Graduation Speeches and Wedding Bells

It's been a doozy of a weekend! Yesterday, the third year students of my beloved なん中 graduated with great pomp, and today I finally achieved a minor dream in a major way and got to be a model for a few hours.

So Saturday was the graduation. We finally saw sunlight again after a surprise blizzard interrupted the beginning of spring like a giant middle finger in your eye. But on Saturday, the snow was mostly melted, and weak sunlight poured into the cavernous gym where students and parents sat in folding chairs, dressed as formally as though for a funeral...

Actually, as depressing as it seems, it is a sort of funeral: the departure from childhood and the carefree junior high school days. But the students face a sort of new life, as well. Many of them are going on to high school, and some of them will even go to some prestigious schools in Morioka City. I wish those students the best of luck: the better the school, the more pressure they put on the student. One of the teachers told me her niece who was sitting not too far from us, had the chance to go to Morioka, but opted for Hanamaki instead. Apparently, her aunt went to Morioka for high school, but after a few years, the stress finally became too much to bear and she walked off (I believe) the school's balcony. Now her mother supports the girl's decision to look after her mental well-being and know her limits. I applaud that, too.

So what's a junior high school graduation like? Well first of all, Dad, it's a big deal. The gym is decorated with flags, banners and flowers. The younger students make decorative flowers and "Thank you" and "Good luck" signs to cheer on the graduating class. Directly in front of the stage are two blocks of chairs for the third years, one for girls, one for boys. A few feet behind are the chairs for the second and third year classes, again, divided in half by gender. On either side of those section along the walls are chairs for parents dressed in suits, skirts and kimono as well as bearing video cameras. Against the eastern wall is a long table and several chairs for town officials and PTA officers. Opposite is a long table for the principal, vice principal and third years teachers. The rest of us sit in rows behind them.

I'm just going to put this out there, the teachers were looking sharp! I think it was the first time I ever saw the gym teacher wear a skirt and nylons, and the principal looked ready for the opera!

So what goes into a graduation? A lot of songs, speeches, and sharp 90 degree turns. The third years are almost robotic in their execution of every step: shout "Hai" when your name is called, stand, 90 degree turn, stop at the center line, turn, approach the base of the stage, wait until the student before you receives their diploma, walk up the stairs, bow in sync with the other student, receive your diploma with your left hand then right, step to the side, bow with your arms outstretched and at the same level as your head, bend the diploma in half without folding, tuck it awkwardly under your arm, turn, walk to the side of the stage, stop at the stairs, walk down, deposit your diploma on a table, return to your seat. Breathe.

After several speeches from the principal, the PTA, and the students, it was time for the singing. First the third years sang their class song as well as a beautiful a cappella piece about thanking Mother Earth. Then the younger students sang a couple songs. Finally everyone stood and sang the school song.

During this latter part, I had to avoid looking at other people. I looked at the Japanese teacher and the second I saw her crying, I started to feel tears, so I quickly looked at the math teacher. Nope. 'Look at the chair, girl, that's a nice chair!' I happened to look up: weeping students. Nope. Nope. Nope. 'Wow, hands are the coolest!' Then, it was the parents. Oh, Lord, the chairs, the chairs...look at the freaking chairs!

After the ceremony, everyone gathered outside to say goodbye to the students. Friends gave flowers and cards, graduates gave their bags, pieces of their sports uniforms, and even their school uniform jackets to their junior friends. Students vied for buttons off the graduate boys' coats, a common memento. I saw several boys walk by without any buttons at all! And everyone took pictures...I was even invited into a few!

Today was a bit different, and by "a bit" I mean "very." After months of eager anticipation, concern, and fear it wouldn't happen, my friend invited me to her hair studio to model some wedding styles! The focus was on the hair and the flowers which her friend, who owns a flower shop, was providing.

Courtesy of Hummingbird!

Freshly scrubbed and wearing the bear minimum in make up, I met Izu at her salon where she was waiting with her friend whom I will call Miss Hummingbird (that's the name of her floral shop). I was immediately taken into a room and changed into the first, long wedding dress. Then Izu plopped me in the chair and the make up process began.

Brava, Izu, brava!

I wasn't really sure what to expect, I thought it would be a clean, fresh, nude look, but instead, when she stepped back, I was a pin-up! She did a great job, even though I was startled at first! I don't often wear a lot of make up, so it took some getting used to. Nevertheless, we were well on the way.

Over the course of the next couple of hours, Izu and Miss Hummingbird put me into two dresses and several hair styles, both up and down, all with floral accents and gorgeous bouquets.

The shoot took place downstairs in none other than the one, the only, MOUNTEE! While the staff listened to One Piece on the TV and prepped for lunch, the ladies and I ran around the beautiful new dining room, taking pictures. Izu is a great artistic director and would move around quickly and ask me to "Look me" or "Flowers look" and tell me to "Smile" or "Chin down." Love her! I tried to take Tina Fey's advice for photo shoots and remember to not let my eyes go dead and to avoid mashing my arms against my body to create "negative space."

I loved to forget-me-not crown! Made me feel like I was getting married to the shi shi gami in "Mononoke!"

Chisa even came and watched with her lovely daughters. When all was said and done and shot, we had lunch together in Mountee. If I was a legitimate model, I don't think I'd ask for a paycheck: I'd just ask for every photo shoot to be followed with a catered meal from Mountee.


And by the way, to my future husband, we're celebrating our union in Hawaii. I already promised my Japanese friends.