Between Jobs

I never imagined it'd be this difficult to leave the LTTC. Sure I'd anticipated the mixed emotions, but I didn't know it'd be such a chore logistically as well: had to run around the building to get different department heads to sign off before I was allowed to leave, had to make sure that I had all the insurance forms and got all the insurance claim procedures figured out so I will be compensated, and had to make sure I didn't leave any unfinished business or screw-ups behind (well.... to the best of my knowledge anyway).

The students in my pronunciation class gave me sweet, grammatically incorrect cards and strawberry marshmallows that had little pink hearts in the center. The librarian Sentia asked for my address 'cause she wanted to send some baby wipes to the house. My fellow Coordinator Shannon came by in the morning to say good-bye . When he was leaving to go to the other campus, I stood up, ready to give him a hug, but he reached out for a hand shake. How business like, I thought (and Bill told me later that it was also a very American thing to do). Senior Coordinator John and I exchanged some good laughs in the afternoon while making sure he's aware of all the ongoing and upcoming businesses. The girls (Jacky included) gave me a very sweet surprise send-off in the afternoon. They got a bouquet of flowers from David's wife's floral shop, at noon David had to carry the flowers in his arm in the unbearable heat on his way to work , and they hid it in Katie's office on the 3rd floor. Rocky and Harry felt sad because they're losing a member of "the bullies" (I've always thought we "tease" more than "bully", and we do it out of love and affection). Other dads in the office offered their most valuable parental advice (i.e., "Let the boy fall and get hurt. He'll learn), while moms in the office repeatedly reminded me to look after myself postpartum (i.e., No AC. No touching cold water). My immediate supervisors jokingly threatened to withhold my last paycheck as guarantee for my return later on.

Everyone kept saying, "Remember to inform us when the baby's born." The girls at the Front Desk made me promise to send photos of the baby 'cause they've been speculating how cute he is and who he looks like. On my last day in the office, I laughed, I joked around, and I cried. Then I left... with a bouquet of flowers and a cardboard box with my name on it.

Along with the box of materials and documents I've developed and collected over the years, I'm putting Teacher Kate and Coord Kate aside in the storage space upstairs. As I research for the best deals on newborn diapers in Taipei, a new folder was created in my portable hard drive: "Mama Kate".

Right before John took off to pick up his daughter's birthday cake, he said, "Call me anytime when you feel like you're about to lose it." My eyes welled up as I watched him disappeared behind the door 'cause he said the same thing to me more than two years ago when I was learning the ropes of being a Coordinator.