Hot Potato Madness!

Sometimes a little bit of "controlled chaos" is in order. This is what made me laugh at one of my kids Christmas parties this week.

Thailand Day 3

Did I forget to mention that the reason we came to Bangkok was for the Asian Women's conference for the Church of God? We met some sweet women from India who greeted us with kisses on the cheeks. That's such a fun change from the formal and sometimes awkward greetings we have in Japan. These ladies were quick friends and have convinced us that our next trip needs to be to India.



During the conference, a dear new mother of the Faith, Darlene Stafford, talked about an attitude she adopted in her life a while ago. She and her late husband, Gil, call it the “Discipline of Anticipation.” They kept a joint journal where they would record “divine surprises” or instances where they knew God was active and present in their lives. At the end of this year and during this season of HOPE and anticipation, I wanted to reminisce with you all the ways that the Sacred has been near to me this year.
* The deadness of winter is always difficult for me, but every spring NEW LIFE always brings the reality of resurrection back to me. Seeing the sakura (cherry blossoms) this year was a magical time.
* Music has been a language that God has used to speak to me for a long time, but over this last year it’s been a lifeline as I’ve discovered new artists. 7 hours a week, my iPod has been my constant companion as I commute back and forth to Osaka for teaching. New voices who inspire me: Ingrid Michaelson, The Weepies, Mindy Smith, Jon Foreman and Glen Hansard.
* Over the summer, I visited with old HoneyRock friends. I loved sitting with these people with whom I have shared so much and comparing notes on the ways that God’s faithfulness has been evident. Canoeing with Andrea, Giordano’s pizza with the Havens and Meg, Hand and Foot with the Walfords. Good, good times!
* My friendships with Asako and Satoko have been llife giving this year. We plan to have a “slumber party” on Christmas Eve at my place where I will surprise them with Christmas stockings and we’ll read from Luke—just like my family does every year.
* I received a Christmas card this week from Pastor Uematsu and his wife that began: “Our dear Millie.” This relationship never ceases to surprise me as I continue to shake negative preconceptions I have.
* 3 American ladies have become really dear to me this year. Kendra and I have been meeting together weekly for prayer over Starbucks coffee. She’s an amazing sister who asks me hard questions and pushes me past apathy. Amber went back to her home in CA after a short 9 months of teaching in my town here. Our friendship has been so comfortable with many Saturdays of sleepovers and movie nights. I’m really going to miss her and Alina, who is also leaving before Christmas.

Thailand Day 2

This was an AMAZING day. Both of us agree: this day was a highlight.

We started early, early with a taxi ride to the floating market. We were the first customers of the day and it seemed as if the place had been reserved privately just for us. It was so dreamlike--the birds, the colors of the flowers and decor, the river. Everything was so....perfect. After we ate a breakfast of coconut milk and instant coffee (not so good), we headed on our way with our boat driver (another adorable Thai man). He pointed out his house on the bank of the river with pride. We took a short side tour of a coconut sugar farm. I bought some amazing tasting candy. We met the woman who climbs the trees (barefooted!) and retrieves the buckets with the sap.

Soon we met our first riverside seller. She had a long pole with a hook on the end that she used to bring our boat to her pier, even though we had no intention or desire to buy anything. She entertained us by showing us how the peeing monk works (you can barely see it below.) We couldn't stop laughing as his "pee" splattered all over Alina's legs! We got pretty tired from all of the sellers--especially after the boat ride when we decided to walk through the stalls on land. They're pretty aggressive. I paid way too much for a scarf that I found later in the week at a third of the price I paid. We learned how to bargain the hard way, I guess.

The elephant ride was expensive, but we decided it was worth it. Our "driver" was another sweet Thai man (we were smitten!). About half-way through the ride, he slid off "Faraday" (Alina named him) and took a TON of pictures with our cameras. The elephant walked through the water too. It was just a fun experience.

I love our laughter in this short video clip.

Thailand Day 1

Ok. I'm gonna try to get started on putting my thoughts together on Thailand.

Alina and I kept a joint journal of our time together. It was a fun idea. We have a lot of pages that are waiting to be filled with our future adventures together! India...??

