J3 Retreat, this year in Nagasaki

Nagasaki, Japan is a beautiful city on the island of Kyushu.

Nagasaki was an important port historically, as it was open to the West (actually, only the Dutch) when the rest of Japan was closed to foreigners.

The ciy is also famous for its Christian history. Today there are many Catholic Churches, due in part to a history of Portguese missions in the area. However, for about 250-300 years (roughly 1580s-1870s, give or take a decade), Christianity was persecuted, outlawed, or tolerated for foreigners only.

In February, 1597, 26 people were matryred in Nagasaki. Today there is a museum on the hill where they were crucified, and is dedicated not only to them, but to all martyrs.


The commemoration day for the 26 Martyrs of Japan is February 5 in the Lutheran calendar as well as the Roman Catholic calendar.


This is Oura Catholic Church, which also honors the 26 martyrs.


Also in Nagasaki is the Glover house, the first western-style house built in Japan. Thomas Glover was from Scotland but moved to Nagasaki.



Either Tomas Glover or his brother are interwoven into various legends about the the inspiration for the opera Madam Butterfly. Cho-cho San, (butterfly in Japanese) has been compared to Glovers's wife (!), his mistress, his brother's mistress, or various other women living in Nagasaki at the time. There is no historical proof that Madam Butterfly was ever a real person, but rather is a story insprired by the West's curiosity of all things Japanese.


This , however, has not stopped the Glover Gardens from using Madam Butterfly to promote tourism to the garden.

The Concert Mascot

Last Saturday was the annual concert at Katerina, the dormitory where I teach. Many of our students attend the prestigious Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and Music, known as Geidai for short.

With the incredible amount of talented students living in the dormitory, the students are able to perform a wonderful show every year.

This year we were able to experience a concert ranging from operatic vocal to a Bach quartet, solos from Debussy and a saxophone solo by a composer whose name I didn't know.

There was even a sing-a-long of Japanese pop songs (of which I knew 2 of the 3! I was quite proud). It seems a luxury to be able to attend a concert as rich and varied as this.

As a staff member, I expected to be assigned a job at the concert like all the other staff members, but I was disappointed to discover I was left off the list. This was more than likely because no one could tell me what to do in English, and I may or may not have understood any Japapnese instructions!

The night of the concert, though, I approached one of the leaders and said the only sentence I could remember in Japanese at that moment: "I want to help."

Not exactly the polite form, but it got the point across.

They all laughed at the foreigner trying so hard to be a part of the group. And they named me the mascot. Not exactly the job title I was aiming for, but they did let me hand out programs.

In idle conversation, I asked what a program is called in Japanese. Three people gave me three different answers.

And people wonder why I am struggling with this language.

So call me the Concert Mascot, the English Teacher and Persistent Foreigner. At least they know I am, and am happy to be, part of the staff.

Tropical Getaway

A late sumer vacation included a trip Okinawa Prefecture, although I spent my time not on the main island of Okinawa, but on two islands a 14-hour ferry ride away from there. Ishigaki and Taketomi Islands are a part of a group of islands known as Yaeyama.

"Japan's last frontier" Yaeyama been called.

This is Kabira Bay, Ishihgaki,

a place famous for its pearl cultivation. I wish I had pictures of the many different colors of pearls they conjur up in the beautiful bay.

This is the ocean as seen from Taketomi Island, where the sand is shaped like stars (I thought that was a gimmick, until I went to the beach and saw it really is shaped like stars!)

Even if the sand was not unusual, have you ever seen such a beautiful blue as in that ocean?

I listened to traditional music while in Ishigaki. I also had a crash course lesson on how to play a small wooden percussion instrument called a sanba. The woman in brown is playing it in this picture; I am sorry it is too small to see. These three people were very friendly. We had a good conversation, and they even tried to teach me Japanese history. It was a fun afternoon!

These are shisa, a pair of protective dragons that guard almost every house in the Yaeyama/Okinawa islands. Each set has a male and female. The male has his mouth open, and scares evil away. The female has her mouth closed and keeps good in. They are sometimes portrayed as very fierce, and sometimes as cute cartoon animals.

And, lastly, the ferry ride back to Okinawa to catch my plane back to Tokyo. This was a a wonderful journey, although I think any longer than 14 hours, and I would have wondered what to do with myself! But. the ocean was beautiful, and I met new friends on the boat.

A summertime trip to Iwate Prefecture

A Kappa is a mischevious creature from Japanese folk tales. They live in rivers and resemble frogs.

A river in Iwate Prefecture where Kappa are said to live.

A magariya is a type of old Japanese house.This one is at a cultural park, but in times past, the left side of this house was the horse stable, and the right side where the people lived.

Magariya roof

A fishing boat along the Pacific coast.

Where is Iwate Prefecture?

See map at: ttp://gojapan.about.com/cs/japanmaps/l/blprefecturemap.htm

(Tokyo is number 13. Iwate is number 4)

Want more information about Iwate? See:

http://www.jnto.go.jp/eng/location/rtp/Northern_Tohoku/outline.html

Things I've learned in Japan

How to stay cool in the summertime:

1. Eat spicy foods. It has to be spicy enough to make you sweat, so that after you finish, the temperature around you then feels cool.

2. Tell scary stories. This will cause you to have goosebumps and shiver, thereby making you feel cool.

3. Go to an onsen (which is bascically an outdoor hot tub). Stay in just long enough to make you warmer than the outside air temperature. Then, when you come out you will feel cool.

4. Eat shaved ice.

5. Leave the area. Travel north where the temperature is cooler.

These are the preferred methods for staying cool in Tokyo (or not in Tokyo, as is the case in number 5). Hope you're staying cool where you are!

Now, please excuse me, it's time for me to go find some curry.

Eight Random Facts

My seminary friend has “tagged” me with a post called 8 random facts about myself. Enjoy the break from Japanese culture, and take a glimpse into the missionary...

