IrishOboe

Since I’m obsessed I spend a good part of the time before my successor (Julie) came cleaning, organizing, and packing. That was most of Wednesday, July 26^th though I did some last minute omiyage (gift) shopping, too. Thursday was similarly engaged in chores such as closing my bank account and filing my tax rep papers at the tax office. Bless Naito sensei for being there for that. I ended up having to go to the Kofu bank to close the account and send my money to America. They wanted to close the account, hand me cash, then send me to the main bank to wire it, but I wasn’t doing that! Even at the main bank they wanted to hand me cash and send me upstairs with it. After objecting they did manage to do it electronically. They’re so trusting, but I’d rather have that paper trail and no cash in my hands! It was relatively painless to send the wire, though a tad expensive, but again, I wanted the paper trail. Sometimes I wonder if I have OCD. In the middle of all that Naito sensei took me to a delightful little restaurant tucked away in a neighborhood and known only by word of mouth. It’s a reservation only, small, intimate, artistic place and the food was amazing in taste and presentation. I did my best to pay for the meal ($50 a head!) but once again Naito sensei prevailed. I couldn't pay when I first arrived because I was new and I couldn’t pay then because I was leaving! Oh how to give back! I’m going to miss Naito sensei a lot. Hm, I’m writing like I went out with her yesterday, I DO miss her a lot!

Happily, I cannot recall all the little jobs that had to be done in my last days there, but it was a little stressful. Add to that putting together going away gifts, letters, and appropriate pictures (which I’d never developed) and I was rather frantic. Obviously I managed somehow, though many things were left undone, or postponed and conveniently forgotten once I finally got home and relaxed! I want to do things too well, so they don’t get done. I know this is a bad solution. I’m working on it.

Friday (July 28) night was the Shirane English teachers farewell enkai for me. I biked to Barolo near Kofu staition and had great food and company. The teachers pitched in to give me a pencil case of Inden, special Yamanashi patterned deer skin, and a small cloth that hangs on a doorway like the ones at the entrances to shops. I’d thought those were cool and had been thinking of buying one – I have no idea how they knew! I gave them my letters and it was hard to say goodbye. I was emotionally num from about that point on since I couldn’t bear to think about living it all for who knows how long. This numbness was consistent. I didn’t cry, I didn’t feel, I just went along rather happy it would seem. I couldn’t get it into my head that I was leaving!

Saturday the Hippo Family Club gave me a farewell party for which I was asked to play whistle! I didn’t mind being the entertainment for my own party since they loved it so much and I even danced a bit for them, too, though I’m mighty out of shape! That morning I had made onigiri (rice balls – that Japanese equivalent of a sandwich) for the party, but I was a bit worried because I used all kinds of leftovers that I had about (I’d been trying to bring down the food stores to a minimum so things wouldn’t get wasted). I think I put umeboshi (picled plum) and bonito (fish flakes) in with the white rice (oh, how I’ve missed Japanese rice since I’ve been home. I had no idea it was so different, and so much more flavorful!), and filled them with tuna and mayo (that’s not unusual), but I did something different when wrapping them with seaweed and salting them, I can’t remember now! Anyway, they were like no onigiri I’d been taught to make so I was self-conscious about bringing my version of a traditional Japanese food to my Japanese friends! Well, it turned out to be great. I saw the kids digging in and I asked them how they were. They loved them! Oh! I’ve passed! I got a cute picture and a great video of them eating and saying “oishiiii” (delicious).

Many people gave me going away gifts and Nana chan (10 year old?) gave me a book that she’d written and illustrated (in Japanese). I got a video of her reading it to me. It was one of the most precious farewell gifts I got! Oh, I miss Hippo!

Of course I went to church after Hippo, but I can’t remember anything too special since the next day’s events eclipsed everything: the baptisms! That deserves its own post, though.

Kasia spent Saturday night at my place since she was in town. It was nice to have some little bit more time with her, though we didn’t have much.

Sunday was the New Life baptisms at Lake Yamanaka, which I’ll write about soon (I hope). Monday (July 31) marked the beginning of my last week in Japan. Far too early in the morning (5:45) I met Yoyo at the library and she drove me to the meeting place for the Hippo trip into Tokyo for the Hippo Transnational Workshop. Sadly both Ryu’s family and Tamachan (Alex) couldn’t make it at the last minute, but it was a fun bus ride anyway. The workshop was in Asakusa, and we were quite early. We hung around and then the chaos started! There were groups from all over the world (China, Korea, Europe, Australia, England, the USA, India, and more I can’t remember). We played games (London Bridge doesn’t work with 800 people), watched demonstrations from groups about their home countries, listened to testimonials about homestays, and generally had chaotic, good fun. I was asked at the last minute to give a speech about my experience at Hippo, which I did in English and Japanese! The audience was noticeably surprised (and probably too impressed for what I actually produced). Still, I was proud. The best part was going around in groups listening to people from all over the world introducing themselves in many different (foreign) languages and showing off their “all about me” pictures books.

After the workshop, which lasted a few hours, we went into Asakusa for lunch and I had cold soba – ah, that was good! After lunch we walked to a nearby temple, sadly to me looked like any other temple. I enjoyed being with Hippo folks, though. Sadly one little boy suddenly became attached to me – how sad to have to leave!

We didn’t have much time after that so we just took the bus back. Many people had bought snacks and were passing them around the bus. It was like a second meal!

