A tight Squeeze

Today, my parents, my grandma, my sister in-law, and I all squeezed into my friend's little 4 seater car/ SUV type thingy. We were soooooo jam packed that Anna, my sister, had to lay across my g-ma's and mom's lap while they were in-cased by all their luggage.

If you were wondering why we decided to do this, it's because today my family went back to the US. We drove for about 1 hr. and 45 minutes like that to the airport. We passed toll booths and right before the airport there is a check point and a cop comes up and asks for ID and to look in the back of the car. The last time we, Joy and myself that time, came to the airport we had nothing in the car but the people ahead of us had stuff and the cop had them take it all out. I was thinking about this as I scrambled to find my ID. Well, I worried for nothing. The cop just looked at my ID and then glanced in the back (where Anna was obviously laying on my mom and g-ma's lap) and said, "Thank you."

We made it in plenty of time (an understatement since we got there at 9:30am and their flight left at 4pmish but I had to be at another airport to pick up Joy and Brian who flew in at 11am).

The past 3 weeks went by so fast. . seriously it felt like my parents just got here. And now I leave in 3 days. I will head home and arrive home on the 4th of May. I am a bit concerned with the Swine Flu but I can't do much about it.

Well, I don't have a cell phone yet. . .anyone have any recommendations for cellphone companies?

Onsen

I love Onsens!!!!

Onsens are hot springs in Japan where you go in. . . naked.

Unfortunately none of my family were adventurous enough to go with me. It does seem odd to go to a hot spring naked. . . with your . . mom or grandma or sister. :) The onsens are usually separated female and male.

Here are some pics from the onsen in Takayama. I went in the morning when less people were there and no one was in the area when I got in.



Here is the view from the onsen.



Here is a part of it.



To the right you can see an area and there you could sit on a little ceramic bench and water would fall on you and massage your back. It was pretty cool.



This was a foot onsen. I hadn't noticed it until the last day before we left, sadly. Mom and dad would have enjoyed it.

Hotel Meal

Well, if you are following my blog you probably have noticed I haven't updated in awhile. Sorry, my family and I have been traveling around Japan and have just gotten back from Hiroshima and Kyoto area. Unfortunately those pictures won't be up for awhile but here are some pictures from Gifu. It is chronologically after my last post.

On this trip my family and I wanted to eat out cheap. Dinners would be nice meals but breakfast and lunches would be cheap/ in hotel/ home. Fortunately in Japan they have great conveniant stores with pretty good lunch and breakfast foods available. Here are some pics from those meals in Takayama.



A lunch . . . very nutrisious. . . we shared the soda and only drank 2 between the 4 of use and drank the other 2 the next day. Apples, onigiri, and sandwiches.



the same meal :)



Dad, eating his first conveni store egg salad sandwich with no crust and white white white bread.



This is breakfast. . .it's a sandwich thingy. . . a bread pocket with a peanut butter cream on the inside. . .


Food here is very interesting!!!!

A ramen shop first experience

My family and I are currently resting in Kanagawa at Joy's and Brian's till my sister in-law, Anna, comes. She comes tomorrow and then we head to Hiroshima the next day. Pretty exctiting. Here are some pics from our first day traveling to Takayama (means "tall mountain" in Japanese).



First time on a Shinkansen "bullet train". My dad was pretty happy about the train rides here :)



He's pretty cute though.



Grandma drinking her first green tea in Japan. It came from a vending machine. Mom and grandma decided green tea isn't there favorite tea. It's a little bitter.



Dad on the shinkansen drinking his hot canned coffee.





Here we are in the ramen shop. Actually my dad and grandma got Japanese curry rice and my mom and I got miso ramen.



Grandma and I



the cute waitress who was serving us. She was a bit camera shy but let me take this picture anyways :)



grandma with her curry rice







Mom saying "いっただきます".



Dad eating his curry rice

Britain's got Talent

So I found this off of another person's blog . . . you should check it out. It's pretty interesting.

Bernice and Amy especially should watch this :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9z0h1NNk1Ik&feature=related

Family in Japan

I can't believe they have made it!!!! My parents and grandma are here finally!!!

My family actually came in on the 14th but we've been busy traveling.



I took this at the airport while we waited for my family

Joy and I drove to pick up them up at Narita. We actually got there and back safely. No one died and we didn't get lost. My parents came in at 2pm and we got there around 1:40pm. On the way to the airport we talked about how fast customs is in Japan. Neither of us had to wait very long. . . well, we spoke too soon because it took over an hour for my family to get through customs. While we waited Joy and I tried to avoid looking like we were together BECAUSE I'd forgotten my passport (really I don't ever bring it with me) and my alien card. I usually have my alien card on me at all times because if I get carded by the police I need it. Police in Japan can randomly card foreigners and ask to see their passports or alien registration cards. While waiting for my parents, 2 policemen came up to Joy and asked to see hers. My heart started to race and I got super scared because if they decided to card me (which would have been natural since I was with her) I would have had to go to the police station and wait till someone brought my card or passport. I started to pray immediately. As they filled out Joy's info one of them turned to me and in Japanese asked if I was with her and so I did what was natural to do. . .I answered the truth in Japanese. He seemed to be fine about that and they went on their way. I was sooooooooooo nervous and wanted to get out of the airport ASAP.

