Farewell Party For Matsuda Sensei

The international students in Nagaoka Kosen are required to attend Japanese Language class during their 3rd and 4th Year, in which there are two classes in a week. Matsuda Sensei is the sensei who has been teaching us since our 3rd Year. Compared to the intensive Japanese Language lessons back in PPKTJ, the lesson we have here is comparatively much easier and relaxing. Most of the grammar can be said as a revision for us because we have learned them before. As for the new expressions and grammar, they are usually not that hard to understand and that explains why we could afford to take this class lightly compared to the other lessons we have in our college.

To make the class not boring, our sensei will bring some recordings of the local news and tv programmes for our viewing. Besides that, she also let us watch dramas from the rented DVD once in a blue moon. So, it is not all study throughout the year. There was a time that she mentioned to one of us that she always look forward to having class with our batch, because of the lively atmosphere we bring to the class, and how much she will miss our presence once our batch step up to our 5th Year. One of the reasons I would say is because of the crazy people we have in our class. The class usually will be interrupted because one fella will simply tease somebody else out of sudden, or at other times, Matsuda sensei will start telling us stories that is related to the subject we are studying, but it usually end with something which has no relation at all with the earlier subject.

Every time we read out our sentence to the class, Ridzuan-様 (a way to address someone with a high position) will usually get the most attention because of the complexity of the sentence he usually come out with, in which even the sensei doesn't understand it. More often than now, she will ask him to repeat his sentence at least twice before she corrects him. But it is actually a good thing for us, because we will be able to drag the time more.

We had finished our finals about a week ago and in just a few more days, we will be having our six-week spring break. As it was our last class with Matsuda sensei last Friday, our senpai suggested us to get something for her, because it has somehow become like a tradition for the 4th Year students to share a present as a token of appreciation to our sensei for the two years we had with her. As our previous seniors have given her a scarf and a handbag previously, we decided to give her something different this time. She already began to sense something from our suspicious behavior because everyone was ate for the class. The truth is that we were busy writing our messages on the huge card we got for her on the staircase of the upper floor. Those who haven't wrote their messages had to give excuse of wanting to go the toilet. When everyone had written their messages, we all gathered in the room and waited for Joann to come in with the card and present.

Matsuda sensei receiving the present and card from Joann on our behalf.

The giant card we got her, which was written with messages from a nine of us.

Giving her opinions and what she think about each of us.

It is really hard to have a Japanese to be honest, especially when we are asking them about their opinions on a subject because most of the time, they will still come out with a way to praise something no matter how bad it is. However, I was quite surprised when she gave her thoughts about us, because she was rather honest in the opinions she gave. One of the reason I can think of is because the students she teaches are international students, and she probably is more open in voicing out her opinions. When it reached my turn, I find that most of the comments she gave about myself are true. Here's what Matsuda said about myself:

"Okay, now it's Calvin's turn. What can I say about him? First, he has a lot of pride within himself. But saying this doesn't mean that is only has a negative meaning. When we first see him, we might find it hard to get close to him. But as time passes by, we will know the true personality of him. That is the time we will find that he is a friendly person and easy to get along with. Besides, the leadership qualities he has is apparent and he seems to get respect from the people around him. Though he is quite, he usually will make sure the tasks assigned to him are done properly and in the best possible way (in a more simple way, do something to perfection). One more thing is he hates losing, in whatever he does. That is what I will say about him."

I am just quoting what Matsuda sensei said about me, and please don't say that I am self-praising myself here-lah, okay? xD

Matsuda sensei was so excited to open the present we gave her, as she couldn't wait to see what we got for her.

Guess what we gave her?

The class that day turned into a party, thanks to Yan Kuang and Shah who went to grab some snacks in between their classes earlier for this Japanese Language class. While enjoying the snacks, we shared jokes and stories among ourselves. As something common to the Japanese, we kanpai-ed, the Japanese equivalent for 'cheers' or 'yam seng' among the Chinese.

Kanpai!!!!!!!!!

The present we got her - a wooden photo frame.

The present was a good choice because Matsuda sensei told us that she prefers natural stuffs and it will suit the mood in her house. For almost two years, we have never taken a group picture with our sensei, and we took it for the first and last time during our last class with her.

The 4th Year international students with Matsuda sensei.