As soon as we walked out of the airport's custom's doors, we saw a sea of people standing behind gates holding signs with people's names. Overwhelming! A tour guide didn't waste any time asking us if we needed a tour. Woah! Slow down! We just want to find our ride to the hotel.

We realized after finding the Thai lady who met us at the airport, that we are "babied" in Japan. She gave us just the bare essentials for information ("You'll take this taxi to the hotel," "This is how much it costs," "I'll see you tomorrow."). We were waiting for the itinerary for the night. What? What do we do tonight? Where do we eat? So many questions. We were so dazed, Japanese was slipping from our lips.

Japan is known as a "nanny society." This is evident by all the signs and announcements telling people to remember their "forgotten items." (Now, if I remembered them, they wouldn't be forgotten would they!) It was kind of a disturbing discovery for us to realize that we had become so dependent on people telling us what to do next. We spent the rest of the week shaking this stigma.

Yes, this is a Mexican restaurant! We decided to play it safe and go with something we were familiar with food-wise the first night. Unfortunately, we weren't yet familiar with the money and paid more for this meal than we would all week. Oh well! It was fun and the nachos were AMAZING!

I have NO upper body strength!

ok, ok...I know I'm way overdue in filling you in on the details of Thailand. I've been holding out for a really good, detailed post that would be MEATY and interesting rather than the junk that would flow from my fingertips at this point. So, if you promise to be patient, I'll come up with something good soon.

Until then, please enjoy this tasty morsel.

This is a typical Monday night with my junior high girls. It's really educational, I promise.
Our unit on "A Mexican Family" shows 2 men arm wrestling (not really sure why). I'm into experiential education. Here we are experiencing. Education. Well, after this night of humiliation (yes, I lost.), Mao told Yuna she must experience how PATHETICALLY WEAK their English teacher is. So...
(I LOVE Mao's face on the right!)

I am officially weaker than 2 junior high girls in Japan in arm wrestling. Now, leg wrestling... or bum wrestling.... WATCH OUT!

Yes We Can!

I was at the license branch today completing the last of many steps to get my official Japanese drivers license for my scooter. Crazy strict, let me tell you.
I was anxious to hear the news about the election because I knew the results would be revealed while I was there. I waited in line and listened the a stern office worker reprimand some young girls for chatting while he gave directions for how to sign our names on a form. My friend waited for me, watching the news on her cell phone. (Gotta love Japanese technology!) After I received my license (which has a TERRIBLE picture--quite possibly the worst hair day I've ever had and a weird closed mouth smile), my friend showed me her cell phone. Obama had just finished his acceptance speech. My friend heard part of it and told me that she cried a bit. She really latched on to the "Yes We Can!" chant.

Every Japanese person I've asked says they would vote for Obama if they could. I was watching a report on CNN the other night that said the same of Europeans. Personally, I'm excited about Obama being in the White House. I was reminded of the obvious as I watched the news tonight: We have voted in the FIRST black American into office! I heard a girl say "I'm proud to be an American again." I've surprised myself in the last few months by how interesting this election has become for me. Maybe its because so many of my students are interested and I don't want to seem like an apathetic, ignorant American.

Japan's Obama town celebrates namesake's victory

OBAMA, Japan - The Obama Girls were halfway through their routine when the results came in on overhead TVs.

Barack Obama had been elected US president, and the citizens of Obama, Japan, were ecstatic. Dozens of supporters swarmed the stage and joined hands, jumping up and down as they chanted "Obama! Obama! Obama!"

The Obama campaign brought an air of excitement to this normally sleepy seaside town. Local leaders, trying to revive the economy, latched onto the connection as a way to promote tourism. An "Obama for Obama" supporters group attracted 1,500 members.

And then there are the Obama Girls, a hula dance group formed in honor of Obama's Hawaiian heritage.

"This is great. I followed the election closely on TV. I'm hoping Obama can make the world more peaceful," said Akino Nakaoji, 34, still wearing a bright blue skirt and flowered lei necklace from her hula performance earlier in the day.

It was lunchtime Wednesday in Japan when the US election results came in.

"It was over so fast, I'm glad I got a chance to dance," said Satoru Wada, a 38-year-old male member of the hula squad, before heading back to work at a hotel.

