The End

Well, I didn't get to typing this until the 12 hour plane ride but that just let's you know how much I've been trying to cram in to these last few days.  These days have been filled with love, friendship, kindness, generosity, sadness, gifts, handshakes, speeches, concerts, and more.  I have been showered with more of these things in the past days than I ever would have thought possible.  I don't have the words to express the gratitude that l feel towards the Japanese people.  I tried as hard as I could to tell them how much their attention and is trip in general has meant to me.  I hope that some of it made it across the cultural and language divide.  

My last day began with a great sign:

 

A lotus flower in bloom!!!  I had been disappointed to learn at the tea garden that they only come out in the early morning and that we would probably miss them.  This one was blooming on the side of the street in what looked like a rain gutter.  It was beautiful.

But I forgot that I'm not ready to talk about the last school day yet.  I have to go back to Thursday first.  I had mentioned to the brass band that I found it interesting that they always practiced by themselves in sequestered spaces according to their section.  When would they come together as a group and play as a band?  I was told after school on Thursday at 4:30 and I could join them if I chose. 

I was expecting to walk in to a practice and have the teacher say, "ok, let's go from measure 25.  Tighten it up back there trumpets.  You're speeding up rhythm section." And other such normal band practice phrases. What it turned out to be was a personal concert for me.  I was shown to the front of the room and asked to sit right next to the conductor and they played the three songs they would play at the competition in August.  

I was continually told that they "weren't ready". I asked them about recording and they said it was ok.   The 3 song concert was one of the most powerful moving experiences I have had in my entire life.  The first song was an amazing arrangement that went on for about 6 minutes.  I had goosebumps.  At the conclusion I shed a single manly tear as my icy heart melted.  It was beautiful and powerful.  The other two songs were good (a march and "sitting on top of the world") but that first song took my breath away. 

Here was my view:

Later that evening I had some time to myself so I decided to venture to Odaiba. Honestly it was relatively uneventful and sparsely populated but I found a few things that are worth showing. 

Wicked big Ferris wheel bub!!

There was also an indoor shopping mall that reminded me of the Venetian in Las Vegas. 

A special Toyota showroom. You could actually drive the cars around the track here but you had to have an international liscence. 

This baby spoke to me. 

And the reflection of the Ferris wheel in the Suntory building. 

I went back to the hotel and partially dreaded my final day in school as I know the Japanese love for ceremony. 

Every day at school begins with a teachers meeting. The principal starts and says major announcements. The vice principal is next and says something else. The lead teacher comes after that and then the teachers break into smaller groups. This day still began with the principal. Now I don't know very much Japanese, but I kept hearing "Dodge Sensai" and knew that this couldn't be good. Apparently he asked me to speak and address the whole faculty. My desk is on the complete opposite end of the room and I would have been very happy to just stand at my desk and speak from there but Kanda came over and politely told me that I should go stand in the front of the room. I begrudgingly went, turned around, and the whole faculty stood up with giant smiles on their faces and I instantly started crying. I really wasn't very emotional at all for the rest of the day but seeing them all stand like that was too much for me to handle. I mumbled a little about how thankful I was, how much I enjoyed this, how special I think this program is and how I hope they come to Maine so I may show them the same kindness and generosity that I recieved here. I collected myself and headed back to my seat. 

This was the last day so the students do a whole top to bottom cleaning of the school. A remarkable sight to behold so I needed more evidence. 

The final part of the day was a formal ceremony for me in the gym with the whole school. The principal spoke, the president of the student body spoke, I spoke, gifts were exchanged, and I was bid farewell as though I was a hero. I was humbled and couldn't help but think that this was all way more than I deserved. 

That evening (only one week after my welcoming party) the teachers at my school threw a goodbye party for me at a local Shabu Shabu restaurant. There were 25 teachers and staff there to celebrate. We had 2 hours to eat and drink all that we could and it was taken full advantage of. It was a non-stop-face-shoveling-extravanganza!!  

The spread pre-feast

I wasn't even sure if this was real. It was. It's a chicken and rice mixture that you scoop off in chunks and put in the...

Magic pot. One side was seaweed water and the other was soy sauce and vinegar I think. The whole thing is on a hot plate on the table which keeps it at a nice simmer. You drop anything and everything in the pot and it cooks it. 

These are some of the many trays of meat we cooked 

And this last picture perfectly captures what it was like there during the party. 

We only had 2 more days in Tokyo at this point so we tried to finish going to a few places where we had not been. Tokyo station was one. I only took one photo with my phone but it's worth mentioning that Tokyo station serves over 1 million passengers a day. 

Saturday evening I was to meet with a member of the adult Ed English class because she wanted to give me a gift. I went to the school to meet her expecting a quick gift exchange, handshake, and good bye but was actually greeted by her daughter. She told me that her mother was back at home making dinner. She brought me to the house where was treated like a member of the family. There was a massive spread for dinner and we sat and talked for almost 5 hours. 

While there, I learned that Nintendo got its start making a card game. And they had one of the originals. 

Of course the picture is upside down but oh well.

On Sunday we decided to go to Roppongi which is typically known as a foreigner's drinking district. I wasn't too interested in that scene but during the day they are known for some wonderful art and shopping in the Roppongi hills area. 

Spooky spider statue outside the art museum. 

There was no photography allowed inside the museum except for this one exhibit. 

Along with the price of admission to the art museum you got access to the observatory on the 52nd floor. It was another great weather day and the views were spectacular. 

For our final outing together we went to the Park Hyatt hotel in Shinjuku. Our destination was the New York Grill famous for its appearance in Lost in Translation but we were denied admission because of my damned "half pants."  Luckily they had a back up bar for the "dirty half-pants-wearing hippies". It was stellar. 

I had been aching for a marguerita so I got one. 

One of the best drinks I have ever had: Tanqueray-10, ginger liquor, and champagne, garnished with a mint sprig. 

We had a final sushi lunch special with our friend Paul before we boarded the plane to come home. 

Everything you see here, miso soup, and a fish pudding was $6.50. 

I am sad to have to conclude my journey in Tokyo but going was one of the best decisions I've made. I will treasure the experiences I've had and the friendships i made for the rest of my life.  

And to conclude the blog, here is one last collection of randomness:

Thank you to everyone that has been reading this. Please don't hesitate to send an email and ask about my experience. I would love any opportunity to reminisce.