Taikusai (Sports Festival)!!!!

The morning of the sports festival was two days after the school festival. The sky was a deep blue and the sun was baking everything in its intense heat.

Everyone was so excited for the Taikusai (sports festival). Two classes made up each team. My class was proud to be a part of the dark blue team. That morning, every high school student filed on to the large outdoor sports field. We began with an assembly. Each team stood in straight military style rows in front of our team flags and the podium. Standing side by side, we formed a giant rectangle. We listened to several speeches, including one from our principal. Before and after each speaker, the students had to bow to show respect. We sang the school anthem as the flag was raised and then we all began stretching. Schools in Japan have a certain routine for stretching. Typically, this routine is set to a rhythm kept by leaders counting. This time, the rhythm was kept by the school orchestra playing upbeat music. I couldn’t believe how perfect the song was for the rhythm.  After stretching, the games began!

There were foot races, relay races, and all types of amusing competitions. I complete in the 1,000 meter relay, Kani Kani replay, Taifu no Me, and several other events.  In the 1,000 meter relay, we had to run half of the large arena and then pass the baton to one of our team mates.

I was surprised to complete the Kani Kani relay without a broken bone or at least a sprained ankle. In this event, teams were divided into pairs. These pairs stood back to back with their elbows intertwined and their ankles tied together. The object was to be able to move sideways in a systematic and synchronized hopping movement. We had to perform this odd movement while racing around a cone and then towards our team mates on the other side of the arena. Once one pair crossed the line, the next pair could go. The team who got all of their pairs across first, won. I can’t express how difficult this can be, especially when you are as uncoordinated as I am. (In gym class, as we were practicing for the festival, I managed to fall on the same poor girl twice and roll my ankle several times.)

In the Taifu no Me, a team is divided into 2 groups of 16 people and then these two groups stand on opposite sides of the arena facing each other. Each group of 16 people then stands in a formation of 4 rows of 4 people. A long pole is grasped in each hand by the first row of one of the groups.  They hold this pole out in front of them while running around a cone and then towards the other group. When the group gets close to the other group, the middle two runners  fall out of formation and the two runners at the end of the pole lower the pole close to the ground while still running. The other group must all jump over the moving pole while still standing in neat rows. The pole is then brought back over the entire group’s heads and then sat down in front of the first row in the new group of 16 people. This first row takes the pole and repeats the process. The 4 people who just ran then falls back into formation in the new group, replacing the people currently running .The game continues in this manner until each row has run with the pole.  The first team to complete the relay wins.  (“Taifu” is Japanese for “typhoon”. “No”  is a particle that acts like an “ ‘s ”. “Me” means “Eye”. Therefore, the “Taifu no Me” means  “Typhoon’s Eye”.)  

At one point, I noticed how well my team (Blue) seemed to be doing in all of the competitions. By lunchtime, we were in first place! The afternoon was filled with amusing relays and races. There was an obstacle course relay; a relay in students had to dress teachers up in costumes, and a student vs. teacher relay race.

The entire day was great fun. We were all covered in sweat, but happily raced and cheered for friends and team mates all day long. We had another assembly as the day came to a close.  It was time for the winners to be revealed. My team (blue) won!!! Everybody went wild. People were jumping, cheering, and crying.  The class leaders went up to the podium to accept our certificates.  Hugs and taking lots of pictures was definitely in order.  After the award ceremony, as the flag was lowered, everybody in the school linked arms and swayed to the music, while singing the school anthem.

I’m afraid I had to leave early due to a Rotary event (my Welcome Party).  I changed from my gym uniform back into my school uniform in a frantic hurry.  I met my homeroom teach just as I was racing out the door. He shoved a celebratory Popsicle in my hands as I ran by. I dashed down the hallway and skidded to a stop, managing to just barely avoid crashing into a teacher coming around a corner. I stumbled by with several bows and many “Gomenasai’s” and ran down the stairs as fast as I could and out to the school gate where my Host Mother was waiting to pick me up in her car.

