Undokai in the fog

Saturday was undoikai - sports festival, which is a big deal in Japanese schools. The kids spend many hours practicing and there is a big excitement for the big day. It was very hit and miss on whether it was going to rain and get postponed. Since we had nothing but rain all week it wasn't looking good. We put out vibes to the big U and asked for it not to rain.

The rain did hold off for most of the day although the school was shrouded in fog which was kinda weird. They did decide to change the schedule a bit just in case!

There are almost 1400 kids in Ebi-kuns elementary school, that is a lot of kids to organize, most schools encourage families to bring a picnic and make a big day of it but there just isn't the space for 1400 kids and their families! So parents are encouraged to come and watch their kids just for the events they are in.

As everyone and their dog wants to be on the finish line to take photos, there is a strict system of shuffling parents in and out of the photo area. It actually works really well and everyone gets a chance to take photos. Ebi-kun came in a close 3rd...

 Then each grade has a dance routine, that's about 233 kids dancing in sync, no mean feat! Until recently the 6th graders did 'the pyramid' as part of their routine but thankfully health and safety has enforced some common sense. So the pyramid has been scrapped (8 kids high, I have a post with pics here) and they did a more complicated dance routine.

Ebi-kun got to be on the cheer squad this year, he is one of the kids on the left cheering to encourage the rest of his team, each team has a big cheerleading shout off - I totally don't get it but the kids seem to enjoy it!

There are also games and races, very much about teamwork and co-operation, There are no individual winners only the team. This year they had 3 teams - if seems to differ depending on how many classes they have that year. Can you guess what colour team Ebi-kun was in? Good job he wasn't in blue!

The triangle thing is sekihan sticky rice with red beans. Top box has pink grapefruit, mini tomatoes, cheese wrapped with parma ham. The bottom box had carrot and red pepper salad, boiled egg and beetroot.

Unfortunately as the kids were getting ready for the last game, the heavens opened and we all got soaked. the undoikai was abandoned and the kids sent inside to get changed. Ebi-kun was gutted because his team came in second, only 5 points behind the winners. Every year I watch the score but I have no idea how they work it out! It seems to be extremely random!

All in all it was fun and we headed home early, snuggled up on the sofa to watch Jurassic Park, which I haven't seen since my uni days, I forgot what a great film it is.

Vicks vapour run on the feet - BUSTED

Well hello old friend, I haven't been about much the last couple of weeks. Ebi-kun got sick, he had an awful cough and it took several trips to the doctor before we found medicine which helped clear it up. That coincided with my birthday, as he was off school it was a very low key event but it did involve lots of good cake - I will be posting about that!
Then I got sick just in time for Christmas and ended up on antibiotics, so all in all it's been a sickly yet quiet holiday. I do have the new mac set up but not all the software I need installed yet.. getting there...

I do have a pile of catch-up posts for you and hopefully i'll be back on track by the time the new years arrives!

Ebi-kun is in there somewhere, I did say that he didn't have to run because he had a cough but he wanted to do it, at least the weather was clear. I think he came 56 out of 128, I'm not convinced that running is a good thing to do with a cough and he didn't get placed as high as he hoped but at least it is over and done with now.

He gets the same cough around the same time every year, the Doc is at a loss of what causes it other than the change of the seasons. He ran loads of tests, gave him an chest x-ray but nothing. Last time we got referred to the big hospital, they also ran a barrage of tests and came up with nothing, eventually it just cleared up. Very annoying.

We had a long list of home recipes to try too, none were very effective, including rubbing Vicks on the sole of his feet before bed. I did google this to see how it works, apparently it is an urban legend, the original post that did the rounds in 2007 stated that the Canada Research Council had conducted research on the method and it effectiveness. On problem is the Canada Research council didn't exist and the only similar organization said they had never run tests along these lines.

Despite all this, it still gets quoted as an effective method to sooth a cough, I have used it myself and on Ebi-kun and on occasion it has helped - so maybe it does work but there is not scientific evidence to prove it. So I supposed semi-busted is more accurate!

