Special Report: Ritto High School Culture Festival 2002

Erik is shunned at the Tea Ceremony

-- RITTO, Japan

One year after ruining the Tea Ceremony at Ritto High School's annual Culture Festival, Erik was spotted once again trying his hand at the ancient Japanese art of tea.  This time, however, Erik was shunned by tea ceremony organizers, and he was left to drink his tea with virtually no special attention -- in stark contrast to last year's debacle.

"Last year, I couldn't get people off of me for just one moment while I tried to drink my tea....  But this time, it's like they didn't want me to be there or something," Erik told ENN reporters waiting at his apartment that night.  "Anyway," he sniffed, "it was a good festival."

The annual Culture Festival is a two-day-long extravaganza of both traditional and modern Japanese culture.  All Ritto High School students took part in stage performances of singing, karate, dance, or acting.  The freshmen decorated their classrooms to resemble Alice in Wonderland, or Winnie the Pooh's Home, among other exciting, very cultural presentations.

The Culture Festival got off to a good start when Erik was appointed as a surprise judge and made to sit on stage for the students' amusement.  "I thought I would be judging the cultural beauty, but as it turned out, they just had me say whether I thought this kid looked like Harry Potter or not.  Oh, well."

School officials had no comment when asked why Erik was asked to be a judge and then shunned at the Tea Ceremony on the same day.

As always, stay with ENN as we continue our investigation into the scandals at the Culture Festival.  And be ready for more photos of the festival to be published tomorrow!