I reflected over the entire day throughout much for the night. It had been such an amazing day. I am so proud to have been a part of something my classmates wanted so badly. I was sad to have to miss the after party, but one of my friends took pictures for me. Apparently, there was a baton twirling club swirled long string like devices with the ends lit on fire and the teacher band also preformed.       

School Festival (Bunkasai)

I'm afraid I have been too busy to write lately. Two weeks ago my school held our sports festival (Taiksai) and our school festival (Bunkasai). You may have heard of these before as they are events often featured in Japanese dramas, TV, and anime. They are an integral part of school life in Japan.

My school takes both of these events very seriously. The Bunkasai was an extravagana held over Sunday and Monday. For these two days, Parents, Grandparents, students from all of Nagoya, and other visitors swarmed the halls of our highschool.There were so many people that navigating the wide hallways became rather challenging. Everyone packed themselves into the brightly decorated classrooms to observe the handywork that we had slaved over for so long.

Our classrooms had been transformed from the ordinary to a cardboard walled maze with posters plastered everywhere, bearing information on themed topics. My class had choosen the theme "Gamble". Our room became a maze of gambling parafanilia and addiction information.

The first day dawned rather rainy. Many of the elaborate outdoor decorations had to be taken down in an attempt to save them. Rainbow colored banners had been hung hign above the courtyard and even the staircases had been decorated. The main staircase outside had colorpaper stuck to the inside edge of each stair so that when looked upon from a distance it showed our school's insignia in a colored rainbow.

On the big stage in the courtyard, students preformed various routines much to the audiances great delight. Bands played traditional Japanese music as me as today's trendiest hits. Dance groups captivated the public with amuzing or complicated routines. Whole school clubs preformed their craft in complicated showcases. There were even displays of Ikebana (traditional flower arrangements) and Shoudo (calligraphy).

Many class rooms sold food to the visitors. Theses food stalls were a big hit. Long lines of people stated assembling even before they opened for bussiness. Delicasies like "Kuraage" (fried chicken), "Curry rice", Takiyaki", and "Ramen" were sold at extremely cheap prices. Girls stood at the back of each line with advertising signs. They would often jump up and down, shouting, and wildly waiving their signs to coax hungry people in their lines.

I can't possibly discribe the atmosphere. There was excitement and and competition all bound together with delicious food. Smiles were plastered on the students faces as they wove through the crowd.

After the two days ended, we all filled into the big gymnasium to hear the results of the competition. The teachers had gone through all of the classrooms and voted for the best ones. Each winner was revieled by a scroll casted out of a window on the far wall. As each scroll unraveled, a great roar would come over the student body. The sound of cheers, screaming, and clapping filled the air. Something else was reavieled at this moment, but only to me. I came to realize how important this day was to them. A good portion of the gym was in tears. Whether in sadness or triumph, the tears streamed downwards. To me, this was a fun, cultural event with delecable food. But to them, it was so much more. It's one last day to have fun before exams. It's also a day to bond with classmates, show off your school, and have a study break. So much time and energy went into organizing, and creating every aspect of the school festival. Every heart desired to win.

My class did not win any rewards or certificates, but we had fun anyways. My homeroom/English teacher treated us all to popsicles and sugary drinks. It was surely a day we will always remember.

Meanwhile in Nagoya....

Everyone in the Nagoya area is currently experiencing the effects of the Typhoon that hit Okinawa. One moment is it sunny and the next it is pouring down rain. My class and I had Taiku (P.E.) in the outdoor area this morning. It was interesting to look up and see blue sky and then have it start raining a few minutes later. Thankfully, the heavy rain held off until this evening. Unfortunately, it started not long before my commute home.

My class and I are currently preparing for our school festival. After class, we change from our uniform to our school T-shirt and our P.E. pants and then begin painting, cutting, and taping until school closes. My classmates have chosen the theme "Gamble" for our room. I've noticed them making educational signs about addiction and a mural that shows where casinos are legal throughout the world. I've helped make the walls, the floor, and some other projects that don't require too much explanation (since I often don't understand what is being said). I'm afraid I don't understand what all they have planned. I just kinda go with the flow and wait for instructions that are simple enough for me to understand, or directions that are translated or mimed.

