Shikotsu Lake Ice Festival

After the Snow Festivals I moved on to Ice Festivals! I went with Yaeko-san, one of my fellow elementary school teachers, and a friend of hers on this very cold, yet beautiful adventure. After travelling by bus, then subway, then train, then bus, we finally arrived at Shikotsu Lake. It was night time, and these amazing ice-caves and tunnels and igloos beside the lake were all lit up with coloured lights. And to end off the night, they had a fabulous fire-works display.
I'll include some pictures but they don't do it justice. In real life it was so amazing.


Entering a huge tunnel-cave made of evergreen boughs...then sprayed with water, creating huge icy walls and icicles which hung down inside the eerie green cave.






















Inside the tree-cave...


















Me and Yaeko-san at the entrance to the ice bell-tower


















Another ice-cave lit by coloured lights...

















Me inside an ice-igloo...


















Me and Yaeko-san inside another ice-igloo...

Hina Matsuri

March the 3rd is "Hina Matsuri" or "Girls' Day" or the "Doll Festival". As I learned at my Japanese lesson last week, on March 3rd Hina dolls are displayed to wish girls happiness and well-being. This Japanese tradition began 1000 years ago. Usually, dolls are displayed on large tiered platforms. On the top tier are the emperor and empress. On the next tier are the three court maids, and on the next tier is the court quintet. Families celebrate by eating "chirashi-zushi" (unrolled sushi), sakura-mochi (bean paste-filled rice cakes with cherry leaves), hishi-mochi (diamond shaped rice cakes), and hina-arare (rice puffs), as well as drinking shiro-zake (or rice malt sake).
I got to celebrate the occasion in a few different ways. At my Japanese lesson I was treated to a feast of most of the above-mentioned delicacies! Also, Imakawa-sensei sent me home with more goodies to eat later. Another of my friends gave me a miniature doll display, and a woman in my English conversation classes brought a big bouquet of beautiful flowers for all of us girls to enjoy at English class!
Here are a couple of pictures to share some of the tradition with you...


Two of my Junior High students with the large Hina doll display at school.

















Left: My mini Hina Doll display, made by Fukuda-san. Very cute!
Right: The treats sent home with me by Imakawa-sensei

Some of my favourites!

Everyday I have the fabulous job of teaching Junior High and/or Elementary school kids. I have to say that even though I love my J.H. kids (most of the time!), the elementary kids are definitely my favourite. However, tying for the "favourite" category is my Special Education Class at one of my Junior Highs. (Is that a sign of a bad teacher? Having favourite?)
Here are some pictures of elementary school life, and Special Ed. English class.



School lunch with the grade 1 class at Ryokuendai Elementary School....and no, it's not a shower cap...it's a lunch cap! They all have cute little aprons, placemats, and sometimes hats.

















And everybody together...ahhh, aren't they cute?

















School cleaning after lunch. It's so cool to see how everybody pitches in to keep the school clean. However, by Junior High the students seem to have lost some of the enthusiasm that the elementary kids have towards cleaning time : )


















A picture of Ryokuendai's atrium...






















And the Special Ed. class at Hanakawa Junior High.