Obama has a population of 32,000, smaller than the crowds the candidate drew at many of his US campaign stops.

While few along its quiet streets could name his policy proposals, his optimism and upbeat message of change resonates well here.

Obama, which means "little beach" in Japanese, is a former fishing town that now relies almost entirely on tourism. More than 500 years old, it boasts several ancient temples and a distinctive hand-painted lacquerware.

But the rustic town, wrapped around a stretch of sandy beach and surrounded by wooded hills, is not well-known, even among Japanese tourists.

So Obama's success has been a welcome boon.

The town has been featured repeatedly in the domestic and international media, and the number of visitors has increased 20 percent since it linked itself to the Obama campaign, said Shigeyoshi Takeda, who heads the city tourism bureau.

"We've had a lot more customers since the campaign, especially foreigners. We rarely had foreigners here before," said Atsuko Ikeda, 38, the cheery owner of a watering hole on the main shopping street.

Obama's mayor, Kouji Matsuzaki, himself won election with a campaign based on the English word "change." He said he plans to invite Obama to visit Obama.

The mastermind behind the "Obama for Obama" campaign, Seiji Fujiwara, is executive director of one of the town's largest hotels. He said the town has several business leaders with marketing experience that jumped on the opportunity.

"There are other towns named Obama in Japan, but we were the first to react," he said.

Town officials sent gifts and received an official letter from the campaign, signed "Your friend" in Japanese.

Fujiwara said the support group is already planning its future moves. Among them: Go to Washington for the inauguration in January and perform a hula dance. - AP

source: http://www.gmanews.tv/story/131535/Japans-Obama-town-celebrates-namesakes-victory

Happy Birthday Mia-chan!

This little girl is one of my baby English students. She's SO, SO cute! My favorite part of the video is when the boy starts to blow out her candles, she looks a bit upset. I think all together we sang 3 times!

Water Walking: the first year

This is the video I showed during the presentations I did over the summer. It covers my first year in Japan.

a stroll...

through the fish market in Akashi. You see and SMELL all kinds of things here!

I wrote about this same place the same time last year. This time, I remembered my camera. These are the dough balls with octopus in them. They're still doughy in the middle, so my favorite way to eat them is with the hot broth that finishes the cooking before you suck it down. They're piping HOT! Beware!

And, watch out for this fish lady. She won't take your sass!

frazzled no more

THANK YOU!!!! The prayers worked and I felt such a sense of relief and excitement today. After meeting with my new teacher, I feel encouraged by how much Japanese I already know and feel like I CAN ACTUALLY DO THIS!! Ganbattemasu!! I'll do my best!!

I also got my alien registration card straigtened out today. I was worried that I would be scolded about waiting too long to have taken care of the change of address (I should have done this in July!), but the lady seemed hesitant to make a big deal. This may have been because I was waiting for 25 minutes in the wrong section and she didn't see me. I'm thinking she was embarrassed to not have noticed me sooner and let me go without the proper talking to.

Now, I'm on to correct my next problem of driving with an expired International Drivers Permit. Lots of hoops to jump through.

I'm so thankful to be feeling the nearness of the Spirit of Christ right now. Thanks again for praying!

lost parrot

When Yosuke, a parrot, flew out of his cage and got lost, the little guy did exactly what he had been taught -- recites his name and address to a stranger willing to help.

Police rescued the African Gray parrot from a neighbor's roof in the city of Nagareyama, near Tokyo. After spending a night at the station, he was transferred to a nearby veterinary clinic, while police searched for clues.

“I tried to be friendly and talked to him, but he completely ignored me,” policeman Mr. Uemura said. The parrot kept mum with the cops, but began chatting with the veterinarian.

“I'm Mr. Yosuke Nakamura,” the bird told the vet. He also provided his full home address, down to the street number, and even entertained the clinic staff by singing songs.

“We checked the address, and what do you know, the Nakamura family really lived there. When we told them we had found Yosuke, they were elated,” Mr. Uemura said.

The Nakamura family had been teaching the bird its name and address for about two years, and they were very happy that it finally paid off!
Source: Internet News, 2008-05-26

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The reason I thought this article was good for my blog is because of Dai-chan. Let me tell you a story...