Have you tried it, did it work for you/your kids?

Undokai sports festival

The sports festival is THE important date on the school calendar here. Many of the kids (certainly not all) look forward to it and Ebi-kun is no exception. It was looking a bit hit and miss on whether he would be able to join because he still has a fractured wrist! The Doc gave it the OK if, he didn't use it!

Ebi-kun's school is massive, just short of 1400 kids in 6 grades, that is a LOT of kids to get organized! This year the school was split into 3 teams, I think it depends on how many classes are in each grade to how many teams they end up with. Ebi-kun was in the yellow team.

First up is the sprint, they have so many kids to get through that they fire the pistol for the next lot of kids BEFORE the set that are running have even hit the finish line, it is manic!

This is about half of the kids! One of the good things is that because it is so big, parents are not expected to stay and there is no room for all the parents and extended family to come and make a picnic of it, so we can wander in and out as we please.

The dance, we (ahem, daddy) got it wrong and we were stood in the wrong spot so I didn't manage to get any really good pictures of his dancing!

Next was the BIG pants race, like the three legged race but with pants....

Two kids have to get into a really big pair of shorts...

Race to the end of the yard, go around the cone and back to the start where they hand the pants off to the next pair, quite amusing!

The final race is the big balls, this is always a lot of run, sadly yellow were crap and came last, Ebi-kun is still holding out to be in the winning team at least once! poor kid, hubby and I were coming up with ways of how we could fix it in the 6th grade in case his team still hasn't won... will keep you posted on that ! First we will have to figure out the scoring system because neither of us could figure it out.

And now he is in...

Now he is in the 4th grade!

It doesn't seem that long ago that he was a 1st grader! We were actually a bit late taking the photo this year because the weather has been so awful.

Ebi-kun asked the universe to put him in a specific class and that a particular friend would be in the class too. His first day he came bursting through the door and announced that The Universe Rocks! He got the class and his best best mate and the teacher gets the thumbs up too!

I know someone will ask...the bag he is holding is for his calligraphy kit, brushes, ink, tablet etc.

No More 3rd Grade...

Yep, last day of school! My little third grader will soon be a fourth grader! This year has flown by. Cracks me up how he wears his cap like that...

A train Of Yellow Hats

There are so many kids in our neighbourhood, it comes to home time and it's a constant train of yellow hats. At least they are in groups and no children have to walk any distance alone here. Plus drivers know to slow down, there are a couple of busy roads for them to cross. It's still quite a sight!

The national obsession that is Undokai...

Undokai - or sports festival is a BIG deal in Japan, we are not talking a 50 meter dash and an egg and spoon race here, oh no, it is hours of practice, sweat and tears. And the strange thing is, most of the kids love it!

Daddy-ebi has to work one Saturday a month and unfortunately it fell on Ebi-kuns sports day, neither of them were happy - I should include myself in that! It meant I had to figure out the whole standing in the right place at the right time to get the right photos! Talk about stressful lol.

I did have a bit of a mommy fail, I checked that the camera battery was charged and ready to go but didn't notice that the memory card was almost full! Which meant I had to resort to my phone, not the best pictures ever!

There are 1400 kids in Ebi-kuns school and they split them into 5 teams. Ebi-kun was Yellow this time round. They have various games and races which can get them points for their team and this is the whole school together. They have to get the ball from one end to the other without it touching the floor. Ebi-kun isn't very tall so he's somewhere in the middle!

Can you spot Ebi-kun doing his dance (blue t-shirt), he has been getting up extra early every morning to practice!

This is the 6th graders, they practice like mad for the gymnastics display at the end. There was this big pyramid and 4 smaller ones. As the last girl was climbing to the top, the whole things started leaning to the left, there was a united gasp as EVERYONE held their breath. Then a united sigh of relief as it righted itself and the girl made it to the summit. 

