Happy daylight savings time! I have to say that not having the time change in Japan is kind of nice. Also, I'm sorry for no update last week! I started a new schedule and I was incredibly busy! The schedule for JET ALTs (Assistant Language Teachers) in Kitakyushu gets very hectic during Spring! I have already visited one new school (Minami Kokura) and will visit three more different schools by next Monday. This craziness happens because the private company ALTs stop working during this time. Normally, there are many ALTs working around the city from many private companies as well as JET. A big difference between JET ALTs and private companies ALTs is that private company ALTs can only work 8 months out of the year so that the private companies don't have to offer health insurance. Now is the time of year the private company ALTs stop working, and the JET ALTs have to visit all the schools in the city to fill in the gaps. This means I will spend only a few days at all these different schools and travel all around the city. It's a lot of work!
Last week was also a very sad week for me. Wednesday was my last day in Futajima Junior High School. I had an amazing time with the teachers and students there and I really wish I could stay for next year, but unfortunately it's not my decision. I taught every class between Monday and Wednesday last week to say goodbye to all the students. I had a meeting at the board of education in the afternoon on Wednesday, so I had to leave school early. Before I left, I walked around to all the classes again to say goodbye. I gave a speech in English and Japanese in the teachers room for all the staff. I will really miss that school! One of the English teachers gave me a really nice scarf, the office staff gave me some cookies, and the principal gave me a cake. The most touching thing was given to me by my students. Every class made and decorated a little book. In the book was message cards written by every student in the class. Some are in English and some in Japanese, one book even has the school song written in it! It was really amazing! I also got to go around school and take pictures with students and teachers. I wish I could share those pictures with you, but it is not allowed to post any pictures with students. Even when I left the school for the last time, one of the women who works in the office gave me a ride all the way to Orio (a train station about 20 minutes away). I will see the teachers again for one last enkai this week, but I will not go back to the school again.
The reason Futajima is having an enkai this week is because of 卒業式 (sotsugyoushiki, graduation ceremony). Middle school graduation in Kitakyushu is on Thursday! I will be going to Shinozaki (my other base school) for the ceremony, but I opted to go to Futajima's enkai to be able to see all the teachers one last time. I'm very excited to see a graduation ceremony for the first time in Japan!
Also this week I went to Japanese Costco for the first time! Just like in college, it pays to have a friend with a car! Japanese Costco looks exactly like American Costco. Even the layout is the same. They also have a little restaurant just like the ones back home with those huge hot dogs. They have people giving out samples. I was able to get some imported food (real cheese!) even thought it was a bit expensive. Not super exciting, but kind of interesting!
Even with my hectic schedule, I have a lot I'm looking forward to! Tomorrow I'm having a dinner party with some of my friends to celebrate my new chairs. (An old chair that was broken before I got here had nails sticking up out of it and I was always worried someone would hurt themselves.) Like I said earlier, graduation is coming up this week. Spring vacation starts on the 25th and 花見 (hanami, flower watching - all the sakura trees start to bloom) is also at the end of the month along with another visit from Mike! Although March started off with a sad goodbye, it seems like the rest of the month will be very exciting!
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