Birthday Joys

My 25th birthday has come and gone. It was the longest birthday ever –well about a day and a half from when it started here in Japan and ended in Canada. My friends here made it a great time for me. Yoko took me out for lunch and surprised me with a cake. Funny thing, every now and then Yoko and I stop by a bakery. Two weeks ago when she was in they asked her how I was doing because they missed me. She let them know my birthday was coming up. As a result they learned to say "Happy Birthday" and gave me some wonderful baked good. I love Japanese bakeries. I was also able to share a birthday meal with a few of my students at Grace. And Maki and I had tons of fun that night. A wonderful birthday.

Golden week has started. So I have the next few days off from teaching. We're going on an adventure and will be back in two days. Stay tuned.

Friends, cake, and candles...what more could a girl want? 

My birthday "card" from Steve and Tiffany 

Olympic Swimming and Leaky Buckets

Learning a second language is an up hill climb. It is two steps forward one back –no more like three steps back. A friend told me that language learning as wanting to go swimming in an Olympic-size pool*. Only when you get to the edge you see that it is totally empty. A few yards away there is a garden hose and a bucket. How full the pool gets depends on you and what you want to do. If you only want to splash a little it only takes a few trips. Wanting to drive to the bottom of the deep end would require more work. If this is true I think my bucket has a hole or two in it.

After Hitomi moved my language classes ended and it seemed hopeless for me to even learn enough to splash in the language. Yet things changed this Saturday. Recently we heard that the community center has free Japanese lessons Thursdays and every other Saturday. I teach during the Thursday lessons but I was able attend the two hour lesson on Saturday. Turned out to be a very overwhelming two hours. I have eight pages to show for it, hopefully with some study I’ll be able to remember it all for my lesson. Muzukashii!

Word Up: Muzukashii -difficult

*If I’ve shared the pool illustration before, forgive me, I must be suffering from short-term memory loss. Yet if this is the first time, just disregard the footnote.

With A Cherry On Top

Yesterday I as I was out with the kindergarten children admiring the falling Japanese cherry blossoms, it was like snowing pink peddles. The Japanese cherry blossoms are called sakura. Their shape is used in most Japanese art. The flowers start budding at the beginning of April. I am sad to say the end of the blossom season has come too fast. The beauty of the delicate Sakura only last about two weeks.

Just before all the trees where in bloom Hideki took us and Stephan (who’s from France) to Himeji Castle in Hyogo prefecture. Castle is also know as Shirasagi-jo (White Heron castle). Castle was big, old, and white. Looked like it had good defenses. Below are some pictures

It seems all my Japanese friends anticipate cherry blossom. Especially the chance to eat lunch under the cherry trees. It has deep history with the nobles and samurai from earlier centuries. Hideki and Kayoko took my kindergarten, Steve, Tiffany, and Stephan for a picnic lunch.

Word Up: Sakura –Japanese Cherry Blossom

 

 

 

The gang 

The Castle, Melvin, and Me 

 

 

peek a boo 

Glass of Aloe and Fun Facts

I’ve used aloe of sunburns but a healthy drink?

There was recently an editorial all about Japan’s vending machines. I found it an enjoyable and amusing, here are some of the highlights:

-Japan has 5.5 million vending machines. I’ve been told that is about 1 machine for every 24 people, that’s crazy
-Only 2.6 million sell pop (or soda depending on where you’re from)
-There are machines that sell sushi, soup, and meals with beef, eggs, and fish
-Some machines are programmed to give for free if there is a natural disaster such as an earthquake
-"My Cups" machines let people use their own mugs and reduces waste
-There is even a trail machine for make-up. The thing talks and has a video camera inside. An image of the person is shown to "mock test" which lipsticks are the best
-Like all these cool facts you can read about vending machines in the book "Jido Hanbaiki no Bunka (The Culture of Vending Machines)" by Tsutomu Washizu

Once Upon A Time…

Saturday was the big Preschool Spring Plays. The children were a smashing hit. They sang and danced and told the stories of George and The Three Bears and The Three Little Pigs well. Well, almost well. There was a bit of stage fright so most songs were lipped sink and the lines were mouthed. Even with that it was wonderful and after we had a pizza party –big thanks to Tiffany who made all the food!

Life in Point form

ADDED NOTE: this was posted two days ago but I had forgotten to mention that I did finally see Narnia. One of my students just loved Aslan. For the most part I liked it and enjoyed it. I alway have a hard time accepting movies if I've read the book, nothing beats my own imagination. Thanks Kirk for the warning on the killer beavers.

-I’m back! Internet is here again. Not only that it’s in my room, that’s right I have internet in my room and its wireless. The wireless would be much cooler if my apartment was big enough to actually move around.

-Last week joined Noriko and her children for a picnic and to see the plum blossoms, not as cool as cherry blossoms by Japanese standards but still very beautiful.

-The joy of the past two weeks has been spending time with my Japanese friends. Yoko and I went out for cakes and lunch last week and plan to go out again next Monday. And I’ve been really enjoying getting to know Maki. It’s good to have friends.

-My good friend/language teacher Hitomi moved this weekend to a church over a half-hour away. It’s a good move for her, but I will miss her.

-Weather has been gray and rainy. I miss the sun.

-This coming Saturday will be the Spring Play for my preschool class. I am a little worried.

-Saw a traditional Japanese musical instruments concert thing.

-I think I need a flickr account. Till then below are some pics from the park and concert.

Word Up: Uma –Japanese Plum Blossom

 

The Park

Chesse! 

Noriko and her daughter 

At Sunset

At the concert 

Traditional Harp 

Sugar and Spice and Everything Nice

Last Friday (March 3rd) was Robin White's Birthday. Happy Birthday Robin. It was also Japan's Girls Day/Dolls Festival, these events are unrelated except for the shared date. A few days before the holiday families with daughters set out a traditional eight levels doll set of the Emperor, Empresses, their servants and the gifts the Empresses brought to the marriage called Hina Dolls. Some Japanese believe that if a girl does not set out her dolls she will never find a husband. Noriko took me to visit her friend, whose family had their Hina Dolls on display. The Empresses is dresses in what is known as the twelve-layer kimono. The details on the dolls were gorgeous. During the day girls are often given candies and cards on the day. The celebration has roots in Shintoism. A traditional families leave food and gifts on the bottom steps as an act of worship.

Guys don’t feel left out your day is coming in May and you get to fly kites, which seems much cooler.

New Grace is bigger

No, this is not a new theological stance; new Grace is a building. The building is actually called "Trinity Grace". For the past five months we’ve been waiting with anticipation for the completion of the new facility. We were able to move in this past week. Made life a little chaotic. There are boxes in most classes, with curriculum and resources to organize. Wednesday our first English classes were taught in the new building and today first Christian fellowship was held there. These are exciting days.

Word Up: Megumi -Grace

 

The new preschool classroom. It's bigger!