Today is a special day. I have the day off from school. Due to the Sports Day that is happening later this week my normal schedule has been adjusted. I woke up early this morning and made my coffee and breakfast: one egg, salmon, rice, and NesCafe Gold Coffee with milk. It was really nice to take my time eating this morning instead of rushing like I normally do. I listened to the NBC Nightly News podcast and Facebook Video Messaged with my Mom who was getting ready to attend an event --- the Pre-Opening Party of Restoration Hardware! It's one of my favorite stores. I'm insanely jelous that she's previewing their new concept store in Austin, TX! I also started laundry and cleaned the floors.
What a productive morning! Here's what else I have planned:
- grocery shopping - rice, fish, milk, coffee, bread, vegetables, eggs, ...
- bike shopping - I'm looking to increase my mobility around the city. It's finally time to invest in a bike. * Bragging moment -- One of my students gave me a spreadsheet of bike information. They included different models, price points, and functionality. It was one of the most helpful things anyone has ever given me!
- 20 minute run
Since I don't have school today I'm missing out on "school lunch". School lunch is one of my favorite parts of Japanese culture. They take great pride and care in preparing their meals. A lot of foreigners stay far away from Japanese school lunch. Between the smell, the unfamiliar vegetables, the strict procedure, and the re-occurrence of a a "whole" fish appearing on the plate -- eyes, scales, tail, and all; they find it best to politely pass. Maybe it's because I'm a 1/4 Filipino and lived in Okinawa, Japan as a child, whatever the reason is, I love Japanese food.
I found this video on YouTube from CafCu Media that documents everyday Japanese school lunch. For those of you that are curious to see what it's like, this is an accurate representation. The only difference between this video and what I see every day is this was filmed in an elementary school and I work in two junior high schools. Other than that, it's the same.
Sports Day in Japan is a huge deal. In true Japanese fashion it is executed perfectly. This is due to the months of planning; weeks of practice; and the pride they have in doing only their best. The American equivalent of this would be Field Da. The Texas equivalent would be the rivalry Friday Night Football Game! Even that doesn't compare, though. Japanese Sports Day has an air of militaristic discipline that I have never seen before. It has been unbelievably exciting to participate in my schools Sports Day preparations. The YouTube video from garyman808 shows what a traditional Sports Day event looks like. This is not my school, but the video is an accurate depiction of what I have been seeing.
