a time for goodbyes.....

well.. i finally finished it... graduated from Waseda University on the day before... which is a Saturday.. nothing big but still.. it was a ceremony.. went up there and collect my cert etc etc... well... as much as the cert is precious (i think...-_-) to me.. the more precious things which i had gotten is the experience i had staying in Japan... and even more precious.. is the friends that i had made here.... as we took pictures on saturday.. the song 'leaving on a jet plane' kept playing in my head... i see happy faces taking pictures... groups of people gathering and chatting.. i also see friends leaving one by one to their home countries... all of us have been here together for a year... despite our different backgrounds.. we came for a common purpose... to learn japanese and to know japan....this we did, albiet to each individual a different extent... but we also came and met people from everywhere... now... after a year.. it's finally time to leave.. sigh.....carol, tristan, andrew, lars, ryo, matthew, vannessa, irene, jamie, tang, ramon, jamie, lisa, kusano sensei and okuhara sensei... thank you all so much for the memorable time i have in japan... everytime i think of my time here, i will remember each of u all so fondly....

yesterday.. i said goodbye to the church i was attending here... really felt happy here in this country worshipping God.. i might not know exactly what i am singing.. but i felt that i was in unison in spirit with the people here.. thank you tanaka san for ur warm reception and ready friendship... it wont have been possible without u... and thank you sensei for ur messages.. i might not understand 100% of what u are saying... but... i felt ur message in my heart..:) lastly.. thank God for this church and this chance for me to come into the midst of His people....

today.. i said goodbye to one of the most important people in my stay here.. naoki... no matter what is ur real name, u will always remain naoki to me..:) thank you for those times we sat together chatting, sat together with our macs looking like a bunch of nerds, for those times we had lessons together, go to akihabara together, play samurai spirits together... u are really a God-send to me in this country..:) my experience here has been so enhanced with ur presence..:) thank you so much... i am never one who can express myself well but... here's a truly deep felt thank you, and 神様が祝福をしてくださいように....