This one was 8 kids wide, I think 5 deep and 8 high, it was impressive but my inner Brit was screaming 'Where is Health & Safety?' I'm not sure if it is better to be a bigger kid and stuck at the bottom with a chance to be crushed or a smaller kid with the chance of falling off the top! 

The final formation looked positively tame in comparison! Luckily it was a lot cooler than usual although I still managed to burn my neck. Ebi-kun had a great day and i think that is the main thing!

Ebi-kun needs your help

Hi 

How are you doing? I hope you are well.

Can you help with my summer homework?

 At  japanese schools,we have to do summer homework. I chose to find out about school lunches Around the world.                                                

 I am asking you so I can find out about school lunches so I hope you can help me.

if you have got a kid that goes to elementary school, can you get them to answer these questions?





Thank you for doing this questionnaire.

The BIG Giveaway ends soon, lots of amazing prizes, don't forget to enter CLICK HERE

School Observation Day

We had the observation day the other day, I managed to sneak a cheeky photo as the kids were experimenting. They had science class which started out talking about butterflies, they had been observing, the transformation from caterpillar to butterfly and the somehow it changed to wind powered cars!

I didn't get to check out the kits they were using properly, but it looks like they will study 3 types of energy using these little cars that they had to put together. There was a lot of excitement and the kids all looked like they were having fun - except for the ones who couldn't get the wheels to stay on their cars!

There are 39 kids in his class, so sensei has to work really hard to keep them all on track and to stay within the time frame (Ebi-kun said that she's not great at that!) but it must be really tough, so kudos to her anyway. 

After class was the teacher/parent meeting, I left daddy to enjoy that and went down to the library with Ebi-kun and about 900 other kids, some doing their homework, others running round like loons.

Although I'm deep opposed to the teaching system, I believe that teacher led classrooms are fundamentally the reason why schools are failing our kids, I do know that Ebi-kun is learning a lot of non academic things that are important. He does enjoy school for the majority of the time and is happy when he comes home, so that is good. If he wasn't academic though, I would be pulling him out and homeschooling him, the system certainly don't work for kids who need that bit of extra help.

We also have the homework list for the summer holidays! Need to figure out how we are going to juggle that with the big trip home. Surely 20 hours on a plane is enough time?

Guess How Much These Bags Weigh…

There are the bags Ebi-kun has to carry home from school on a Friday. His usual school bag with his books & pencil case etc. Swimming bag, PE kit, Lunch clothes bag, toothbrush and cup, water bottle, indoor shoes, and probably something else!

He was shattered by the time he got in and when I picked up the bags I was shocked at how heavy it all was, so I weighed it. 9.7kg!!!

Poor kid only weighs 22.5kg himself! I think it's ridiculous that they have to cart everything there and back each day/week. I'm pretty sure a good chunk of it could be kept at school or only take in on the day they need it. I'm hoping the next few weeks stay cool because carting that lot there and back in the hottest part of the day is just ridiculous. If it is hot, I might break the rules and go and meet him on my bike.

Walking to and from school is a good idea and I am pretty comfortable with it now, but not when they expect the kids to carry so much crap.

How about your kids, do they have to go through the same endurance test?

And now he is…

A third grader!

How To Scare A Bunch Of Kids…

For those that are new here… in Japan the kids walk to school, they are organized into walking groups with an older child who is in charge and they have to walk along a set route. On a whole I quite like the system, Ebi-kun doesn't have to walk too far, takes them about 20-30 minutes and it is pretty much flat all the way.

There are points along the route that are deemed dangerous and of course, first thing in the morning the traffic is much busier so parents have "voluntary" (you have to do it) flag duty. There are several of us along the route, and we are placed where the kids need to cross the road or if there is a dangerous bit of road that they have to walk along.

We get a high viz jacket, cap, PTA sash and a yellow flag - oh so stylish! And as the kids walk past we are supposed to say ohio gozimasu (good morning) and they are supposed to reply. As I am one for not following the rules I wear the sash and take the flag and I also say Good Morning in English to the kids - with amusing results….