One of my students has a parrot who speaks Japanese. He sings Japanese. He YELLS Japanese.

One day, this studentwanted to take a picture of me with Dai-chan. She put him on the table and said "Don't touch. Only picture." Okay. I don't plan to cuddle with this bird; I'll just smile.

After this picture, he walked very slowly towards me, like he's checking me out--getting a feel for me. I'm an Indiana farm girl; I've been around animals all my life. I didn't back away. I should have. In a flash, he had his MASSIVE, SWORD-LIKE beak wrapped around the sensitive skin on the top of my hand. Just a few centimeters to the right and he would have cut open the big vein in my hand. I immediately started screaming IN JAPANESE (!!! not sure how this happened!). My student came to my rescue and got the bird away from me. Here's the apology email I received from her and Dai-chan after the incident:

Dear Millie

Hello!!

Thank you very much yesterday. And thank you today.
Today's tomato-soup was delicious.

You are busy really every day. Thank you.!!

Please enjoy a summer vacation from July 21. I hope so that a holiday in USA works as you cheerfully.
Looking forward to meet you who are cheerful in September.

Dai-chan said to Millie!! I am sorry to bite your hand. Is it your hand OK ? I love Millie very!!
Please come to meet me again.

Have a safe trip home!!

This is why my life in Japan is such a treasure. I can say this now that my hand isn't throbbing!

frazzled

Please pray. I'm feeling overwhelmed with anxiety tonight as I prepare to meet my new Japanese tutor tomorrow morning for the first time. I'm nervous. I'm thinking about how much work this is going to be and my lazy self is asking this motivated Millie, "Why did you sign up for this?"

Please pray that I make a good connection with this person. Pray that we can have fun. Pray for motivation. Pray for the loving and gentle presence of Christ to be present in our sessions. Pray that my brain will absorb something...anything.

Ramadan

I read this just now in the e-newsletter I receive from the director of global missions of the Church of God. Thought I'd pass it on to you:

"The month of Ramadan is coming to a close for the Islamic world. Faithful Muslims have been fasting during the day as many of them seek a closer walk with their God. The last 10 days of Ramadan is known as the 'Night of Power (or Destiny).' I have just received an e-newsletter from our friend, Fouad Masri. Fouad is the founder of Crescent Project that is located in Indianapolis. In it he states: Many Muslims have told me: On this night, the wall separating the physical and the spiritual realm is so thin that all prayers and supplications will surely be heard. Did you catch that? There is still a 'wall' Muslims recognize between God and themselves." Fouad asks us to pray for the Muslims especially at this time, and gives us three things to pray for:

- Pray diligently that many Muslims will have visions and dreams of Christ and His power.
-Some Muslims are earnestly seeking for God! Pray God will intervene in their lives and glorify His Messiah Jesus of Nazareth.
-Pray Joshua 29:13 for our Muslim friends:
"You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart."

The same could be prayed for my dear friends here in Japan who are curious about faith in Jesus.

mind your manners

Yes! These are REAL posters that I've been seeing all over the train stations in Japan. (I didn't take these photos, but I have seen them.) They make me smile. I wish they made them in T-shirts!

prayer answered!!

You all know that I have been praying for a LONG time for a Japanese language plan to develop. It's happening!!

I found a place in downtown Kobe that offers FREE one-on-one tutoring with Japanese volunteers! I start next week. It's a 6-month commitment, which I think is the perfect amount of time to start. If I want to do it again, I have to wait 3 months to sign up.

This place has many opportunities for interactions with people of many different cultures. They also organize day trips too. So, next month, I'm hoping to tour the Glico factory. This is the company that makes Pretz and Pocky!

Thank you God for doing SOOOO much more than I could ask or imagine! My roots are reaching deeper and are getting stronger because of YOUR faithfulness!

Now, for the motivation to study hard!!

i hate my layout

I really need some help in making this blog nice (hint, hint Paul!!). I tried to tweak it tonight but I'm hopelessly lost. So, please forgive the mess.

The Invisible Woman

Even though I'm not a mom, this encouraged me this week.

old year book photos

Vote for your favorite

#1

#2

#3

#4

#5

#6

#7

#8

scary how real these look!

