Monday, the dreaded Monday. 8 hours of board of education pleasure, until I am forced into high mode for baby hell, an hour off for supper, then 3 hours of adults. Hmmm, not much fun. Baby hell, for those of you who don't know, is English class for babies. Except that the enrollment age is 0-6 years old. Basically from eggs to running around screaming children can apply. The cap on participants, non-existent. Which means, at the best of times, I have 25 children ranging from 3 months to 6 years old running around for an hour. Keeping in mind that they are just learning their native tongue, add in utter madness, a dash of insanity, an obligation to teach English to these children, and you have a freshly baked baby hell. Ahh Mondays.
Okay, but I didn't log in to tell you about baby hell. What I really want to write about is the graduation ceremonies here in Japan. All across this fine nation third grade junior high students are saying goodbye to their classmates and teachers and preparing themselves for that big step into high school. You would think that this rite of passage would be a joyous occasion, a new school, new friends, but even the teachers end up weeping sadly into their handkerchiefs. But before we get to the crying and sad faces, let me take you through the steps of the graduation.
First, the first graders and second graders file into the gym. They sit there patiently for an hour or so while the teachers run around preparing everything. About 30 minutes before start time, all the principals from the other schools including members of the PTA and board of education arrive at the school and have tea with the school principal. Next the teachers file into the gym as well. Considering it is winter outside you would think someone would have turned on the heat, but instead, everyone sits there shivering hoping to warm themselves after it is all done. The mothers of the students come next and sit off to the corner. The center of the gym holds the students, the left side the officials, and the right side the teachers. Everyone is sitting and ready 5 minutes before it all begins. Nobody moves, they all stare at the clock. At exactly 10am, the vice principal gives the okay nod and the third grade students walk in proudly. Their classmates clap, the mothers take pictures, it is truly a great moment.
Next comes the national anthem and the school song. The national anthem has been causing quite the controversy lately. Some teachers are refusing to stand, some refusing to sing, I'm not sure why the resistance, but it is becoming a bigger and bigger problem around the schools. The lyrics to national anthem are:
May the Emperor's rule last
Till a thousand years, then eight thousand years to come
Till sand, pebbles, and rocks
To be united as a ledge
Till moss grows on it
A very powerful political song, and one that is starting to make waves. How much of our patriotic feeling can be encompassed by a song?
The following song, the school song, was sung joyously by all and relieved the tension felt during the first one.
Everyone can now be seated
The principal then walks to the front, bows to the officials, bows to the students, then starts handing out the graduation papers. One by one the students walk up to the stage, bow, and recieve their paper, bow again, walk off the stage, bow to the teachers, bow to the officials, and sit down. After the last student has sat down, the principal bows again to all the students, bows to the flag, then walks off the stage. Then come the speeches, speeches, and more speeches. My mind begins to drift and starts wondering if I will ever be able to feel my toes again. But finally a student from the first grade and one from the second are selected to give a speech to their older graduating classmates. After that, they all join together (the first and second graders) to sing a song. One student acts as the conductor and one plays the piano. Then when they finish, two students from the third grade give a speech to their younger classmates, and the whole class sings a song as well. They also sing a song for the teachers which results in all the staff bawling and grasping for tissues. But the music stops, the students sit back down. The doors open, flowers are pulled out of hiding places, and two by two they leave the gym. Music playing in the background and younger students giving the older students flowers. After the gym doors close again, the speaker thanks everyone for coming and thanks them for their hard work (their hard work of just sitting there?), and then everyone files out of the gym.
So now its all over. Thank you for coming. Oh, and now after being in the office for a few hours, my body has regained feeling. Thanks for asking.
Oh, and as for the stinky man, surprisingly he doesn't really stink today. Still burping out loud and blowing it, but so long as I can't smell it, he is okay in my books.
Okay, but I didn't log in to tell you about baby hell. What I really want to write about is the graduation ceremonies here in Japan. All across this fine nation third grade junior high students are saying goodbye to their classmates and teachers and preparing themselves for that big step into high school. You would think that this rite of passage would be a joyous occasion, a new school, new friends, but even the teachers end up weeping sadly into their handkerchiefs. But before we get to the crying and sad faces, let me take you through the steps of the graduation.
First, the first graders and second graders file into the gym. They sit there patiently for an hour or so while the teachers run around preparing everything. About 30 minutes before start time, all the principals from the other schools including members of the PTA and board of education arrive at the school and have tea with the school principal. Next the teachers file into the gym as well. Considering it is winter outside you would think someone would have turned on the heat, but instead, everyone sits there shivering hoping to warm themselves after it is all done. The mothers of the students come next and sit off to the corner. The center of the gym holds the students, the left side the officials, and the right side the teachers. Everyone is sitting and ready 5 minutes before it all begins. Nobody moves, they all stare at the clock. At exactly 10am, the vice principal gives the okay nod and the third grade students walk in proudly. Their classmates clap, the mothers take pictures, it is truly a great moment.
Next comes the national anthem and the school song. The national anthem has been causing quite the controversy lately. Some teachers are refusing to stand, some refusing to sing, I'm not sure why the resistance, but it is becoming a bigger and bigger problem around the schools. The lyrics to national anthem are:
May the Emperor's rule last
Till a thousand years, then eight thousand years to come
Till sand, pebbles, and rocks
To be united as a ledge
Till moss grows on it
A very powerful political song, and one that is starting to make waves. How much of our patriotic feeling can be encompassed by a song?
The following song, the school song, was sung joyously by all and relieved the tension felt during the first one.
Everyone can now be seated
The principal then walks to the front, bows to the officials, bows to the students, then starts handing out the graduation papers. One by one the students walk up to the stage, bow, and recieve their paper, bow again, walk off the stage, bow to the teachers, bow to the officials, and sit down. After the last student has sat down, the principal bows again to all the students, bows to the flag, then walks off the stage. Then come the speeches, speeches, and more speeches. My mind begins to drift and starts wondering if I will ever be able to feel my toes again. But finally a student from the first grade and one from the second are selected to give a speech to their older graduating classmates. After that, they all join together (the first and second graders) to sing a song. One student acts as the conductor and one plays the piano. Then when they finish, two students from the third grade give a speech to their younger classmates, and the whole class sings a song as well. They also sing a song for the teachers which results in all the staff bawling and grasping for tissues. But the music stops, the students sit back down. The doors open, flowers are pulled out of hiding places, and two by two they leave the gym. Music playing in the background and younger students giving the older students flowers. After the gym doors close again, the speaker thanks everyone for coming and thanks them for their hard work (their hard work of just sitting there?), and then everyone files out of the gym.
So now its all over. Thank you for coming. Oh, and now after being in the office for a few hours, my body has regained feeling. Thanks for asking.
Oh, and as for the stinky man, surprisingly he doesn't really stink today. Still burping out loud and blowing it, but so long as I can't smell it, he is okay in my books.
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