Ensoku - Part One

I was lucky enough for the school trip at Matsu-ko to fall on the day I visit there. I went with ichi-nensei to the beach in Tsu - for a 'fun filled day' of clam digging and beach volleyball...

Overall I had a good day, it's always to cool to hang out with students and even more so at Matsu-ko because most of them don't realise that I visit their school and therefore I really do feel like a bit of a celebrity as they all seem to keel over with the shock of this random foreigner being there.

The only problem was that it was cold and incredibly windy. I discovered as well that I really don't have the patience (or I have ADD) for clam digging. It was really dull. You're paddling (Brit word I think but don't know the equivalent) in the freezing water whilst digging up the sand with your little rake, then the hole you've just dug fills with water and you have to start again. Plus I had no idea how deep you were supposed to dig or how you decided where to start digging.

In the first 30 mins the total number of clams collected by everyone there wouldn't even have filled one bag - and we've got a bag each to fill. About 30 mins later most people seemed to have more luck but I'd long since given up. I found one and had a grand total of three in my bag because one student took pity on me and gave me a couple.

We ate clam miso soup at lunch time before the students took part in a tug of war contest and then beach volleyball. There are literally gale force winds and they're going to play volley ball?! As a spectator it didn't make for a fun time, the balls kept being blown down the beach and obviously rallies were few and far between. Plus the wind was laden with sand, I've never appreciated my large pair of sunglasses and hooded top so much!

Opening ceremony!
Clam digging - look at those bags bursting with clams, hm...

The sphinx and a pyramid
Tug of war