almost a year already?

So, as of today, I have exactly nine days left of my contract as an Assistant Language Teacher in Hidakagawa-cho. I am not really sure where the time has gone. Many times I have felt as though time in Japan stood still as the rest of the world, or rather my former world in the U.S., zoomed by. I told a friend a while back that I, unintentionally, had begun to measure my time in Japan by the number of births and deaths that occured back at home. Strange I know, but it happened naturally, and I suppose it makes a lot of sense.

Fortunately looking at this blog has helped to pique my memory of all the things that have happened while I have been living and working here. And no doubt it has been a very full year.

Last weekend the goodbye's began with a sayonara party for all of the English teachers in Wakayama, and they continued through this week with my last lessons at two of my elementary schools. Tonight is my goodbye party with the Board of Education, where I will have to make a speech in Japanese and will likely cry (depsite the fact that through translation I am no longer sure exactly what I am saying). Next week gets no better with the pains of leaving hitting my last Elementary school, Wasa, Kawabe Nursery school and Hayaso Junior High. It's very draining, all of these near-tears moments. Today after leaving Nakatsu Elementary school, the humidity and weight of the day was too much, so I took a swim in the river, work clothes and all. It seems that was just what I needed.