undoukai

[james]

whaddya think? opinions? i'm sure it's been done but it's that time of year here. if it rains though it'll be cancelled and we're supposed to get thunderstorms so i just might luck out.

personally for me it goes something like this: "it's sunday. leave me the fuck alone. bugger the fact that i have other stuff i wanna do than push a ball down a field with my tongue while stuffing anpan up my ass"

i work six days a week and have two very young children (3 & 1). when they're bigger fine, let them have their fun and mom and dad can watch. till then, leave me alone and don't screw up my family/private time.

[Big Booger]

whaddya think? opinions? i'm sure it's been done but it's that time of year here. if it rains though it'll be cancelled and we're supposed to get thunderstorms so i just might luck out.

personally for me it goes something like this: "it's sunday. leave me the fuck alone. bugger the fact that i have other stuff i wanna do than push a ball down a field with my tongue while stuffing anpan up my ass"

i work six days a week and have two very young children (3 & 1). when they're bigger fine, let them have their fun and mom and dad can watch. till then, leave me alone and don't screw up my family/private time.

You forgot forced marching AKA: Military Indoctrination. LOL

[Tsuru]

Sorry for being a moron, but what is "undoukai"?

Some sort of institutionalized athletics for kids?

[Socratesabroad]

[Andocrates]

Pet peeve number 5

Don't use a Japanese word withot the kanji.

[ichigo partygirl]

Ohh my god they are so fricken random. When i was at highschool in japan and it was sports festival time we took half the school day for almost a month practising mass dances and sports and singing. For a nation that is so seriuos about school it amazed me how much time we gave over to this crazy thing. It was the craziest thing ever - the days were really fun and everyone had a good time but it was all very organized and run to the second. If anyone who hasnt seen one before has a chance to then take it - its really something else

[Taro Toporific]

[Andocrates]

Yes but, if it's in Kanji then I won't hurt my brain trying to figure out the romaji. I'll just go "Hey, that's Japanese . . . wait a tic . . . if it's Japanese then there must be porn."

[canman]

You are so right! I cannot believe the huge amounts of time wasted preparing for this stupid event. Now I know the students enjoy it, and the fact that when they are preparing they aren't stuck in class studying, but come on. The other thing is that my daughter being a third grade junior high school student, will spend the entire summer vacation going to school to help prepare for the event.
But its not only the undokai, its all these frivalous events. Next week there is the infamous school music competition, where each class has to compete against another by performing the same song and then another of their choice. Great wonderful, but do they have to spend gobs of school hours just getting redy for this. Is this is what is going to make Japan competative in the 21 century? I don't think so.

[Samurai_Jerk]

Pet peeve number 5

Don't use a Japanese word withot the kanji.

Pet peeve number 6

Spelling "without" without the "u".

[james]

[dimwit]

For elementary school and kindergarten kids I don't have a problem with 'play day' (I refuse to refer to it as 'athletic'), the events are not taken very seriously and the kids do enjoy it. I have issues with high school 'play days'. I get pissed off when the parents and teachers complain about lack of instruction hours when they often waste weeks training for regimented childrens games.

[AssKissinger]

It's just an excuse to avoid teaching the fundamentals. If the jukus went out of business the education bureaucrats wouldn't get their kickbacks.

The status quo demands a high presssure entrance exam system forced upon students by a school system that refuses to prepare them for it.

[Kurofune]

As with most Japanese things of this nature, there's a lot of emphasis on display of spirit.

[Socratesabroad]

[james]

[Andocrates]

[hakuman]

I cannot believe the huge amounts of time wasted preparing for this stupid event...Next week there is the infamous school music competition, where each class has to compete against another by performing the same song and then another of their choice. Great wonderful, but do they have to spend gobs of school hours just getting redy for this."

I think its all conditioning. Teaching them the feeling of group vs. individual. Its like brainwashing to some degree. We do the same shit to kids in schools in our own country, but the methods and focus is different. In western countries but the focus is on "dont do drugs, go to school, use condoms", and usually consists of assemblies and workshops and stuff.

this is what is going to make Japan competative in the 21 century?

Probably not, although it did get them this far.

[Russell]

Just back from the undoukai at my daughter's elementary school.

Continues to amaze me every year that there are people setting up their tents on the school grounds. As if the event takes days in a row...

[yanpa]

The one at the school on the other side of the field here is still in full swing, also the sound equipment was evidently supplied by The Who.

[Russell]

The one at the school on the other side of the field here is still in full swing, also the sound equipment was evidently supplied by The Who.

But the music evidently not, I suppose...

[Screwed-down Hairdo]

The one at the school on the other side of the field here is still in full swing, also the sound equipment was evidently supplied by The Who.

Who?

[yanpa]

Dr.

[Russell]

This time of the year again.

Attended a few hours in the morning, while posting on FG.

Skipping out on the afternoon session. It's fucking hot anyway.

Youngest is in the last year of elementary, so that'd be it for a while.

Until I become Granpa...

[yanpa]

I have the honour and pleasure of being subjected to the local school's undoukai since a ridiculously early hour. I swear they have their PA system volumn dial welded permanently to 11.

[Doctor Stop]

I have the honour and pleasure of being subjected to the local school's undoukai since a ridiculously early hour. I swear they have their PA system volumn dial welded permanently to 11.

Buy or rent a more powerful PA and have your own undokai on a day they have exams.

[6810]

It's fucking hot anyway.

Which is why people set up tents. I swear, gaijin 'round these parts must strive for density rather than just inherit it.

[Russell]

It's fucking hot anyway.

Which is why people set up tents.

It's ridiculous what people set up from the early morning.

Some schools wised up and forbade that fortunately. Here it is all civilized, with only sheets on the ground allowed at designated places.

They also do not allow alcohol and tobacco at this event, which is perfectly fine with me, but they also outlaw non-alcohol beer, because it looks like normal beer...



Oh, they also made a human pyramid, but now I read that it increasingly causes accidents.

[Wage Slave]

I was shocked the first time I went to one by the lack of a beer tent and bbq. Good God - What a dreary and humourless event. All over for me thank fuck - Had to suffer through 8 of them. Never again I hope.

[Russell]

And the climax is when the kiddies do the Hitler greeting while reciting some text that invokes tears in their parents' eyes...

(or is that the Ongakukai?)

Edit: 12 for me. But it's over now!