Engrish funnies

I wish I had taken pictures of these, but the camera is never handy when I need it most.

"Virgin Grave"
this was the brand name of a necklace I found recently at a 100 Yen shop. Kendra's remarks: "Remind me not to buy this for my 40 year old friend who is still single." Good idea.

"Get in stars your eyes make soon"
This t-shirt slogan assures me that, as an English teacher in Japan, my job is secure.

returning to contentment

Okay, all of you faithful Confessions readers. You've been so patient this summer waiting next to your Google reader, checking to see what the latest news from Millie is. Sorry about the hiatus. I got back from my summer in the States last night and am anticipating some early mornings to come with the jet lag. So, never fear. The blog is back. You can resume life as normal now.


It can be a challenge for people to return back home after having an amazing experience and to communicate the impact of what they've encountered. Maybe you've been on both sides of this. You do something and want to share the amazing-ness of that moment with someone else. This someone else listens politely and asks a few questions for about 10 minutes...then you notice the eyes have begun to glaze over and there is a distracted spirit about them. Bless you, dear friends. You try, you really do. It's just difficult on both sides.

I'm glad I had the time to be home. I loved seeing everyone and was humbled by those who told me they were reading the blog and were praying. (Thank you!!) People asked me if I get homesick in Japan. I'd be lying if I said I never miss home, but I think it's pretty rare. Maybe because I have skype and email, I don't feel so far removed. Definitely at Christmas, I was sad to be away from family.

When I was leaving Japan last month for the States, I remember thinking I was glad that I had at least another year here. If I was leaving for good now I would feel so, so sad. When we flew in to Osaka yesterday, I had the feeling of returning home. This isn't the first time I've experienced this feeling and I think it's telling of my contentment.

The most encouraging thing I heard from people during my stay in the States is that they could see on my face that I am happy. People told me that I was shining and had a light-ness about me. I was reminded at Christ Community Church in Wheaton about the difference in my spirit between now and when I last was there. I was so broken and discouraged when I left the church over a year and half ago. I thought I was returning home to a death sentence of my dreams for Japan. Kneeling at the altar again this time, I returned thanks to God for his faithfulness in fulfilling my dream for Japan.

So, here I am. Facing another year to be faithful in living obediently in Japan. Lord, prepare me for what's to come. Strengthen my roots in your love.

summer at home photos

weeding

"Should this autumn bring rain or storm, I know not;

my duty for today is to weed the paddy field."

(quote from Ninomiya Sontoku--famous old guy for something about farming in Japan)

I found this quote today and loved the wisdom it offered of active faith. This stage of life for me and a lot of my friends is intrinsically uncertain. But, really isn't this true for anyone in any stage of life? I guess the weight of the decisions we make as 20-somethings (ehhhh, I mean early 30-somethings-shoot) just seems so heavy. I often have to remind myself that God isn't stumped by my bad decisions. He doesn't say, "Well, crap Millie. Why'd you go and do that? Do you have any idea how I'm going to get you out of this pickle now?" This doesn't excuse us from making good decisions and just doing whatever "feels good." We can not base our decisions on our emotions; they are fickle, fickle things. I'm getting off track.

These words remind me that God expects me to be faithful with the here and now. I don't know what the "fall" of my life will bring, but for this season, I know what my task is to do and I need to do it well. Weeding is a tedious and never-ending job. But it's a necessary job. If the weeds are taken care of, there is a bountiful harvest. What kind of weeding do I need to do to be more productive for the Kingdom?

star-crossed lovers

Today is July 2nd and I absolutely can't believe it. Mostly because there are no red, white and blue banners and stars decorating every store and street. It just doesn't feel like summer to me, except for the rising heat and humidity everyday.

Tanabata (Star Festival) will be on the evening of July 7. The legend behind the festival is that the Cowherd Star (Altair) and Weaver Star (Vega), lovers separated by the Milky Way, are allowed to meet just once a year - on the seventh day of the seventh month. Children and adults write their wishes on slips of paper and hang them on artificial or real branches of bamboo. I'm seeing these all over the place. I read a description of this practice of hanging prayers/wishes on these branches of bamboo. It said that parents tell their children that if they pray diligently, then what they want will be granted. This is much like the American tradition of making a wish when you blow out your birthday candles.

