The 2006 School Trip, Final Day

And now we've arrived at the final day (whimper).

Once again our schedule allows us to sleep in a little bit. Naturally, my roommate (our grade chief, Mr. J) is up at the crack of dawn rattling plastic and thumping around with his luggage. (He really does seem to want me to throttle him, doesn’t he?) Perhaps it's a good thing we're leaving today, because I'll have a few hours of shinkansen time to use for napping.

I’m giving the rest of the staff something of a wide berth this morning because I’m still feeling a bit bitter about yesterday and last Friday. However, oddly enough, it appears they think they actually did me a favor by sending me off and then hijacking my taxi. Apparently they think I wanted to go off on my own, so they cut me loose from all responsibility and let me have the day to play with as I saw fit.

I suppose I can live with that. I only wish they’d made that clear in the first place instead of telling me one thing and then doing another. I guess that’s just good, old fashioned, Japanese honne (本音) and tatemae (建前) (i.e. lying is considered polite here)(i.e. harsh true intentions versus polite stated ones for the sake of maintaining harmony).

Our final breakfast here at the temple/hotel is bacon and eggs...? (I thought this was a Buddhist temple! I thought Buddhism frowned on eating meat! What's with this pork in almost every meal thing?? ) I wind up leaving quite a bit...and hoping I don't have chest pains on the way home.



After that we gradually herd the kids out into the parking lot and, with a bit of effort, get them lined up and ready to go. They are reluctant to leave, but yet at the same time they're anxious to get moving. Go figure...

As always, before boarding the train we're scheduled to make one last tour visit. This year the itinerary is exactly the same as last year. First we go to the Kyoto Gosho (京都御所), i.e. the old Imperial Palace. One can only get in by reservation or invitation. This is my third visit here.
As always, we are warned that security is extra-strict (diminished 7th chord), so procedure has to be followed to the letter.
As always, we are separated by class, and each group is told to remain in a four-line formation at all times so they can keep careful track of our numbers at all times (cue militant drum cadence).
As always, the students take a few steps, and then the lines followed by the class groups quickly dissolve into one big, shapeless mass that spreads out all over the place. There is no control over anything.
As always, neither our guide nor the grim-faced security guards say or do anything about it, nor do our own faculty (except me, and they just look at me like I'm some nut) (cue Benny Hill music).

(Why do they even bother?)



However, this time we do get a new treat. The last two times I was here they wouldn’t let us near the main ceremonial building (known as Shishinden - 紫宸殿); we could only look at it from beyond the outer gates. This year we walk right up to the front stairs and look up into its massive entrance (but we can’t go inside and see the throne room...a pity).

After leaving the old palace we proceed to the famous Sanjusangendo (三十三間堂) temple. (Hmm...photographs of the inside are forbidden. How did they make that websi...never mind.) I've already been here twice, but its impact is still enormous. You really have to see it to believe it. The large, main statue of Kannon in the center is flanked by 1000 man-sized ones, all of them gilded. There are also statues of 28 guardian deities (virtually all of which were adapted from the Hindu pantheon) that are of amazing workmanship. It is truly impressive.

And that, my friends, is the end of the trip. All that’s left is the bus ride to Kyoto Station (entertained by those amazing Kyoto bus guides), the shinkansen ride to Tokyo Station (zzzzzzz), and the final bus ride back to the school (ZZZZZZZ). At least the boxed lunch they give us on the shinkansen is porkless and quite good. (Listen to me…and I’m neither Jewish nor Muslim…)



After arrival back at the Academy I wait around till all the students have gone, and then I accompany the teachers back to the office so that we can say goodbye. (Whatever…) Then I don’t waste any time hustling back to my BLUE RAV4, making like a shepherd, and getting the flock out of there.

Another year, another school trip. I hear we’re going to Okinawa next year…