Middle School Festival!!

Oh, before I begin, "" means that I'm talking in Japanese or English. '' this means I'm thinking it.

Sept 18 Friday

The beginning of my middle school's festival! Their theme this year is "あっぱれワカチコ剣仲際トォース！”ワカチコ(Wakachiko) and トォース(Twos) is something that these two famous comedians have been saying alot lately and so the kids decided to put it in their theme this year. 剣仲際(Kenchuusai)means Kenbuchi Middle School festival. And あっぱれ (appare) means cool. lol Sure...lol But so in the beginning was the opening ceremony. Oh, actually since there wasn't that many people or parents that came today I was able to sit in the audience area instead of the teachers seats. The audience area faces the stage directly. The teachers seats are next to the stage so I have to sit kinda diagonal to see the students. So I was thankful to sit in the audience seat. So after the opening ceremony the students individually or in groups sang and performed songs. They were all my 3rd year kids. Well, all the more outgoing popular kids.

The first performance was by my 4 other popular boys. My 3rd year kids, all the boys are popular cuz they all have a certain type of personality and look to them that all the 2nd years really like or so they've told me and I also think the same. These 4 are the more uncategorizable popular boys. They're still outgoing and fun and wonderful, but not really as ikemen as the 4 main popular boys who are also on the student planning committee. Though they all are very friendly with each other, they hang out with their own group of popular boys. haha. Anyways, they performed songs by Greeen and called themselves "Bads" lol I don't know why, but sure! ^^ They did a good job and all the kids would get up out of their seats and run to gather in front of the stage to show their support and clap their hands and everything.

The second performance was by the most popular and smartest girl in the 3rd year class who I call Omoe as that is her nickname and she likes it. It's cute. lol =P Her voice was beautiful!! Absolutely beautiful! I was like "dude, you normally talk in this non-genki low voice, but when you sing you're like a totally different person." haha. Third was by the most popular girls in school including Omoe whom are my favorites although all of the kids are my favorites. It's just that they love coming to talk to me and involving me in everything they do. So that's why I like them. That's also what the mentioned above 4 boys do with me too. haha. Anyways these girls performed a "Johnny's" medly and were also the host for today's performances and they did wonderful!! These girls were also my most active particpatns in my hip hop class. And actually while they performed my 4 most popular boys (the ikemen ones) came out to get Yuki (he's the least active and unmotivated boy and I thought he had some kind of syndrome or mental problem when it's actually problems in his family that makes him so inactive and sullen/down looking all the time. There's nothing wrong with his brain) who was sitting alone in his chair like usual. They coaxed him to get up and clap and have fun along with everyone and stood by him and laughed and clapped along with him so that he wouldn't feel left out. When I saw that it moved and warmed my heart. I was like 'not only are you guys the best looking and popular boys in class but you guys have a heart of gold. It's no wonder you guys are popular.' I was amazed that they did that and I loved my kids even more.

And finally the 4th performance was by the 4th most popular boys in class. So I will categorize them for you. Boy #1: The head of the student council, the captain of the baseball team, the most outgoing and friendly boy and happy all the time but a little absent minded sometimes, and the one that all the 2nd year girls admire, good looking and cute, the leader of the popular boys group, ergo, the most popular boy in school. Boy #2: Silent and mysterious, very handsome (it's true! All the female teachers say so! actually he's the best looking boy in school), sweet natured, smart, super caring and helpful even though it looks like he's brooding all the time, vice president of the student council, vice captain of the baseball team, the one that the 3rd year girls look to for help, ergo, the second in command of the boys and second most popular. =P Boy #3: Hilarious and superbly outgoing, active and helpful, the planner of the student council, seriously he's funny, the life of the party. Boy #4: kinda reminds me of a butler but that's because I've been watching Mei-chan no Shitsuji lately, super tall, wears glasses, doesn't talk too much, and is very close with Boy #3. Actually I have to say, if you know Ouran Koukou Host Club, that's basically all the boys in my class. They're all like that except not exactly super dashing. That's just the ikemen crew. lol Their hearts are golden.

But I digress from their performance. They did "Can't Get Back" by W-inds. If you haven't heard it or seen the PV, WATCH IT!! It's good! The song is good! And my boys did an excellent job of singing and dancing to it! They all wore very handsome clothes and a vest. So they looked like a boyband. Their dancing was also very good. The girls were going crazy. haha. And they would call out the names of their fav boys. lol I clapped and jumped up and down and shouted after their performance because I was exhilarated and so proud. ^o^ I hope they will do their best in tomorrow's hip hop performance too.

So that was the end of this day and afterwards I went to the town hall to have dinner with my co-workers there although after I started going to the schools all the time I barely had time to talk to them. It was good handmade gyoza and salmon chan-chan-yaki. lol It was good. And then one of the high school workers came by to give us all some tomato juice made from the high school's fresh and sweet tomatos. I usually don't like tomatoes or the juice, but this town's tomatoes have changed me. lol hehe.

