Theater day at the Kasamatsu Elementry school

Yesterday, Sunday, I woke up late again, I sleep in for too long, and the read a bit before I was off to Kasamatsu Elementry school for their theater day. I didn't really know what to expect, but what actually happened wasn't too crazy. There area really only 4 grades at this school. They combine the 3rd and 4th into one grade and also the 5th and 6th grades into one grade, some activities they do seperately. But anyway, so there is really like 4 grades, each grade performed a short musical number and then the teachers did their number. For their number they did the sampo or marching music theme for the imensely popular animation "My neighbor Totoro," you can't escape this movie's infleunce. It has found its way into everything. So they have this huge paper mache life size Totoro that the principle wears. He is to dance around, or bob around, in this big suit while the music plays. But it also jsut so happens that they had a small cloth Totoro suit, and guess who they picked to wear this suit, me. So put this thing on, and after the crowd chanted for Totoro twice, out we came. I followed behind the principle in his 'big suit' as he lumbered along. I on the other hand was the 'small Totoro' so I was to be quick and do circles and stuff around the big guy. I did just that and ran around through the crowd and around the 'big Totoro.' Half wasy through I remembered that in the introduction part of the movie, when the music was played, that the characters did a march, so then I started marching and really got into character. The kids really enjoyed it and I was glad to be apart of the show yesterday.
I went to the gym to see them practice a bit the day before. Remember how I said that there were stoves all over the school. Here is what they look like.

When I was in the gym the other day this made a buzzing sound started shooting out smoke everywhere.

After the Totoro musical gig, each grade performed a small skit or play. The 2nd was by far the best. The teacher I think thought that her little production was a failure, but for me, who couldn't really understand any of the plays, I thought the costumes in the 2nd grade's play about a Soho's white horse were incredible for a little play/skit. All 12 of the little 2nd graders were decked out in medival gear. Some were horses while others were warriors. One boy was dressed up as some princess, which I didn't understand because it is not like there is 5 girls in the grade.
The fifth grade did a Japanese version the Wizard of Oz, which they call the magic of Ozu. It was nice, almost too cute though. I couldn't reconize any of the songs that they song, but I may have heard 'Somewhere of the Rainbow' at some point.

After the festivities in the gym. I hung out with the teachers in the Kyoikushitsu, teacher's room. We talked a bit and then Kitayama Sensei asked if I wanted to come over for dinner. This is the really cool teacher who has invited me over for dinner before and has a cool family, and most of all they have a PS2 with Gran Turismo 4. I felt a little weird about it because I asked him first what he was doing for dinner and he said he was eating with his family and then asked what I was doing for dinner, and I said I didn't know yet, maybe udon. I wasn't trying to invite myself over or anything, infact I was wondering if he wanted to join me for dinner at a restaurant or something. I was thinking of going back to that unagi(eel) place in Gobo. But before I knew he was asking me over to his house. I said sure, or course. He lives sort of far from this school, well it is not like Kasamatsu is close to anything, the school is wedged in the mountains in one of the least populated prefectures in Japan. So tailed him all the way to Yuru. He said he was a safety driver. Everyone seems to say that here. I am 'Safety Driver.' They say it in English too. But I had my doubts about Kitayama-sensei, sure enough, as soon as we reached the main road he floored and I had to also so as not to lose him. He then took me on all these short-cuts that went North. It was tough remembering what roads I was taking so I could get back, but I managed just fine on my return trip and didn't get lost at all. Once at his house I was greeted by his family and I played some GT4 against his 2nd grader son, Shinsui. He beat me both times. Then we all sat down at the kotatsu(heated table) and had hamburger for dinner. It was real hamburger too, and good to boot. She, Kitayama's wife, put onion bits in the patty and it was nice. I was really happy and full. We watched some anime that was on TV while we ate. We watched an episode of some show that has been onthe air for about 30 years, and you thought the Simpsons is an old show. So then I played some more GT4, once against the sensei, I lost to him but one against his son the second time, but his son wasn't feeling well at all and had fever, poor guy. Shinsui, the son, also showed me his die-cast car collection. Now I am used to seeing people's toy collections as being a toy collector and all, but this kid's did impress me. He had a ton of cars. Boxs and boxs full there must have been like a thousand cars. Most were small, but some were big, all were loose, none were in the original packaging. We also talked about cars a bit too. I tried to impress them a bit by saying that I had seen the GT-40(well it was only a prototype) at the Chicago auto show last year, and that I also have seen a touched the Ferrari Enzo and seen Ferraris and stuff, because Sean(Sean Smith, LFC graduate) worked for Lake Forest Sport Cars one summer and took me around and showed me some cars and told me some cool stories about driving some of Michael Jordon's cars to his house and everything. I didn't really go into detail with Kitayama-sensei because I didn't want to be a show-off or smart ass. So I kept it cool and we joked about what cars we will be buying in the next few years. I said the GT-40 would be in my garage someday.
Oh here is a picture of the small metal top that is so hard to wind.