When I was preparing to leave for Japan, the folks at the JET Program warned me that I might encounter a few "Rock Star Moments" in Fukui. The locals would be curious about me and I might get more attention than I was used to at home. Like earthquakes in Japan, one never knows when these moments might occur. The trick is to always be prepared and to remain calm.
So my first Rock Star Moment occurred on Saturday in the gym of Sakai Junior High School. Of course, I was looking sassy in my pink cheerleading outfit (see the "So Cute, It's Scary" entry). But backstage, I was a little apprehensive. I hadn't rehearsed the dance routine, so I had a small knot in my stomach in anticipation of the humiliation that lay ahead. The skirt on the outfit was too tight for my giant gaijin waist (though it seemed to fit the guys in our group just fine!), so I was having some trouble moving (read: breathing). And the backstage area of the stage was without A/C or circulation, so I had beads of sweat dripping down my face.
Very attractive.
But as the "Pecori Nights" soundtrack started, our group of five teachers ran on stage and 500 middle school students left their assigned seats to run toward us. They were screaming, "Sara-san!!" "Sara-san!!" They cheered and waved even as I completely botched the routine. They gave us high-fives as we left the stage. I laughed the entire way through. It was the best 2:58 of my life.
If only I could get them to be that excited about English.
My second Rock Star Moment occurred just a few hours later, on the streets of Maruoka-cho. I'd lost the attention-grabbing pink outfit, but three girls junior high-age girls spotted me anyway. They ran toward me and asked if I was an American. I smiled and nodded.
What ensured was a full five minutes these girls screaming, jumping up and down, and asking to touch my "blonde" hair. Passerby stopped to stare at the source of the noise. I learned that I was the first American girl they'd ever met. What an honor. They broke out their camera phones and asked for a picture. Of course, I had to reciprocate with a picture of my own.
So, I'm a Rock Star here in Fukui. So what if my biggest fans are 13-year-olds? I'm trying not to let it all go to my head.
So my first Rock Star Moment occurred on Saturday in the gym of Sakai Junior High School. Of course, I was looking sassy in my pink cheerleading outfit (see the "So Cute, It's Scary" entry). But backstage, I was a little apprehensive. I hadn't rehearsed the dance routine, so I had a small knot in my stomach in anticipation of the humiliation that lay ahead. The skirt on the outfit was too tight for my giant gaijin waist (though it seemed to fit the guys in our group just fine!), so I was having some trouble moving (read: breathing). And the backstage area of the stage was without A/C or circulation, so I had beads of sweat dripping down my face.
Very attractive.
But as the "Pecori Nights" soundtrack started, our group of five teachers ran on stage and 500 middle school students left their assigned seats to run toward us. They were screaming, "Sara-san!!" "Sara-san!!" They cheered and waved even as I completely botched the routine. They gave us high-fives as we left the stage. I laughed the entire way through. It was the best 2:58 of my life.
If only I could get them to be that excited about English.
My second Rock Star Moment occurred just a few hours later, on the streets of Maruoka-cho. I'd lost the attention-grabbing pink outfit, but three girls junior high-age girls spotted me anyway. They ran toward me and asked if I was an American. I smiled and nodded.
What ensured was a full five minutes these girls screaming, jumping up and down, and asking to touch my "blonde" hair. Passerby stopped to stare at the source of the noise. I learned that I was the first American girl they'd ever met. What an honor. They broke out their camera phones and asked for a picture. Of course, I had to reciprocate with a picture of my own.
So, I'm a Rock Star here in Fukui. So what if my biggest fans are 13-year-olds? I'm trying not to let it all go to my head.
2 comments:
wow, that is a strange mix of creepiness and cuteness. さすが日本
Post a Comment