Day 263 { Japanese Children Theatre and Musical } - Sunday, December 7, 2008
Day 263 { Japanese Children Theatre and Musical }
I was scheduled to go to work today, my third Sunday at work since coming to Japan. This wasn't even work either, it was to attend this theatre and musical thing that all the elementary schools in Japan do around this time of year. So I was rushing to work this morning only to be greeted by ice on my car. I poured water on the windshield but that didn't work. Then I remembered that I bought an ice scraper. I used it to scrape off the ice from the glasses on the car but it took a little while. It was when I got to work I remembered that I also bought this spray thing that should get rid of the ice.
I was scheduled to go to work today, my third Sunday at work since coming to Japan. This wasn't even work either, it was to attend this theatre and musical thing that all the elementary schools in Japan do around this time of year. So I was rushing to work this morning only to be greeted by ice on my car. I poured water on the windshield but that didn't work. Then I remembered that I bought an ice scraper. I used it to scrape off the ice from the glasses on the car but it took a little while. It was when I got to work I remembered that I also bought this spray thing that should get rid of the ice.
When I got to work, it was time to go into the very very cold gym to watch the students do their performing business. Today it was -6 degrees Celsius... I cannot even begin to explain how cold that is. I had on about 6 pieces of clothes... My body was warm but my fingers were helpless. This theatre and musical thing that supposedly takes place at all elementary schools in Japan, has to be done by every single child that attends the school. It's not like the Jamaican system where the child can say no or he/she doesn't want to. They MUST participate...whether they are special or not, dead or alive...They have to be involved..
When I got to the gym where this thing was to be kept, I made sure to stay beside one of the manual heaters that the Japanese people call stovu.. So if you are having a conversation with a Japanese and you mention stove, chances are they are going to think that you are speaking of this equipment. All the children's parents, grandparents, brothers and sisters were all there...and they were staring at me in amazement and whispering...They just can't help it... I don't know if you have any idea how excruciatingly uncomfortable it is to have about 100 people staring at you sideways and whispering only God knows what.... But this is my main school and they wanted me to be here so here I am.. If I had a choice though, I think I would probably refuse...Well actually I did have a choice, but gaining a free day in the week, seemed very attractive... Sometimes though, I got the feeling that the people were looking at me more than how they were looking at their kids performing.
For a part of the time while I was watching the kids perform, I was fighting the sleep, especially because I didn't understand 80% of what the grades 3 and up were saying... The grades 1 and 2 I can understand maybe 40% - 55% of. I was sitting beside this heater thing and bucking like crazy. After the musical, it was time for lunch, and after lunch it was time to go home. So I went home maybe at about 2:00 pm ... And guess what?? No work tomorrow because of my supposedly work today!!!... Now what better job there is?? The teachers then invited me to some sort of restaurant place on Dec 22... It's a Tofu restaurant but I told them of course that I don't eat tofu... I could hear a teacher talking and heard she mentioned something about challenge... Now, when you hear a Japanese person mention challenge as it relates to food, you know that means they want to force you to eat it... I made sure to say, Challenge janai (No challenge roun here)... And they laughed out...Probably because they didn't expect me to understand what they were saying...
When I got to the gym where this thing was to be kept, I made sure to stay beside one of the manual heaters that the Japanese people call stovu.. So if you are having a conversation with a Japanese and you mention stove, chances are they are going to think that you are speaking of this equipment. All the children's parents, grandparents, brothers and sisters were all there...and they were staring at me in amazement and whispering...They just can't help it... I don't know if you have any idea how excruciatingly uncomfortable it is to have about 100 people staring at you sideways and whispering only God knows what.... But this is my main school and they wanted me to be here so here I am.. If I had a choice though, I think I would probably refuse...Well actually I did have a choice, but gaining a free day in the week, seemed very attractive... Sometimes though, I got the feeling that the people were looking at me more than how they were looking at their kids performing.
For a part of the time while I was watching the kids perform, I was fighting the sleep, especially because I didn't understand 80% of what the grades 3 and up were saying... The grades 1 and 2 I can understand maybe 40% - 55% of. I was sitting beside this heater thing and bucking like crazy. After the musical, it was time for lunch, and after lunch it was time to go home. So I went home maybe at about 2:00 pm ... And guess what?? No work tomorrow because of my supposedly work today!!!... Now what better job there is?? The teachers then invited me to some sort of restaurant place on Dec 22... It's a Tofu restaurant but I told them of course that I don't eat tofu... I could hear a teacher talking and heard she mentioned something about challenge... Now, when you hear a Japanese person mention challenge as it relates to food, you know that means they want to force you to eat it... I made sure to say, Challenge janai (No challenge roun here)... And they laughed out...Probably because they didn't expect me to understand what they were saying...
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