End of Exchange Program



B Class, post tears, hence the serious faces

At the last Kareoke session, everyone was crying. Crying into their conversations with each other, turning around to the next person, crying, seeing someone get up to leave for good, crying. And this was AFTER the farewell party, where students were crying on stage, host families crying in the audience, Sensei’s crying backstage…

I was tearing up myself, it was a fantastic end to an amazing year, and since then me and some of the remaining students have just been chilling around the Kobe area.

It was a week of lasts for everyone, last time in Ajisai room, last time clubbing in Umeda, last time everyone eats together in the refectory:

We had a pre-party party to take the edge off the following day's goodbye's:

Next day we got up early to go to Professor Tieryney's house in order to practice singing the song Suyun planned us to perform for our host families. There was a mini photo-shot outside:



At the party was a mini buffet, here's me enjoying it with my host family:

I'm not just saying it 'cause he's my host brother, he is seriously the
cutest japanese kid I have ever seen

Lindsey (our class president) had spent months learning this traditional japanese dance that she
performed for us at the farewell party

We sang the sukiyaki song* for our host parents, which really
 sparked off the flood of tears...

 And while it's not included, Ashley made a beautiful farewell video of everyone saying their good-byes and little comments on Japan - I will try and put a link up later but for the meantime you can check it out on my facebook profile, it'll be one of the videos I'm tagged in.

After the party, our last Kareoke section:

Alister and Ryan singing Micheal Buble for Larry

And that was that. Hopefully I will see them all again, they're a perfect excuse to go to Canada, Chicago, Hawaii, and of course again to Japan : )

I didn’t feel the urge to cry because I am still staying around for a few weeks, and also I logically knew that we all have facebook and skype. However, it is the end of an era of sorts, and I got so much out of this year – I’m gonna miss that.

Saying goodbye to the people you spent the best year of your life with is one of the saddest times of your life L

Up until the farewell party, everyone was kept busy with last minute essays, exams, thank-you notes and gifts and other practicalities (that I’ll list in case someone wants to use it for reference):
-Cancelling your AU phone if you were fool enough to chose that over Softbank ;-P
-Closing your bank account
-Sending books and clothes home
-Cancelling health insurance

And before you know it, you’re packing to go home. Nine months is nothing (ask any expecting mother).

Luckily I'm still around ;-) I spent some time in around Osaka, Okamoto and Sannoymiya, and time with my host family. I also went on a weekend trip to Kyoto to visit Robert (the german engineering student) near Lake Biwa , who is living in Japan from now on, and biked from Kyoto to Biwa lake with Ayaka! The day was so hot, I drank 5 bottles of water and had a huge cup of kakigouri (like a giant slushie) and didn’t go to the toilet all day. There was also the Kobe Festival with the remaining students. 

Now, onwards to Seoul!

Did I mention my host mum got me a birthday cake in May? :-D xx