I'm thankful that our Abba doesn't depend on our prayers to give us good things. I'm so glad that we have a good and generous God. Grace is a wonderful, wonderful thing.

Let's go to a garden...

Another lesson learned: when invited to go to a "garden," ask "Is this garden located on top of a mountain?" and "What kind of shoes and clothing should I wear?" If I had asked these questions, I would have been more prepared to cross the streams and tromp through the muddy trails without fear of ruining my new WHITE tennis shoes! Oh well. God's grace was abundant and I was able to take in the beauty of the mountain and the river anyway. I am always refreshed by nature and am happy to fill my lungs with the clean air that is rare to find in the city. When we were finished hiking, my friends and I were really thirsty. So, we decided that stopping by a karaoke place for an hour would be a good ending for the day since the drink bar was free and all-you-can-drink! I started taking this video of Kaori singing when the waiter came in with our drinks. She was really embarrassed and he was trying really hard not to laugh. As you can hear, I didn't hold back my laughter. Typical Millie. It was a good day.

We Need Ice Cream!

Preaching tomorrow--please pray. I have this dry coughing thing going on that's really annoying.

FUNNY story! Did you know that Baskin Robbins in Japan is called "satay wan" (say it really fast and you'll understand why). Last night, one of my students took everyones order for their favorites, promising to bring a feast of ice cream next week from Baskin Robbins. My phantom gall bladder is crying for mercy even now! Anyway...during our Bible study section of the lesson, we were reading about the temptations of Jesus. We read about Satan tempting Jesus to turn the stone into bread. I asked my students, "What do you think it means that man cannot live on bread alone?" Right away, my comedian of the class, takes off her glasses and says with confidence "We need ice cream!" I could not stop laughing! YES, we need ice cream--but we sure couldn't live off of it 24/7! Believe me, I've tried it!

uhhhh. okay.

This is why I don't talk to other foreigners in the train stations: I've seen the same guy at the same station waiting for the same train as me for the last couple of months. For some reason, I always avoid having conversations with other foreigners. I'm not exactly sure why. I'd like to think that I'm a pretty friendly person and like talking with people.

Today, it couldn't be avoided. Before I knew it, I was standing in line right behind this guy. We got on the train and I started my move toward an open standing spot. I was cut off at the last minute and needed to move. Shoot. The only open spot is next to the foreigner. I sat down and bit the bullet. "I've seen you around here for a while," was my introduction. After some awkward "how-do-you-do's" I found out he's been living in Japan for the past 3 years. Okay, don't get me wrong. I really am interested in learning about other people and why they do what they do, but this was just SO awkard. I inquired about his Japanese ability. He said he does alright and then proceded to make a point in telling me that his JAPANESE girlfriend helps him in that department.

OKAY, buddy! I wasn't even going there. But thank you very much for putting me in my place.

AWKWARD!!!! I think I'm going to start riding in a different part of the train.

A drip a day keeps the doc away

I read this article in the English newspaper I picked up on my way to work this morning. This article was so shocking to me. It did provide some good conversation in my English class.