1. As my friend Lisa would say, “I don’t have the sense of direction God gave a toaster.” I have been known to say things like, “Turn left at the curvy road.” Anyone who has ever been in Dubuque (or any of the other river towns I have lived in) knows how utterly ridiculous this sentence is.

2. Much to my family’s amusement, I have trouble identifying even the most famous actors and actresses.

3. I stink at Trivial Pursuit. Sure, I can parse Hebrew and Latin verbs (and should still be able to fake my way through Greek), but, the longest-running television show? I have no idea (see number two again).

4. I love sumo wrestling.

5. I have used a squat toilet on a moving train.

6. For someone who grew up with computers in the classroom, even from elementary school, I am unnaturally technologically-confused.

7. My all-time favorite movie is The Princess Bride.

8. I have not yet eaten blowfish in Japan, but I have tried the horse sashimi.

What's the difference between a small earthquake and a medium one?

Well, besides, a freaked out missionary?

Not much, really. I didn't actually break the bowl I dropped when the medium earthquake scared me.

Tokyo averages one earthquake every two months. We were due for one in March; it didn't happen, and then: surprise! There were two last week.

When a small earthquake happens, the house shudders. That's all. It shudders, like me when I'm cold. It shudders, then stops. I am still frozen in place for a good couple minutes afterward, making sure it's over. But it always is. The small one happened late last week as I was getting out of bed. Like I said, it was small, and getting up was only delayed an extra "Earthquake Minute."

The very next day, however, as I was minding my own business, eating my ice cream, the house shuddered again. Again! And this time, it kept shuddering. That's when I dropped the bowl (don't worry, I had just finished eating when the quake started, so no ice cream was harmed in this fiasco) . Usually the quaking/shuddering is finished by the time I get nervous, but this one lasted an extra ... well, an extra minute.

Yes, I know. But earthquakes really bother me!

So, the answer is: the difference between a small earthquake and a medium earthquake is a dropped ice cream bowl.

May Fun

May has been a fun month, as I got to go to sumo not once, but twice! Thank you to C. for winning tickets and not being able to attend. (C. is a fellow missionary in the city, and no -- I did not wish that on her! Don't worry, she and I went together a different day). This a picture of the sumo stadium, called the Kokugikan.


C. and I alsp went to a festival in Ochanomizu. (Yes, I know – where??) Ochanomizu is about a half hour train ride from my house, or a nice hour-long walk.


On this beautiful Saturday morning, C. and I explored the Kanda Matsuri (Kanda festival). We ate delicious food (festival food is like fair food in the U.S. – delicious and not necessarily healthy, but not so common as to worry overmuch about the latter!).

There was dancing and music. Japanese drumming, called taiko, is amazing. Unfortunately, I was not in a good place to get a picture. Just take my word for it. It is exciting to watch, and thrilling to listen to. At left is the drum, though the man here is just practicing; it isn't a performance.

This a "portable shrine" that several men will carry through the streets when it is ready -- here they are getting it ready. During this festival, we saw many such shrines -- rather like floats in a parade, except these are carried on the shoulders of a group of people.



There was even a small one that a group of children were pulling with long ropes -- that was very cute!

Here are more musicians. Although not as exciting as Taiko, this was interesting. I don't know what it is called, but it is very traditional.

Random pictures from March 2007

Tokyo skyline as seen from a ferry on the Sumida River


Priests at a temple in Nara.

Kim and I pose in

front of Osaka Castle.

Prayer cards showing the boar

(this year's animal in the Chinese

zodiac calendar, also used in Japan).

Sumo in Osaka, March 2007

Osaka hosts the Grand Sumo Tournament every year in March.

This March, I was able to convince Kim that sumo is a good thing.

I have a convert!

Top picture: banners before a bout means there is extra prize money for the winner.

Bottom picture: Kotooshu (my favorite wrestler) prepares to wrestle Ama (the smallest wrestler in the top ranks, and another one of my favorite wrestlers).

Nara Pictures

These photos are from a temple in Nara. Nara is famous for its deer, and the temple is famous for its stone lanterns. In March, a friend and I visited the city, In case you ever needed to know, it takes 8-hours on an overnight bus to get to Nara from Tokyo! Yikes!

More pictures later!

The Winter Blues -It's Not What You Think

In Tokyo, spring has come with a vengeance. The wind blows through the city so ferociously it knocks over bicycles and a couple times has stopped me in my tracks. I am nervous about hanging my laundry outside, for fear I'll have to run clear to the next prefecture to retrieve it! I hereby strip Chicago of its nickname. Never until Tokyo have I been in a house where I couldn't tell if it was the wind or an earthquake rattling the walls. It is definitely spring here!

But, while many parts of the U.S. are still are buried under snow, Tokyo is still waiting for our snow. The season of spring officially began this week, and the national meteorological society declared this the first winter on record without a snowfall I don't mean a "not recordable" snowfall. I mean that I did not see a single flake this year. There was a rumor going around that a few snowflakes were spotted in the northern part of the city in early February. However, that has yet to be proven!

Not that I’m complaining or anything. Spring is coming early this year. The flowers are blooming, and that is the most beautiful thing of all in Japan. The temperature is slowly warming, and while March is windy (to put it mildly) and unpredictable, the worst of the winter looks to be over.

But it would have been nice to see a little snow.

If only I had paid attention

Sembe is a snack that is nice.
It’s crisp like a chip and made out of rice.

Seasoned with garlic is my favorite,
but really I love all colors and flavors.

No, not all, I must confess;
there is one that causes distress.

Prawn or shrimp or ebi in Japanese –
however you call it, the smell makes me sneeze

Fried or scampi or chilled shrimp on my plate,
I would devour them all and not hesitate.

But, oh, what a surprise for me to discover
That ebi sembe is not like those others.

The next time I shop I will read the label,
to make sure ebi sembe stays far from my table.

Retreat

The ELCA missionaries had our retreat last weekend in Kyoto. It was good to see everyone, but also a sad time, as well, because the February retreat is when we say good-bye to the missionaries who are finishing their service in Japan. I mentioned in my email I would be meeting up with my former housemates while there. We shared a room, so that first night there was little sleeping and a lot of catching up!

