Graduation (kind of)

'Tis the season! You would think that it is bizarre that I would be writing a graduation-like post in February, but it isn't. In Japan, the school year goes from April to March. Thus we are entering in to the last weeks of the school year. Turns out it must be the season for squid and squid-like animals as well. We have eaten squid or it's family members 2/4 days this week. Yay me. 

Our student government (I think) put on a program for the graduating 9th graders who are going to be entering high school in a few weeks. This meant that all the classes were cancelled on Monday afternoon so that we could have a 2 hour assembly with parents and whatnot. They sang songs and gave a bunch of speeches. It was really long good. 

One thing that they do right is that they had a graduating student speak about one teacher in front of everyone as they stood in a group. The student would call out the teachers name and then say lots of nice things about them. I presume they were thanking them. After we got through about 6 teachers, I wondered if they would do one for me. They did. A girl called out Mr. Jeffu. I straightened up and smiled so the people looking at me would know that I appreciated whatever they said. She started saying nice things in what I thought was Japanese. About halfway through, I realized that she was speaking English and I should really pay attention. She was speaking really fast and with an accent, so all I caught was "...stories from your country...Christmas...good example...make me want to learn..." I appreciated it anyway. 

The sweet setup on the cafeteria. They transformed it to look awesome right? 

I ran across this on Thursday at one of my elementary schools. Those are megaphones. Look how gigantic! They have their own tripod and everything. I don't think I can call anything smaller than this a megaphone in good conscience. I guess I will have to call the smaller ones miniphones or just phones. 

Ah, Japanese first graders. In the comedy that is my life, I eat with these kids once a month. Either there is a serious problem where the shortest kid in class is gone every time I eat with them, or they just like putting me in the smallest desk imaginable. That desk with nothing on it? Yep, that is the one I am supposed to sit at. Don't worry, they all found it hilarious when I sat next to it. To give you perspective, the desk top was lower than my knee.

Being the sweet kids that they are, they also decided to give me extra portions of lunch that day. The only problem was that yesterdays menu was cuttlefish and shrimp in an awful chili sauce. I watched as each of these kids took no more than 2 or 3 tiny pieces for themselves. When they dished up mine, they gave me about...25. 

We had rain yesterday and then some scary fog roll in. I took some pictures for you. 

*Spooooooky Nooooooises!*

I will probably have another graduation post for you, as the real graduation isn't for a few weeks. I have to wear a suit to the real one.