Remember Junior High?

I do. Today we lived the life of a Japanese junior high school student. I watched seventh, eighth, and ninth graders chop (as in cooking class), paint (as in traditional calligraphy), and catch (as in softball) their way through the day.

We were allowed to travel in and out of classrooms all day, but we were assigned to eat with a specific class. I have come to the decision that seventh grade boys are the same in any culture or language-silly, awkward, self-conscious, and often endearing. One student told me his name was Johnny Depp. The only other English word he knew was "milk." FYI, Japanese students eat lunch in their classrooms everyday with their teacher. Students do all the jobs, including the food and cleaning up afterward. Everyone waits to begin eating until all the children have been served. It was quite a sight. On the menu today: "milk," steamed fish, cucumber salad, and soup with squid and potato. Dessert is almost always fruit, like today's persimmon.

FYI #2: The last part of the school day is dedicated to cleaning the school. The P.A. system plays relaxing piano music while the students do their assigned jobs, which can include sweeping, wiping down the floors, etc. Because the students do this work, the school has no janitorial staff. The school also stays mighty clean. Who wants to make a mess you know you'll have to clean up later?