Last day of school

Today was the last official day of school, although the kids will be required to come to school periodically or if they are in a club then almost every day. Not much of a summer break if you ask me. I will also be required to come to school until my contract is finished which is on July 28th. Nothing but sitting around all day.

We had closing ceremonies and I had to make a speech, I was super nervous seeing how it was all in Japanese. I managed to get through all of it without too many mistakes and without any tears, although my voice did waver a bit.

I am sad to leave what I think as my second home. I have spent two years here and I must say that it has been a wonderful experience that I will probably never forget. The kids are definately what has made it wonderful.

I had lunch with some of my Gr. 12's today, then spent the better part of the afternoon talking to them. What a change from 2 years ago, when the kids were scared to even approach me. I will miss these little hellions far more than they will ever realize.

Stuff and more stuff

I seem to have a bottomless closet. I take things out of it and it seems that more things magically appear in its' place. I have been packing for over a month now and it still seems like I have to pack more. My apartment is covered with random things and big cardboard boxes. I walk into my apartment and feel like my stacks of stuff are going topple over in a clothing avalanche and bury me alive. I hate packing about as much as I hate saying good byes.

ARRGHGGH!! It is almost worth it to stay in Japan another year so I don't have to deal with the packing and good byes.

Sayonara

July has been the say good bye month for me for 3 years now. I don't like good byes and have a hard time with them.

Yesterday, we had a good bye sushi lunch with all my fellow English teachers. I was touched by the kind words spoken about me and the sense that I will be missed. I got a good bye present that I had requested with an unexpectant surprise. I wanted a bag my baseball team has. It is an "official baseball bag" with my name on it and Daiichi (my school) written on it. It is perfect and exactly what I wanted. It reminds me of my school and my baseball boys, whom I love. They are usually the best kids in the class and the ones to come talk to me. To get that bag you have to be a member of the baseball team and actually be a good player. I think that I am perhaps the only girl ever to own the Daiichi Baseball team bag.

I also received a baseball warm up jersey, with my name on it. Surprised by that one.

So sad to say good bye and to realize that I leave in two weeks. How fast time goes by.

Yukata-kai

A yukata is a light weight cotton summer Kimono.

I had been taking lessons on how to wear a Yukata and tie the belt. I had the intentions of studying how to put on a Kimono but because of lack of time and the cost of accumulating all the Kimono accessories (underwear, ties, belts, clips, in addition to the thousand dollar kimono), I decided to learn to wear the yukata.

So, I have been practicing for 3 weeks now and yesterday we had a party were everyone was dressed in Yukatas and kimonos. It was partly a demonstration too. So, we got up on stage and tied it infront of everyone. I was a bit nervous standing infront of everyone, in addition to the newspaper being there to take pictures of the silly foreigners. Because in Japan, an event instantly becomes international relations when a foreigner is present

So, I had a wonderful time. After the sit down dinner we of course piled into the cars in our yukatas and went to the mall. It is quite an interesting sight, when you have 7 people all dressed in traditional Japanese summer clothing walking through the mall. Of course we had to stop for Starbucks and take Print Club (print club is little photo stickers that are a huge hit here). Only in Japan would I be wearing a Yukata, drinking Starbucks, and taking Print Club.




It was a wonderful experience and a great way to cap off my stay in Japan.