Saying Goodbye to Hirata....and Hello to Hamada

In four days, I will be leaving the place where I have lived for two years. I have come to love my apartment, grown comfortable with my surroundings and eased into a work routine. I have come to know scores of students and have some great memories of my time here. But all good things must come to an end. I will soon be leaving everything and heading down south for a new chapter of domestic bliss...(In this post, you can see pictures of my last 3/4 weeks in Hirata and Izumo...)

Since last November, I have been going through the painful, excruciating process of applying for a job transfer to be closer to Ben and take our relationship to the next level. We have encountered Japanese bureaucracy at its very ugliest and experienced it's slow, incredibly counter-productive systems grate on our nerves and stress us out. Only at the very end of last month was I finally (after much protesting and complaining) told that my request had been granted.

I will be transferring to Hamada Koko, an academic school in the centre of Hamada. Currently Ben lives about 15 minutes from Hamada, but he will be starting a new job and we will both take on the apartment in the town centre that comes with my job. I'm really quite nervous about going through the whole rigmarole of moving, starting a new job, getting to know teachers and students, visiting new schools (again).

The school I'm going to has a very serious reputation and is not known for being party central. Not that my school is Disney Land, but I am quite attached to some of the teachers in a distant and Japanese kind of way. I think it's going to be more traumatic, moving to a new job than it would be moving back home after three years. On top of this, my awesome ex-supervisor is moving back to Hirata High after I leave and so the new ALT will get to hang out with her and I will probably be lumbered with teachers who ignore me and stay in work 'til midnight and never crack a smile.

At least (I suppose) I am familiar with Hamada and know a few ALT's there and in sourrounding areas. It could be worse. This time of year is always busy. I will soon have to sort my life out (literally) by packing up my mountains of clothes (where do they come from?) and two years worth of spray cans, broken glass and strange kitchen appliances that I have no idea how to sort. (In Japan, things are categorised into garbage types...it's like the Krypton factor trying to decipher it).

I know, I know..I'm looking at this all the wrong way! I shouldn't compare my two jobs, no! I should look at this as a new and exciting opportunity! A new chance to shine and get to know new people! New places to explore! Yeah. Hmmmmmm. Right.

I can't help being a pessimist. It's part of being Welsh to be a bitter defeatist, it's what we do! Some people say you should expect the worst then be pleasantly surprised. But first we must draw up a good/bad list about the move...First the BAD...

• Giving up a nice homey apartment
• Having to consider another person when I want to listen to my 80's songs at 7.30am
• Having a man leave teabags and dirty knives around the kitchen
• Having to cancel bills, getting hooked up the net again (it takes AGES here)
• Having to shave my legs more often
• Not being able to squeeze my zits and dye my hair discreetly
• More opportunity for conflict and and arguments
• Hamada isn't as clean and quiet as Hirata
• Further away (3hours?) from Matsue, the capital where our bezzie mates are
• Less fun, crazy outgoing students

OK, so some of the good things about moving to Hamada...

• Coming home to BENJI everyday! Yay!
• Getting to use the oven me and Ben bought in Hawaii as often as I want.
• Shared chores and bills
• Free taxi service all week (c/o Ben)
• Free massage and physiotherapy (c/o Ben)
• More access to bars and restaurants
• Closer to the beach
• More intelligent and able students at school
• Train station is behind my house
• Closer to fun ALT's (I don't have any ALT chums in Hirata)
• Fish and Chips at 'Pub Elf' and Sushi at 'Sushi Zo' every week, if I want.
• Only a 1.5 hour drive to Hiroshima City, a fun little city with a MOLLY MALONES pub!

So that's that! After the move I will be packing up again a few days later and getting on a flight to Beijing, China. Ben and I are stopping off there to see Tienanmen Square and the Great Wall before flying to London – I'm really psyched about that! God, I can't believe it...I will be back in South Wales very shortly! Yo have no idea how excited I am about the trip. I am visiting Wales as a proper tourist for the first time! I can't wait to see Snowdonia and Pembroke and Cardiff. We'll also be visiting Bath and Salisbury (Stonehenge), too. I have been trying (OK, not so hard) to drop a few pounds in anticipation of gross overeating. The main purpose of the trip though, is to attend my brother's wedding. Justin and Fran are getting married at Rhondda Heritage Park, near Mam's house in the valleys. Its an opportunity for Ben to meet my clan. I hope he doesn't run for the hills!

I've warned him already to start training for the traditional 3-day Welsh family welcome he will have to face, although he is currently unaware of the details. In Wales, the brothers of a potential wife will challenge her suitor to a jousting and wrestling session in front of the house. Only sticks that have been hand-carved and no longer than the height of the sister can be used. Should the suitor not die in the fight, he will be deemed suitable and worthy enough to enter the house. The thing is, I have 3 brothers so he'll have to go three rounds. Once in the house, we take part in a traditional poetry and verse contest. Should Ben intelligently outwit his opponents (my three brothers) in strict Iambic pentameter, he will be be allowed to stay. On the second day, there will be a sheep-shearing contest, and on the third a Rugby tournament. Should he pass all the tests relatively unscathed, he will be granted honorary status and invited to join the Dudley-Michel-Davies Sacred Druidic Clan.

C'mon Ben! You can do it! See you very very soon, let the games commence....