Closing Ceremonies

So, I survived my first trimester teaching English in Japan. Today was the closing ceremonies, which is more or less just an assembly in the gym with a bunch of speeches and maybe a performance, just like back home. After the speeches, the brass band performed. That was pretty cool to watch and hear as all the sections came together after weeks of hearing each section practice separately. After that was the chorus club, with their angelic voices coming together for all of us to hear.

We were pretty much dismissed after that.

The 7^th grade teachers then had to give little speeches to the 7^th grade students, so we all made our way to the fourth floor and did our thing. I was told to prepare a “short” speech for them, and seeing as I was the last to go, I got to hear everyone else’s “short” speech, all of which were anything but “short”. 8| Then it was my turn, and I kept it short and in simple English, only to find that nobody was translating.

Me: *looks at Mr. Scissors* Aren’t you going to translate?

Scissors: *points to Mr. Shrimp, the JAPANESE TEACHER* He can do it :D

Shrimp: <_<…. “[Have a nice summer].”

Me: ….. Bah.

Not long after that, the kids all went home, and then it was lunch time for us. Bento time!

The whole rest of the week and half of next week I have summer training, including a nature hike with some students… “Wear comfortable clothes but no shorts and no long sleeves on account of the bugs and snakes.” In the middle of summer. There is no “comfortable” at that rate.