of summer festivals...

Well, Summer is officially here. I know that sounds strange for everyone living in America. You are thinking, well yeah, summer's been here for like 2 months already! Well, Japan's strange. Summer is just now starting. And I get a nice vacation to go with it. The weathers been really strange this year though. Rainy season started early and lasted late (causing some unfortunate flooding in some parts of the country). And the past few days have been suprisingly cool. Such strange weather...

Anyway, today was my first day of vacation. These past weeks seemed really busy, but I suppose they were pretty normal. My classes are going well. My students still seem to like me. Some are plotting my marriage to make me stay in Japan forever. The parents seem to like me and the kids have finally warmed up to me. I've fallen pretty much into a nice routine, which for me is not so great. It means all my bad habits are in full swing. I need to work on that a bit this summer.

Things with the band are still good. I really feel included. Sometimes they even call me when I'm not there to make sure that I know where they are. It's really a nice feeling. I will have another "home party" this month for them. I'll cook hamburgers. Hopefully it works out. This of course forces me to do some major cleaning of my house. Which is good because my house definitely needs to be cleaned.

Today I saw some small festival celebrations happening. I guess the main ones start tomorrow and the next day. Last year it was very interesting for me to see the festivals. But this year, it just makes me sad. Watching the people carrying the heavy shrines... It just makes me realize again and again how sad it is. The people are just like the shrines, pretty and happy on the outside, but empty and hollow on the inside with no power. I ache so much for the people here. It's times like this that I feel so small and helpless. There are so many people who need to join God's family. I want them all to be saved. But what can I do? Sometimes I feel happy with the work I am doing here, the relationships I am building, the classes I am teaching, the conversations I am having. But it's still so small. Have I really done anything at all? I want so much to see this country freed from the false gods that hold it captive. The only thing I can do is pray. It seems like such a small thing. I love this country so much.

I don't know if I should go out tomorrow or not. The festivals might overwhelm me. But I just found out I'm meeting someone on Wed. in the middle of the festivals. I guess I'll have to face it sooner or later.

of....

Couldn't think of a title.

I'm sick. Stupid sinuses. They are always so hard for me to get rid of too. Yuck. Hopefully it will go away soon and I won't have to go to the doctor. It really is a pain to go to the doctor when you can't communicate so well on your own. And it's a pain trying to find someone who speaks English who is willing to take time out of their day and go with you. :-(

Things are still going OK. Got a package from my parents. Pop tarts, cereal and a cute top from my mom. Along with some DVD's I asked for. We are going to watch one in class today. Horray for DVD's.

And finally my co-worker got married last Friday. I don't know whether to be annoyed or amused by all the people who ask me how the wedding went and then ask me when I'm going to get married. I guess I'm at that age. Even the old lady in the bakery across the street asked me if I was next. *sigh* Don't get me wrong, I would certainly like to be next. Just doesn't seem very likely at the moment.

But after watching so many wedding preparations, it almost makes me not want to have a wedding. Seems like if you do it the way you want, everyone is just upset. I'm not sure why. After all, it's your wedding right? But, I don't know.

And strangely enough. I get sick, and do my laundry. Go figure.

of the weekend...

Well, my weekend was pretty nice. Had my Bible Study on Saturday then went to lunch with two of the students. It was nice. Then I came home and got ready to go to the live show for the band. They were playing at a club again. This time it was for a whole hour. It was a really nice show. The sound was good and everything. I had a good time.

My Japanese is getting in a slump though. It comes and goes. Lately I've been feeling really dumb when people try to talk to me. It always seems like a group effort to have a conversation with me. Someone who doesn't speak English (like Mako or Miho) will try to tell me something, usually complicated, and I of course don't understand. So they stop everyone's conversations by calling out "What is this in English?" And everyone has to become involved in the conversation so that I understand. It's rather embarrassing. Also I tried watching a TV show only in Japanese yesterday. I really didn't understand anything. It's frustrating.

The bad news of the weekend is that Sing got sick. He has a fever. He tried playing on Sunday night, but it ended up with Mako on guitar and Shi-shi came (he's the other guitarist for the other band they are in. He's new and has recently been coming to Jam with them on Sundays if he can. It's rather fun to watch) so there were two guitars. Sing just sang, and occasionally hit the drum. I felt really sorry for Sing. He looked pretty bad. I hope he gets better soon.

Monday I met some girls for lunch. One was Japanese, the other was Chinese. We went to this really nice restaurant. I really liked the food there. And it was pretty reasonably priced too. It was a nice afternoon. Then I just kinda bummed around. I should have been doing things, but I didn't. I'm often that way. But there was a spectacular thunderstorm last night too. Very loud. If I had been in Texas, it would have been tornado weather. But they don't have tornadoes here.

