Aah...it's official...it's summer!!

Yes....I know...most of you have been out for summer vacation since March May or June, but for the kids here, the vacation started on Friday.

Summer vacation here....and summer vacation in the U.S......very different.
First of all....the kids all have homework. Yes....homework. And not just a few pages either....Issei has about 45 pages of kanji practice (the Chinese characters that are 1/3 of the Japanese writing system) and math. Then....he has a book called the Ajisai Noto....which would be translated to "Hydrangea Notebook". (FYI...the hydrangea is the official "flower of Nagasaki"). This book is grade appropriate....and every elementary school student in the city gets one. Inside is a variety of things to practice...math, science, kanji, Nagasaki history and information, other bits of this and that, and since Issei is a 5th grader, he also has some cooking and some sewing. You can imagine the excitement around here for that last one!!!

Each student is also encouraged to do some sort of project....to be turned in and displayed for all to see. Over the years, Issei has done two reports on his trips to Colorado (one year a poster with pictures and another year he made a really great photo album with explanations!!), a calendar made of rocks (yeah...we were pushing the deadline on that one!!) and my favorite was two years ago when he participated in a workshop at the art museum making things with old sports equipment. His piece was actually chosen to be shown at the city-wide exhibition!!!
This year, he is threatening to do something with bugs......we'll see what happens.

Another very important part of the summer holiday is the rajio taisou, or "radio exercises". In our area, there are three places the kids, parents and grandparents can go (Me? Oh no...I'm barely able to get my coffee made at that time of morning!!)....Issei goes to the school as it is the closest place. This year, since Koji is a kindergartner, he also goes....and he is so damn excited about it. Everyone has a special card that is signed when the exercises are finished and for those who go every single day, there is a prize. I'm not sure what that prize is since no one in our family has ever gone every day...I'm thinking it's probably juice...or a notebook...or pencils.

So....this morning, I woke them both up at 6:15, they got dressed and went to the school. The exercises start at 6:30....everyday, mind you....and last about 6 minutes....and then they come home....and drive me crazy for the next 2 hours until we leave for work/daycare/big-kid daycare. Issei does work on his homework...Koji also has his own "homework" book...a "getting ready for 1st grade" kind of book. Again...he's so excited about this, too!!!

Anyway, the exercises are a very long tradition here in Japan....you can sometimes catch (if you are lucky!) people in offices, bus drivers before they start their shift, pretty much anyone doing these exercises before their day starts!!
At the schools, before ANY sporting event, EVERYONE will do them. The music is the same. The exercises are the same. Someone said that the routine hasn't changed in over 50 years!!!

So...I went to YouTube and found you a video to give you an idea as to what most of the kids here in Japan are doing everyday, at the "butt crack of dawn".

**Oh....and listen...over the music and you will hear another very important part of summer in Japan....the semi (/se-mee/) or cicada. You know it's summer when this is pretty much all you can hear.

(The video is about 6 minutes long...I'm not expecting you, unless you want to, of course, to watch the whole thing...but, it is kind of interesting!!)

To me, it's just a long warm-up....for some jumping.
I'm usually laughing while I'm doing this!!!