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The bowing Santa is Kevin sensei, the one standing is Greg Sensei. To the left is Principal Matsumoto. This was the scene at the Nebraska Intern Farewell Party/All School Assembly Extravaganza on Christmas Morning here in Chiba. It ended with the entire junior high student population lining up in two rows facing each other and this made a horse-shoe shaped tunnel around the gym that Kevin and Greg walked through. They were treated to many high fives and hugs, and in one instance, a second year student, Yurika, bolted free from the restraints of her friends and mad a mad, mean and low dash at Kevin, knocking him to the ground. This was all in good fun. The final physical contact was had at the end of the path, when the 9th grade boys attempted to toss Kevin and Greg up into the air in celebration. However, due to things like gravity, mass, and the upper body strength of 15 year olds, the two Nebraskans were not quite able to break the surly bonds of this earth. So the kids promptly grabbed and nearly sent into orbit the smallest guy in their grade. They tossed him so high that the astonishment on their faces led me to think that they might be too suprised/impressed to grant him a smooth controlled landing to the floor. I am happy to report that he ended back on the ground alright.

After things settled down, Vice Principal Azuma, who looks pretty cool next to his Nissan Skyline here in this picture, took us out for tonkatsu.