Hana Bi (花火）(Fireworks)

Last Saturday, the Rotary Exchange gang met at Nagoya station. We traveled to a town called Toyohasi, where we made several presentations to students at a high school . I did a speech on what I thought about Japan before I left American and what I think now that I am here.

Afterwards, the students split us up into groups to teach us about calligraphy or origami. I was in one of the calligraphy groups. It`s a terrible feeling knowing that each ink stained stroke becomes a permanent fixture on the thin paper. But with paintbrush clutched in hand, I managed to write several decent looking Kanji.

Next, we boarded our bus and traveled down the road to a firework festival. We watched people dancing and singing as a shrine was carried back and forth through the crowd. It took a lot of people to carry the tall shrine and the men posted on top of it.

We then went to the fireworks area and sat on a low wooden platform only a few inches off the ground. There was a tatami mat spread across it, but it didn`t help with the discomfort that comes with a hard seat. There was a large stage off to the side of the fireworks area where we watched traditional Taiko drumming and a dance group preform as we waited for dusk.

As soon as dusk came, fireworks lit up the night sky in irredescent starbursts. Various other pyrotechnics began as well, including fireworks that wizzed sideways, guided only by a string stretched across the the arena. But it was the traditional Japanese fireworks that stole the show.

Men stood holding a tatami object that greatly resembles a cannon. It was pointed towards the sky and then the fuse was lit by hand. Soon a blaze of fire shooted upwards, over the men`s heads, with a roar. An entire line of these fireworks went off at once, creating a nearly solid wall of fire. Finally, a great boom pierced the air as each firework blasted upwards. Smoke filled the air and some of firework`s debris rained down on the crowd.

During the many intermissions, we watched in utter facination as Taiko drummers beat their instruments with wooden sticks. The drummers changed drums with elaborate spins and colorful flashes of clothing. The bass was as great as any I`ve ever experienced before at a concert. It swept over the crowd and captivated young and old alike.

By the end of the festival, the Taiko drums and fireworks began to go off at the same time. The rhythm of the drums and the great boom of the Hana Bi became one. No one knew whether to watch the wall of fire or the drummers. Both were equally captivating.

Then something new began to happen. Carried on the shoulders of many people, about 6 shrines were brought through the crowd and down the aisleways . Men posted on top of the shrines blew whistles and waived sticks with white material attached to them. An large entourage of people followed each shrine. It created a great roar, as the whistles blended with the shouts of the crowd and entorage, and the Taiko drums. Each shrine made its way inside the firework zone and was paraded around.

I`m afraid we had to leave a bit early to catch our train back to Nagoya, but we watched the last of the fireworks from a distance as we waited for our bus.

It was a night that none of us will ever forget.

Three Week Anniversary

Yesterday marked my three week anniversary in Japan. Somehow, it doesn`t feel like three weeks has gone by. It doesn`t feel as if it has been a long time, but it also doesn`t feel like time has flown by. It`s an odd sensation.

I can`t help but look back and and be proud of how much I`ve accomplished. I`ve been able to achieve so many of my dreams in such a short time. I`ve been able to attend a Hana Bi Matsuri, watch traditional Taiko drumming, start school, go to a K-pop concert, travel to the mountains and also to the ocean. I`ve hiked up to Inuyama castle, figured out the bus and subway system, and sucessfully managed to to learn how to text on my Japanese cellphone (who knew spaces could be so difficult).

But is looking in to the future, when I realize how special my year will be. According to my schedule, I will rarely have a free weekend for a long time. I have many exciting events that will be happening over the next few months and I will be posting about them as often as possible.

When I am able to get internet on my own computer, I am hoping to be able to add photos into all of my blog posts.

2NE1

I`ve been so busy that I haven`t had the time to write.

