Busiest week ever: a review of sorts

July 24th, 2006

It’s 2 am, technically the day before I leave, and I have resigned myself to staying up all night. If I trade sleep for work, I’ve got a ton of time. Even time for this! Plus, I’ve received so much positive reinforcement (from family, so I think they’re obligated to say nice things) I am writing tonight with somewhat of a bigger head than usual. Pretty soon I’ll have to order my headwear from special catalogs like Dad. (Note: due to actual huge head, not ego-swollen huge head.)

Wakaki

On fifth period Wednesday, I said goodbye to Wakaki Elementary School. This is the only school I have taught at for three years, so it is especially near and dear to me. The first graders turned into third graders, and the older kids moved on to be my students in junior high. Also, this is the only elementary school that I eat lunch with, followed by a lot of running around on the playground. I learned a ton of little kid games, and I also devoted many a recess to learning how to unicycle. I’d like to think I have good balance, but I found unicycling to be IMPOSSIBLE. It is not my calling. The principal would sometimes come down to the playground with me and give me tips. He used two bamboo sticks like ski poles as he wobbled his way around the pitch. Hilarious, yet effective! Not for me, though, I pretty much sucked no matter what.

Kitachu

After Wakaki, I raced back to TakeoKita Junior High School for my goodbye ceremony. I was escorted by my favorite student (I know I shouldn’t choose favorites, but I can’t help it!) to the gym, where the entire school was waiting for me. Some of my third-year students gave some really touching speeches, I got tons of messages and flowers, and the principal astutely pointed out that I would soon return home to Iowa, near New York City. We went over the exact location of Iowa and North Carolina before the ceremony, but apparently the closest landmark he could relate to was NYC. Sure, why not? Anyways, after the official stuff, photos with each class, and a lovely song on the ocarina by the principal, the kids stretched around the perimeter of the gym and I went around saying goodbye to each of them individually. Took a long time, but it was really nice. Especially since they played “You’re Beautiful” in the background, a song that the third year boys always sang to me when they would pass me in the halls. Adorable. Plus the girls all gave me hugs– this is huge! It’s proof that I’ve internationalized! The whole ceremony was lovely, and then I came home and ate a cookie BEFORE WASHING MY HANDS! I’m pretty obsessive-compulsive when it comes to hand-washing, but I was so hungry that I totally forgot. It’s like I licked every student and teacher at the junior high! Germs!!

Kawachu

The next day, I had my goodbye ceremony at the other junior high, Kawanobori. Some third-year girls danced “Soran,” which is a traditional dance in the area that mimics some of the strenuous moves of fisherpeople hauling in the nets. Very cool, and the colorful “happi” were incredible. Then I horribly embarrassed myself by playing Chopin badly, followed by a very muddled and post-stressful-piano-playing Japanese speech. The brass band played a little tune at the end, so at least The Great Chopin Insult was not the last thing on everyone’s memories. Phew.

Fun fun fun!

After school I met some teachers to play pachinko. I was ashamed to admit that I had never played and secretly wanted to, so the science teacher kindly took me under his wing and showed me the intricacies of his favorite pastime. You put the money in the top, and then you keep your hand on a knob. Then sit there until you run out of money. It is extremely not exciting. I feel that any activity that could be done equally effectively by me or, say, a piece of masking tape, is not something worth doing.
Pimp my kid's car

With school and most of the parties out of the way, I was left with my packing, cleaning, and errand running. I went into “the city” to transfer the title of my car when I saw this lovely vehicle. Rockin’! This little guy is Anpanman, a cartoon fellow with a head of sweet bean paste. Most of his friends are other pastry-heads as well, and then there’s BaikinMan (All-you-can-eat Man, no joke) in the lower left hand corner. I don’t know the story, but perhaps he is a bad guy trying to eat off all of their heads? I’m not sure, but all I can tell you is that this van’s US equivalent would most likely be airbrushing the cast of Duck Tales on the back of your van.

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