today is finally my last day of work here. although i feel that somehow i haven't achieved much during my stay here, still there are some valuable moments that i will always treasure from my experience here.
work is pretty non-existant today, and we didn't have to do any clearance even though this is our last day. just now after lunch, we made our farewell and thank you speech to the whole department. i'm sure my japanese was still kinda broken, but compared to my introduction speech just 18 months back, pretty proud of it. tomita-san even said that our speech was good (though you will have to discount 70% of the praises japanese say usually).
it was pretty touching for me still, standing in front of these bunch of ppl, who have been together under this same roof for so long, yet not having the chance/ linguistic skills to talk or hang out with them. i wonder how many of them will remember me/ us few months later.
***
having dinner with our manager and trainers, probably for the very last time in our lives. again, it is amazing to see that, when we first came, we really had big problems communicating with them. but now, we could at least get our points across and carry out some conversation. too little too late, i guess.
they have brought us to this fish restaurant - a restaurant that serves only sashimi (all kinds of them) and little else. i think this was because i casually mentioned to them during our formal farewell party that 1 thing i wanted to try in japan but have not is fugu (pufferfish). so we were here to try some. felt so grateful for their thoughtfulness. the pufferfish was nice, but the trainers nicer. how i will miss them.
***
on my way to band practice now.. again my final time with this fantastic bunch of ppl. it was sad to say my final goodbye to the trainers, and quite paiseh to leave early. but well, it is already 830 pm and will only make the last half hour of practice. promised some of them that i will show up today. so here i am.
***
a less emotional farewell than the one i had last saturday with the band. last saturday was real tear-jerking. after band practice, i was asked to say my farewell speech to the band again, and to my surprise, the band specially arranged to play the 2 encore pieces for me. the first was friends for life. i started to tear through the 2nd bar. and shortly after, couldn't control my emotions and cried, when i heard miwako, who was just sitting on my left, crying out loud. many others did too, especially the clarinettists. even tsuno-san did. just couldn't continue playing.
i played friends for life since secondary school, but this was the first time in my life that i actually felt what this song is all about. truly friends for life indeed.
it was not much different for disco kid, the second piece, the piece that i played a solo in. thank you everyone.
***
tomorrow i will be going to kimura's house for home-cooked curry rice with the rest of the gals in clarinet section. last time i will see them, no doubt. how i will miss them.
***
of cos these didn't happen today. these are my recollections of events that happen exactly 2 months ago today. still vivid in my mind. still i can remember walking the quiet road from motosumiyoshi back to dorm. still can remember watching shows while having dinner in cal's room. still remember playing magic all night with frens. still i miss all my frens and everything there.
dun get me wrong, not that i dun like it back here in singapore, i do. but there are just some things you won't forget.
i haven't been updating my blog for so long. partly because this blog reminds me too much of my time there, so it's kinda painful for me to return here to do so.
ironic isn't it? 1 of the reasons this blog was first started was to preserve my memories in japan. but now, dun even want to look at it. ok not dun want as in dun want, but... well i am sure you get what i mean.
hopefully i will start to write a new chapter in this blog. should first of all change this blog description "my life in japan" to "my life in sillypore" or something.
hmm.. shall see.
see ya guys, and wish all of u great health!
posted by winz at 6:55 PM
