Another chapter ends, and another one begins......only this time in English!!
Hello to one and all. To say a lot has happened since that last photo of me in the classroom with judo suit is the understatement of the century!!
Where to begin??
Well, Japan has finished. It snook up on me out of nowhere, and before I knew what was happening I was down to my last week on that wonderful island and was having going away dinners, final classes in school, going away ceremonies galore, final trips to the city to see the friends I had made there for probably the last time in most cases, and final trips out to the island for my friends whom I made there. It was an emotional rollercoaster to use an old cliche, very surreal and exciting at the same time, and having a nostalgic side to me as I do, it was a time to think back over the 2 years and r
eflect on all that had happened.
First off the judo guys said goodbye to me in proper fashion. I had slacked off in my training near the end as I was so busy organising stuff, but they insisted I come down once more to have a scrap with each of them and to say a goodbye. That was a nice one, of all the Japanese people I was around constantly, these guys came the closest to forgetting the fact I was foreign and treated me like just another person. This is mostly due to the fact not many of them were from the island and were from cities around Japan,, so westerners weren't as much of a novelty to them, but it was nice to be able to hang out with these guys in the evenings a
nd be out of the spotlight. The last session was fun, normal enough for the most part but then at the end I said my thank yous and goodbyes, and each of them said them to me which was quite moving as the things they said were unexpected, and before I could leave, they said along the lines of "you've lived here for two years, you have to do do-ah-ge before you go". I had no idea what that was, but before I could say anything they had crowded around me and were in the process of hoisting me up, which they did in what was a crazy tradition of hoisting someone who is leaving aloft and roaring "whaaaaaaaaaaay" o
n each hoist. It was cool, and when they put me down they ran out and surrounded the car as I got in, and then chased after it as I drove off waving and saying goodbye. That sounds weird doesn't? It was, but in a good way, they are childish in some respects but its so refreshing too. It was a great goodbye, I told them I probably wouldn't be back as I want to leave Osakikamijima as a great memory, and coming back might spoil it, I would dearly love now to have a 2 hour training session with these guys now and sit around for a laugh after it though. I miss them a lot.
It was goodbye in each school as well, and they really go to town on these. In each case, the whole sch
ool piled into the gym and a formal setting was arranged where the principal would come forward and say his piece about me, and then 3 students came forward with flowers, gifts, and then a piece read out in English, and then each class presented me with hand-written pieces saying various goodbyes and tributes. It was all too much really, not in that they overdid it or anything, but more the fact that it was all so major and it all happened so close together that I couldn't really take it all in and found myself feeling n
umb for the most part. The ceremonies in the schools were a lot like that, very big and monumental feeling, however, the final classes were more relaxed and they were really cool as I brought my laptop in and hooked it up to the overhead in each class, and just did a class of showing my photos and telling stories and things. All the real stuff of what they thought of me at first came out as we were good enough friends at that point to not be shy and so on, and it was fun. The going away speeches were nice, a lot of tears from the teachers as compliments from foreigners (in Japanese) go a
