Countdown

I no longer have to use a number, when people ask when I'm leaving I just say Wednesday.

Today started in torrential rain, so I went to school in my old, uncomfortable, solid leather shoes (I've been using my black leather sneakers) to avoid ruining good shoes. There were two problems with this. First, it stopped raining in a hurry and second, those shoes killed my feet.

At school I got bored quickly and started writing down all the kanji I could think of (I made it past three-hundred without trouble) before the Seattle-ites showed up and my teacher and I showed them arounds school for a few hours. During this we went to one of his English classes and stood as the students pretty much failed to ask us questions. I even offered translations, but these are people who go to the same school as a natvie English speaker and less than seldom try an honest phrase of the language they're learning. They also tried their hand at badminton, all the while I was answering questions and saying farewells. They left at lunch to go to the local media station building.

I couldn't go to my math and physics class because of all this, so I joined them at lunch and agreed to attend their English class later. We spent this class and lunch talking, taking pictures and playing cards. When I got back to my usual class they gave me a large laminated paper of pictures of everyone on one side (to which they added names) and messages on the other. I was also asked to come back to my math class after classes had finished. When I did they gave me a nice cardboard plaque with a photo the had taken in earlier that day with a drawing of who's who and on the other side, messages with a drawing of Konata from Lucky Star and an attempt at my name in kanji*. While cheaply made, this resonated much more. I attended 3-5 (usual class) but I was a part of 3-8 (math & science). All three times I was asked to make some sort of speech, but every time I just told them I'd give them a nice place in my speech tomorrow in front of the school.

Both 3-8 classes I've been a part of (one for each school year I attended) are what made school a draw for me rather than just another place to sleep. Even last year when I couldn't communicate properly, they saw me as a person and a friend. I remember one time listening to them wondering whether to invite me to go out to eat with them, sadly while I could listen and understand (in part), I couldn't yet speak on my own. At that time, this year's 3-8 was 2-9 and very quiet around me. I could see them playing PSPs in secret, but when I started bringing mine they had quit. This year however, they became some of my best friends. And finally, a shout out to my punk rock friends. I have to make this speech EPIC.

After school (and more farewells and pictures) I went to the Rifare, keeping my shoes off my feet. It felt much better to walk in bare feet so long as I kept an eye on where I put them. I met up with 肉 and Brie and we went to class. We've made plans for tomorrow before seeing each other off. While a bit tough on my feet, the walk home was nice and the shoes would have done a lot more damage to them.

*
時 ji time
江 e large river
冨 fu wealth
(jee eh fu) This is a little off, but "je" is a foreign sound to the Japanese. Also, they made it for me and I like it so I'll take it.