The final weeks in Japan

The final couple of weeks in Japanland were filled with parties, farewells, speeches, and more parties. Here are just a few piccies to show you the great send-off we were all given before leaving our adopted home.

My rubbish Japanese and my nerve were tested during what seemed like a million farewell speeches. I made one to each group of teachers at my different schools, and was asked to make one to the entire student body at my base school. After 3 minutes of English, and about 4 minutes of Japanese, I bowed, left the stage, and walked through the gym to the sound of hundreds of students clapping. I didn't cry...and I also didn't make any mistakes. Whoo!

A final Hagi weekend. There was a BBQ, dancing, skinny-dipping for some, a rainy trip to the beach, mosquito bites, a 3am taxi to a hotel with air-con, and a stolen umbrella on our Tsuwano road-trip. It wasn't quite the chilled-out weekend I had envisaged, but it was great to see everyone nonetheless.

A great farewell party with my English Club students. We started with 3 hours of karaoke, and ended with a yakiniku feast. We all sang some English songs together, including a finale of 'Let It Be'. I'm sure I was beaming as I looked around at my 'kids' singing and reading the Beatles classic. It was quite a cheesily emotional moment. At dinner, they presented me with a fabulous album of letters and photographs which, unsurprisingly, made me cry!! It was really hard to say goodbye, but I did it in a typically 'Lauren' way, and gave them all hugs. They seemed a bit embarrassed by the gesture, but I hope it made them realise how much they meant to me.

A lovely farewell party from YES (Yanai English Society). They are a great group of people, and I thoroughly enjoyed attending the meetings every month, and chatting with everyone.

Saturday night fun in Tokuyama. We had the yummiest food ever in 'Banana Leaf' (the ebi chilli was divine!), accompanied by sparkling wine, and great friends! One of those great relaxed nights out, where you realise how lucky you are to have fab pals, and when you know how sad you'll feel when you have to say goodbye.

My last night in Yanai. It was a truly fun and fabulous night. Thanks to Kat, Hannah, Saki, Keith, Yoshika, and Fumiko, I was able to enjoy my 2 favourite places in Yanai one last time...'Daifuku' for yakiniku, and 'Party' for karaoke. Highlights of the evening included the delish sayonara cake that Kat-chan bought for me, stealing a plate from 'Daifuku', and belting out 4 hours of epic karaoke. A great way to say goodbye to my lil town, and my great local mates.

My final day in Yanai was a bit of a whirlwind, as I rushed round to finish my packing, post a final box, cancel my keitai, eat a final Tonton etc etc. Kat came round in the afternoon, and then we were picked up by my teachers to go to the train station. At the station I was given a wonderful send-off, as colleagues, friends, and students (all of English Club turned up!), came to wave goodbye. They even bought cheap tickets to come on the platform with me. I cried of course! It wasn't the most glamorous of exits....tears and sweat (it was a hot afternoon!)...but I will always remember it, and the people who made me feel so special!