long way with them, and I said some nice things about them and talked about my first impressions and how welcome I was made feel. Nice days, I was relieved when they were over which is not to say I didn't enjoy them, but I wanted them to be perfect and to leave with good memories, and they were.
Then there was a whole slew of going away enkais or office parties. These were fun too. In Japan, enkais start out all f
ormal and stiff with speeches here and there, and everyone sitting up and being all formal, and then they start drinking and within 25-30 minutes the whole attitude ahs changed and its easy going and
fun. Each of these were the same, I had to give a small speech at each one, then the vice principal, then the principal, then they started proper. A lot of fun nights, I can barely remember each one individually as they happened over the course of a week and a lot of them were on consecutive nights, exhausting on both physically and emotionally, but worth it all. Lots of gifts, lots of stories, lots of people say
ing things they wanted to say but didn't have the courage in a way during normal time, lots of well wishing, lots of good stuff all round.
After all these, that was nearly it. Few trips to see some of my favourite people who were not in on the parties but who I had gotten to know well, my old boss, my judo coach and a few others, and then it was time to wrap it all up, post all my stuff home, get my apartment ready to hand over, close all my accounts, and await the final morning. On the second to last morning I wanted to see a final sunrise on the island so I got up at 4.30a
m and drove to the top of Mt. Kannomine on the island, and waited for it, watching the town wake up from the exact place I was two years previously on my first day. The scenery was absolutely magnificent, no camera can do it justice, and when the sun rose I performed an old Japanese tradition and roared "BBBBBAAAANNNNNZZZAAAAIIIIIII" at the top ofmy lungs for about 20 seconds until I was spent. I took my time going back, had my last day in the office, and then had my final night where I packed fully, walked around the apartment a final time and got it ready to leave, and set the alarm for 5am to go. I was awake long before that with nerves, I don't know about what, but I had an anxiety that wouldn't shift.
The final morning came, I had my bags outside from 4.45am onwards and was just waiting for Kanda to show to take Judy and myself to the ferry. When there, people starting arriving as I knew they would, conversation class students, current teachers, old teachers, current vice principals and principals, and former ones, students, and randoms. It was nice, I said even more goodbyes and these were really final ones, and then the ferry came and it was time. Walked down the ramp to the ferry, said a final final address from the steps of the ferry as they all watched on, and then boarded and went to the overlook and began the waving where they all reciprocated as the ferry pulled away, and this continued all the way until we were out of sight. I was numb again, watching these folks disappear from view along with the island was a strange moment. I was excited, it was time to leave and begin the next stage of my life, and I have so much to look forward to, but so many things happened while this was my home and I had so many truly great memories and events happen in that place that to see it like that was tough going. Kanda, myself and Judy stood on the overlook for the entire 30 minute ferry ride, and I was silent, I had nothing to say really as I was so deep in my own thoughts.




