Tributes to ALTs and Taylor Anderson
When kyuuketsuki_ooh decided to go ahead with her plans to move to Japan in March, despite what the U.S. government was telling everyone, I admired her bravery. It takes an individual with special qualities to become a good ALT. People often miss that fact when they talk about JET and Interac. I decided to write a post dedicated to all the ALTs in Japan: Firsthand earthquake accounts by ALTs. Not all of them area staying in Japan (the ones that are definitely heroes in my book), but they aren't just sitting around, dwelling on what they have lost and what they had to endure. They are raising money and awareness, and they are inspiring us with their stories of survival.
I also wrote a poem in memory of Taylor Anderson. Her obituary can be found here. I thought it did an excellent job of portraying her love of Japan and life in general. Even though we only knew each other for a short while, Taylor, I'm gonna miss you.
Okaeri nasai
When you left home,
Your parents held you tightly,
Just one more minute
With their little girl.
You’d come back though-
Smarter and wiser-
And your mom, dad, and sister
Would welcome you home.
After graduation,
Your friends held back tears.
This wasn’t a simple goodbye
To someone like a sister.
You were going to be so far away.
They would await the day
They could properly welcome
You back to your homeland.
He was going to miss you,
But he also understood
You had heard the call
Of a distant land,
A dream you had to chase.
Anyway, he would visit you,
And you’d welcome him
Into your new home.
There are many of us
Who didn’t get to say goodbye
Or give you one last hug
And many more who are crying.
We’ll miss dearly
But you’re returning
To home will all some day go,
And the ones who watch us say:
Okaeri nasai. Welcome home.
I also wrote a poem in memory of Taylor Anderson. Her obituary can be found here. I thought it did an excellent job of portraying her love of Japan and life in general. Even though we only knew each other for a short while, Taylor, I'm gonna miss you.
Okaeri nasai
When you left home,
Your parents held you tightly,
Just one more minute
With their little girl.
You’d come back though-
Smarter and wiser-
And your mom, dad, and sister
Would welcome you home.
After graduation,
Your friends held back tears.
This wasn’t a simple goodbye
To someone like a sister.
You were going to be so far away.
They would await the day
They could properly welcome
You back to your homeland.
He was going to miss you,
But he also understood
You had heard the call
Of a distant land,
A dream you had to chase.
Anyway, he would visit you,
And you’d welcome him
Into your new home.
There are many of us
Who didn’t get to say goodbye
Or give you one last hug
And many more who are crying.
We’ll miss dearly
But you’re returning
To home will all some day go,
And the ones who watch us say:
Okaeri nasai. Welcome home.