1/29/2011
So that list I was writing is a bit too long to write all at once, so I’ll be writing two blog post simultaneously. So you might see some repetitive comments. It’s now two days before I leave and I feel I need to talk about my goodbyes… and packing…. A lot of packing…. Every time I turn around I feel there is more stuff! So tomorrow… or today, I will send a little more home by mail.
Anyway, I guess I’ll start with last week. I got a call from my area coordinator reminding me to do everything I was already doing. This is something I don’t find enjoyable. I tried giving her the benefit of the doubt with all the rumors I herd about her, from other exchange students, but her choice of topics isn’t exactly charming. (apparently she is well known among many of the exchange students here in Tokyo. And not in a good way.) She is a very sweet person, however for someone who’s working with teenagers, she really doesn’t understand the idea of Chilax.
She is a very busy person, from the amount of kids who were placed in her area, so I can understand why she doesn’t have time for casual conversations, so the only times I hear from her are when she is reminding me to do something, (a lot more often then needed.) or when someone actually hunts her down when they have a problem.
This tends to cause a little frustration, but nothing to big.
However in my case, what frustrates me a bit is her persistence to having everyone study Japanese to the point of tears, and then more. (Exactly what happened to me.) This makes her calls very unpleasant for me. We already have everyone else with the same idea, so it would really be nice to not have to worry about a language barrier when talking with her. Then comes her review reports. After all of the above she sends us homework that asks us what we think about her. (in Japanese.) Well we all know she is going to read it, so we don’t wanna bash her, but lying and saying that we are ok with everything REALLY doesn’t appeal to us either. (I talked with one of the other student about these forms. She… had a slightly stronger opinion about them.) so… no one sends it in. So every phone call we get ends with her asking where the report is.
She really isn’t a horrible coordinator just, unfortunate.
Enough about here, I didn’t start typing to complain again, actually this last week has been ok. Despite the baggage issue, (you know the drill, every time you turn around more stuff seems to show up.) I have been making a lot of progress on my trip back. I got all the paperwork I need to graduate school, I have given my phone number and contact info to a lot of my friends, and I even learned a few last minute recipes, (and art tricks.) from the library.
I have said goodbye to all my teachers, all usually consisting of a, thank you, goodbye, keep working hard, and the speech. Almost every class I had to give a last speech… that sucked. But heramatsu helped me out with that, he knew I wasn’t sure what to say, and so he whispered one word to me, ‘ninjin’ (or carrot) which made me respond pretty quickly with ‘I hate carrots.’ This made everyone laugh. It’s the one thing I will be remembered for at the school I bet, is the opening speech I gave at the beginning of this adventure, and me announcing that same sentence. “I hate carrots.’ It’s kinda strong, I eat carrots, and for a while I thought I liked them, but… I kinda don’t. They are ok, I guess, but… when eaten with anything else, all you taste is the carrot. It’s annoying.
Well eventually I got through the second to last week. My friend left around this time, and she went back home to Canada. Her friend April left three days later. I still have to read April’s blog, it’s said to be legendary. Read her first post and, it’s WAY better then mine. And I was told people like MY blog.
Anyway one thing that happened last weekend is that My friend Heramatsu planned a party for me…. Long story short I showed up at the wrong station and waited there for two hours, and missed my own party. (I cried.) but the make up party is tonight. Turns out I was only one station away too.
Um, there was one party for my class as well, but only a couple guys showed up there. Almost missed that one two, but luckily I managed to sort it all out. (OMG I just though I forgot to tell my host parents about the part tonight, but I remembered, its all cool.)
It was fun, but I was tired and stressed. I have been for the last week now. EXACTLY like before I left for Japan. But I don’t think there will be a surprise party to cheer me up this time.
What else. My uniform was cleaned and handed in this week. I have been wearing my school’s sports jersey. I get to take that home with me.
