Not much has changed in the last week.  I still have tons of packing and cleaning to do.  I’ve pretty much finalized everything else like sorting out the gas, water and electricity bills, the inspection and handing over the key to my apartment, and my transportation to the airport.  I just have to pretty much finish packing and cleaning by Monday, which is when some people from the school will move their stuff back to the school.  It will be a busy 4-nights. 

I went to Kyoto last weekend and it was crazy hot.  I think it was something like 35 degrees.  As much as I would have enjoyed walking from temple to temple, it was just too hot and there wasn’t enough time, so we had to use the buses and subways.  It was a good trip but seeing like 5 temples/shrines plus the Imperial Palace and Nijo Castle in less than 3 days makes you feel kind of templed out. 

I’m looking forward to seeing Jason Mraz next Tuesday but I lose a day of packing.  I guess I’ll have to power pack the day before. 

I can’t wait to come back to Japan to visit.  But I also can’t wait to be home.  It’s about time someone invented a teleportation device.

And it’s finally sinking in.  In 2 weeks, I’ll be on my way back home for good.  Looking back on all the frustrations throughout the year, I can still say this has been one of the best and most memorable years of my life.  I gave my farewell speech to the school today (in Japanese so that everyone would understand) and I guess that’s when it hit everyone, including myself, that I was leaving.  For the rest of the day, students wanted to talk with me, which was a little difficult with their lack of English and my lack of Japanese.  But I’ve gotten used to the broken and confused conversations and I’ll miss them (both the conversations and the students). 

Tomorrow will be my last karate class here in Japan, which is also sad because training here has been amazing even though it’s only been once a week. 

I’m off to Kyoto for the long weekend, which I feel a little unprepared for but it should be fun.  As long as the transportation and hotel are booked, I think the sightseeing will take care of itself.  Even if it isn’t as efficient as I would like. 

I’m disappointed that I can’t express the bittersweetness that I feel about leaving Japan.  4 months ago I was hating Japan and couldn’t wait to come home.  But since then it’s been amazing.  I guess I’ll have a new adventure to begin once I’m home.

It’s going to be a long and short 3 weeks.  How is that possible you ask?  Let me explain.  I have to be at work from 8:30am to 4:15pm and I have absolutely nothing to do.  They’ve blocked my internet use (which is another story all together) so whenever I want to use the internet, I have to ask my supervisor to log into her account.  So it’s not like I’d be able to surf the net all day like I could before.  The highlight of my day is lunch time, when I go out to eat with a few of the other teachers.  Unfortunately none of them speak much English so I have no idea what they’re saying.  At least the food is always good.  That’s what makes the day really long.  The short part is having to wrap up all the loose ends of moving during my time after work.  For example, today I went to the post office to try to get a money order.  I had to take an hour off work since the bank part of the post office closes at 4pm.  Even so, I wasn’t able to complete my transaction in the 45 minutes, which means I’ll have to take another hour off work tomorrow.  It feels like time is running out.  *sigh and deep breath*

 Last weekend was the JKA All-Japan karate tournament and it was unbelievable.  It’s just so strange seeing how many people come out to participate and, more impressively, come out to watch this thing.  And their standards… wow.  If I could afford it, I’d fly back to Japan to watch next year’s. 

I’m excited about coming back but nervous at the same time.  I feel more open and outgoing than when I left, as well as more healthy and fit.  I’m a little worried that I’ll revert back to my old self once I come back home.  We’ll see… it’ll just take more of an effort I think. 

Less than a month to go.  I can’t believe it’s been almost a year in Japan.  So what’s been going on the past couple weeks?  Not too much.  I’ve finished up all my lessons and today was my last day at my visit school so I said my goodbyes.  On a side note, I suck at goodbyes.  I always feel so awkward and I don’t really know what to say.  Anyhow, last week one of the English teachers at my visit school said that the English staff wanted to get me a going away present and asked what I wanted.  The first thing that popped into my head was the school track suit.  I picked the red one because it’s the colour my first-years wear.  I didn’t realize there wasn’t anything indicating that it’s from Miyashiro but it doesn’t matter. 

I also heard from the university and I got in, as most, if not all, of you readers already know.   I’m really excited about going back to school and meeting new people and everything.  I’m a little worried that I’ll be the oldest person there.  A 24-year-old in a class of 19- and 20-year-olds.  Should be fun I hope.

I’ve been a little stressed out thinking about all the stuff I need to get done before I leave and it doesn’t help that I have plans for 3 of the 4 remaining weekends. 

I need a vacation.

How time flies… 

School
After tomorrow I only have 2 weeks of classes left.  I’ve already had my final lesson with a few of the classes at Sugito but I didn’t really care to tell them it was my last class.  They probably wouldn’t have cared to hear it.  Although I did mention it to one group of students as they were leaving the class because they said, “See you again!”  And I said, “See you… oh wait.  This is my last class with you.  So I won’t see you again.”  “Why?”  “I’m going back to Canada at the end of July.”  “Why?”  “…”  Then the Japanese teacher cut in and told the story of me going back for school.  Whenever people here ask me why I’m not staying and I tell them that I’m going back to try to do pharmacy, it always feels like I’m giving an excuse.  I don’t know why but it just does.   I won’t miss teaching but I’ll miss (some of) the students. 

Nagano
Last weekend was the spring/summer ALT soccer tournament and once again, our crappy Saitama Dasai team made an appearance.  Prior to the last tournament in September, the Dasai had never scored a goal.  That sort of changed in September when we managed to force one of the teams to score on themselves.  This time we were looking to score for real.  Once again, we lost all 5 games we played but gave up significantly less goals than last time.  The scores were 0-5, 1-2, 0-3, 0-7 and 1-3.  That’s right, we scored TWO goals!  We also managed 2 own-goals, which was kind of disappointing.  The highlight/lowlight of the trip was the onsen.  Apparently of the 4 rooms reserved for the guys team, I stayed in the only Japanese style one so we didn’t have a shower in our room.   It would mean I would have to try the Japanese onsen.  Since it’s same-sex, it’s a really gay experience and I don’t understand why people enjoy it.   So, I entered the outer area where you basically strip naked, and it smelled like… ass.   Then you go through the doors into the shower area.  It was really crowed so there was basically a line of naked dudes waiting for a stool to free up so they can wash themselves before jumping into a hot tub of more naked dudes.  So there I was shielding my area from sight with my hands, while trying to keep my eyes away from dudes, yet still keeping an eye out for a free stool.  What I will say, is that the onsen (or hot tub) is really good for soothing the soreness and aches from soccer.  But you can’t do it with pants on?  Seriously?  Afterwards I was walking out (clothed) with a teammate and I said, “That was really gay.  I don’t see how people can like that.”  He was like, “Oh, was that your first time?  It’s not usually that crowded.  That was disgusting.  Like a roman bath.”  At least I can say I’ve tried the Japanese onsen.  And I don’t like it.

Pharmacy
I should hear from them by next weekend I think.  It’s kind of bad because somehow I’ve gone from being pessimistic/realistic in thinking that I might not get in, to being optimistic/almost over-confident and expecting that I’ll get in.  It could be from everyone asking what I’m going to be doing when I go home and I tell them I’m going to go back to university for pharmacy.  I’ve said it so much that I’ve started to believe that’s what I’ll be doing.  It’ll really suck if I don’t get in, after telling so many people that that’s my plan after I go back.  And once again, I have no backup plan.  Just like when I applied for the JET programme.  Let’s hope this pharmacy thing follows suit and I won’t need a backup plan.