Thrown together, torn apart. Without the tearing.

Today has been a day of... endings.

Of the nine people that started at the same time as me, three of them finished today. And it was strange.

Our director of studies, who has been at the school for three years (a lifetime in the transient world of contract teaching) finished today. And it was strange.

My summer school class, who I have taught 6 days out of seven for the last three weeks, finished today. And it was strange.

Three different endings in one day, each one final and finished, but without any of the big bang drama or massive earth shift you feel would be appropriate.

The three teachers who finished today - I said farewell in the staff meeting, we drank a toast... and that was that. They are no longer at the school. Sure, tonight we will go out with them and drink, um, at least a loaf worth of toast, but it's over. Very few tears, no thunder, no sudden bursting into song, nobody jumping out and saying "Wait, we've changed our minds!"

The director of studies - I said farewell in the staff meeting, we drank a toast. The last time I saw her, she came into my office this afternoon to talk about a decision I made that she didn't agree with. We spoke, I stood by my decision, she left. Last I spoke to her she was already half way to Hong Kong. We'll see her again in a while - she's coming back for a few days to show her folks around - but ultimately, it's over.

And the summer school class - A group of kids, 17-19, thrown together for two hours a day, for three weeks. Have to work together, have to do some difficult things together, have to 'bond'. And today, we finished class, I said goodbye. They hung around, we chatted, but finally, they all left. It's over.

Will any of us or them speak again? Maybe, but there's no way of really knowing.

Just people, pushed together, bonding through circumstance more than any real need to do so. And yet, I miss them all already.