Hisashiburi!!!!

wow it's been a while since i've updated here! lately i've been pretty busy at work and social events. My second year as an ALT has been most eventful so far. i am no longer a newbie, but a sempai to the new ALTs that arrived in August. Once more i feel like a big sister to many of my fellow female ALT colleges but we've all become good friends. I will tell you more later on. Currently, i am a pawn of Facebook. go find me there. the pictures are there. Jyane ne!

Random!

      Alrite! Time for some random pics! these were taken.... this year. enjoy! Samurai Jessica aka Screaming Eagle at the battle reanactment of Furin Kansan.... this is a Yamanashi festival where we get to sign up, join a contingent and pretend kill other clans that were trying to take over us. It was a hot day but boy was it fun! So doing this again next year!

With Leslie and Amanda at a lookout with Fujisan behind us. I believe we were on our way into Kofu for church? Or was that another adventure? don't remember.

Hahaha Mom and Dad in my apato when they visited in.... March? April? It was awesome to see them again. Here they are enjoying their time, sitting on my tatamied floors under the warm kotatsu and screwing around my computer. Ah the "yeet low-ness." I miss it.

In Nara. Don't remember what the temple's name is. It's the place with all those greedy deer. Stupid deer!

A typical school bento. Despite it's "chiisai-ness" I can't finish it all. I know, I know. That's bad. I should finish it all, but man do they overdo the carbs! I opt to bring my own lunches most days, but there are times i don't have time to make my lunch so I order one of these from the cafeteria. It's not bad, but not good enough for me to spend my money daily on it. Especially their radioactive pickles. It's an adventure trying to figure out what colour pickles you will get for lunch. Will it be blue? yellow? unholy orange or green? interesting! no. not pink!

Golden Week! Spent it on an island off of Tokyo. Yes, Tokyo's got islands! what did we do there? besides snorkling, eating flying fish and learning their style of taiko? we were extras in an upcoming summer movie! Have no idea what the movie's about, but we know there're two girls and taiko involved. Can't wait to see it!

Hahahaha! found this shirt in Harajuku, Tokyo! it says Last Supper with Big Bird as the... bird. hahaha Ernie and Bert are salivating!Eeewww..... and it's for $30!

English Workshop at Leslie's school. Had a blast playing Taboo! with her students and playing the not so sane child in the skit "I'm Fine Thank You." Didn't know Pocky was a medical cure for insanity! Eeehehehee, Bunni!!!....

At Design Festa in Odaiba, Tokyo. This is a cool roboty moving vehicle thing! the man sits in the body of the robot and steers it around. No, his legs don't go down into the legs of the machine, he sits seiza or crosslegged. But it was so cool to see him driving it around the floor! Oh my artsy fartsy friends, you gotta come to Tokyo!

Chiisai!!! No, not Rick, the burgah! That little mouthful is about $2! I can eat that in about 2-3 bites, for a guy like Rick, he just inhales it.

Ghibli Museum! Guess which movie this robot's from and you get a gold star! Hint: it's one of Hayao Miyazaki's earlier films, therefore, pre-"Spirited Away", "Mononoke Hime."

Recontracting Conference! It was held in a Mexican restaurant in Tokyo and consisted of 6 ALTs. Just kidding! there were about 2000 ALTs that invaded Shinjuku for 3 days and added to Tokyo's gaijin population. This conference made SO MUCH MORE SENSE than the Tokyo Orientation which took place the day after we got off the plane jet-lagged and overwhelmed.

What's that? Take a closer look. Yes, that's a mango. One mango. How much does it cost? 3800 yen? How much is that in Canadian dollars?! I'll let you figure it out! All I can say is, "Ouso!" How much do mangos cost in Canada?!

Look at the birdie!!!This was taken from the balconey of my apato (apartment!). Can you find the bird? Hint: it's a patch of snow, and it's the profile of a bird. Local folklore claims that if the bird is spotted on Fuji-san in the spring, the year will have an abundant harvest. I predict we'll be having a good crop of udon this year.

Amanda's birthday! Omedeto!! So we went out and got ourselves yukatas! Summer kimonos. Now I know how to wear a yukata! Can't wait for the summer festivals!

Teehee, our boys attempting the "Asian squat"... I still can't do it.... but i'm closer than they are to the Asian squat.

The morning after at lake Sai (Saiko). Kimi O in the orange serving up a brekky of Yakisoba while the rest of us admire her cooking skills and become willing guinea pigs for her food. Yum!

Alrite! hope you enjoyed the snapshots of my life in Japan. There's more to come, but i'm afraid that anymore pics and your computer will blow up. Those in Canada who are viewing this, see you soon. Those of you in Japan, see you soon. Those whom I don't know but are viewing this, Hajimemashite!

God's in Da House!

wahaha, so I have not updated in awhile. GOMMEN!!!

Just came home from dinner at Skylark with the church group. I'm waiting for my water to heat for my shower.. my long awaited shower... I am in need of one! what did i do? okies, here's the low down.....

