Bunkasai Blowout
I only managed to get video of 2 ridiculous things I was involved in during this set of bunkasais. (I had three total. The only thing you’re missing is a choral version of Backstreet Boys’ I Want It That Way, which I sung along with a few students and another ALT and good sport, Jennie, at the Yuge High School Bunkasai.) A bunkasai, for those who don’t know, is a “cultural festival.” Depending on your school, the “cultural” activities can change – but most wind up with songs being performed and carnival-type junk food being sold from stalls. It’s an excuse to have a good time at school, basically. Unless you’re a teacher. Without further ado, please enjoy me making a fool out of myself (so you don’t have to) in the following videos. If you are coming to teach high school in Japan on the JET Programme, you may well find yourself doing this kind of thing. It’s part and parcel of being accepted into school life as a teacher. Ha ha ha.
学園天国 (Gakuen Tengoku), the classic school spirit / pointless enthusiasm song, performed by a squad of teachers dressed as students. I only have the jacket part on cause they didn’t have any pants that would fit me. Too tall. Anyway, this is my, shall we say non-academic, active school? It’s Imabari Minami. Crazy kids! Nice to get a reaction, though.
Daydream Believer by the Monkees and 2/3 of Runaway Train by Soul Asylum, performed by Umakoshi-sensei and me at Hakata High School. (The camera ran out of memory so it cut off. Sorry. It’s ok though, because the end of that song was a complete…disaster. [Totally just avoided saying train wreck.] The wind blew our music over and yeah…hahaha.) You can tell Hakata’s relaxed from the free flow of the conspicuously dinky audience. (Not complaining at all, just noting.)
Alrighty, I’ll be hiding from the world for the rest of today. 
Ha ha.
