My first real kimono

Today was the graduation ceremony for the 6th graders. It was quite a boring ceremony, but I was still so sad to say goodbye to some of my students.
My teachers dressed me in kimono & hakama (special skirt worn w/ kimono on graduation). The kimono belt (obi) is tied SOOOOOOO tight, you can barely breath or walk or eat or do anything. And it makes you sit up really straight. There are 2 robes you wear, one underneath the actual kimono and then the kimono. They fasten it all together with these elastic belts that clip all the robes in place. Its quite a difficult process and it took a while to dress me but I had an expert! One of my teachers does tea ceremonies and so she wears kimonos all the time. She strapped me all together. I joked with the other teachers that I felt that at any moment all those elastic belts would come unclasped and POING POING POING!! My kimono would be on the floor at my feet and I would be running out of there butt naked!! HAHAHA!! But it looked awesome and I felt all pretty pretty princess! Then when they undressed me and undid the obi, I felt like i had just given birth or something! It was such a relief to take it off!! I got some full body shots on my camera, but I thought I would just post this one on my phone for now. I got to wear the little socks and sandals and everything! It was fun.

Why?

Why do Japanese people sit through all the credits at the movies!!??? It is so annoying! The movie is over...get up! Every time I go to the movies I am amazed that no one gets up at the end of the film, literally EVERYONE sits in the dark theater staring at the credits until the very last name graces the screen, and then and only then, does everyone get up!! Whats with that? Every time I go to the movies and I get up to leave at the end of the film everyone looks at me as if I am walking out in the middle of the movie or something. Like I am disturbing their credit watching AND the credits are all in ENGLISH anyway (or they always are for the films I go see) so its not like anyone is really reading them or anyway!!

Its all very silly.

A sad day and happy day

I just had a good cry.
The 6th graders threw a farewell party for all the teachers this afternoon. I have never fully appreciated the Japanese fondness for sentimentality until now. The children, about 50 6th graders, who are going off to Junior High school in a little under a month, threw us the best farewell party ever! They gave us each invitations to the party yesterday. A student I am very fond of, Keita, delivered mine. Then this afternoon after all the other students had left school, a group of 6th graders filed into the staffroom. They each called out the name of the teacher they would be escorting into the party. We all marched out of the staffroom and into the gym. Waiting for us there, applauding were the rest of the 6th graders sitting around a cluster of tables. I was taken to sit at a table with the principal and a 4th grade teacher and about 5 students. At our seats were little bags or treats. The party began and we chatted briefly with the kids and ate our sweets. Then the children got up onto the stage in groups and presented a PowerPoint of their classes threw the years accompanied by a little skit corresponding to each school year. It was like a self roast about their time in elementary school. Trips they took, things that happened, their visit to the zoo in third grade, their trip to Mt. Tsukuba in 4th grade and so on. The first picture put up on the screen was one of the students in first grade at the opening ceremony. There they all were as little first graders in their best dresses and suits. I began to cry then and didn't stop until it was all over. But the real tears came when the students all gathered at the front of the auditorium to sing to us, the words were simply, "Good bye teachers, thank you" Then as the pianist continued to play the melody of the song, various students from the chorus shouted out each teachers name and then thanked them for something. This really made me and everyone cry. A very shy sixth grade boy called my name, I had to do my best not to break down! HAHAHA. Then when all the teachers had been thanked the students left the front of the stage and we teachers took the stage and sang a song for them. Thank goodness I have been practicing this song with the other teachers for the past 2 months, so I got a chance to really participate. Unfortunately I left my song book in the staff room so I didn't have my English translation of the song and clung to Aida sensei for help and he shared his and I had to make do with the hiragana version. Unfortunately Aida sensei was not the person to rely on and I should have know it. He sang all the wrong words and lead me totally in the wrong direction! Then we both started to laugh which made it worse.
After singing for the kids we all sat back down and where given gifts by the students. We all got flowers and a hand made picture frame. Mine is really cute. Inside all the packages was a card or letter thanking us.

Anyway I am just really happy and sad and emotionally exhausted right now. I keep thinking about all those kids moving on and growing up. It has reminded me how special my job is. I need to take care of these kids and do my best for them. Its really important.

Setsubun

(The yummy dried fish snack served with lunch today)

Yesterday it snowed all day. It was so nice. The snow just kept piling up. I wandered around Tokyo a bit and my town taking pictures. I went across the street to a shrine that I can see from my window but have never visited. It is a very small shrine on a hill. Yesterday also happened to be Setsubun.
Setsubun is a Japanese holiday celebrated on February 3rd (yesterday. Families usher good luck in and cast away bad luck. Often someone in the family will dress up as an oni or devil, probably dad gets this job and he tries to sneak into the house. But mom and the kids catch him and they throw beans at him and yell at him and tell him to go away. Then they ask good luck to come in. Also people eat as many dried beans as they are old. I don't know why they do this. Anyway, so yesterday was Setsubun. When I went up to the shrine to take some pictures of the snow, the shrine was busy with preparations for Setsubun. A bunch of old men were stuffing bags full of mochi and mikan and beans. The Shinto presets and other old men were not very welcoming, but one man was very kind to me and he invited me in. I guess they thought I was a tourist, so when I told then I lived across the street and was a teacher they were suddenly very kind and we chatted for a bit. I was very proud because I spoke completely in Japanese!! I did pretty well too. After our visit as I was heading out, they gave me a bag of Setsubun beans, mochi and mikan. So when I got home I decided to do Setsubun properly. I cast the beans outside and (in English) told all the oni to go away and then I asked the good luck to come in. It was pretty hilarious considering I was all alone. Am I sad? Then I ate the mikan, don't think your supposed to. I think you have to put the mochi and mikan in your ancestral alter, but I don't have one so I ate them. I tried to eat 26 dried beans, but they were gross so I ate 15. maybe I will finish the rest tonight, hope it does not make a difference. And anyway it's too late for me to drop dead at 15. HA!
After celebrating Setsubun I went to Tsutaya (video store) and rented Lost, I have only seen season 1, I gotta catch up!
That was my Sunday.

