Goodbyes and hellos

I've had to say goodbye to some friends and co-workers recently.

Last weekend, I went to a going away party for my friends Emiko and Yasuyoshi and their adorable son, Shogo. We took a group shot after a wonderful, all-we-could-eat (and more) dinner.

There's Shogo front and center, with this mom and dad behind him. What a little cutie!

The family is moving to Mizusawa, about three hours south of Kuji. They said that I'm welcome to come visit any time. :) I met this super nice, English-speaking family a few months ago through Ra, a fellow ALT, who did a homestay with them a while back.

Even though I had to bid farewell to friends, I made some new friends at the going away party, which was fun...

On Wednesday, I went to a fancy dinner to welcome the new workers in the office and say goodbye to the people who are leaving the office. Again, I met some friendly people and had a good time. (It was especially fun trying the different kinds of cake, including the cool-looking strawberry cake.)

Hmm, I guess I've kind of switched from throwing up the peace sign to giving a thumbs-up! I don't really have an explanation for this. (This cake was definitely worth two thumbs-up though.)

Apparently, it is very common for people in the education field -- from teachers to the office workers in the Board of Education -- to stay in one place for only a couple of years. I guess they just like to switch it up.

So every spring, many of the teachers transfer schools. I learned that I'm going to be working with a new English teacher at Okawame Jr. High School once the new school year starts on April 14th.

Until then, I'll still be in the office during spring break, along with some new co-workers. :)