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Published: June 30th 2008
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The Grand Welcome
Uoshima goes above and beyond One more month, one more month. That’s all I can think about right now.
In a little over a month I will be done with this job, I will be leaving Japan and I will be making my way out west to start up a new life on America’s golden coast. It's strange. It means that my two years here have finally passed. Two years… how did the time pass so quickly? When I first started this job I felt like that time lay infinitely in front of me. I went about things like I had all the time in the world. Now that my time here is coming to an end I find myself wondering where all of it has gone and rushing around to sort out lose ends. It really has passed by in the blink of an eye.
I am going to miss so many things about this place. It’s become my home and I will be leaving a piece of myself here, while also taking a big piece of here back with me. I’ve changed a lot over this time and I’ve undoubtedly changed for the better. I can feel and see the changes in
My Classroom, My Kingdom, My Lair
where I shape the mind of one student myself.
It is hard not to change while living on an isolated island of less than 200 people, in the middle of an ocean, where no one speaks my language, only one small mom and pop store and no real friends my age for 2 years. The experience has helped me become more confident, outgoing, ready to take on challenges and try new things, I’ve learnt to get over myself and do embarrassing things that I would have never imagined doing in the past, take risks, and enjoy life for what it is. My life has been stripped of almost all unnecessary burdens and petty concerns or worries and the resulting simplicity of it all has truly allowed me to realize the things that are the most important to me. It’s like a thick fog has been cleared from my mind and I can see things for the way they are. It’s refreshing.
At the same time, I can’t deny that I am still confused about a lot of things. I still haven’t decided what I want to do when I go home and I don’t know if I ever will, however, I feel like I’ve taken a
Always a Bundle of Joy
Uuuuuu, K-kun and Emi-chan big step in the right direction. I worry about these uncertainties less now and I feel like I’ve learnt to take life in more of a stride, without stressing out to much about this and that and enjoying the things that come my way. I’m not going home worried, sad or stressed. I am going home filled with a strange feeling of excitement and happiness that I’ve rarely felt before.
It will be sad to leave, that much is undeniable, and it is almost ridiculous how much I will miss the kids here but, at the same time, I know that it’s time to go. It is hard for me to imagine not seeing them again and it is going to be extremely difficult to say goodbye... tears will definitely be shed. For the last 2 years there has rarely been a day when I don’t see them, talk with them, play with them and laugh with them. They have become my students, my little brothers, my little sisters, my family and my friends. I will miss their little knocks on my door, them waiting for me on the dock when I return home from a weekend away, spinning
Someone's Lucky Day
a day doesn't go by without Tetsuya asking when his new boyhood crush will return to the island them on the merry-go-round until they can no longer stand, going on adventures around the island in search of bugs, their tiny hands finding their way into mine, the amazement in their eyes when they look into the light blue color of mine, their funny questions that they ask to try to figure out why I look and act so differently from anyone they know, our games in the playground, the silly personal jokes that we share with each other… there is so much. It is hard to put into words how much I will miss them. It almost feels like I am leaving the little brothers and sisters that I never had. And the saddest part of all is that in the back of my mind I know that when I board that boat for the last time I’ll probably never see them again.
It will also be sad to leave the island and the small community that I’ve come to be part of over these past couple of years. It took me a long time to adjust to life here and at times the hardships were enough to send me on an emotional rollercoaster, however, no matter
そんなの関係ない
giving the tremendous talent of Kojima a run for his yen how much I have bitched about this and that there is no denying the fact that I love it here. There has only been one other place where I‘ve felt the same sense of community as life on this island. It’s made me realize how important it is to me. There are so many things that I will miss about life here… the ferry chimes that echo throughout the inner reaches of this mountainous island throughout the day, the peace and quiet of an Uoshima night, running along the endless curves and hills of the island road, stretching out on the typhoon breakers after a long run and looking at the distant land that dots the horizon, greeting the grandmothers out on their daily strolls, buying beer or an ice cream and sitting down to chat with the owner of the islands single store, walking along the deserted roads at night while thinking and looking at the stars, the weekly ferry commute that I have to make to pick up groceries on another island, taking part in the various island festivals throughout the year, sharing a beer with the fisherman on the docks and listening to their dirty jokes, the
The Posse
Dragon boy, Mr. Good, K-kun and Uuuuuuuu perpetual fog that seems to cover the island in the mornings... Uoshima is an exceptional place.
But, as I said before, it’s time to go. One thing that living abroad for such a long time has taught me is to be proud of where I am from. I love my country. There are a lot of bad things that people point to but, in my mind, the good things far out list the bad. It’s my home and I’ve been away from it for too long, far too long. America is a beautiful and diverse country with a lot of amazing aspects that many other places can’t even come close to touching on and there are so many things about it that I need to learn, relearn, see and explore.
Also, as some of you know, and some of you don’t, I met a girl… and not just any girl, an amazing girl! There is no other word to describe her then just, right. I can’t even remember the last time that I’ve felt this happy. Maybe I’ve never felt this happy? I won’t get too much into it on here, for obvious reasons, but I just wanted
Hoikuen Okonomiyaki Ya
serving up the sandiest food on the seto naikai baby to let all of you know.
For everyone on the east coast you’ll be meeting her when she comes out to visit in September. For everyone on the west coast you’ll be meeting her when we move out to the bay area together in October. For everyone in between you’ll be meeting her on our road trip from Boston to San Francisco! And for everyone else, get y’er lazy butts out to NorCal for a visit. I can’t wait to see all of you again!
One more month, one more month…
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Mick
non-member comment
Jagger's right baby!!!! Am I getting dejavu on those photos....?