そつぎょうしき見に来た Graduation Time!!

HOFU STUDENTS, YOU ARE THE BEST!!! I miss being your teacher! I love you!

HOFU TEACHERS, YOU ARE SOOO WONDERFUL! Thank you so much for making me feel so welcome to come back, and inviting me to your graduation parties even though technically I shouldn't be invited. :)

Day 4 here was graduation. Graduation for my old high school students was to be the highlight of my trip. I hadn't forgotten how extremely boring Japanese graduations are, but I had forgotten how COLD the room is. I didn't have the luxury of being bored because I was too freezing!

Even though I talk like this, I'm not saying I'm unhappy I came. I'm just like this girl and boy below... Like, let's get to the good stuff!

The good stuff came before and after the actual ceremony because I got to see the kids. Some of the classes screamed with excitement when I popped my head in. I brought all the third years American candy, and just wanted to wish them all a happy future. (btw, the 3rd years are the ones that graduated...high school in Japan is only 3 years). I got to talk to many students, and found out where they are going to college and what their future plans are. Also, on graduation day I had to friend at least 20 students on Facebook....They are just SUCH GREAT PEOPLE. I really really love them.

One class that knew I was coming had another scrapbook gift ready for me. It had pictures and letters from each of them. It's no wonder I love my old students. Wouldn't you want to come back for such thoughtful people too?

This day was really really quite wonderful for me. It made my whole trip worth it. The ceremony itself may be boring, but to see the students cry after, and be able to talk to them again made the whole trans-pacific flight sans reclining chair ability worth it.

Here's me and my old supervisor, who I partied with into the night at our graduation enkai, but more on that later. :) She is one of many amazing teachers at Hofu Shogyo. Une sensei is like a mother to me, and Iwamoto sensei is so nice. Akimoto sensei is Ikemen and Katsunoi is my type of crazy! Even the non-English teachers really took me in, on graduation day and back when I was employed here. Being cool doesn't know a language barrier, and everyone at Hofu Shogyo is just so cool.

The video above shows my school song. I hope I don't ever forget it! Nostalgia ですね...

Now, I do have one more graduation ceremony to attend this Friday the 9th (my old special needs school does it later all regular high schools which have a set graduation time of 10:00am on March 1st). I think my Friday will be just as good if not better, because this school has NO idea I'm coming, and they loved me there, maybe even more than this school. I just didn't go as often, but still has a big piece of my heart. I'm excited! Yay! Cheers :)