I went to my last meeting of the English club today, which was fun and sad at the same time. I think meeting up with G, getting to know people at the club, was probably the best thing that could have happened to me here. It was a great opportunity to talk to people away from the university, to get a little understanding of some different people's lives and thoughts.
When I look back at myself as a young woman in the Peace Corps, I regret not being more active in getting to know people more away from my work there. And I'm grateful for the new opportunity here.
I have a busy time ahead. I have to clean the apartment, finish preparing the final exam, pick my Mom up at the airport, grade the final exams, figure grades, turn in grade reports and evaluations, get the apartment inspected, and figure out how to feed my Mom and myself all the while. I also have to get my laptop changed back so that it isn't set for here, but will work at home. And that will mean the end of blogging or anything else on the internet until I'm back home.
G and another friend from the club are coming with my Mom and I to Kyoto for a day this week, and are going to explain stuff; both are trained guides, and both fluent in English, so I'm feeling pretty amazingly lucky.
And then my Mom and I are headed to Tokyo (I'm hoping I can get us there on the shinkansen/bullet train), where we'll join a tour group through Japan for 8 days, ending in Osaka at the castle. We'll come back here for a night at the apartment, and then head back to the US on (amazingly) the same flight.
One of the guys at the English club tonight gave me a map of Tokyo where he'd marked the places he recommends for our visit. Isn't that neat? He went out of his way to find an English map and mark it for us.
Busy days ahead!
It's hard to believe that your time there is almost over. I've so enjoyed reading about your adventures! And you've done so much in such a relatively short time!
ReplyDeleteHope you enjoy the rest of your stay in happiness and good health.
that is incredibly sweet! i know, lot of work finishing up, but your mom is coming, and you have a vacation with her, and tour guides and even help with tokyo!
ReplyDeletei was in japan for a year, and all i did was run up long-distance phone bills. nobody came to visit. sigh. and i have not been back. maybe when daughter does her time abroad -- although she maybe oughta get out of bed in the morning to do her 8 a.m. class before she can count on that, huh?