My parents came and we got all their stuff and headed home. On our way home we got to fill our tank at a Japanese gas station for the first time which was fun :) Joy's car only has 4 seats so I got to sit on the side/ floor. But we made it home and had a nice Easter dinner that night too.



Here they come :)



Mom and grandma



Joy and I filling gas.



My dad eating a stick with quail egg and meat.

Yayyayyaa, thanks Joy and Brian for all you've done. Thanks for driving us around and letting us stay at your house.



My parents room :)



I made an baskets for my parents and grandma


Here are some pictures of us celebrating a late Easter with Joy and Brian.



My parents brought over some food from Trader Joe's for Joy and Brian too. Oh, the bags are our baskets :)



Brian got some red wine



Joy got horsey socks and I got Easter socks. Very cute Mom :)



All of us together.



Joy making dinner



My family resting while waiting for Easter dinner



We were cleaning up from dinner and apparently Joy hadn't gotten enough of my pumpkin pie ;)

An Ode to an old apartment and living above a tempura restraunt

Well, I don't know if I really agree with my title but I'm sure my roommate. . . ex-roommate that is, would agree. Yesterday I was in Saitama visiting my old roommate to help her move into her new apartment. Bernice and I have been here for over 2 years now. We came on the same day, had the same training together, and have lived with each other since last April. She has gone through many a roommates and has decided to step out on her own finally. Tired of finding people to fill empty rooms with, she now is the proud renter of a a 1DK. Her apartment is a nice loft. VERY big, kitchen, bathroom and toilet are separate, and it has a lot of storage space. It's great for a single person and what's best of all is that it is above a tempura restaurant. The landlady is the owner of the restaurant too. She's a very nice old lady who seemed very kind and warm hearted. I fell in love with her instantly! Very sweet.

I felt sad leaving our old apartment but not really since Berns was still over there with her computer and a futon. We had dinner there and watched some Gintama and found a new anime which is pretty good, "Eden of the East". The story is a bit confusing right now but the art is really good. Well, it's different.

On my way back to Joy's and Brian's I realized it would be my last time at the old apt. I gave my key and Berns will be completely moved out by the 16th. I will see her at the end of this month when my family goes and stays with her and then we will meet at the beginning of May before I leave for home. Weird. . .leaving Japan. It still seem so far away but it's not. I become sadder and sadder thinking about it. I realized Berns and I won't be in the same country come May. I haven't always lived near her but we've always been able to see each other or talk to each other easily. It really is strange to think about.

Here are some pics from our day.



Our last supper at the house. ..actually not but our last made supper. Berns made me a Chicken Curry but it was a fruity curry. It was nice.



Mango, tomato, onion salad. . .. mmmmm



I gave Bernice her b'day present early. I made her some green slippers :)



Packing up the Dove



Goodbye old house



Hello new one



Very airy :)

And Ode to the apartment. . . I am my father's daughter :)

Our Hearts

I John 3:20

". . . For God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything."

Hebrews 13:5,6

"God has said, 'Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.' So we can say with  confidence. 'The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid.  What can man do to me?"

Matthew 28:20

". .  And surely I am with you always to the very end of the age."

So I've having a great time with God this past week and a half.  Seriously, it was a blessing that I have all this time to rest.  I thought it would be SOOOO slow and that having 2 weeks of nothing really planned wasn't my idea of fun.  I wanted to see my family, go traveling, get home, see Aubrey, and go to Texas. . I had other stuff I was ready for and was a bit miffed that I had these HORRIBLE 2 weeks of . . .nothing really.  Going to the gym and that was about all that was in my planner.  

Again God is good an knows everything.  He knew my heart and what was best for me and if I might say what He wanted too.  Time with me :)  

My time here has been fully from Him and I've had time to spend a lot of time in the morning, afternoon, and evening with Him.  I wake up and spend the morning with Him and then go to the Navy base.  I go to the gym(which He knew I needed and desired), I then go and just spend time with Him at a cafe or park.  I also have time to journal Aubs (we send a journal back and forth from Paraguay and Japan), read up on some good books (recently getting into kid's classics; Peter Pan, Alice in Wonderland/ Through the looking Glass).  And then we (Joy and Brian) all head home at 8pm and I can go to bed at a good hour. 

