Here's a video I made for Sports Day:
The song is "Orpheus In the Underworld". They played it constantly
Monday, September 28, 2009
Sunday, September 27, 2009
Undokai
This weekend I went to two more sports festivals for my elementary schools. As soon as I figure a couple things out I'll put up some videos. Until then, here's some pictures:
The students march around the field during the opening ceremony. Then several people give short speeches as everyone stands in the hot sun. The whole thing takes 30 minutes to an hour and at the end, at least four kids had so lie down because of the heat.
At most schools, each grade (or two grades combined) do their own performance. Here the 5th and 6th graders practiced stacking themselves on top of each other. When I saw them practicing this, the pyramid fell apart (though I don't think anyone was hurt).
More stackables.
The students march around the field during the opening ceremony. Then several people give short speeches as everyone stands in the hot sun. The whole thing takes 30 minutes to an hour and at the end, at least four kids had so lie down because of the heat.
At most schools, each grade (or two grades combined) do their own performance. Here the 5th and 6th graders practiced stacking themselves on top of each other. When I saw them practicing this, the pyramid fell apart (though I don't think anyone was hurt).
More stackables.
Monday, September 21, 2009
Kyoto
I went to Kyoto today. Here's some pictures:
Don't let this gate fool you, you have to walk about 3/4ths of a mile more to get inside of this castle (it's Nijo castle, or in Japanese Nijojo, which I think is kind of repetitive)
I got pretty bored of taking pictures of things so I started taking pictures of people instead. Here some girls are feeding turtles and giant carp.
Outside of Kinkakuji, literally the 'golden pavillion'. It would be a pretty cool picture but for the fact that the actually building was burned down by a crazy monk in the 1950s and the recreation was mostly rotted in the 1980s. The building is still pretty cool, but this woman had her picture taken about five times while I was standing there, so I couldn't resist a third.
Went to a temple that had a flea market today. There was some pretty cool stuff there, but a lot of people.
Don't let this gate fool you, you have to walk about 3/4ths of a mile more to get inside of this castle (it's Nijo castle, or in Japanese Nijojo, which I think is kind of repetitive)
I got pretty bored of taking pictures of things so I started taking pictures of people instead. Here some girls are feeding turtles and giant carp.
Outside of Kinkakuji, literally the 'golden pavillion'. It would be a pretty cool picture but for the fact that the actually building was burned down by a crazy monk in the 1950s and the recreation was mostly rotted in the 1980s. The building is still pretty cool, but this woman had her picture taken about five times while I was standing there, so I couldn't resist a third.
Went to a temple that had a flea market today. There was some pretty cool stuff there, but a lot of people.
Sunday, September 20, 2009
Hiking at the Hiyoshi Dam
Yesterday (Sunday) I went hiking with a couple friends. It was pretty nice, though really steep.
Also, there were huge spiders that somehow made webs between trees that were 6-7 feet apart.
Also, there were huge spiders that somehow made webs between trees that were 6-7 feet apart.
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Turns out I'm big in Japan
There was from someone from the Kyoto Newspaper at the field trip I went on last Sunday. Apparently, being one of three non-Asian people on the trip, I was in a photo in today's paper. A teacher at one of my schools gave me a copy. You can see it here:
You can (probably be unable to) read the story here:
http://www.kyoto-np.co.jp/article.php?mid=P2009091500092&genre=E1&area=K40
You can (probably be unable to) read the story here:
http://www.kyoto-np.co.jp/article.php?mid=P2009091500092&genre=E1&area=K40
Sunday, September 13, 2009
Nantan Field Trip
On the way to one of the schools I go to is the Hiyoshi Dam. There's one large dam that creates a resevoir and several smaller dams along the route. There's all kind of recreational stuff to do there and today I went to a park within the Hiyoshi Dam area.
About half the people there were from Kyoto city proper, including several international students. Some of my middle school students came too. We had a barbeque, scavenger hunt/nature hike, and a tea ceremony with very bitter tea. It was a pretty good day.
About half the people there were from Kyoto city proper, including several international students. Some of my middle school students came too. We had a barbeque, scavenger hunt/nature hike, and a tea ceremony with very bitter tea. It was a pretty good day.
Friday, September 11, 2009
Sports festival
Sometime in the next week or two, my schools will have 'Sports festival'. It's a little different at each school, but basically they divide into several different teams and have competitions. My main school, Tonoda Middle School, has two teams. Every day since I've been there they have practiced some kind of performance. It's not exactly a chant and it's not exactly cheerleading, but chanting and pom-poms are involved. Think opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympics, but significantly scaled down.
At Tonoda Middle School when the students practice their routine the teachers weed the 'field'. I used 'field' only because I don't know how else to describe it. It's more described as a fine gravel courtyard, or hard dirt arena. The students play soccer, baseball, volleyball and other things on these fields which has to be hard because a fall at any speed would surely cause bleeding. Every afternoon I go out with the other teachers to tear out any signs of life that manage to grow in the desolate landscape that is Tonoda's field. And I thought I would be done gardening when I left MInnesota...
I haven't taken any new pictures to put up, but here's something similar to what I've had for lunch (at least sometimes):
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/09/dining/09bento.html
At Tonoda Middle School when the students practice their routine the teachers weed the 'field'. I used 'field' only because I don't know how else to describe it. It's more described as a fine gravel courtyard, or hard dirt arena. The students play soccer, baseball, volleyball and other things on these fields which has to be hard because a fall at any speed would surely cause bleeding. Every afternoon I go out with the other teachers to tear out any signs of life that manage to grow in the desolate landscape that is Tonoda's field. And I thought I would be done gardening when I left MInnesota...
I haven't taken any new pictures to put up, but here's something similar to what I've had for lunch (at least sometimes):
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/09/dining/09bento.html
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