So after a fun night hosted by Nara City that included finishing off one last bottle of sochou, we started the day at a local school in Nara to observe the operation and have a meeting afterwards with members of the board and school administrators.
Japanese kids are fascinated by us Americans - or any guest that shows up in a classroom, I suppose. We visited a chemistry class where we gave pennies out to the kids since they were discussing metals (kudos to John for emptying out his coin purse at the airport before leaving for the states). We also visited a math class and an English class. Everywhere we went was met with either stares, choruses of the English they knew (hello, thank you, see ya), a mix of shyness and giggles and of course, open mouths. I suppose one might take that the wrong way but I found it all the more endearing.
Our favorite thing was the phys ed class where the first and second graders did a dance. It was complicated. I don't know that any of us would have been able to join them. They had these huge grins on their faces and they were having a good time. And of course there was the kid that was just slightly off from the other ones by a good beat or so and the ones that just didn't care and did their own thing. And there are a few Glee cast members in waiting. Warning: this is nearly 5 minutes long. And it's adorable.
After we toured the classes, we sat down for a presentation and discussion with the Board of Ed and some administrators. Once again, we found ourselves in a situation where they are facing many of the challenges that we do. In Japan, compulsory education is elementary and junior high. After that, kids take tests to get into high school, which their parents then pay for and then they have entrance exams for college. We discussed things like class size, teacher training, getting the community involved and the unique history that is Nara and their world heritage sites being a point of pride for the students. We discussed issues facing all of our students and were amazed to find out we had so much in common.
We were also treated to a short performance by one of the Board members who happens to be a Noh actor. I suddenly was transported to Dale's Far East class. It wasn't bad. But I still have no idea how Dale sat through a lot of that. I think kabuki and bunraku are my bag.
We then headed to Naramachi, a part of town that is trying to preserve itself in traditional ways. It was a charming part of town and we toured a traditional Naramachi house, which, I had to admit, I really could have seen myself spending a lot of time in.
This guy or statues like it are found on many roofs on corners since he looks out and protects the corner of the street. Cute.
Inside the traditional house sits this lovely garden.
The kitchen - with ceilings to the roof.
We also would run into Shinto shrines randomly.
And I found all of the manholes just charming. Remember, Nara is known for the deer. The emblem of the city is in the middle and check out the rest of it:
Beautiful.
After walking around and taking in the sites, we had a panel discussion with some chamber, tourist and business owners to discuss the area and what they wanted to do with it and if we had any thoughts or ideas. It was a good exchange.
We then finally had time to do some shopping. Many of us ran through the stores and streets to pick up those last gifts as we have not had much opportunity to shop at all. Let's just say that I don't have much of the Yen that I had exchanged when I got here. All good.
We finished the night with a dinner with the superintendent of the school we had visited earlier, the impressive Mayor from a neighboring town (all of my materials are packed, I do not want to get the name of the city wrong) - who was not only young, but a woman with not only a Harvard degree, but who also worked for a very large firm in Manhattan - and our host here in Nara, the Mayor.
We were worried we weren't going to have Japanese food for our last meal (I know, you'd think we were sick of it), but they took us to a 1 star Michelin restaurant where we had a 10 course vegetarian meal that was just brilliant. The dinner itself was laid-back and conversational, all of us still learning but very relaxed. One of our hosts of the city gave us a bottle of his best sake, which was easily one of the best I have had since I was here. It was decadent and lovely with a friendly, light and yet intimate atmosphere.
It's hard to believe it's our last night before we leave here. We all headed back to do our final pack before going home and saying some goodbyes and thank yous.
I am not in a place where I think I can start unpacking this or even sort through what I feel. But I do know that I am exhausted and packed and it's time to go to bed because I have a very early morning tomorrow and ridiculously long hours before I get home.
So forgive me and give me the night to sleep on it. I shall see you all tomorrow (I will be blogging from my many flights home).
Without further ado, here is the picture of the day. I spotted this sign as we were walking around. It doesn't need translation. Until I saw that even the poop was talking, so I asked. The dog is asking for the owner to pick up his poop and the poop is asking to be picked up. Cute and yet slightly disturbing at the same time (only because I don't think I ever imagined such things to be animated, let alone have personalities). It's perfect for the final pic of the day.
Enjoy. See you all on the flip side, when I'm sure I'll wax philosophical and slightly sentimental. G'nite.
Location:Nara City, Japan
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