Saturday was spent mostly mired in annual reports. Necessary, I know, but I really don't like to give them. We went in alphabetical order, and it's funny, but I was the last one (a surprise to me -- we'll have to recruit from the end of the alphabet next year!). Actually, it was not so bad, because no one was listening anymore by the time I was up. That takes the pressure off!

For a couple hours on Saturday we were loosed from the bonds of annual reports and business meetings. A couple friends and I sampled the wares at the "Salon du Chocolat," a chocolate show from France, but currently touring the world. We did not get to see the fashion show, so I am still a little baffled as to how the models realized to wear their clothes, not eat them! However, if you have the chance, check out last year's fashion show pictures; they are very interesting! http://www.salonduchocolat.fr/uk/index2.php

After eating all those free samples at the chocolate show, we took a walk. Mmmm, but it was good chocolate!

Admiration

Many of my students are taking exams these days. They are preparing for final exams of the year, because the school year ends in February. One of my students is also preparing for entrance exams, as she is preparing for medical school (God and test results willing!). One of my students is a dance major, and is preparing for her final dance recital (it is technically next school year, but in reality only a few months away). Next year's seniors have also started interviewing for jobs.

English class, at least the one I teach, is a low priority. There are no exams and no grades given. It helps their confidence, and could possibly be used as resume filler. But what are the consequences if they do not come to class? That they do not study English for that hour. It seems such a little thing.

But, for them, that seems to be enough. Week after week, they come. In spite of tests, school activities and part-time jobs and the hunt for a full-time job; in spite of experiments and laboratory projects (a physics major and a pharmacy student also attend my classes. Yesterday the physics student was recounting the day's experiment: how to make a superconductor!)... in spite of all this, they come.

I think of my own "extra-curricular" activities: my Korean lessons or my calligraphy lessons. (I won't count Japanese, which is my full-time class; in essence testing my knowledge every time I leave the house!) How much effort have I put into things I am not tested on; things I learn for the sake of learning. How much do I study? Would I continue to go if I had other interviews, exams, etc.?

To be fair, English class at the dormitory is a lower priority. When job interviews are scheduled over top of my English classes, there is no question of whether to attend class or the job interview. But if the interview is finished with enough time to get back to the dorm, there is also no question ... they come in, loaded with coat and bags and sometimes out of breath from trying to make it on time.

There is no question: I admire these students.

2006 Bible Camp

Every year, Hongo Lutheran Church leads a Bible Camp at Okutama Bible Chalet in Okutama, Tokyo.

Here is the church and meeting area.















The view of the river halfway down the mountain from the retreat center. What a beautiful area!

Part of the fun each year is hiking down the mountain to enjoy nature and to skip rocks in the river.

The Church Bazaar

November 19, 2006
Koishikawa Lutheran Church, Tokyo

The Bazaar: A play in three acts.

Prologue: Every church in Tokyo has a bazaar. In October, I was invited to attend three in one weekend. I had plans already for that weekend, so I couldn't attend any of the three, but I didn't think I was missing anything new.

Act 1: The beginning of November
Preparations were on for the Big Day (Nov. 19). I agreed to help set up on the Saturday before, since I wasn't able to make anything for the bazaar. Too late, I found out there was also a collection area set aside for rice. The women of the congregation would be making lunch the day of the bazaar, and they asked for people to bring in donations. Oops, that announcement had too much new Japanese in it.

Act 2: Saturday: The Day Before
I walked into a completely transformed fellowship area. The tables were piled high with stuff. Stuff. There was a table for dishes and kitchenware. An area for shoes, purses, knicknacks, jewelry. My job was to put prices on shoes: 100 ~ 300 yen (about 75 cents ~ $2.50). It took me a moment to realize the shoes were lined up under a pew. Hmmm...that isn't usually in the fellowship area...oh.

I looked past the shoes into the sanctuary, which seemed to be missing half the pews. The clothes were in the back of the sanctuary, on the pulpit side, and the baked goods table was set up on the lectern side. The pews were pushed close to the front, and still ready to be used on Sunday morning for church. This bazaar was turning out to be nothing like I expected.

Act 3: The Big Day
Sunday: bazaar time. I must admit worship was a bit crowded on Sunday morning. Not because we had so many extra people, but because we were all crowded into half as many pews (not such a hardship considering usually 2-3 people share one pew on any other Sunday!). After worship, I was assigned to the hot drinks/soup table. It was cold and rainy outside, so we expected a crowd. The table was set up under the big windows facing the front door of the building. About 20 minutes before we opened, I looked out the window and saw a line. Yes, a line. Of people. Waiting to get in. I grabbed the only other American in the place and bombarded her with stunned silence. She's lived in Japan for about 20 years, so she laughed at me. Church bazaars are about the only place to find second-hand goods, she explained. You might see a resale clothing store in Tokyo, but not very often. And prices in Tokyo are very expensive. Church bazaars are the way to go when looking for bargains. Wow. Who knew?

Epilogue: In Tokyo, a bazaar is a rummage sale with a side dish of rice. I was able to buy my fair share of things at the bazaar: a few new dishes and a video in Japanese and English for my students. I even managed to buy some cookies (it was the very last pack!). The baked goods didn't surprise me. They sold out within the first hour, or possible even less. I understand how exciting this time is...I am already looking forward to next year's bazaar season!

Ring, ring! Do you know where your newspaper is?

One night I was teaching a class here at the dormitory when the classroom phone rang. The phone in the classroom only rings for one reason: one of my students is not coming. So, I thought I had better answer it to find out who it would be.

I always say use the Japanese greeting when I answer the phone at work, simply because I work with Japanese people. It seems the right thing to do (I only say English at home, so if you want to hear me speaking Japanese, you have to call me at work!). Perhaps if I were being more ... truthful, let's say ... about my Japanese ability, the following scene would not have happened.

