Farewell Ceremony for Teachers

On the 31st, the teachers that were leaving had to meet in the vice principal's office (my office) and give small speeches to all the teachers. Even the vice principal was getting switched; vice principals only spend two years per school, so luckily I came in his second year. Thank God. However, it was here that I found out that two more people that were amazing to me were leaving. I had prepared a little gift and a note of thanks to the teacher who I knew was leaving, but out of two office ladies (whom are essentially the reason why Japanese schools don't collapse), one had a new assignment, while the other retired. I didn't find this out until I saw them lining up with the teacher that I was knew was getting transferred. I felt so sad, I didn't know and no one told me. One of the office ladies was the one that I saw my first Japanese movie in Japanese theater with, and the other helped me a lot when I first got here and was jet lagged and culture shocked to hell. Even the small things that they did meant so much because most people don't think too much about the foreigner. So, I'm feeling awful that I didn't know that they were getting switched, when the Farewell Ceremony started. It was similar to the one in the office, but these speeches were a bit longer, as expected. The lady who was retiring, while she was giving her speech she broke down and started crying while she was talking. Some of the other ladies that were being transferred also started crying. I'm feeling the effects of that, then this asshole teacher had the nerve to say, "Oh wow..their speeches are SO long...shorter is way better isn't it?" I understand where she's coming from, because she's so old, and she's been to these constantly, but it doesn't it make it any less important because she's not being the one transferred. I know who's speech I won't be paying attention to when her time comes.

After the speeches of all 19 teachers, students lined up in front of the teachers with flowers and handed them to the teachers at the same time while music from the band played. Then afterward, many students line up parallel by the exit, and make a little pathway for the leaving teachers. So teachers, with their flowers talk to some students, shake hands, it was kind of like a celebrity type thing. Most of the girl students were crying because they were going to miss their teachers. After all of that, and the teachers that are leaving stood around outside to talk to fellow teachers. I made sure that I was able to talk to the office ladies and apologize about how I didn't know, and if I knew then I would have gotten them something. The lady who was retiring and set literally everything up for me when I first got here, spoke about how I seem so different, and confident and how my Japanese has improved immensely and how she'll never forget me. Her talking about when I first got here, made me think about that time, and what she did for me. I hate crying in front of people -.-.

Once everyone said their goodbyes, life kind of just went on. When my favorite teacher was leaving, I was the only one who looked at him and said bye. Everyone else just gave a nod and small smile and just went about their business. That was a bit strange, but then I remember that this an every year occurrence for them and when they're time comes, people will do the exact same thing. When the vice principal left, despite our differences (his being a prick, and my being foreign), I was kind of going to miss the awkward, always sleeping vice principal.....for three seconds. Time moves on, new teachers come, new desk changes. Let's see how this will go.