One day left

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Now that there's only one day left here, I've finally got the time to do a last update before I get home and that "reverse culture shock" I've heard about happens. Maybe I'll ask my parents to keep track of it and see if I actually go through any of it.

The last week of classes, I was a little bit of a bad person. I had my finals for classes, and after the oral Japanese final, I just skipped the last 2 classes (History of Tokyo and Japanese review). I was just ready to be done. But that worked out fine.

Thursday was the oral for Japanese and after I finished, I went to IES. It only took 10 minutes and I was first, so I had a lot of time to kill. I feel like it went ok, but I didn't prepare for it at all. It was supposed to be a conversation and preparing responses to everything she might ask seems pointless. It's going to test how well you can actually talk, not how much you can memorize. The written one I ended up getting an 80%!o(MISSING)n which I feel happy with, considering how little I feel like I retained from the way they taught.

Earlier this week, on Tuesday, Meikai was interesting. It's so odd to me that there will be no more Dipper Dan Tuesdays with Lisa and Priscilla, followed by french fries. Definitely among my favorite memories.

Wednesday I went shopping with Mayu, and I'm planning on sending her a present when I get back. She gave me an omiyage, plus something from her boyfriend's mom. Now maybe some people will believe me when I say Japan has a strong gift-giving culture.

Friday (chronological order? HA! Facists do that.) was our IES Sayonara Party, from 5:30 pm til 7 pm. Officially. I feel kind of bad for the IES staff since we were still meandering our way out at 7:45. We've really become Japanese, ne. Overall, the party was good. We mingled a bit before, then had speeches from Malik-san and Important People who we didn't know. Then the IES staff spoke a bit. Then the Japanese teachers. Then the area studies teachers. Then there was a presentation of Kanda students, then Meikai students, who did a skit. We had a (bad) talent show. Then speeches by the Student Council. A gift-giving ceremony to all the IES staff, and closing remarks and more mingling. This is how Japanese parties happen. Speeches. Daddy would be floored and overjoyed to go to business events. I got one person to sign my yearbook (no pen, and I am not big on signing yearbooks). I got pictures with everyone, and it was pretty high energy. It seems like it gets high energy whenever Meikai and Kanda get together. I chatted with Harsha, Adam, and a bunch of people. Marius I got to talk to, which I haven't often had the chance. It just had a lot of good feeling all around, which was a good way to end it. I gave out Christmas cards to a few people. Lisa was really surprised by it, and I'm pretty sure she thought it was cute. Except for that evil girl, Lauren. I swear she delights in creating drama out of NOTHING. She started crying rape at Nagano, leaving a day after we got there and hauling a teacher back with her, and at the party she ran out crying because she saw the guy who "raped" her. Only one problem with that. The "rape" happened the first week and until she found out he had a girlfriend, it was "hooking up." So she can go take a flying leap without wings.

I have lots of pictures, but I'll put them up when my camera isn't packed in my luggage. Before we went to the party, we picked up Inukai-san. She's so cute! Her older son, Yoichiro, was there but he's not the one who wanted to meet me. I must have had a devil sitting on my shoulder that day, because I picked out a photo of me, and wrote the son who wanted to meet me a message. I'm bad.

Today I got up and had breakfast, then made chocolate-covered orange peels with my host mom. I told her where the candied orange peels came from (if you want the story, let me know and I'll put it up around Christmas with the recipe) and she loved it. While we were doing that, someone came to see me. Aki, from across the street brought me a card. He wants to marry me you know. Oh yes. We'll see what happens when that 6 year old turns 18. Anyway, back to the angelic thoughts - he wrote the card himself, and a good bit of it was in English. I'm actually quite impressed. I gave him a hug and he kissed me. I was surprised about that because he's quite a shy kid. Later, Okasan and I are taking orange peels to him and his sister, who's sick with a cold and a 33 degree fever.

Tomorrow I go to Narita airport, about 9:30 am. I might see Priscilla there, as her flight's only an hour later than mine. I'm pretty sure I'll see Miwa there, and she's quite a gal. I think she's an American who happened to be born in Japan. Her English is astounding and her mannerisms are possibly more American than mine. I'd love to hang out with her if she ever comes to America.

Hm, I guess this is where I should say something profound. But, this is not De Profundis, so I'll stick with a list of things I'll miss about Japan.

Okasan and her friends - really diverse and all nice people
Hyung-Hye. Every time she laughs or giggles, a terrorist drops a gun and says "I can't do it."
Shin-san and his "eeto"
Dipper Dan Tuesdays
Outdoor onsen - if one ever shows up in America, get me on a waiting list!

Favorite moments: Definitely the train to Harajuku with Lisa, where at the point we were discussing orifices and their order of preference for penetration, the three 40-something English guys stood up. Not much you can do about that but own it. And did we ever.

My birthday hug from Matt. One of my top ten hugs.

Not much else to say. I've got lots of pictures and presents and memories, so this was a good trip.

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