Busy Start to the Summer
Today was the last day of classes at Takaku Chu before summer break! I still have to go to school tomorrow but aside from the closing ceremony I had no clue was going to be happening so I asked Maemura Sensei. She informed me that we have the closing ceremony during the first part of the day and then after that the brass band is going to have a thirty-minute concert! Our brass band is amazing and the director is amazing and really nice to me. After that the students will be spending time in their homerooms and then they will be going home around 3:30. So I just need to show up tomorrow and enjoy the ceremony and the concert.
It was a normal day of school today; I taught three classes and other than that nothing exciting happened. One of the classes acted up a bit and talked rather loudly when their classmates were reading aloud in English but other than that the day went well.
Yesterday Jana and I stopped by Ohtomo-san’s office and talked about the Superior Delegation that is coming to visit at the start of August. Ohtomo-san was awesome and explained to us each thing that the delegation would be doing and told us we were free to join in anything that we wanted. We picked out a couple of activities to join them in and I am going to be super busy now between Nikko, the delegation, the Ami Festival, and packing to go home I am almost booked solid but it is going to be great.
On Thursday, July 27th Jana and I are leaving for Nikko and we are going to be there until July 29th. I am looking forward to that trip. Matt mentioned something about an air show at one of the bases here so I am hoping that he is going to take us to that on the July 30th.
Then on August 3rd the Superior and China delegates arrive; Jana and I are going to join in the reception and meeting the host family portion of the night just to say “Hello” to the Superior group. I think that I am also invited to the BBQ that one of the rotary members is having on August 4th.
On August 5th the My Ami Festival starts and it appears that I will be spending all day of Saturday with them. I am going to take part in a tea ceremony, watch flower arraging, learn some origami, and watch some Kendo. After that I am practicing for the Bon Dance (that I will be participating in), then we have the Ami on Stage (where different groups perform dances), and after that is the Portable Shrine Parade. On the second day of the festival I am going to be free to wander around and then later that night I am going to be doing the Bon Dance with the language group that I take Sunday classes with.
There is a possibility that I will be able to spend the next day at Asahi Junior High School with some of the Ami students and the Superior students as they spend the day doing different club activities and having a discussion on the differences between the schools in America and Japan.
If I do get to do that; I will be going home right after to clean my apartment and finish my packing because I am going to be flying back to visit the USA on August 8th. It is going to be a busy time but I am super excited about the Ami Festival and going to Nikko. It should be an awesome start to my summer break!