Participations

This weekend, I had one of the greatest moments since I've been here.

Our school had its road race and bazaar on Saturday. This meant that I had to work on Saturday. Unfortunate, but I got Monday off, so I guess it works out. I arrived at 8:30, like usual, dressed in my typical school attire. As I enter the office, one of the first things the secretary says to me is, "Are you going to run in the race today?" I just replied, "I didn't even know I was allowed to particiapte!" I quickly threw off my sweater and collared shirt, put on my track jacket, and ran outside with my dress pants still on. I confirmed with the teachers that I was in fact allowed to participate, chatted with the students for a while, and prepared for the moment when the starter would fire and off I'd go.

I'd never run that sort of distance before (what sort of distance that was, I'm not really sure). In all honesty, I didn't have a whole lot of faith that I'd complete it. But there I was, jogging next to one of my favorite students while he raises his arms triumphantly saying, "umaku iku!" (not sure how to translate this; literally, "going well", but maybe "git 'r done" is more fitting, given the circumstances), ironically quoting the back of my track jacket. So I responded, "umaku iku!" in the same fashion, and eventually we had this rhythm going:
"Umkau iku!"
"Umaku iku!"

They didn't place me, because I'm not a student, but I estimate that I was around 25th place. Plenty of others behind me!

At the bazaar afterwards, I ate a lot of carny food, chatted with a bunch of students who wanted to know if Manaka-sensei or Masshu-sensei was my type, and then bought salt and pepper shakers in the shape of a tiny duck and a tiny frog (they're actually the same characters featured in Metal Gear Solid 3 and 4 for those of you who might give a damn).

Saturday, I went to a festival in downtown Satte. It was mostly like a flea market with some performance art. Donald McDonald was there! Also, a monkey on a leash!

After that, I went with Marisa to Gongendo park. We sat, snacked, painted, read, talked. She's really one of my favorite people. As for Gongendo, you'll be seeing plenty of pictures of it in the spring when it explodes with pink cherry blossoms.

Today, I had no work. And nothing to report.