English Club

At the Sayama community center an English Club meets biweekly to listen to a lecturer and discuss the topic. I had the hounour of being this week’s guest speaker. My topic was "Canadian Culture". Not really sure if I am expert on the subject but I have lived there the last 24 years. I shared about my family, Nova Scotia, Canadian winters, but my primary focus was on Christmas traditions. I love Christmas and all the goes with Christmas. The joy out of sharing with the group was that it opened the door to speak a bit about Jesus, his birth, and Christianity.

After the meeting three of the ladies took me out for coffee and cakes. Japanese cakes and pastries are not as sweet as North Americans are and sometimes they are filled with interesting things like green tea paste or red beans. But I tried a fruit cake-type-cheesecake-thing, it was super good.

I loved the time with the ladies. Not because they fed me (that was an added bonus), it was a chance to really connect with people. Connecting with people is one of my greatest joys. Talking with them, learning about their interest, joys, desires. I learned that one of the ladies was also a Christian, rare in Japan. She teaches preschool too, so we are going to get together in the future and brainstorm ideas.

Word Up: Eigo-no-sansei –English teacher