Here's a replay of the conversation:
(ring ring)
Me: Hello!
Front desk worker: Excuse me usdhjsbdnsdbo* newspaper ropxczvcnmjkhfhfjfjksnjkn this morning uey8qwdjasd034^^\ mailbox jvc:]c,cae2ijkljdid --

*All Japanese is phoenetically spelled, of course -- Exactly as I understood it.

Me: I'm sorry. One more time, please [repeating slowly and carefully to make sure I have understood correctly]:mailbox -- this morning -- newspaper?

[Meanwhile, what is running through my head is this: There was no newspaper in my mailbox this morning, at least not at school. And I didn't bring one for anyone else. And my newspaper comes to my house just fine...these days. Newspaper? What, not again!]

Front desk worker: Oh! uypkue84ghhnvlx: Is this the English classroom? poikezftr fjdjfhdj0w9u I'm Sorry!

(He hangs up. A beat later I realize what has just transpired; then I hang up, also.)

Me, to my student: Next time, if I just begin with "Hello," no one will confuse me for a Japanese student!


It's 7:00. Do you know where your newspaper is?

November 3, Culture Day

Welcome to Culture Day in Tokyo!

This holiday commemmorates the birthday of a former emperor, Emperor Meiji. Celebrations involve historical displays and competitions. At Meiji Shrine in Tokyo (the shrine was built for the remembrance of Emperor Meiji and his wife, Emperess Shoken) the "Grand Autumn Festival" takes place every year on Nov. 3. The activities include martial arts demostrations, samurai re-enactements, and my favorite, Yabusame. Yabusame is an archery contest, but it takes places while sitting on a moving horse!




There were 10 archers in the contest.



After the contest,
each archer drinks a
saucerful of sake (photo at right)

Ueno, Tokyo

I know you all like photos, so here is another batch. This time the photos are of Ueno Park, a place I enjoy visiting in Tokyo. There are many museums in the park, and I have been to a few, though not all yet!. In addition, there is a zoo, a pond, and lots of food. The Ueno train station has interesting stores, which makes shopping fun. And nearby is a street called Ameyoko, where you can find anything you want to buy, from shoes to fish; from tea to t-shirts (it's the only place where I have found Jif Peanut Butter in Tokyo -- yum!).




The pagoda
in Ueno Zoo.








Flamingos at the zoo




Eternal flame, in
memory of people killed
in the bombing of Hiroshima.

Still “Mission Bound”

When I created this blog I was preparing to move to Japan. I was ready to begin the journey. I was, in effect, “bound” to do mission in Japan. In the midst of the past year, I looked at the title, and thought, “Oh, how short-sighted of me.” Being in Japan, I am no longer about to leave for my trip. I am no longer mission-bound, but mission present!

However, I have been reflecting on the meaning of, and the subsequent action in response to, being bound to do mission. Being mission-bound, means being in a perpetual state of readiness, like a Boy Scout motto for God. “Be prepared...” Be prepared for what? For the mission of God! At any moment I could be telling people how much God loves them. I could be praying for someone who is hurting. I could be welcoming a stranger. At any moment.

And in any place.

This state of readiness will not end when I land back in the United States. We are all mission-bound. As Christians, we believe Jesus told us to teach, preach, baptize, and spread the news of Jesus. We are loved and forgiven. We are comforted and cared for. We are given the grace of God, and we share we have. We are all bound to do mission, because mission means being sent. And we are sent to tell of God’s love.

Like the Blues Brothers, we are on a mission from God.

It's just that some of us are more than 100 miles from Chicago

;)

Food Retrospective

It's been a year of adventures already. I reread the posts from my first month in Japan: I talked about the garbage truck that sounded like an ice cream truck, and the truck that drove around selling baked yams, but both of those were in my old nighborhood.

Here in the heart of Tokyo, I miss the garbage truck that plays music (the one in my new neighborhood does not). I miss the yam truck -- we don't have one of those, either. However, in my new nighborhood, we do have the Tofu Man. He walks through the nighborhood pulling a cart full of homemade tofu. His call is a whistle (or a harmonica?) calling out two notes. If you listen carefully, it sounds like he is calling, "To-fu!" on his whistle. I have yet to see him when I need to buy any-- but one of these days, I will buy tofu from the "tofu man."

I no longer buy sweet beans or coffee jello thinking it is chocolate. A year later, I can read enough to get me through the sweets. However, I still can't identify much of the food in a very traditional Japanese meal. Last weekend was the J-3 retreat, and the food at the hotel was good (most of it), but don't ask me what it was. Fish, vegetables, and rice. That's about it! I still feel like I have recently fallen off a plane when I eat at hotels.

A year ago, I went to Kumamoto and had my first experience with natto. It is fermented soybeans, which people generally eat with soy sauce, egg, and onion. Natto is a favorite breakfast food in the Tokyo area, although it is eaten other times, too. I couldn't eat it a year ago (before I even knew what it was!), and I still don't eat it now, even after I have been taught the "proper" way to fix it!

But, of all the food I thought I would never like? Rice balls (Japanese name: Onigiri). I used to think I would never willingly make a meal out of them. Not enough flavor, I said. But it turns out they are easy to make, cheap to buy, and they grow on a person. Yes, they can be bland, but not if they're made properly. They can also be very good.

A year of adventures already, but still -- there is so much yet to learn...

Books and More Books!

Several weeks ago, my friend “tagged” me to answer a series of questions about books. Being an avid reader, I took her up on her challenge. So, please excuse the deviation from Japan and enjoy a small peek into my favorite pastime. Thank you, Prairie Girl for the questions!

1. One book that changed your life: How to narrow down the list to one? What was the first book I read as a child? (Mom, do you happen to know?) Probably that is the book I'd have to choose – the book that got me started down this path of reading...

2. One book you've read more than once: Cyrano de Bergerac (Edmond Rostand). I read it the first time for a report my senior year of high school. Since then I have read the book ragged. My copy is marked and dog-eared and the cover has long since been able to close properly.

