Today our school was visited by students and staff from Nishimachi International School in Tokyo. The came up on a bus trip and spent a couple of hours with our students, either playing table tennis in the gym or dong an experiment in the science lab. I hung out in the gym, then when it was time for lunch went to the science lab to eat with the other half of the students.
I had been told there was a school visit but it wasn't explaned that it was such an international group. Apparently in October there's a bus trip to Tokyo for the Nishimachi food fair.
The students from Nishimachi are generally (but not exclusively) from overprivileged families e.g. diplomats, high ranking executives etc. It showed in their attitude compared to the Kurohone kids.
Our students were really genki (cheerful and enthusiastic) the visitors were more jaded and bored. It was not unusual during the table tennis event to see Kurohone kids playing ping pong with each other at the tables and having a great time while the visitors sat or lay around the edge of the room.
I guess it's similar to city kids and country kids everywhere, but it made me appreciate being here. Not that the Nishimachi kids were particularly badly behaved, they just have that apathetic streak we suffer from.
I'll take Kurohone anyday.
