Junior High Sports Day

I just wrote the best entry ever, but then the friggin' internet ate it. As if this typhoon that threatens to force me to evacuate my home weren't enough...

Here's the shorter, less spontaneoulsy funny version:

Sports festivals = big deal

Japanese people ask Louis about Canadian sports festivals + Louis explains there is no such thing = wonder and amazement

Since Louis + Birthday = Okinawa,
and Sports festival + date = Louis' Birthday,
sports festival + Louis' presence = no.

See pictures below, which were taken during practice that occurs every day after school leading up to the event (yes, you read that right, the whole school practices EVERY day for this). The pictures are of one of the events that is particular to this region. The event is the "centipede race", which is kind of like a three-legged race, except you tie up the feet of the entire class together (minus one person). The one person who does not get tied up gets a shiny whistle, and blows it at a regular rhythm to set the pace for marching. From what I can tell, they are also responsible for dancing around in circles, making crazy hand motions, and whipping the kids up into a frenzy (especially the kid in the front, who holds up the "reins" like they're driving a toboggan.
Speaking of whipping and frenzies, you should see some of these teachers! Apparently, there is a little bit of fame associated with being the homeroom teacher whose class wins, so one teacher in particular was just out and out yelling at the kids. When one fell down, he got right in the kids' face and just went to town on him. It was all in good fun, though, as the kid laughed, then tried to get up with the teacher's help, and "accidentally" fell back down bringing the teacher with him. Funny stuff. All in all, watching a dozen centipede teams snake their way around the school yard, some at a snails' pace (first years) and others at a jog (seniors), with varying levels of success was quite amusing. Kind of sad that I missed out on the sports day, but I did get to go to Okinawa instead (post on that later).