Indeed, this will be my last bit of blogging from Japan, but I nor this page are giving up the ghost just yet. There's simply far too much of a good thing going on in the Bay Area and, at least in the short-term, my schedule's *ahem* opened up a bit now that I've joined--what percentage is it now--the California 10%-ers. No better time than the present to try on the good-natured vagabond jacket.
There are a raft of people I need to thank before this post is over, it's difficult to know where even to begin:
--The sane people at the Kusu Board of Education, past and present, which includes, Watanabe-san, Goto-san, Hiramatsu-san and Akiyoshi-san. They all helped more than hassled (if they hassled at all, that is) and my life would have been much more difficult out of the starting blocks were it not for them. It's too bad Watanabe-san (formerly Nogami) left for maternity purposes and left me in a lurch with--*shudder*--Honda-san, who hounded me with her incompetence all the way until Fukuoka Airport. Thank you all the rest, and curse you Honda!
--Uno Chizuru, a woman far too cool for Hita City (actually, I can say that about the following two people as well, but Chizuru gets the treatment first). I met Chi-chan a few months after I arrived at a winter solstice party and we clicked like a pair of castanets. Throughout the two years she and I have maintained a steady friendship, but I can't help and feel like I took more than I gave: We spoke almost entirely in Japanese and most of my language gain on this rotation is thanks to her. We're destined to meet again in the not-too-distant future, so until then!
--90% of my new wardrobe is thanks to a single person: Oita City's very own Ogura Rie. People joke about being dressed by their mothers or whoever, but this is a very real story of triumph from when one allows their fashion choices to be dictated by someone with infinitely better taste than their own. And I am in no way ashamed to admit that! We met while I was shopping for wacky shirts at Oita's FORUS department store where she was manning the T-fact counter with a great big perfect, and most importantly, GENUINE smile. I was caught in the spider web from there on out. Rie is a self-taught master of the English language and I respect her a ton for it. I mean, how many Japanese people will you ever hear say "Fuck you so much, and the horse you rode in on!"
--Usuzuki Mayumi I met five years ago (Jesus H. Christ, it's been five years since my study abroad days!) when I was tutoring English for quick side cash at Oita University. Again, like Chizuru, I feel I've taken more than I've given and have a lingering, palpable guilt in my belly. Our schedules and geographical positions made meeting difficult, but every time we did get the chance it was nothing less than magical. For all my bitching and moaning about the inaka here is a stunning example of a person born in the country who's transcended that culture mentally and now is setting goals to physically transcend it as well. In other words, she wants to get out, she knows why and now she's started a drive to better herself, never settling. Damn inspirational, if you ask me. Thanks for being a kick in the pants for my ambitions and I will do everything in my power to help you achieve yours.
--Of course, I couldn't possibly end this list without saying thank you to my beautiful, brilliant girlfriend, the human natto-vacuum herself, Maia Z. Without Maia it's entirely possible I would have turned to armed robbery to work out the stress of ALT life. I'm telling you, it's just not worth the trouble to smash n' grab a few onigiri, so I'm in your debt.
I'll get to more Thank Yous later, but my battery's about to go and the flight's about to board. If I crash and die and my remains are never found then just know that I went down clawing out the eyes of my neighboring passenger in an orgy of fear and anger.
No, scratch that. For posterity's sake it's best not to be remembered that way.
--Matt
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