Yesterday was Sports Day. The day that lives in either infamy or in the hearts of the young. There are only three kinds of people who go to Sports Day; those who lose everything and have an awful time, those who win and have a good time and those who lose and have an even better time. It is so easy to be either the second or first person, but the third takes an effort that is not easy. But as I watched races and competitions yesterday, I saw so many people who acted more like the third and less like the second or first. Sports Day is not a day to lose or win, Sports Day is a time to have fun. Next Sports Day I want to be more like the third and less like the first (I didn’t say less like the second because I don’t usually win). And I ask you, which one do you want to be?

An event I hadn’t done ever since I left South-East Asia; that is, approximately, six years ago; was my last sports day! I guess one of the reasons there is no sports day in France is that most don’t actually appreciate sport as much as those who are here. Before the event began I actually was not at all in shape, mentally, to do all these activities; just like each time before a school event.  But, like each time when the school event began, I was in the mood and ready. Sports day is a fun and yet competitive event. There is a winning house, and everyone does their best to gain a maximum amount of points possible, so that their house will be in lead. In the morning the skies were grey, but as we got gradually exhausted the sun and heat augmented… coincidence. Most of the activities that followed, heat would fully capture you in an envelope of closed air. It was tiring, but yet again fun and challenging. In my mind I was pretty absent, for me its not the competition and showing how good you are that counts, but the fun and dares to try and beat a friend that is probably way better than you in P.E. When lunch came around, everyone was already quite exhausted and hungry. Many were eager to see how their house was doing in gaining house points and to see how much progress they had to do in order to gain first place. Lunch was good and, as always, friends were wonderful in encouraging, talking about the different activities we had participated in and having a laugh. P.S. too many selfies were taken, some might even believe that people took more selfies than the minutes combined in all the sport they had done. I don’t believe that’s true by the way. So on the morning, there was the obstacle course, sliding on grass, jumping quickly and hitting a rugby ball (I believe that’s what it was) with a hockey stick. That last was a pain and got me really impatient. Then there was shoe-throw, or something like that, to see how far you could throw your shoe with your leg, at first I was really wierded-out by the activity but it came to be entertaining to the eyes, I didn’t participate in this activity. Then was the long jump, yay, something I knew my height could graciously help me in. The rest of the day was ultimately races and entire house activities, such as the tug of war and balloon passing. The crowds were for ever enthusiastic and encouraging, no  matter what house you were a part of, and even if my legs were literally telling me off for my uncaring attitude toward making them sore, my house’s leading points encouraged me to try and do a little more each time. I had a great time, and it feels good to do a communal sporty activity once again.