Finally! A high school!

Today, Friday, is the day that we were scheduled to go to the high school. We went to Onoda Technical High School, which is a vocational school. I didn't care what kind of school it was...I was finally going to get to hang with my people! The bonus? We were able to get up later than usual to go...you can see the high school from my hotel window. We could have walked, but right now the JFMF program has us so spoiled that they picked us up in a bus to drive the half mile to the high school (and that half mile may be a generous guess...it really is very close to the hotel).

I immediately felt better about the high school when I walked through the door. I felt welcomed, which was something I didn't get a general feeling of at the junior high. In retrospect, maybe those teachers were told to ignore us...I don't know. At the high school, we were ushered into our own room, as usual, and then we went to the morning faculty meeting. We once again (and I think for the last time) introduced ourselves in Japanese. I also added that I taught at a high school and that I taught history. Don't be too impressed...I still have trouble ordering at restaurants, and I can't decipher numbers for love or money! The principal then met with us in a small group and welcomed us, and gave us free textbooks. They didn't have any history/social studies so I picked up some English books.

First period I went to a Communications Technology class. The teacher there was a dead ringer for Mr. Miyagi from Karate Kid. I have seriously been looking for a look-a-like since I got here, and Miyagi Sensei (as I now call him) did not disappoint. To top it all off, he was extremely friendly. He came out of his room to invite us in, and once in, he made his class stand up to bow to us. Such respect! If only my students would do that... Anyway, the stuff they were learning looked pretty complex. Most of it was in English! At the end of class, Miyagi Sensei had the students bow to us again.

Second period I took in an English class, where once again we were warmly welcomed. The teacher had us introduce ourselves and what we taught in English, and then she used that as a learning tool for her students...answering questions like "What is her first name?" or "What is her family name?" or "What does she teach?" You'll be pleased to know that people do not just confuse Emily as a last name in the US...it also happens in Japan. The teacher literally said, "Really? That's your family name?" I can't escape it. Kenji the Great said that most of the students do not understand why they must learn Japanese at this school. Sanyo Onoda is the Pittsburg of Japan...heavy industy (pharmaceuticals, petroleum, chemicals, energy)...and when the students graduate from the high school, they generally have their choice from four different jobs. There is a hig demeand for tech education here. Kenji says English is still the preferred language to learn. In fact, I saw no other languages being offered in the schools. Interesting.

Third period I took a little break and then went to watch judo. Judo is an old Japanese martial art, and it was fun to watch the students practice. We had to take our slippers off to go into this building because it had tatami mats (on further inspection, I saw that these were rubber "tatami" mats, but manners require that you take shoes off regardless). Students wore traditional uniforms for this.

Fourth period I took another break (we only had 15 minutes or so) and then we went to the cafeteria to get lunch. This is the only cafeteria I have seen so far. Students generally eat in their classrooms. The cafeteria was very small so it is obvious that most students still do this. I managed to sit near some people who didn't talk about schools (their own) the entire time, so that was nice.

Fifth period I watched a calligraphy class. Here I was able to make the assumption that 25% of the girls in this school wear the Playboy bunny on their socks. Easy assumption to make since there are only four girls at this school. Four. Out of around 300. Isn't that strange? Anyway, I thought it was weird that she had those kinds of socks on, but when you are in a school wear the principal is wearing Guinness house slippers, you learn to keep your mouth shut.

We then had a discussion with teachers. This time, they actually asked us questions, which was a refreshing change. I've decided that listening to our translator is like hearing a lullaby. Her voice is VERY calm. After the meeting, we observed club activities. I watched more judo and also some kendo, which is Japanese fencing. Very cool. I then watched two kids with some robots that they had built themselves. High school visit was awesome! I could have stayed longer but Kyoko-san was mad at us all because we were late getting back to our meeting room to go back to the hotel.

I took a little break for a couple hours and then went to the Sanyo Onoda Sunmall. Huge mall, and essentially the only thing we have found to do except for karaoke (in our immediate area). I bought a few things, and then headed back to the rotating sushi bar. LeeAnne and I love that place. We got the manager's meishi and everything! It was sad, because it was our last night there. Sigh.

Tomorrow we head out for a stay with our host family, and then on Sunday to the ryokan, a traditional Japanese inn. I don't anticipate having internet access until Monday when we get back to Tokyo. I'll write more then!

Sayonara from Sanyo Onoda!!!