Saturday
Amanda, Olivia and I bought a tent and decided to test out our camping skills... well, we bought one because we're going out to Sado Island in Aug for a taiko festival. Oh yes, your's truly is now learning taiko.... but that's another blog...Anyway, we had two peeps' birthdays coming up, so we combine celebrated with a BBQ and camping excursion. What fun! we headed out to one of the 5 lakes around Fuji-san, Saiko was it's name.. pronounced "psycho" though not knife in shower, violin screaming Psycho. Saiko.
Yes, so I hung out with some peeps I had not seen in awhile, ate some good Kimi O cooking, acted my shoe size when we lit the fireworks, and played glowy bracelet frisbee in the dark. it was AWESOME! we even had s'mores! S'mores in Japan! talk about internationalization! Our Japanese friends got a crash course in S'mores 101 and all passed with flying colours. all in all, we had a good time unwinding from teaching and being human again. No, we're not humans during the weekdays. We're English "Gaijin da!" teachers. Nothing is better than dancing/ mock fighting with sparklers in hand, or throwing glowy bracelet frisbees to people who you think are there, but can't see because it's too dark and there is nothing to mark their position.

Sunday
Woke up to a riot of birds and silent fishermen (remember, we're at a lake and I think the Japanese are the most fanatic rec fishers in the world!) with a stiff back and grubby eyes. Wonderful Kimi O made us yakisoba for breakky and we finished it off with watermelon. Mmmm will be eating heaps of that once I get home!
We left still early and went on a hike. By this time it started to rain, and rain plus muddy trails plus slippery slopes are not fun. Especially if you're not preped for hiking in rain. anyway, we trooped along, but had to bail before we got the the top. Amanda, Leslie and I had a concert to go to. And we did not want to miss this one!
It was a Gospel choir from Texas who were holding a concert in Kawaguchiko, and we were excited to see them. The Fujiyoshida Baptist choir also sang a few songs in the beginning. I have some students in that choir and I'm totally psyched to know that some of my students are Christian. Despite them being my students, I have some Japanese brothers and sisters that I know! God is Good!
All throughout the concert, I was praising God and I couldn't help imagining what a noisy place Heaven's going to be. Heaven's going to resound with the praises and songs of it's people. It's going to be one heck of a partee! God was in the concert hall today, and I could imagine Him and his angels listening in and singing along. How happy He must be to see his children come from different corners of the globe to celebrate and sing under one roof. Despite our differences in language, culture and skin colour, God's love is universal, and through His love, we are connected and a part of His family. God is Good!

Avalon "Everything To Me"

I grew up in Sunday school

I致e memorized the Golden Rule

And how Jesus came to set the sinner free

I know the story inside out

I can tell you all about the path that led him up to Calvary

But ask me why he loves me and I don稚 know what to say

But I値l never be the same because he changed my life when he became

Everything to me

He痴 more than a story

More than words on a page of history

He痴 the air that I breathe

The water I thirst for

And the ground beneath my feet

He痴 everything, everything to me

We池e living in uncertain times

And more and more I find that I知 aware of just how fragile life can be

I want to tell the world I致e found a love that turned my life around

They need to know that they can taste and see

Now everyday I am praying just to give my heart away

I want to live for Jesus so that someone else might see that He is

Everything to me

He痴 more than a story

More than words on a page of history

He痴 the air that I breathe

The water I thirst for

And the ground beneath my feet

He痴 everything

And looking back over my life at the end

I値l go to meet you saying you致e been

Everything to me

More than a story

More than words on a page of history

You池e everything to me

You池e more than a story

More than words on a page of history

You池e the air that I breathe

The water I thirst for

And the ground beneath my feet

You池e everything to me

I've been meditating on this song for some time. My walk with God is not where I want it to be at the moment. I've been neglecting my quiet time with Him, and I am feeling the affects of this silence. I need to give everything back to Him. It is very easy to forget Him, or to push Him aside when I am busy or having fun with friends. I've been getting compliments and "Jozu"s at work. It's not very hard to think: oh yea, I know I'm good, you should be happy that I'm the ALT here. Yes that sounds egotistical, but who doesn't like having their ego stroked once in awhile? Humbleness is another thing I need to work on.

As the song played, I was struck by how similar it was to my relationship with God. I know the rules, I've grown up in Sunday school and learned the Bible inside and out at Christian school. I have all the head knowledge (I am useful in Bible trivia) that both schools have stuffed into it. Yet I am a weak Christian. My heart hesitates everyday. Away from my comfort bubble called family, friends and home, I find myself not alone, I have wonderful sisters in Christ that keep me accountable, but less assured in my walk. At home my circle was mainly Christian and I had many to go talk to or hang out with. At home I felt buffered though I knew the dangers and persecutions and the need, the almighty need, of the world for Jesus. Here away from my home and circle, I am on a limb, out facing the wind and the world. I am not alone, I know God will forever be with me, yet I cannot help but feel insignificant, unworthy and small.

I found that falling into a routine is not good for me. Especially if that routine excludes God. For a while, I have been doing nothing but going to school and coming home to watch movies til I go to sleep. Now I find myself stagnant and stuck. What has God become to me? The world is poisonous. I long to rejoice once more with a heart bright for God. I want to fully believe that He is everything to me and much more than words on a page of history. I want to live for Jesus so that someone else might see that He is everything to me.

Prayer: Once more He would be everything to me.

I would spend more time talking to God and seeking Him.

I will continue to learn patience and humbleness at school and elsewhere.

I will be a beacon for my fellow teachers, overcome the language barrier and share Jesus with them without fear.

I will be sensitive to all my students and do nothing or say anything that will compromise my belief in Jesus

I will not hesitate to use Christian music or materials in class. After all, it is internationalization and Christ is part of me and my lifestyle.

Discernment and sensitivity towards my fellow ALTs.