Chris & Abbie

Well, first of all, we have no trip planned for home. But the other day I said to Chris, "When we go home I have a list of places I want to go eat at, so we should start saving for them now." I know, sad that I dream of all the food I miss back home, but the food here is definitely different.

So I thought I'd share my list with all of you, and tell you all to enjoy these tasty places for me this summer!

1. Lou Malnati's: We'll order the Malnati's Salad, a sausage pizza, and cookie pizza for dessert.
2. Oberweis: For some chocolate shakes!
3. The Pit: For a Cheeseburger special, with Dr. Pepper.
4. Jay's: This is Chris' choice, he wants a beef, or maybe a combo!
5. Francesca's: The best Italian food in Chicago!
6. Garcias: We may have to go more than once, I really miss Mexican food.
7. Always Thai/Spoon Thai: Either place will do, as long as I get some Pad Thai.
8. Starbucks: This goes without saying, but I'll have one-a-day, thank you!

I know, sad that I could think about so much food - but I've realized that I've turned into a foodie, no thanks to my dad and Chicago!

Happy Eating Friends!

Saturday the Youchien (Preschool/Kindergarten) had their annual Father's Day program. They asked us 5 English school teachers to help in the program. Last week I found out that our part was to stand with a Japanese student for the welcome, the Japanese student would say the welcome greeting in English and we were to translate it into Japanese. It seemed kind of backwards to me, but thankfully they gave us our parts early so I could memorize mine.

My line was to say "Let's have fun together!" in Japanese, "Isshonni takusan tanoshimimasho!" It went fine...but we had to do more.

Not only did we have to speak in Japanese, but we had to do the Chicken Dance in front of 125 students and their dads. It was quite hilarious! And we were on a stage about 3 feet wide, so I was trying not to fall off the stage the whole time.

I told Chris he had to come, because this would be great humor for him to watch. I figured he'd bring a camera, but when I looked at him standing in the back, I saw him with a video camera. I just about died. He claims he'll figure out how to get the video onto the computer and on to the blog, so if he does you'll all be in luck...but I'm hoping he can't figure it out!

Here are some pictures from the day - it was a fun morning and there were LOTS of laughs!

The cute little 5-year olds. Each class wears a different colored hat.

This was some sort of Japanese dance to the song "Obladi, Obladah"

This game was so funny to watch. The parents put the student in the sled and ran them around a cone and back. Some of the parents would go so fast, that when they would run around the cone, the student would end up flying off the sled. Only a few students ended up in tears, most were just laughing the whole time.



The gym was decorated with pictures the students painted of their dads.

We have been trying some of the Japanese candy, and it's really good. One of the students' favorites seems to be the jelly. It's like jello in a plastic creamer container (you know, the creamer they have at restaurants). It doesn't refrigerated, so we sent some to some kids we know in the states, just because it's kind of funny to us.

Well, yesterday we got an email from Chris' sister who checked out a book from the library and they saw this page in the book - this is really what the candy looks like! I thought it was fun so I thought I'd share it with all of you.

On Sunday after church, Kawaai Sensei (she's like our team mom), invited us all to have Yakiniku for lunch. Chris and I have never had Yakiniku before...we loved it!

Yakiniku is meat and vegetables that you cook griddle - like Benihana, but YOU do the cooking! It was so tasty and we even got to bring leftovers home, so we'll get to have some more later this week!

One of the many plates of vegetables, before they were cooked. Chris and I had to cut up 6 cabbages in preparation for the meal.

As you can see, we'd grab the food from the griddle as soon as it was ready!

One of the Youchien teachers who comes to church, Jeni, Patty, and Chris

On Saturday I spent the day with my friend, Rebekah. We decided to head to the nearby big town, Koriyama. We spent the day walking around town, exploring, eating lunch at the Italian restaurant and of course, drinking Starbucks. The day was so fun and so refreshing!

As we were walking around by the train station, all of the sudden we were in the midst of a hula show. We stopped and watch these cute little girls do a hula dance. After they were finished, three middle-aged men got on the stage and started hula-ing. It was so funny and so odd at the same time, but they were really into it. Japanese people really like the hula, and I knew that, but I didn't know that men did the hula, too!


As we were exploring, we also ran into this bus - Monsters, Inc. from Tokyo Disneyland. I think the characters were inside the bus, but we didn't go in it. (Of course I had to take some pictures for all you Disney lovers back home!)

Right before we left for Japan, I decided to take a quilting class. I was able to get everything finished before I left, so my quilt could be sent off to the long-arm quilter to be "quilted". Collette from Quiltology said she would ship it to me when it was finished - and this week it arrived!

I love it! I put it in our living room and I can't stop looking at it. The fabrics are so beautiful and the stitching from the quilting is so beautiful, too. I think I'm addicted to quilting and fabrics now, I just can't stop looking at them online to see which ones I'll get for my next quilt! I want to make quilts for everyone I know. (Don't worry Mrs. Mecher - I'll be knitting still, too!)

The new addition to our living room.

The front

The back


Look at the beautiful stitching!

First of all, I apologize for not posting sooner. Things have been a little busy and I'm trying to finish a quilt for some friends who are having an auction this summer, with the spare time I do have. (more on the auction later)

So, maybe it's just that I grew up in a diverse area, or the fact that I had been living in such a diverse area before we moved to Japan, but sometimes I forget that here in Japan I stick out like a sore thumb. I kind of just feel like I fit in here - I say hi to people as I pass them by and bow. I, for the most part, have grocery shopping figured out and can find things at the store. I am fully confident in buying a train ticket and riding the train. And, the other day I even conquered the feat of learning how to pay my bills here (you pay them in person at the grocery store). So really, I feel like I can do most normal everyday activities and not feel like I stick out too much.

But then reality sinks in...

Everyday I walk past the Youchien (Preschool/Elementary school) and for about 50 yards away the 3 year olds will yell to me "Eigo no Sensei, Eigo no Sensei" (English teacher, English teacher), usually followed by "Hello" or "Bye-Bye". They are so cute so I, in passing, say Hello or Bye-Bye in return, and then greet the teachers in Japanese.

But the other day it dawned on me, if a 3 year old can recognize that I'm an oddball from 50-yards away, I must really stick out here! Japanese isn't diverse at all - Chris and I, and our fellow teachers, are the only foreigners living in this rural town, and probably the surrounding towns too. But sometimes I just forget how much I really stick out.

So then in thinking about that, it dawned on me even more, that being here, and realizing that everyone is watching me, my actions are not only a reflection on myself, but on my teammates, on the Japanese family that has invited us to join them here, and most importantly on the example of Jesus that I am trying to live out to and for the Japanese people I encounter here.

It's ok that I'm an oddball here, people are wonderful and continuously show me grace when I don't understand something about the culture here, but I must remember everyday, that every action I take is not just about me, but is about a much bigger picture here!