Monday, March 13, 2006

Arts and Crafts



Only three more days of the deaf school kindergarten, three more days of the Mother's Room and forced arts and crafts and the competitive nature of the mothers when doing said arts and crafts. Not being, in general, an artsy craftsy type, and also not being a conformist, I have resented spending hours making obligatory birthday cards for the monthly birthday party, and also the hours spent on the name tags for the annual sleepover. (Why don't the kids make these things? It's their school activity!) If you look closely, you can see that we had to chain-stitch the names of the teams (in this case, kujira, or whale, and kabutomushi, a.k.a. stag beetle. We spent more time making the name tags than the kids spent wearing them.

For the past couple of weeks, the mothers have been making shikkishi for the teachers. These are the Japanese equivalent of yearbook pages, and at most schools the mothers just dash off a little note in a corner and sign it. At the deaf school, each mother-and-child had to write joint messages on construction paper cut-outs to all the teachers. That was the easy part. Then, each mother is making a very elaborate shikkishi for her kid's homeroom teacher. One mother is making some sort of flower, a hydrangrea, maybe, and cutting out dozens of millimeter-sized flower petals, which she then affixes with a toothpick and a little bit of glue. The other mothers have been oohing and ahhing over her creation. They totally snubbed mine, which hurt my feelings, but then again, why do I care so much? I've been brainwashed! I have to get out of there. Three more days...

5 Comments:

Blogger Choco Pie said...

They're cute, but...I'm glad I don't have to do that. Three more days, huh? Hang in there.

7:52 AM  
Blogger weigook saram said...

Those tags are really cute, but I can see why you would find it tedious. Those tiny stitches! I'm not a fan of arts and crafts myself. To me it seems too much like something invented to keep housewives busy. Good thing you're going back to work, isn't it?

8:00 AM  
Blogger Mystery Blogger said...

Hello. I read your blog through the deaf website I am looking for meet deaf people who live in Tokushima area I would like to meet new friend there for my vacation week area. I need some of deaf people to guide me around the famous Naruto Whirpools. I am planning to go there on April 6 to 15th. but I will need to contact you by my email is Queenmanga007@tmail.com

10:18 AM  
Blogger Mystery Blogger said...

Hello. I read your blog through the deaf website I am looking for meet deaf people who live in Tokushima area I would like to meet new friend there for my vacation week area. I need some of deaf people to guide me around the famous Naruto Whirpools. I am planning to go there on April 6 to 15th. but I will need to contact you by my email is Queenmanga007@tmail.com

10:19 AM  
Blogger Mystery Blogger said...

Hello. I am Lily
I am looking for a new friend in Tokushima area and hope to have guide around there for few days. I am planning to go there in April 2006
please respond me with email here queenmanga007@tmail.com

10:22 AM  

Post a Comment

<< Home