Influenza (H1N1) at Isurugi Elementary school

Me in the staff room at Isurugi Elementary school

Last week the school was shut due to the fact that 20 of my 6th grade pupils (and pupils from every other grade) were off sick with a new type of the H1N1 influenza that is sweeping the country. So I came into school but only the teachers were in. We were all told to wear masks as a preventive measure. For some reason they seem to look normal on the Japanese but I think I look ridiculous. At least I only have to wear it at school.

We also have to disinfect our hands with this spray that they’ve left at the entrance as well as gurgle our mouths with water after teaching each lesson. Scary stuff but I'm glad they're taking these measures as this thing spreads so fast. On Friday there were 6 pupils and by Monday there were 20...

Just having a quick read on the net and apparently the Japanese (who else?!) have come up with the first anti swine flu suit, check this link out http://www.psfk.com/2009/10/japanese-suit-to-protect-against-swine-flu.html

Brilliant.

Isurugi Hikiyama Festival, Oyabe City, Wed 29th April

Well I would have missed this festival if it hadn't been for a quick conversation with my Kancho Sensei at Isurugi Elementary. He showed me one of the posters in the corridor all in kanji which I had walked past so many times and didn't really pay attention to as I didn't understand the Kanji. It was advertising the Hikiyama festival, held each year on Showa Day a public holiday to celebrate the birthday of former Emporer Showa. Forgive my ignorance but right now I'm not sure who he is.


I trugged over to Oyabe City and found a good viewing spot on the side of the main street in Oyabe. The residents has certainly come out of the woodwork for this one, I'd never seen so many people in Oyabe!

The main part of the festival was a procession of these gigantic wooden and eloborately carved floats (11 to be precise) called hikayama dating back to the Momoyama period being pulled through the streets of Oyabe by local residents in traditional dress (including my kancho sensei!) to the beat of beat of drums and screeching of wheels.

The weight of one float is apparently 3t to 6t. At the T-junctions the floats are lifted by then men to turn right/left, wow did I witness a lot of sweat and even more Sake! Every float is about 200 years old, the oldest about 250 yrs. As I stood and admired these giant beasts rolling through the streets some locals came up to me and gave me some handmade biscuits with a picture of the hikayama on the front. I was so touched, well I did stand out being almost the only gaijin in town
Video below is the 3 point turn Momoyama style....
In the main street a small shrine was set up to which the hikayama carriers charged their way forward. Can't explain that one but it was really dramatic to watch! All in all a great day and of course I bumped into some of my pupils who were as sweet as ever (picture of them in red costumes)

Isurgui Elementary 1st Year Initation Ceremony

Yesterday I was called from the staff room to attend a welcome ceremony for the new first years (yes the really really cute 6 yr olds who have just joined) Basically this means the 2nd to 6th graders perform for the newcomers and welcome them to their new school, a really sweet idea since Isurugi is soooo massive even I'm scared of getting lost down a corridor.





The performance started with the 6th graders coming in hand in hand with the little 1st years. I can't upload the bloody video as it's too big. Damn! I've posted the little mites bowing instead and saying thank you.
I got quite emotional as I thought about Tegan on her first day. (I'm sure nothing like this)
The show kicked off with a song on recorders performed by the 3rd graders, a dance by the whole school, a quiz from the 4th graders and another performance I can't actually remember but it was all really WOW especially at there's about 500 kids at Isurugi and orchestrating something on this level must have taken such a huge amount of work.

One thing that I still can't get used to is the noise! Kids screaming, shouting, running everywhere. I'm used to my laptop and 4 walls! See kids in corridor below

My commute to work, Kanazawa to Oyabe

So the commute is already killing me! I don't know how anyone gets up that early. My alarm goes off at 6am but before that my own "crow" alarm goes off at 5am right outside my apartment. yes big black nastly looking crows like to sit on the electric pylon outside my door and carry otu their morning calls. Oh and then the bloody train to Nomachi comes past around 5.45 so by the time my alarm goes off Im fully awake & pissed off!


I then walk to NishiKanazawa station, about a 10 min walk away listening to my BBC Japanese beginners course on the iPOD (I've now been through it 3 times and STILL can't direct a cab driver left or right) My 7.10 train arrives BANG ON time, oh did I mention you can actually rely on trains here! I get on, its packed full of school kids who all want to practice their English with me, JOY! and when I say packed I mean my face is pressed against the automatic door, think London tube rush hour with sweaty, smelly junior high school kids.

Everyone gets off at Kanazawa thank god & I get a seat and try to learn Japanese although at that time in the morning concentration isn't at its best. So one thing you will notice on Japanese trains in the morning is that EVERYONE sleeps.

I have no idea how they know when they're at their stop, they just seem to know...! they seem to have mastered the art of power napping thats for sure and I've now started to join them.

I then get off at Oyabe City (it's not a city as we would call a city at home- I'll get to that in another blog post) Anyway, I get off the train and walk to the bike shed. There are so many people who leave Oyabe that the bike "shed" holds about 500 bloody bikes!


I then get on the bike, which has NO gears for my 10 min ride to Isurugi or 15 min ride to Toubu Elementary. Even though there aren't really hills the no gears thing is a killer and I turn up to work red faced, sweaty, with my trousers tucked into my socks not really looking the smart, suited and heeled ALT that Interac had outlined in their training!

My commute!