Battling the flames of Harima-cho

After school today we had an all teachers meeting. I was able to avoid part of it to go to an elementary school meeting. After the big meeting ended, the seventh grade teachers were explaining how we are going to have a seventh grade teachers over-nighter in March. I was a little excited, but starting to cringe at the idea of another expensive teacher's party. Just as we were getting into the translation, the school got a phone call. A nearby house of one of our students was on fire!

Panic in the teachers' room: I hadn't seen this much excitement since it snowed four inches a while back (check the archives). Teachers were making calls and running to the window. The homeroom teacher of the student in question was off and running to his bicycle. After a little deliberation, I too pursued the fire by bike along with the English teacher Yoshida-sensei.

It was a second story fire. There were three or four trucks and lots of firemen. There wasn't much to do except watch with all the other neighbors. I had some sort of strange power standing their wearing my teachers' badge and whistle. I felt I had the authority to blow that whistle and charge the flames, but I resisted temptation. In the end, we could do nothing but watch. We returned to the school never having seen the homeroom teacher. Hopefully everyone is OK. It will certainly be on the news tonight.

On returning I found out my teachers trip is an over-night trip to nearby Universal Studios Japan in Osaka. That sounded great, but not finding out it will cost about $300! Another tough decision to make in Japan.