![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
kaitouYesterday was my last day at the JHS. Big Goodbye. The students were great. I got a huge bouquet of orange roses, black-eyed susans, and some kind of red berry. They gave me cards with messages from everyone...and even performed Kagura! While we were waiting for the Kagura people to get ready we played a game of Bingo, I managed to get Bingo on the very last call, which seems like awfully good scripting to me.
Since the sappy post I wrote last week went over so well, I thought I'd post my goodbye speech to the JHS students, translated into English.
When I was 18 years old, I met a man named Larry. He was a very easy-going and calm person. In fact, some people thought he was boring. But the more I talked to him the more I realized what an amazing person he was. He had been a professional poker player, worked for a circus, and knew famous comic book writers. I decided that I wanted to live a life like that.
I wanted to have lots of different experiences. And so far, I've done pretty well. I've earned my black belt in Tae Kwon Do, tried fencing, directed a local cable access show. I've learned to draw pictures, write stories, and speak Japanese. I worked for an Antique gallery and held things from Ancient Rome in my hand.
And then I came to Japan. I left my family and friends and came half way around the world.
I was very, very lucky. I left my family in America and found a new one in Japan. You have been my family and my friends. These two years have been the best, most important memories, the best experience I've had. And I owe that all to you.
I'm still learning Japanese, so I don't always understand everything you say. But I love to listen to your voice. I love your laughter. You've gotten bigger these past two years, taller than me. I've always been listening, always been watching. Sometimes I can see the adult you will be come inside of you. It's amazing. You are all really wonderful people. Please don't change. Don't forget your courage, strength and vitality. You are stronger than you think you are. You can do more than you think you can.
I heard this Japanese saying from another ALT, "There are dancing fools and watching fools. They're both fools, so you might as well dance." So let's dance together. This is the kind of life that I want. I want us to become amazing people.
Thank you so much for these two years.
.....You know, that's a lot shorter than I thought it was. LOL
Since the sappy post I wrote last week went over so well, I thought I'd post my goodbye speech to the JHS students, translated into English.
When I was 18 years old, I met a man named Larry. He was a very easy-going and calm person. In fact, some people thought he was boring. But the more I talked to him the more I realized what an amazing person he was. He had been a professional poker player, worked for a circus, and knew famous comic book writers. I decided that I wanted to live a life like that.
I wanted to have lots of different experiences. And so far, I've done pretty well. I've earned my black belt in Tae Kwon Do, tried fencing, directed a local cable access show. I've learned to draw pictures, write stories, and speak Japanese. I worked for an Antique gallery and held things from Ancient Rome in my hand.
And then I came to Japan. I left my family and friends and came half way around the world.
I was very, very lucky. I left my family in America and found a new one in Japan. You have been my family and my friends. These two years have been the best, most important memories, the best experience I've had. And I owe that all to you.
I'm still learning Japanese, so I don't always understand everything you say. But I love to listen to your voice. I love your laughter. You've gotten bigger these past two years, taller than me. I've always been listening, always been watching. Sometimes I can see the adult you will be come inside of you. It's amazing. You are all really wonderful people. Please don't change. Don't forget your courage, strength and vitality. You are stronger than you think you are. You can do more than you think you can.
I heard this Japanese saying from another ALT, "There are dancing fools and watching fools. They're both fools, so you might as well dance." So let's dance together. This is the kind of life that I want. I want us to become amazing people.
Thank you so much for these two years.
.....You know, that's a lot shorter than I thought it was. LOL
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2004-07-20 07:35 pm (UTC)"There are dancing fools and watching fools. They're both fools, so you might as well dance."
Awesome. Would you please post the original Japanese?
no subject
Date: 2004-07-22 06:26 pm (UTC)だから色々な経験したいんです。今までいちおうできました。Tae Kwon Doにゆうだん者になって、フェンシングやって、テレビの仕事もやりました。絵をかくや話しを書くや日本語で話すぜんぶ習いました。アンチークのギャラリのために働いて、ローマの物もじょうもん時代から物を手にしました。
その時やっと日本に来ました。家族も友達もおいて、日本に来ました。地球の半分！
私はすごくすごくラッキでした。アメリカの家族をおいてけど日本の家族見つかりました。あなた達は私の家族、私の友達になりました。この二年間は私の一番良い、一番大切の思い出、人生の一番大事な経験。それは全部皆のおかげでです。
日本語はまだまだなので皆が言う事を時々分かりません。でも皆の声を聞くのが大好き、皆の笑い声大好きです。この二年間皆が大きくなった、私より生が高くなりました。私はずっと聞いてずっと見いていました。皆の中にしょうらいになる人が見えます。すてきです。皆さんは本当にすごいな人です。変わらないで下さい。その元気さ、強さ、勇輝を忘れないで下さい。あなたは考えているより強い、(here the JTE fixed something and I can't remember it exactly) あなたなら何でもできると思います。
ほかのALTからこの日本語ことわざ聞きました。『踊るあほに見るあほ。同じあほなら踊らにゃそんそん。』だから一生に踊りましょう。一生にすごいな人になりましょう。
この二年間本当に本当にありがとうございました。すごいせわになりました。
no subject
Date: 2004-07-20 07:52 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-07-21 08:32 pm (UTC)You kick the kind of ass that is not often kicked.
Look me up again when you get back. I want stories, I want pictures, and I'm not afraid to spring for lunch to get it!