My New School

I'm biking to the same place I have been for the last 7-8 months, but it has a very different feel to it now. In Japan, for whatever reason, local boards of education transfer teachers from one school to another all the time. In fact a teacher is not allowed to work for more than 8 years in any one place in my district. I'm not sure how many of my teachers moved on, but I think it's around 10-12. With a staff of 41 (or so), this can have a pretty big impact on the general feeling of the workplace. And as hard as it is for me to believe, this is the case every single year at the end of March/beginning of April, when the Japanese school year ends and begins again. In one sense, this could be a good thing for me. A new start and maybe some new friends.
But on the other hand I was only starting to form the vaguest hints of bonds with some of the other teachers. My old nurse was an attractive older woman who loved to practice her funny English with me, and took a real interest in my well-being for whatever reason. I had my flu-shot thanks to her, have a map to an English speaking doctor, a list of reccomended allergy meds, and the memory of the times she took me to watch her son perform his championship karate. Besides being really nice, she was actually an incredibly useful person to have around, and now she's at another school and I mistook her replacement for a visiting high school student.
Affecting me on probably an even bigger level is that Saito Makie, my desk neighbor and real friend at the school has also left. Sure she was totally crazy, but her English was pretty solid and she talked to me like a real person and friend. Plus she was a 20-some year old cute Japanese girl, and that's not so bad by itself. But now next to me is a 40 some year old woman who has been a housewife since finishing college and this assistant teaching job is her first one. I have very little work experience myself, but unbelievably, I have more than the teacher now sitting next to me. She of course seems nice and polite, but is also incredibly nervous, which I hope explains her near inability to communicate in English. Regardless, together we will of course gambarimashou! (do our best)
Also, apparently once or twice a month I will visit an elementary school and get harrassed by hundreds of small screaming and dirty children. The government really does want their people to learn English, and so is pushing an earlier start to language education. As a result many if not most ALTs have some work at an elementary school. Of course tossing 100 8 year olds into a gym and playing chaotic games involving the words "go" and "three" will propel them into future international business correspondants.
Perhaps it was the warm presence of Jacob, or the beautiful sand of Thailand, but Japan seems a bit more dreary and concrete as I bike around. BUT the country is entering what many say is its most beautiful season: sakura, or cherry blossom season. The temperature is FINALLY rising and the flowers are in bloom. kirei naa! (so pretty!) Some funny talking compatriots are also helping me through...
Also it's time to start planning the next trip, which is of course... America! The vague estimate now stands at mid July to mid August, which is probably about as inconvenient as possible for my family, but there may be little i can do about that. Gomen!
I'll leave you with some pretty hanami (flower viewing) at Ueno park in Tokyo. Happy end of Passover to all those who know what that means.

look, weiner dogs and sakura! the beauties of ueno park.