[jasonbvr]

If I have not mentioned this before, the Japanese school year ends in March and begins in April. The seniors at your school all graduate in the beginning of March and the rest of you take a little rest for two weeks before beginning the new year.

Spring is the appropriate season I suppose. With all the flowers blooming and new growth around, it seems right for new students and teachers to be coming in. Some of your staff may retire at this time. Some may be moved to new schools. Along with the new students coming, I will have the privilege of beginning work with my third Japanese English teacher in one year. This is particular odd I think for an ALT to outlast not one English teacher but two! Then I will have the new ALT's coming into the area to meet and guide along the path to smooth integration to our Ota/Oizumi area. Yes the joyous season of spring is upon us, and if I here one more thing about the freaking cherry blossoms my head will explode. If there is one more thing I hate more than the end of winter, it would have to be fanaticism which is what I view the Japanese fascination to be with the cherry blossom.