[let's go the berbar to get my haircut!]

So, I spent 3 hours biking around the neighbourhood. Well, the goal was to find the mall........but that didn't happen. Evidently, I gave up and ended up spending the rest of the day at home. It's really hard to venture out when I have to get back to my apartment before 5pm or else it will be too dark for me to find my way around. Still trying to get used to living on my own. I need to talk to people!!!

It still smells like burning! I am told that farmers are now burning up their fields since harvest is over, so it smells like burning all day. Then, it doesn't really help when I live on the 7th floor. Hehe..however, I am very thankful for being here. God has provided more than enough for me. Aside from the materialistic aspect such as a roof over my head (might I add, a 3 bedroom apartment for one of me...and a bidet that I dare not to use!), He has given me a wonderful group of people to watch out for me and to care for me. Greeted by my host family for 4 days in Tokyo, I am once again greeted by even more people now that I am here in Nagoya. I have a "mom" here in Shippo, Nagoya, and she hugged me when I first met her. I was really surprised but it was very pleasant because she was excited to see me. It's amazing because we don't even know each other. Christ love. It is through Him that we can have this kind of relationship with one another. Sick :D

In Tokyo, my last day there, I went to an International Church for Sunday worship. I was blown away that morning. Worship was excellent! The first song we sang was in English, which was followed by Japanese. Not knowing how to sing the song, I just stood there and absorbed my surrounding. It was the most beautiful sound ever. It was absolutely astounding to be reminded that we all belong to God and are His children regardless of our background. Here, there were people of different ethnicity and background worshipping this one Christian God. Unity is beautiful. Imagine the things that we can do when we work together as a body. Ahhh...."You are beautiful beyond description..." (love that song).

Hmm..what else? Well, I got skype today! Anyhooooz, that's it for now. I took videos but they are too big to upload on this page. Sooooooo...too bad. Teaching starts next week :D More updates soon!

a look @ nippon

[one of the houses in tokyo]


[typical street...VERY NARROW might I add. Please look to your very right and left and there you have it--"sidewalks" for pedestrians and cyclists]


[a visual display of the menu]



[a mountain :D captured on the bus on my way to nagoya]


[6 hours later...still on the bus to nagoya but good scenery (when I was not sleeping)]


["trucks" on the road....any vehicle except for a smart car in Canada can run them over!]


[would you pay $105CDN for a box of fruits????]



[around 4:30pm in nagoya...after my adventure. however, this time I didn't reach my destination...it doesn't help when streets do not have names!]


[my very first home-cooked meal in nagoya...by myself *sniff*...come on guys, come visit :D]

Anna and the Map

[cleaning my glasses at a random stand at the underground station]

Day 3 in Tokyo.

With the map Dale (my host in Tokyo) drew me of the neighbourhood, I decided to venture out by myself. I, inevitably, got lost. It was fun though! It's exciting to explore a foreign place and get lost...(no sarcasm there, seriously!)..well, it's only fun when one finds his/her way at the end. Left the house at 9:30am and got home at 4pm. Of course, by then, my legs were about to break off if my feet did not decide to give up on me from all the pressure I've applied to them for almost 7 hours. Yup, non-stop walking. Making a few wrong turns here and there, I got to enjoy the architecture of some places and just the general atmosphere of the area.

Some things I've noticed along the way:
-vehicles are so small!
-Seeing that Canadians drive on the other side, compared to the Japanese, I got thrown off a few times while I was walking--thinking that the car will run me over.
-the roads are super-narrow!
-the sidewalks are wide enough for one person to walk on
-people are soooooo friendly! (ok, even if I don't understand everything they say, one can tell by their facial expressions and gestures)
-there are guards everywhere! Guards for parking lots, crossing...annnnnd people who stand at elevators to greet you and tell you when to get in/out

Of course, the highlight of the day was at the market. I walked around the place (it's like an outdoor flea market with other stores on the side) and found a man selling kimonos. With my almost non-existent Japanese and his electronic english/chinese/japanese dictionary that he did not operate very well, we managed to make a transaction after 30min. of "talking". In between, there was a lot of me saying "wakarimasen" (I don't understand) and smiling/laughing by both of us. I thought it was kind of fun because we both tried our best to get our points across to each other. He was a very friendly man. Come to think of it, I really wanted to take a picture with him but that may have been a bit weird/awkward. But a friendly old man, indeed. Oh, then his buddy and other customers came and they all began to talk Japanese to me even after I told them I did not understand it. I thought it was cute because I guess there was some hope that I would pick up a word here and there if they kept on talking :D Sweet people though. They were all very helpful. One lady taught me how to put the obi on the kimono while another showed me how to fold the kimono properly.

Well, I get a week off before I begin my first class. I'm excited! I get to see my apartment in Nagoya tomorrow as I take the 5-hour bus ride there.

I think things will start to settle in and finally hit me once I am all by myself. Right now, I'm being taken care of by my host family and they really do look after me! I'm being fed with some really good food everyday :D This orientation is teaching me a lot and it really helps with the transition. Praise God for that!

Okeee dokes, that's it for now! Pictures will come soon...to be posted in the next blog entry! Tune in!

Day 2 in Tokyo

I'm here!!!! In one piece, too!

God is good. I made it through the flight without puking :D I almost missed my flight (from Vancouver to Japan because of a delay in Toronto) but I made it right when they were doing the last boarding call! 15 hours of sleeping and eating and watching TV.

However, my luggages aren't here. But that is okay because they will be delivered to me tomorrow. I am currently staying with my host family in Tokyo and they are absolutely awesome! I am being taken care of :D

I must say, it still doesn't feel like I'm away from home/Canada! But it should hit me soon!

More updates to come later!

Things are finally taking shape. I'm all packed and ready to leave for Japan in 8 days!

Almost everything is taken care of at this point in time.

To do:
-confirm flight
-insurance
-pick up visa

Prayers much needed; especially for adjustment, to be articulate in sharing the Gospel, to hear and follow Him....and that I have my to do's completed before I leave!