To gibber or not.

I managed to do the big class yesterday morning without gibbering.

Just.

I started to lose it as I was gathering the materials and files together in the office.

The manager looked at me worriedly...

I felt myself welling up.

"Yes, I can!" did the trick of breaking the tension.

Got it under control and marched into the room.

The oldest gentleman student stood up and in front of everyone came over and presented me with an envelope containing money - a Japanese custom  after someone dies.

The tears flooded out and I lost it.

The students cried. I cried. And so we got into the class...

I'd made up a worksheet with system and words for the stages you go through after someone dies, and it worked well. Students of course were interested to hear about church funerals vs crematoriums...funeral costs...scattering...so it all worked well.

And I shared some of Dad's pictures too, so they could enjoy and ask questions.

The pictures of Dutch and Australian POWs being loaded onto a hospital ship in Hong Kong in 1946 are an interesting conversation point of course here in Japan.

What will I DO with these pictures? I guess I should give them to a veteran's museum or something.

Anyway - another big group class this morning. Then two smaller groups....

Onwards.