show. There was a group of giggling girls who showed a lot of stomach as they did some choreographed dancing. Some boys did comedy, which was less interesting for me because I couldn't understand. Apparently this part of the country is the heart of Japanese comedy.

For lunch, we met up with Paddy-sensei (who does not look at all Irish) and used our tickets to get student-made food. I had a rice ball in soy sauce and some hot cakes drizzled in chocolate (although it could have used more chocolate) and a kabob of hotcakes flavored chocolate, strawberry, and green tea. The chocolate was the best, which is why I ate it last. On the way out, I gave Ottawa-sensei my ticket for a rootbeer float and, when the students learned I didn't have a ticket, they still gave me one. I requested just ice cream and was quite happily making my way though chocolate ice cream for the next 20 minutes. I love my students.

Back in the room, I did a bit more studying, wandered around the school some, chatted with teachers and then it was past time to go home.

I left in the rain. I had papers in my bag that needed to stay dry, so I hiked my back up under my shoulder and rode with my umbrella. My pants got wet but me and the papers survived. Biking with an umbrella is illegal, but it was raining and my options were limited. Also... EVERYONE does it. I can see why it's discouraged, though – it's a bit tricky and you have much less control. As soon as I crossed the canal, I went onto side streets.

Back at the apartment, I chatted some with Alan online then took a nap. I woke up in time to get ready for sushi. In the station, while waiting for others to arrive by train, two of my students recognized me and waved. I told them we were going for sushi. We had a big group this time: seven! We crammed into a booth and had a blast. On the way back, again, two of my students recognized me. It's the first time any of them have seen me in jeans and a baby-doll tee, but I'm not always the formal blouse-wearing, black pants teacher they see at school. Sushi was good, although I'm still not fond of sea-weed. I ate five plates so I played the little mini-game on the touch-screen menu and won a prize! It was a little plastic ball, like from vending machines back home and had a pin in it, and directions for batteries. I'm not sure where these batteries are supposed to go. Andrew also won a pin and his had the same directions. It makes no sense.