Vikki went home :( but we had a really good week together. We did lots of things, and although the weather was horrible at first it turned really nice later in the week. On Thursday we shopped in Hibiya (I got my new camera yay!) and went to omotesando to try and shop there. Unfortunately the Oriental Bazaar shop we wanted is closed on Thursdays. That is the second time I have done that, you'd think I would remember! So we had a Starbucks (we did try a Japanese cafe but I could only read a few menu items and we got stared at) and went home. We were meeting the others that evening to go to see the Arctic Monkeys play in Odaiba. We had been given a route to get there by Priya but our friends had looked up another route and wanted to try it out - so we raced. They won by miles. It turned out Priya had gone that way too, she just told us the other one because it was easier (which it wasn't). We saw the venue from across the way so we thought it would be quicker to walk. We forgot there was a main road in the middle that we couldn't cross so that added even more time to our journey! Still when we got there the concert was great, and then everyone came back to ours and we all had pizza.
On Friday we decided to go for a Hanami (flower viewing) picnic. We went to the supermarket and got smoked salmon, strawberries, crusty bread and cheese and scootered up to Shinjuku Gyoen. It was just beautiful, cherry trees all around in blossom, lovely grass to sit on (a bit damp but the sun was out and it was lovely and warm) and then a stroll around the lake when we were done. We took some photos which I will put on soon (I am naughtily updating during a cover lesson - photos would make it a bit obvious).
The next week at school was 4 days as it was Easter. It felt really odd not having the Monday
off too! It is like Christmas, not a holiday at all here but the school at least had good Friday.
On Friday we decided to go for a Hanami (flower viewing) picnic. We went to the supermarket and got smoked salmon, strawberries, crusty bread and cheese and scootered up to Shinjuku Gyoen. It was just beautiful, cherry trees all around in blossom, lovely grass to sit on (a bit damp but the sun was out and it was lovely and warm) and then a stroll around the lake when we were done. We took some photos which I will put on soon (I am naughtily updating during a cover lesson - photos would make it a bit obvious).The next week at school was 4 days as it was Easter. It felt really odd not having the Monday
off too! It is like Christmas, not a holiday at all here but the school at least had good Friday.There was only a week in between Vikki leaving and Cathy arriving, but she was here to do 
other things too so we didn't see her for a while. When she did come we took her to Doma Doma (as usual!) and then the next day was Japan day at school. I can't think of a better day for anyone to come in than that. It was my first one and a real experience! All the students and staff wear Japanese clothes or flag colours (we put Cathy in Will's yukata as he was off sick that day) and there are no lessons. Instead, there are mini-courses run by teachers and parents and even some students. There was Japanese taiko drumming, comedy, cooking, pottery, washi egg making, tea ceremony...the list goes on. It is a brilliant day. We went to the calligraphy class first of all, which was so much fun. We were shown how to hold the 'fude' brush properly and 
taught a few kanji to start off with, then we could practice different ones all we liked. We mounted our best ones. Mine was the kanji for 'Japan' (red). I also learned Hana (green), which means flower and is the name of a friends daughter.
other things too so we didn't see her for a while. When she did come we took her to Doma Doma (as usual!) and then the next day was Japan day at school. I can't think of a better day for anyone to come in than that. It was my first one and a real experience! All the students and staff wear Japanese clothes or flag colours (we put Cathy in Will's yukata as he was off sick that day) and there are no lessons. Instead, there are mini-courses run by teachers and parents and even some students. There was Japanese taiko drumming, comedy, cooking, pottery, washi egg making, tea ceremony...the list goes on. It is a brilliant day. We went to the calligraphy class first of all, which was so much fun. We were shown how to hold the 'fude' brush properly and 
taught a few kanji to start off with, then we could practice different ones all we liked. We mounted our best ones. Mine was the kanji for 'Japan' (red). I also learned Hana (green), which means flower and is the name of a friends daughter.
Our second course was kimono wearing. It was good to learn but I have become more aware that traditional costumes flatter the body type of the race that wears them. Japanese women don't have curves. Still it was fun to try and get into the things, really detailed and a long process. I couldn't imagine wearing one all day every day! Our last course was sudoku, a chance to switch off and chat for a while. In the afternoon a professional Taiko drumming group came in to play for the kids. I have never seen so much energy in one place (or so much hair!). it was an incredible day.
Just to round off making Cathy utterly jealous of our school (they don't have an equivalent day in Paris apparently) we had the last TGIF party of the year. Loads of Japanese food, chu-hai drinks and sake, and Cathy got to meet loads of people. The second week of her visit, we had bought tickets to see Snow Patrol play in Ebisu. They cancelled! We are still disappointed about it, I was sooo looking forward to seeing them. So Cathy went away and came back for the last 2 days of her trip. And the Team Symbas pub crawl.
The PE department at school decided they wanted to raise money and challenge themselves. SO they are doing a 100km trek through bamboo forests over 7 mountains in 48 hours. We all think they are crazy, but we are all fundraising as hard as possible! One of the events was the pub crawl. Apart from the general money from people joining the group, one of Team Symbas (symbas is the name of the sports teams at school) made a model of a man with a huge polystyrene head for people to donate into (they christened him Phil). We took turns carrying Phil around, and when they cracked his head open the next day (the junior school kids were devastated) there was Y108,000 in there. So far they are up to about Y650,000 with a target of Y1,000,000 and 2 weeks to go.
Yesterday was the orientation for the grade 4's coming into middle school next year. It was really strange, because in the UK we were trying to get the kids to come to the school so they had a full lesson and did lots. Here it is fairly certain they will carry on so they have 19 minutes of just a taster lesson of the four main subjects. not long but it took forever to set up! I was taken for cover in my first free, and the lessons were in my other frees so I lost all my time, plus I had to get my solutions and set up for 4 mini-lessons in a row. I appreciated the technicians at home loads anyway, but never as much as yesterday . The head of science is changing next year, and the new one says his prime objective is to get a full-time technician. It will be hard to convince the school but I think the lessons suffer for not having one.
In the staff room there is a calendar whiteboard with all the stuff going on in the next few weeks. It gets updated every 3 weeks or so, and this time we actually fit the end of term on the board. I can't believe we have almost finished the year already! The seniors left today, and there is only 3 weeks left until the rest of the exam classes go. Our flights are booked to come home, the weather has suddenly got really warm and everything feels like it's settling down for a holiday. Well, it will next week. This week actually is a national holiday so the whole place has gone crazy. We had 2 days off, when Will and 6 of the blokes from school went on a boys only scooter trip down to Enoshima island. It turned out to be quite eventful. One of the scooters was sabotaged before they even started. When a replacement was found, it developed a flat tyre within 10 minutes. Because it was golden week there were very few fixing options. eventually they got it sorted, but my quiet 2 days alone were interrupted by 4 phone calls in the first 2 hours as they tried to work out what to do.
The 'scooter widows' had a girly night in. Lovely.
Tonight was the spring show. There was the usual stuff... choir, orchestra, more choir. Then there was the fashion show. One of the options classes along with knitting is needlework, and in that class the kids make clothes. Then they have a fashion show at the end. Definitely has to be seen to be believed. They strutted around to Eric Prids (on a loop) and did little routines. I only wish I had taken my camera. Still, it is a really nice idea for them to show what they have worked on. They were all really proud. Every time I think I must have seen it all, this school has something even more cheesy to surprise me. At least it's never dull!