3. One book you'd want on a desert island: Les Miserables (Victor Hugo). I have been meaning to read it for many years. It's a little daunting to look at, even to the most voracious of readers...it has been on my "To read when I have the gumption" list since high school. And if I am going to be stuck on a desert island, I want something that's going to last me awhile!

4. One book that made you laugh: anything by Bill Bryson. He writes travel narratives. My favorite book of his, Travels in Small Town America is is about a road-trip he took on a search for the quintessential Small Town, USA. I like it because he is from Des Moines, so he begins and ends his search in Iowa.

5. One book that made you cry: It's funny, but while I like sad movies, I try to avoid sad books. With that in mind, I don't remember one that has made me cry recently. Probably The Poisonwood Bible (Barbara Kingsolver) made me cry, but I don't remember. Come to think of it, Cyrano de Bergerac (see number two) probably made me cry the first time I read it, too.

6. One book you are currently reading: I am almost finished with a really bad sci-fi book written in the '60s. The plot is unbelievable, the characters not entirely likable, and the technology is too outlandish, even for my over-zealous imagination. Yet, I have this crazy idea that I have to finish every book I start, so I am still reading.

7. One book you have meaning to read: Ugh – I have a list as long as the Tokyo Tower is tall. But, at the moment, my short list is only around ten. Top of the short list: Dragonfly in Amber (Diana Gabaldon), a novel about a time-traveling woman from the 1940s and her Scottish husband from the mid-1700s. Also near the top: Tales from Earthsea (Ursala Le Guinn). The story has recently been made into an animated movie in Japan. I'd like to read the book, then see the movie.

Tokyo Scenes

Just for fun, here are some pictures from around Tokyo.


Ochanomizu Station
This the Chuo Line -- this used to be the train
we took to and from Japanese class.





A bridge in a park in Ryogoku
(an area in eastern Tokyo)












Sumo Banners
Each banner is printed with the name and rank of a wrestler.
They are displayed outside the tournament hall during every tournament.

Kyoto

Back in Tokyo now after a week exploring western Japan. I spent four days in historic Kyoto. At left is Kinkakuji ("Golden Temple"), the most famous temple in Kyoto. Or, at least whenever I said to people in Tokyo that I was going to Kyoto, they would say, "Oh, you will visit Kinkauji." Not a question; a statement. So, I figured it was as good a place to begin as any. This was my first stop on the Kyoto tour.









On the other side of Kyoto, and near the top of a steep hill is Kyomizu Temple (hmm, forgot the translation of this one). This picture on the right is the gate of the temple (and only halfway up the hill!). The view was spectacular, and the scenery among the trees and waterfall was a refreshing change from the city.









Here on the left is a pagoda from the grounds of the Ryoanji (Not sure the exact translation on this one, but ryo is dragon, and an is safe... so, "Safe Dragon Temple" is the best I can come up with!). This was my favorite building, perhaps it plays to my sentiments, being a vivid orange and black... if Wartburg College were ever to build a pagoda, I think it would look a bit like this!





The trip was sometimes like stepping back into time, and sometimes like being stepped on! Kyoto is very crowded in the summertime with tourists from all over the world. Every time I thought I had a moment to savor the history of the place, another group of people came upon me, and were often being loud. So much for a quiet trip.

I was able to explore off the beaten path a little bit, but I had such a short time there, and Kyoto has more sights than can possibly be seen in a lifetime. In the end, I ended up sticking close to the tourist spots this time. Next time, though, perhaps I can get out of the city, and see a bit more of the less popular places.

Summer Vacation

Summer vacation began last Friday, and one week later I am looking forward to going back to work! Last week was wonderful ... sleeping in, a friend from Kumamoto came to visit, then I relaxed, and read books, and watched television. I had one more Japanese class before that was finished for the summer. Then some friends and I went to lunch at our favorite Indian restaurant to celebrate summer vacation. But by Friday, I was bored and ready to go back to work! What was I to do for another three whole weeks??

Luckily, that day I jigsaw puzzle showed up in my mailbox. A friend in America thought I might need a reminder of how much time I don't have! Little did she realize it would arrive at the perfect moment! I love puzzles, and haven't done one for a long time. Working on the puzzle occupied my weekend. Though it isn't finished, I am now rationing my time spent at the puzzle.

Today I decided to buy a museum pass. Normally, it wouldn't be worth the money, since the pass is only good for two months. I don't go to museums that often, because they so expensive in Tokyo. But, with the pass, most of the museums offer free entry for permanent exhibits (or, discount for the special exhibits). If I go to 2 museums, permanent exhibits only, then the pass has paid for itself. I have a list of museums I want to visit and three weeks with nothing to do ... perfect!

Today's museum was the Tokyo National Museum. A little history, a little art, some armor and swords, and even a little collection they called "The Zoo in the National Museum," which was not a zoo, but an exhibit of animal statues made from various materials. That was interesting. It was a very fun way to spend my morning! Tomorrow I have Korean class in the morning, but on Thursday, I think I will try the Edo-Tokyo Museum, which is a history museum about the time period when Tokyo was called Edo (c.a.1600-1868).

Maybe I am not ready to go back to work yet after all!

It's Sumo time again!

This photo is from my visit to Ryogoku last spring for their "Spring Festival." Ryogoku is the area of Tokyo where the sumo stadium is located. For the Spring Fest, there was a flea market, sumo demonstrations and lots of food and shopping. Another missionary and I went; we had so much fun.

It is not a very good scan, but I will try to scan it again later. For now, this is me enjoying Tokyo!

The sumo tournament is in the city of Nagoya this week and next week. I will not be traveling to Nagoya (Nagoya is a couple of hours away by train. I could go, but contrary to popular belief, I'm not that obsessed!).

Oh, but it's time for the tournament to begin on television. I have to go now ....

:)

Thanks and pictures

A big thank you to David in Arkansas for fixing my picture of cherry blossoms (above). The picture is now much brighter and looks as beautiful as if it was still cherry blossom season. Thanks again for your computer handiwork!

