School Year Ends; Teachers Wander Off

Rachel says 'Goodbye' to Teachers, is Heartbroken on Purely Educational Level.

I won’t lie, this week has sucked and it has sucked hard. Last week I believe I studied Japanese for about 6-7 hours every day. It was interesting how much of it I was able to retain considering I have the conversational ability of an autistic panda.

I had an enkai with the Ine JHS teachers on Friday of last week. We went to a beautiful hotel in Amanohashidate (I was terribly underdressed) and ate fantastic food that went on and on for hours, course after course. Sauced up on sake, beer, and whatever liquor the womenfolk were feeding me, I had a good time conversing with my cohorts and taking time out to have English conversations with Aimi-sensei as well. The teachers’ speeches were very boring, but sincere. We are losing seven teachers (of our 15)—but three of them are only going to Honjo, where I also teach. I am sad to be losing one of my favorite teachers in the world, Fujimura-sensei. Her never-ending genkiness and motherly love towards me has really helped me get situated at Ine JHS. I wont’ be forgetting her anytime soon. She’s off to Hashidate JHS! So, at least Bryn can see her for me!

Yesterday (the last day of wretched March, which did not go out like a damn lamb) was my last day of work with Tsuji-sensei – my JTE and the best friend I had in my town for sure. We chatted the whole day about what we were nervous about in the coming year. She told me she really liked a lot of the teachers who are coming (including Notani-sensei, the new English teacher from Bryn’s school). That made me relax a lot. She says her new school is a fairly good size, maybe 300-400 students. Sadly she’s going to Yawada, which is clear across the prefecture (as much as you can get before going into Wakayama). A group of us teachers went to the only restaurant in Honjo (a lunch restaurant by Urashima Shrine that serves famous soba and delicious udon). It was nice chatting with the other teachers; some leaving, some staying. We all came back to school quite refreshed and full of noodles.

Midway through the day, Tsuji-sensei sat down at her desk and informed me that she was unable to make the Goodbye Enkai the next day because she had to drive to her new school immediately after the goodbye teachers ceremony on Tuesday. I was crushed. All of a sudden I went from having one more day with Tsuji-sensei to having two more brief hours. Hours at school, and not drunk at a hotel somewhere. It was a miserable way to end it, I felt. I helped her clean up the student council room with Ota-sensei (the math teacher who has taken a shine to me and likes to try out English on me). Afterwards it was time for me to leave. I said, ‘well, thank you for everything.’ Then she extended her arms for a hug—which I wasn’t sure people ever did in this country. I hugged her goodbye and we said our, “I’ll miss you’s” and “write me soons”. I left the school crying for the third time in one month.

I am at Ine JHS at the moment. We’ve just completed the goodbye teacher ceremony and it was sad, but more boring and cold than anything else. Why is it still cold?! The gym teacher is considerably more good-looking than the last (the 55 year old man) which makes me feel a bit more high-spirited about the coming school year.

Thank you to all the teachers for making my first 8 months in Japan memorable, and for being nice to me even though I could never quite speak to you other than saying all the wrong things in your ridiculous picture language.
Love, Rachel.

The Bay - Could it BE any more colours?