go team!

So, here we are, the "cheerleading squad" for Shigeo Tsuzuki's election campaign. One of my students, Kenji, asked if I wanted to come and help out, and there was no question in my mind that it would be a "once-in-a-lifetime" experience. . . The student I'm with here is actually Kohey, one of Kenji's good friends.
I think this is such a classic picture -- makes me think of royalty, or Evita, or some other great address. . . the background is a little ironic, though. . .
Seriously, it's almost as deserted as the prairies. . . we got so excited when we actually saw someone outside that everyone started waving and Shigeo would go over, shake their hands, do a little PR, he even started playing catch with a little boy (what a guy!) Had to put this one in so you would catch the "sash" idea.
This is our group on a street corner, one guy reading out the campaign philosophy about how Shigeo is going to make this community a safer and better place for families, the sound pumping out of the little portable speaker (they had to do the announcement twice at this "intersection" to catch both directions ;-), and us yelling "Thank you for your support" in response to the little speech.
Making some connections -- just to justify the picture quality issue here. It wasn't really a "picture-taking" atmosphere, so these were all taken as I "inconspicuously" held my camera around my waist and tried to catch what was going on. . . :-s

Quite the experience, I must say -- the headbands have "Certain Win" written on them. They let me keep the band, not the jacket. . . Thanks for the memories Kenji, Kenji's dad, Kohey, and everyone else. . . and congratulations on making it as a Toyota city councillor. . . yours truly, the hippie in neon.

what's been happening these days

So I couldn't resist -- the cherry blossoms are amazing!! I think they're "officially over" now, though, since it rained yesterday.
One of my students took me to this gorgeous "sakura-lined" road. . . walking under the veil of pink-flushed blossoms, and being showered on by the petals. It looked just like snow!
On Saturday I took a day trip with some students (my 2 Tuesday night classes). In Fall, we went to see some temples in Nara, and this time we headed out to Kyoto. This is a picture of us in front of the Byoudoin bridge, on the front of the Japanese 10 yen coin (see below).


So, for those of you who have seen "Sayuri" or heard of a Geisha, this is the young version (teenage girls), called "Maiko-san". The woman in front of the shop (where they do kimono dyeing) told us that we could have our picture taken with a "real Maiko". (I didn't really believe her, but after seeing the Maiko's wig, one of my students told me that the real ones always use their own hair -- obviously this is just some girl's part-time job!! :-b But, whatever, it's still pretty fun I think!)
And this was probably one of, if not the coolest part of the day -- we got to take a boat ride down the river. The area we went to is called "Arashiyama" and famous for the beautiful mountainsides and colours in Autumn. Being Spring, we didn't see any of the Fall leaves, but the mountains were still pretty with the bright green and little dashes of pink everywhere!
This is what we looked like!! :-D (ok, I don't even feel like it was real looking at this picture now.)
I'm still here until July just in case any of you have changed your minds about coming to visit! ;-)
The five of us -- me, Kimie, Kenji, Kohey (sorry :-s), and Junko.
I thought this was such a pretty scene that incorporates so many uniquely Japanese things. . . the tiles lining the edges of the rock garden, neatly raked rows of pebbles, the larger rocks and finely manicured pine trees set in to symbolize moutains and a mini "nature scene", and then bamboo and even a cherry blossom tree in the background.
We walked down a few streets from the river to find this bamboo trail. . .
It was kind of funny, because there were actually a lot of people on the trail, but there was kind of an unspoken "let's stop and take pictures" moment, where I got this shot! :-)
And, after all that walking. . . we took some time out at the "foot bath". It felt really good. . . kind of weird when you think about it, a bunch of people just start taking off their socks and shoes, sit down on the benches, and plunge their feet in to soak. But, a good custom none-the-less (a little less intimidating than the full body perhaps?!)
There is one other thing that I've wanted to share with all of you. I've mentioned about Kinuyo in several of my previous posts (we went for a picnic together a couple of weeks ago). Well, recently she came to the seminar that we had at church, and it seemed like there was something that really resonated with her inside (the Holy Spirit, no doubt), and since then she has been really interested in learning more about the Bible. It's something that has been a great encouragement to me, not that I've done anything, but about how God is maybe just reminding me to trust that He knows what He's doing. May God be glorified!!!
I will fill you in more next time I send out a letter to all of you. Have a lovely day!

will I never learn?!??

