Friday 4 September 2015

The return of the prodigal son...


konichiwa-300x182
After two long (for me, at least) years the prodigal son has returned home, and whilst we haven't quite killed the fatted calf, we are very pleased to see him! 





Rhiannon and her fiancé Stuart are also excited to have him home as he has a very important role to play at their wedding, with 'play' being the operative word!


Taken before Tom went to Japan...


He has left behind some amazing people and places, but has brought back wonderful memories. A lot of these memories involve the fantastic children he has taught, ranging in ages from 5-14. He won't miss a few aspects of Japanese life, but his experiences have been overwhelmingly positive. He came back armed with boxes of gifts, letters and good wishes. He was very nearly undone when some of his students and their parents turned up at Kagoshima airport to say a final goodbye, which proved to be very emotional, especially when they gathered round to sing the school song to him just before he went through security. I think a tear or two was shed, but I would be more worried if he hadn't immersed himself into his Japanese life to the extent that leaving was such a wrench.



Just a few of the mementos ...




At the minute the jury is out on whether he would rather be here or back in Japan - he is suffering from culture shock, perhaps a bigger one than when he first arrived in Japan!

This photograph taken by Matt, an American teacher who is Tom's replacement, is symbolic. Whilst he isn't exactly riding away into the sunset, he is making a significant change of direction.



Tom won't be with us for long, as in October he begins his studies at Oxford for a MSc in Comparative International Education (your guess is as good as mine!), which will open up a whole new set of experiences ...

10 comments:

  1. Bet your happy to have him home again,at least in Oxford it is not quite so far away :-) Great selection of photos. Keep well Diane xx

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. We are very happy, even though it has meant that for this (and other reasons) we have stayed in the UK.
      Enjoy your holiday x

      Delete
  2. What a great experience for your son – this will stay with him for the rest of his life. Now about his new studies – a very interesting subject. I hope he will tell you more about it once he has been studying for a while. It would be enlightening to understand the different way children are educated in the world and the results.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you, Vagabonde.

      Tom is a very positive person and will always strive to make the best of any situation. He is really looking forward to his course and being in Oxford, which is a wonderful place.

      Delete
  3. What fantastic memories he will have for the rest of his life. An amazing experience that most of us can only dream of. I've always fancied visiting Japan, maybe one day x

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I think you would love Japan. We did. I know you like mountains and there are plenty!! The people are polite and helpful and the culture is fascinating. xx

      Delete
  4. He has clearly had an amazing time...and it wont be forgotten in a hurry. I|t is these sorts of experiences that stay with you forever. I hope the next stage works out as well for him.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. He wont forget it and some of his experiences may form a part of his MSc research. He could have stayed there longer but he will be 25 next birthday so didn't want to leave it too late to go back to Uni and still 'fit in' with other post grad students. I think he is looking at ways to get back to Japan, although, as he says, there is a very big, amazing world out there and he isn't done with travelling yet!!
      If I was him I would do exactly the same. Our children almost certainly won't be able to retire as early as we've been able to do so now is the best time to explore.
      Hope all is well with you. You seem to have had a very productive morning in the kitchen!! xx

      Delete
  5. Great post - sorry to get to it late, life has been rather in the way of blogging recently! Tom certainly seems to have made the most of his experiences - and whilst it might have seemed a long two years to you, I had to do a double take! Is it really two years since he went??? I remember it well....we're old friends now, Gaynor! Axxxx

    ReplyDelete
  6. Thanks, Annie.
    The two years passed more quickly than I thought they would. I think the first few months were the hardest and I am so glad I was still working, which gave me less time to mope! We also knew about ten months ago about his intention to study. Fortunately the first university to offer him a place was Oxford, especially as he had also applied to Kyoto and Geneva!
    He starts in Saturday.... Xx

    ReplyDelete