Sayonara Nate!

The best part of my job is the amazing amount of vacation time I get. Unlike other ALTs who have to sit around the office even when class is not in session, I am given the boot. All I have to do is submit a report telling them my plans and then I'm out the door. In summer that means I head home to America for six weeks of friends, family, wheat bread, Cracker Barrel biscuits, and orange freezes from UDF. I got home yesterday after 24 full hours in transit (that's three trains, three planes, and one car ride.)

But before I left we had the first of what I'm sure will be several sayonara parties for Nate. The party was at a club in Toyohashi and Nate was clueless despite several people suspiciously showing up from Nagoya with little explanation as to why they were there until we got to the party. There was food, an open bar, a few speeches, and plenty of karaoke. It would have been the perfect party if only it hadn't been Sunday. Not that stopped most of us from having a good time.


Singing YMCA




I know he's not going to miss me or Japan but the job won't be the same without him. This last year I've argued over whose state is cooler (Ohio!) looked up lots of completely random things on Wikipedia (naval lint for one), recited SNL sketches in class (I've got a fever...and the only prescription is more cowbell), and cracked up over Nate's William Shatner impersonations (May...I...help...you?) But now, he's on his way back to Kentucky. I'm on my own from here on out.