The UNDOUKAI (Sports Fest)

2009.October.11

UNDOUKAI

So, it has been quite a while since my last update. I’m actually VERY behind when it comes to articles that need to be posted. Anyone who is following this BLOG, you have my sincerest apologies. I am at a point now where internet is almost in my room. I have the modem! The only problem is that it doesn’t work. I will be continuing working with the company until I am up and running.

It is ironic that I’m unable to get internet in one of the most advance places on earth. You would figure that they have the net EVERYWHERE here. Nope, I’m on a deserted island. The customer service for the internet (BB YAHOO!) is almost non-existent as well. The internet rep came into my room, looked to make sure I have a phone jack, and then left telling me that my modem will be in my mailbox later that day.

At home, I remember having the guy install ports into the wall, and having him run wire. I thought that YAHOO! would at least check the phone jack and bring the modem with him to install. Funny, I really wonder what that guy comes to do. If I didn’t have a phone line what would he do? Be like, “Sorry, you cannot have internet. Good day sir!”

Lame, is a word that doesn’t even come close to explaining it. Oh, well. I should have just went and bought an internet anywhere card from AU. Well, onto what I really wanted to post about and less about an excuse for not posting.

A few weeks ago, a great event happened. It was something right out of an ANIME. It was a UNDOUKAI(sports festival). It just so happened that I only got 2 hours of sleep that night prior as well. It sucked! The reason being is that I went to an IZEKAYA, which one of these days I will explain properly. The short explanation of an IZEKAYA is an all you can drink bar. Yes, it is awesome.

Back to the UNDOUKAI. It started early in the morning. We had to be at the sports field at 0900 HRS. This was one of the few events that I actually signed up to go to. Therefore, I went to the field at 0900 HRS. Again, I just got home at about 0700 HRS. It was a brutal first couple of hours.

First thing that we did was stretching. It was funny because some of the kids were dressed up in costumes (COSPLAY). There was also funny music that went along with the stretching. Also, there was a lot of talking. I can’t really remember/understand what they said. Then the event began!

It started with running events. This would include 50 meters and 100 meters. There were separate races for men and women. There was a total of 4 events here. Our team came in last for all, but we were there to have fun.

I was smart and brought my camera, which just looked expensive and scary (well, it is expensive). People left me alone and didn’t ask me to participate until the last event.

Next, came an event that can only be described in English, as a scavenger hunt and tug-o-war. It was only for girls. But the point was, there was a series of items strewn about a dirt lot, and the items all have different point values. The girls would start on opposite ends of the field and run towards the items and tug-o-war them until they were able to drag it back to their end of the field.

It was very interesting to watch, and girls ended up being dragged all over the place. They were also always laughing as this happened. It was actually nice to watch them have so much fun. It was a very interesting event, and even has some interesting items. One of the funniest is the fact that they had a guy out in the middle of the field and none of the girls really cared that he was there. He was actually the most points in the game too. Unlucky dude….. ^^

Next up, was something that I only thought happened in ANIME. It was the three-legged race, and was a little different than what most people are probably thinking of. As you can see, there are three people on the base of this pyramid and a jockey on top.

The points of this event is to knockoff your opponents from their “horse” or to capture/throw your opponent’s cap. They had two types of competitions: battle royal and team play. The battle royal was far more exciting. It was funny to see the people fighting over the hats. It was a really crazy thing to watch.

After the three-legged race, it was the baton race. This was a unisex sport and had people dressed up in funny costumes as well. It was funny because one of the runners for the baton race was at the IZEKAYA with me and was hung over worse than I was. The unlucky sap that was running drunk is: Luke. He actually is my neighbor at the dorm. He left immediately after he ran, because he was going to be sick… *snicker*

Following the baton race came the obstacle course. This is a four-person relay event. First a person is supposed to get spun around by their partner in a chair. After that they run about 30 meters to a station where there is a balloon that the two need to pop by hugging each other.

After popping the balloon, the two need to run to the next station and feed each other a banana, whilst blindfolded. When that is done, they run to the next station where they need to both fit in one shirt and run together to their last station.

This is where the trade off to the second team of two begins. The new partners need to do the human wheel barrel to a tub full of powder. The partner needs to dip their face into the powder and find a piece of candy. After they find the candy they need to run to the next obstacle: scavenger hunting the crowd.

The idea is to pull a paper out of a box, like a lotto number, and there is something you need to find on the paper. The thing that our team had to find was: “A Lover”. HAHAH! That was awesome; our team just grabbed a random girl from the field and hoped that it would pass. After the judges allowed you to pass, you ran 25 meters to the goal. It was an awesome event, and even I got grabbed as an item.

Next event, came the tug-o-war event. This was a little different than what most of us are used to. Typically the rope would be perpendicular to the players on the field and both teams would grab one end and pull opposite ways. Now, in JAPAN, they like to put the rope parallel to the teams and they have to run to the rope and start pulling it towards them. The point was at the end of the field there was a set of cones, and you need to knock all of them over.

With that, the events were over. We had a closing ceremony and we foreign students were asked to have someone say something for us. I thought that Chris Maples would be a good choice and pushed him to the front. After saying about 10 words, he decided to hand off the microphone. YUKO then took the mic, and said a few words.

Then the longest day of my stay in JAPAN, finally ended. I don’t really remember what happened after that. I’m thinking something along the line of going home and passing out.

Thanks to all that are sticking with me. I hope that you will continue to visit. There will be more postings soon!

As always click on the title for more photos or HERE!