There is no such thing as Routine...

This week Ive learned there is no such thing as routine.... least to say Ive gain some good... but mostly a reminder how to stay away from some experiences again....

mostly just watching lots of greys anatomy, firefly and csi.... playing some sims/starcraft.... very unproductive....

Nov 11 - reached home late the night before, actually felt a sense of home getting back to the apartment. I went to church and spent the day in my apartment... I think I went to Apita a housing/supermarket store to hang out...

Nov 12 - I jump right into teaching after one day off.... I didnt really feel tired till near the end of the week.... to be honest I dont remember much this week except the kids were really active... hahahah good though...

Nov 13 - I team taught with another teacher in my area, so easy day and got a free bike ride home... I think... or was that another night? hahaha...

Nov 14 - taught at school again... just glad I made it through... getting sick of this halloween curriculum... what am I teaching these kids? black cat? hahahah... pumpkin... which should be jack-o-lantern....

Nov 15/16 - my first team teach with my supervisor... he had cool tricks to share with me I need to develop more of a personality to really reach some of these kids... but he said I had a good comfort level with the kids... all those years at vcbc makes one good with kids eh? hahahah...
Today I also met some guy walking his dog, he spoke some english and told me he taught people how to fold origami butterflies.... he folded me one and I let me take a picture of me with his dog...

It was sometime this week to that I saw a korean woman I met at a japanese lesson on the train... at first I wasn:t going to say hi, but then I figured what did I have to lose.. Turns out she is here with her korean husband who is a missionary!!!! They are church planters in japan!! How crazy is that? I told her I would pray for her, they were married this past year and just came this past year to church plant... They would have to be so strong to do that... I was humbled.

Nov 17 - Meeting today, my coworker knowing I was prone to lateness told me a time, and of course.. I missed them but was stupid enough not to bring a map along with me!!!!! Least to say, I made it on time - because he was smart enough to know if I missed that train I would catch the next one... thank goodness!! I could have lost my 1000 dollar year bonus right there!
Least to say, I guess if I learn anything here its how to be on time..... japanese have crazy late policies..... We went out to lunch and got a ride back to gifu from the meeting place and got to ride in a car elevator.... yes.... an elevator for cars... maybe the rotating ones are cooler... I dunno hahaha.... Had Mos burger for the first time.. my first burger here... supposed to be a higher end than mcdonalds... but here all american things are higher end... supposably....

Nov 18 - Hung out with 2 coworkers in nagoya today and bumped into other coworkers from another area while we were in nagoya... aghhhh.... now I really know my drinking limit... 2 big beers and a bit of some heavy stuff and I:ll puke... aghh never again... never again... I was never a fan of drinking and never will be I think... not fun to clean and not fun to be doing. It was good fun to hang out with them that day I got a table today with the glass piece in the middle so that you can see objects underneath... very small and low of course but yeah.. on my way to decorating my place.. making it more my own..

Nov 19 - Managed to wake up in time for service kind of... hahah it was at 11am in nagoya... by the time I took the local subway it was about 45 mins away and 1450 yen (14.50 cad) round trip....but worth it... it was good to sing praises and listen to fellow christians talk... I really got to know one girl from CA/WA USA she was here teaching at an international school, with a masters degree... whoas crazy hhaha... degrees mount up everywhere!... anyways.. we went to sakae the shopping area of nagoya and went to the international book store and food market.. then she had to go home... I signed up for my internet and went to the daiso to buy stuff.... I frequent many daisos.. they actually have different things...

Nov 20 - ohhhh right this was a three day weekend.. very sweet...only remember starting my trend of sleeping in till 11am

Nov 21 to 25 - teaching teaching teaching... this is my office week so I teach for a week at classroom that is not my own... commute wasn:t fun 1 hr one way and 25 min walk.. but it was during those train rides that I learned my katakana alphabet... hahhahah....also there were good kids also the teacher that used to teach here had just left the company and he stopped by on the sat. to say goodbye to the kids... awhhh... it was nice cause I had an extra hour between classes so I got the chance to get to know him and he told me about cool stuff to see in his 3 years in japan :D

