On Tuesday I was walking to school when the principal stopped me. He kept asking if I was at ES today and then told me that today was ensoku, or field trip/picnic day!
So I went into the teacher's room and we tried to figure out what to do with me. It was decided that I would join the 4th graders on their trip to Forest Therapy in Ashizu. However, I was completely unprepared and didn't have the right clothes or shoes, let alone a lunch! The vice principal - who is amazing - actually GAVE ME HIS LUNCH. I assume his wife made it. I felt so awkward. And also terrified about what might be inside.
Around 9am we left the school and took about a 1/2 hour bus ride through the valleys and then up the mountains to the Forest Therapy. It isn't much - just a gravel parking lot with a bathroom. We got off the bus and divided into six groups, each headed by a guide. Before we left we did group stretching. Also, it was freaking cold!
We walked up a little ways, following the road. But when the road curved we turned off onto a dirt trail, which ran along the edge of the mountain. Now, the trail was pretty narrow most of the way and I have a nearly disabling fear of heights, so I spent most of the day staring at my feet. To top it off, there wasn't always a fence and the students enjoyed kicking rocks and leaves over the edge, which nearly gave me heart palpitations. We went pretty slowly, with the guide pointing out some random things, like a rock which was cracked by dynamite and a "power spot" waterfall. We crossed over some bridges and a really high dam as well.
We went back onto the road for a bit and followed it to where we would eat lunch. It was a grassy area beside a river. I played tag with the kids for a little while before I ate lunch with some of the ES workers (I think they're classroom helpers). I also got a mandarin orange and a bunch of candies from the students! Oh, and the lunch from the vice principal wasn't bad!
We rested for a while, and then looped back around. We crossed over the river, went up and over the dam, and then were back on the same trail as before.
I had wanted to visit Forest Therapy, but I didn't know it involved being on the edge of a mountain! I also am STILL suffering from sore ankles after walking in entirely inappropriate shoes. To be honest, I enjoy looking at the mountains from afar more than being in them. But anyway, it was a good experience.
On Thursday the entire school had a marathon, which so happened to be during my two class periods of the day (convenient). Every grade ran the marathon, although the younger grades had slightly shorter distances. The marathon started with the 6th and 5th graders, then 1st and 2nd graders, and lastly 4th and 3rd graders. They ran 1 or 2 laps around the school yard and then went down the road. I thought it was interesting that they ran on the road. At one point some cars were coming along, so they had to run single file. Each student was also divided into a colored team - there was red, blue, yellow, and green. So students across every grade made up each team. Blue team won!
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