Sept. 19 Saturday

Today is still considered a workday for me even though it's a festival and saturday because all the teachers have to help with everything. I still had to get to the middle school at 8am and had morning meetings with the teachers and then at 8:30 headed over to the gym for the presentations given by certain students for a contest. Then at 9:35 the kids performed their hip hop routine that i taught. Before that was a 10 minute break in which the 3rd years went to get changed. And when they finished changing I would run over to them and tell them to have fun and do their best and have confidence. The popular girls saw me and came over to me so I didn't have to run over. haha. =P They were all like "Theresa-sensei you look so cool!" because I wore something much more fashionable today. I wore my black flared slacks, a white collared work top, and a striped dark gray vest. The girls had sexy hats so they told me to wear it to complete my coolness. lol And when I did all of them were like "Yappari, kakkoii!!" lol I love my girls. ^^

Before the performance began they did a little intro in which they said that this was a chance for them to perform something new as well as learn hip hop dancing and they were lucky and grateful to be able have me teach them. I was so proud and thankful for them saying that. I blushed and everything. haha. Anyways, they did excellent! Of course they were a little shy still and some of them forgot what to do, but they still did good for the limited amount of time that they had to learn. I cheered soooo loudly for them, in fact I was probably the loudest one there at the time. haha. My gaijin self came out. I bet the parents were like 'who the f is the crazy teacher?' I was so so immensely proud of my kids. I want to do something for them or make them something to show my appreciation and happiness at their efforts. I can't make them food as that's prohibited. So any ideas anybody?

After that each grade did their own presentation on what their most important memories and trips and accomplishments this year. They did little plays too. hehe. after that was a break in which I met up with Yuki because she came to see the dance. ^^ We talked about what we were going to do the next day. Then afterwards was the brass band who were super super good! I was like DUDE! You guys need to compete! They're ridiculously good! Then afterwards was lunch in which I had onigiri, Mr. Donuts, and a cream puff. And then went out with Yuki to go to the various activities that the kids had done. First was the maze in which I thought people were going to pop out and scare us cuz it was super dark. lol But nothing bad happened, besides running into a dead end. Then we went to the third graders "Adventure World". lol It was fun and i got one of those water filled balloon YoYos! You fish for them and get the one you want. It's cute! I'll post pics of it soon. The 3rd years had a basketball freethrow thing, the YoYo thing, darts, and try your luck box in which you reach in to get a number and you get whatever it is that that number represents. Then we went to the 1st years room in which they had ring toss (in which I failed miserably), slime making, and plastic keychain making. I made two little keychains in which I will also post pictures of.

The whole school was decked out and looked very cute and festive. I took a bunch of pics so will post soon. Afterwards was the song/chorus competition in which each grade competes to win a trophy of who is the best grade in singing. And of course the 3rd years took it because they had much more years of experience. They sung beautifully. All the kids did excellent though! ^o^ THen the festival came to an end at 3:35pm. I stayed at the school until 4pm. I realized that because all the teachers had to come work at the school on a saturday we automatically have next thursday off as compensation. But the sucky thing is I still have to work on Thursday because I work at the elementary and high school on those days. So no rest for me. >.<

Sakurai-san invited us all to have a celebration party at his house at 5:30pm. Monma-san came to pick me up via car to head over to his house. He was so nice to do so! He's tall too! haha. Anyways Iwata-san was also already in the car. I love her! I was so excited to go to the party because it's with my favorite group of people, my middle school teachers! Such a funny and lively group. Sakurai-san's house is in the middle of alot of farmland because he does alot of farming himself when he's not working at the school. He really grows the best corn I tell ya. It's so deliciously sweet and juicy naturally! The best corn you will ever eat! Good thing about countryside farmtowns. Anyways we had a yakiniku party in his hugeass garage/storage shed in which there was a tractor and other farming utilities. All the male teachers sat on one side and I sat with the 3 other female teachers there. It was me, Hayashi-san, Iwata-san, and last year's math teacher, Natsu-san, who was my predecessor's girlfriend and is super cute and beautiful! ANyways, everyone got drunk and happy and relieved all the stress built up from the school festival preperations and it was a hilarious party! I laughed so much and ate so much and was happy happy happy.

Afterwards a couple of us went outside in the uber darkness to light fireworks!!!!! ^o^ XD It was so pretty and fun and exciting! The party ended at 10pm, but then all the girls wanted to go drinking in Shibetsu and Yamada-sensei also wanted to tag along. So I went with them and we had crazy drinking time at a nomiya-san in which everyone drunk 4 large bottles of beer and I just had vodka. Seriously, people were drunk and Hayashi-san ended up being a little sick and throwing up. But she was the whole planner and the force behind the festival so she deserves to drink all she wants until she throws up. So all of us were like it's okay, but don't drink anymore so you don't get sick. In the end we took a taxi home. Oh, and the girls all said that on Tuesday we will go to Asahikawa and have a drinking party with all the female teachers and office personnel of the middle school. For that I am damn excited and can't wait. haha. =P And Natsu-san volunteered her home in Asahikawa for us to stay so we don't have to drive home. Thanks girl!

So anyways, i will post more on what happened today tomorrow. For now, it's just the school festival info. Otsukare-sama for reading! I swear there will be pics soon. I just need to get to it. Thanks!