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!

Speeches and More

As an update to my last post, my favorite sumo rikishi (wrestler) ended the tournament with a winning record and the probability that he will move up in rank. That's good. And, while he didn't do well for awhile, in the end, he was the only rikishi to beat the Grand Champion. The champion would have been undefeated in this tournament, except for my wrestler. So, that says something. This tournament was more interesting than the one in September, since we have developed a rivalry in the house. My one housemate has taken to cheering for the Grand Champion. The tournament is over now, but the rivalry will come again when the next tournament begins in January.

My Japanese class is going fine, except for one tiny thing. In December we are going to have speech day. If you happen to find yourself in Tokyo on Dec. 16, you are invited to attend. Our teacher said we'd be expected to invite people to our spech day. She didn't say they actually had to come :) It wouldn't be so bad if we didn't have to memorize our speeches. A speech in Japanese AND it has to be memorized???!! Yikes! I decided to tell a story about a cat named Yuki (that's "snow" in Japanese, and she is a white cat. Not very creative, but my vocab is rather limited yet).

Also, I bet you wonder what I do on Sunday mornings, since I am here with the ELCA as a missionary. Each of us is assigned a different cogregation. My congregation is Hoya Lutheran Church. It is near my house, and it is a wonderful little congregation. The people there are so friendly and welcoming. There are two women pastors at Hoya; one of them studied at the Lutheran seminary in Philadelphia. Usually I practice my Japanese after worship during lunch, but it's nice to know there are people who knowEnglish to help me along! I don't understand everything that goes on during worship, because everything is in Japanese, but I know basic words, such as God, Jesus, worship and "Let us pray." I can look up the Bible verses, sometimes following along (in English, of course, but listening to the Japanese). Also, I have joined the choir. Right now we're singing "O, Holy Night" for Christmas, so I only have to work on learning the Japanese, and not the notes as much.

On Sunday evenings I worship at a different local church which offers an English service on Sunday nights. Last night I was the preacher, so that was fun. It was nice to be able to lead worship again. There is comfort in that role: in the midst of Japanese studies, when Japanese studies confound me, the rituals of worship calm and orientate me again.

Sumo Obsession

My favorite Sumo rikishi ( wrestler) isn't doing well this tournament. Kotooshu is now 5-2, which still means he's doing well enough, but compared with his last tournament, he's not doing so well. There is a week left in the tournament, so I'll still keep up hope, and watch tv religiously every night.

Who would have thought that the sports bug would bite me? A few of you already know the devotion with which I watch Sumo already, and you hope it is a phase I will soon outgrow. However, my Sumo obsession has helped me learn Japanese: "Sumo rikishi" was on our vocabulary list. Also, Sumo has allowed me to develop my interests independent of my housemates and other American friends here. I am also learning Japanese tradition, religious rites and culture in my study of Sumo. In addition, if I can save the money, attending the tournament in January is a goal of mine. It is a good goal to have as it will encourage both independence and Japanese-langauge use (as I am suspecting none of my American friends will be interested in attending with me, because I am planning to sit as close to the ring as my misisonary salary will let me!

In the meantime, I will follow the Kyushu Tournament, and cheer on Kotooshu. And study Japanese. Because in January, I'm going to need it!