This was written last Friday

They keep on finding me so I shouldn:t leave yet

So, today is my last day at Shimoji, and I didn:t know it. Apparently that last day, the 18th, is a ceremony day, so that there are no classes that day. Would have been nice to know that sooner, I was originally planning lessons right up until the end.

So I find this out last night. Now get how I found out. Akemi-sensei, my coordintor at Heiichi calls the BOE to get my number. I get in contact with her, and she asks me if I can stop by that last day during their cerimony. I say I have class in the morning and can:t. She says, no, you don:t. And I:m all like, wha? So I get here today and ask if there:s classes next friday, and they:re all like, no. So I scratch today:s lesson and teach my final lesson. In doing so I tell them that this is my last class with them, I:m going back home after. And the teachers are all like, wha? You:re going home? I didn:t know! And I:m all like, how did it not come up!?!?! But apparently it didn:t. So yeah. They:ve been coming up to me all day with letters and books and pictures and all kinds of nice things. I might cry if this continues.

Usually, I:m allowed to bug out of Shimoji after lunch, around 2, but because it:s my last day, I:m hanging around a little longer. In order to not be suspicious (the only computer I can use here is in the teacher room), I:m emailing this to myself to post later, that:s why the date is wrong. I:ll probably go before too long, but. Also, they asked me to come next Friday, even if it:s just for half an hour or so. I:m going to try to hit as many schools as ask me to come that final day. Right now I:ve got 2.

I:ve said this in talking to some of you, and maybe here, but I:m going to say it again. I think the biggest regret I have for leaving is that I:m just now getting the hang of this whole teaching thing. I mean, I:m really starting to connect with my students. I:m really starting to REALLY *get* what they are and aren:t capable of. I mean, they are just now, JUST NOW beginning to READ!!!! WORDS!!!!! That:s just so amazing to me and makes me so happy and it makes me sad that if I:d stayed, I bet I could have had some of them reading books by Christmas. Not big books, not important books, but BOOKS!! And I:m really worried that Jake:s not going to continue their phonics studies. I:m worried that theyr:re not going to remember the sounds coming back from natsu yasumi and I:m really worried that Jake won:t pump it back into their heads. But it:s no longer my job, so I shouldn:t worry about it right? Besides, that alone isn:t a good enough reason to stay compared to all of my reasons I have for leaving. So it:s good that I:m coming home.

In related to getting out of Japan news, this article is just scary, outrageous, and just plain worrisome. It's about how foreigners in Japan don't have the same rights as citizens and basic human rights can be taken away. Fun times.