But Thunder storms are different in Japan. They only last like 30 mins. Its so strange. Not that I'm complaining. Just different from the thunder storms I'm used to. Also, they aren't so beautiful here. The main reason being you can't really see the sky. In West Texas, I can see for miles and miles and so I can watch the lightening strike the ground and light up the sky and it's very beautiful. Here, you just see cloudy sky, and a flash and then hear the really loud thunder. Not as dramatic or romantic. Oh well, guess you can't have everything.

Well, today begins another work week. Horray horray. Mika will be back this week and the next because Tami's getting married and can't work right now. I'm looking forward to that. I miss Mika.

I'm pretty sure summer's officially here now. I'm pretty much always sticky and icky when I don't have good AC in a room. (like when I'm in my house...) Fun stuff, humidity.

All right, that's about all for now. I really don't have anything too interesting to say at the moment. I should get ready for work now. Possibly eat before work. That's probably a good idea.

byebye

of .... not sure.

So yesterday we had this thunderstorm. It wasn't so bad for what I'm used to, but being away from West Texas for a while put my guard down a bit I guess. All of a sudden, the rain just turned on. It was fine one second, and the next it's just dropping sheets of rain. Then like 5 mins later the hail starts. Now the church I work at has lots of big windows. Let me tell you, it was loud. It started just in time for one of my students to get completely drenched leaving class. I feel sorry for him. I kinda wished I had ended class for him like 2 mins early, but how was I to know? Anyway, I had less than an hour break until my next class. Well, this terrible, loud thunderstorm was over in plenty of time for my next student to come regardless. Too bad, I was kinda hoping to cancel class. I'm a terrible teacher. :-P

Anyway, apparently this is typical of Japanese thunderstorms. They come, rage and then are over in less than an hour and you continue with your day. How strange. I'm used to them lasting so much longer. Ahh, the adjustments.

So today I ended up with a bit of a surprise. The hazards of my job. I decided to dress a bit down today, it was a little hot, so I went sleeveless. Not my most flattering choice lately. Well, of course today was the day I got a surprise observation. Not just one kid, but two (siblings) AND their mother wanted to watch class too! AHHH! My previous class had been a bit late getting out, and then I find this mother and two new kids standing around and I didn't know they were coming (apparently this had been real last minute.) Well, recently I don't really "plan" so much for my classes. Yeah, it's sad, but well, I'm good at winging it. Well, this caught me off guard, so I had to "plan" a really good lesson for two new students (who I didn't know their English level) and have their mom watch the whole process. Ick. Fortunately it went pretty well. I'm good at faking it. ;-) The kids left saying it had been a fun class. I was surprised. Not bad for on the fly teaching.

But it made me realize how much Japanese I've been using in class lately, just because it's easier. Most of the time the moms want us to only use English, but that's hard sometimes. But having the mom watch makes you really self-conscious. It was interesting, but the boys were pretty good and didn't have so much trouble keeping up. If they join, that'll bring that class up to 6 kids. My kids classes have been getting a bit larger this year. I guess that's good. But it does change how I plan er... "plan" lessons. Fun fun stuff.

And randomly, I've discovered a cute new hair style. (I'm constantly changing my hair style depending on season and length of hair) I cut it pretty short last October, and now, just in time, it's long enough to put up again. Not so long, but at least long enough to keep off the back of my neck. Well, I've discovered this "messy bun" look. I put up most of my hair in a messy pony tail with little bits left trailing out. The humidity works for me here and those stray pieces become nice and curly. The rest, I kind of just pin up wherever. The result is this really cute messy look. I like it and it's cool. So I'll probably wear it for the rest of the week. Until I get tired of it. Unforunately, I think I look better with my hair down, but I pretty much can't stand to have it down in the summer, so it'll probably be various up-do's for a while. That's ok, I like up-do's.

Well, tomorrow is Friday. I like Friday classes. They are always fun. Then comes Saturday, which will include a Bible Study, and then I get to go to the band "concert". Yep, fun stuff. Time flies though. I can't believe it's that time again. Wow. But I totally understand the people who live for the weekend now. I might become one of them soon. ;-)

And you know, Kids are great confidence boosters. I have this class of four little girls today. They are super cute. And they love me. It's great. Took forever for them to warm up to me, but now I'm happy. Yeah, I eat it up. I love it when the kids love me. Hehehehehe. The middle schoolers don't seem to care one way or the other, but oh well, you can't win them all. I'll take what I can get.

Ok, I think that's all the random rambling for now. I should go to bed because I have to get up early for prayer meeting tomorrow. I have to figure out when I'm going to do my Japanese homework too. Hmmm... That's what I get for procrastinating.

Ok, later.

Oh yeah, this is post 105. If you break it down, that's my birthday. 10-5. Hehehe. Yeah, totally random and meaningless. Kinda like my life. Yeah, I shouldn't try to make deep connections after work. ;-)

of toilet paper holders, long days and humidity...

So I've decided if I ever move back to the States, I'll have to install Japanese toilet paper holders in my residence. Why? They are amazingly easy to use. I don't know why America doesn't have more of these things! I mean, changing the toilet paper used to be such a pain. This is so easy. Yes, Japanese toilet paper roll holders are the best. Take my word for it.

