Saying Good Bye

Had a good day today. Was so miserable yesterday even a JR-suicide couldn't make me feel any worse.

Had classes in Mizuhashi today. Told the principal that I am leaving at the end of the month, she was really warm and nice about it, kept asking if there is a chance that I might return to teach there again. Kids were also affectionate. Aoi has been shy after I got cross at her for lifting my skirt in front of the class in the Summer, but she is warming up to me again and was fighting the other kids to hold my hand and to sit besides me today. I'm touched that she still loves me. Kids are funny that way. You can screw up, over-react, make them cry, hurt them... and in the end they still love you.

Office at noon was a disaster zone. A couple of students and even a school had terminated the contract with my company after I formally informed them that I am quitting... and that is without me telling them about the shit that my company does to its employees, or the real reason why I am quitting. (Boss wouldn't let me take a two weeks no-pay-leave to visit my dying grandmother. Told me one week max, take it or leave it. So I decided to leave.)

Predictably, boss is in a really shitty mood today, kept saying bad things about me in Japanese, how that amused me!

Good thing I reminded the secretary to print the letter for Suzume today. Turns out our boss had forgotten to call the principal to inform them that I am leaving. So typical of her. When I took over Tony's classes in June, some of the clients freaked out, asked me what happened to Tony, and how come nobody bothers to tell them that they will be getting a new teacher... ha! I wonder what snafu my successor will have to deal with.

Anyway, lessons went well today. Satohiko showed me his homework as soon as I got there. He's so proud of himself. "Yorumade yatte mashita" ("I stayed up late to finish it"... he is only 5!!) I love that boy to bits. If only I could put him in my suitcase ...

At recess, I went up to the principal's office to give him the letter, explaining that I will be leaving. Same thing, he asked me if there is any way I can extend my contract and come back to teach, but I vaguely told him that it's beyond my control and there is no way for me to come back.

My cheerful mood must have something to do with the daylight. For the first time in months, it's still bright outside when I finish my last lesson. So spring must be around the corner.

But apparently, not everybody shared my cheerful reaction to the longer daylight. I understand that some 80+ souls commit suicide in Japan every day on average. But why do they have to jump in front of the train that I was going to ride? Couldn't they tolerate living just 5 minutes longer?

This is the third time I've been screwed by JR-suicides. Good thing I wasn't trying to catch my flight today. In the station, I overheard some commuters talking about how there has been a lot of train-suicides lately... might have something to do with the economy, I suppose. Why couldn't they build barriers at the platform like they do in HK? Think how much time you can save! Not to mention the poor folks who have to scrape the remains off the train with a spatula! Oh, and you even create jobs! My god, I'm a genius.

Went to a ramen-box near the station to stay warm; was very wary when I first got in, as it looked like a ghetto, with magazines and ashtrays and videos and dirty clothes piled every where, with only a handful of seats and one customer. But the food was excellent and said as much to the chief. Then suddenly everyone is friendly and we talked a bit about travelling and work before I headed back to the station.

Thanks god it's Friday anyway. This choronic sleep deprivation is getting to me. I am going to drain a couple of bottles of wine in the bathtub with onsen bath salt and a novel, and hopefully sleep in tomorrow. (must remember to kill cell phone and alarm clock before go to bed.)