Enkai: Episode II……….

So I am taking a small break from my Vacation Recap to bring you another memorable moment from a Kasahara Chu Gakko Enkai. Saturday was our Sports Festival, which is a story in and of itself, but that is for another time. But basically Sports Festival is where all the classes compete against each other in silly games (tug of war, three legged race, relay races, etc., but again there is much more to it). Afterwards, all the students go home and all the teachers go to a hotel and have an Enkai. We met at the Mito Plaza hotel, this is the hotel that the Emperor stays at if he is ever in Mito…. he is never in Mito. I, of course, was 15 minutes late to the party, so I got the esteemed privilege of sitting at the head table with the administration. This is the only table in the room with 0 English speakers and the Principal and Vice Principal. Right away 5 plates of food were set in front of me and the Principal was like “eat” but I noticed that no one else in the room was eating yet, but he kept urging for me to eat. Now it is my assumption that the people I work with think that I am constantly hungry in this country, so they feel the need to always encourage me to eat…..always. Like whenever Nurse asked me “Do Japanese restaurants fill you up? They have much less food than American restaurants.” But never the less, I started nibbling on the Chinese cuisine. One of the teachers was on stage rambling on about something; I never really know what is being said. Then the MC for the night started calling teachers up and they started mimicking the students from the Sports Festival, again I had no idea what they were saying, but I knew what they were doing, and it made me laugh pretty hard. Here we were, 50 tipsy Japanese people at a hotel making fun of our students, which is my kind of party! I kept on eating, trying to make some sort of conversation with the people around me; we were the only 3 not drinking that night. When the MC came over to my table and informed the lady next to me that I would be giving the next speech! I was like, “excuse me” and she was like “yes, you will be going up next”. Well, I had nothing to say, I mean how could I, but they did let me know that it could be in English, What a relief? So I got up on stage and one of the administration men (drunk of course) came up with me and he informed me that he would be translating for me this evening, now he speaks alright English, but I knew this was going to be interesting. So I thought it would be funny to start out in Japanese, which was fun, he translated it into English, and we all laughed and then I rambled on about stuff for a few minutes and then I thanked them and wanted to sit down, but Kochousensei. (Principal) raises his hand (he is drunk too, but speaks no English) and was like “question” and I was like “ok” and he was like “2 Americans” and I was like “uhhhhh” and he was like “2 Americans” and I was like “I don’t know” but they let me know that he wanted to know about the 2 Americans that were with me earlier that day (Derekelsey) so I informed them they were my friends and fellow AET’s and then I went to sit down when he shot up his hand again “question” and I was like “ok” and he said “friend” and I was like “yes” and then he stood up and yelled “girlfriend” (very 4th grade like) and everyone started laughing and such and I was like “uhhhh, no, she has a husband” and I again went to sit down and he shot up his hand again, and I said “WHAT?” (I didn’t really scream it, I just thought it that way) and he said “car?” and I said “yes, I do drive LJ’s car now” and again everyone laughed and was like “OHHHH LJ” (previous AET at Kasahara, they think we look alike, we both are large men). So I finally got to sit down. I ate a little more and I heard my name again and they wanted me to stand up again. It is Japanese tradition to give furei’s at this sort of parties and they wanted me (the American) to give one of the other teachers a furei. I had seen a few that night and at my last Enkai, but I had no idea how to do one or what to say, but I winged it and it was quite a fun experience. Not too many people can say they got to give one in their lives. Then we all got in a circle around the room and one of the gym teachers was at the back of the room taking his shirt and pants off (he was wearing something under the pants) and he came running up to stage, now I had no idea what this was about, but they told me it was going to be some traditional college cheer or something, I don’t know. So he stood on stage, wearing not a whole lot, and started screaming and doing all these motions, I could hardly contain my laughter, this was really happening. But then we ended the night gathering in a circle, real close like and singing the school song. And I was again reminded that I do LOVE coming to these parties, and I do LOVE my school.

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(We will get back to my Vacation in my next post, which will be sooner I do promise, unless something else fun comes up)