We all arrived on Friday afternoon into San Diego without to much trouble. Tsuji and Mori were both stopped at customs and had to go into a room for more special questioning. Turns out they both didn't fill something out right on their cards.
We had a wonderful pizza party with the homestay families Friday night and the students loved playing with all of the kids. Today we went to the beach, which was beautiful, had some Mexican food since we are only a few miles from the border, and went to a San Diego Padres baseball game. The game was exciting as they played LA Dodgers who are both in the playoff race. Stadium was packed and Mike Cameron of the Padres hit a GRAND SLAM! What an amazing thing to see in person and it being the students first baseball game.
Right now, we are all very tired but no one seems to be struggling with jetlag which is great news. Adios and I will try to do a better update in a few days.
Sunday, September 02, 2007
Thursday, August 23, 2007
Narita Roadtrip!
So on Wednesday morning at 3:30am Keith, Marikit, and I headed off to Narita for an early morning roadtrip. Marikit is from the Philippines and received a scholarship to come to Japan for 4 years to attend Utsunomiya University. She purchased a plane ticket back to the Philippines that left at 9:45am. One problem with such an early flight is that the trains don't get you to the airport in time in the morning and the bus had no more tickets available.
Thus, we embarked on what we thought would be a 5 and half hour roadtrip down to Narita and back. So our instructions provided to us went something like this: Head out of town on 123 until you see a giant whale. At the giant whale fish tale to the right. Now make sure you stay on this road until you meet the giant shell. (Bring your translator with you so you can understand him). After receiving instructions, say thank you, and make sure you don't touch his pearl. Head down until you see a Sunkus where the Pirates hang out. You will eventually find a river. Cross it. Then look for the rescue airplanes and you will soon be there.
Well, we also got some road numbers but that was the gist of it. [For those of you who are familiar with the love eye of Hoag, eat your heart out. My love eye has flames shooting out of it. Don't ask how that happened. I don't know.] But Marikit gave us some Philippine snacks. The one in my hand interpreted into something like "My Dead Ancestors." I don't know. I didn't ask questions but it wasn't too bad.
We then stopped near Mt. Tsukuba for a picture. As you can tell it was cloudy and not very helpful for seeing the mountain but the rice fields looked great. They are a wonderful cushioning for when you get karate chopped.
After a few hours and two unintentional detours we made it to the airport after a quick restroom break at the nearby hotel. Who needs a gas station when there are hotels everywhere.
Our way back took a bit longer. Maybe because of our three accidental detours and one intentional detour and of course traffic was a lot worse during rush hour. Below is the tallest Buddha in the world at 120m (396ft). That's taller than a football field! It weighs 2220 tons and was completed in 1992. From head to toe it stands 100m and 20m for the pedestal. The Statue of Liberty from head to toe is only 40m.
For some reason I am reminded of a song. (Big Buddha, Big Buddha, Big Buddha, Oh yeah, Big Buddha. Big Buddha number 1...)
We eventually made it home without much help to the Japanese road system. For some reason most Japanese roads are not straight. It is rare to find roads that go North and South or East and West. Most curve all around and often take turns. An example would be our main road of travel we took called 408. There were about 7 places where you had to take turns to stay on it and usually you got one warning sign that you had to turn right or left to stay on it. Well, needless to say, we missed a few of those signs but we had a great time anyways.
Thus, we embarked on what we thought would be a 5 and half hour roadtrip down to Narita and back. So our instructions provided to us went something like this: Head out of town on 123 until you see a giant whale. At the giant whale fish tale to the right. Now make sure you stay on this road until you meet the giant shell. (Bring your translator with you so you can understand him). After receiving instructions, say thank you, and make sure you don't touch his pearl. Head down until you see a Sunkus where the Pirates hang out. You will eventually find a river. Cross it. Then look for the rescue airplanes and you will soon be there.
