感謝会

I had two Thank-You Guy Sensei Ceremonies, one at Meiji Sho one at Osato Sho but not one at Dewa Sho don't think they like me too much there and besides, I only visit them twice a month or so.

First they plonk you on the stage, in front of a crowd of kids all buckled zipped bundled up in jackets for winter's last snap. Then there's flowers, some words from one kid shaking more than a rocket on re-entry, some words from the big cheese the Kocho Sensei, some words from you and off to teach the last lessons of the academic year.

Or at least, that's how it went at Osato Sho, anyhow. Note how dignified the exit in the picture above: escorted from the room, applause, smiles. At Meiji Sho, it was a different story. First we played a ジャケン大会- everyone mills like bugs caught in puddles until the music stops, and then rock-paper-scissors with the nearest person. Some of the crafty buggers loitered at the gym doors, avoiding everyone til the end and banking on one good rock-paper. The loser puts his arms on the shoulders of the winner...repeat, repeat, repeat until you have one giant great big long snake rattling around the gym bare big enough to fit everyone in that shape without one kid tugging away a little faaster half-way through and the thing snaps in two.

And finally. My exit. I knew what to expect this time. A long time ago we decided that 'Hope will kill a man in Yamagata' and it's become a buzz phrase these days. Spending a second year in Japan, however, you at least know what to expect, if not to hope for and that's better preparation than before.

So when the Meiji Sho kids formed a funnel between stage and exitdoor I knew what I had to do. One man. 250 kids. 280 some if you count the ones that ran down round from the start and joined the end again. All of them want to enjoy 'Touch Time' while I made my way from one end to the exit of the gym. Hands, slaps, pokes, tugs no don't that's my tie, five of them hauling you down by your arm, any show of strength and I'd probably have ended up hurling two away across the gym along with my cardigan sleeve.