Nov 26 - early early today I went off to Kyoto with my friend Duc and her language exchange friend (older woman that taught ppl to make paper japanese dolls.. pretty cool... I want to make one before I go... but so far.... mino ota... 40 mins away....) We were on the train towards kyoto (2 hrs local train for 1890 yen 1 way so sweet) and I had put my metal bible into my bag but I didn:t want to carry it the whole day. So I take it out of my bag and both of them ask, what is it? what a God given opportunity is that? I told them it was my bible... the japanese woman was very interested she enjoys reading the bible actually (but more of a philosophical reason than anything...) so I kinda go into how cool the bible is and its historical meaning for a bit... while they both compared to to buddhism... I was just happy she was reading it at all and encouraged her to continue to do so.... I can:t change her will, but I can try to plant more seeds... afterall I just met this woman.. what else can I do? ahhaha...

I was SO mad though!! it was autumn leaves and I forgot my camera!!!! SO many temples/sites and I didn:t have it.. sniffles... but heres a pic from my phone... boo hoo...


I tried to meet up with some friends too but trying to do too much in one go... and it was pouring rain... but we had to be out the whole day to see the temples light up (lights on the temples and gardens.. cool effect... I think raph has pics.)

I met up with raph too and crashed at his place - thanks raph!!! (rest assured.. your place is not as dirty as it could be... :P)

Nov 27 - We went to see a crazy buddhism temple place. One of the only places with all like 11 gods in one place with like 100 buddas everywhere... Duc was trying to scare me (while it was freaky anyways... come on they use marble in the eyes so they appear to be looking at you!!!!) and then the floor creaked and she screamed! lol good fun...

I really got to know her better over dinner, we just started sharing things about our past, high school, old bfs.... it was nice. I:m glad I got the opportunity to hang out with her...

I think I got home at like 12:30 am ish.... man so tired

Nov 28 to Dec 2 - Now not only am I lying in bed till 11am... I actually sleep till 11am now.. hahahah.. crazy crazy... a nice week at work... didn:t do much I think... I met the Japanese teacher again here and she always gives me candy.. so good hahahah..

Dec 3 - went to church today, and got to know a japanese girl that went to the english fellowship she became christian in LA during her graduation trip... that was so cool... and she loves to dance too hiphop/jazz... I thought that was very cools...

Today going to a farewell dinner at Outback steakhouse... my phone died but then I met up with someone going on the subway... talking with her and she asked what I did in the morning... I told her I went to service (which is advent too steph!! but not as cool as the story you emailed me... it was nice though the pastor really spoke of how sometimes we only praise God when something good happens.. Like we just WAIT for that moment... but why not at all times? Also he noted that because we:re always looking for that good thing, we can only worry about the bad, asking God to fix it... He lets things happen for a reason, he will work with our failures and bad moments in our lives... that is a good reminder...) and it turns out that she is christian too and was thinking about going back to church again... I:m glad I was able to discuss that with her, and I hope she does go back...

Interestingly enough, she also said when we were talking about professions and stuff that I seemed like the type to do a masters in business... How happy would my dad be to hear that? hahaha I asked her why she would think that and she said that I just seemed like the type that could do it... hmmmm school... well she reminded me even if I went off to work for a while and came back to do it... I would still be only late 20s when I would be finished... it made me think perhaps I don:t have to worry about setting my future that much... I still have choices and opportunities if I want.

Also, while near Nagoya station bargain hunting for airplane tickets (hahah not really.. more like getting prices) There were ppl handing out postcards they're a volunteer group with a christian base asking for donations... I gave some I didn't really get to know them but apparently you can find them at www.angels-watching.com The guy said that he teaches at an orphange english to the children... but they're all the way in Toyota city... boo boo.. so far... yes.. there is a city named after a car company... and yes... it really is the city that is the home of the Toyota car company.. hahaha...

Going to Takayama again soon, so hopefully I can add pictures and more details.... hahah yes more writing from me!! bwhahahah..
Oh I offically get internet Dec 18!!!

Takayama and then some...

November 4 - Shan and I walked to the city hall to see if I could get my alien registration card to find out it was closed! WOW... the ever diligent japanese actually gave themselves a 3 day weekend..... We went to nagoya and did a bit of shopping.... shoes here are cheaper, well the ones everyone likes.. like Puma shoes are like 60 bucks.... I ended up getting a pair of Puma look-a-like Adidas shoes.... hmmmm suade.... I really like them.... I'ved caved... I was always just a runners person... but cheaper shoes can do that to a person... no wonder Raph has like 6 pairs of new shoes....

