Busy bee, spotted on the way back from the exam.

13 hours into freedom

So, I spent much of the afternoon feeling somewhat lost, before deciding that what was called for was assertiveness. I need to move on. No point in lingering in some in-between state. It’s too easy to comfort oneself with the idea that change takes a long time. It doesn’t. It takes a split second. The time it takes to make the decision.

Thus, I’ve spent the last few hours sorting through four years of handouts, reams of notes, kanji tests, pink essays, green essays and blue essays, and selecting a few choice morsels to keep. Included in my archive for posterity are select examples of all types of homework from the language course over all years, some classic examples of the handouts we were given, and the results of all the essays I handed in for non-language modules. This means that thousands of pages have been reduced to one folder’s worth.

Here’s just some of the work that will be going in the recycle skip in a minute.

You know what though, I am absolutely staggered how much work we’ve done. The amount of effort that went in to some of those modules (especially in the second year) beggars belief. How did they get me to sign up for all this?!

I’m glad we covered so much though. Not just in terms of language, but history, politics, social issues. I remember when I first went to Japan I didn’t have a clue about any of this stuff. It helps, to know one’s context. Still a lot to learn though, stuff that can only really be picked up by spending several years living there.

It would be nice to be there now really. Having completed the course it kind of feels natural that I go back to Japan and be reunited with *Twinkle*. No such luck though – 3 more months till that (very) happy day!