Day 27: (Rest) Nagano
(08/25/06)

Today was our first elementary school visit. Rolling into Midorigaoka Shogakko, we were immediately swarmed by little ones. Our lessons go well, particularly since one of our games involves a lot of kids falling all over each other. Hours of amusement.

At lunch, a cute little first grade boy approaches me with his bug case and asked if I wanted to look for grasshoppers with him. We wandered the grounds and gardens, kicking bushes to flush them out. We saw two, but they got away. At the end of the day, after all our classes are over, he approached me again and gave me a five-legged grasshopper from his case, telling me that I could keep it safe in my pannier. Fearing that I would crush it, I slipped it back into the bushes.

"When are you coming back next?" he kept asking me. It was hard to say that I wasn't. He gave me the biggest little hug he could muster before we headed off. Riding out of the school, I looked back to see tears in his eyes. Damn. Forget the grasshopper, I want the kid (cool camo shirt on the left).