July 25 - Winding down

PLEASE NOTE: I have not had the chance to watermark all of my photos, and it will take me a great deal of time, as I published this and my other blogs between 2010-2017. I ask you to respect my property. Feel free to use them as long as you credit me as follows: Photo by Jody McBrien, learningtheworld.org. Thank you.


I taught my last class the day after we returned from Okinawa and just finished grading finals. Two of my students asked me to go to lunch with them later in the week.

Gloria (Austria), me, and Laurel Lee (Singapore)

Last week I also went into Tokyo for my last refugee interview in Japan, the president of a Kurdish community (of about 2,000 Kurds living just north of Tokyo). I will have to finish transcribing my audio recordings and get that all written up. I have to say, though, that in spite of the number of interviews I have conducted, I remain confused about some of the process. 

We also had Anna, a Liberian refugee I met at one of the organizations, and her two daughters Chloe and Fatima, spend the weekend with us. Anna said she misses nature living in Tokyo. Her story is such a tragedy. She was supposed to go to Canada and had a ticket for the country but was detained in Japan during a plane transfer. What a mess. We got in a nice walk to the campus pond where the 4-year old loved watching the large koi. I admit the little one exhausted me - she NEVER stopped moving! - but Dick and I were both glad we were able to give them a small break. We also sent them home with clothes and food we would no longer need here.

Anna, Chloe, and me at the dance practice the weekend before Okinawa

Chloe the next weekend at the dance

Anna and friends at the dance

Wild lilies we picked on our weekend walk (they were huge!)

Tomorrow I have to give my last presentation - one for faculty - and then I will be quite done. I am wishing I had known the schedule when planning the air tickets - would have left sooner and had more time with Kat and Bryan. I think the reason that Dick and I are so "antsy" is because we can't just go out of the apartment and be in a city to do things, like we could in New Zealand (our last major time outside the US). Here we have to take a bus to Hachioji, and if we want to venture further, then a train and maybe a subway. So the travel is tiring. 

We did get out this morning to the Tokyo Fuji Art Museum (across the street from the main gates of Soka U). It is a small collection of European art, but it was nice. I wish I realized they did not have Japanese art - I would have made a point to go to one or two in Tokyo. 

I also closed my bank account today and we have begun to pack. We will leave to stay near Narita on Sunday and get on the plane Monday afternoon. We also have plans to get together with Mark and Yoshimi, the two friends we met in the Sherlock Holmes Pub when we first arrived. It will go fast!

NOTE: May 2018 date on post is republish date, not date of the event.