Cry me a river...

I meant to blog on the day of my one year anniversary of being in Japan, but I missed it.
Monday was my last day of teaching. Whilst giving a farewell speech to the teachers, to my surprise I started crying. A lot.
Yesterday I had my last Japanese lesson with my friend Yasumi. We cried. A lot.
Tonight I'm having a joint leaving party with my friend Eddie. I'm thinking of not wearing make-up as I'm pretty sure I'm going to be crying. A lot. Are we seeing a pattern emerging here?
Tonight will be my last night in my apartment as tomorrow I move out. I'm going to miss having my own space. I'm going to miss living in Tsuyama. I'm going to miss Japan.

I want to channel Barney, a character from the sitcom 'How I Met Your Mother':
"When I'm sad, I stop being sad and be awesome instead", but I can't fake it that well.
A huge part of me is pretty certain that I made the right decision in deciding to return to the U.K., but this whole leaving what has been my life for just over a year now feels like pulling a band-aid off. A gigantic one on my soul.
(Ok- you're allowed to laugh at my melodramatic-ness there.)

As of yet I haven't booked a flight back to the UK. In part it's me resisting the fact that a huge wad of my cash is going to be spent on a ticket back(I know, the parentals can't support me forever); but I guess I'm also reluctant to finally put a date on my departure.

On Tuesday, I'll go to Okinawa for a few days (google it), then I'll come back to Tsuyama for a bit before finally heading home- possibly via Tokyo so I can do that big shiny city again properly before I leave Japan.

I'm going to miss hearing Japanese all around me, and that excitement I get when I understand some of what's being said.
I'm going to miss using random Japanese words and sounds with other foreigners who know what I mean.
I'm going to miss communicating with Japanese people in my version of broken Japanese complete with sound effects and exaggerated facial expressions, especially when I'm understood.
I'm going to miss the weirdness that is Japan.
I'm going to miss my crazy kids.
I'm going to miss the incredibly kind people that I have met here.
I'm going to miss the feeling of being on an extended holiday despite having to work. I'm going to miss Hijiris, Salalu, chu-hi, and American big dogs.
I'm going to miss being a foreigner- as strange as that sounds.
I'm even going to miss my bike- although riding it in the summer was WORK and a half.

I cried like I'd just watched my puppy being run over on purpose on my way to Japan.
I'm pretty sure I'm going to be crying all the way back to the U.K too.

No pictures, no video- I'm too depressed...

Not a real update either

I'm pissed as I can't go to the graduation ceremony at my favourite school tomorrow as I'm currently working at the shite school so have to attend theirs, but surprisingly I was given this by some kids from the shite school. Ignore the mistakes, and appreciate the sentiment, I know I did.

Japan Room 101 Update

Ok- I have been really crap with this blog of late. If your best friends ask if you are ever planning to return home, and you handed in your notice at the end of February, it's a good indicator that perhaps you haven't been updating people as often as you could have...Gomene (shortened version of 'gomenasai'= sorry).

Since I finally worked up the courage to leave my beautiful Japan, I have been mentally trying to prepare myself to return.

It's hard. I swing between wanting to stay, even vaguely looking for other positions and companies in Japan, but part of me is ready for whatever comes next- wherever that may be. I'm due back in the U.K. at the beginning of April.

I had a long entry planned out, detailing my efforts to make myself feel better about leaving Japan by listing all the things that I won't miss about Japan, but I'm feeling a tad lazy, so I'll save that for another entry.

So yeah- start planning the welcome home parade for me, complete with hardcore cocktails on tap, dancing monkeys, fireworks and piñatas; I'll be home before you know it...

Pictures...


A beercan display for Hina Matsuri (Dolls Festival). I admired the commitment involved in emptying all those cans...




I met the artist who painted this- you need to see just how fine and detailed the paint strokes are.


My favourite photo from the Murder Mystery party I went to last weekend.


My latest obsession: collectable miniatures- no one else gets this mania of mine.

Will update properly again soon.