向前和向上 (Onward and Upward)
Another school year has flown by, and once again it's time for my students to go forth into the world and make something of themselves. Last year I had a tearful goodbye with my second year Naha Nikkei students, who I thankfully still see from time to time randomly at the mall or...you know...Nakijin freakin' Castle. This year I said farewell to my Chubu Nikkei students. Sadly I didn't get anywhere as close with them as I did with my Naha Nikkei kids, so the reunion wasn't so memorable. But here's hoping they go on to have successful post graduation lives.
Now these guys I was beyond happy to see, and the feeling was most definitely mutual. These were my first year Naha Nikkei kids that I left after switching over to Chubu. I must have left an indelible mark on them because they'd always want to see me and wondered if I'd ever come back. I'd catch up with a few of them from time to time, but for the most part I hadn't seen them much over the past year. I guess you could call this our sweet, sweet reunion.
Rock.