It may sound boring to some but it is what I need.  I can process stuff in my life and relax.  I have time to listen and speak to God.  I almost wish I could always have this much time.  I know that it is my job to make time and I will but I will also have a job too. I know there is time and things will need to shift when I get home but I pray that I will be strong enough to keep my time with God a priority.  Not just time with God but my time.  When I say this I think of my brother in-law, Erik, and how he needs "his" time too.  And I think my family is a bit unfamiliar with such an idea. . not that it's wrong but our family has always been. . ."us" and I'm use to "us".  I am the youngest of 6 and I've almost always had a roommate since moving out.  "Us" is always a room away. (not discounting "Us". Anyways) I've loved being "Us" and if you really know me know that I love people.  Sometimes too much and in this last year and especially now the Lord is teaching me and showing me to enjoy "me", "myself", and "I".  

I have to say I really like it.  The more I embrace spending time a lone and being with God the more I crave it.  It's like when you work out regularly ( I mean really working out) and you're starting to get fit and it feels great. But for some reason you can't for a week or two and your body starts to feel sore. Sore in a different way then when you first work out.  When you first begin you're sore from being out of shape and pushing your body.  THIS sore is more like you've been working out and training and then you stop. . .my sister says it's your body's way of telling you "HEY, lets get to the gym!  I need some exercise."  My spirit is tells me "HEY! more time with God!  More time in the quietness! More worship! More rest!" 

It's funny. . .before my life was sooo full and I thought I loved it. I really did think it was good and that I liked it.  But I don't think I liked it, I think I thought I needed it.  I didn't like being a lone. . being just "me".  I wanted to be "us" but not in a healthy sense.  The funny thing is I'm always "Us" but am also always "me". God is with me wherever I go and He will be with me "to the very end of the age". 

For me this is a huge thing for me.  I can look at it and see that I am starting to FINALLY depend on God more and more.  I know I was suppose to come to Japan (and if I hadn't stayed the 2nd year) to learn these things. I know I could have and would have in another way but I praise God for this way, His way. 

My biggest prayer is that my life won't just go back to what it was. I know I have a tendency to relax when I move, especially when I go home, place.  Not just spiritually but physically and mentally.  I don't know why but I DON'T want to just going back to being busy and filling my thoughts, time, etc with "stuff".  

I want the quiet, the solitude, and time with just God and me. 

Night Song at Amalfi by Sara Teasdale

Night Song at Amalfi

by Sara Teasdale

I asked the heaven of stars
What I should give my love --
It answered me with silence,
Silence above.

I asked the darkened sea
Down where the fishers go --
It answered me with silence,
Silence below.

Oh, I could give him weeping,
Or I could give him song --
But how can I give silence
My whole life long?

I love Sara Teasdale. . . do you have a poet you love? I know there are many but is there one that you just keep going back to?

The Still Small Voice

"As he said, Go forth, and stand upon the mount before the Lord. And , behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind rent the mountains, and brake in pieces the rocks before the Lord; but the Lord was not in the wind: and after the wind an earthquake; but the Lord was not in the earthquake:

And after the earthquake a fire; but the Lord was not in the fire: and after a fire but the Lord was not in the fire:  and after the fire a still small voice."

1 Kings 19:11,12

"Imagine two people in a room together.  One is trying to whisper a secret to the other.  If the room is filled with a loud noise, even though the message is being communicated the one waiting for the secret information will miss it simply because the room is so noisy he can't hear.  Unless he is paying close attention, he may not even realize that he is being spoken to.

That's the way it is with communication between God's Spirit and our spirit.  The ways of the Holy Spirit are gentle; most of the time He speaks to us as He did the prophet in this passage--in "a still small voice." It is therefore vital that we learn to keep ourselves in a condition conductive in hearing." 

-Battlefield of the Mind by Joyce Meyers

Who needs younger and more chizzled when you can have Aidan Quinn?

Recently, I've been watching old movies. . here and there not really on purpose.  At the gym on base they have like a million tvs everywhere and there is one that is always playing a movie.  But that is jumping ahead.

The week my roommate left to go back home we had a movie night and she had never seen "Benny and June" and I love that movie.  Well, I hadn't actually watched it in ages and had forgotten how good looking Aidan Quinn is with his piercing blue eyes.  

This week I was running at the Navy gym and "Legends of the Fall" was on the tv and I hadn't really ever watched it.  I never really cared for it to be honest.  Not a big Brad fan.  Well, I realized Mr. Quinn is in this too (not as a very good person but he redeems himself at the end). 

What happened to men like Mr. Quinn?  I miss that type of man. . . clean cut, man of the earth, gentle eyes, and no hair product. We need more Aidan's and less Toms, Brads, and Leos. 

Okay, there is my silliness coming out again.  I will tuck it away neatly into my closet. Ta ta for now. 