And, a new addition today: a picture from Easter morning. The pastors and the two newly baptized members of Hoya Lutheran church (for the story of the "Biggest Little Baptism in Tokyo," see April 18). Thanks, Mom, for sending my alb. It looked good on Easter morning.

Thank you to everyone for reading and sending me all types of support -- even to the point of looking for the Scrambler in ND! (some friends would do anything!). I would be lost without my family and friends. "Adventures in Mission" is not only my my adventure in Japan, but your adventures, as well. From John 15:1-8. Jesus is the vine, and we (all of us!) are connected through him. "Abide in me, as I abide in you. Just as the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, neither can you unless you abide in me." Through this, God is glorified: that we bear much fruit (adventures!) and become Jesus' disciples (adventures in mission!).

Sometimes the adventures you wouldn't willingly choose make the best stories ...

For example, I wouldn't willing choose to BBQ in the pouring rain, getting soaked clear through with no way to get dry until a lost key shows up. But, that is how I spent last Saturday night: dripping wet with 12 other people barbecuing squid and chicken skin and other Japanese delicacies.

The second annual English Fellowship Camp got off to a bit of a rocky start. Perhaps I should I realized then what was in store. The weather was fine (a plus, and a bit of a miracle during the rainy season). The vans were late picking us up, then the pastor forgot some things back at the church, so turned around to get them. We finally left Tokyo for the beautiful green woods of Nagano. It was a bit of a drive, but well worth it. The woods were so much more beautiful than I imagined, after being cooped up in Tokyo for nine months.

As we were pulling into town, the pastor announced that he had left the key to our destination back in Tokyo (we had already turned around once for forgotten items, so it's an even funnier story than if it was the only thing he had forgotten!).

We arrived at the cabin and put all our stuff on the porch, and went for a hike (I've got pics on my cell phone, but don't know how to put them on the computer yet. If you come to Tokyo, I'll show them to you).

As we finished our hike, it started to rain. So, we hurried back to the (locked) cabin to set up the tents (canopies?). We had two small ones that fit on the porch, and one big one we set up in the back yard: with difficulty, as I seemed to be the only one reading the directions (a misnomer, since they were in Japanese, I was merely following the pictures). Finally, we finished setting up the tent in the rain, and then all proceeded to head back to the porch, where the grill was being lit. The big tent on the ground could have held all 13 of us. But, we all congregated around the grill. The rest of the night. We did not use the big tent even once.

Two small tents didn't hold us and the grill. Mostly, people hung out under the eaves, and some of the guys took turns running to the motion-sensor light so that we could see. I ended up being the waitress, carrying finished kabobs to people who would rather stay dry than eat (I had not helped cook at all, so I had planned to serve the finished product. I had also intended to be dry while doing this, but ah, well.)

The tents leaked rain in between them, plus there was a shower between the tents and the eaves. Plus, one man finally took an umbrella and stood in front of the motion light, and I took him food for his willingness to do that.

When a light turned on inside the cabin, we all cheered as the cabin's owner came to let us in. He said it felt like the Second Coming! We all finished clearing up and moved the party inside, where it was warm and dry.

My pajamas never felt so good!

A visit to Kumamoto Castle

A slice of life as a tourist in Japan.

Climbing the Ute Tower of Kumamoto Castle in my bare feet was sensational, and I mean it in a 5-senses kind of way. Sensational, as in the feel of the old wood polished smooth by centuries of feet. Polished so smooth, as to be clear of any stain. Centuries of traffic through the tower had stripped the floor to the bare wood. The planks creaked beneath my feet, uncertainly, as if they might give way. I was in awe the whole way up to the top. Stepping carefully, I was also alone almost all the way to the top. This utter solitude only increased the already present feeling of being watched, the feeling that I was walking past ghosts of souls long past. I could feel the warriors watching for enemies, the servers stepping quietly around me. Men and women going about their lives as they did centuries ago.

The sense of history weighed heavily on me, and I wondered about all the people who used to live there and work there. I felt as if they were all still there -- history still alive -- for us, the tourists who come to learn. I left the castle with reluctance, but living in the past is no use to those I have come to serve in the present.

I came to learn, to study the people -- not ghosts, but living people. The people who live and work in Japan now. The descendants of the ever-present souls in the castle. Having seen where they came from, I now go to where the people are today.

I come peaceably,
With curiosity, yet respect.
Yearning to understand.

Haiku

Known as "go-shichi-go" (5-7-5) in my newspaper, it is a deceptively difficult form of literature. What could be easier than writing 5 syllables, the 7, then another 5? Almost as easy as writing a couplet, right? (Which I have never tried, but I am thinking it's awfully difficult!).

The most famous Haiku poet I have heard of is Basho Matsuo (1644-1694). Here is a translation of one of his poems:

Temple bells die out.
The fragrant blossoms remain.
A perfect evening!

Every month in my newspaper, a different Haiku writer is featured. Some wrote centuries ago, and some only a few years ago. I am enjoying the brief glimpses of a delicate form of writing. Even to the point of attempting it myself. Brief rules of Haiku are: The 5-7-5 syllable rule, the poem must contain a reference to a season, and the poem must consist of two distinct (yet connected parts). Okay, go!

Train at the station,
Dark suits viewed through a pink haze.
New sun reflected.

It's about the falling cherry blossom petals during rush hour at the station. The falling pink petals are amazingly beautiful, like pink snow. They even glitter in the sunlight. Too beautiful for a poor attempt at haiku.

Cherry Blossoms

A day spent veiwing flowers (ohanami, in Japanese) in Shinjuku Park. It is a popular place to see the cherry blossoms. And, yes, I realize cherry blossom season was in April, but I am just getting the hang of these pictures!

Here I am with Becky (middle) and Mika (right). Becky is in Tokyo teaching English for two years as a LC-MS missionary (we studied Japanese together). We have been through a lot of tough verbs and grammar together! Mika is a former English class member at Hongo Lutheran Church, and still attends Sunday evening worship there. She is a good friend and tour guide around Japan!

