The day before yesterday, I decided to go find this figurine for my friend. But when I got there, the store was not opened yet. So, I decided to venture around instead of going home and going back to the store again. And without a doubt...like the usual, I got lost AGAIN. I'm really good at getting lost. Not the best thing when one does not know the language of the country. Being sure that I was lost, I decided to ask for directions. As I stepped off of my bike to ask for directions, I fell. Not to mention that all this was in slo-mo. When I stepped off of my super bike, my foot got caught in this tunnel. My foot fitted perfectly into that tunnel, so I got stuck. Thus, I fell off my bike...slowly....as the guy who worked at the gas station witnessed the entire process. With a grin on his face, I wanted to dig a hole for myself. But getting home was more important because I had a class that day. God bless, I found my way back to my apartment :D Yah, getting lost has become a ritual for me. I'm better with the subway and trian system.

As I headed back to the toy shop, a man (the owner, I presumed at the time) walked out. Good thing I caught him right on time, because he was about to leave. Apparently, they close on mondays. The character for Monday in Japanese is actually Sunday in Chinese. Thus, I thought they were closed on Sundays. Anyway, the man was kind enough to open up the store for me even though he was heading out. He didn't have the figurine I was looking for but he said he would look around for me! So kind of him. ANNNNNND....last month, I went there to ask them if they had Marukochan (a Japanese anime character). The woman at that time made a phone call to ask someone if they had any Marukochan toys in stock. However, they didn't have any. So, I asked this man..and it turned out that it was his wife who called him to ask about Marukochan and he remembered that someone asked for it. He reached over the counter and gave me a Marukochan keychain! A PRESENT for me!!!! Unbelievable...I was really touched. That definitely brought a smile to my face. A few weeks ago I got free tea leaves..now a keychain :D I feel special! A gift from the heart is priceless. I like being a foreigner! Haha...

1 down, 7 more to go.

I have been in Japan for one month already! ALREADY! It really doesn't feel like it. I only have 7 more months here...I would hate to say goodbye to the people I've met thus far. Well, gotta enjoy the process right now.


On Thursday, a couple brought me to Mejimura! It is a village filled with historical buildings and artefacts of the Meji Period (that was when Japan changed and adopted many of the practices and culture of the west?). Boy..this place is SUGOI! Very beautiful. It's a good taste of Japan. I even got to ride the choo-choo train!

That's right! Not to mention I got to try some real Japanese curry! It's called Meiji Curry...haha..I guess curry from the Meiji period! It was interesting; it was a bit sweet. Different from the curry that I've tasted. Oishi (delicious) nonetheless. Yes, curry and rice is very big in Japan. I went to the right country!

[Meiji Curry. On the left is a piece of food from another dish. It's an omlette where rice is wrapped inside. Look at the next picture]


[Yes, food display! But people look at me funny when I take pictures of my food.]


On Saturday, so just yesterday, I went to the Robot Museum in Sakae (downtown Nagoya). Ha, I thought it was interesting. It wasn't as big as I had imagined but not too shabby. I got to see the evolution of robots across the world. Not to mention that TRANSFORMERS was part of the collection. Yeeeeh. There was this machine that when you pressed a certain button, it would play a particular song. Well, the instrument would move at a certain angle and speed to make a certain noise/note and would do that for the entire song. I have it on video, but I think it's a bit too big to put online. But the most impressive thing I saw was this robot that could move around on its own and greet people and bring tea/coffee around. AWESOME..I want one.

Today was the best though! I finally made some friends who are MY AGE!!!!!!! After one month, I finally have friends who are not a lot younger or older than me. There are 8 of them, too! I had such a great time with them. They were all part of the worship team, so we definitely shared the same interest! As they sang in Japanese, I sang in English to the same worship song....it was really nice. Good thing we had a translator! Ha...they took me out to dinner. Mmmm..I had some awesome Japanese food. Sorry, I didn't bring my camera..so no pictures. Some really fresh sashimi (raw fish) though! I tried some interesting things tonight....such as...deep fried WHALE! It was dark red/purplish...it tasted pretty good. Mmm...I also had some chicken heart! It tastes better than it sounds! Maybe everything tastes great when it's fried! haha...But Nagoya is known for its chicken wings! OH my...no joke. They weren't as meaty as the ones in Canada but the seasoning was absolutely impressive. I'm in love. Oh yes, I visited the fourth church today and they threw me a welcome lunch. hehe..more foooooood :D They are very kind here. I am definitely taken care of. And they invited me to sing with them for the Christmas concert :D

Every week Hiroko brings me a new dish to try. I tell you...she doesn't believe that I cook for myself. Haha..but I love her. A student brought me a bunch of bananas this week...haa....I didn't want to reject her gift, so I took it. Yes, my tongue still itches when I consume bananas..at least my chest doesn't hurt anymore! Go, banana!

