I had my first last visit. The first of many final visits to my schools. Some schools aren't going to be hard to say good-bye to. Today's school was probably the most difficult of all. It is a small country school and I have become very close to the students, the teachers and the principal in the last 10 months. I don't know if it is because the school is in the countryside or because the school is small, but the kids are different than at other schools. They are more open and easier to form friendships with. I am going to miss Rokujo Elementary School a lot.
So my final day. Every class gave me presents. The 1st graders had each written a note and the teacher put them all together in a book. The 2nd graders had a book of pictures they had drawn. The 6th graders gave me a poster. Each time a group gave me a present I started to get teary eyed. I think the 4th graders were the hardest though. They came into the teacher's room in groups of 4 and gave me posters they had made. The posters had ribbon on them and were hung around my neck. The greatest part was that the students remembered all of the things that I like, and put them onto the posters. Lots of frogs and the color green. A few places I was drawn as a princess (can't object to that). The teachers didn't understand why there were frogs all over everything. But the students knew and I knew.
I took my current job almost as a temp, an 11 month temp, but still a temp. There are times when I have had trouble feeling like I fit in. There are times when just being a foreigner in Japan means I don’t fit in. Today was a perfect day where I felt like I fit in perfectly. I know I wrote about this a year ago when I was leaving Amity, but it is a lesson I keep learning, so I will write it again. I never understand my place or how I fit in or how much people appreciate me until I am leaving. It's bitter sweet because although it feels good to know people appreciate you, it is sad that you don't know until you are saying good-bye.
I don't want to end this on a sad note, because I am not sad. Although it doesn't make good-byes any easier, I am excited about everything that is coming up in the next few months. I am happy that I will be going home. And I am happy that I have had such a good experience in Japan.
So my final day. Every class gave me presents. The 1st graders had each written a note and the teacher put them all together in a book. The 2nd graders had a book of pictures they had drawn. The 6th graders gave me a poster. Each time a group gave me a present I started to get teary eyed. I think the 4th graders were the hardest though. They came into the teacher's room in groups of 4 and gave me posters they had made. The posters had ribbon on them and were hung around my neck. The greatest part was that the students remembered all of the things that I like, and put them onto the posters. Lots of frogs and the color green. A few places I was drawn as a princess (can't object to that). The teachers didn't understand why there were frogs all over everything. But the students knew and I knew.
I took my current job almost as a temp, an 11 month temp, but still a temp. There are times when I have had trouble feeling like I fit in. There are times when just being a foreigner in Japan means I don’t fit in. Today was a perfect day where I felt like I fit in perfectly. I know I wrote about this a year ago when I was leaving Amity, but it is a lesson I keep learning, so I will write it again. I never understand my place or how I fit in or how much people appreciate me until I am leaving. It's bitter sweet because although it feels good to know people appreciate you, it is sad that you don't know until you are saying good-bye.
I don't want to end this on a sad note, because I am not sad. Although it doesn't make good-byes any easier, I am excited about everything that is coming up in the next few months. I am happy that I will be going home. And I am happy that I have had such a good experience in Japan.
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