Asakusa

Asakusa, Tokyo

A huge lantern at the gate of the famous Sensoji Temple.

Golden Week

This week begins week-long holiday in Japan, and one of the busiest travel times throughout the country. There were pictures on the news last Saturday of the international airport in Tokyo. Yikes. I am glad I didn't have to stand in those lines!

The holidays:
April 29: Green Day. No, not the band. This day celebrates the birthday of the Showa Emperor. As I understand from my students, the emperor liked greenery, so after he died, this holiday was renamed Day of Green in his memory. However, next year Green Day gets its own day (see May 4), and April 29 will be renamed Showa Day.

May 3: Constitution Memorial Day. Just like it sounds, this day honors the Constitution of Japan.

May 4: This day is not really a holiday, but Japanese law states that if a day falls in between two holidays, that day will also be a national holiday. Since May 3 and May 5 are both national holidays, May 4 automatically also is a national holiday, with all the rights and priviledges thereof. Beginning next year, however, Green Day will move to May 4. April 29 will continue to be the commemoration of Emperor Showa's birthday.

May 5: Children's Day, or Boy's Day. This holiday traditionally celebrated the health and growth of boys. In 1948, the holiday was changed to Children's Day in an attempt to be inclusive. However, it is still widely celebrated as Boy's Day, because girls have their own festival in March. According to an informal, non-representative survey of my students, on children's day, families with no sons tend to celebrate the day with a cake.

Everyone, whether they have children or not, enjoys the week of vacation. Some schools give students the whole week off, while others do not. My students are mostly leaving town, so even though Tuesday is not a holiday, I have no classes because I have no students.

What will I do to celebrate this week? The weather is beautiful, so I went to a Japanese garden today. As soon as I figure out how to get the photos off my cell phone and into the computer, I will share them! Other than that, I am still making plans. Hopefully, I will just be out exploring Tokyo in this fantastic spring weather!

Happy Golden Week!

Testing (Again)

Here is yet another attempt to publish a photo. 

True, this is an old picture, and many of you have already seen it, but this is only a test anyway.  If this works, it will be followed with more pictures sooner or later.

The Biggest Little Baptism in Tokyo

Baptisms are grand, festive occasions. When a person becomes a child of God and has water drenched on their head, it is like having a party during worship. Last Sunday, we had two.

Throughout Lent, two women had been learning about being disciples , preparing for baptism on Easter morning. Twice during Lent the women stood at the baptismal font while the congregation pledged continuing support for these two women on their faith journey. One time, they were marked with the cross: on their head, mouth, heart, hands ... over and over. I was moved. Each and every part of these women was marked as holy (wholly!) to God. The second time, each was given their own liturgy book, and again, the congregation was there supporting and praying for these two women.

Easter morning, the women came to the font. The smallest font I have ever seen. The silver bowl seemed so tiny, but it was filled to the brim with water. And perhaps it was deeper than it looked. I can't help but think of the miracle of Hanukkah and the oil which lasted for eight days. The water in this bowl drenched the heads of two women, three times each.

The pastor cupped both hands, plunged them into the water, and water poured over her head, the font, and the floor. "In the name of the Father...." So much water, like a child playing in the tub. "And of the Son ...." Water, running down her hair, her neck. "And of the Holy Spirit ..." After that she was handed a large, fluffy white bath towel. She needed it!

Then the pastor did it again! Two women, completely drenched from that tiny bowl of water. God's miracle in baptism -- enough water to take a bath in. (The Japanese word for baptism (seirei) is a combination of the words for "wash" and "worship"). Enough water to cleanse us and make us children of God.

On this festive day, we welcome two new members into God's family. And, dripping with water, we shout together, "Christ is Risen, indeed! Alleluia!"

How did I get here?

Anyone who has ever met me knows that I am physically capable of getting lost inside my own house (thankfully, that has not happened yet. But, never say never!).

That being public knowledge, whenever I leave the house, it is wise for me to wear several tracking devices, carry various maps and be eqipped with GPS (I seriously did consider buying a cell phone eqipped with GPS, but it was just too expensive). And leave early. If possible, three days early.

Last Sunday I decided to walk to the church where I attend English worship services, because it is close to my new house and because I had a map and because I didn't want to spend the money for the subway. According to my map, it should have taken somewhere between 30-45 minutes to walk there. And that's if I took only main roads, without any shortcuts. So, knowing my penchant for taking the senic route, I left an hour and a early.

Leaving my house, I was optimisitc. This time I would do it right. I studied the map well before I left, then tucked it in my purse for further reassurance.

After a few blocks of walking past familiar stores, I looked past them and saw a ferris wheel. Wait! A ferris wheel? How did I get here? There is no ferris wheel where I am going!

However, there is a ferris wheel just past where I am going, so I must have misjudged the distance, gone too far, and it is obviously time to cut to the east, like I knew I would have to. Okay, so, turn left and ... and come to an unfamiliar intersection.

No street names, no familar landmarks, and a looming ferris wheel.

I kept walking for awhile. Eventually, something would look familar, or I would come to another large intersection, or I would stumble upon a subway station, and things would be fine again. Finally I came upon a map that showed where I was and labled different parts of the neighborhood. Unfortunately, the university I needed as a landmark was not on there, but at least I had an idea of which way to head (and it was away from the ferris wheel. See, I knew it!)

I started walking, and now realized that I was going to be late for church if I did not find it or a subway station soon. So I kept walking and picked up the pace. Suddenly, I was filled with dread. I recognized the gas station in front of me. I recognized the intersection in front of me. I walked for an hour in a circle. I was back to my house.

How did I get here?

I got on the subway, as I had tried to avoid all along. Once I finally made it to church (I got lost again taking a new subway route, too), I tried to explain what happened. Someone asked, "So you turned at the ferris wheel, right? It's just down the street."

The ferris wheel I had been trying to avoid was supposed to have been my landmark. For six months, I have been approaching the church from a different direction. I had never known that behind a group of tall buidings sat a small amusement park.

