Leaving on a jet plane Pt 2

Last weekend we had Sherman's going-away party, as he'd decided the previous week that he was leaving last Thursday. Big kudos to Mariko for organising it in such a short time!

Group shot:
3 of my favourite gals: Fumiko, Misuzu and Nobu

I love Misuzu because she takes your camera when you're distracted and takes photos like these (from Steve and Carrie's going away party in September):

So we needed more.


The lovely Eriko, who even looks graceful with a mouthful of food (I make it my business to try to catch people at their worst - which just doesn't exist for some people).

Tomoyo and Mariko - wonder organisers and hilarious.

Tomoyo and Fumiko showing us a TV show they watched - those crazy kids ;)


Eriko, Sherman and me.

When I saw Eriko's rocker pose I wanted to try it - I think Eriko pulls it off much better than I, I just look like I'm about to throw up.

Sherman very animated over dinner

Mariko very nearly surprised us all when she unzipped her top - unbeknown to us she had a t-shirt on underneath

Dan and Nobu

Tomoyo interrupting a group photo - but how can you be mad when she's that cute!

Final shot before parting ways

And a final treat - for an explanation of this photo, click on the video below to see Tomoyo demonstrating an important Japanese cultural dance which every Japanese child learns at a very early age :P

Leaving on a jet plane Pt 1

No not me, not yet. But most of the people I used to work with at NOVA have now left.

Sara left early November, after finishing her contract 4 days before NOVA imploded - good timing, ね？ Some photos from her various going away events:

Yakiniku dinner with Nobu, Misuzu and Sherman - かわいい、ね?

Sara and I - I can't tell, but it looks like she's giving herself bunny ears.

(Violent) Group photo.


Drinks by the river - a good idea in summer. A freezing idea in the middle of November!

From left: Garcio, Daniela, Michelle and Sara

Camilla, me and Rachel

We then decided to have some fun with the glowy ring things Sara had - perhaps as a way to warm up..

This one of my face looks kinda freaky:

An old man doing the "old man backward shuffle" down the river.
Then in order to get some final group shots before the party split up (but alas, after the old man shuffled away), we made good use of the timer function on my camera, some stools from Papalo Mama and the walkway space below the subway line.







This was followed naturally by karaoke... the photos of which will never see the light of this blog.

The next morning, Sara's last in Japan, we had a sushi breakfast at the local sushi restaurant.
Our sushi chef - I don't know his name - who kept trying to pass us our plates through the glass. I still can't decide whether he was doing it on purpose or as a joke.

Three of the last Nishi-Funa NOVAites - Sherman, Sara and me.

The Kettle Shackians together for one final meal - from left: Sara (US), me (Aus), Nik (Canada) and Jasmine (UK). Nik is the next to leave, on the 10th of December. Jasmine and I have made a pact to leave at the same time, so that neither of us leaves the other to face the madness of Kettle Shack alone.
And so it was that Sara, who I'd spend most of my time with in Japan, left the country - hopefully, as I wrote in her card, we'll catch up one day and drink wine in a tiny village in the middle of Spain, basking in the sun and remembering how friggin' cold it was at the top of Mt Fuji.

Photos from Sherman's going away on Sunday will appear maybe tomorrow.

Meanwhile, the contract for my current job (I've been working as an ALT - Assistant Language Teacher - at junior high schools in Tokyo since mid October) expires in March, and while I could renew it if I wanted, I think by then I'll be looking to move on to the UK, and so will be heading back to Aus in April, for a few months at least while I work out visas etc. As much as it is going to pain me to leave Japan (there's so much about this country that I love), I think I'm making the right choice.

Also, if you want to see photos from Nikko, but can't be bothered waiting for me to upload them to my blog (I will eventually, but these things take a lot of work you know!), check them out here.