Friday after school, I rushed out after class in a blur of excitement because I was going to see one of my favorite K-pop groups, 2NE1, in concert. Otousan and his car were waiting outside the school gate for me. He drove me home to where my friend from New Zealand was waiting for me since she finished school earlier. We quickly got ready and were driven to the other side of Nagoya  to the concert venue.

The two of us bought T-shirts and suvenirs and took pictures with the tour trucks before we joined the long line waiting to enter the stadium. We ended up with perfect seats. They were angled to the side with an amazing view of the stage and the big screen.

We were both surprised to find that we were seated next to an American who was in Japan to teaching English. The changes of be seated next to another foreigner in a crowd with so few Gaijins were slim.  It was wonderful to pass the time waiting for the concert to begin talking to our new friend IN ENGLISH!!!

The concert was fabulous!! 2NE1 gave an amzing preformance of some of there most popular songs like, "I Am The Best", "I Don`t Care", "Fire", "Lonely" and their new single "I Love You". Each member also performed a solo.

The entire concert was a whirl of neon colors. From the stage clothing and lights, to the brightly dressed crowd. The bass pounded through the stadium and pulsed through your body. The lights flashed and blinked in an a blinding rainbow. The entire concert twinkled from the blinking pink and blue lightsticks that were being waved to the rythym. Under the bright lights, the four members and their backup dancers danced in their neon clothing to the intricate choreography in perfect sync. Occasionally, fireworks and other pyrotechnics would burst forth from the stage, wowing the crowd.

At the end, the entire crowd was reluctent to leave, wishing that the rush would begin anew.

My friend and I made our way back to my house by JR and subway, talking over the details and special effects. We stopped at Sakae subway station to grab some icecream, food, and drinks to sooth our slightly hoarse throats and growling stomachs. We finnished up the night by talking until 3AM since she was spending the night at my house.

It was a truly fabulous day!     

School and Friends

Today was my first day of school. It was sooo much fun. I meet all of my classmates. Everyone of the girls I met, tried their best to include me in all of our classes and activities. I have so many friends here!

Today had a special schedule because it is the only the second day of the second term. Tomorrow, we are supposed have a normal schedule although I don`t really know what that means.  

In Gym class (Taiiku), we decided what events each of us will be competing in for the Sport`s day that we will have in three weeks. I signed up for four events. I know one of them is called "Taifu no Me" or "Typhoon`s Eye", but I don`t remember what it is. Actually, I don`t remember or know what I signed up despite a having a friend of mine translating for me. She was just as confused as I was and she speaks Japanese!

I sat through a Japanese class, but studied my own Japanese lesson at my desk. I was completely lost during Health class, but the girl sitting next to me pushed our desks together so I could try to follow along in the textbook.

English class was intresting enough. Most of it was in Japanese, but I tried taking the English exam that the students took yesterday. It was easy enough, except for a question concerning the usage of "Whoever" and "Whomever". There were multiple sections that I could not complete because the directions were in Japanese.... 

We had two homeroom periods today. We spent them working on decorations for our school festival. Each class room puts together an elaborate theme to show off our class to our parents and teachers. It`s great fun. My class has choosen the theme "Gambling". They were trying there best to explain it to me, but couldnt come up with the English words. I got the general idea and meerly said, "Ahhh Pachinko!". Everyone around me was estatic that I knew what Pachinko was. (Pachinko is a gambling game that has something to do with ball, tokens, and prizes. When I find out more I`ll write about it. It sounds like an interesting game.)

My classmates put me to work painting walls and cutting cardboard for the floor. Afterwards, I happily took the subway to Fujigaoka with a new friend and then boarded bus (the right one, surprisingly enough!) home with my hands stained yellow, paint splattered up my legs, and a smile plastered to my face.

I went for a run by the river to practise for the Sport`s day, ate a Thai dinner with my host parents, and then figured out my schedule for this weekend . The rest of the week will be quite exciting. I have two speeches, school, a Hana Bi masturi (fireworks festival), and it looks like I may be going to a concert as well. :)