Every school in Taiwan has a "Sports Day" to celebrate both sports and community. It is really a special day, much unlike our Track and Field Day in Canada. It is always held on a Saturday so families can attend, the preparations of the school are a community affair and it is not uncommon to see the school grounds blanketed with parents, cousins, grandparents and friends in the days prior to the actual sports day to get the school looking in top shape.
Then the day itself - lots of fun, races, prizes (functional prizes like soap, soy sauce, towels, lunch containers, etc - this is stuff that is needed by people, especially in rural areas like ours, and to give them a choice between a trophy, a ribbon or a bottle of shampoo....everyone, including us, would take the shampoo) and, this day, an ocean of rain falling upon us. But no matter...the games must go on!
The last picture is of the DeWu village chief, making a speech at the end of it all thanking people, the school, the teachers and doing so in three different languages. None of which was english!
And here is a video of the opening and closing dance that the students (and some parents) performed. Enjoy!
