カナダは無い

今週は２２・２３日の体育祭の為に全校が練習に励んでいます。　先生と生徒も皆猛暑の仲に頑張っている姿にとても感心します。　カナダには体育祭はあるのかと聞かれますけど、ある事はあるんですけどあまりにも違うのでついつい「無い」と答えます。　オンタリオ州の学校は６月の下旬にPhysical Activity Day (体育の日)が一応あるのですが日本の体育祭とは違いのです。　カナダでは体育の日は正式なイベントではなく、単に子供たちがいろいろとゲームをして楽しむ日なのです。　僕の学校では先生たちより上級生が仕切りを全部やっていました。　もちろん練習は一切なし、打ち合わせも上級生と先生の間で前の日ぐらいするだけです。　親や親戚も普通見学には来ません。　この日を休んで早めに夏休みの旅行に行った家族もありました。　それに比べて日本では何週間前からジリジリしている夏の中、最高の体育祭を親と親戚にみせるために皆は一生懸命練習しています。　カナダの学校も体育祭をやって運動と鍛錬の大切さを学べたらとてもいいと僕は思います。
カナダに無いものと言えば、この前の敬老の日もそうです。　「父の日」、「母の日」とか｢古参兵の日｣はありますけど一般的に高齢者に敬意を見せる日は無いです。　これは私の考えですが、カナダとかアメリカは「年上に敬意をもたらす」感情が日本より全体的に弱いと思います。　まあ、でもこれを読んでいる僕の親はきっと「よく人の事言えるよ」とか言ってると思います。　これからも日本人に見習って年上の人を敬する努力を増します！


PS：　皆さんWIKIPEDIAご存知ですか？　簡単にいうとインターネットの百科事典ですけど、カナダとアメリカでは大人気のサイトです。　誰でも投稿できるわけで、真実が書いてない場合が時々あるので１００％信用はしたら危ないと思いますが、僕は資料として愛用しています。　実は本山町のホームページの資料を使っても本山町について英語でちょっとした記事を作りましたので是非ご覧ください。　そしてもし修正とか記事に何かを足したかったらお構いなく！

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motoyama%2C_Kochi


This week, and in fact for many weeks now all the schools have been practicing for the upcoming Athletic Festivals this coming weekend. Everyday the students and teachers are outside in the blazing heat, practicing their ceremonial routines, their marching, and the various competitions they will be participating in. When people ask me if Canada also has an “Athletic Festival”, I am quick to say no but technically we actually do. In Canada (at least in Ontario), we have what is called Physical Activity day (PA day), which just consists of kids playing physical games for fun the entire day. In my school, the oldest kids were predominantly responsible for running the games although teachers were involved as well. There was no practicing though, barely any meetings between students and teachers, and it was not the kind of event where family and friends come to attend. It wasn’t rare for certain families to expect their child to skip PA day all together so they could get a head start on their summer vacation. In comparison, teachers and students take Athletic day very seriously. Every school has been planning and preparing for the this coming weekend since the summer break ended, to ensure that the kids will perform to the best of their abilities in front of their friends and families. And as I mentioned previously, its hot out there. I think it would be good for Canadians Schools to revamp our own PA day so that kids can learn the importance of physical activity and discipline.
While we are on the subject of customs Canadians should think of picking up, this Monday was a civic holiday called “Appreciation for the Aged Day”. We do have Mother’s Day, Father’s Day and Veteran’s Day for our elders, but no day that generally calls for the respect of senior citizens. In my personal opinion I think this is a partial indication as to how North American culture in general do not have as strong an appreciation for our elders as much as Japanese culture.