Yes, this is Karis. . . the freaking GIANT!! :-s I get so used to the height difference that I don't really notice until I look at the pictures afterwards. . . Hopefully this will be a lesson for next time (to get as far away from the camera as possible!!) This is in a Japanese garden I went to with one of my classes last week.
And this is our lunch. . . notice the "menu" on the plate. There were about 20 different kinds of food (albeit mostly "bite-sized" or smaller), each with it's own distinct flavour, texture, and arranged artistically using tiny little ceramic dishes, a long wooden tray, and accentuated by these coloured "wire cords" in the middle. It was the "special dish" for Girls' Day (you're probably vaguely remembering me mentioning this in a previous post -- this time it's according to the lunar calendar. . . making the most of it!!). . . and they "sucked us in" by saying that it was the only day they were serving this fancy lunch. How lucky! ;-) I have never eaten such elaborate and refined cuisine in my whole life as in this country! (It was not only beautiful-looking, but delicious too!)
Everything is NEW!!! A Japanese maple in the garden, it's branches emerging with fresh green!
A couple of pictures from the Kids' Easter party at church last Saturday afternoon. It was mostly the kids from church, and 2 of my students came with their little sister. It was fun to hang out, sing some songs, play games (musical chairs :-), have an egg hunt, and talk about the love that Jesus came to give us. . . the "missing piece" if we don't have Him in our hearts.
Amazing how you end up seeing things in a new way, or realizing something simple you'd never thought about before when you get the chance (or have to ;-) teach it. I always think it would be great if something that I said might stick in the kids' hearts and stay with them no matter what the future has to hold or the experiences they will encounter. But, really, maybe the one I need to remember is me, that I will let those simple truths just soak into my being. . .

Easter reflections. . .

Two of my young students (5 year old girl and her 7 year old brother) lost their grandmother a couple of weeks ago. I have also gotten to know their mother, through talking after English class and meeting at the cooking group, so I decided to attend the “wake”, a service held the evening before the funeral. It was the first time I had been to a Buddhist ceremony, and it was quite an experience for me. I had never met Mrs. Kobabayashi, but seeing her picture at the front of the room, surrounded by nearly 30 huge vases full of colourful flowers, impressed on me the sadness this family must be experiencing, and especially the mom of my two students, who had cared for her mother continuously over the past 6 months. She was only 58 years old.
The wake consisted primarily of a Buddhist priest reading chants out of the Buddhist scriptures (o’kyou) and those in attendance each taking a turn bowing to the family, the deceased and offering small incense beads into the ashes held in several containers at the front of the hall. The priest also gave a short address, talking about how Mrs. Kobayashi had now joined the “anscestors”, whom are to be revered, appeased and “worshipped” in Japanese society. He said that if those who are left are faithful in living a “good” life, and show respect for the anscestors by "praying" before their household altars, that these anscestors who are watching from a “higher” place will watch over and provide for them.

Today in church, a woman who used to be a Buddhist nun gave the message. She devoted her life to learning about the Buddhist scriptures and working towards "enlightenment". When she was in her 40s, problems in her marriage led her to seek out the church nearby, and it was when she first read the Bible that she realized that there was no certainty in any of the things that she had learned in Buddhism. It is a constant desiring after humanly conceived ideals, and there is no reassurance of anything. Only in the Bible did she find a certainty of God's love, salvation and the promise of One who would walk beside her through anything.

What an awesome story God has given us -- knowledge of the Truth, and a hope that goes beyond just today. . .

Today and forever may we celebrate our God. . . who LIVES. . . in us!!

for your viewing pleasure. . .

A few pieces of English I found in the train station on my way back from Osaka this weekend. . . in case you're wondering, no, there is no "trick" to "getting" the English. . . it's supposed to not make sense?!?
I basically consider it a "fun bonus" for foreigners here. . . you know, on those days when the culture is really "getting to" you. . . and just need something to lighten things up. . . works every time!
This is not my order, by the way -- visited a little town along the ocean with a friend, and when you're by the ocean, there's nothing better than. . . raw fish, fish eggs, seaweed and other random things from the sea on rice, right?!
A train (ie. regular city train -- basically like our "buses" if you can dare compare the two) I was on in Osaka this weekend -- TV screens in the middle telling you exactly where you are, and advertising mascara or something like that on the right. . . (I keep trying to "fool" the ticket machine at the gates, by putting in my train card upside down or backwards, but it always manages to figure things out and correctly prints out the amount I have left on the card -- the price from station to station is different for almost every stop and this is automatically calculated by electronic info on the ticket or card and printed in a matter of nanoseconds. . .) This country never ceases to amaze and boggle me!

time for an update?!

