Several weeks ago, I was told I’d be among the three teachers meeting Admiral Takeguchi, head of the JMSDF 2nd Service (English Language) School (2MSS) today. I thought it was just going to be a formal introduction of the three newest American instructors after the day’s lessons. I made sure to dress professionally, practiced bowing, and honestly figured we’d be done with the introductions in about 30 seconds. I was unaware that we would be taking part in a brief, but very official, Authority Ceremony. As soon as we finished our lessons, the three of us were quickly ushered into a room where we met the admiral and several other important people whose names, ranks, and official duties did not stick with me. Admiral Takeguchi then presented each of us with a Certificate of
Authority, read aloud in Japanese and English, which states that we have “satisfied the requirements for training” (Really? I must’ve missed that part) and are “entrusted with the responsibilities of English language instruction at the 2nd Service School.”After posing for a round of official photographs, we all drank tea and made polite conversation through an interpreter. The admiral thanked us for our service to the school and spoke of the long relationship between 2MSS and the American instructors, important not just for bringing students an opportunity for English conversation, but for fostering goodwill
between Japanese and Americans. The admiral pointed out that I am the 524th American instructor hired in the school’s fifty-year history. He mentioned several past instructors by name, talked about their participation in the school’s activities (he did not have with him the photo albums where the instructors’ interactions with the students are preserved for posterity), and was curious whether we knew any of them.As quickly as it began, the ceremony ended, and we were efficiently ushered down to the picture studio where formal photos were taken for the teacher’s wall of the lounge and for our ID badges. So, for better or for worse, I am now a documented part of the history of 2MSS. Years from now, new teachers will drink tea with the admiral and might be asked if they know teacher #524.
No comments:
Post a Comment