AFS Chapter Goodbye Party

Sunday was part 2/2 of this weekend's series of AFS events. This one was more personal, since it was the goodbye party for my chapter, Tokyo Nerima. Relatively earlier than I'd like for a Sunday morning my family and I (as well as one of Ryo's friends, who had stayed over the night before) took the train over to the ShakujiKoen Center where the event was held. It was also the same place that the chapter welcome party was held all those months ago.

The first part of it was, for most purposes, uninteresting. Lots of speeches, including one of the three I had to write. So I can check one of those off the list! WHOO!

It didn't go too badly, if may say so myself. Even though it was only in front of host families and AFS volunteers, I was more nervous than I needed to be. But I was confident in the Japanese I had written, and everyone said they understood it clearly, so that's all good.

Huang, the other AFSer in my chapter also gave a speech. Then we both recieved small gifts from AFS.

Then there was a smorgasboard lunch: sushi, pizza, takoyaki, dango (mochi rolled into small balls and stuck on a skewer and usually flavored with red bean paste or soy sauce or some sort of honey glaze), tea sandwiches, truffles...I restrained myself from stuffing my face.

Then, naturally, comes the staple group photo:

And that was about it for my Sunday. I'm going to spend the evening relaxing since I don't have much pressing work, maybe draft some of the thank-you letters I need to write to my teachers and such. Since I have tomorrow off, maybe I'll geek out and head over to Ikebukuro for a half-day or so. :)
T-13 days!

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Homecoming

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