So, after a "little break", I'm back. . . and it's cherry blossom season again (could there be a better time to "be back" in the blogging world?!) And cherry blossoms (sakura) means festival (matsuri) time. . . with all the little vendors lining the walkways selling everything from grilled corn-on-the-cob, to fish shaped "pancakes" filled with cream or sweet red beans, to chocolate bananas to fried noodles, fried balls with huge chunks of octopus. . . and sticks skewered with beef, chicken or. . .
squid!! (hungry anyone?!)
Today was absolutely the perfect day for seeing the blossoms -- they say "mankai" here and it literally means "full, to the point of brimming over" and "open". . . And that's exactly what we enjoyed, as the breeze gently blew among the white fluffs of blossom above, and showered down delicate petals onto the ground below. God must have known how the Japanese would cherish his gorgeous "sakura". :-)
Here's our lunch spot -- we each brought a few different foods from home, sat on the "Kitty-chan leisure sheet" (ie. plastic tarp with cute Hello Kitty cartoon motif on it), pulled out "my hashi" (a set of chopsticks that I got as a present a couple of weeks ago -- they have my name engraved, and the purpose is to reduce waste by not using disposable chopsticks -- smart, eh?), and enjoyed our little picnic together. This is Kinuyo, an English student and friend.
Tourists in a sight-seeing boat out to see the cherry blossoms lining the riverside. I think it's so neat how they purposefully plant cherry trees in parks, and along river and road sides for people to enjoy. Happy Spring everyone!

girls' day

Today is the "Hina Matsuri", literally Empress' Festival, in Japan. For the month of February, most, if not all, homes with a daughter put out these dolls on display steps in their homes. The top level holds the emperor and empress, next are the three court servants (women), third are the musicians, each with different instruments, the next level contains 2 government officials also responsible for the protection of the royal couple, the three on the next step are like porters to move all of the luggage on the the bottom step to and from place to place. :-O This display is often bought by the grandparents when a little girl is born, and usually costs around $2000, but can be up to $10,000 (according to a website I found).
Since the traditional set is expensive, and takes up a lot of space (they often use one whole room just for that purpose), many people nowadays are buying just the emperor and empress dolls, or a small 2-tiered set. There are all different kinds of these dolls, made from everything from shells or clay, to wood or paper, and during this time of year you can go to quite a few different shops, museums and houses to see these displays.

And here are two very important people in my life. . . Hikaru and Moe. Tonight I went over to their house for supper, and we celebrated with a cake their grandma had sent (by mail, amazing, eh? Sending gifts by mail is so popular here that they have special trucks with places to keep frozen, fridge and warm foods at the right temperature) I love spending time with these two, their litte brother, Wataru and parents. It's amazing to see how the kids have grown up since I first lived with their family 2 years ago. Tonight their mom, Chiharu, and I were upstairs putting the kids to bed and Moe asked if I could live there. . . How sweet!! :-)
Just a shot of the cake -- if you don't think Japanese people are detailed. . . This came "disassembled" and in a bag, and we had to put it together before the "candle-blowing" happened.
So for all you girls out there -- take today to celebrate being a female! :-D

spring has come. . . :-)

Well, not that we ever really had "winter" here -- seriously, it's been so warm here. Last year I remember my feet freezing under my desk while I tried to work on the computer. This year not only is it a lot nicer, but I've gotten smarter and moved my computer to the table, and type while sitting on the hot carpet. (Why didn't I think of this last year?!)
I went to this park on Monday afternoon. I heard about it from a friend at church. She said it was tucked into a residential area, but gave me directions, and true to the Japanese love for nature, there were a lot of people there!!
And it was soo beautiful!! I know the cherry blossoms are famous here, and they are really incredible, I really enjoy the plum blossoms as well. For one thing, the fact that they bloom already in February is pretty exciting for a Manitoban. . .
. . . and they smell soo wonderful!! Seriously, I want to wear a necklace of them, or find some way to "bottle" the smell so I can carry it with me. Reminds me of when I was younger and the lilacs out behind my house. Those things are potent!! :-)
There were all different colours and kinds of trees, including the weeping plum trees.
Japanese people often enjoy picnics under the blossoms. I thought it was neat how this playground is completely surrounded by the flowering trees!