OHHHH OHH!!! OH my goodness!!! I'm so excited to share about this I had to retype this 3 times because my happiness was faster than I could type!!! OHHH!!! SO EXCITING!!!! Shan and I kinda looking around the shopping district when we stopped at a cafe to get a drink... I really wanted coffee I hadn't had good coffee in a while... and IT WAS AMAZING!!!!!! We get a menu and see a picture of the decorated coffees... and we're like sure we'll get one of those.. it was 4 dollars for the drink... SO GOOOOOOOOOOD look at the designs!!! Aren't they wonderful!!!! *drools* I will go back... I WILL....


Later in the evening we met up with Shan's buddies from her training group as well as my performance supervisor and his girlfriend - all wonderful people...
But going to Izakayas are expensive.. stupid sitting/drinking charges and expensive food.. what the heck everything is expensive in Japan if you don't eat at home... hahahah...

Nov 5 - Oh Sunday!!!! Shan and I didn't get a chance to really find out about the nagoya english fellowship and decided to go to the local church I've been attending... Of course, God figured it out for us! It happened every beginning of the month other than communion (they use cubes of bread and grape juice) a US missionary pastor visits. It happens that his wife attends the Nagoya english fellowship. Also after the service we got yes... free food again... curry this time. The real exciting thing was that he leads a english/japanese bible study for the 2 youth at the church... AHHH the first time in what felt like a very long time we praise God with songs we could sing - As the Deer and He is Exalted, and we discussed a bible passage.... like a bible study!!! OHHH SO EXCITING!!!! Pastor Andy got our numbers and passed it on to the nagoya english fellowship - which called both of us that very night! God does some crazy things

Nov 6 - Boo time to say good bye to Shannon as she heads back to Fukui. I think I spent that day in my apartment mostly on my computer and cooking..... good rest before I go off again soon.

Nov 7 - I taught with another teacher in my area today, actually the only other girl in my area - Duc... she's a vietnamese from Australia... cool eh? Afterward she invited me over to her place for dinner, and it was nice we watched an old classic movie - To catch a thief and just chatted... She loves Dan Brown novels... but I felt it was too early to go into the whole da vinci code discussion, especially if I haven't even seen/read the thing yet.... but one day perhaps.... right now its not about sharing my faith in that way... I have to get to know these ppl first and establish a relationship that proves that I really care before trying to save their souls... I really felt that and kind of was reaffirmed with Steph's email -about a story that a pastor (Bill) shared about working at Union Gospel Mission.

Nov 8 - Off to my school in Takayama - an limited express 2 hour ride... OUCH this was just one of those bad days... trying to cut it too close to my reserved seat train, I ended up missing it!!!... but it was okay, I could make the next one without being late. Then while I was pulling out my material in the classroom I realized I left my profile (to show the kids and parents things about me) at the school I taught the day before (which I will probably never go back to any time soon). GAHHH...
I was SO tired too... but I made it through my lessons, but as if they could sense it my games were over used (repeat lesson for practically every class for this halloween stuff) , the students didn't have as much fun as I had hoped.

I check into the hotel it is nice!! Bathhouse, expresso coffee for free.. ahh and the best part... FREE INTERNET!!! BWHHAHAHAHA.... but still eating here is a nightmare....

I was stupid enough not to bring a phrase book with me thinking it was a tourist stop there would be more english - yeah ha, not really.... So I'm out on the street at like 9pm looking for food... and I get into this one place that looked like a restraunt (there were lots of Izakayas - bar/food places but I didn't want that) Poor ppl only spoke japanese, and I couldn't do a thing with the menu. They were nice enough to lead me to another branch where there was english... but then I got lost in the dark looking for it... and ALL the signs started to look the same... I even asked some guys which have been obviously drinking... bad move, they kind of scared me, I think earlier another guy tried to hit on me but I answered quickly and walked fast.... drunk/obviously had a drink older men are scary... Luckily I managed to say to the right guy (the more sober of the bunch) that i didn't speak japanese... and he physically held his friends back from trying to lead me to the restraunt... they just gave me instructions... I think he knew I was scared... i was very thankful for that....

