Hirakata Senior High School Visit, a touching moment

Yesterday we finally met a group of Japanese students from Osaka whom we have been having an email exchange programme with in school.

While it was as usual interactions with the Japanese and Singaporean students, it was after the event officially ended, and the 2 busloads of students left the campus, that left the strongest impression.

My colleague JSC and I rested in my office, where a mini celebration of sorts was in the way. A couple of colleagues had gathered to spread the goodwill of the end of school for 2007, christmas and the new year 2008. Just as we were rested, however, my mobile phone rang and a frantic male voice spoke in very jumpy Japanese. It was the Science teacher who had come with the students for the short exchange earlier, and said there is a bag that was misplaced in the lecture theatre and they would turn back to get the bag from the bus stop. That was fine, so my JSC and I rushed down to the lecture theatre and found the bag. It was at this moment when I was about to leave for the bus stop when running frantically towards us was the Science teacher, with a female student in tow.

The Science teacher was definitely with age, with white hair and all, easily in his fifties. Here is this old grandfather running very much with finesse faster than the female Japanese student of 18 years old, and ran just as quickly as they had come after getting the bags from us. As they ran back, the girl apologised profusely in the loudest voice. To me, it felt like a sense of respect, admiration and gratitude that the teacher has done his best as expected in their culture, where the elder is fully in charge of the youth and the youth is very thankful of that protection, though there might be reckless rebellion at times.

The scene reminded me of some familiar Japanese movie/anime scenes where the teacher, being taken as the respectful elder, goes all out for the protection and goodwill of the younger one, similar to part of a close-knitted family.