First Day
September 04, 2002
For many it was the first day of school. For me, it was the first day of realizing that I will be leaving for Japan in a little over a month. So I guess for anyone who still doesn’t know, I’ve taken employment with Nova Group in Osaka for at least a year to teach conversational English. The pay is alright - I’ll be able to live comfortably and probably save up a little bit of money - that is, if I don’t spend it all on those delicious electronics. I am leaving on October 8th and before that I would like to have a small party just to see my friends and spend some time together. I haven’t made any plans yet but just giving you a warning that you will be required to come.
Today I went to the airport to see off a group of students who have been here for a month. The ones that were close to us cried and cried. It was kind of funny. One girl had written four cards and as she was giving them to us, she burst out in tears each time she handed out a card. Between each card, the receiver and the girl would hug, express gratitute and say they’ll miss each other. Repeat 4x. The ones that didn’t make any effort at all to speak to us nor speak English at all did not show any emotional attachments. I don’t blame them. I don’t miss them either. As for me, I didn’t really say goodbye because I will be able to see them in a month or so. One guy, Hiro, even lent me a Thin Lizzy reunion cd which to me, was to lock in my visit to see him in Tokyo (about a 2 hour bullet train ride away from Osaka).
So in this month I will be filled with anxiety and feelings of unpreparedness. I’ll be doing things that I know I will miss for at least a year. But hey, I’m only an email away so I want most people to write me once in awhile and for a select few, I expect and would be angry if they didn’t write. I’ll also snag a webcam/mic before I leave so I can run some live chats with people. If you’re even in the neighborhood, my small closet of an apartment is yours to live in and should I have time, I’ll gladly take you around and show you everything (once I get to know the surroundings).
Fear not, I will update twice as much in Japan as I do now. Hopefully.
