Goodbyes

Too much has happened since my last entry but there has really been no time to blog... Some figures:
Number of farewell parties attended last week: 2-- one with my students and one at Church
Number of homemade gifts received: 4---Very Very touched... i received a handmade necklace from my two boys in Children class, Touya and Masaya, a handmade lace bookmark from Akemi (certainly not your usual manufactured bookmark ... real lace! I didn't know people actually made *made* lace stuff by hands nowadays!), a handmade bag from Fujii and Aki--- its gorgeous! patchwork quilt but very sweet... who knows how many hours they put in for this...., a homemade video of our class trip to Kamakura, with music and japanese and english subtitles added in!
Number of cakes I have eaten recently: countless... don't mention the word to me now... my stomach is in shock...

This last month has been enjoyable but sad... (the following is not really interesting.. but i want to write it down to remember) went for a Tsukiji breakfast with Roko and Yuki and karaoke after that, Kamakura with 8 students, had traditional kaiseki lunch with Yuki's parents and with my Japanese teacher Okamura sensei, had tea with dance teacher Itou Sensei and Ai chan, Italian dinner with Kusachi and Midori... the next 2 weeks will also be of packing, cleaning the house, meeting up with people...From 31 March, I willl be travelling to meet Ruan Xia in Kyoto, Oda Okaasan in Kobe and my Hamamatsu family in Shizuoka. I don't know when i will come back to japan again...but I don't want it to be a long way away... God, let me come back here soon, please. Heavenly Father, thank you for these 2 wonderful wonderful years! I have been blessed so much simply by coming here!I feel so humbled that God would give me so much, that God would fill me with such joy to be here.... In Your Presence indeed, there is fulness of joy!!!!

Some other memorable things this month--- at my last Dance lesson, my teacher put on this farewell song from Dreamgirls and she taught us a dance for the 3 of us (my teacher, Ai chan and I)... it was a very very nice though tearjerking way to end my dance classes in Japan--- with a farewell dance by the three of us, to ourselves. I have been so blessed with this すばらしい(fantastic) dance teacher --- and she gave me a pair of purple leg warmers as a farewell gift--which really is JUST WHAT I WANTED!!!! (why don't people give me legwarmers more often?!)

Not to mention my really great japanese language teacher too. Couldn't stop crying when i said goodbye to her...i will miss Okamura sensei's weekly lessons! what has been a real solace to me at this time is really knowing that God is in control even though i have to leave now.... in fact, i know its time to go... knowing this doesn't make it that easy though, on an emotional level.... my other pillar of support.. or rather, pillars of support were given by Nao chan (bless her!).. presenting...

my gaspard (in black) and lisa (in white)...(sorry Fru, can't give them to you... :D) They are SUPER CUTE!!!!!!!