1 month left

Can you believe that it is only a month till I'll be back in America!!! I can't. I was talking to my sister in-law, Brandie, and I just realized that I only had a month till I come home and only a week till my parents and grandma come (Anna comes a few days later). Time really flies. I thought I'd be so bored with these two weeks of nothing really before my family comes but the time seems to be flying. Which is GREAT.

2 fingers are better then one when giving peace

The title is dedicated to "Gintama".

BUT this is about my sayonara party with the teachers. I had a great time and it was really great to be able to say goodbye to everyone since I actually finished working 2 days before everyone else did. I wasn't 100% sure if I was going to go to the going away party but Hyuga sensei (sitting to the right of the teacher in brown pants, Kawamata sensei) and Toya sensei, not pictured, talked me into it and I'm glad they did.

We had a great meal and they presented all 16 of us teachers leaving with flowers. Afterwards we all headed to an izakaiya to keep the party going and I didn't get home till past midnight but my roommate and laid out a futon in her room. So I came in and dropped into bed and relayed the night to Berns and then we fell asleep.

Sadly, the next day she left.

It's great to look back at these happy moments. I'm sure when I'm old (27) I'll look back at these and think of them just as dreams that happened so long ago. I hope not. I hope that Japan will always be a place I come back to or am in some way connected to. Though along with that I've some how picked up England, Philippines, and Australia as places close to my heart because of my roommates and friends here. I love how the world becomes smaller and smaller . . . until you wanna buy an airline ticket and then it seems like light years away. ;)

Here are some pics.

This is the first course. . . sorry, I stopped taking pics of food once the food actually came. This particular pic is dedicated to the Minami Urawa Girls. . MUG hahhahahhaha.

Oh, but that is a sea snail to the left, the thing in the front that looks like a weird ear mold. . .well. . . it was tempura octopus with some odd jelly, the pink and white flowers are just tofu sweets. The shrimp is clearly a tempura shrimp but since it's cherry blossom season they have used a pink and white tempura thing to make it look pretty. The green stuff was good. Seaweed of some sort or some sort of veggie. Ummm. . in the dish is tofu.

Mr. Nakajima. He's really a funny but quiet guy. :)

Hyuga sensei and I eating ice cream.

Me and Urano sensei

And really this is to show that the peace sign is just an integrated part of Japanese life. Young and old throw up the nippon. . .which I think is funny. . to count things like pencils. . and other cylindrical things you use the ending "pon". . .Ippon, nippon, sanbon. . etc. Well, to say Japan in Japanese it's "Nihon" or "Nippon". . . maybe that is why they use the peace sign. It's their way of showing Japan pride.

Gintama

I don't know where there is underlining but there is, oh well. 

Okay, if you haven't lived in Japan or aren't into Jump manga then you probably won't know much about this manga/ anime.  If you do then you'll enjoy this.

My roommate and I are both pretty into Jump mangas.  She first introduced me to Naruto which is a good ninja story about a boy named Naruto who has a 9 tailed fox demon inside him and how he grows up with it inside him etc.  

My roommate, Bernice, is much more privy to the ways of anime and manga.  Well, she introduced me to "Gintama" which means "Silver spirit" but if you say "Kintama" it means "golden. . .mmm. . .yeah, something men have and women don't".  hahaahhahha. (sorry, if that was crude. . . .snicker)

Well, Gintama is nothing like Naruto but it is set in the edo period but some aliens have landed in Tokyo and have taken it over.  The aliens have taken over the samurai and have outlawed real swords.

Gintama is about an ex-samurai, Gintoki, who runs a business being a jack of all trades and doing anything if paid.  He has two workers; Shinpachi who is a glasses wearing, know it all and is the "level headed" on in the manga.  And then there is Kagura-chan who is actually from another planet but she wears chinese clothes and has a funny way of ending her sentences in Japanese.  She is also from the Yato clan who are known to be the strongest and most blood thirsty clans in the universe.  It's funny, they are known for their 'transparent' skin and being sensitive to sunlight so she always has an umbrella with her (super cool umbrella that shoots bullets and is bullet proof).

It's a great manga and I'd recommend reading it or watching it (if you wanna read it go to Manga fox.com.  If you wanna watch it go to anime media.com .  

I am mostly posting this because I was reading it and thought of Bernice who is currently in England but probably either playing on her PSP, bumming around, reading a manga in Japanese with her English dictionary by her side, eating a thing of curry, or watching Inuyasha or Akatsuki. . .amatsuki. . .which is it.  hahahha, one is an evil clan in Naruto and the other is a manga name. 

For all of you who think I've gone crazy for reading manga and watching anime. . . just know I haven't just gone crazy, I was just in the closet but living here I realized it doesn't really matter if you think I'm weird or not :)  And you'll still love me even if I like shallow characters with HUGE eyes. I'm going Japanesa.  

Oh, I love Elizabeth who is the duck character with the long hair.