Nishi Chu
Today I went back to Nishi Chu, went back to Gunma, for the first time since I left. I spent about 2 hours getting to Gunma, and about 3 hours in Gunma (lol).
Nishi Chu was a case of me really liking where I worked and not really liking where I lived. The friends I made were all like 35-70yr olds...It was the first time I interacted with that many, and I didn't really know how to keep up the friendships.
I really loved teaching (most all of) the kids and I was so heartbroken when I found out that I couldn't attend the graduation ceremony tomorrow. Originally, I had just wanted to see the ceremony and be creepy, sit with the parents and then creep up from out of a corner, say "Congratulations!" and then slink away, but my plan failed when I realized I already booked a plane ticket for that day }:
Instead, I contacted my friend, math teacher, and she asked the principal when would be a time to possibly say hi and he said 11:45, right when lunch starts, and to go directly to the classrooms. I woke up at 7:30, grabbed a small poster I drew for them, and departed for Gunma. Got there around 10:30, walked over to Coco's family restaurant, basked in its mediocrity (it was the restaurant closest to my house, I had gone there a lot. Even though it's pretty so-so), and then headed over.
When I approached the school I was seen by several kids and I heard, "AH! AREKUSU! AREKUSU DA!" I was almost in tears already at that point! Some kids were running around peeking their heads around corners and giggling. It was just like when I taught there. They yelled, "Pleased to meet you!!" It was the cutest thing ever. Most people just yelled, "I saw you on TV! (in Japanese, they could totally manage that sentence in English tho)" Apparently a good portion of my school watches Zip! and when I was on it was a school-wide topic. I don't think many kids remembered what I told them I was doing and so they just think I'm in Tokyo, randomly appearing on TV and that's my thing now ^^; I was seriously crying. Some kids didn't really understand why I came back and probably thought I was being weird, but I didn't really care that much.
The weird thing is that I tried to wait out some time in the faculty room, because I had bonded with some teachers and kind of wanted to talk to them, but I was led out by math teacher who said that if I went into the faculty room and started talking with the faculty then the guy who took over my job would feel really bad (the principal apparently felt that). Apparently that guy didn't really bond with the kids, or the faculty, and just read books in the faculty room all day. So he wasn't getting the job back next year D:
But I really don't think me being around for one second would have hurt a grown man's feelings....
I'm just sad I didn't get to talk with everyone for longer....
Nishi Chu was a case of me really liking where I worked and not really liking where I lived. The friends I made were all like 35-70yr olds...It was the first time I interacted with that many, and I didn't really know how to keep up the friendships.
I really loved teaching (most all of) the kids and I was so heartbroken when I found out that I couldn't attend the graduation ceremony tomorrow. Originally, I had just wanted to see the ceremony and be creepy, sit with the parents and then creep up from out of a corner, say "Congratulations!" and then slink away, but my plan failed when I realized I already booked a plane ticket for that day }:
Instead, I contacted my friend, math teacher, and she asked the principal when would be a time to possibly say hi and he said 11:45, right when lunch starts, and to go directly to the classrooms. I woke up at 7:30, grabbed a small poster I drew for them, and departed for Gunma. Got there around 10:30, walked over to Coco's family restaurant, basked in its mediocrity (it was the restaurant closest to my house, I had gone there a lot. Even though it's pretty so-so), and then headed over.
When I approached the school I was seen by several kids and I heard, "AH! AREKUSU! AREKUSU DA!" I was almost in tears already at that point! Some kids were running around peeking their heads around corners and giggling. It was just like when I taught there. They yelled, "Pleased to meet you!!" It was the cutest thing ever. Most people just yelled, "I saw you on TV! (in Japanese, they could totally manage that sentence in English tho)" Apparently a good portion of my school watches Zip! and when I was on it was a school-wide topic. I don't think many kids remembered what I told them I was doing and so they just think I'm in Tokyo, randomly appearing on TV and that's my thing now ^^; I was seriously crying. Some kids didn't really understand why I came back and probably thought I was being weird, but I didn't really care that much.
The weird thing is that I tried to wait out some time in the faculty room, because I had bonded with some teachers and kind of wanted to talk to them, but I was led out by math teacher who said that if I went into the faculty room and started talking with the faculty then the guy who took over my job would feel really bad (the principal apparently felt that). Apparently that guy didn't really bond with the kids, or the faculty, and just read books in the faculty room all day. So he wasn't getting the job back next year D:
But I really don't think me being around for one second would have hurt a grown man's feelings....
I'm just sad I didn't get to talk with everyone for longer....