undoukai
yesterday was the big day! our month-long dance training session finally came to an end, and what a finale it was. it was the best day i've had since i arrived in japan.
an australian sports day has got nothing on a typical japanese sports day. every single person participates and really tries their hardest. i am in the blue house (as all you geniuses may have discerned from the picture), and although we didnt do the best in the track and field events, we won the dance - which is the main event of the day. and so we should have after all the practice we put in. oh, we also won the tug of war hands down.
i saw the video of the dances today. it really is amazing. i'll try to get a copy of it soon. a dance on sports day is one of those 'japan-only' things - you would be laughed out of the room if you suggested something like that in australia. and even if you did somehow manage to introduce it, maybe 6 or 7 people would actually be keen to do it.
anyway, the weather was perfect, the spectators many, and i got to spend the day with the fantastic people of aogumi (blue house). we are like a family, i have made new friends from other classes and grades that i wouldn't even know if there was no dance.
we finished the day off with a 'cola party'. i'm not sure if they have these in other countries, but usually it is done with beer. everyone is given a bottle of coke and the basic procedure is to shake said bottle for about 5 minutes, and when the word is said, raise bottle in the air and open cap. the result of this is huge streams of coke flying through the air, and sticky bodies and clothes. after all the coke is finished, there is a lot of shouting for water and then the colour house leaders throw some previously filled buckets of water over the crowd. odd, but immensely fun.
dance practice is something i'm going to miss. i was really getting into the habit of the 4 am starts and going to fujisawa with my mates every night after school. but it is true that all good things must come to an end. i only wish i was here long enough to go to next year's sports day.
stay tuned for more photos, gotta get them developed.
an australian sports day has got nothing on a typical japanese sports day. every single person participates and really tries their hardest. i am in the blue house (as all you geniuses may have discerned from the picture), and although we didnt do the best in the track and field events, we won the dance - which is the main event of the day. and so we should have after all the practice we put in. oh, we also won the tug of war hands down.
i saw the video of the dances today. it really is amazing. i'll try to get a copy of it soon. a dance on sports day is one of those 'japan-only' things - you would be laughed out of the room if you suggested something like that in australia. and even if you did somehow manage to introduce it, maybe 6 or 7 people would actually be keen to do it.
anyway, the weather was perfect, the spectators many, and i got to spend the day with the fantastic people of aogumi (blue house). we are like a family, i have made new friends from other classes and grades that i wouldn't even know if there was no dance.
we finished the day off with a 'cola party'. i'm not sure if they have these in other countries, but usually it is done with beer. everyone is given a bottle of coke and the basic procedure is to shake said bottle for about 5 minutes, and when the word is said, raise bottle in the air and open cap. the result of this is huge streams of coke flying through the air, and sticky bodies and clothes. after all the coke is finished, there is a lot of shouting for water and then the colour house leaders throw some previously filled buckets of water over the crowd. odd, but immensely fun.
dance practice is something i'm going to miss. i was really getting into the habit of the 4 am starts and going to fujisawa with my mates every night after school. but it is true that all good things must come to an end. i only wish i was here long enough to go to next year's sports day.
stay tuned for more photos, gotta get them developed.
posted by pauly at 6:08 PM
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