Christmas Eve at a Kindergarten - who are you going to call?!

Does my tummy look big in this suit?

Santa gets gee'd up for his big entrance!

 Readers will excuse my bad language in the previous posting, but to be let down on the eve of such a big event for an entire kindergarten of children is unforgivable. Not a phone call or an attempt to offer up a replacement, even. Extremely poor show...and perhaps understandable that I have been a bit busy in between visits here to remedy the situation without having to don the red suit myself. Any wonder why school owners tend to have no hair?

Don't get me wrong, I love being Santa - it really is a lot of fun if you do it nicely. But, if the kids know you it is not much of a surprise treat for them and a lot of hassle for Santa - beard pulling etc.

Eternally grateful then that our Santa arrived from Singapore (he's a busy bloke!) and brought a couple of elves with him as well. A bit of hanging around, as we did not know the exact schedule, but eventually beckoned into the hall by a VERY expectant crowd!

Father Christmas makes new friends!

Then the shocked silence when The Secret Kindergarten Teacher entered the hall as well! 

Oh my word! Must be the real one then :) and with elf-help, proceeded to give away presents to all the children. The teachers needed presents too, we thought, but they are often left out when in fact they are the stars of the show. Some of the children were asked if they had been good - must have asked the right ones because they all said "Yes!", before interviewing some mums who said they mostly wanted 'cake' for Christmas. We did not have any in the sack to pass around, I'm afraid!

So here it is, Merry Christmas, everybody having fun!

Posing for class photos was jolly, but all to soon we had to escort the Big Red Man and his helpers back to their preparations for the very big night ahead of them...of course, everyone knows he has to start his deliveries in Japan!

Without the kindness & support of the Hogan family, today would have been a disaster. Thank you for bacon-saving heroics!

Merry Christmas everyone!

Those birthday memories - on video

Smile - a lot, please!

Lights, cameras, action!

Today is Birthday Day, for those who have had a tanjobi in November. I was pushed in front of everyone as the "special guest" and followed my scripted instructions! The children performed a song as video cameras scooped up memories for proud mummies.

After the big assembly & performance, retreat to classrooms where the home teachers run through a production for an hour or so, entertaining students and including mums. Today, A Sensei doing liars game (but the truth!) interviewing the Novemberists. Today's mums happy to join in and have fun. Sitting at the back, I wasn't half wondering home come one of the boys being celebrated could be such an annoying little rascal when mummy is obviously very nice indeed. Can't ever tell how these things work out!

A Flock of Fogies - Part One

Hi Granny - I'm up here on stage!

The Chief introduced me very nicely indeed to the kindergarten hall - packed to the rafter with Japan's other most needy age group the retired. Yes, today (and tomorrow) is Grandparents' Day. School invaded for the morning by the not so agile - but did I see any of them getting wellied in the Cods? Nope...

I said my scripted piece, which The Chief then interpreted for the assembled bespectacled throng - easy, as she wrote my intro in the first place...except I adlibbed :)

The idea is to rattle heart strings, and therefore purse strings, as often granny & grandpa help out with kindy fees/child-sitting if/when mum & dad have work obligations. I actually think this is a very nice idea, but it is also very contrived in that classes across the country are saying exactly the same thing to their grandparents, and being given exactly the same advice in return - "eat your greens" in rough translation. This another event that Fuji Film would have been sponsoring 20 years ago, as it is shutter-frenzy...nowadays shakey phone camera images & an unedited slideshow on the flatscreen TV during dinner this evening.

But, the teachers did lead the children through a lovely morning, starting with the small ones. I do really enjoy seeing I, A & M senseis at work; always smiling and focussed on their kids. Yes, a performance drill but that is how kindy teachers have been trained for the last 50 years or so - they all do the same songs & crafts - but these three are lovely.

Psychedelic us, baby!

The slightly bigger ones dazzle with tie-dyed t-shirts and a UV show on the ceiling (an expensive paint job I would say), and tear-jerking songs that despite the generation gap are familiar! I guess it is nice that there is still a connection, whereas in my country there would be an enormous disconnect between modern culture (even of kindy kids) and the greyer ones.

After the set piece assembly, classes went back to base followed by the oldies, where a smaller class performance ensued; a couple of songs (seated) while the glowing ones looked on from around the room. I felt very incongruous blocking the view. Do I join in with the half-remembered hand gestures? Do I mumble along with words I don't know? Solution = hold hands with shy kid next to me whose grandparents not here today...but then don't I look even wierder?

Thank you, granny & grandpa

The room was overwhelming full - mouldies out-numbering in-mates. Handmade memorabilia were given to the respected aged, hugs avoided mostly but a bow and a stiff 'thank you' rendered. And an early hometime for half the class - tears from several of those neglected today. Obviously the same will happen tomorrow!

A quiet afternoon shift then, with half the school gone home? Sadly not. My on-the-spot solution to "do somehting fun, Jim sensei" was The Hokey Kokey. Now I know this gets out of hand, but I was kind of hoping the teachers would lend me a hand in accident prevention. Am sure this song actually banned in UK schools due to Health & Safety issues? With over 40 participants the rowdier boys had a field day clattering into each other. Well, I started so I'll finish...only one minor concussion. My work is done.