Well, it's finally come, Japanese summer. The humidity is sinking in and making everything sticky and icky. The temperatures only getting into the low 80's, but still, it's icky. And it's still rainy season, although there's been sun the past few days. Well, the good news is, I survived the last summer. LOL

Yesterday was such a long day for me. I spent 6 hours with a group of my beginner students. It was rather tedious. Then I had to come back and teach the rest of the day. Long day. My students are all cute little grandmas in that class. They decided they wanted to take me to a Napoleon Exhibition. I don't know why. I mean, wasn't he a bad guy? I don't know. But what surprised me more is how many people were at this exhibition. I mean, Japanese people must love museums. It was so crazy. I was being jostled and it was hard to move and our group even got separated (there was only three old ladies!). It was worse than babysitting at an amusement park. And far less interesting. Then of course, I had to go to lunch with them, and then out for tea. And their English is not so good, so it was very draining for me.

I guess I'm just not a good socialite. I'm far too ADD to do things I don't like for very long. I'm amazed they didn't figure out I was bored out of my mind. And, it just goes to show how much of a baby I am. People do things they don't like everyday. And I whine and complain about it when I have to do it. Poor me. ;-)

Ok, time for my next day of classes. I just want to make it through the week. Saturday the band plays live. I have my ticket already. And it's close by so no trains or anything. AND they get to play for a whole hour, so I'm excited about this performance.

Monday I get to go out as well, so that's good too. I get to go to lunch with two girls and then go to dinner with a guy. Fun stuff. But it'll definitely hurt my pocket book. But it's pretty much the only way to spend time with people in Japan.

Ok, enough rambling. Time for work.

of random thoughts while at work...

So my student just called and canceled, so I have like an hour of free time before my last class of the day. Thursdays, I have the most classes, 6 plus a Bible study. But four of them are only one student in each class. Fun stuff.

Anyway, so I`m at the church computer typing, because I just felt the urge to blog. Don`t know why. But Japanese keyboards are a little different from American ones, and so it`s a bit annoying to type on this keyboard. And, all the tabs and everything on my screen are in Japanese right now. Good thing I pretty much know what all the tabs do, or I would be really confused right now.

Random thought of the day: it`s easy to get nori (aka, seaweed) stuck in your teeth. I wonder why it`s always green things that stick in your teeth...

So tonight is the big soccer game against Brazil. It`s gonna be at 4AM. There is no way I`m going to watch that. I`ll just wake up in the morning and check the net to see how much Japan lost by. Oops, I`m not supposed to say that! ;-) I want Japan to win, but honestly, I don`t think it`s going to happen. After all, Brazil is Brazil, and hard enought to beat as it is. But Japan hasn`t won any games yet, so it`s even harder (have they even scored any goals? I don`t think they have...) They have to win the game by two goals in order to advance. Sad for Japan. If only they had scored against Croatia...

This month looks to be busy. Which means I`m REALLLY going to have to watch my money this month. I guess I really need to improve my eating habits and spend less on food I don`t need, so I can save money to do all the things that need to be done this month. I`m meeting several people (always invovles going out and spending money) and going to a couple of meetings (transportation) and the band has a concert next Saturday. I wanted to buy some new CD`s from them too, but it looks like that will have to wait another month. I really don`t like only being paid once a month. Oh well. Can`t be helped.
I`m also waiting for the exchange rate to go down so I can send some money home. This is a really bad time to send money to the States. I always end up loosing like $50-60 in the process. It`s annoying.

Hmmm.... what else? I can`t really think of anything else that is remotely interesting to say (not that anything else here is interesting). Well, other than my cooking Party is Saturday. Not so many people are coming, but there might be around 10 who show up. So, not so bad. Hopefully it will go well.

Well, OK, I think that`s about all for now. I`m going back to paying minesweeper...

PS. Oddly enough, the Japanese version of Blogger doesn`t have a spell check function. Guess it`s because words are auto finished on Japanese computers. So, forgive the spelling errors. No spell check.

of small accomplishments...

Well, anyone who knows me, must know my loathing for all things homework. busy work, paper work etc. Well, the good news for this week is that I actually managed to finish all my Japanese homework. And I have quite a bit of homework. Class is today (I have it twice a month, because I can't really afford more than that...). I've decided to study for this Japanese Language proficiency test. I want to communicate more, so I needed my classes to get more serious. But it's a pain learning all this new vocabulary and grammar. Hopefully some of it will sink in. But Japanese is a crazy language. There are so many different ways to communicate. There's the really casual way, which pretty much everyone speaks to me in, then there's the polite form, which is what I learned first, so I revert back to that a lot, then there's a super polite form, that they sometimes use in stores. Let me tell you, it's confusing!

Anyway, my second accomplishment was waking up before 10 mins before class. I actually have enough time to shower before class. Well, if I stop writing in the stupid blog I do.