I got a huge amount of out Japan, certainly volumes more than I gave to it even though I thought I did a good job as a teacher and an ambassador for my culture and so on, but what I took from Japan has been life changing. Not material stuff, but experiences, the best fiance a man could ever ask for, memories which will last a lifetime, some wonderful friends who I had great times with, some days which I feel truly blessed to have been involved in, and an insight into a culture and people so different from those of my own that it can only be described as an experience of the highest order and one which I'll never ever forget. Its shaped the person I am now more than I thought it would, it had its down points and there were times I thought that I was finished and didn't want to be there any more, but overall, I have only positives to say of my JET experience and count it as something truly remarkable in the truest sense of the word. I miss it a lot, the excitement of being in the US with Tiffany for the short time I was there and then in Ireland for the month to see people, as well as the initial excitement of London meant I hadn't time to think about it, now things are settling down though, I often think back of going for a drive over the mountains in the sun on the empty roads, having a laugh with my old boss, messing around with the judo lads and winding them up, going jogging around the apartment and the laying out on the beach with my book. I do miss it, not enough to ever question my decisions as my life ahead is as exciting as a man's life can be, but it was a wonderful place.
Anyway, enough sappy nostalgia. After I left, (and got a free business upgrade from Narita - Washington....get in!!) I was Washington bound to see the love of my life who I hadn't seen since my trip over in April. This was the last one too, the last time I would only get to see her for a short, fixed time so it was really exciting, and this time I wasn't going back to Japan but on to Ireland, so it all felt different. Business class was nice, really nice, and I milked it for all it was worth by ordering about 5 of everything on the menu which they were only too happy to supply me with. With all the food, space a comfort I could possibly need, the 14 hours went m
uch more quickly than usual stuck back in economy class, and before I knew it I was touching down in DC again, more refreshed than I usually feel. Tiffany was actually away on business and couldn't be there to greet me, but I called as soon as I landed and what a thrill to be in the same time zone and place again. She came the following day, and we had 3 glorious weeks together, seeing friends, organising more wedding stuff, going to dinners and parties, and just hanging out with each other. It was the quickest trip ever, it was a little longer than usual at just under 3 weeks, but it felt like I blinked and all of a sudden it was time to leave for Ireland, such was the wonderful time we had together there. As hard as it is to leave her, and it never gets any easier, we could console ourselves this time knowing that this is the last one and after this time apart the waiting is over and that we have made it. That doesn't make saying goodbye at airports any easier, but this thought has been my motivation ever since.
Well, I left and all of a sudden I was on to Ireland to see the folks for the first time in over a year. I arrived an hour early, but that was cancelled out by having to sit on the apron in the airport for almost an hour waiting for a slot to open, the biggest indicator I wasn't in Japan any more!! I was home though, back where I started two years previously when I showed up way too early and really nervous in July 2006.
Since this, Ive moved to London and after some time trying to get settled down, have begun working, studying and living here at last, and now countdown to my finest hour is fully on. I count myself as truly lucky to have ahead of me the things I have, it hasn't be an easy transition whatsoever, coming over here with an economics degree during financial mayhem was possibly the worst timing imaginable, but all has settled and things are running smoothly.
I don't know whether or not to carry on with this blog. As my predecessor in Japan found out with his, when you are in Japan, everything is noteworthy and pictures of the most trivial and mundane things are worth it, back in reality though its much harder to make things like that into stories.
I have really loved doing this (some might even say I was a "keen blogger".....inside joke), I read over it now and then when I have the time and can remember all of the events perfectly as if they happened yesterday. I always smirk when I read the entry where I first wrote "Tiffany the Texan" on the Fuji trip and think of where we are now, when I see photos of the island and the apartment for the first time and thought at how daunting it all was and by the end I could almost drive from Shosen to my front door with my eyes closed, how stiff and awkward Tabo-san was when I first met him compared to the final time I was in his house for dinner, how difficult it was to remember the formal greeting which I was to say to the office compared to how my Japanese was by the time I left the island, certainly not at any level which could be deemed proficient but good enough to be able to make all my work colleagues laugh at parties and to join in the jokes with the lads at judo. All of these and how they all changed over time have been great to be a part of, but its time to move on and get ready for my new life here.
Thank you all for reading it, sorry for the long gaps between them where I was too busy/lazy to spend the time to write it. What really made it special was that the emails I wrote to tell people I had posted it often resulted in back and forth chats, and those were fantastic and just what I needed sometimes when the island felt quite lonely.
To finish here are some photos which I could never fit into any blogs but thought should be included as they were very much part of my time there.
Funny story to this photo, one of my schools got a random call one day from Asahi Newspaper (one of Japan's daily nationals) from a journalist who had read the town newsletter, and they wanted to do a quick story about the foreigner who got a black belt in Japan. This was the photo they used, and the journalist came out to the school and asked me a bunch of questions, and a month later it was in the newspaper with a story beside it. The newspaper itself is at home and Ill put it in when I get my hands on it.

