Ensoku!

Today was the long awaited school-wide outing (Ensoku: Picnic, outing, etc). Each homeroom class planned a different thing in a different place so rather than staying together like field trips in America each homeroom had a different bus all headed in a different direction. This trip isn't like a field trip as you would think though. In America, our field trips are usually "learning experiences", I don't believe you can even go anywhere without linking it into your classroom discussions somehow.
This trip was completely education free! In fact, our homeroom class barbecued! We travelled to Shigaken and then split into groups to BBQ. Our group cooked a lot of meat. It was quite delicious, Beef, Chicken, Octopus, Crab, various other seafood. With a bit of vegetables and some pineapple on the side.

Once again I had a hearty laugh to myself as I noticed the oh so tough boys had no idea how to build a fire. It was quite entertaining to watch them put on their gloves and when they saw me start lighting the fire glove free they expressed their shock then quietly removed their gloves as well. However, I was in for a surprise. Charcoal is different from wood. It took me 3 times the time to get that fire going. This still managed to impress my group but it made me so angry because that fire just would not do what I wanted it to.
After barbecuing everyone cleaned up and played a few games in the field close by. I noticed something interesting too, in America the genders are always intermingled. No one is shy at all, there is absolutely no such thing as cooties. Here, the boys and girls are VERY separate. The girls always stick in one group and the boys keep to themselves as well. Sure they are friends and all but not close. I guess they are just shy. Who knows! I do know this though, if I were too afraid to talk to boys I would have missed out on some of the best, truest friends in the world.

The bus ride to and from Shigaken was extremely long (I think it was around 3 hours but I didn't keep track so I am not sure) but they pulled out some Karaoke. Yes, Karaoke and it all went quite quickly. I also took this time to learn a couple more names! I have gotten Shouko, Riyo, Haruki, and Decchi, down. but I still have a long way to go!