Blah, I don't like mornings! Oh well, another day.

Today is a bit crazy. I have 5 classes, but there are all these little breaks between them. Not really long enough to do anything with, just long enough to be annoying. Oh well, such is my life. I should at least get done a bit early tonight because I only have one student in my last class. Getting done early is always a good thing.

Ok, time to get the day started!

of return of the blog...

Wow, I've been gone from here for a while. Yeah, I'm a big looser. But what else is new?

Anyway, I could spend like a hundred pages and update everything that's happened since I have returned to Japan, but that would be boring and I don't have the patience for it. So, I guess you luck on sharing that experience with me. :-P

Anyway, it's been raining a lot lately. It rained virtually all of May (which is supposed to have fine and sunny weather) and now we have officially entered rainy season. Yuck! I'm not a fan of rain.

Anyway, teaching's still going fine. Don't have a lot of complaints, but I am getting lazy. I should be a better teacher....

And I'm studying for this Japanese Language proficiency test. It's a pain, but I want to improve my Japanese. Sometimes I feel like it's a waste of time though. Oh well. We'll see what the future holds.

So last night I experienced a bit of the Japanese love of soccer. I went with some friends to watch the World Cup game at a sports cafe. One of our friends had connections and managed to get us in for free. I'm not sure if other people were paying to get in or not. Anyway, the place was PACKED! It was like rush hour on the train, barely standing room. And we had the misfortune of standing right in front of the bathrooms. So we were jostled quite a bit. It thinned out after the second half though.

Anyway, Japanese's people are totally into the World Cup. They were all dressed up, had faces painted and were doing cheers and stuff in the cafe. It was quite the experience. Of course, I would like to see Japan win a game or two, but, like most Americans, I really don't care who wins the World Cup. But experiencing watching the game with the fans was fun. Of course, things like sports are much more fun when done with other people. Fascinating experience.

Next weekend I will have a "Cooking Party." This will be the English event of the Month. Basically, I will teach everyone who comes how to cook an "American Meal." We'll cook it together and then eat the results together. It should be fun, but I'm not sure about teaching a bunch of people how to cook. Hopefully it will go well. The menu will be Chicken Strips, Gravy, Mashed Potatoes, and my special "Broccoli Slime."

Good news is, I continue to loose weight. Not fast or anything, but it's gradual. Thanks to all the walking I do, and the healthier Japanese food. I'm still much larger than I want to be, but I guess this is the best way to loose weight. I'm just worried about what's going to happen when my clothes don't fit me anymore. LOL.

I doubt anyone reads this anymore, other than Marlo, but hey. I've now done my civic duty, or perhaps disservice, and have updated my blog. Post 101! Yeah, I'm cool. Like melted ice...

of going back in time...

So, I'm in America now. Time is all messed up for me but I know I traveled a long time, but I ended up repeating today. It's cool, but I'll loose a whole day going back. I know in the long run it doesn't make a difference, but I don't know, it's still kinda sad.

Anyway, its my 100th post. I'd have a party, but the people who plan the parties for me are in Japan... ;-)

So I left my house somewhere around 8AM. I managed to get to the airport with little trouble, and I even had several helpful people help me manage my bags and the stairs.

I flew business class home from Japan. Wow, that was different. They hung up my coat for me and everything. I can't imagine what first class is like!

And on the way to Midland, I sat next to this Japanese guy who was also going to Midland. How weird is that? He was on the same flight from Tokyo, but we didn't see each other on the bigger plane. Anyway, turns out he and his family is Christian. We had a nice little chat.

Ummm... Lets see... Well, there are already things that I'm finding weird about America. Like how employees act. I mean, they talk to each other right in front of customers etc. It's WAY more relaxed than in Japan. And cell phones in America are so loud! And people who talk on phones are loud. I wonder if I used to be like that too... Plus it's a bit strange to be able to understand all the conversations going on around me. I was kinda used to living in my own little world there for a while. Oh well.

We did some shopping already today. Got new sneakers and a cute pair of shoes that I should be able to walk in.

Also I got to meet the new dog. She's totally tiny and really strange looking. She's a cross between a poodle and a chuiawa. She looks like some sort of wire terrier with a bad hair day. She's a crazy little thing. At first she didn't know what to do with me, but apparently I've been accepted already, because now she's sitting on the back of my neck while I sit at the computer (apparently this is a favorite place when my dad's at the computer).

My dog got so fat! It's crazy! I haven't seen her so much because the big dogs can't be in the same room with the little one.

Starting Sunday, we are going to go visit relatives. It'll probably take about a week.

It was funny, apparently my whole family was really anxious about when I was coming home. My uncle, who helped get my plane ticket, was tracking my every move. When I boarded the flight in Tokyo, he called my parents. When I landed in Dallas, my parents were called. And other relatives were being called too. There was this whole chain going. Made me feel kinda like when they "track Santa" on TV at Christmas time.

