Graduation

Today was Graduation Day for Iwatsuki High School. This meant that Sabina and I had to dress smart, so I pulled out my reliable pinstriped suit and prayed that my hair would behave. Sadly, the weather decided to be rainy, so not only were we forced to walk to school in the rain, but my hair also poofed out something awful. Luckily, my headband tamed the worst of it.

Being that this was my first high school graduation I didn’t really know what to expect. True, I figured it would be a somber and serious occasion- all the more so because today also marks the one year anniversary since the Tohoku Earthquake and tsunami- but I didn’t realize quite how serious it was.

You know it's serious when students start sleeping

Honestly, I almost thought I was at a funeral. There wasn’t anything that screamed “fun”, “excitement” or “congratulations” at the event whatsoever.

For starters, the entire student body was made to sit in on the ceremony, which was full of speeches so full of honorific language that I could barely understand what the humble person was honorably speaking about to the honorable guests that humbled the humble person by honorably arriving with honor.

Afterward, every student in the graduating class was called out by name but…There was no cheering. No cries of happiness from the parents. No diplomas handed over nor walks across the stage. The students simply stood, bowed, and waited for the rest of their classmates to have their names read. In short, it felt incredibly anticlimactic and boring.

Class of 2006 baby! With Gram and Grandma

I can remember the screams of friends and family and the airhorn-yes, the airhorn- that my father brought in when my name was called and I walked across the stage. I remember a crappy, clichéd speech by our undeserving valedictorian and an amazing speech by Nayely. I remember being so ecstatic that I leaped out of my chair and bear hugged one of my best friends because it was over, we were finished, we were so grown up, there was so much waiting for us, and the world was at our fingertips!

The only truly moving part of the graduation was the closing song. I cannot for the life of me remember what it was called, but it was really depressing and nostalgic. No wonder the students filed out with tears in their eyes.

Still, some of them perked up when I went to their homerooms to visit them one last time. I ended up getting photos with several of my favorite students. As wonderful as it would be to keep in touch, I know it probably won’t happen. Life happens. They will grow up and move on. The best I can hope for is that they didn’t leave with a bitter taste in their mouths from my English class!

Mingling and munching

After the ceremony, Sabina, her friend Gillian and I mingled a bit with some of the parents and snacked on some finger foods. Unfortunately I either still have the Cold from Hell or I have developed a mad case of Hay fever, because I could not breathe whatsoever. I ended up excusing myself back to the staffroom where I was able to mouth breathe and sniffle to my nose’s content.

Let’s hope that these sniffles clear up because I’m flying down south to visit some awesome friends next weekend. I need to be healthy so I can party my way through Osaka!