Children: can't beat them, can't beat them....
I am constantly intimidated by these school kids, it true. They have abnormal talent. For example, a few days ago (it may have been weeks, one can't be sure) we had our "School Festival." This is the one day of the year that the students get the run of the school; putting on plays, concerts, setting up themed classrooms, burger bars, slush puppie stands (or whatever that concoction it was...nasty for sure) and generally arsing around doing what Japanese kids do best: hyperactivity.
Several concerts were held in the main hall. The philharmonic orchestra played Bizet's L'Arlésienne, Holst's Mars from the Planet Suite and some other things that I don't know. The audience seemed highly underwhelmed - or at least that's what their polite applause seemed to indicate. This was followed by the chamber orchestra. Followed by a string quartet and then a flute trio (Grabrielski apparantly).
Next was a recital program in a music room. Thirteen pieces on piano, organ, flute and combinations thereof ranging from Beethoven, Liszt (Liebestraum for bob's sake!), Gluck, and Chopin to some Japanese music I was hearing for the first time.
And then, and then. A performance of Romeo and Juliet in the first gym. Live bands called "Yoshi" and "TKG" in the second gym (rock, punk, good stuff - one lead singer had a sleeveless t-shirt saying "war is over" on it...bless him). They also decorated their classrooms: Haunted House (arms grabbing you from behind fake walls...), a Healing Room (massages and foot baths), a Planetarium (an Epcot-esque structure made of cardboard and painted black inside with pinpricks for stars). It was all very impressive. There were constant variety acts and costume competitions in the quad as well (I got to judge one of these, but my witty pronouncements in English went down not at all well).
A lunch hall was also running, entirely organised by the students, serving yakitori (kebob type things), yakisoba (fried noodles), burgers, fries, and pizza. Needless to say by the end of the day I was more tired than the kids. Because they're all on speed. Yep.
Several concerts were held in the main hall. The philharmonic orchestra played Bizet's L'Arlésienne, Holst's Mars from the Planet Suite and some other things that I don't know. The audience seemed highly underwhelmed - or at least that's what their polite applause seemed to indicate. This was followed by the chamber orchestra. Followed by a string quartet and then a flute trio (Grabrielski apparantly).
Next was a recital program in a music room. Thirteen pieces on piano, organ, flute and combinations thereof ranging from Beethoven, Liszt (Liebestraum for bob's sake!), Gluck, and Chopin to some Japanese music I was hearing for the first time.
And then, and then. A performance of Romeo and Juliet in the first gym. Live bands called "Yoshi" and "TKG" in the second gym (rock, punk, good stuff - one lead singer had a sleeveless t-shirt saying "war is over" on it...bless him). They also decorated their classrooms: Haunted House (arms grabbing you from behind fake walls...), a Healing Room (massages and foot baths), a Planetarium (an Epcot-esque structure made of cardboard and painted black inside with pinpricks for stars). It was all very impressive. There were constant variety acts and costume competitions in the quad as well (I got to judge one of these, but my witty pronouncements in English went down not at all well).
A lunch hall was also running, entirely organised by the students, serving yakitori (kebob type things), yakisoba (fried noodles), burgers, fries, and pizza. Needless to say by the end of the day I was more tired than the kids. Because they're all on speed. Yep.
posted by Geoff at 8:02 AM
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