March 20, 2008
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Somewhere I Belong!
OK. I am moving. As most people know now, via me personally telling them or Matt’s Xanga updates (both his own and his guest spot for my last entry,) I was set for a new job with Altia in Ena-shi, Gifu-ken. Well, it’s now official. I’m due in Nagoya for orientation after school ends on Monday next week and will be moving into my new place the Friday or Saturday after!
Everything about this setup just seems to be awesome! I’ll finally be within easily travelling distance of friends, with Toki-shi being only a short train ride away. I’ll be getting a company car too so driving should make things way easier. My apartment will be bigger and all accounts suggest Ena is a pretty, well, “pretty” place. Very inaka and surrounded by mountains so still plenty of chances for snow-boarding, plus great potential for airsoft and possible repeats of Matt, Mike, Sarv and my camping (mis)adventures in Tajimi! I’ve been checking and re-checking and re-re-checking to see if there is anything more I could possibly want from this. Well, short of living in I-House for ever and ever with instant teleporters to and for friends and family in place of Bruno’s room (buuuuuurrrrnn!) the only thing I can think of is more of us within easier reach and not, say, in Hokkaido or wherever. So, I must be pretty happy, right? Right…….! Right. But…… but I really feel like a jerk for leaving my schools! I kinda anticipated it being hard but….. I left Kuniyoshi this past Tuesday, said my goodbyes to the kids and teachers. I had just one class that day, some 1st years, and they wrote me letters and asked for my e-mail address (I’ve had 2 so far!) They all shook my hand (one kid hugged me) and that was that. I had missed the Graduation Ceremony for the 3rd years, since I’m only at that school once a week, and just really felt sad not to see them off. One guy (who always reminded me of Mike) had left me a note and some flowers (all teachers received flowers from a designated student.) I have the flowers (potted) from Kuniyoshi and Shikino in my room and am determined to keep them alive and healthy for as long as I can, despite my lack of horticultural expertise. I at least was present for the Graduation Ceremony at Shikino but have been equally dismayed to learn the 3nensei won’t be back….. Then there was telling my teachers I would not be back next term. That sucked. They had indeed been hoping I’d stay. One of my JTEs who sits next to me in the teacher’s room was surprised and obviously sad about it and I kinda feel crap about it all. I will seriously miss them. Teachers. Students. Schools. I keep telling myself I’m just one of many ALTs who come and go, that their next one will be way better than me. Keep reminding myself that kids and teachers will always come and go. Keep focusing on the fact that I really couldn’t see myself staying here in Takaoka another year and that I need to be near friends, want to be close to Nagoya, gotta have a life outside school that isn’t dominated by Facebook applications. Thing is in doing something for my own benefit that disappoints others I just feel really selfish and shitty…..! And… just sad. Sad cos I will miss it here. It hasn’t really felt like home and I don’t have much of a life going on but I’ve still become pretty attached to my schools and the people there…… Damn….!
This is a positive update, promise! I am pretty stoked about it all. I just can’t seem to help taking the emo route, though…. Anyway, I guess every action has an equal and opposite reaction. The awesomeness of getting the life I hoped for when moving back to Japan is paid for in me internalising all the feelings and consequences resulting from my choice culminating in the usual INFP emo-angsting. Well, internets maybe hard to come by regularly for the next month or so so I may be going to radio silence for a bit. I’ll try and get some updates done from Matt’s place when I can. In the meantime….. peace!
Laterz! “I was a young boy that had big plans. Now I’m just another shitty old man….!”
Comments (6)
always an opportunity cost. always something to internalize. looking forward to hosting your updates from our new place soon.
This is all-round coolness and no mistake! If it makes you feel any better about leaving the schools behind, I have it on good authority that students generally forget their old teachers the moment a new one comes along, so it’s not like you’ll permanently be breaking their hearts! Right? Right?
Despite enjoying city life I have to envy your inaka-ness a little bit. Mountains and forests are nice.
(…places to shoot people in…)
Coolness, Dave!
If everything goes well, i will be making the leap to a place near everyone once my contract is finished.
So stay put!
I have heard GIfu is very beautiful place. I envy you!
You can see a lot in Japan. I don’t know much about my own country. And its great that you can meet so many people in your life as a teacher. Its great that you are in each students life.
where the crap did everyone go?? hellooooooooOOOOOooooooo!!!
poopsayswhat?