. . . getting around to posting anything these days! I have to admit that during the past two weeks, my excuse is that I've been having WAY too much fun hanging out with a friend from Bible school who came to visit.
It was a whirlwind of events, making memories, doing things with students, getting to know each other a lot better, and for me, the excitement of having such a good friend to spend time with and that she could get to know some of the people that are such a special part of my life here. It often feels like I have my "Japan life" and my "Canada life" and the two are quite separated most of the time, but in those moments when they contact one another, and the understanding, connection, and meaning that comes from that makes me feel blessed to be a part of both worlds. (Thanks for coming Bob -- I love you!)
As you can see, the cherry blossoms were almost too gorgeous to believe they were actually real -- in case you're wondering, I don't have the slightest clue about photo manipulation, but even looking at this picture, it seems pretty "surreal" to think that we had the chance to step onto this "postcard". We saw the blossoms at every stage (in backwards order!) and Bob definitely has the pictures to prove it, but really, how can you resist?!
Part of the new experiences for Bob definitely included trying A LOT of new foods, and this (noodles) was probably the most normal one! Guess the closest comparison is what we call "Mr. Noodles", but they definitely taste better fresh! And, out here slurping is a good thing. Funny how it still seems "rude" though. . . Seeing all of the things that Bob experienced for the "first time" made me realize how many things I consider "normal" already. . . and how my taste buds have adjusted over these past few years. Not only do I "like" a lot of the foods here, as I was telling Bob, I often have to "hold myself back" from buying Japanese sweets (red beans in the rice paste) when I go grocery shopping! ;-)
It was a lot of fun for me and the students having another "native speaker" in the class (good challenge for the students too, since they've gotten used to the way I speak by now!) It was fun having a conversation in front of the class, using natural English expressions, and seeing how much the students caught. . . on the other hand, it was really funny (and kind of hard to keep a straight face) for us, trying to have a "natural conversation" but at the same time so "unnatural"! Sometimes I bring baking to class, so these students wanted to try making cookies together. So, we spent one class doing that together (the idea was "baking in English" -- the baking went well, the English was, well. . . they had fun anyways. . .)! Having the "baking pro" (ie. Bob) by my side through the experience was reassuring for me, but a little shocking for the students when they saw her adding more flour without measuring it out first (gasp!) after they had soo precisely measured it all out! :-) They still turned out great!
So, this is a pretty accurate portrayal of what Bob and I looked like A LOT of the time during the past 2 weeks. . . "not quite" fitting in with the crowds around us (who loved pointing us out, commenting on those two tall foreign girls, and laughing when we hit our heads on objects which should have been placed higher up -- ie. door frames, tv on tour bus. . .), taking pictures (of pretty much anything, but especially the cherry blossoms and our experiences) and having a lot of fun together. :-) So hard to "capture" those moments in time, but it makes me thankful for them, the memories we hold with us, and blessings of friendship.
the pride and joy of the Japanese -- their breath-taking cherry blossoms! I have to admit that even though I too was taken by these blooms, it still did (and does) puzzle me the extent to which life here practically revolves around them. Recently, in talking with some of my students, I feel like I caught a glimpse of deeper understanding of the significance of the blossoms. . . their "fleetingness". And it is this bittersweet reality that the Japanese are both incredibly sensitive to, and highly revere. And in that aspect of being aware of the world around them, I'd say they are incredibly perceptive.
Moe and I at her kindergarten entrance ceremony :-) Children in Japan usually attend kindergarten (totally separated from elementary school) for 2 years, although in circumstances where the mother is working or going to have another baby (as in my friend Chiharu's case), the kids can start as early as age 3 or younger. Since Chiharu's husband is in the States on business, I got to join all the dads and videotape the ceremony. . . ;-)
After the ceremony, the four of us (Chiharu, Hikaru and Moe) spent some time walking around the park, eating our ice cones, and enjoying the cherry blossoms.
"So, this is love. . ." The big day -- giving a Japanese sermon -- what an interesting, difficult, fun, challenging and rewarding experience. It ended up being longer than I thought, but it's a little harder to "shave off time" by talking faster in another language!! All I have to say is praise God for His faithfulness!
Our Easter celebration at the church -- we spent time playing games, singing, and then retelling the Easter story. The kids coloured and the adults put together their thoughts in order to describe each part of the story. It's so exciting to see these times of growing and learning together!
