End of the year enkai/party.

I think the proper name is sobetsukai - you'd think after 3 years I'd have cracked that code for certain - but regardless, this year's end of the year shindig.

The principal addresses the troops.

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Unfailingly, we end up going to one of two regular places for the school functions... this time we went to the place I only know as the "silver fish" place.

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Dig this place because the food, generally speaking, is slightly better, imho, than the other place we frequent.

This was some good fish.

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Japan does steak and fries.

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Outstanding steamed clams.

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End of the year means transfers. We had two teachers go to other schools, one go to an educational staff job, and another retire from teaching.

The fella on the right is the one going to the staff job. He's quite the photo ham, he saw me with the camera and made everybody stop and look at me so I could take his picture. He's what you call a "fun" drunk.

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Our two transfers, including an English teacher, saying goodbye and receiving farewell flowers.

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And finally, our retiree. Nomura sensei was a super nice guy. Just friendly as hell, and I think the only two words of English he knew were "good job" - which he would unfailingly tell me whenever I went home for the day. And he would tell me this, of course, without ever actually knowing if I had done a good job.

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What's more, he's here in a suit and tie... despite the fact that in 3 and a half years this is, maybe, the second time he's worn one when I'm around. His daily Japanese style sweatpants and shirt, plus is occasionally unkempt and scraggly beard conspired to make you think "homeless, maybe?"

And when I compare and contrast his attire with the 3 years I say him doing a kick ass job teaching and being the coach for the baseball team, how much all the students and other teachers liked him, it did nothing but confirm for me that the concept of "professional attire" is retarded and of no signifigance whatsoever.

From 2009-03-31

One of my dining compatriots for the evening, over which we bonded about pro-wrestling and martial arts. He's done kendo from elementary school to university, and was apparently, before getting injured, a member of the Japanese Police Kidotai - the riot control police, an elect group here in the land of the Rising Sun.

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One final farewell song!

From 2009-03-31