7.22.22
I am officially back at the youchiens–as mentioned before, Tuesday marked my last day as the elementary school ALT and Wednesday was right back into the youchien/hoikuen lifestyle.
For the short amount of time I had spent as an ALT (my 69 days compared to the previous teacher’s 6 years) the schools all sent me off so warmly and so kindly, which made me feel the “ :,) ” emoji in a way that can’t be put into words (thus, the emoji?) There was even a school whose farewell was like a film…if it were put into script, it’d go like this:
(rain pouring outside)
Despite usual transport being a bicycle, today Kai must ride back with the Board ofEducation and is waiting for her ride. Right when she receives notice her ride has come, fourth graders dash downstairs and pull her to their classroom.
Students: “Kai-sensei! We made this for you…1, 2, 3…”
The fourth graders hand Kai a poster crowded with notes and pictures of them together.
Kai: “Waah! Sugoi! You wrote all this!? Thank you so so much T_T”
Some fourth graders start to cry, and Kai starts to tear up, but Kai must go. Her ride is waiting so she dashes out quickly, saying "see you againnnn" while the fourth graders say "see youuu..." She collects everything and runs to the car as rain falls.
The car starts to pull away from the entrance when some students on the second floor see Kai leave. The students call the rest of their classmates, and start hanging out the windows waving with flourish.
Kai waves back from the car window and starts tearing up, the kids are screaming her name, and she takes a final look back to see the whole school saying…goodbye.
Talk about dramatic–and I’d say this is only about 12.4% exaggerated.
I know I’ve already written about my gratitude for this elementary school experience, so I thank you for sitting through yet another post on this.
Initially, I was frustrated with how indispensable my position seemed to be, being placed here, there, then back here, with this and then that, but now I see a) how prideful and self-righteous I was for being bitter about the back and forth and b) just how valuable it is to have a job that’s full of surprises.
I’m learning day by day the joy that comes from just being in the present moment as opposed to worrying about all of these surprises, or in other words, what has been/what will be. If I keep looking towards time that I’m not in control of, I’ll just miss out on fully reaping whatever it is I’m experiencing in each moment. Yet another cliche paragraph, but I guess that’s what happens when you’re doing the whole “year abroad as a 20-some year old figuring out the ways of life, kind of?” But this is all to say I’m ready to embrace this new change and am excited to see what and who I encounter in this next hoikuen/youchien phase. I hope I don't forget that it doesn’t do to dwell on what I’ve been asked to leave behind, but rather look back at the kiddos/experiences I’ve had with mega gratitude. And I hope to challenge myself to see how I can take what I’ve learned and apply them not only in the remainder of my Yakage year, but for many years to come.
Something else I’ve come to realize is how special it is that only in half a year, I’ve been given so many chances to closely interact and build relationships with such a range of people: I’m working with 3-6 year olds at four hoikuens/youchiens, I’ve taught 1st - 6th grade kids at four different schools, I work in the same building as middle age business people, I have monthly conversations with 50-60 year old hospital heads, I volunteer with 70-80 year old grannies and grampies at the honjin…and from all of these people, I’m being washed in all the wisdom everyday. So, I now see that it’s thanks to this jack-in-the-box job that I’ve met and am still getting to meet so many cool folks. Perhaps this calls for a "Humans of Yakage" ... hmm my brain-gears are turning!
kaho-chan really spent time writing in english for me and i was like omg WOWU!
some cute notes from my yakage first graders. one of the boys asked for my number too lol
impressive drawings from yakage first graders!
really cute origami notes/envelopes from my nakagawa 3/4th grader
more nakagawa notes
ichika-chan made a whole coaster and a shrink-plastic keychain T_T
