Last Day at Yoshiko

Friday was my last day at Yoshiwara High School. I didn't have any classes that day, so my main mission was to finish cleaning out my desk, clean my desk, and then do my final wrap-up procedures.

It was a really great day. I received so many wonderful gifts from teachers. Many students brought me cards, cookies, and other things they had made for me. Between every class, I would hear students calling my name to go meet them by the door so they could give me something or take a picture with me or just tell me goodbye. The love and kindness I received was really overwhelming.

The 26 homeroom students (the ones in whose class I was crying last week) invited me to eat lunch with them. I had never been invited by students to eat lunch with them so it was really special. We all sat around in the room eating and talking about various things. It was a lot of fun. I had some leftover omiyage from when we first came to Japan that I had never given to anyone, so I put it in the middle of the room for the students to janken over. (Janken is the extremely sophisticated and complicated Japanese version of rock, paper, scissors.) When lunch was coming to a close, the students all stood up and gathered around. One girl named Mayu, a very smart and sweet girl, read me a letter she had written in English. It was so sweet. Here is an excerpt:

"You are the only ALT who has been teaching us English since we entered this school. So your existence was very great for us. I was surprised and felt very lonely to hear that you were going to go back to America. I wish many times it was a lie...I can't believe you will not be here when we come back from Australia...Lastly what I have been thinking of for a year and a half is that we are really happy to have you as an ALT at Yoshiwara High School. The fact that you were our ALT will never change..."

As you can imagine, this was very hard for me and for her. But we made it through. After she read that, Izumo pulled out his guitar and asked me to sing one verse and chorus of "Change the World" with him one last time. That was fun! I'm glad I remembered the words. Finally I told them to do their best in Australia and left before I turned into a weeping mess again. Many students were waiting to greet me in the hall outside of the classroom. They gave me cards, letters, presents. I gave them each a hug, and then they went on to class and that was the last I saw of any Yoshiwara High School students.

I spent the next hour or so packing up all of the things I had gotten that day and then left school for the last time around 2:00. I did my last rounds in the teachers' room and the school office and Emily walked me out. I got my bike and walked off campus rather than ride. I didn't want to get away too fast. As soon as I started walking down the drive that leads off of the school grounds, I lost it. I'm glad I was alone. Two years of great memories came rushing back, and I knew that even if I return to Japan someday, I will very likely never enter Yoshiwara High School again, and with a few possible exceptions, I will very likely never see those students again. Walking away was one of the hardest things I've ever done.

I turned and took this picture when I got to the street. You can't see much of the school, but I'll never forget this view.


So it's farewell to Yoshiko. But as I said to the students in my farewell speech and they have really taken to, I don't like to say goodbye. So I say "See you later!"

See you later Yoshiko! また合いましょう！