"Though a needle stuck in the arm might not be everybody's idea of a quick pick-me-up, time-pressured Tokyoites are flocking to a clinic in the capital's Ebisu district to receive IV drips that promise rapid rejuvenation.
Yebisu Garden Place Clinic is located on the fourth floor of the Yebisu Garden Place Tower building, which houses many foreign capital firms.
What is unusual about the clinic, which mainly offers internal treatment, is a corner in it where patients are put on a variety of intravenous drips, including one designed to enable users to recover from fatigue and one formulated for beauty care purposes.
In the refined, cafelike space, businesspeople can take a short break hooked up to an IV as casually as they might enjoy a cup of coffee after lunch.
In the space, named Tenteki10 (drip 10), drips are administered in just 10 minutes. The clinic opened the space in April by remodeling one corner on the floor. Four chairs are placed wide apart in front of the counter, where patients put out their arms to receive the drips.
Those who visit the clinic for drips enter the corner through a different door from the one used by other patients.
At first, a patient has an interview with a doctor. Sitting face-to-face with a patient, the doctor asks about the patient's physical condition and allergy histories. If no problem is recognized, the patient is taken to the counter, where a nurse will ask the patient to choose a drip.
"Which menu item would you like to have today?" a nurse asked with a smile as she handed me the list of drip choices.
The basic course offers a drip of 50cc glucose solution fortified with vitamins for 2,000 yen. The course can be supplemented with options including a "comprehensive beauty care" treatment for 3,500 yen, "fatigue recovery" and "cosmetic whitener" treatments, each costing 3,000 yen, and "energizing" and "detoxification" treatments for 2,500 yen each.
Although this may sound a little expensive, it is not unreasonable considering that the service is not covered by health insurance.
As an option, I picked the "comprehensive beauty care" one, which is designed to generate collagen and get rid of pimples, according to the descriptions of the individual course's effects. Upon my request, the nurse took out an ampule and blended it with the basic drip. The transparent fluid instantly turned a vivid orange.
Finally, it was time to receive the drip. When the needle was stuck into my vein, the orange-colored fluid started dripping through the tube rhythmically.
Before long, I noticed a garlicky taste gradually spreading in my mouth.
"Don't worry--it's caused by a vitamin B group substance," the nurse said.
It took about 10 minutes until the drip was completed. When I looked into the mirror, my skin seemed fresher than before I received the drip.
Recently, an increasing number of people reportedly are visiting medical institutions for drips even if they are not really sick, with some of them saying, "I'm tired--would you give me a drip?"
The clinic's director, Ryuji Yasumura, 50, believes that the stresses of modern life are behind the service's popularity. "I guess many people suffer chronic fatigue and mental stress from the performance-based system in the current corporate society."
About 30 to 40 people visit the clinic for drips each day. On Fridays, people often have to wait in line, according to the clinic.
Sitting next to me, a neatly dressed businessman in his 40s was put on a drip he said chose to help him recover from fatigue.
"I enjoy playing soccer on weekends," he said. "My fatigue is gone after I come here, and I don't have any trouble attending an early-morning meeting."
When the drip bottle was emptied and a nurse removed the needle from his arm, he retied his tie as if showing his resolve to make a fresh start. He looked exactly like Kosaku Shima (a manga hero for businessmen).
For those in the rat race, a pain in the arm may offer temporary relief. But aren't they overdoing things a bit?"
(May. 27, 2008, source: The Daily Yomiuri, by Haruka Takahashi)

LOST Church of God

I noticed something very interesting today about the logo of the denomination I am serving with in Japan. Does this look familiar to anyone? Did D.S. Warner have something to do with the Dharma intiative? Is Ben Linus working for Warner? I'm forming some new theories....

japanese version of The Office (SNL)

feeling a little under the weather today, but this made me laugh. I watched it around 10 times!

Mum's Day

After procrastinating for weeks, I finally got my Mom's package in the mail (a day AFTER mother's day!) For my church's Halleluia Kids program, I led a simple 15 minute craft that turned out pretty nice. I found an idea on the internet and went searching for tissue paper at the 100 yen store, only to discover that they had an entire kit with the EXACT supplies I needed! All for 100 yen. It's a tissue paper flower attached to a pen with cute tape. LOVE IT!

One of the girls added a special flare to hers by cutting the ends of the tissue paper fan into points. It looked way cooler than mine and I tried to communicate to her that I liked her different style. Unfortunately the word for wrong and different are the same in Japanese and this seemed to confuse her a little bit. Still bumbling along... Oh well.

another new friend

I met a new friend recently in the local home center store near my house. Ryoko found the courage to approach me and practice her English. I'm so happy she did! Yesterday, I spent the afternoon at her house talking about so many different things. We didn't run out of things to say for 7 hours! I discovered that she was using this blog as her English "textbook"! A little bit embarrassing, but hey, why have a blog if you're not willing to have people read and interact with what you write?

Ryoko recently went to the Sweets Expo at Himeji Castle. I heard from other people that they waited in line for 3 hours before they saw one display, but Ryoko had no complaints to share--only these beautiful and amazing pictures. Keep in mind that these are made entirely of sugary goodness! Amazing!

fun english

Here are some fun English pictures I took this week.

