A school Sports Day to wrap up the year... on steroids!

There has been a buzz in the air at school over the last month. It was exam time, lots of stressed students but at every extra break the girls were out in public spaces practising and participating for as it turned out "Field Day". I had no clear picture of what that was but I certainly enjoyed watching them at practice with the grade 12 students taking the lead:

Yesterday the Field Day finally arrived and I began another amazing Tokyo experience: Field Day on steroids. I have attended field days at my schools over the last 30 years. I have seen a whole range of kinds of events and venues... but never like this.

To begin with it turns out that the school rented the Tokyo Dome for the event. This is one of the main city venues right next to the future Olympic Stadium where many of the major sports events are held in Tokyo. So we spent the day in this incredible venue with the latest audio equipment etc. with 1200 plus students participating and 400 plus parents watching. One of the best features about it all was that we were inside a vast, cool arena protecting us from the blistering sun and humidity. Here we are all milling about outside waiting for the venue to open: 

The event opened with the showing of the colours of the teams and the national anthem. I am thinking we need more marching in our BC curriculum?

Check out the behaviour during the opening speech!

One of the traditional signs of respect is all students and staff bow at the beginning and at the end of each speech. Check it out:

And yet these girls are not automatons; they are fun, vibrant, chatty and excited girls in a society that has high expectations from their students:

Considering how many students there were to participate, the organizers did a brilliant job of picking high participation activities so all girls had a chance. This was group skipping:

Here is "basketball": how many soft balls can you get in the basket in a certain time. 

Students are responsible for cleaning and mopping their own classroom. Here is that skill put to a competitive use:

Check out the results of the team dance competition; just a couple samples:

How about this relay; with my Canadian principal`s hat on I kept wondering about liability but that isn`t so much an issue here. This was lots of fun:

A twist on somersaults:

A fabulous pole race. Watch them as they get back to their team. The whole team has to jump over the pole then duck under it as it gets passed to the next group.

Once again, to give you a feel for their personality; these girls are getting ready for the great Hat  Battle shown in the next two videos.

Some of my Double Diploma girls:

The event finished off with a magnificent dance team show which would have fit in well in the Pan American games...

A speech from my Japanese colleague principal; as my Japanese evolves this will also be me up there. Once again, check out the behaviour of the girls.

Finishing with the school song led by a student.

Over-all I was once again amazed by what is possible in different schools and different societies. I was totally inspired by the girls as I head off today for Canada for the summer. I look forward to some peaceful visits with friends and family, some quality trips in the wilderness.

I am also excited about the future of  BS Canadian International School in Tokyo waiting upon our return. 

How to prepare for a transition back to The Kootenays for the summer?

We are getting stoked about returning for some holiday time in Kaslo. Our heads are partly here in Tokyo and partly ready to a trip home.

Our wonderful friends Champ and Gwen dropped by on their way back from Thailand to introduce us to their world travelling baby Uma. We very much enjoyed sharing their joy in this new being in their lives. We had great conversations and some planning ahead about our summer visit to Canada. 

This inspired us to plan some last activities that will ease the culture shack back to the Kootenays.

1. Get ready for the mountain by bagging some peaks; well... actually more like taking elevators at the speed of lightning up 60 floors to some ridiculously overpriced bar with eye popping vistas of the city below. 

 On Friday we sloshed through the pouring rain to be whisked up to the unctuously posh Hyatt lounge where Lost and Translation was filmed. The views were breath-taking, the food was sublime and the bill re-awakened a certain self-preservation fear of heights!

Check out where you might chose to stay next time you are visiting us by clicking here.

In this scene you will see some of the roads we bicycle on every weekend right by this hotel.

Since one peak bagged is not really enough to get us in shape, we decided the next night to "bag" another peak experience. This time it was not raining so we saw more from the sumptuous plush lounge seats overlooking Tokyo Tower. The Tokyo Prince Park Tower had glass elevators whooshing us up to the top floor to add to that cliff top experience in the Kootenay back country... but when are they going to hook up smooth jazz channels on Mt. Loki?

A BIG warm heart along the way...

What a vista!

Just don't lean too far back!

Click here for a taste of our evening. 

2. Bone up our route finding skills to help us pick through unfamiliar territory in the Purcell wilderness area. 

So on Sunday, after meeting, we dove into the heart of Shibuya, THE trendy shopping area for Tokyo youth and the source of many fashion inspirations from around the world. Click here for a little background on the area.

Let's see did we turn left or right at this Jewish ???? store?

Are we ready for a snack tree or vitamin S yet?

Man, and we didn't even bring our bear spray to Tokyo! Did you forget to pack it Shelley?

Let's see... Who should we ask if we get lost?

Luckily there's plenty of wild life to be found... Just like in the Kootenays.

And just luckily these bears seem to be well acclimatized to humans.

"Bird watching" Tokyo style?

3. refresh our Festival going skills to get ready for the Kaslo Jazz Festival:

So yes, just to make sure we have the festival rhythm down we needed to cruise a festival here in Tokyo as a warm-up. How about the Tanabata festival, a time where all across Japan streets shut down and communities celebrate an ancient star-crossed legend. The upshot is that you write messages to your loved ones and hang them on these special branches to being good luck.

Shelley being in Canada already, I headed out with a few other friends as you I can see...

And did my cultural duty...

With thoughts of my family...

Along with many, many, many others...

4. Open up my cultural self to be appropriately ready for the Langham cultural events that are always such a wonderful part of the summer.

So I decided to start at Ueno park, the cultural center of Tokyo with a network of fifteen museums in one beautiful ancient park.

The first stop: the museum of Western Art

Start with some Rodin?

This is his statue of St. Peter preaching. If all ministers preached like this, would the congregations increase?

Lots of rapt interest in the paintings ...

Some beautiful impressionist work that is less well known. How about some Renoir?

Maybe Monet

A less known Manet

Gauguin before he heads off to the islands...

Renoir..

Ah yes... Rodin's the kiss

Picasso can't be mistaken

And...Miro (I think) 

A quick skip over the park to the Japan National Museum to be steeped in Japanese history and beauty...

Incredibly ancient fine craftsmanship 

Thousands of years of appreciation for fabric

Simple but expansive panel art

A proud and ancient history of wood block prints...

And thousands of years of dynastic conflict, militarism and national pride

5. Get training for our big kayaking expeditions this summer!

Ah; I think I found the solution for a training center until I leave. What do you think?

6. Last but not least; get used to handling a lot of equipment again: mower, trimmer, trailer, pack, hiking poles, paddles etc. etc. etc.

No problem! Now that it is monsoon season here I get lots of practice with my main piece of equipment... The umbrella. And since it's not just me but 36 million others with umbrellas ....

You often run into this sign. What to do?

Well luckily all major buildings have umbrella stands at the front such as this one at the museum. You even lock your umbrella in and take the key with you, for folding umbrellas they have plastic cover bags so you don't drip all over the floor.

Now I am sure that you have all wondered what to do with your umbrella at the urinal in the subway...haven't you? Well, not to worry, they have a little umbrella hook so you can hang your umbrella while you are doing the necessary and not have it fall into the urinal. Handy eh?

So, as you can tell I am doing my utmost to ensure that I am ready to re renter the world of the Kootenays. Two more weeks and I will be home.

I look forward to swapping more stories and catching up with all of you.