And the band played on

With June comes the other round of elementary school lessons on my schedule for the year. Though having enthusiastic students is a refreshing change from junior high angst, the prospect of being mobbed by ankle biters and catching a bad cold makes it a little bit daunting. The odds of coming down with something nasty this time are a little lower, since the weather is getting warmer. That didn't stop me from coughing and sniffling my way through the first week with the kids, however. I can't win.

Regardless, I wasn't going to let a piddling little cold keep me from watching the annual elementary school marching band parade through the main street of the town. I'd heard the band at one of my schools practicing on the grounds after class, but I had no idea it was to be a public performance:



It was nice to see that some of the kids actually remembered me from months ago when I was last at their school.

This particular school is apparently the best marching band not just in the town or prefecture, but the whole Tohoku region. They didn't disappoint either, with an extra complicated piece, super shiny instruments and all the bells and whistles a champion school gets for bringing glory to the town. And just so the kids don't completely show up the adults in town, the local police marching band gave a rousing send off at the end of the parade, complete with flag twirling girls in abbreviated band outfits. XD


The mascot of the town, Botan, an anthropomorphic burning haystack (if you remember my post on the annual Taimatsu Akashi festival) was also in attendance. We found it quite amusing to see him getting continuously swamped by little kids wanting a handshake or a hug from a local celebrity.

Yes, his head's on fire. It was only later when the guy inside the costume took off the mask that we realized it was the guy sitting next to us in the Board of Education office that we'd been laughing at the whole time. Oops ^^;