A week of blessing, indeed. Now, time for some randomness:







[yes, drink pokka]


[the operation chair in the Meiji period...oh my....shady]





more randomness......


[my first successful rice ball]


[my creation: rice with ketchup, corn, green onion, green pepper, eggs, and cheese...and topped with some seaweed. Somehow seaweed and cheese tastes pretty good together. Another new discovery is that mayo and oyster sauce is a good combination!]



[my collection of tissue that people give out on the streets as advertisement! This happens in the central part of the city. So, my stash from 2 visits]


[my "TUB" of ice cream. I have yet to find a larger TUB...]


[the front page of a newspaper printed on my birthday]

Okay, enough randomness. All in all, this month has gone by way too fast. I'm doing fine and am loving every aspect of my life in Japan. I should really learn the language in order to be more efficient here...hee...maybe. ROLL-OUT!

Autumn Beauty

[visited the miso house...and the owner gave us a tour of his soy sauce/miso factory! Here is a barrel of miso...6 tonne? Some crazy amount like that]


[A Japanese sweet. Mmm..it is like those chinese new year "leen go". Very soft and not chewy/sticky. The brown part has the flavour of brown sugar while the white one tastes like sweet potatoe]

Would I end a post without some food pictures? You know the drill.

Hiroko has been bringing me food every week. Ha..she is a sweet lady indeed. I think she is afraid that I'm not cooking for myself. One of the churches threw me a welcome party on Sunday. So, I was at church from 9:30am-8pm. Ha..after service we helped clean the church. I really enjoyed that. It was nice to see everyone get together and have this goal--and in this case, clean the church. ha..it's beautiful to see people come together. I got to meet some really great people.

Lately, I've been really asking myself why I am given so much. Why I am so blessed with one thing after another. In Matthew 5:42, it says, Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you. How can I give back? All my blessings are from God. I am given so much so I can give back to Him...to His people. But I am definitely humbled each day by His love.

All online applications and paper applications (except for Brock) are sent in. News on admission comes out in April/May. So more updates on that laaaaater. In the mean time, I am enjoying being an unqualified and uncertified teacher! Mwhaaha...

On an absolutely random note....let me teach you a new word: SUGOI! Oh man...I hear this word at least 5x a day. It means amazing, wonderful. So, what's so sugoi about this week is that I got in touch with my childhood friend! (HI, Kevin). We have known each other since we were 2 feet tall..ha...err..4-5 years old. It's always pleasant to hear from an old friend. SUGOI!

Blessings & Smiles

Everyday is a blessing. It is a blessing to be alive and breathing without any trouble. Praise God for that.

Second week of classes. It feels like I've been doing this for a while. Not that I'm not enjoying, cause you all know that I am. Maybe because some of the lessons are repeated so it feels like I've been doing this for longer than..a week. Haha..Anyhow, I had one of the most amazing days yesterday. In one of the classes, the ladies and I were talking about food (I most likely was the one who brought it up). Then one of them recommended "Japanese Pizza," so one of them (the Pastor's wife) volunteered to make me one next week! (We eat lunch together at the church). That was very sweet of her. She also made enough lunch this week to feed me. She was the one who told me to put my instant noodles away when she found out that was my "lunch." A heart-warming experience, indeed.

Then, on my way home, I had to make a transfer at this station. Seeing that people were selling different kinds of goods (i.e. food--I was really there to try the mochi), I decided to walk around and wait for the later train. Captured by the smell of green tea, I decided to check out the kinds of tea that this little vender offered. This tea business belongs to a couple and they actually grow/make their own tea leaves. Anyway, in the process of understanding her variety of tea, we began to communicate with my limited Japanese and with their limited English. I had a really good time. They started asking about where I was from and told me their daughter will be going to Toronto to study soon. Anyhow, by the end of it, I bought 4 bags of tea from them..ha. As I was leaving, they gave me a free pack of tea as a present :D Awwww... so sweet of them! We only talked for like 10 minutes but it was the most pleasant thing ever.