My last two P.E classes, or P.E. class was Monday. I was actually running more then I thought I was. Instead of 2 kilometers I was running 4. Tuesday we had soccer… but I missed it. Got sick and was stuck in the bathroom almost all hour. Side affect of stress.
But after school, which was right before the class party, I played soccer outside with the guys. I think not playing soccer for so long has IMPROVED my skills. Or Japan has. My thinking and reaction time during play has increased. To bad I can’t play with the school team when I go back, I would make varsity. (no choice, seniors all go to varsity. )
I said goodbye to all my friends yesterday. That was sad. My class even wrote a card for me so I wouldn’t forget them. And we took pictures. Got to get them on my computer before I go home.
When I got my certificate for attendance, (used so I get credit at MY school for attending) I had to go see the principle. There I got to talk with him one last time, and learned a bit about him as well. One, he is a very funny guy. Two, he doesn’t speak English, which is why both times I saw him I had someone there as a translator. He gave me my papers, a school towel, and told me I got to keep my PE uniform. (Poulo and I guessed we got to considering we had our names sewn in on both parts, AND we paid for them.)
What else, oh, my Homeroom teacher, Maya Yoshikawa, gave me these amazing souvenirs from her trip to a Kabuki. (Japanese stage play.)
I got a letter from my sculpture friend. Remember her? I talked about her on here a couple times. She disappeared a while ago. And I never really did learn weather or not she was still in the school. But she sent a letter to me apologizing, saying she enjoyed the classes we did have together, and then saying goodbye. I will keep this letter for sure. She’s one of four people, besides heramatsu, in my class that I really stood out form everyone. I will always remember her as the girl who disappeared.
Yusuke, one of the other three people who stuck out to me, I didn’t get to say goodbye too. He has pierced ears, (got in trouble for it idk how many times.) and is someone I had an easier time talking to. He’s a lot like some of the guys in my middle school. He acts like he’s all that, and dangerous, (and to the other students that’s all they see) but to me I just saw a guy… an idiot. In a good way. I like people like him because they always know what’s truly important for their self-esteem. If they want to do something, they do it, not because it will impress others, but because it will impress themselves. To bad he’s in a school that doesn’t support that way of thinking. If it weren’t for my sudden reverse of personality in 4h, I probably would have become better friends with him.
Rikya, person number three, is the art student in the class. He’s good at what he does, and I always am impressed when I notice something new about him. Remember at the beginning I mentioned the Festival with the decorations, and they had a contest that had the guys dress like girls, and girls dress like guys? Well he’s the person who won. I saw his costume to. It was… amazing.
Since then I have see smaller pieces of his work, and I have been impressed with all of it. I have been an art student for ten years now, and even though people love the work I do, I always feel it lacks either reality, or feeling. I can never get a good mix to express myself. But Rikya, is someone who expresses himself just fine, and manages to do it INSIDE the lines as well. You know that expression right, artists never color inside the lines, well in Rikya’s situation, he colors inside the lines because he has to, but he works inside these limits and does a great job. I hope to see his work in the future when he isn’t restricted by others’ opinions and rules. (you know I think I might tell sensei this so I can keep tract better.)
Anyway, the last person is Suuta. He’s actually the odd one out of the four people I noticed because all the others work OUTSIDE the popularity circle, but Suuta is in the center. Why do I care? Suuta has this ability to get everyone’s attention (which I think is why he’s one of the class’ announcers.) He ‘s gentle enough to the people who respond to that gentle attitude, but he’s strong enough that he’s able to get everyone else’s attention. A perfect combo. But he also has his difficulties. And like with many people it’s his image.
I’m not going to write about this one because It’s an Issue that I could be wrong about, but it makes a lot of sense to me. But Like I said before Suuta is short and cute, and like I hate being tall, he probably hates being short.
Anyway all four of these people I noticed ate lunch somewhere else or by themselves. They are friends with the other classmates but like me, sometimes food needs to be eaten alone.