This is the package for some plastic toy spiders I got for my English students. I'm fond of the instructions for choosing the proper persons to play with the spiders.

This is a sign I saw at a restaurant in Kobe the other day in a part of town where a lot of foreigners live. I suppose if you are confused by the top four offerings, you can always just have "food."

first enemy sighting of the spring

These creepy crawlies have returned with the warmer weather. I was hoping that the raking I did in the winter would clear them out, but I guess I can't avoid them totally. After killing this one tonight, I still feel like I have something crawling on me. YUCK. I love nature, but recently it's been getting too close for my comfort.

a fun day

Last Sunday, I spent the afternoon hanging out with some Japanese teenagers and my new friend Amber. She's teaching English in Tarumi too, but at a different church. She just moved here about a month ago and we are both thanking God for answering our prayers for friendship.

These girls were so much fun to be with. They both love speaking English. When we met up with Saori, she said "I'm so exciting!" This common English mistake makes me smile every time!

We went to the aquarium where I saw the biggest stingray in my entire life. At the dolphin show, I was impressed yet again with Japanese ingenuity. The first 4 rows of benches were a blue color, so we figured out those were the seats to sit in if we wanted to get splashed by the dolphins. This aquarium took it another step and offered people in those seats plastic tarps to protect themselves from the water. I think I was more entertained by watching the people duck for cover.

Another Japanese concept that would be a great idea to have in the States: Purikura. These are photos booths on crack. Seriously. Remember those old black and white strips with 4 or 5 photos? This takes that concept to the extreme. Computer technology never ceases to amaze me. After you take your pictures in the booth, you go to the computer screen and decorate your photos. It's hard to explain; maybe I'll take you on a video tour sometime. Or better yet, come to Japan and experience it with me! :)

April Adventures

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EWWWWWW!

Here's a strange picture from a strange event...when I came home this afternoon I discovered a gecko had been trapped in between the backdoor and the door frame after I opened it this morning. Poor little guy! He never even seen it coming! The toes totally look like ailen toes, don't they? Freaky. It was even more freaky when those toes starting wiggling around when I opened the door and discovered he was still alive! My friend and I screamed like the little girls we are! He dropped to the ground and scurried off after regaining his senses. I don't know if he'll make it or not, but I'm sure his spirit will be haunting me..... EWWWWW!

I felt the earth move under my feet

Last week I woke up two nights in a row to an earthquake. The first time, fear gripped every inch of my body and jerked me from my deep sleep. It was a while before I could doze off again. I remembered the stories I heard from the "Big One" that hit Kobe 13 years ago. My fear was so, so small compared to the terror that was known on that day. I felt a little foolish to be so "shaken" (excuse the pun!) when it was obvious that these earthquakes were nothing more than a normal occurrence in life in Japan. I talked with my students about the tremors and told them how strange it was for me, having never experienced something like this in the mid-west. "We never get earthquakes in Indiana."

THEN, not even 12 hours later, Indiana did in fact experience an earthquake! I chuckled as I watched the news reports on the Internet. This was BIG news. I'm not sure if I felt more justified in my astonishment of my tiny tremors in Japan or more like a country bumpkin after watching the truck stop patrons recounting their stories. I suppose I'll never stop being a small-town girl from Indiana.

baby steps

I'm feeling more adventuresome with my Japanese and actually felt some success last week. I pushed myself to speak every Japanese word I could when I went out to dinner with one of my students. Tonight at a convenience store, the clerk made eye contact with me (I'm realizing how strange it is to type this as it's not unusual in the US, but is so, so rare here) and I took this as an invitation. I read his name tag aloud and pointed to myself and said my name. (Me Tarzan, You Jane, grunt, grunt) It was awkward and so basic, but I felt a sense of triumph in moving outside my caged self. I think a lot of times, I place the blame for my atrophy on the Japanese--like it's their fault that I can't live free and vibrantly anymore. But really, it's my fear that holds me back. When I get a taste of my realness and realize how much I miss that person, I am encouraged to tear off my entanglements and run free.