We got back to Kofu just in time for me to be a little late to Bible study. I’d told them I couldn’t make it, but I decided to go because I felt I needed it. That Bible study had been such a blessing I couldn’t resist even though I was tired. Luckily it’d been at Bonnie and Atley’s for a while so I could bike their rather easily. It probably did me good to get the exercise after so many hours on a bus, too!

Tuesday I’d planned to spend the morning shopping with Yayoi to get the accessories I needed to complete my kimono set. It’s so complicated! We had to go to a number of stores to get the shoes, the socks, the underwear, the ties, the hair accessories, the support things, the fluff thing, the stiff neck thing, the special hanger, etc. etc. In the meantime I found the most adorable yukata outfit for Jonathan with dragon on the back and the kanji for dragon on the front. I couldn’t resist and you should check out Daley Ponderings for his picture! When we’d finally assembled all the pieces-parts we went to Yayoi’s home in the mountains. Oh! It was so beautiful! I’d run up in that direction one time, and it was nice, but we went much further and that was truly rural Japan. The old houses were carved in the hillside and whispered the traditions of the past. I believe their home is about 200 years old, stone, covered in ivy, and surrounded by beautiful, wild growth. I can’t begin to describe it, and the three story house where the other stories were more like lofts that full floors. We had tea then Yayoi helped me put on the Kimono then I put it on by myself, taking pictures along the way so I would have a chance at remembering when I got back to America. I did manage to remember and showed it off to my parents. Um, yeah, pictures to go up sometime . . . (sorry!)

After that lovely morning/afternoon I had a slew of stuff to do before going out that night to dinner with Naito and Shimizu sensei. Julie was arriving the next morning! I wasn’t nearly as prepared as I hoped and still had a lot of cleaning to do. It was great to see Shimizu sensei again (she’d been moved to another school) and I could give her my farewell gift – grape jelly! She’d fallen in love with the PBJ sandwich, so I couldn’t resist.

Wednesday, August 2^nd I ran around like a mad women cleaning and getting the trash to the street before Naito sensei picked me up to go meet Julie. I didn’t do badly, but it wasn’t spotless! I guess she’d be cleaning it all anyway, and there was no goo and gop and things were organized, swept and vacuumed. I’m sure it’s better than what most people get.

It was strange waiting at the international center for the bus to arrive now being at the other end of things. All the memories of my first day in Yamanashi came flooding back and while waiting for the delayed bus to arrive I could reflect on my time here and how I’d changed. I don’t know what to express much less how to express it. It was a great year, though, and one full of learning and adventure. It was, no doubt, a great decision and opportunity. Ah, but should it have only been one year? There’s no use asking what if.

Julie arrived and we went to lunch with her boyfriend and his school. I got my first taste of how I’d changed in ways I hadn’t noticed when I introduced Julie to the drink bar. I explained the obvious (get your own drink as often as you want) but failed to translate the labels since they were so plainly labeled, but of course they were in katakana! I wasn’t seeing like an American would, it went right from figures to meaning in my head.

It was great to meet Julie and show her around. Most predecessors don’t meet their successors, but I wanted to make sure she’d take care of my babies! From what I hear, she’s doing a better job that I did in terms of teaching. It’s hard to think that she loves them more, though. Man, I miss those kids.

After spending the afternoon with Julie and Matt and helping them with the apartment and all kinds of odds and ends Miwako picked me up for one class basketball fling. What dear people! After a fun game (besides feeling a bit sick and getting hit in the glasses with the ball) we all went out to dinner/dessert as a farewell for me. I hardly spent much time with these folks and they made me feel like family. Sadly, since I was leaving, some in the group finally felt bold enough to talk to me. Curse the English program in Japan that makes the Japanese so afraid to speak! Here I am a shy foreigner in a strange land and people are afraid to make me feel welcome because they’ve been taught I’ll care about their grammar! It is as it is and at least I’ll treasure the conversations I had that night. It was beautiful to see the buff, handsome, cool (but secretly insecure about his English) comic ring leader answer simple questions in English from me and positively light up when he understood and could communicate back. He was so shy at first, and often turned to his neighbor for help, but he opened up and we had a simple, but meaningful conversation. Oh, I’m glad I haven’t written this up earlier because it’s reminding me of what I loved so much about my job. It rarely happened in class, but those moments were precious when I found a shy student and gently facilitated the realization that English is a communication tool he or she was capable of using and enjoying. Oh, to see that joy flash across their faces! There’s was something very special about this last time it happened there in that group of basketball buddies. Here’s a twenty-something guy who looks too cool for me and he’s really aching to talk but afraid to! I do nothing but ask clearly (I no longer speak clearly now that I’m back, btw) and plainly a simple question I know he can answer (that’s the advantage of working in the school – I know what they teach and what basic or even strange vocab they know), and it brings such joy! Sure, there are more important things in the world, but I guess I can’t express how meaningful it is because you can’t see them in that moment of vulnerability where they appear as children afraid and unsure and then burst (again as children) with joy and confidence. I had the same feeling with my first short exchanges with other Shirane teachers. If it’s not fun and exciting to learn a new language, you’re doing something wrong, i.e. not using it!

Okay, now that the afternoon is gone and I’m reminded why I haven’t made the time to sit down and write an update I think it’s time to break. The basketball folks gave me a basketball keitai strap and signed a plaque for me and we all took a picture. I was so touched! I can’t see a basketball court without thinking of them.