I STILL couldnt' find this place, giving up I headed back to the hotel to ask, but of course their english speaking staff could only say a few words of english.... finally some delivery guy with good english helps us out.... and he redirects me back to the restaurant I was trying to get to....
I head out again.. this time telling myself to match the characters and find the place! Total relief.... It was still an Izakaya it turns out.. but yeah food was pretty good... skewers... and rice balls... 15 dollars! Lesson is... eat only from the convienant store.

Nov 9 - ahhh enjoying the internet... I enjoy a nice cup of free expresso coffee and head out for some sightseeing - note below...

This was the first time I was working with 2 classes with students with special needs... Twin girls that only mouthed words, and a boy that was slower perhaps retarded because he was older than the other kids.

I was pleasantly surprised how smoothly the classes went... For the girls I had to learn to read their mouths... and the other students tried to help.... They were sweet girls but maybe being twins in Japan?!.... I really wonder why the mouthing words only and it wasn't just english! Apparently they only whisper to each other...

For the older kid, I noticed sadly - while I couldn't understand I knew - that other students teased him terribly all the time. He was very straight forward - quickly recognizing an unfamilar teacher he asked me what my name was and introduced himself... he was much smarter than I expected knowing much english vocabulary.... he only got distracted a little and randomly yelled stuff out... maybe he was just really good this week, because I've read up on him (there are notes left by previous teachers) and they felt he was problematic to the point they had to stop the lesson....

I pulled out a new game today - mixed relays with vocab words.... they LOVED this game!!! I even had students with a bit of attitude at the beginning of class at the end of class give me a thumbs up telling me it was a good game and fun.... AHHH so good....

Nov 10 - ahhh today.... I basically stayed in the hotel till i had to go - enjoying the internet and watched the canuck... GAHHH loose SO BADLY..... sighhh... if I'm able to see a game it would be nice if they could actually win eh?!... arhhhh its true everything that Brian Burke touches turns to gold....

In my Jr High class today, only one student showed up.. but man, one on one really is great... He was an awesome student! He tried to spell words and thing of answers by himself, I was able to have an extensive conversation with him.. and we shared a few laughs too! I was coughing and I told him how I got sick ... I was coughing a bit much and he asked me "are you okay?" Seriously some of these classes don't know ANY phrases of english... but he was just right on the ball... I had also asked him what he does after he goes home and he told me he watches tv then we laughed when he said he did only a little bit of studying... then I asked what time do you sleep? He said 1 am! I was like whoa that must be lots of tv.... INSANE this kid gets up at 6am to do homework!... He averages 5 hours of sleep... he's only 12!!!!!!!... Alas, this is very normal in Japan.... He was so a kid and enjoying himself... but next year when he starts exams for high schools he'll become one of those zombie japanese kids... sigh sigh....

Ohhhhhh tonight i ate street food.... well kind of... its still a shop..... 3.50 CAD for 12 takoyakis!!!!

Look forward to heading back to Gifu tomorrow... Only get 1 day off though! But hopefully it'll be a good one, I'm going to try and go to that Nagoya English fellowship - hope they remember to contact me about the details...

As things start to go back to a routine, I'm hoping that my devos will get back on track too...

Wow, what a week...err.. almost a week.

October 31 - yeah!! my dad is here!! like the typical chinese dad, he shares his love and concern by smuggling chinese foods through the japanese border... what? you mean your dad wouldn:t do that?

He bought some seriously nice stuff, I got premade abalone, sharkfin soup, chinese sausage, chinese candies, spring rolls, dried duck meat... hmmmmmmm... better than eating at home? It was really nice getting used to waking up and having someone else cooking for me.... sniffles...

aghhh poor dad, he:s unused to sleeping on the floor and is scared at how empty my fridge is (I had just cleared it of food because I realized I wouldn:t be home much this week..) and I kept us both up the night before coughing and coughing.... he even woke up to boil me congee as I didn:t really have a kettle to boil water....

Needless to say, in his fear he pulled out his wallet and was like `we need to get you a kettle, micowave mugs, and rice cooker (as cooking with one burner is difficult enough)...` I:m so happy, he really bought me stuff to make it easier and more home-like... He quickly pooled his experience of living away from home into action (he had gone to boarding school in Northern Ontario for high school and went to school in Halifax, Hawaii, Vancouver and France, plus he:s a veteran traveller did you know hes gone to Israel before too? I didn:t.. crazy) hahahah... he was finally being full on dad and teaching me things... something I had little of growing up while he was on many long business trips and owning his own business working very late hours.

