I'm getting paid for this?

1,000 handprints, from everyone in the school.

I have to go to work this weekend.

But you know what? I can't wait!  I've actually been looking forward to this for the past month.

Now you're probably imagining me sitting at a desk, grading tests, cutting out hundreds of karuta cards, or digging through my desk in hopes of forgotten sweets. If this were any time other than the start of 2nd semester, then yes, that's what I'd be doing on a weekend at school.

But this is the Culture Festival.

Just one of the 4 main corridors with Shops and exhibitions.

It's an all school event that students spend the whole first week of school preparing for. Each class plans its own theme - Olympics, Haunted House, Maid Cafe, Marriage Power (for their recently married teacher). This involves decorating their classrooms and finding some kind of food to sell. Students have been coming through the teacher's room all week selling their tickets, so now I'm all set for fish & chips, shoe cream, ice cream, parfait, fried squid, potato wedges, maccha at the tea ceremony, fried chicken, and taiyaki, a kind of fish shaped dessert. Aside from all the good eats, each club will exhibit their fine work, student bands will put on a rock concert, and we get to see all 27 classes do their own choreographed dances spread out over the next couple days. Everyone in the community is invited, too, so students' parents, siblings, and friends from other schools are welcome to walk through and peruse the stalls, tour the school, etc.

The teachers said they didn't sell as many as usual this year.

Wafu Parfait. Don't be fooled by the Brazilian flag. Red beans, mochi, kinako,
and green tea ice cream are definitely Japanese style.

Greg checking out his Oppai ice cream. 

Already ate the fish, but here're the chips.

Served by Sado (tea ceremony) Club in their yukata.

Awww. 

So this week they've had classes in the mornings, and the afternoons have been devoted to making decorations and practicing their dances. As I've wandered the halls chatting with new students every day, I keep marveling over the fact that this is part of my job, and that I'm getting paid just to be there and hang out, eating delicious food!

All in all, the Culture Fest was a big hit this year. Could it really be my last one? I've begun to hope not...