Sports Meet: Opening Ceremonies

In mid-October we were informed that the school would have it's Sports Meet during the week of October 23 to 27. Students were pulled from classes in the afternoons to practice.
On Monday of the designated week I learned "Zai xia yu" (It's raining) and said it often. But sometime Tuesday morning I started practicing "Tian qing le !!" (It's not raining!!) That
afternoon we came back from the lunch break for the Sports Week Opening Ceremonies. First was the parade and first in the parade were the red flags carried by the older students. The band followed the flags. I think of this as a percussion band even though there are horns, perhaps they are bugles, because there is never a melody, just a tempo: baaah bah bah baah. A beat to march to. And don't they look smart in their uniforms?


Grades 1-4 followed the band. Each grade had a theme. For example, the fourth grade had the umbrellas. Then came the athletes and following them were the teachers in their school suits and looking very professional. They all marched around the track, stopped in front of the table of dignitaries and then marched to the center of the track.



The dignataries and an older female student gave speeches that very few listened to. The PA system was intermittently loud, staticky and functioning. We all cheered when this part was over.