Many pictures will appear in this posting-- so much has happened in a little time!Please check out these websites for even MORE pictures!School web.ne.jp/weblog/index.php?id=2310113And rise.org/free/2013_bethany_school.We had a relaxing Monday as it was a holiday and there was no school. Families took the opportunity to do different things with each family. This writer visited a supermarket, which was very fun for here. She remains astonished at the 3 solid rows of candy available iN a Japanese grocery.From 3 to 5 we had a lovely welcome ceremony attended by many many people. There was live music, snacks, and a game for the children. Out students were so excited about everything that they were all talking to Mrs. Huff and Ms. Boyd at the same time! Tuesday found us in school for the first time and getting more information that we could properly process at once! There was a delightful welcome there with recorder music, singing, and lovely speeches by some students. We were all given the Tokoname Higashi t shirt and we all introduced ourselves.The rules and tour took a couple of hours. There are 4 floors providing much exercise for the energetic students and their exhausted teachers.The school lunch was an experience. There was soup, a delicious carrot soup, bread , bean salad, and hamburger patty. There things are cooked somewhere else and trucked in to be distributed to the whole school at same time. The teachers eat in the room with the students who eat at their desk. Then everyone cleans for several minutes, then there is 20 minutes of recess during which no one is watching the children! Wow!But we missed those last two items today because we went on the famous Tokoname pottery walk. This was very beautiful and interesting.Our students are happy and gradually learning how to survive in this strange new world by developing such skills as listening, planning, and organization. The quote of the day comes from Diego, "I always wondered what it would be like to be famous--I like it! We are happy to be here!