Speeches, Dances, & Graduation

The graduates, teachers, and judges

On Saturday, we had the much anticipated graduation and speech competition for the Sendai Japanese class. For the past 2 months we have been preparing for the speech competition. Everyone in the class wrote a speech and then we had a speech tournament to narrow down who would participate in the speech competition on graduation day. The final four did a great job on the day of the event. I don’t think there was a dry eye in the house by the end of the speeches. 

In between the speeches we presented Filipino

dances and songs. There was a dance with big bamboo poles. After the initial performance was finished they
invited one of the guest priests to try it. It was awesome. I participated in one of the dances where we modeled traditional clothes. One of the women in the office wrote out the certificates in beautiful Kanji. We (the graduates) also received cup mugs as a souvenir of the project. I am enjoying some delicious tea out of as we speak. 

Overall it was a wonderful event. I am so thankful that I was able to be a part of that class. I am so thankful that I have had the opportunity to meet these wonderful women. I have learned so much from them and can’t see where their lives will lead them.

Speech competetors

Trying to lift Shota Sensei.