My having purchased additional futon will prove the ruin of me: I struggle every morning to remove myself from my comfy, multi-futon-layered bed, sleeping half an hour more than my alarm clock suggests. This morning proved no exception, even though today heralded the start of second term. After a quick breakfast of iced tea and cake (I like to eat healthy.), I hurriedly read through my introductory speeches before heading off to school.
At 8:45 am, our school hosted its Second Term Opening Ceremony, and I had my first opportunity to see the entire student population. The students lined up in the gymnasium by class, with clear boundaries between each person. Although I felt nervous about delivering my speech, I couldn't help but laugh as the teachers prodded students into place, ordering them to tuck in their shirts or to stand up straight.
The ceremony opened with the principal addressing the students, expressing his desire for them to study hard and behave well over the next term. As he spoke, the students stood in stiff formation, something I could hardly imagine us doing at our American schools!
When a light tune came over the speakers, I turned, clueless, to the vice principal, who remarked that we would be singing the school song, the lyrics for which were posted on the front wall. I fumbled along with reading through the characters, but I could hear the principal singing loud and clear beside me.
As we proceeded through all the ceremonial formalities, I wondered when my turn would be to speak. I looked awkwardly down at my feet, which were clad in teddy bear-print bedroom slippers (school issued, gym-appropriate), until the principal led me onstage. (My walking onstage yielded a wave of whispering across the audience.) He provided the students with the information that I've come to expect about myself from the Japanese: 1. I am an American from HAWAII with Japanese ancestry 2. I just graduated from university! I am very young! I am cute! Following this introduction, I shared two short speeches of my own, the first in English, and the second in Japanese, at the end of which, I felt an enormous weight lift off my chest.
After walking offstage, I happily settled into the side wall with the other teachers, where I enjoyed the rest of the ceremonies. Students received awards for school service and sports achievements, and then the teachers filtered through the crowd to perform uniform, hair, and nail checks!
The student inspections were the most amusing part of Japanese schooling that I've seen so far. The teachers checked that the students were 1. Wearing their uniforms properly, 2. Sporting non-colored hair, 3. Not wearing nail polish. As the teachers walked around, lightly slapping students' hands and tugging at their hair, I chatted with a giggly group of girls, and I showed them my glitter nail polish ("だめ。") that I had just painted on the night before.
When the ceremonies let out, I had the chance to chat with a number of the students, including a group of third-year boys who were completely startled that I not only wore high heels, but that I knew how to shake hands like a guy. Maybe I'm slightly undermining my authority by befriending the students, but I felt happy that in the time I spoke with them, they attempted to use English! I hope that they'll feel comfortable with talking openly with me in the future.
[Seeing the high school boys makes me miss Scott!]
My introduction today has shattered all my anonymity in this town. Every student now knows who I am, and I'm followed by shouts of "Kurisutine-san!", followed by furious waving, wherever I go. Celebrity status is pretty sweet, but it also means that I am under constant watch! In any case, reaching this point really made concrete and real my reasons for being here, and I'm looking forward to beginning classes next week!
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