This one was quite a random photo. The woman in the photo is Akko, without whom every JET in the history of JET to come to the island would be lost and would probably end up going home after a week. She sorts out just about everything for us, and also works as a maths teacher in one of the schools. Always thought this one was funny, can't even remember why this was taken, there was a camera in one of the classrooms one day and this was the result!!

Nothing too special, this was a combination of two of my favourite classes in a photo from my final day of teaching. Great kids.

This was also one of my favourite students. Asumi, she found my face hilarious, its peculiar, she could not take me seriously and this was me on the last day trying to explain something to her, and I thought the gravitas of the situation would make her take it seriously. I began to speak, and as usual, this was the reaction.

Finally, this was from that wonderful wonderful trip to Hokkaido from a long time back. Always like this photos, just us having the famous Genghis Khan dinner from the local place. I think we have a similar photo somewhere back, but this one was always one I wanted to include.
Thanks to everyone for reading and emailing,
God bless,
Graham
Where to begin??
Well, Japan has finished. It snook up on me out of nowhere, and before I knew what was happening I was down to my last week on that wonderful island and was having going away dinners, final classes in school, going away ceremonies galore, final trips to the city to see the friends I had made there for probably the last time in most cases, and final trips out to the island for my friends whom I made there. It was an emotional rollercoaster to use an old cliche, very surreal and exciting at the same time, and having a nostalgic side to me as I do, it was a time to think back over the 2 years and r
eflect on all that had happened.First off the judo guys said goodbye to me in proper fashion. I had slacked off in my training near the end as I was so busy organising stuff, but they insisted I come down once more to have a scrap with each of them and to say a goodbye. That was a nice one, of all the Japanese people I was around constantly, these guys came the closest to forgetting the fact I was foreign and treated me like just another person. This is mostly due to the fact not many of them were from the island and were from cities around Japan,, so westerners weren't as much of a novelty to them, but it was nice to be able to hang out with these guys in the evenings a
nd be out of the spotlight. The last session was fun, normal enough for the most part but then at the end I said my thank yous and goodbyes, and each of them said them to me which was quite moving as the things they said were unexpected, and before I could leave, they said along the lines of "you've lived here for two years, you have to do do-ah-ge before you go". I had no idea what that was, but before I could say anything they had crowded around me and were in the process of hoisting me up, which they did in what was a crazy tradition of hoisting someone who is leaving aloft and roaring "whaaaaaaaaaaay" o
n each hoist. It was cool, and when they put me down they ran out and surrounded the car as I got in, and then chased after it as I drove off waving and saying goodbye. That sounds weird doesn't? It was, but in a good way, they are childish in some respects but its so refreshing too. It was a great goodbye, I told them I probably wouldn't be back as I want to leave Osakikamijima as a great memory, and coming back might spoil it, I would dearly love now to have a 2 hour training session with these guys now and sit around for a laugh after it though. I miss them a lot.It was goodbye in each school as well, and they really go to town on these. In each case, the whole sch
Then there was a whole slew of going away enkais or office parties. These were fun too. In Japan, enkais start out all f
ormal and stiff with speeches here and there, and everyone sitting up and being all formal, and then they start drinking and within 25-30 minutes the whole attitude ahs changed and its easy going and
fun. Each of these were the same, I had to give a small speech at each one, then the vice principal, then the principal, then they started proper. A lot of fun nights, I can barely remember each one individually as they happened over the course of a week and a lot of them were on consecutive nights, exhausting on both physically and emotionally, but worth it all. Lots of gifts, lots of stories, lots of people say
ing things they wanted to say but didn't have the courage in a way during normal time, lots of well wishing, lots of good stuff all round.After all these, that was nearly it. Few trips to see some of my favourite people who were not in on the parties but who I had gotten to know well, my old boss, my judo coach and a few others, and then it was time to wrap it all up, post all my stuff home, get my apartment ready to hand over, close all my accounts, and await the final morning. On the second to last morning I wanted to see a final sunrise on the island so I got up at 4.30a
m and drove to the top of Mt. Kannomine on the island, and waited for it, watching the town wake up from the exact place I was two years previously on my first day. The scenery was absolutely magnificent, no camera can do it justice, and when the sun rose I performed an old Japanese tradition and roared "BBBBBAAAANNNNNZZZAAAAIIIIIII" at the top ofmy lungs for about 20 seconds until I was spent. I took my time going back, had my last day in the office, and then had my final night where I packed fully, walked around the apartment a final time and got it ready to leave, and set the alarm for 5am to go. I was awake long before that with nerves, I don't know about what, but I had an anxiety that wouldn't shift.The final morning came, I had my bags outside from 4.45am onwards and was just waiting for Kanda to show to take Judy and myself to the ferry. When there, people starting arriving as I knew they would, conversation class students, current teachers, old teachers, current vice principals and principals, and former ones, students, and randoms. It was nice, I said even more goodbyes and these were really final ones, and then the ferry came and it was time. Walked down the ramp to the ferry, said a final final address from the steps of the ferry as they all watched on, and then boarded and went to the overlook and began the waving where they all reciprocated as the ferry pulled away, and this continued all the way until we were out of sight. I was numb again, watching these folks disappear from view along with the island was a strange moment. I was excited, it was time to leave and begin the next stage of my life, and I have so much to look forward to, but so many things happened while this was my home and I had so many truly great memories and events happen in that place that to see it like that was tough going. Kanda, myself and Judy stood on the overlook for the entire 30 minute ferry ride, and I was silent, I had nothing to say really as I was so deep in my own thoughts.