Well, we also got some road numbers but that was the gist of it. [For those of you who are familiar with the love eye of Hoag, eat your heart out. My love eye has flames shooting out of it. Don't ask how that happened. I don't know.] But Marikit gave us some Philippine snacks. The one in my hand interpreted into something like "My Dead Ancestors." I don't know. I didn't ask questions but it wasn't too bad.
We then stopped near Mt. Tsukuba for a picture. As you can tell it was cloudy and not very helpful for seeing the mountain but the rice fields looked great. They are a wonderful cushioning for when you get karate chopped.
After a few hours and two unintentional detours we made it to the airport after a quick restroom break at the nearby hotel. Who needs a gas station when there are hotels everywhere.
Our way back took a bit longer. Maybe because of our three accidental detours and one intentional detour and of course traffic was a lot worse during rush hour. Below is the tallest Buddha in the world at 120m (396ft). That's taller than a football field! It weighs 2220 tons and was completed in 1992. From head to toe it stands 100m and 20m for the pedestal. The Statue of Liberty from head to toe is only 40m.
For some reason I am reminded of a song. (Big Buddha, Big Buddha, Big Buddha, Oh yeah, Big Buddha. Big Buddha number 1...)
We eventually made it home without much help to the Japanese road system. For some reason most Japanese roads are not straight. It is rare to find roads that go North and South or East and West. Most curve all around and often take turns. An example would be our main road of travel we took called 408. There were about 7 places where you had to take turns to stay on it and usually you got one warning sign that you had to turn right or left to stay on it. Well, needless to say, we missed a few of those signs but we had a great time anyways.
Sunday, August 19, 2007
More Pictures
I put up some more pictures from Nikko to Fireworks. 7 new albums of various things from this summer.
Wednesday, August 15, 2007
USA Trip Preparations
Over the past few days we have been preparing for the USA trip coming up in a couple of weeks. I can't believe that it is so soon. I am also amazed at how much work goes into the trip to make things move smoothly. I am extremely thankful for all the work that Bryan, Keith, and Ruth Ann have put into this trip. I am also thankful for the Homestay families in their generosity and kindness for having us stay with them in San Diego and DC.
We still have to work on finishing our 7 Bible Discussions for this trip. We have our topics and themes done and are meeting again tomorrow morning to discuss the passages we have found. Please pray for us that God will guide us into what Scriptures to use and what questions to ask during the discussion times. Also, because the discussions are getting done very late this year we are not able to do student skits before them to act out the lesson of the passage. Please pray for the students to be awake and alert for the discussions as it is very easy to be tired as we do so many things during the 17 days.
On a different note, I now understand why my teacher would always use the comparison that August is the hottest month here. The past two weeks have been crazy hot. I wouldn't mind it so much if I had this same temperature in America but in America houses have central air conditioning. Here in Japan, central air is a foreign concept in housing. Our house has one air conditioner in the living room which never gets used because it cost a lot of money to use them. But since it has been so hot this last week and having meetings in my house I decided to use it. Well, sadly the air conditioner only made it on Monday. Turned it on Tuesday for our meeting and no more cold air. Guess it needs to get recharged. But I have to say, its kind of fun sweating 24/7. It definitely makes me enjoy the luxuries more.
If you have any questions about what is going on, feel free to ask. I plan to send out a schedule of my time in the states in September and would love to spend time with you.
We still have to work on finishing our 7 Bible Discussions for this trip. We have our topics and themes done and are meeting again tomorrow morning to discuss the passages we have found. Please pray for us that God will guide us into what Scriptures to use and what questions to ask during the discussion times. Also, because the discussions are getting done very late this year we are not able to do student skits before them to act out the lesson of the passage. Please pray for the students to be awake and alert for the discussions as it is very easy to be tired as we do so many things during the 17 days.