1st & 2nd graders look at me terrified, eyes about to pop out of their heads!

3rd and 4th graders - the girls giggle and answer in English the boys try to be cocky with their Herro and Good-bye comments.

5th and 6th graders - the girls look at me with mild bemusement and the boys roll their eyes in that 'oh you are so not cool' kinda way.

Keeps me amused! Other observations I made today…

• Turquoise and blue in on trend for boys
• Pink and black for girls
• 6th graders look ridiculous wearing the hat they started school in because it is way too small and their back packs look daft too.
• Workmen must find the PTA sash and flag attractive, I had several wave to me this morning!
• Junior High school kids on bikes are idiots - non of them stop, it is a blind junction onto a busy road and they just fly straight over to the wrong side of the road - only a matter of time until one of them is being scraped off a car bonnet.

Other news… The Kitchen Bootcamp kicked off yesterday - some amazing before and after pictures already, the Facebook group is a hive of activity and I am loving everyone sharing and encouragement, what better way to tackle the cleaning? If you want in, you can still join, click HERE to register.

Flu Days…

I don't know if this rules exists outside of Japan, but here, when a certain percentage of kids are off sick with flu the school closes the class down. Ebi-kun went to school as normal on Monday but then we got a message saying his class was shut for the next two days!

I follow the logic with this, they are trying to contain the flu and I am pretty sure that any child who has flu, their siblings have to stay home too. BUT, sensei told Ebi-kun that it was OK to go and play after school on the Monday but Tuesday and Wednesday he has to stay inside the whole time!

Must be that the Japanese flu vies is very intelligent! 

This must suck for working moms, and it was one of the reasons that I wanted to have a location independent business, so that sick days and holidays don't screw things up too much for me and the business. Of course sensei sent a load of homework to be done, so we came up with a schedule, he did his homework and I ploughed through the important stuff for work, the we would kick back and do some stuff for fun. 

Ebi-kun has recently got into computer coding, we are using the program on Khan Academy, it is great and he is loving it…a bit too much lol. He can't wait to get started today because he is just starting the animation unit.

I think Khan Academy have done an excellent job with the way they have set up the website, I love how everything is broken down into itty bitty bite sized chunks, there is the whole thing of getting through levels and getting awards that this 'gaming' generation are drawn towards and it also allows parents/teachers to see how the child is progressing, where they are getting stuck and where they might need extra help.

When we first signed up they only has the maths program but they have a whole range of subjects now.

Today, we are cleaning the bathroom, making bread, doing work/homework, more animation coding and no doubt I will be able to sneak some crafting in along the way!

So, flu days - do they exist where you live?

Run Boy Run…

Had a full on day Thursday. It started off with me on flag duty. Almost all the elementary kids walk to school in Japan, they have walking groups and have to go along a set route. In the mornings there are parents dotted along the way, especially on busy intersections to make sure the kids are safe but they don't walk with any adults. Usually about half the kids mumble 'Ohio Gozaimasu' (good morning) and I usually do the same back but this time I thought I would liven things up a bit. So instead of saying it in Japanese I said it in English in a very over the top chirpy voice. It was hysterical - most of the kids are in zombie-half-asleep mode and it made them jump out of their skin

Sometimes I feel like the real me gets squashed here because how I would naturally act in a situation is not 'the Japanese way'. So after waving the flag and scaring half the kids in the neighbourhood I went back home and got a bit of work done. In the mean time hubby was getting some city hall paperwork done and renewing his license, he picked me up in time to go to school to watch the kids doing the marathon. They say marathon, I say running round the block. We cheered Ebi-kun on but when we spoke to him later he said he didn't know we were there!

