What a day for a race, sports fans!

Waking up at 6:45 wasn't that bad at all. Top it off with a super fun day and night and you can't go wrong!

We had our Undo kai today! What an excellent festival. I wish we did this kind of thing in the schools I went to. I don't know that American schools do this kind of thing, but they would definitely benefit from it.

My words won't do as good of a job as these pictures:

Waiting for the start.

Boys race

Girls race

Running with a big pole

Don't hit the teachers!

Try to put on the clothes corresponding to the die roll.
If you guessed it, move on.
 If you guessed it wrong, go back and put away your clothes

The best game: Dirt Surfing

Umbrellas like we were a beach...

Softball Club

Judo Club

Kendo Club

The girls wear white in Kendo. I like.

Girl's Tennis Club

The Entire Swim Team

Girl's Table Tennis Club

Boy's Table Tennis Club

Boy's Basketball Club

Baseball Club

Choir (?)

Soccer Club

Girl's Volleyball Club

Boy's Volleyball Club

Girl's Basketball Club

Computer Club

Boy's Tennis Club

Throw-the-ball-in-the-basket Game

Capture the Flag!

Class Flag

I like the faces on this Class Flag

After the Festival there was a party for the teachers and the PTA members at a hotel near the downtown area. It was radical! So much food and drink! The culture here is to pour the drink of everybody else, so the majority of the time at the party is spent going around to important people's tables and filling their glasses even if they are already full. The recipient takes the glass and drinks it down, then the pourer pours. Repeat for each person at the table. With so many people walking around and filling glasses, the bottles of beer would run out quickly. The servers kept bringing out more bottles and they would disappear before you could blink.I would estimate our party went through 100 bottles of beer. The big bottles of Asahi. There was also Barley tea, Mitsuya Cider, Orange soda, Non-Alcohol Beer, and Coke. I obliged a teacher and tried the alcohol free beer, but mainly I stuck with Barley tea. I took a drink pouring tour with the VP and met all the people at the party. It was so cool! My Principal and Vice Principal are so nice, they are always saying nice things about me and they treat me so well!

Starters

Clockwise from bottom left:
Baked fish, egg block, and pickled vegetable
Barley tea
Pickled veggie on marinated chicken piece
Pickled veggies and grilled chicken

Lovingly prepared

Clockwise from middle left:
Tofu
Green Pea
Formed fish
Bean curd roll
Mushroom head
Eel

It just won't stop!

Left to Right:
Salad with broccoli, scallops, tomato, and an almost raw shrimp
Veggies covered in cheese with salmon underneath
Tofu and meat sauce

Almost there!

Left and Right:
Chirashi and Anago
Miso soup

Dessert!

7 o'clock: Nashi (Asian pear)
10 o'clock: Grapes
1 o'clock: Pineapple
5 o'clock: Grapefruit


With so much beer flowing, things were bound to get a little crazy. There was a lot of yelling/chanting, speeches, toasts, and then we recreated some of the students performances. I was one of the guys on the second level (from the bottom) of the four level kneeling pyramid. The Principal was on the top, of course.

He is a pretty out going type of guy, once you get a little liqueur in him.

Shimada-sensei, Amegai-kouchou, Okubo-senei

After the party, the teachers went their separate ways, some going home and others going to the after-party. I think I wanted to go to the after-party, but I was also pretty tired, so I went home. I am kind of bummed I didn't go to the after-party because I would have been a huge bonding moment, but since I don't drink nor speak Japanese very well, it might have been a very different experience than what I was hoping for. Maybe in a month when they have the Bunka-sai (Culture Festival) and the party that follows, I'll be invited to paint the town with the guys.

For now though, courage!