Since Japanese people love nature so much, things like stationary, traditional desserts and even ads use themes from nature. This picture reminds me of the way plum blossoms are often drawn in pictures, or on pottery.

Recently I've been trying to read a Psalm in the morning to focus my mind on praising God -- and to remind me just how AMAZING He is. This morning I read,
"Praise be to the Lord, for He has heard my cry for mercy.

The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in Him, and I am helped.

My heart leaps for joy and I will give thanks to Him in song." Ps. 28:6-7

May He be the joy of our hearts and the strength we rely on, as we trust in Him.

it's bus tour time!!

For any of you who enjoyed reading about the previous episodes (ie. cherry blossom viewing and all-you-can-eat-cherry-picking), we are on the road again. Sit back, relax in the comfort of your seat, and join the adventures of (l-r) Kimie, Kazuko and I. . . on a "marathon" to experience the culinary pleasures of Ise (city about 2 hours from here). Japan is famous for having special local foods pretty much anywhere -- they're good at creating (using fresh foods from the area -- mountains, sea, etc.), induldging in and making conversation surrounding these "meibutsu" (special foods).
7:05 -- leave my house 7:40 -- tour leaves from near Toyota station
1st stop 9:10 (ie. breakfast) -- sushi -- the fish, and the other is a salted leaf with sushi rice and sesame inside (the pink stuff is pickled ginger -- I've given up on Japanese pickles, though :-s )
2nd stop 10:10 (ie. morning snack) -- we "boarded" this ship and sat down for. . .
these delectable shells -- couldn't tell you the names, but quite the display, eh?
Spotted these plum blossoms at the 2nd place -- it's lovely to have flowers in February (though it is much earlier than usual this year!!) Everyone is already in "spring mode" here. . . I can live with that! ;-)

3rd stop 11:15 (ie. lunch) top l clockwise -- raw tuna fish on sushi rice / shells, shrimp and vegetables in broth (heated from below) / Ise noodles (homemade -- fat and really good in winter!)
We visited the Ise Shrine -- the "top" shrine in all of Japan, and therefore a huge tourist attraction. At the top of these stairs, there is an area where people can stand before another gate, drop some moeny into a box, clap their hands together, and send up a wish or "prayer" for health, safety or any other personal desire.
This week in class, one of my students said that what most Japanese claim as "religion" isn't the same as a "faith" like mine. . . she said it's almost like feeling they must recognize their "responsibility" to honour their anscestors by carrying on the family traditions and participating in the rituals of Buddhism. Something that's common for the majority of Japanese people, I believe.
"The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by hands. . . He himself gives all men life and breath and everything else. . . . God did this so that men would seek Him and perhaps reach out for Him and find Him, though he is not far from each one of us." Acts 17:24,5,7
The God of the Bible doesn' t live in places on this earth that we honour and worship, He lives in human hearts, in us!! Please pray for the freedom of God's truth to break through like a wave over the country of Japan. . . and that the Japanese would know the true purpose and meaning of their lives!
4th stop 2:30 (ie. afternoon snack) "All-you-can-eat-strawberry-picking" (not like we really needed the "all-you-can-eat" part today, but you gotta get your money's worth ;-s) Anyways, we took bets on how many we could eat before leaving the bus -- the other two thought "at least 30", and I was betting on 40-50. The results? (l-r) Kazuko -- 32 (mostly small, so she could make it to 30!), Kimie -- 40, and me -- 42 (I couldn't lose to Kimie ;-), and the 41st wasn't very sweet, so. . . after 20, though, you start feeling your stomach!!)

5th stop 3:15 (ie. supper?!?) BBQ with meat, cabbage, and eggplant Considering that this was a mere 1/2 an hour after I'd eaten my 42nd strawberry, it was basically not so much a "oh, that looks good" as a "well, we've only got 1/2 an hour, so better get on with the grilling" (which you do in the middle of your table) How do you like the "bibs"?!
6th (and thankfully LAST) stop 4:15 Rice topped with small shells and seaweed -- over which you pour a broth, and eat kind of like soup. It was good, I think. . . ;-)
So, I am officially an "expert" on the foods of Ise, I guess. I am definitely full, but it was all really good, actually, and nice to spend time with Kimie and Kazuko. They have both been coming to classes since I started here almost 2 years ago, and I have appreciated each of them a great deal. So, maybe I can organize a tour of Boissevain for Spring 2008?! (Better get working on those "meibutsu". . . ;-)