Graduation

Well, our third year students graduated this past week.  Graduations are fairly solemn affairs in Japan, and definitely formal.  I had to wear my suit, which hasn`t seen the light of day since my first day here.  I hate wearing suits.  I violently dislike not having full range of motion.  I wore my pants, though, because I woke up Tuesday morning and it looked like a snowglobe outside.  I was displeased, and there was no way on this Earth I was wearing a skirt, even if that is what actually came with this blazer when I bought it.  Anyway.  Formal affair.  The principal, who wears a regular suit every day, was wearing a tailcoat.  TAILCOAT.  Do you even know how ridiculously awesome that is?!?!  Anyway, it wasn`t so terribly different from graduations back home. I`ll highlight some of the key differences:

1. It takes place during the day, rather than in the evening after school.
2. No gowns or caps.  Students graduate in their school uniforms, with a corsage pinned to their blazer.
3. Instead of each student going across the stage, the students remain at their seats, standing up when their name is called.  After all of the students have been named, the first student goes up and accepts some sort of group diploma on behalf of the class.  (I honestly have no idea if they get individual certificates after the fact or not.)

Other than that, it`s just a lot of ceremony.  There`s music and speeches and standing and bowing, and I didn`t really understand any of it.  I stood when all the other teachers stood, and sat when they sat.  Basically I was that person who never goes to church and just follows the cues from everyone else when they have to.  Thankfully, because non-school people would be in attendance, they decided it would be a good idea to pull out the BIG portable heaters, because normally the gym is absolutely frigid in the winter.  The only thing those walls keep out is the wind.

(I would also like to add that apparently most of the teachers around here hate suits as much as I do.  Many of them brought a change of clothes for the rest of the day, especially the PE teachers and teachers who have athletic clubs.)

The graduating students from my English club brought in bouquets for Morita-sensei and I, which was unexpected and sweet and gave me warm fuzzies all over!  What made it even better is that the arrangement contains my favourite flowers - Gerbera daisies!

I was also asked to sign one girl`s yearbook.  But not a girl from English club.  Or my third year class.  I have no idea whatsoever who this kid was, but she was really excited about having something in English in her yearbook. 

After that, things calmed down quite a bit.  Until announcements are made about what assignments the teachers are being given for the coming year, we don`t know who I`m going to be working with, plus I`ve heard comments in passing that we`re getting updated versions of the textbooks, so I can`t plan anything.  I`m going out of my mind with boredom.  But next week I`m headed to Tokyo again, so that will be a nice break for me.