Saying goodbye to Kibukawa

Class 5-1

Class 5-2

Class 5-3

Class 6-1

Class 6-2

Class 6-3

I finished the last of 2 great years of classes at my elementary school this week. I'm going to miss these kids something terrible.

Why I'm going to miss my students

Bucket List

Long time, no see! The last few months have flown by in a flash, with hardly any time to spare. Between work and life I have had my hands full.

I can't believe it's already December! There are two more (busy) weeks until winter break and then 2013 will be upon us. Now that I have decided that I am moving back to Seattle in March my remaining time seems so short. But looking back on how I felt when I came here I feel that I have accomplished most of what I set out to do. After some consideration I have made a short list of the things I still hope to accomplish in my last 3 and a half months (wow!) living in Japan. So here, goes!

• Universal Studios Japan -- Similar to Disney, USJ is a theme park, but instead of Mickey and Co.  USJ is the home of Sesame Street, Snoopy, Hello Kitty, Dreamworks and more. I would love to go during Christmas or Valentine's Day and see the park all decked out. 
• Tokyo Disney Sea -- This summer I went to Tokyo Disney and had a really good time. Although I've been to theme parks in the states, Disney in Japan is somehow still very Japanese. It's quite an experience. I've heard that Disney Sea is more suited for adults so I'd like to try to go. 
• Visit the temples in Kyoto again, especially Arashiyama -- I live so close, why not! I now have a temple book, which I can get stamped and marked with calligraphy at any temple that I visit. I would really like to revisit some of the famous temples and have it signed. 
• Go to Moku Moku (the local hot spring) at least once more. 
• Go to Nagano and see the Monkey Onsen -- I've been meaning to do this one for a long time. Winter seems like the best time to see Monkeys in hot water, so I hope to go soon!
• Go to an Opera -- This one might prove trickier, but I will succeed eventually! If it takes me 20 years, I WILL see an opera in Japan!
• Eat at the two restaurants closest to my apartment -- There are two semi-expensive looking Japanese restaurants within a 10 minute walk of my house. Somehow I have gone two years without visiting either of them once. This is silly. Before I leave, I promise I will go.
• Hokkaido -- I don't know if I will end up fulfilling this one, but I would really like to visit Japan's most northern island, Hokkaido. Climate-wise and culturally it seems very unique. 
• Okinawa -- I also would like to visit Okinawa, the southern island. I am pretty sure this won't happen before April, but someday. I have heard the climate reminds many people of Hawaii. American stores and brands are also more common here. Also, some of the longest living people in history have lived in Okinawa! They must be doing something right. 

That being said, I have a lot of great things planned in the next month or so. I am excited to enjoy a Christmas in Koka and New Year's in Korea!! I will be staying with my friend Belinda in Seoul from December 26 - January 3. I am really looking forward to experiencing Korea and to seeing Belinda. It's going to be very nice to have two weeks off to relax.

If you can think of anything else I should add to my "bucket list" let me know! I am going to take advantage of my time to do as much as possible, so the more the better! 

Thankful

It's often hard to live in a foreign country, but there are a lot of times that I'm very very grateful that I live in Japan. Today was one of those days. 

I left work a little early, around 4:30pm, to stop at City Hall on my way home. City Hall closes at 5pm every day and isn't open on the weekends. Since I usually leave at 5pm this is the only way I can pay my taxes. Whenever I go there I'm in a slight rush because I have to take out money at the ATM and then bike a block over before they lock up. Today it was raining so I was especially flustered as I juggled my rain gear and my purse. I took out some money, put my things back in my bag, and hopped over to city hall. 

"That'll be XXXX yen", the cashier said. 

I pulled out my bank book where I'd put my money just 5 minutes before. 2 bills were missing. Somewhere along the way in the time it took me to get one block from the post office to the city hall, 20,000 yen disappeared. 

I looked at the cashier. I looked back in my purse. I looked up at her again. CRAP.

I had more money in my wallet so I took it out and paid her, but I knew that I wasn't mistaken. I had taken out that money. I'm not that forgetful. I left city hall and retraced my steps back to the post office. The ATM area was deserted and the money was nowhere to be seen. DOUBLE CRAP. Thinking back, I didn't count the money that I took out of the ATM slot. I probably had left it in the machine. 

By this time I was pretty resigned to the fact that I probably was never going to see that money again. I left the post office and started walking my bike back towards city hall, hoping that the money would magically appear in the rainy street. Even soggy money would be better than no money! I got about 30 seconds away and then reconsidered. It couldn't hurt to ask the post office staff, I supposed. The worst thing they were going to do is look at me with pity. 

So I went back in to the post office and explained what I thought had happened. Within a minute they sat me down behind a desk, took my information and statement and walked away to do some mysterious post office finding magic. 5 minutes later they walked back with my 20,000 yen!!! 

Apparently, the person who used the ATM directly after me had found the money and given it to the staff. The post office had taken that person's information so they knew that the withdrawl directly before this person was me. They were 100% positive it was my money, so they gave it back to me! My mind has been completely blown by this experience. I have lost a lot of things in Japan and I've always gotten them back, but losing money is a whole different story. There was nothing to stop someone from just taking that money. Nobody would have been the wiser. Yet somebody still found it and took the time to report it. Considering it took me about 15 minutes to report it missing, they didn't hesitate at all. 

It's not just anywhere that something like this could happen. The Japanese culture truly is unique in it's politeness and the level of honesty that it expects. This is not the first time I have been aided by the kindness of strangers, and I'm sure it won't be the last. I hope that someday I can pay the same favor back to someone in need. (Or maybe just to someone as spacey as me!)