Goodbye, goodbye, it's time to say Goodbye

The day finally arrived when we asked Yuki & Tana to give us back the keys to the school. They will always have the keys to our hearts and cherished memories of their endless cheerfulness will linger long after we've lost the keys.

Thank you Tana for being super every single day you've been here, last day as bubbly as the first. Everyone will agree she has been a wonderful advert for English teachers in Japan, a (nice & quiet) ambassador for South Africa, a friend & confidant to our adult students and a warm-hearted buddy for all our younger learners. Tana has been great to work with and has never (really) complained or stopped smiling. YOu have seen aspects of her work here on the blog, and rather than me waffling on, I encourage her students to add their voice to my thanks here.

Likewise, I invite you all to 'big up' Yuki. She has been the rock upon which the school was founded. I do not have the words to express my admiration, affection, and faith in Yuki. She has forever been the voice of reason over stupid gaijin boss, of organised calm against stupid chaotic owner, of planning ahead versus where is it Jim. She learnt everything about the school from the ground up - everything necessary about using the computer, immigration law, accountancy, internet connections, banking, gaijin cards, driving licences, studless tyres, children's books, Cambridge ESOL exams, the English language, parenthood, Bon Bon dance, first aid, flu epidemics, tax, bizarre foreigners & their weird girlfriends/habits/food/hair/hygiene, landlords, contracts, train timetables...Yuki is Wikipedia in Japanese. She is a one off, and we will never be able to replace her - and we don't want to. She is staying nearby, and can now concentrate on really being our friend and not having to do everything Jim asks her to. Thank you, Yuki, you have added "Yuki" to a lot of peoples' dictionaries around the world.

Jim, Yukari, Tomoko, Kevin & Naomi all wish you both the very best for your futures. Thank you both for giving so much of yourselves to the students, our community, my school, and to me. Miss you enormously.

Tana Benzon  2007-2010
Yuki Momose 1999 -2010

Goodbye NOT YET!!

Dear friends and students,

It seems that I have created some panic by not saying WHEN I will be leaving. Let me assure you that I haven't left yet, and that there is still plenty of time to say goodbye!

In fact we'll be having a joint farewell/welcome party on Saturday, 4 December, so please keep that day free.

My last teaching day will be the 30th of November.

Sincere apologies for any misunderstanding.
I hope to see you at the goodbye party!

Tana

Hate it when you leave

This little learner of ours impressed the hell out of me when he joined our school - aged four. He has impressed me and all his teachers over the eight and a half years he has been with us. He impressed me most when he complained his buddies (who joined Luna together) were "not studying hard enough" and that he "wanted to study on his own" - how often do you hear that from an under ten?!

Yuki is a charming young chap: he ALWAYS says 'hello' and ALWAYS addresses the person he is talking to. He ALWAYS makes conversation and does his homework, he ALWAYS tries 100% in class and ALWAYS leaves Luna with the teacher feeling that something 'went in'.

When Yuki first started with Luna I was his teacher. I was very concerned that he would stab himself in the eye whenever we used pencils for writing letters or colouring - he was SO short-sighted his face was closer to the paper than the end of the actual pencil. I am not kidding, he had to get  his face SO close to the page, and favour his better eye.

Corrective surgery has helped Yuki a lot; he has always been a confident reader, for his age. He will be one of the kids my staff & I will miss very much - he has to get better at his other subjects to pass stupid entrance exams (his English is well-above the curve). He has munched his way through OUP's Story Tree like a very hungry caterpillar; he has stolen the hearts of all his teachers.

So this evening we say goodbye. I know Yuki will come back in about 10 years to say 'hello' again, like all of our 'favourite' students do; he will be able to talk in English and Yuki & I will feel older still...This little laddy will be a leader, of that I am very sure. Good luck Yuki - look forward to reading about you :)