Just like a coincidence, we thought of the idea of developing the group picture we took and put it into the photo frame. We asked some favour from the people at the Chikyu Lab to do that for us and after a while, they came back with a photo frame which has the group picture of us with our sensei. I am quite sure that Matsuda sensei was happy to receive such a special gift from us.

Her wide smile tells everything.

松田先生、ありがとうございました。

This Is For You, Michelle

Short talk: It took me several days before I managed to start writing this entry. Each time I clicked on the new draft button, I find myself lost for words and didn't know how or where should I start with. I kept on pressing on the backspace button when my first sentence was almost complete and this was repeated times over times.

It has been more than one-and-a-half year.

That is how long we have got together, but within that period, we only managed to spend roughly twenty days together. This is what we called long-distance-relationship, or LDR in short. On this day last year, she was away for her Marae camp, but before she left, she surprised me with her post, in which she posted up a picture of her writing on the sandy beach of Sumner in New Zealand. This is our second Valentine's Day and yet again, we don't get to celebrate it together, physically. As we are kept apart for most of the time, I guess we have got used to this hard fact.

Due to my finals which has only ended last Tuesday, I practically don't have that time to think or look for something for her. It usually takes roughly one week for my stuff to reach her in Christchurch, so I know I won't make it on time. Yet, knowing that she won't be getting anything, she got so emo that she swore that she will never give me anything ever again for the next ten elephant years. I know I will have to face the consequences of failing to send her anything this time, but at least I managed to come out with this simple post. You guys can help me in this you know? Praise me kao kao about how good and romantic this post is (although it is not at all =.=) and hopefully, she will be brainwashed by all the comments.

Early Valentine's present.

Actually, it was the opposite. Last Monday night, when I was still in the mist of my finals, I received a package out of the blue. Prior to that, she had promised me to send me my lucky black Adidas t-shirt that I left in her house but she wasn't sure if it would reach in time, before my finals ended. It did, and I wore it on the last day of my finals and guess what? I breezed through the two papers with ease. Was it just a coincidence, or it's true that that t-shirt is my lucky t-shirt? I'd say it's the latter. Now, I understand the reason why she told me she was going to the post office to post something a day before she left for New Zealand. Thank you so much, baby!

It was not just the black t-shirt that she sent me, because there was a handmade scrap book inside the brown envelope as well.

Our first time dressing up for an event - at her cousin's wedding dinner in Malacca.

The title was "A Story of Calv & Mich". I somehow broke into tears when I was hafway taking it out and have not even started reading it. I flipped through it and put it back into the envelope on that night, because I wasn't able to take it anymore. I decided to read it only after my finals had ended. A couple of days later, only I took it out and read what's written in the scrap book word by word, line by line, page by page, on my bed. This time, no more tears (haha, sounds more like Johnson & Johnson baby shampoo tagline), but only happy smiles reminiscing the moments we had together last December.

I came to know a few new things about her that I didn't know before this from the scrap book. She wrote that she used to own a sticker book when she was in primary school, and now I understand why whole of the scrap book is full of stickers lol. Everywhere space available is occupied with stickers of Bugs Bunny, Pluto, Garfield, Odie and a lot more which will be endless if I list them all here. When it was heading towards the last several pages of the scrap book, the font grew bigger and the are so many space in between the lines. The reason? She realised that the scrap book has too many pages and she had no more idea on what else to write =.=

Taken at the jetty near the Portuguese settlement in Malacca with her Pluto sticker on the left.

Nevertheless, she was smart to keep the best for the last, because the last page is the part that I like most It's kinda personal and I don't think it will be a wise idea for me to put it here. Otherwise you guys will start to tell me I make you guys puke or contracted diabetes. Anyway, there is this line in which I find it interesting. Not very long ago, she asked me to teach her some basic Japanese and I agreed. I will blog on the details on this Japanese lesson we had in another post. Anyway, after some time and since she already knew how to write a few Hiragana characters, she applied it in the scrap book.

However, I spotted an impairment. This is the first time I saw someone mixing Japanese characters with Roman alphabets, and that really gave me a good laugh session.

LOVE YOU. Zutto あいshiteru (dunno the rest of jap. word =p)

Lastly, Happy Valentine's Day to all, especially to you, baby. Ich liebe dich =)