I got a huge amount of out Japan, certainly volumes more than I gave to it even though I thought I did a good job as a teacher and an ambassador for my culture and so on, but what I took from Japan has been life changing. Not material stuff, but experiences, the best fiance a man could ever ask for, memories which will last a lifetime, some wonderful friends who I had great times with, some days which I feel truly blessed to have been involved in, and an insight into a culture and people so different from those of my own that it can only be described as an experience of the highest order and one which I'll never ever forget. Its shaped the person I am now more than I thought it would, it had its down points and there were times I thought that I was finished and didn't want to be there any more, but overall, I have only positives to say of my JET experience and count it as something truly remarkable in the truest sense of the word. I miss it a lot, the excitement of being in the US with Tiffany for the short time I was there and then in Ireland for the month to see people, as well as the initial excitement of London meant I hadn't time to think about it, now things are settling down though, I often think back of going for a drive over the mountains in the sun on the empty roads, having a laugh with my old boss, messing around with the judo lads and winding them up, going jogging around the apartment and the laying out on the beach with my book. I do miss it, not enough to ever question my decisions as my life ahead is as exciting as a man's life can be, but it was a wonderful place.
Anyway, enough sappy nostalgia. After I left, (and got a free business upgrade from Narita - Washington....get in!!) I was Washington bound to see the love of my life who I hadn't seen since my trip over in April. This was the last one too, the last time I would only get to see her for a short, fixed time so it was really exciting, and this time I wasn't going back to Japan but on to Ireland, so it all felt different. Business class was nice, really nice, and I milked it for all it was worth by ordering about 5 of everything on the menu which they were only too happy to supply me with. With all the food, space a comfort I could possibly need, the 14 hours went m
Well, I left and all of a sudden I was on to Ireland to see the folks for the first time in over a year. I arrived an hour early, but that was cancelled out by having to sit on the apron in the airport for almost an hour waiting for a slot to open, the biggest indicator I wasn't in Japan any more!! I was home though, back where I started two years previously when I showed up way too early and really nervous in July 2006.
Since this, Ive moved to London and after some time trying to get settled down, have begun working, studying and living here at last, and now countdown to my finest hour is fully on. I count myself as truly lucky to have ahead of me the things I have, it hasn't be an easy transition whatsoever, coming over here with an economics degree during financial mayhem was possibly the worst timing imaginable, but all has settled and things are running smoothly.
I don't know whether or not to carry on with this blog. As my predecessor in Japan found out with his, when you are in Japan, everything is noteworthy and pictures of the most trivial and mundane things are worth it, back in reality though its much harder to make things like that into stories.
I have really loved doing this (some might even say I was a "keen blogger".....inside joke), I read over it now and then when I have the time and can remember all of the events perfectly as if they happened yesterday. I always smirk when I read the entry where I first wrote "Tiffany the Texan" on the Fuji trip and think of where we are now, when I see photos of the island and the apartment for the first time and thought at how daunting it all was and by the end I could almost drive from Shosen to my front door with my eyes closed, how stiff and awkward Tabo-san was when I first met him compared to the final time I was in his house for dinner, how difficult it was to remember the formal greeting which I was to say to the office compared to how my Japanese was by the time I left the island, certainly not at any level which could be deemed proficient but good enough to be able to make all my work colleagues laugh at parties and to join in the jokes with the lads at judo. All of these and how they all changed over time have been great to be a part of, but its time to move on and get ready for my new life here.
Thank you all for reading it, sorry for the long gaps between them where I was too busy/lazy to spend the time to write it. What really made it special was that the emails I wrote to tell people I had posted it often resulted in back and forth chats, and those were fantastic and just what I needed sometimes when the island felt quite lonely.
To finish here are some photos which I could never fit into any blogs but thought should be included as they were very much part of my time there.
Funny story to this photo, one of my schools got a random call one day from Asahi Newspaper (one of Japan's daily nationals) from a journalist who had read the town newsletter, and they wanted to do a quick story about the foreigner who got a black belt in Japan. This was the photo they used, and the journalist came out to the school and asked me a bunch of questions, and a month later it was in the newspaper with a story beside it. The newspaper itself is at home and Ill put it in when I get my hands on it.
This one was quite a random photo. The woman in the photo is Akko, without whom every JET in the history of JET to come to the island would be lost and would probably end up going home after a week. She sorts out just about everything for us, and also works as a maths teacher in one of the schools. Always thought this one was funny, can't even remember why this was taken, there was a camera in one of the classrooms one day and this was the result!!

Nothing too special, this was a combination of two of my favourite classes in a photo from my final day of teaching. Great kids.

This was also one of my favourite students. Asumi, she found my face hilarious, its peculiar, she could not take me seriously and this was me on the last day trying to explain something to her, and I thought the gravitas of the situation would make her take it seriously. I began to speak, and as usual, this was the reaction.
Finally, this was from that wonderful wonderful trip to Hokkaido from a long time back. Always like this photos, just us having the famous Genghis Khan dinner from the local place. I think we have a similar photo somewhere back, but this one was always one I wanted to include.

Thanks to everyone for reading and emailing,
God bless,
Graham

































