Monday 2nd and Tuesday 3rd of March

School both days. Yay. The 3rd years graduated on Tuesday so we spent a lot of time on Monday setting up the hall and practicing for the ceremony… and then the ceremony on Tuesday. I swear we spent more time practicing it than the actual thing went for.
As far as setting up it was held in the gym. And they had put a green plastic thing over the courts so that we didtn reck it with our shoes or the chairs ect. Some of the boys hung huge banners or red and white stripes all the way around the gym and the rest set up the chairs for the 3rd years and the visitors while the girls wiped them all down with wet (freezing) cloths and check that they were in perfect condition.
The ceremony itself was very very simple unlike ours they don’t all get presented on stage, there is no entertainment pieces no awards and only 3 speaches and 2 songs, the national anthem, the school song and a traditional song.
The traditional song is to the tune of auld lang syne but their version is titled the light of a firefly. I have the lyrics and I do fully intend to translate it at some stage when my language is better than it is currently.
After the ceremony we were free to go, so I went home for lunch and later went out shopping to a place I had seen befor but couldn’t decided what I wanted when I was there so I went back and brought aheap of Takaoka stuff the mascot of the town is soo cute and coz it’s the towns 400th year there are a lot of souviners available.
Then went walking in the park and it snowed. So much for it being spring lol.

Wednesday 4th march
School for 3 lessons then went to rotary which was actually kinda fun today, I spoke to a couple of the Rotarians and I think we pretty much understood each other even if my Japanese did get laughed at a few times. I then headed back to school for band, and had to apologize to the English speaking club for not being able to watch the movie with them (was at the same time as band)

Thursday 5th March
Half day at school again I had my Japanese lessons in period 1 and 2 however during the break the principle decided that he wanted to have coffee with me so Ibata sensei, the libraina nad I sat in the library staffroom with the principle and had coffee, I was nice, good chance to use my Japanese.
After school I came home for a little bit befor heading out to the “street lined with storehouses which was ok, not all that intresting but there were some cool things there, I particually liked the teahouse… some very nice ladies there. And there was also the Sugano residence which is of some cultural signifigance, it was really pretty. There was also the bank made of red brick that they seem to think is soo cool. I was like yeah , half the houses in Australia are made of red brick, whats your point? Came back and wandered the park for a bit.

Friday 6th March
School this morning. And I then went to the art museum which is across he road from school and I have walkd past every day but had not yet gone in, I must say I really don’t think its worth the 210 yen entrance fee. I actually thought that the stuff that was just genrally around in the free area and the shop was a lot more intresting that the actual museum itself, but that could just be me. Because it was kinda icky weather I decided against doing the walk to the next place om my map I want to visit and instead decided to have a lazy afternoon at home. Ended up going for a walk just for the heck of it but genrally spent the arvo knitting, studying and napping.

Saturday 7th march
Had band this morning, but not as a whole ensemble I think everyone was at school but today all the woodwinds had a sectional of sorts of our own up in the class room that we go to for tt lessons. and we played all new songs…. Well knew to me I've had them in my folder from the start and I had looked at them a bit but I hadn’t played them with the band yet.
Came home and went out with Otosan for lunch. We had tempura udon. Witch is noodles (udon) in a soup with a tempura prawn on top. Was fairly nice, I don’t really like prawns but its getting there, I will eat them now because they are there but I by no means would actually order them if I had a say in the matter. Oh and there were gold flakes in it, how odd.
In the afternoon we went to Imizu shrine, which is the one in Kojo park for a tea ceromny that was hosted by otosans mum and okasan was helping out in. it was a very intresting experience however I don’t quiet understand why you would host one. Because it is held at a huge expense. The sweet that you eat befor the tea, is alone 420 yen ($6.65 AU), and there were over 200 guests through the day yesterday. So that’s a total of 84000 yen ($1333 AU) just in the sweets and then there is of course going to be other costs involved. Otosan said its all about showing off the art that they own and sharing the knowledge of the arts that they have with the guests. I must say that some of the “art” was quiet amazing… I thought it was more intresting than what I saw in the art museum earlier this week anyway. The art displayed has to reflect the current season, so although while I still think that it is very much winter here the arts were all spring works.
We went out for dinner again tonight this time to a pizzeria with a cob fire oven. Love it. I guess I should point out that Japanese pizzas that you get at resurants are nothing like our in Australia in that they arnt made on a think bready base but on something more like pitta bread. And they are no where near as oily. We then went to baskin and robbins for an icecream which I think is absolutely crazy when its this cold but anyway. Home for a bath and bed.