Anyway, it's good to be home. I'm gonna need some good sleep soon. But it's cold here! I was hoping to escape from the cold and brought it with me. OH well. It should warm up soon.

100 posts! Horray!

of nabe and turning tables...

For any who are interested, here's the low down on the nabe party. (that finished like 10 mins ago)

The grand total of people in my house at one time tonight was 17! But I must say, this is one of the strangest parties I have ever thrown. It took a complete 180 on me.

So I invited everyone over to my house, because I am very thankful for their friendship and their kindness. Well, I started by asking, "whats a good day?" and I'm pretty sure from that point on, I was no longer in control of anything. They just took over. They decided what to eat, they brought the nabe pots (I don't have any) and they bought and paid for all the food. (refusing to let me pay).

I don't know if I have ever gone grocery shopping with 7 people before, but that's what we did today. Good thing we went to a larger store, or it would have been crazy. But it's good to know that 1 mon yen can feed 17 people with no trouble.

Then they came in my house, and completely took over. They did most of the cooking (I cooked mashed potatoes and gravy by request because, I don't know, they wanted me to cook something) and then they cleaned after wards too.

It turned into a kinda mini-farewell party for me. I don't know why, but several people seemed a little sad that I would be gone for two weeks. One girl almost cried! (which is funny because I don't even see her every week, because she doesn't always come). The funny thing is that I don't even talk to most of these people, mainly because of the language barrier. But they seem to be getting just as attached to me as I am to them. (or maybe it's Japanese politeness... They could be really good actors).

The evening was kinda overwhelming for me. I'm tired now. (I had to pack and clean my house today first) It was a whole heck of a lot of Japanese all around me, so I really didn't participate much. (of course, I'm not a large group person either. I prefer small groups)

But I guess the point is that I had a really good time. The party wasn't what I intended. I wanted to show them that they were important to me, but it kinda turned out the other way around. I'm really thankful for this Blessing to me that God has provided. I can only pray that He returns the blessings back to them.

I will leave tomorrow for my flight home. I don't know if it's really hit me yet though. These past few weeks have been a blur. It's crazy how these things sneak up on you.

Sorry, I didn't mean to ramble so much, but I guess it's how I process things, I need to tell people about them. Good news is you can not read this and I would never know! ;-)

Post 99

of vacation, weekends and procrastination...

Well, things have been crazy lately. I have a home party tonight, I should be finishing packing and cleaning, but I've hit my limit for now, so it's off to procrastination land, aka, blogger.

Lets see... The last week of classes went well. I got lots of good, free food. My Friday night class even bought presents for my parents. They are so nice. The Narnia party also went well. We had 17 people go to see the movie, 10 of them children. It was good, and lots of people said they were "moved." This seems to be a common Japanese expression though, so I'm not sure how "moving" it really was. It's possible Japanese people are just easily moved. Or maybe I'm not.

My Bible Study went really well too. We had a bit of a party and still did the study. We went really late, mainly because they just wanted to hang out and talk. I didn't have anything pressing to do after, so we they stayed until around 5pm. (Bible class starts at 1) It was cool. We had good discussion, and we are now halfway through the 10 Commandments.

But the really exciting stuff for me is still hanging out with the Band. Sunday night I had a really good discussion with everyone. I was able to talk some about my faith in God, and ask them what was the most important thing to them. I also was able to feel out where Sing stands on stuff. There's hope because he believes there is A God, but he doesn't know who He is. Now all that needs to happen is for God to reveal Himself to Sing. I'm really hoping that God moves among these people. I pray for them everynight. They have been such an amazing blessing to me. And the cool thing is seeing how many Christian traits they already have. In fact, I would say these people are "better Christians" than some of the so called Christians in America. I just really want them to see the Truth and become bright lights in Japan to others. Anyway, I got to see them Saturday, Sunday AND Tuesday because it was a holiday. And I'm having a party for them tonight at my house. I'm expecting somewhere between 10 and 15 people to come. It's gonna be crazy.

Speaking of the party, this has to be the craziest party I've ever given. Well, not that I've given so many parties in my life, but still. So I told them like a month ago that I wanted to have another party before I went to America. So I told them the free days and asked them which day was best. Well, after that, they just kinda took over. They told me what day, what time, what kind of food and everything. Well, it's going to be a Japanese food party, and I don't know what to buy or how to cook it or anything, so some of us are going to meet early and go shopping together to get the food. So in essence, they are doing all the work, and I'm just providing the place. It's crazy. But it's going to be fun I think. I can't wait. And Mako should come this time. He says he really likes America and he wants some food that I cooked. So per Mako's request, we will have Japanese food, plus mashed potatoes and gravy. Strange, but whatever makes people happy.

Mako also wants me to take lots of pictures while I'm in America. He told me to take 1000, but I don't think that'll happen. Japanese people are crazy picture takers. They just go nuts when they travel, taking pictures all the time. They take pictures of the food they eat too. They told me I should do the same thing, but somehow, I don't think that would go over well in America. I can imagine the looks now. "Wait, I need a picture of the Mac and Cheese!" LOL. But I will need to take lots of pictures.

