Sumo and the Stomach bug

This Wednesday, the K-step students were treated to a sumo tournament! Matches would take quite a few minutes to start, with salt being sprinkled in ring and the wrestlers purifying themselves. There was much stamping and belly slapping. I knew that some of the wrestlers were muslim, so I thought the melodic chanting was the call to prayer in respect to the rikishi's religion, but really that was the announcer naming the contestants! The similarity is uncanny! The matches themselves were short. I was amazed by the strength of the wrestlers, some being able to pick to other one up and unbalance him. As an artist, I found the differing musculature of a sumo wrestler fascinating. Despite popular belief, you can be fluffy and fit!
My friend and I left early to get a jump on studying and we saw a few of the rikishi on our way out. Thanks to my much braver friend asking for me(I know, so cowardly!), I was able to get a picture with a pair of sumo wrestlers!

There is a stomach bug going around called the norovirus which sounds really unpleasant. One of the students became ill at school and the staff was quick to clean and sanitize, assuring us that the bathroom had be scoured of the virus. I met the student later and inquired after their health. They had been given a bottle of sanitizer by the dorm manager and told to spray everything they touched. The staff is delivering food to their room and the student is on lock down for 48 hours. Wow! Illness is taken very seriously here!