On a different note, I now understand why my teacher would always use the comparison that August is the hottest month here. The past two weeks have been crazy hot. I wouldn't mind it so much if I had this same temperature in America but in America houses have central air conditioning. Here in Japan, central air is a foreign concept in housing. Our house has one air conditioner in the living room which never gets used because it cost a lot of money to use them. But since it has been so hot this last week and having meetings in my house I decided to use it. Well, sadly the air conditioner only made it on Monday. Turned it on Tuesday for our meeting and no more cold air. Guess it needs to get recharged. But I have to say, its kind of fun sweating 24/7. It definitely makes me enjoy the luxuries more.
If you have any questions about what is going on, feel free to ask. I plan to send out a schedule of my time in the states in September and would love to spend time with you.
Sunday, August 05, 2007
Picture
Quick note about the picture to the right. We took a day trip to Tokyo last Monday with some students. The picture was taken in Asakusa.
Caption: No, Alan. That is not a drinking fountain.
There is nothing like drinking holy water at a Buddhist temple.
Stupid Gaijin.
Caption: No, Alan. That is not a drinking fountain.
There is nothing like drinking holy water at a Buddhist temple.
Stupid Gaijin.
Sun, Fireworks, Volley, Water
What do these four things have in common? My last two days. On Saturday morning about 25 of us went out to the Pacific Ocean and then afterwards went and watched Fireworks. There were definitely a few things that make me laugh about the day and a couple things that I just don't get. Let's start with the few things that make me laugh.
First: Buying a snow cone! Why do you ask is this my number one? The cup to hold the snow cone was about the size of a small ice cream bowl. Now imagine seeing the largest snow cone in the world sitting on top of an ice cream bowl. That is what I tried to eat. The snow cone ended up being about the size of a kids soccer ball. Now add to this picture a 95 degree day on the beach. The ice was melting at an incredible rate but there is nowhere for it to melt because the small bowl that I am holding can't hold very much water. I think I only ate about half of it because the other half ended up on the ground because of it melting so fast.
Second: Sunburn! So I did not think to bring suntan lotion with me to the beach but on the way I saw some in a convenience store but since it was so expensive, I thought to myself, "I bet someone else will bring some that I can use." Out of the 22 students that came, not one of them brought suntan lotion!! I guess this is a yearly ritual where they all go out to the beach and get burned. So my bald head is no longer white but has a nice red shine to it. So I was told I looked like an octopus (tako) and also like a baby (akachan). That may need a little explaining. The word for baby doesn't seem to make much sense. Aka is red and chan is like a nickname you add to a persons name. So babies look red, I guess, in Japan so the name is akachan for baby. So tonight I was able to introduce myself as, 私はたこのあかちゃんです。(Watashi wa tako no akachan desu. I am an octopuses baby.) And I do look like one to.
Third: Volleyball! We had a volleyball tournament today. We had a freshman team, 2 sophomore teams, junior, and senior team. Besides being sunburned, 95 degrees, and playing volleyball it was a blast. I played on the second sophomore team and we went 4-0. Victors. The hardest team there was definitely the seniors which was an exciting battle as it was the most aggressive game I have ever seen. The sophomores really wanted to beat there elders and the seniors did not want to lose to the youngin's. People were diving all over the place but we snuck it out in the third game to win the best of 3.
Finally: Water! We had the farewell party tonight for James and Lauren and we will head down to Tokyo tomorrow morning. After our party we had a huge water fight. It starts nice and slow with water balloons but then everyone starts filling up 2 liter bottles with water and havoc breaks lose. I am glad to say there were no casualties, at least human casualties. By the end we had to say goodbye to one girls contact. It was sad. I guess the phrase, "No man left behind" doesn't apply to contacts.
Well, off to some much needed sleep as I will be in Tokyo for the next two days. Oyasumi Nasai. お休みなさい。
First: Buying a snow cone! Why do you ask is this my number one? The cup to hold the snow cone was about the size of a small ice cream bowl. Now imagine seeing the largest snow cone in the world sitting on top of an ice cream bowl. That is what I tried to eat. The snow cone ended up being about the size of a kids soccer ball. Now add to this picture a 95 degree day on the beach. The ice was melting at an incredible rate but there is nowhere for it to melt because the small bowl that I am holding can't hold very much water. I think I only ate about half of it because the other half ended up on the ground because of it melting so fast.
