July 25, 2007
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Famous Last Words!
Actually I’ve only read the blurb so far… I’m gonna save the actual reading for my traditionally assigned slot; 11pm to whenever I get tired. If my reading of previous Harry Potter’s is anything to go by I’m gonna get a lot less sleep over the next few days!
When I was 12 my Dad got me for Christmas the first 4 volumes of “Musashi,” a mostly fictional novelisation based on the life of Japan’s most famous swordsman, Miyamoto Musashi (and ranks fractionally under the Harry Potter series as my favouritest read ever!) It’s an awesome story that I recommend to anyone who doesn’t suck! Anyways, I read them and was hooked but had to wait til I was 16 to get hold of the 5th and final volume. That summer just happened to be when I finished high school… I finally finished the story that had captured my imagination for 4 years and at the same time finished my own story. Life, it appears, is not without a sense of irony. The same summer I graduate university, the Potter series reaches its climax. It was the same with reading the last Musashi, with watching the credits roll on Revenge of the Sith and Return of the King, that’s it! I’ll never read a brand new Potter again, just like I’ll never see a brand new Star Wars film again. Excited to know how everything wraps up but sad that it’s over. Life’s kinda the same. I’m really excited to be going back to Japan and yet I just spent the last weekend in a long, long time with my Dad. My little bro, Rich, turns 11 next month and it hit me how, by the time I’m back for good, he’ll be 15 or 16. I’ll try to get home once a year but I’m gonna miss some pretty vital years and it’s a little heartbreaking… I’m not having second thoughts or anything… but it really has hit me that, whilst my immediate future is definitely in Japan, it’s not gonna be as easy to leave as I thought…
So, I got my placement. I’ll be teaching elementary school (7 to 12 year olds. Balex’s nightmare!) in Takaoka City in Toyama Prefecture. I’m due in Nagoya on August 20th where I’ll be staying for a week and a bit’s orientation and training whilst my apartment gets sorted. Toyama borders Gifu to the north and is a little further from the Nagoya hub than I’d hoped but things may be better this way. As awesome as NUFS was that story ended last July. It’s no good to try and act like it’s the same cos it’s not. People’s lives are different and the level of closeness and familiarity of NUFS is probably not possible anymore. I’m not exactly happy about it but… I accept it. A bit of distance will keep things in perspective, I guess. Besides, it’ll be good to have another piece of Japan to explore and to play host to the NUFS reunion-type shin-digs! Also, pretty near the Japanese Alps so I can hopefully get some quality snowboarding time too! (For link, click on the Buddha!)
Less than a month to go. One story ends, another begins. I’ll probably have finished HP 7 by my next update so, for those of you who’ll wanna talk about it, that’s when I’ll start wanting to talk about it. Or I’ll just tell you! At least with stories you can start them again and relive them whenever you like. You can’t really do that with life.
Peace! “Cos I want it now… I want it now… Give me your heart and your soul…”
Comments (12)
YES! i love that profile picture
YES! you will soon be in japan! nagoya even!
YES! getting to toyama from toki only takes 2-3 hours, so weekend visits are go!
YES! you can teach me to snowboard!
By the way, the pastor at my church lent Musashi to me, the full book. I think I might start reading it this weekend when I’m on the midnight bus to go see Calex in Tokyo. otanoshimi ni
oh yeah,
YES! you get to work with kids! honestly, i think the high school students would drive you nuts. you’d probably be tempted to kick a few out the window. i am! >_<
elementary kids are wonderful. its only very occasionally that you feel like kicking them out the window. Well done!
3 hours and 23 minutes from nagoya to takaoka. so from toki it should only take about 2.5 hours
not bad at all. and i’ve been looking through the city website. it’s really well done, because your city looks freaking cool. gotta say, i’m a little jealous >_<
congrats on the placement…and on starting the book.
good luck.
i’ll have to check out the “Musashi” books.
loved the obscure matrix reference.
Yay! Congratulations! That sounds like a pretty reasonable placement, considering how far you could have been from Nagoya. Around 3 hours isn’t too bad for traveling time, by Japanese standards (did you know I met a girl in language lounge who took 3 hours *each way* to go to NUFS everyday? Crazy.)
I’m thinking it took me 12 or 13 hours to read the last HP book. Ganbate!
That profile pic is a real blast from the past – I remember how hard we laughed at this, and a belgium agent smith and jabba…
Also, your placement sounds like fun – so begins a new era. Although it may be a little daunting to leave your family for a while, I’m sure you are still feeling that tingling sensation as you anticipate your new adventure!
Hmm, 7 to 12yrs? Watch out for the kancho (I can’t believe that no-one in Japan thinks it is strange for kids to do this…)
Sweet profile pic:). Yes, I think I’m definitely going to have to plan a trip to Japan at some point while you, Dani and Matt are all still there. Of course first things first I must begin MY new adventure of moving and finding a new (and hopefully LASTING) job. It sucks that life has to be so confined by money sometimes:(. I wish you all the best and I will meet you someday (in REAL life:)). Until then we will have our random xanga correspondence:).
Much Love,
Bethany
It’s kind of sad. The end of an era, both with Harry and with life. Good luck in Japan!
Mossy Potter?! *dies* lmao
that’s so awesome you’re going back to Japan, I think the lil kids will have fun with you. ^_^ i’m actually going to Japan next year…probably around April, it’s a family trip and all the details are being worked out, it will be awesome if we can meet up!
Those children would indeed be my nightmare… hopefully GEOS/AEON won’t require me to do too much with the darling kids…
‘He fell down some stairs.’
‘I… I fell down some stairs…’
Good luck and I hope to see you, and Matto, soon!
Hahahahah the profile pic!! classic! HP7 – good times for all. I hope we can organize some kind of get together after everyone gets back to Japan. it’ll be a blast! you got elementary school- nice. I’m beginning to wonder about teaching highschool. yeah they wont kancho your or grab yer stuff, but highschool kids equals drama somehow. Both elementary and highschool should be interesting nonetheless. my training starts the week of the 20th too but I dont have my certificate of elegibility yet. hope I get it in the next few weeks. its gonna be close!