Well, This Is It!

Hey everybody. Thanks for all the kind words about the blog. Wow, this has been some week. So many goodbyes. And as I am a person who has moved a lot, I know the truth is that it is highly unlikely I shall ever return. And the truth is I have spent this week in an emotional coma. Most of the time I couldn't feel anything. I was just numb. I've had a few tears, but they haven't lasted long. I had a Farewell party with Skyland last night. I said goodbye to Hiroyo on Wednesday (she cried). I've been given so many gifts by my students I would need an extra suitcase to fit them all in if I was keeping them all. One of the moms cried yesterday after class. She just kept saying how her son, Jidai, had known me his whole life. Tomorrow the girls from Sony are coming to pick me up to take me to the bus station. And them when I get off the bus I shall be met by Yuma, Yoko and Mikio Suzuki, Yoko's mother Miyoshi, and Miyoshi's boyfriend a.k.a. Puppy. They will have taken an earlier bus (why they aren't driving is beyond me). They are making a day of it to visit the airport. This is not uncommon. Many Japanese head to the airport as a destination in itself and have a spot of dinner. Go figure. But tonight was the biggest goodbyes. After saying goodbye to my last class (which was very difficult) I headed to Foo-Rin for another Going Away Party. Junko, Toshi, Hiromi, Kayo, The Suzukis and O'Goody came for a private party. We laughed and shared our favorite memories. And all to quickly it came to an end. They attempted to start suggesting we do something else after the dinner. And we almost went bowling (even though O'Goody has a broken arm and Mikio has a broken finger), but some of the others nixed the idea. And I decided it was best just to say goodbye. So we took some quick photos, the Foo-Rin folks gave me a t-shirt, we made some jokes and hugged with tears in our eyes. And then I got on my bicycle and rode off into the night. Goodbye.

Blog Going Away Party

Thanks for coming to my Blog Going Away Party. Here, have a drink. Have you met my mother, she makes the most comments on my blog. Or have you met An Englishman in Osaka, he's a blog neighbor.

Okay, all you lurkers, and non-lurkers. This is your last chance to make a comment, as I leave in a few days. I'd love here what your favorite part of my blog was - a picture, a story, my witty descriptions of life? No need to tell me your least favorite bits, as blogging is soon to be a thing of the past for me. Blogging was a real experience for me, and turns out I am not a writer. I always liked doing the photos though, so maybe I'm a photographer. But writing it not easy, nor particularly enjoyable for me. This actually came as a surprise to me. Nonetheless folks, let's here from you. I'm a little on the bummed side, so I could use some uplifting of my spirits.

Meeting Teo

Yesterday I got to meet Teo for the first time. Shosei was kind enough to drive me out to Iwata, where Yukie and the new baby are staying for 6 weeks. It's traditional for a daughter to return to her parents house for a month or two after the birth of a baby. Yukie and Teo got off to a rough start. He made her sick for the entire pregnancy, and he demands more milk than her body can provide, and he came a month early (while her parents were out of the country). But given all these problems, Yukie still beamed the whole time I was there. And her parents were adorable and so sweet, I wanted to take them home with me. Yukie and Shosei are going to try and see me again before I leave, but with Teo now in charge, it's not definite. So, it might have been a hello and good-bye meeting. Who knows?