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Alrighty, so my school principal of four years is retiring this year. I can't go to his going away party because it costs a hundred dollars, and I've already got to pay to go to three of those things this month (I hate enkais. 
) I just can't afford it. So instead, I ordered a simple cross-stitch design to make as a gift.
It's a pretty little design that has plum blossoms in a vase (they're blooming right now) and a message in Chinese wishing health, love, happiness, tranquility, and so on. I really liked the little messages, and even though it's in Chinese, it's easy enough to figure out what it means because the characters have the same meaning in Japanese.
Anyway, now that I'm getting ready to make it, I'm deliberating on whether or not I should change the message to something in Japanese. I've tried finding a simple way to say the same message, but it's so much simpler in Chinese. I can't figure out for the life of me how to say it in Japanese without having to make it a full sentence, and even then it sounds more like something that would go on a letter than on a wall hanging.
I have another option, though, to instead put his favorite poem on it. I know it's his favorite because at one of my early meetings he told me about it and explained that it was his favorite. The only thing is that it's a love poem, and it just feels really inappropriate to give my retiring principal a love poem. He might get the sentiment, but it just seems to be crossing a boundary to me.
Do you think it's okay to give it even if it's in Chinese? I mean, I guess the worst that would happen is they'd all thing I was a stupid foreigner who can't tell the difference. Thoughts?
) I just can't afford it. So instead, I ordered a simple cross-stitch design to make as a gift. It's a pretty little design that has plum blossoms in a vase (they're blooming right now) and a message in Chinese wishing health, love, happiness, tranquility, and so on. I really liked the little messages, and even though it's in Chinese, it's easy enough to figure out what it means because the characters have the same meaning in Japanese.
Anyway, now that I'm getting ready to make it, I'm deliberating on whether or not I should change the message to something in Japanese. I've tried finding a simple way to say the same message, but it's so much simpler in Chinese. I can't figure out for the life of me how to say it in Japanese without having to make it a full sentence, and even then it sounds more like something that would go on a letter than on a wall hanging.
I have another option, though, to instead put his favorite poem on it. I know it's his favorite because at one of my early meetings he told me about it and explained that it was his favorite. The only thing is that it's a love poem, and it just feels really inappropriate to give my retiring principal a love poem. He might get the sentiment, but it just seems to be crossing a boundary to me.
Do you think it's okay to give it even if it's in Chinese? I mean, I guess the worst that would happen is they'd all thing I was a stupid foreigner who can't tell the difference. Thoughts?