Then we went for lunch, popped over to Yamaya to buy a bottle of baileys, came out of there with 4 bags of shopping and a much lighter wallet! then it was back to school for the parents meeting. Everything is going well, the bullying seems to have stopped. L-chan, the instigator in his walking group has come to her senses and we haven't heard any more complaints about her for a good while. Academically he is doing great but sensei said his Japanese writing could do with being neater! I fell about laughing at this, hubby's writing is terrible, never mind and engineer, he should have been a doctor and it looks like Ebi-kun is the same BUT Ebi-kun's English writing is beautiful! What can I say?

After school we had to go and buy a new pencil case - it has to be a specific style, not any old pencil case. Then the boys went to play football and I whipped up a new bag. I prepped dinner, hubby cooked and Ebi-kun did his homework. We got to sit down and eat together, lovely change on a Thursday evening!

Enough about me, how has your week been?

The Joy Of Undokai

Undokai or sports festival is a really big deal in Japan. The kids practice for weeks beforehand and all the parents and often grandparents come along to watch. There are some things that I don't agree with, like having the kids sat out in the sun, no hats for most of the day. The amount of time practicing then the government trying to re-introduce Saturday school because they think the kids are not getting enough instruction time in *face palm*!

On the other hand, the kids seem to enjoy it, there is no emphasis on individual winners, it is all team building, if you win a race it is for the team. Which, to work in a Japanese company, this is what it is all about, it is all training for the salary man mindset.

Ebi-kun's school is big, over 1300 kids, add parents of those kids, siblings and grandparents and that is a LOT of people milling around the school. To give them their dues, it was organized with military precision. For the sprint, the parents have to wait in a 'holding area' until their child's group is up to race, then you get herded into the photography zone near the finishing line, you take your pics then go. I wasn't in a good spot and this was the best pic I got!

For added fun, you can imagine this post like Where's Wally/Waldo, you have to find Ebi-kun in each picture....

This years theme was ninja so the 2nd grade did a dance to some really annoying ninja tune, I would find the youtube version for you, but you would hate me for the ear worm and quite frankly, I don't want to put myself through it! They looked cute though!

That was Ebi-kun done for the morning, they give you a program of events, so we went for a very long lunch and left them to it. There seems to be a different policy from school to school, here the kids eat together in the classroom and parents are asked not to eat at the school, due to lack of space. A friend yesterday, told me that at her boy's school, the kids eat together in case some parents can't make it and the parentless kids feel left out. Another friend, the family all eat together and the bento making for the day is quite competitive.

I quite like the rules for our school! I didn't go the whole hog with the crazy bento making but I did make a Nameko boiled egg...

After lunch there were more team games and relays. This one the whole school is involved in, the roll the big ball from the first graders over everybody's head until the sixth graders, then they have to get it in the box, if you can imagine what 1300+ kids all screaming their head off sounds like...

Trying to spot Ebi-kun was a nightmare, even though he hair is fairer than everyone, a tip for anyone with girls, get them to wear really long bright socks!

Second year relay is the 'carry a ball in a scarf' race, done in teams of 4, Ebi-kun can't wait until 4th grade because they race in pairs wearing really big pants (2 kids in one pair)!

It all finishes with the 6th grade relay, by which time everyone is shouting like crazy and is all very exciting. After all that there are speeches and cool down exercises to be done, then all the kids and the PTA members clear everything up. A long and hot day!

It is completely different to the sports days I had growing up but for the kids I think it is equally fun. Do your kids have sports day? What is it like?

And... if you haven't signed up for the webinar yet, click HERE

Summer holiday project

Ebi-kun had to make a project for school, the rules are very open and pretty much anything goes. After much umming and ahhing he finally decided he wanted to make an electronic quiz. He had most of the parts he needed in the project book we bought, although this wasn't one of the projects in the book.

First he made the part of the circuit with the light and the battery, this is actually just a very simple electronic circuit and was the perfect level to introduce electricity and current. 

Next he made the box, he drafted everything on paper first and the on the back there are cables connecting the kanji with it's correct meaning. He used brads/paper fasteners for the connectors. Once it was all set up, he tested it. I showed him what to do if it wasn't working.

