My last day of school was the hardest thing I ‘ve ever been through. On the first day of school they had a welcome ceremony and then on my last day of school they had a school sports rally, and since everyone would be gathered decided to put my goodbye ceremony right after that. I said a few words and got a few gifts from the school and the teachers, all of whom I could never forget. After that I had to go to a short home room, and then it just coincidently was the day I wrote in the class journal. They have a journal where everyday someone writes the events of the day and their opinions so at the end of the year they can look back at just how it really was. So I had never written in it before and asked if I could so my teacher put me in the lineup and it just happened to be my last day. So at the end of school I didn’ts finish and went to the teachers room to finish it up before I turned it in to my teacher. After I turned it in my teacher said "Oh you have to do special last day of school clean up" and I just said "oooooooooookay how whack is that? " But just followed her and a student to the back gym. I get in and it ‘s all dark and they had a projector in there and as I sat seeing me speak at my first and last day of school (both of which were recorded) my fellow classmates came in and said "SURPRISE!!" Which I was surprised.

And after my last speech faded out they made a video of all my home room classmates saying just how great I was. After the video we had a little party with musical chairs, fireworks, and some other games. They handed me a nice cardboard type paper that all my classmates had written on and a paper that my teacher wrote saying how I triumphed and had become a real part of their class. My favorite teacher was also there, she was my GENDAIBUN (modern literature) teacher. I got everyone ‘s e_mail and got some presents. My favorite teacher gave me the text book I was using and another book on literature, she also gave me my name in kanji. My name means "dove who escapes from pain ". I took a lot of pictures that day, and as it got late people started leaving and at the end I was going to walk home with my friend and my girlfriend. But they had to go back in school to get their back packs. I waited down in the entrance and when they left to go upstairs my teacher came over and said my host mom had called and that she is on her way to pick me up. So when my friend and girlfriend came down I had to say good bye right there. My home room teacher and favorite teacher and some friends were at the entrance and my girlfriend and about 2 other girls cried. It was so hard to do. I had known these people for so long and had become a part of their lives and had to pack up earlier than anyone expected so it was just about the hardest thing I ‘d done. I haven ‘s written that much and am really kicking myself for that. But my time there certainly has to be the single most extraordinary experience I could have done. I thank everybody that has helped to get there but more than those I thank those who helped

and supported me while I was there. Because a few people in the Monbetsu rotary that helped me get there basically said that they wished I had never come in the first place.

My last host family was the best family anyone could ‘ve asked for. The mother and I related so well. Me and chika got along pretty well. Me and my younger host brother and sister got a long great. The father was surprised at how much Japanese I could speak and he and I seemed to have our differences but got along better than I ever would ‘ve expected. My host mom had deep superstitious beliefs. She told me some strange stories she had heard and some of which she saw with her own eye ‘s. Inspired by her fear of ghosts I actually got up the courage to walk thought the local graveyard at night. Also the grandma came over from Kushiro to help with everything when I came. She was really nice but everyone said that I must ‘ve driven her crazy because as she and I got to know each other she got a little more into acting like me. She normally wouldn ‘t complain if she didn t want to eat dinner, but I did all the time. So she eventually got into complaining and getting a bit more louder than usual. They were just about the coolest people I met.

I had to write a speech for my last rotary meeting. It was a few weeks after the club president insulted me and said he wished I’d never come, my first host dad and another high ranking club member just sat bye and didn ‘s support me at all when he said that. And when I told my host mom and dad at the time what happened they just supported him. In contrast to the Niinuma ‘s (my last host family) and school both of which everyone agreed that I did my best and that the president was just being ignorant. So it was hard to find the right words to say thanks to those who deserve it and leave out those who didn ‘s. In the end I just said thanks to everyone and tried to see if anyone wanted to say something positive towards me. After I gave my speech which blew everyone away because of the vocabulary I used and after I gave the speech I chatted with my school vice_principle and everyone else there. When I had to leave I said good bye to everyone and said to good night to my rotary president who just ignored me as if I wasn ‘s there, such a nice man. NOT!! Okay I just had to say that cause that was just about the meanest thing he could ‘ve done, I don ‘s know him personally but from the way he treated me I’d have to say he absolutely hated me. After the good bye party there me and 3 of my host mother went out for ice_cream. It was real nice to have a little bit of time aside to get together with them while I was packing to leave not just them but the entire town they lived in.

My host mom dropped me off at the airport to go to Osaka. I get there and see Maimi ‘s boyfriend and his brother there waiting for me. We had a great time together, it was really nice to see the sights in Osaka. I saw the high_tech museum/castle. I bought a lot of gifts for everyone back home there. It was so much fun. It was fun to visit but I know that if I had gone there for my year (which is where I wanted to go from the beginning) I don ‘s think it would ‘ve been as much fun.

I ‘m sorry I wasn ‘s able to send this report earlier. I was to busy packing up and having disputes with my rotary about when I leave. And when I got back it was way to hectic and I was trying to unpack and get in the usual swing of things. I might write again so watch OUT!!

Patrick Sharas

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PS – Barbara was right, Wal_Mart is the Best!