Takusan no soubetsukai

It's March. Aside from all of that usual stuff that comes with this time of year, I've got some new things to worry about now that I'm in Japan.

There's an interesting thing about Japan. The business year (for lack of a better term) starts in April. At the very beginning of April, government officials get shifted around to new offices. Maybe it's to prevent boredom, maybe it's to keep people fresh on the job, maybe it's a way to evenly distribute good service, I don't know. Along with this, the school year also starts in April. It would follow, then, that the school year ENDS in March. This, ladies and gentlemen, is the midst of soubetsukai (leaving party) season.

As I've stated a lot in the past, I'm not a JET, but I'm lucky enough to be using the same program that they do meaning I arrive in August, I leave in August. I have a couple of non-JET friends who aren't so lucky. I'm in the exact middle of a 4 week run of weekly soubetsukai for a lot of friends. Two weeks ago, it was for Jaime who had to return to South Africa. Last weekend, it was for Julie, an ALT went home today for America after 4 and a half years, but has been a great friend for my relatively short time. This weekend, it's for Ryo, a government worker who is getting shifted to Tokyo next month (this is a much farther transfer than the average job... he's kind of specialized), which then leaves my weekly Japanese class/dinner group down one member. In a couple weeks, it's going to be for Jolene, another non-JET ALT who will have to return to Canada once the school year ends. All of these people are amazing. All of them have had second thoughts and wish they could stay longer. Sadly, though, that's just not how it works.

Now, as I said before about Government officials getting shifted around... Teachers are government officials. No one knows yet who will stay at my junior high school for the next school year. We won't find that out untill right before they have to leave. I've spent 7 months slowly building up an office rapport with the group we have now. It's strange to look around the office and imagine any other configuration of teachers scribbling frantically at their desks. I know of a couple that are leaving for sure. One may be a welcome departure, but the other leaves things to chance. Who knows if my new JTE will be better or worse than what I'm working with now? Who knows if they'll view my perhaps-crazy antics as good relationships with the students, or as distractions in their strict, lock-step classroom? And the Principal is retiring, too. Among other ALTs, I think I'm lucky. They always talk about how bad or impersonal their principals are. Mine is the opposite. Is my new principal going to be as eager to try broken english with me as this one is? Will he actually sit down occassionally next to me and practice reading english while looking to me for approval? I have no idea. Here's to hoping, right?

And of course it wouldn't be the end of the school year without Graduation. That time that seemed so far off back in August has now hit. I've spent all this time slowly building relationships with my sannensei. Real, honest relationships. The sannensei at my school are incredible people and I've enjoyed every strange joke, japanese comedian quote, confused expression (both from me and from them), and just plain conversation I've shared with them. All of a sudden today, I was having 2 very last classes. (Of course, we're going out with a bang: English Jeopardy game complete with cheesy game show host voice.) And these are 2 of my favorite classes in the entire school, and 2 of the most genki. One class actually asks the teacher when I'm coming on days when I'm not there. But, we wrapped up Final Jeopardy, and before we knew it, the bell chimed and I was standing in front of them for their last "Goodbye, everyone!"s, arigatou's, bows, and "See you"'s. It occured to me right then that this really sucks. I've spent 6 months getting comfortable in Japan. I'm finally here and these guys have to go. To say "Nuts," would be a massive understatement.

In the month to come, I'm going to say goodbye to more friends, more teachers, more students... and it's really sad because I don't know Japan without these people. They've all been "Japan" to me. Everyday, routine dictates that I will see these people at these times just because that's how things work in this new culture. Now it's all getting shaken up. However, I suppose with my new-found Japanese spirit, I'll be sad for the goodbyes but excited for the changes ahead.

After all. Thinking of all of these great people I've met over the last 6-7 months actually has me excited that I get to do it all over again for the next 5-6 months.