week 51

sniff sniff


sob sob


each week gets stranger and more surreal. Have i made the right choice? Should i have stayed and transferred schools? I hate feeling like maybe i have made the wrong decision as there is nothing i can do about it. I felt sad after having such an awesome weekend, so maybe that is tinting my opinions right now.
Monday was a public holiday so i slept in a little because my muscles hurt, and then i went into fukui. I met lots of people at undo koen park. i was sposed to play tennis but i was hurting too much so i watched a little and said some goodbyes. I received an amazing gift from hitomi. she drew and coloured the most realistic picture, of me and her nephew. It is incredible and i was astonished that she spent so much time doing it. After this i met meagan for a coffee and chat before we met a group of JETs to watch the new Harry Potter. I wasnt that excited by it i have to admit which was slightly disappointing. It just lacked substance. Nothing much happened. Boo. After the movie, John Kim and i went to a yakiniku that they have been talking about for ages called dokobokaya. It was a cool restaraunt and the salads and the beef were scrummy. Tuesday and wednesday were normal school days and my last lessons. I ran on tuesday before cleaning my apartment a little and then chilling with jandk. On wednesday i did some shopping and cleaning and then had coffee and puri kura with bruce shari matthew beata john kim jill and jordana. Andy and gallina popped along to and it was great to see so many people, although the goodbyes at the end of the evening were quite choking. The first time i got a little teary-no no no resist the waterworks!!
On thursday i was only in school until 11 as i was told i could leave. It was a day when all the parents came in to collect their child's report. I was really busy all morning writing final reports and doing papaerwork and then afterwards i went home, cleaned a bit, played tennis and then i went to harue for my eikiwae sayonara party with Beata. We went to an Italian restaraunt in Harue and there were 10 of us all together. It was fun talking in english to them, and as per usual the food was super. Spaghetti, pizza, suzuki fish and a pork katsudon thing. The meal was finished off with a chocolate cake, ice cream and creme brule type dessert. It was a fun evening.
Friday was my last day at school. I had to give a speech at the closing ceremony which Mr Mura translated. I think it went down well, although i was still a little nervous! I cannot wait till i get to the age when butterflies just disappear! After my speech, i listened to one of my san-nensei students who gave a speech to me in English. It was the saddest part, but i managed to stay composed. For the rest of the day i was taking photos, wandering the school and not doing too much! Just before i left i received a brand new leather purse from the english teachers which was perfect. In return i gave the teahcers their presents which i think went down well. It was a odd final farewell at the school though, coz nothing really happened!! i just kind of left which made me feel a bit sad really, but all was remedied later at the final sayonara party in mikuni. We were in a hotel and we had a bbq (jap style obviously- no bangers and burgers). It was shitty weather but we were inside, and the men and their testosterone was outside cooking noodles and meat. It was nice to talk to the teachers, as they are more fun and approachable with alcohol! I got presented with a boquet of flowers from Nakamura sensei which was funny as the teachers were jeering us to hug and kiss! I also got money and other presents. It was really unexpected and a good way to end my time at the school. The teachers flattered me all evening, and kocho sensei was particularly sweet. After the bbq, lots of teachers disappeared home and to the onsen so i never properly said goodbye, but maybe it is better that wasy. Goodbyes are always too odd. Tanaka sensei and i joined some of the men at an izakaya after this first party. To my suprise they ordered more food. One thing i will never understand is how they can eat so much when they go out and they can still be the size of a chopstick. I got a final banzai and lots of handshaking before i left, and then it was all over.....
Saturday was a mad day. Up at 5.30 to go to Hakusan with john, kim and meagan, for one last adventure in japan. I really wanted to climb another mountain and this seemed the VERY last chance!! It was a bit of a drizzley morning but we decided to be hard core and conquour the mountain before us- that we couldnt actually see because of the mist and very low cloud! It was a steep hour or two climb to begin, and to my great suprise i got altitude sickness. Not sure why as Fuji was fine. Alcohol, lack of sleepage, stress a combination i reckon. Anyways, this hindered my enjoyment slightly for the first leg of the climb, but after a lie down in a hut up the mountain i felt better and we continued. The flowers up the mountain were quite cool, and although it prohibited us from seeing a lot, the mist was very atmospheric. The view from the top was...well there wasnt a view as we literally could not see 15ft infront of us! But hey ho! I had a great time and didnt feel bad after we got down to the bottom either, which was a huge bonus. The feeling of climbing a mountain is quite unique! That evening after ridding ourselves of the muddy and soggy clothes, we went to 100 yen sushi for the last time :(
Sunday was a day of cleaning, last tennis, seeing Mayoumi for the last time and then meeting the frisbeeers in the evening for ramen and a slideshow of photos at melissa and steven's. Saying goodbye to nagata san and mayoumi was sad. Mayoumi gave me a lovely yukatta too. I was very sad and close to tears. She has been a super person to me over the course of this year. Another busy and very surreal last day in fukui.
i honestly cant explain how i feel about leaving. i know i couldnt do the same job for another year, but i also know that i am really sad at ending my japantime already. i dont want to finish the adventures now and leave everyone i have met behind. there seems to be so much more to do here, and it is sad that i cant do it. i know i have chosen to go home, and im sure everything will be ok, but right now the prospect of going home to no job, no house, no plan and no money is really daunting.