Volleyball tournament

Last friday I participated in a volleyball tournament. Yes, a volleyball tournament. Most of my friends know of my lack of athletic ability, other than some skill in basketball, and are probably shaking their heads in confusion. Let me explain.

Teachers in Japan work very very very hard. They never have days off, they work until 8pm at the earliest every night and go to work on saturdays and sundays as well. Teachers also play together. There are a lot of work parties and social trips. This Volleyball tournament was a social trip for the high school female teachers. Every high school supplied a team and they played together as a way to relax and enjoy each others company after a long day of work at the office.

When the school nurse came to me and asked if I wanted to play on our school's volleyball team I responded no automatically. They, however, have learned if you push me enough I usually give in. So after a lot of pushing and prodding I begrudgingly agreed to attend after school practices and the tournament. One of their main reasons for wanting me to play was because they said I was tall. In case you don't remember I am a slightly below average 5 foot 6 inches tall, or 167 cm. I constantly corrected them that I in fact was not tall but I would be willing to play.

Our team was full of young, energetic, competitive players. We were missing only one thing, skill. However, that didn't stop us from doing our absolute best. We had trainings and practices after school and the volleyball club even came to a few of them to help us train. My arms would be covered in bruises for days after practices but I enjoyed getting to play with my teachers outside of the staff room and the work environment.

On the day of the tournament we all showed up and knew we were in big trouble when the other team came over and asked if we would like to practice spiking together. Thats because no one on our team could properly spike... To my amusement I did notice that I was in fact the tallest player on both teams. Japanese people are so tiny and I constantly forget about that. Needless to say we went on to loose all 3 of our games. But we gave our best effort and afterward went to dinner at a korean yaki niku restaurant where we shared food, beers, and laughs. I'm really glad they forced me into playing. I enjoyed trying my best and learning a thing or two about volleyball. These super casual outings with teachers from my school always end up being some of my favorite memories from my time here. Its always so fun to see a different side to my teachers and to get to know them better. I'm so lucky to be placed in a school that wants me to be a  part of their community and actively tries to invite me to things. I've learned that saying yes and being open to new experiences might not always be enjoyable but its almost never wrong. I like being involved and am happy to be a part of the small community in Kanazu High School.

Cheers to you Kanazu teacher's volleyball team! Ostukare sama deshita!

Fukui Kar Rally 2013

This past month there was a huge event in Fukui called the Kar Rally. The purpose of the event is to bring everyone to the southern part of the prefecture to explore the many exciting and wonderful things there. Because Fukui is a long thin prefecture on the coast, driving from the north to the south can take multiple hours even on the expressway. The Southern area of Fukui, while full of natural beauty and history, is less populated than the north. Therefore, there are fewer schools and fewer ALTs who live there. The Kar Rally is a photo scavenger hunt game that encourage ALTs from northern Fukui and other areas of Japan to come and explore the rural south of Fukui.

Here are the rules:

1. You must complete the Kar Rally in teams of 3-5 people. You must all travel in the car together.
2. You must wear costumes that fit into the theme of the overall Kar Rally.
3. You must complete the photo challenges on the official list of challenges.
4. You must go to the checkpoints and complete the challenges there.
5. The quicker you complete the Kar Rally the more points you can achieve.
6. You must finish at the campsite in Takahama.
7. Your team must have a mascot (stuffed animal)
8. Your mascot must be in every photo
9. You must use paper maps and written directions only. NO iPHONES.

It is quite a challenge but also a ton of fun. This year’s theme was time travel. I was on team Madonna. Our concept was that we were all Madonna from different eras or decades of her career. Yes, we even had a team member in the cone bra (party hats!). Way to be bold Ashley! I was “Vogue Madonna” and wore a black suit. Our team won best costume and came in fifth place out of eleven teams. It was a blast and I am definitely looking forward to doing this again next year! Thanks to Nigel and Rachel for organizing this epic event. It was a ton of work but a great time for everyone involved. Also, thanks to all the volunteers stationed throughout Fukui to help us complete the scavenger hunt.

Here is a video of the event to help you get an idea of the pictures that people creatively came up with. Be warned it isn’t all PC or appropriate for younger viewers but it is hysterical.

Here are some non Kar rally photos of the south of Fukui courtesy of my instagram. (@erineltawil)

Our campsite in Takahama

More of our campsite

Mihama. Gorgeous porch by a deserted lake.

5 lakes of Mikata and a lavender milkshake. It tasted amazing.