I had a short meeting today, met more people in my region... this is a really relaxing meeting.. man... I did more at church I think.. hahah sweet...

I went home and my dad cooked and shopped for LOTS of food, and we watched Hitch on my computer... which finally I have my power adaptor...
It was like `yeah dad`s here!! OHHHH my power adaptor!!!!! `snuggles power adaptor``

November 1 - First day of the Autumn training seminar... a total of 4 areas getting together about like 60 people getting together in office attire for lectures about understanding children and living in japan put on by our peers. Some I was :fishing: in and others were fun with cool games... there were lots of demoing lessons too... Afterwards about 40 something of us went to an all you can eat/drink thing and I invited my dad as well.. here I got to work to get to know other people ... well at least i got ppl:s numbers.... While we were invited to stay in the company dorms that night because we were all meeting in nagoya, I went with my dad to stay in the hotel he got to stay closer to me. He ended up splurging for a night at the Nagoya Hilton... too bad I didn:t get to go swimming.. it was nice though.. to have some quiet from all the drunken coworkers... it was good to meet people but very overwhelming... and the impressions I got from people were well... difficult to gauge as most were quite high off the alcohol.
November 2 - more training seminar today, and walking in I could tell some people had some wild nights... hahaha.... I think after meeting all the people the night before... it really make me feel more relaxed about knowing that while its great to meet people I don:t need to feel pressured to find lifelong friends here... I mean I know, in the awesome emails I get from home and with my dad visiting, that my true family and life long friends are all in Vancouver (or... Canada I should say???)... Although this won:t stop me from meeting more people, but it doesn:t make me feel bad for not being able to connect with people or when I didn:t get some of the people.... what can I say, people that come to Japan are very wierd.... some are okie, but yeah often as warned by the osaka trainer previously, that most are just rejects from their origin... what can I say... people are nice, but not.... not... home. *hugs ppl at home*
Met up with my dad and felt so tired, we went back to Gifu and he cooked dinner again... Of course he taught me a few things too to make my food actually taste like food...

We also had time to talk and just enjoy having some time together... we also went to the 99 yen store to buy some things... Im such a freak here... I get so excited buying things that make my apartment cleaner... I saw this air freshener that was actually for water. On contact of water it releases a pleasant smell... I was so excited when I saw it I looked at my dad and was like I have to get this (for my strange smelling shower drainage)!!!!! it was all good...

November 3 - Today is a national holiday we got off from work, Shannon came to stay with me and I met her at the station at 11am... my dad wanted to cook her and I a meal before he left today... I miss my daddy....

Today we did something crazy... we tried to do the sightseeing thing in Gifu, and went to see the castle which is on top of a mountain... we were asking some other japanese and they got the impression that we wanted to walk up to see it instead of ride the cable car up.... we looked up and thought, oh it can:t be that bad and we would save the money of not riding the cable car... Man!! Did it bring me back to the days of climbing the Chief... aghhh we were dying and all these old men and women were like power climbing it... the elderly live a long time in japan for a reason! I think we walked (desperately climbed grabbing rocks and roots of trees at some points) up for like an hour and half at least.... we were so sweaty and gross, and Shannon even lost her vest! Least to say we were happy to pay the 6 bucks to get back down... hahahah well it was good for us I guess I haven:t exercised in so long...


Now we:re just hanging out in the cafe again.. hmmm so many foriegners here tonight... must be because its a holiday today...

Its been good talking to Shannon about her experiences as I havent seen here since we arrived together at the Nagoya airport... Some of here experiences with people really make me think perhaps I need to be trying harding to meet people or something.. at the same time, I wonder if its just our differences in our abilities to do things? I:m not good with meeting many people and just picking it up and having lots of fun... perhaps I need to learn that too...

Whats next?　~~
I get a nice 4 day weekend then after a day of teaching locally I go on my business trip school to Takayama - some say its like a mini Kyoto... very touristy... I also heard the japanese teacher here is very nice too hopefully i get to meet her too... Many people have told me its a great school to teach at plus All living and travel costs are covered with a food allowance.

Picking up my alien registration card so that I can sign up for internet!!!! I can`t wait to get internet so I can catch up with ppl at home more.