Brief Encounter

I just watched this oldie for the first time a few weeks ago. Apparently everyone already knew it was one of the best films ever made. I don't know how I was not in the loop!! But anyway, I bought it and watched it and it was AMAZING!! I'm not at all familiar with classic British cinema (apart from some early Hitchcock). I need to get more acquainted, so I don't know who the actors are, but they were both unbelievable good. Its a love story about two married people in the middle of their lives who meet accidentally and fall in love. Most of the film takes place in a train station. The main female character did a really impressive job portraying someone who is really torn. She was so believable. She is not a very pretty actress which struck me at once, I must admit I love the beautiful glamorous Hollywood starlets of the 30s and 40s. She is not glamorous or beautiful. She is kinda mousy. She reminded me of the little monsters Ursula the sea witch turns people into for her garden. But I fell in love with this actress after this film. Man she was so amazing.

Anyway rent it or buy it if you have never seen it. It comes on TCM now and then. Its a really amazing film.

Today

Its raining and that sucks. BUT its 3:00 which means the day is almost over. I have taught my last class, and today is Thursday!! Do you know what that means......? Its the day the baker lady comes to school and sells her stuff for cheap. Its the best day of the week!! She makes these chocolate croissant things that are TOOO good. I am so excited about buying like 10!!

Not much else happening. My computer should be up and running again soon so I will be able to post some pictures to go with the last few posts.

later!

My safty drill story

Today my experience with Japanese school safety drills was greatly expanded. Today we had a fire drill. Or at least that's how it was listed on my schedule. But it was far more than any fire drill I had experienced in Elementary schools, the bell ringing and all the children having to leave school out the fire exists in "single file" lines.
To begin with the Japanese don't seem to do single file. There system is based around a double line and a "mainarai" were the kids stretch their arms out in front of them causing all the children to spread out and the line to move backwards. Its quite ingenious really. ANYWAY, At exactly 9:43, simulated earthquake sounds could be heard over the intercom. The principal scurried past my desk looked down at me with a smile and said "escape." So I got my coat on and followed him out of the staffroom. We converged with a steady stream of children also "escaping" all with seat cushions strapped to their heads.
****I must make a side note about these seat cushions. These chair pillows serve many many purposes. The primary one is that they simply make the classroom chairs more comfortable. They are strapped either to the seat or the back of the chair. But they are often removed and used as floor cushions when the children are attending an assembly in the gym, as there are no chairs for them to sit on in there and they always sit on the floor. Today the cushions were being used to protect their little heads from the falling debris of a fire or earthquake. Considering the Japanese talent for finding multiple uses for every day objects, I would not be surprised if these pillows were not also life vests and parachutes!****
Anyway, the kids looked adorable with their seat cushions strapped to their heads squatting on the playground in front of the school. (were is my camera!)
Safety vehicles of all kinds were parked around the school grounds, ambulances, fire trucks and a truck with a large later on the back could be seen. Our attention was directed to the 4th floor, left side corner of the building. A 6th grade teacher and 2 of his students could be see waving down on us from the balcony. The uttered a feeble and comical "taskete!" (help). Then the fireman's latter attached to one of the trucks rose up and loaded them into the small bucket attached to the top of the ladder and they were brought to the ground.
By now a crowd was building of parents (mostly mothers) neighbors, and emergency volunteers. The the swelling crowd and children were moved to the far end of the play ground, to face the front of the building. Our attention was directed to the roof and waving down on us was a 1st grade and a 2nd grade teacher. Then we heard a humming in the distance. Suddenly a helicopter was in view. It was speeding towards us. It made a few low and dramatic laps around the school grounds and then hovered over the main school building. Two men jumped out attached to zip lines. Soon both teachers were "rescued" from the roof. They were strapped to the emergency workers and hoisted up into the hovering helicopter. It was such an exciting show!!! It was like an emergency circus, an rescue fair! After the helicopter each class in groups went around to different stations set up all over the school grounds, to see more safety stuff. There was a van with a set of chairs and a table and the students were invited to come into the van and sit at the table. Then an earthquake was simulated within the van and the chairs and table and children slid about and shook as the earthquakes classification grew higher and higher. There was a tent filled with smoke which the students all had to run threw. There were other "attractions" too. The kids got to inspect the helicopter and the fire truck more closely and they got to use a chair saw? I though this particular event belonged in the 'unsafely fair' as opposed to the 'safety fair', but that's just me. 4th graders operating a chain saw sounds pretty dangerous. Anyway for the finally 3 large toffs were laid out, filled with gasoline and set on fire. Then some of the mothers came forward and were given fire extinguisher and the had to put the fires out. It looked really fun. I wanted to do it.
Anyway THIS was the "fire drill". It was the most intense and interesting fire drill I have ever witnessed.