Anyhow, there were 11 of us participating, and three who came and didnft. One of them forgot something, and I havenft a clue why the other two didnft take part. I didnft ask. Anyway, I had to get up at 6 in order to leave by 630 so that I could bring a lunch. There was also nowhere to change, so we all had to show up dressed. Of course I had to bring my bow (well, notmy bow, itfs the schoolfs) into the convenience store, the Astram train, the Jr trainc as it is tallerthan the train, that made it a bit awkward. Anyway, I got to Hiroshima Station to meet people at 730. We then, could not believe it, rode back over the same line I took to get there, IE was four stations to get to HS and then three back the way I had come, to get to the correct train stop. Gah. We then shoved ourselves, a bit painfully into three taxis from the station, and drove up the mountain. Was a bit shameful as we passed some of the other clubs trudging gamely up the slope while we shot by in a cab.

Upon our arrival, we strung our bows and then shivered in small groups waiting for things to get moving. Oh GOD it was cold. Or breathes came in those really white puffs and we (I) did little dances while chanting coldcoldcold. One of the girls was writing a term paper. Anyway, this was, I must remark, my first shiai. I mean, I have been to them before, but obviously watching and taking part in a match of any kind are very different things. I was more cold than nervous, but I admit I was feeling the pinch. Donft want to let down the team, donft want to let myself down, and did not work hard shivering at practice and smacking self innumerable times in the face with the bowstring to drop the bow in front of the target at the match. Is just like any other sport or game, you donft want to make an ass of yourself, and if you do you feel about ten times worse than you do at practice, because what was the hours of practice for if you look like a beginner anyway?

Anyway, it was me and Hitomi, we were the fresh meat, it was our HatsuShiai (first match). I asked her how she was feeling and she quickly shook her head and was like gbad. Very bad. Why am I here? Why did I come?h I told her shefd do fine. I mean, I didnft feel that badly about it, and when they direct me I donft understand what people are saying to me half the time. It came time to practice and, of course, I started off right away having a problem with my grip of the bow, and when I kind of fixed that, I started almost missing the target. This is bad, because the target is only about six feet away. So my confidence was wallowing in the mud, and my expectations were not so great. This was not horribly embarrassing though, and herefs why.

My team, we have great form, we do it all quite nicely in my opinion. Butc uh, wefre not all that good. Jogakuin girls try, and I mean it, they come to practice like four days a week, some of them. The worst point, true but sad, is that the girlsf teams, almost never do even half as well as the boys. None of them do as good, in any shiai I have been to. I donft know why, really. It makes me even feel even worse that I am taking part in the bad image of girls-are-not-as-good-as-boys-at-sports. I mean, clearly Ifm trying hard at it and hopefully it will get better. I do wonder why the girls donft do as well. I feel especially for, excuse me guys, the big-chested women though. (In this country that includes me apparently, as even the other girls are like, gwow heather.!h) Women with anything of a chest about them run the risk of getting thwacked in a most unpleasant way. I now understand that story about women hacking off their right breast to be better archers in African hunting cultures. Your eyes kind of tear up, and of course you cant sit there grabbing at yourself, you just kind of grit your teeth and get on with it. The chest protector is a girlfs best friend, really, but also, in the case of biggies, it tends to wander. As if powerless against gravity it sinks occasionally, or sometimes it climbs and tries to strangle you.

Sorry, enough of that.

Anyway, we paused in our practice for the, for lack of better words in my vocab, the opening ceremony. You stand in lines and face the little shrine-thingy and bow, about twice, the lift your hands above your head and clap twice, then bow once and do a yu, a little bow. Then we went right on with practice, because the boys are always first. Anyway, my team was C, I was the middle girl. I never seem to get in step with the others when we are entering the dojo thingy. Anyway, the day went on, still cold, our feet hurt and we shivered like mad. The sun came out though, thank god, we all might have died of exposure otherwise. The boys did amazing, the girls, some of them did well some of them didnft. You know, its like any other sport. Anyway, they asked me if I got nervous after the first time. I was like, God know, all I could think of was getting it over with so I could get back in the sun. It was coooollld. We broke for lunch, which I scarfed. Finished up and went to our spot and laid down (was drowsy) just in time for the wind to start blowing, knocking many arrows down, many of which hit me in the head. It was funny, and I didnft feel very much in a nap mood after that. Right, so the bouts continued, Most everyone got at least one shot, except me and Hitomi. Was a bit upsetting, and I could here the dramatic voice in my head saying, announcer style, last chance! It was irritating. I was just proud to finally be able to do anything, I think. Anyway, the arrows they went, and all of them went to pretty much the same spot, which didnft happen to be on the target mind you, but slightly below. I let go of the final arrow and heard it connect, followed by a few girls saying gshot!h. Couldnft believe it. Ifd made a shot with my final arrow. It was like a friggin tv movie. Everyone congratulated everyone else. Final scoring was Winner: KeizaiDai, as I had figured. We werenft last, but we were kind of close. There were only six schools, so it wasnft that big of a deal really. Our score was fifteen. (eleven people, fifteen shots). One group of three from keizai scored 32. They were almost perfect (which would have been 36). Was amazing really.

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