Test that the bulb is screwed in properly and check all the wire connections are good. When he made the second quiz, this stood him in good stead because he was able to figure out what wasn't working by himself.

The idea is that you place the metal end of the white wire on one of the connectors, dog for example then you place the red wire on the connector that has the matching picture, if you get it right, the bulb lights up!

He took it in to school but said most of his friends said it was too difficult! 

***UPDATE*** Ebi-kuns project was the only one from his class chosen for an exhibition on innovation and will be shown with other projects from 5 surrounding cities! He was pretty chuffed about it!

Japanese gadget books

Ebi-kun gets a shed load of homework to do over the holidays, I know, insane right? He has to keep a diary, do 2 drawings of the tomato plant his has grown, before and after pictures, he gets a book full of Japanese and kanji and another of maths and he has to make or do some kind of project.

Luckily, we are a crafty kind of family plus the Japanese book companies have caught on and you can buy some great books for making crafts. We spotted some this year that come with a box of pieces to make all the crafts in the book.

Ebi-kun got it out the other day, I had some work to do so I basically left him to it. It was so funny, he totally did what I would have done. He looked through the book and decided he wanted to make something with a propeller but he didn't want to make the exact project they had in the book, he had his own ideas of what he wanted to make. He is definitely a chip off the old block, that is just what I do with almost any sewing/crafting/recipe book!

He did struggle a bit at first but I told him to figure out and he did! Here is his testing car, he said he wanted to make sure it worked then he will make it fancy - good thinking. I'm not sure if this will be the final project or not. There are about 15 in the book and he also got a build your own contraption kit for his birthday, we will see what happens next...

What's that smell?

Ebi-kun got home from school yesterday and after a few minutes I could smell something awful - smelled like rotting fish, and for those who know me,you know how much I hate fish! After a bit of an investigation I found a bucket with 2 zarigani in the genkan (entrance way). Jeez, the smell was so bad, they were straight out to the yard.

A couple of days ago, the kids at school went zarigani hunting, then they took them back to school to study them, I can't imagine how bad the classroom smelt. 34 buckets of stinkers urgh. Ebi-kun had only caught one, a big one though and his friend had three so he gave Ebi-kun one of them, so now we have two of the stinkers! I'm not sure I will ever get used to the fascination of bugs and the such like here.

'say cheese'

Have your kids bought something interesting home from school recently?

A School Trip That Ends Up With Goo

Friday, Ebi-kun had a school excursion to.... The local high school and a hair dressers!

From what I can gather, there were several groups and they all went to different places, some went to a bakery, others to a drug store etc. 

So, he had a tour of the high school and had various questions to ask and the same with the hairdresser, which apparently has a beautiful chandelier! And he came home with a shampoo and conditioner sample, those little sachets you get. Of course, he wanted to try them out, I didn't think there was any harm in it, he doesn't use conditioner normally but the hairdresser had explained to them how to use it and I gave him instructions too.

O-M-G!

How can anyone mess up using conditioner?

So, he had his bath and washed his hair but what I didn't realise was that he had missed a big lump of conditioner. The next morning he gets up with the revolting gooey mess stuck in his hair. I had to wash his hair twice and it still hadn't washed out, it was revolting! He went off to football and then had to wash it out again that night, it took 4 washes to get all the crappy stuff out.

He has decided that he is never using conditioner again.

Amen to that!

And then he was a....

2nd Grader! How did that happen? His first year just flew by, One thing I find odd is that they don't tell the kids which class they will be in until the first day back at school, I imagine it is absolute chaos with 1300 kids all trying to figure out where their new classroom is.

Hopefully we will get lucky with another nice teacher and without the horror that is T-kun in his class this year, although I think there is always one of 'those' kids in every class.

He was chuffed to get rid of the yellow flap that covered his bag, only 1st graders have to wear them, he does still have to wear the yellow hat straight through until graduation. If there is an accident and he is not wearing it, they are not covered by insurance. I am quite happy for him to wear it, makes them a bit more visible.