I am still not sure how I arrived at the church. It's amazing I manage to find my way anywhere at all! (P.S. Even after all that, I was still five minutes early for church!)

How did I get here?

Korean, anyone?

As if I did not already have enough on my plate trying to learn Japanese, I came across a church offering Korean lessons.

"Why not?" I thought. "Why not give it a try?"

I have a friend who is Korean, who told me that Korean and Japanese are very similar, that is why it was so easy for him to learn Japanese.

"Why not?" I thought. "What can it hurt?"

My ego, for one thing.

My brain, for another.

I obviously came in to the class after it originally started, for there I was being introduced as a new class member, and would you all please introduce yourselves .... in Korean!

Ummm, yea.

The class is, of course, taught in Japanese (maybe I'll learn my Japanese this way!). After an hour of counting in Korean, I can now say one and ten, but nothing in between. We also also practiced days of the week, but forget it, I can barely remember those in Japanese. The good news: the class is only once a month.

What was I thinking?

Skit Day

Skit Day is the culmination of six months of Japanese language study. At the end of six months, we should be able to say simple things like:

"The weather is beautiful today."
and
"I am thinking that I want to be an English teacher,"
and
"I am used to Japanese food."

Also, I should be able to order food at a restaurant, ask and give directions, and make comparisons between countries (for example, the USA and Japan).

At the end of six months what I really can say is, "The weather is beautiful today."

Anyway, at the end of six months, the class put on a skit written, directed, and produced by the 10 members of the Japanese class. The plot is as follows: a student falls asleep in class and dreams of a kabuki play and a sumo match. The student wakes up to the teacher's impatient calls of "Homework, homework, homework!"

Kabuki is a form of traditional Japanese theater which employs the use of music, unique voices, and elaborate costumes and makeup to tell the story, often stories of battles, warriors and tragedies. In our kabuki dream, the "hero" starves to death outside a closed convenience store in Tokyo because he did not realize that there was a second convenience store just down the street. This is funny only because in Tokyo, a city block is not complete without at least two convenience stores. 7-11 is next to Family Mart is next to AM/PM is next to Lawson's. They are everywhere!!

This tragic story is based loosely on the fact that an AM/PM store that our class members frequented was shut down and turned into something else. No one starved to death because of it, though.

The sumo wrestlers were played by the two smallest women in the class. In fact, the entire skit was women, a reversal of real life, as women are not allowed to even touch the ring. I was the TV interviewer who interviewed the wrestlers after their match. I asked insightful questions such as, "Do you practice often?" and "How was the match for you?" (the winner). Journalism at its finest (that's why I was banished to the darkroom when I worked on the college newspaper!).

The skit was funny and well-received by our Japanese audience. The teachers were delighted that we were able to pull it off (we were still writing five days before the performance!). We had fun, and survived.

And now we all can also say, "I am hungry" thanks to the convincing performance of our kabuki hero.

My egg hurts!

For the past week my Japanese class been studying illnesses and injuries. This has been relatively easy compared to last week's lessons on ... comparisons. This week I have learned how to say, "I have a stomachache," and, "I hurt my leg when I fell down the stairs." (this one will be most useful for clumsy me, so I am memorizing this one dilligently). Things are going fine, except that I can never remember the word for head. Instead of saying "My head (atama) hurts, I often say, my egg (tamago) hurts. Gives new meaning to the phrase, "egghead."

And then there's bempi...

You would think that a class full of grown adults would be able to make it through a lesson learning how to say, "I am constipated (bempi)." If you did, though, you would be wrong. Even if the idea of learning about constipation in Japanese wasn't enough to set a classroom full of 20-somethings laughing hysterically, the word, "bempi" is just funny in its own right. Our persistant, dedicated teacher did her best to rein us in. "This is important!" she would say.

Little did we know that bempi might actually come up in a real conversation. Two days after learning that funny word, I wastalking with another missionary who has been here a year already. At a convienence store, the missionary met another English speaker who asked him for help finding medicine for ... you guessed it - bempi.

Our teacher is right. It is important.

Photos?

I promised in my email to everyone that I had photos on this website. Well, there are photos, but I am having problems finding them. I know they are somewhere in cyberspace, and sometimes I can even view them. To make matters worse, some of you have commented on them.... but I am not sure how you did that.

Technology is not my friend!

The photo saga continues ....

Whew! Busy!

It has been awhile since I have kept you all updated on my life, which is not good for any of us! If I detail everything I have been doing, you will not finish reading the entry to the end (and it would take me forever to write! So, here is a recap of events, like the headlines of a news broadcast:

December 16 -- Speech Day and Christmas party at Japanese language school. My speech went well, as did all of my classmate's speeches. Quite a few people were in attendance, and one of the J-3 missionaries came and brought the J-3s flowers. That was so nice!

December 23-25 -- Children's Christmas program, Christmas Eve worship, Christmas Day worship, caroling at the nuring home, and a lunch/program after Christmas Day worship at church. Then, an invitation for the J-3s to a Christmas dinner at our surpervisor's house. Whew! Busy weekend!

January 1-5 -- Vacation in Malaysia visiting a seminary friend. A good friend, a fantasitc time, cool shrines and musueams, Indian food, and hot weather. It was hard to return to Tokyo!

January 9 -- Day trip to city of Nikko, west of Tokyo. Friends and I spent all day exploring historic temples and shrines. A fun time!

January 10 -- SUMO!!! I sat in row 5 of the arena to watch my favorite professional sport of all time. I am hooked! It is a lot of fun, and I was very close to the entrance used by the Grand Champion -- it was so cool!

January 11 -- I begin teaching at the dormitory (named Katarina Center) in Tokyo one day a week until the end of the school year. The J-3 left at the end of the term because her baby is due in February, so the three women J-3s are filling in until the school year is over.

(In April when we being our teaching jobs, one of us will continue working here at Katarina).

Thank you for keeping updated on my blog. I will try to be more timely,　since I will be at a computer one day a week for the next few months. Also, next week I plan to take my film in to have it developed, so watch foｒ pictures of all these adventures!