Ok, I have three hours left to finish everything before it's time to start the party. I'm thinking I'll be ok. I wanted to have my bedroom cleaned so we would have more space, but I don't think that's going to happen. Oh well. As long as the main room and kitchen are done it'll be fine.

I can hardly believe that tomorrow I'm going to be on a plane home. It still hasn't really hit me yet. Crazy. This will be my first time to fly internationally by myself. I hope everything goes OK. I'm sure I'll be fine, but it's a little intimidating.

Anyway, this is probably good for now. I'll probably write again tonight after the party to say how it went.

This is post 98...

of footsaru...

So tonight I played footsaru for the first time. It's just like soccer, only with a smaller court and a smaller ball. Each team has 5 players and there is no goalie.

I had tons of fun. Everyone is kind, and they don't care when ppl make mistakes. I was actually the best girl player, I think. I even scored lots of points for my team. It was great. It was a bit nippy tonight, but when you are running around, you don't notice. We played outside, but on the roof of a building downtown. It's really cool. I've never been on the roof of a 6 story building before. It's tons of fun.

I'm really happy to have found such a nice group of people. They are very kind and look out for me. I really appreciate all they do for me. It's great.

Anyway, this week is my last week of classes. This means all my classes are having parties. This means, I get free food all week. :-) It's good.

Saturday we will go watch the Chronicles of Narnia as a group. I hope it goes well.

Ok, I think that's all for tonight. I'm a bit tired.

But I had fun. :-)

of competition...

So, I forgot to mention in the last post, but Marlo has declared she wants to reach 100 posts before I do. Well, I just don't know if I can allow that to happen now can I? Especially since I've had this WAY longer than she has. Well, ok, so she writes WAY more often than me. Oh well. So the whole point of this post is to reply to her, and get one more step to 100. This would be post 96. I'll try to make it to 100 before I go home to visit. :-P

of submission...

God is just really cool. I mean, I just really like Him. So today, like most mornings, I didn't want to get out of bed. I wanted to cancel all the things I had to do today and just spend the day sleeping. But lately, I've been reminded how important it is to put God first and obey and submit to Him, and then He will provide.

Well, today is a great example of that. I got out of bed (I was a bit late and missed Sunday school) and went to church. After church, more people are talking to me. It's hard because I don't think they know what to do with me, and I'm not really a mingler. I get really uncomfortable with small talk and stuff, so it's difficult for me sometimes to reach out to the church members. But they are slowly talking a little more with me, so that's good.

Anyway, the great thing about today was my Bible Study. I mean, it was so amazing. We had really great discussion and students were really open. I just felt God's presence there. It's really amazing how cool God is. I might be optimistic here, but it seems to me that any one of those students could easily become Christian any time now. They are so interested and dedicated about it. More dedicated than some Christians I know. It's really amazing to see and watch them as they learn something new about God each week. Today I gave them the option of having a party for our last class of the school year next week, or having normal class. Their solution? "Lets bring food and eat and have the study too!" I think that's totally awesome. They don't want to miss one week for a party. I'm so happy they chose that.

Then we had Cell meeting tonight. I was really ashamed because my house is a total wreck. We eventually went out and just prayed since we were missing a person tonight. My fault.

After Cell, I went to hang out with the band. I was so late. I got there at around 10 o'clock. Fortunately they were still there. I think they had had a bit of a frustrating night, but they seemed to be in good spirits when I got there. But it was cold tonight. But I was really happy, because I had really good interactions with them.

I guess part of the reason I'm so happy everytime I see them is because I'm a really insecure person. I am always afraid I'm a burden, or people are just tolerating me because they are nice. So it's always really great when people act like they really enjoy my company. I feel more and more included everytime I go. It's great.

I talked with Mako for a long time tonight. It really means a lot to me when Mako wants to talk to me, because he's kinda shy and didn't talk to me much before. So that means he's getting used to me, or something. Lately everytime I go, he makes it a point to have a small conversation with me. Of course, we get stalled a lot because of my limited Japanese vocabulary.

Anyway, the result is that I went there tonight so tired. And after I talk with them, I just feel so relaxed and happy. It's really amazing how that works out.

So anyway, God is good. It's always a good idea to submit to God!

of the Livehouse...

So Friday night I went to see the band perform live at a "livehouse." I'm not sure if this term is used in America or not. It sounds like Japanese English to me. But that's neither here nor there.

So the band, or rather, Sing and Mako, are actually in two different bands. When Sing and Mako play alone, that's called Trash Box Jam, but when they play with two other people, (the lead singer being female) that is called Annie's Garden. Anyway, so I went to see Annie's Garden play live on Friday.

I was a bit late because I went directly after work, but I think I managed to catch most of the show. It was an interesting experience. I have never been to a live house before, so it was new for me. I got to see some people I hadn't seen in a while though, so that was good.