Second: Sunburn! So I did not think to bring suntan lotion with me to the beach but on the way I saw some in a convenience store but since it was so expensive, I thought to myself, "I bet someone else will bring some that I can use." Out of the 22 students that came, not one of them brought suntan lotion!! I guess this is a yearly ritual where they all go out to the beach and get burned. So my bald head is no longer white but has a nice red shine to it. So I was told I looked like an octopus (tako) and also like a baby (akachan). That may need a little explaining. The word for baby doesn't seem to make much sense. Aka is red and chan is like a nickname you add to a persons name. So babies look red, I guess, in Japan so the name is akachan for baby. So tonight I was able to introduce myself as, 私はたこのあかちゃんです。(Watashi wa tako no akachan desu. I am an octopuses baby.) And I do look like one to.
Third: Volleyball! We had a volleyball tournament today. We had a freshman team, 2 sophomore teams, junior, and senior team. Besides being sunburned, 95 degrees, and playing volleyball it was a blast. I played on the second sophomore team and we went 4-0. Victors. The hardest team there was definitely the seniors which was an exciting battle as it was the most aggressive game I have ever seen. The sophomores really wanted to beat there elders and the seniors did not want to lose to the youngin's. People were diving all over the place but we snuck it out in the third game to win the best of 3.
Finally: Water! We had the farewell party tonight for James and Lauren and we will head down to Tokyo tomorrow morning. After our party we had a huge water fight. It starts nice and slow with water balloons but then everyone starts filling up 2 liter bottles with water and havoc breaks lose. I am glad to say there were no casualties, at least human casualties. By the end we had to say goodbye to one girls contact. It was sad. I guess the phrase, "No man left behind" doesn't apply to contacts.
Well, off to some much needed sleep as I will be in Tokyo for the next two days. Oyasumi Nasai. お休みなさい。
Tuesday, July 31, 2007
Where's your hair?
I know some of you might be asking this question if you have seen some pictures of me. Well, let me try to explain in short roundabout way.
I told a couple students about my crazy beard designs that I did at college and that if anyone comes up with a great idea let me know. So it turns out Teppei instantly had a great idea. This last Friday for our after BEST was learning how to country line dance. I thought this would be a great time to try out the beard design since everyone was going to dress up. We cut the design into the beard but it ended up not looking quite right so we cut the design off. This left me with half a beard or also called Half beard. I then decided to cut off the opposite side of my hair. So Friday night I had a checkered pattern across my face and head. Maybe sometime soon I will get pictures for you to see.
The next day I then buzzed of the rest of the hair. Then my roommates on Sunday thought I should shave my head. So I did. If I am buzzed, why not go all the way down. The students have been shocked each time they see me as they shout びっくりした (bikkurishita) which means, "I'm surprised!" Then after the astonishment is over they come and rub my head.
I am curious though. I have had many different results about people thinking I look older and younger, better or worse. I am curious to know what you think.
I told a couple students about my crazy beard designs that I did at college and that if anyone comes up with a great idea let me know. So it turns out Teppei instantly had a great idea. This last Friday for our after BEST was learning how to country line dance. I thought this would be a great time to try out the beard design since everyone was going to dress up. We cut the design into the beard but it ended up not looking quite right so we cut the design off. This left me with half a beard or also called Half beard. I then decided to cut off the opposite side of my hair. So Friday night I had a checkered pattern across my face and head. Maybe sometime soon I will get pictures for you to see.
The next day I then buzzed of the rest of the hair. Then my roommates on Sunday thought I should shave my head. So I did. If I am buzzed, why not go all the way down. The students have been shocked each time they see me as they shout びっくりした (bikkurishita) which means, "I'm surprised!" Then after the astonishment is over they come and rub my head.
I am curious though. I have had many different results about people thinking I look older and younger, better or worse. I am curious to know what you think.
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