Sayonara I

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This is my one but last entry here in Japan. I noticed how my entries have changed from observing the unusual, the fascinating and the odd to just the trivial. That probably means it really is time to go. The novelty wears off and all that remains are the banal day to day occurrences.
So for the record.:
Had my last dinner with Diana on wednesday at our favourite Yakitori place (her treat). She has decided to stay on in Nagasaki for another 6 months but concentrate on writing articles for Canadian newspapers and trying to find a job as a journalist either in Vancouver or Toronto after her time her is up.

The caretaker of the building (the witch) came to check up on my room to see if all the precious furniture and fixtures were still there. She managed to screw up the air-conditioning at the same time. There’s definitely a jinx on her…..

I attended the last lecture of our head teacher Takano Yasukuni (wonder why his parents give him the same name as that infamous shrine) who was surprised to hear that I was leaving on Saturday. “Had I filled in the proper forms”, “Had I notified the authorities”, “Had the Emperor himself been informed of my leave” .. It’s funny how people’s concerns here are with formalities. Are they too afraid to interact on a direct emotional level I or was he just chuffed for not having been informed immediately.
I did manage to have a nice chat with my favourite teacher here called Nagai. In my view she a little borderline which makes her seem probably a total wacko to regular Japanese. She has lived in Colombia for a long time and misses that “how to enjoy life attitude” that Latinos have. She’s not too keen on Japan (by the way she’s from Osaka, the most informal and straight forward kind of people in Japan) and their weird working ethics. She still has a year to go and wants to return to Colombia a.s.a.p. I invited her to come on over to Amsterdam when ever she feels like and she told me she will.

Together with Bart, Kim, Rob, Colin and Alex I had my last dinner on Thursday night at Tenguto a.k.a. butakimchi because that’s what we eat there most of the time.
Today I will withdraw all my fortune from the Shinwa bank 親和銀行 , discontinue my cell phone subscription, buy a book on Japanese noodles, have lunch with Alex and will have my absolutely last dinner with Mai and Akitaka to whom I have bequeathed in my utmost generosity my Epson state-of-the-art printer and copier.

Saul will see me off at the station on Saturday morning and then I’m off to Hula’s Bar and Lei Stand. Every time is MaiTai time…………..

My friend Christoph has just arrived in Tokyo for business but I won’t be able to see him unfortunately and Aty is worrying that I will start partying the moment I set foot on Oahu all the way through Montreal till I get back to Amsterdam. I also have to take care of my health so she says.
She knows me well.