But what really makes me happy, is that the more often I go, the more people talk to me. Or rather, the more the non-English speakers talk to me in Japanese. It's cool, and I feel very accepted and included in most things. I still can't interact so much, but I just kinda observe from the shadows and occasionally join in when I can understand what's going on. But it's cool because I think my listening skills have improved recently. I find I can understand more and more of what is happening. Well, until they start talking to me. Then some of the conversations they try to have with me are far beyond my vocabulary and grammar abilities.

Anyway, I think I will try again for footsaru this Wed. I'm looking forward to that.

But lately I have been tired. I don't remember if I've written this before, but I'll talk about it again. In school, we were told to always value our day off, and don't ever schedule anything on that day. It's really important to have a day off. Well, for the past 6 months, I have been having Japanese lessons on my day off. I thought this was the best solution, and really, I don't regret it so much, but I'm definitely feeling the stress of it. Because I often have things on Saturday and always on Sunday, I don't really get rest days. So my days of rest have been few and far between lately. So it's about the end of the semester, and I just feel myself running down. I'm ready for a rest. I hope my trip home is restful. It's not because my work is hard or anything, but it's just because I'm always going. I need the down time. So I'm going to make it a priority starting in April to not have anything planned for my days off. Thankfully, I'll be able to change the days of my Japanese lessons. But I'll also be reducing how many lessons I have, for financial reasons.

Anyway, today was another busy day. I met for prayer meeting, but I was late leaving it. Then I went shopping with Tami for new clothes for her. It was good, and she found a lot of good deals. (most of the clothes she bought was equal to 99 cents) We got her almost a whole new wardrobe for under 20 bucks. But then we were a bit late for Music Box (a ministry in a nearby area). Then we went out for dinner (I hadn't really eaten so much today, I left my house at 8:30 or so after oversleeping). And I got home around 11 pm. So it's been along day. Not bad, but long, so I'm still tired.

Anyway, I've noticed I'm really rambling. So since I'm not really sure what I'm trying to say anymore, I'm going to start the going to bed process. Oyasumi nassai (good night)!

of sleepy thoughts...

I'm sleepy this morning. I'm used to begin lazy, so sometimes, doing all these things everyday begins to wear me out. But soon... Soon, I'll be sure to make my day off my day off. No more Japanese class on my day off, or meetings or things like that. Well, that's my hope anyway. We'll see what happens...

So anyway, I have a week and two day of classes left for this school year. I can't believe that I have been teaching for a whole year now. It doesn't feel like it at all. I'm amazed I'm still doing it and I still like my job. I'm definitely ready for a vacation. It's probably because I don't use my day's off for rest.

Anyway, this week is almost over, again. Next week will be nice, because it's the last week of classes, so we get to have parties. It will be fun. Mostly it involves going out to lunch/dinner with adult classes and playing games with kids. I'm excited.

But I also have to find time somewhere to clean my house. I'll have people staying over on Monday night, so I really need to get some cleaning done. Then I'll also be having some parties here. But I really want to stop letting my house get so crazy. This might possibly be a life long goal. I don't know.

Anyway, I'm super tired today. I've been doing a lot lately, at least it seems that way, and I think it's beginning to hit me. I just have a little more to go.

I have a lot of little nit-picky-detail things I need to get done. I need to e-mail people and stuff. I don't really like doing details, but I find I'm getting a little better at them than I used to. Oh well. I'm thankful for opportunities to improve. :-)

Ok, time to get my day going. I'll go take care of some of those e-mails now. Sorry for the random post. I'll be home in two weeks!

of sun...

Today, I woke up to sunlight. What a wonderful thing. I often don't appreciate the sunlight until I've spent a week without it. I was expecting rain again today, so it was a nice surprise to have sun this morning. It just makes everything feel warmer.

Today I got a good surprise. The catechisms I ordered like two months ago, finally came. My students will be so happy. I'm really excited about this. And they are even really cool. They have every other page as a blank page for writing notes on. This is so perfect for non-native speakers and non-Christians. I didn't even realize I had ordered this version. How cool is that?

But today I also got a bit of sad news. My favorite ramen shop is about to be no more. I don't know why, (the lady only speaks Japanese, so I was lucky to figure out the ramen was going to stop) but from what I understand, it will become an udon shop (a type of Japanese noodle, ramen would be a Chinese noodle.) This is sad, but I think the woman will still work there. But it looks like Monday will be the last day I can get ramen there. I'll be sad, because I really like that ramen. But I managed to do my Japanese homework tonight.

