Today I came home from a fruitful excursion to the cell phone store (where I used my "points" to get a free battery pack) to find two pigeons humping on my veranda.
Ah, the signs of spring.
Today 進修館高校 (Shinshuukan koukou: my high school) had its first combined 卒業式 (sotsugyoushiki: graduation ceremony). Last year the "normal" school and the technical school were combined by the prefecture, and thus this year all of the seniors graduated together. This class was the first class that I had for a full year (and a little more), so it was a little sad. I imagine next year will be moreso, since that will be the first class that is exclusively "mine." Weird exclamations of student ownership aside, I made a few observations:
- High school students the world over cry at graduation, apparently unaware that the best moments in their lives are yet to come.
- Japanese high school graduations are infinitely more boring than American ones. Specifically, 進修館's was one of the most boring events I have ever survived through.
- Japanese mothers have very little bladder control. That, or they didn't have the foresight to realize that the ceremony was bound to be long and boring.
- Kids everywhere can't help but be smartasses, even at the most important function in their lives to date.
- My camera is dreadfully lax at taking movement shots in a gymnasium, thus giving me no useable photos to prove that this event ever occurred.
- I am still hot in a Japanese suit (aw yeah!), though getting old isn't helping.
- Standing still for almost two hours straight is an exercise in endurance and suffering.
- I am still a wuss and fight back tears, even if I don't know what the weeping student is saying.
This marks my third graduation ceremony to go to, and I hope during my final ceremony next year I'll be able to understand more of the formal Japanese that is used. That, and I hope to get through without wanting to gouge my eyes out in boredom.