LUNCH IN JAPANESE SCHOOLS

I HAVE BEEN TEACHING A VERY LONG TIME, AS YOU KNOW, AND I HAVE NEVER EVER EXPERIENCED LUNCH LIKE I EXPERIENCED IT TODAY. FIRST OF ALL, THERE WAS NO CAFETERIA IN SCHOOL. ALL THE LUNCHES ARE PREPARED AT A COOKING CENTER AND DELIVERED TO THE SCHOOLS. THE CHILDREN ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR GETTING THE LUNCHES INTO THE CLASSROOMS, SERVING THEM AND CLEANING UP. THE TEACHER EATS WITH THE STUDENTS, EVERYBODY SITTING NICELY AND EATING POLITELY. THEY ARE SERVED ON REAL DISHES, NOT PAPER ONES. OF COURSE THEY USE CHOPSTICKS! AFTER LUNCH, THEY CLEAN UP, STACK THEIR DISHES, OPEN UP THE MILK CARTONS FLAT SO THEY CAN BE RECYCLED AND GET READY TO BRUSH THEIR TEETH. YES, ALL THE CHILDREN WATCH A VIDEO ABOUT BRUSHING TEETH AND THEY BRUSH THEIR TEETH IN SCHOOL. AFTER THAT THEY MOVE THE DESKS, GET BROOMS AND RAGS AND START CLEANING THE FLOOR, THE DESKS, THE WINDOWS, THE HALLWAYS, EVERYTHING. SOME CHILDREN CLEAN INSIDE, OTHERS CLEAN OUTSIDE BY SWEEPING DIRT OFF THE SIDEWALK. OTHERS WATER THE PLANTS OUTSIDE THEIR CLASSROOMS. THERE ARE PLANTS ALL OVER THIS SCHOOL, IT'S SO PRETTY! NOW, HERE COMES THE PART I COULDN'T BELIEVE, BOYS AND GIRLS: AFTER CLEANING, THE TEACHER PUT ON MUSIC AND LEFT THE ROOM. IT WAS HER BREAK TIME AND THE CHILDREN HAD RECESS. THEY WERE ALLOWED TO GO ANYWHERE THEY WANTED TO: OUTSIDE, IN THE HALLWAY, TO ANOTHER CLASSROOM, IN THEIR CLASSROOM, WHATEVER THEY WANTED. SOME WENT OUT TO PLAY AND RIDE UNICYCLES. DO YOU KNOW WHAT UNICYCLES ARE?? YOU'LL SEE ONE IN THE PHOTOS. OTHERS PLAYED UNO, DANCED IN THE CLASSROOM, PLAYED BALL OUTSIDE, WHATEVER THEY WANTED. THEY DID THIS UNTIL THE BELL RANG AND THEN THEY ALL CAME BACK IN WITHOUT BEING TOLD. HMMMM..... DO YOU THINK WE NEED TO LEARN A LESSON FROM THE JAPANESE CHILDREN ON HOW TO BEHAVE AT RECESS???