This weekend will be busy. Tomorrow (today?) I will go to a party in Tokyo. This nice couple from America who are working here for 10 weeks, wants to throw a party for all the V'ers (V'er is what we call the people who work in VYM) in Tokyo. This is cool. I'm looking forward to it.
And maybe if it doesn't rain tomorrow, I'll get to hang out with the band. But if not, I'll get to hang out with them on Sunday, and I'm really looking forward to that. Then Monday is Japanese class, and then I'll go out to dinner with my language partner, Hiroki. Before I meet Hiroki, I should probably go shopping for gifts for people back home at the Christian Bookstore in Tokyo. It's always good to go to places like that while I'm in the area instead of making another trip just for that. It saves money on transportation. Then it's back to work. The weeks just go by so fast! And it seems like my calendar is always booked. But I can't complain. Being busy is better than being lazy. Now if I could only find time to clean my house before I start inviting people over. LOL.

Anyway, this is post number 92. I'm gonna count them down until I get to post number 100. So 8 more to go!

of rain...

Well, this is my 91st post. Nine more and I'll reach the big 100! Who hoo! I guess I should have a party or something.

Anyway, it's been raining a lot recently. I don't like rain, probably because I come from the desert. And it's cold too, so cold rain is even less fun. :-( Also, my dryer broke. I shouldn't complain because I'm the only one in the program with a dryer, but it does make things way more inconvenient. Esp when I have to dry the clothes in the house.

It rained yesterday, so I couldn't meet my friends. I was kinda bummed about that, but I was able to go to bed early, so that was good. Lately, my back and arms are really tense. I don't know why. I have always been tense, esp in my shoulders and back, but it seems to be getting worse lately. I should research solutions I guess. But I'm too lazy. LOL

But for all the complaining, things are going well. I'm trying to grow as an adult and do things like keep my house clean and cook at home more often. I don't know how working moms do it. It's crazy. I can't work and take care of myself. I'm beginning to understand why being a housewife is a good idea.

But there is so much going on lately, that I've had to really start looking at how I take care of my money. I tend to just spend money whenever I feel like it, and then by the end of the month, I'm super close to broke. I need to stop that cycle. I should budget and stuff, so I have money to do the things I want with friends and stuff, instead of spending money on useless things by myself. I hope to start improving that.

Anyway, today it's not raining, so I'm happy, but it's still a bit cold. I can't wait for spring to get here. But I should go and get ready for work now. I just wish I wasn't so sleepy in the mornings...

of being accepted...

I've never felt so accepted by so many people in my life before. Granted, I have generally been blessed with friends who put up with me for many years. I'm surprised when I consider that I have such loyal friends, because surely they ought to have seen what a horrible person I am by now. But they are faithful, and I am thankful. It kinda gives me a glimpse of God in my life to realize that people keep giving me chances.

Well, I must say, Japan is great for my self-esteem. Everyone is always complimentary to me. I seem to get along well with most of my students. Some students even look forward to coming to class. I'm happy about this. And I'm making friends in the places I go often. Yesterday, I went to hang out with the band/groupies as usually. I didn't get to see them last week, so I was excited about yesterday (this being the third major thing I'd done that day, after the prayer meeting in the morning, and then the English School Open House in the afternoon). Well, they weren't playing because Mako couldn't be there, but Sing was there selling postcards, so I went to talk to him. It was cool. I had a good time. But the great thing was how I feel like I can become a part of that group, that they really like me and welcome me.

Apparently a bunch of the group got together to form a kind of team. I don't know if they compete or anything, probably not. But this is like mini-soccer. I guess it's the same rules and stuff, just with smaller goals and field. Well, yesterday Kumi asked me if I'd like to play with them. I'm so happy about this. It's during the week, and it's after work, so it'll be a little rough, but I think I'll do it. It sounds like a lot of fun, and I think it'll be great exercise. I had just been thinking of how I needed to exercise more. This is a great way to help me do it. I know I probably overreact, but things like this just make me so happy. It makes me feel like I'm closer to being a normal person with a normal life. Friends and activities, and a job, and responsibilities. I feel so blessed.

On another happy note, I had one of the best Bible Studies today. And it wasn't even me at all. Sometimes this woman comes. Her English isn't so great, but she used to live in America, and she was exposed to Christianity there. So now she really cares about learning and stuff. Well, she asks lots of questions and tries to apply things to her life. Sometimes I think the other students might get frustrated, because she doesn't always understand my English, or she thinks about something for such a long time. But today she started really good discussions. She was even bold enough to ask the other students what they thought about what we had learned that day. It was a great chance for communicating. And it allowed me to witness to them and show them that God is already working in their lives. I think they are surprised by my answers sometimes and have to look at God from a different angle than before. I think this is great. I will continue to pray for this class. God is really working there. I'm so happy to watch it happen. God is being really nice to me!

Ok, time to clean my house for the weekly Cell Group meeting. Ick! Yet another area I still need to improve in...

of flying time...

I'm just sitting there thinking to myself (as there is no one else here...) "Is it Friday already? Where did the week go?" Time just seems to go by faster and faster. I'm amazed I'm keeping up. Soon the year will be over. I wonder where I'll be in a year. Japan? America? Some country I've never heard of? Good thing God's in control of my life. Otherwise I'm sure it'd be a spectacular wreck by now.

Anyway, basically I'm floored by how fast the darn world's been going lately. That's all.