That is what the school called Sports Day (运动会), which was last Thursday and Friday. Instead of teaching, I sat on the sidelines and cheered for my students and fellow teachers. A track meet would be the best American equivalent. There were relays and sprints, long jump and high jump. As soon as students crossed the finish line for the running events, they would collapse in a display of melodramatic exhaustion. Then a medical team comprised of student volunteers in white lab coats and red arm bands would run over and rub tiger balm on legs. Some students were carried away in stretchers. Either the students refuse to stretch properly before running a mile (stupid) or they want the attention. The students who lost races definitely fell down, but I suspect it was to save face. If you show your classmates that you expunged every ounce of energy in your body, then no one can be mad that you lost.
There was one event where I think students actually were hurt, the 11-legged foot race. Ten students from each class race with their ankles tied together. Some groups did not fall at all. When they did, it was a domino effect. Some girls did the splits.
It was great to spend time with my students outside of class. They looked a little more relaxed. Each class, including the head teachers, wore class t-shirts with a class logo. They were great. I think the students really enjoyed not wearing the school uniform. Even though the students were outside at the soccer field, they still lacked freedom. The classes had to document when a student left the classes' area in the stands and where a student went and when a student returned.
On Thursday afternoon, there was an opening ceremony for Sports Day, even though the competitions started that morning. The ceremony mimicked that of the Beijing Olympics. The flags came out, followed by groups of marching students. Once the marchers got in front of the area with school administrators, they began to goose-step and shout how much they loved the school. After the marching, the students, in lines, demonstrated their morning exercise and military exercise. It was amazing and frightening to see 1,600 students all move together. That could never happen at my high school, which other teachers did not understand. The students moved together, but you could feel the apathy oozing from them. A handful were energetic during the exercises. Basically, they were going through the motions.
Overall it was a great experience. It was good for the students to do something besides sit in class; it broke up the monotony.
