Tonight I had a dinner party with four former students from the college gig that I dropped out of earlier this year.
I taught these students on various courses from the spring term of 2021 to the end of the college year in January 2024. For the first two years we were still wearing masks in class. In those days it became almost "normal" to get to know only the top half of people's faces, but at least we were able to conduct most of our classes on campus and not online.
I hadn't seen these students since January, so it was fun to catch up with them. We had a lot of fun in class over the three years that I taught them, and one of the immense pleasures of teaching college students, when they are as engaging as this bunch, is seeing them develop and grow in confidence.
This particular group consists of:
- Hinako the elegant ballet dancer
- Kasumi the comedian
- Michiko with an explosive and infectuous laugh
- Nanami always wide awake for a bit of fun
- Hurley-sensei who plays to the gallery
Over dinner, one question that came up was about any "love" news. I told them an "anti-love" anecdote that really happened when I was out with a couple of their classmates and was accosted by a drunk women in a takoyaki bar. I blogged about that event here:
@hirohurl/octopus-balls-and-beer-with-students-at-my-local-takoyaki-bar
As for the young ladies in our party tonight, three of them maintained that there was "nothing" to report, but Nanami indicated that Kasumi, the class comedian, might have found someone special...
On the other hand, the good news is that they have all been offered office jobs in Hiroshima after they graduate next year, which means that we can have more of these reunion parties! At least that is what we all drank to, and we also promised to go to Hinako's ballet recital next year. Most ballet dancers stop doing ballet when they go to university, and even if they don't stop then, they are very likely to "retire" from their ballet school once the world of work kicks in, so I really hope Hinako will keep on dancing.
When out two hour "all you can eat for a fixed price" time limit was up, we disgorged onto the street and posed for the photos that make up this blog post.
The party broke up around 8:20pm and I was able to hop on the 8:30pm train back to my neck of the woods, having had a thoroughly enjoyable time with some of my favourite students - ever!
Cheers!
David Hurley
#InspiredFocus