[my unknown bag of tea leaves...but a present indeed :D ]

You know how I wrote in my last entry that my goal this month is to try real Japanese curry? Well, it came true! At my night class, my Japanese mother is my translator, and she brought me home-made curry!!!!!!! Another heart-warming experience. Not to mention that the day before, Naomi made me chocolate cake.

I am spoiled here.


[some kind of Japanese dessert: grass cake? I forgot to take a picture of it...then when I was about to finish it, then I remembered! Anyway...that's how it looks! You got the cross-section of it. It has a unique taste..in the pleasant way. Inside, red bean paste]


[The yellow coated mochi has redbean paste inside. I have no idea what the yellow powder is supposed to be. The one on the right has redbean paste (yes, again) and sweet potato. Pretty interesting]


[My Pringles have been replaced]


[Last but not least...nothing like some Japanese sports on TV. SUUUUUUUMO!!!!

On an absolutely unrelated and random note: I got new glasses :D Now I can look S-M-R-T.

[yah, not very convincing, huh?]

After a week and a half of teaching...

Much praise to the Lord Almighty. I love doing what I'm doing in Japan. I enjoy every aspect of teaching. Coming up with the materials is kinda fun on my part although a bit challenging at times when I take all my students' skill levels into consideration...it's hard to accomodate to everyone. But this helps stimulate my brain, so I love it. I love teaching my kids. Yes, MY kids. They're all so beautiful. Just watching them learn is such a wonderful thing. Struggling with them is my joy. Ha..for example...."Boys and girls, the letters "I" and "N" together makes the sound "IN." Now, what is P-I-N?" I get various answers..like PINE. Ha... or "PA-N"...or they would get the "P" sound and not be able to say "IN" after. It's just so cute. We take for granted that English-speaking kids are good at rhyming. As for my older students, the adults, I enjoy being with them just as much. It's easier to communicate for those who have some background in English because I wouldn't have to look up the dictionary for the Japanese translation of the English word. We converse. And it's really pleasant. A tad bit harder for the ones who don't know much English. Another challenge to stimulate my brain :D It's good though. There's something about teaching. Or maybe it's the interaction with people that I really love. Thankfully there is a program on Microsoft Word that helps me translate my English into Japanese, which makes sharing the Gospel a lot easier! At least if they don't understand me verbally, they can still read the Japanese translation...or else this whole sharing can be pointless if they do not understand me.

So yes, I got "lost" again last week. Well, I didn't really get lost. Lost is not knowing where I am...and not knowing how to get back. I made the right transfers but got on the wrong train. Not fully my fault this time. The trains are usually very prompt but somehow the 10:02am train that I was scheduled to get on came late...so when 10:02am came along, I hopped on the wrong train. Waited 40 minutes for the next train to bring me back...and another 12 minutes or so to get to my destination. Yup, I was an hour late for my class. But my students were very nice about it :D

The weather here is absolutely beautiful. Starting to get a bit chilly though. Today a lady at church did some baking and shared her baked goods with me. I was very touched. I crossed her mind today...and that means a lot. I am treated very well here. God has been sending all these angels to look after me, so I am in good hands. Plus, I know I have a lot of support back at home and that is helping me to deal with living on my own in a foreign place. It is such a major blessing to be here. The question is: What can I do while I am here? What can I do not to waste my life/time away while I am here--specifically in Nagoya, Japan?

On another note: Teacher's College applications are due Dec.1. They are all done; I just gotta submit it now. Although I love teaching, I am not sure if this is my calling. Well, please pray that if the doors to teaching do close on me, that another door will open and that I will be able to see it. But yeh, I know I will be fine whether I get in or not; especially if I do not get in.

:D Peace be with you.

Goal for this month: try some real Japanese curry!

randomness in the apartment

[old skooooool! Full House in Japanese ]


[lil drinks for lil people like me]


[cocoa pretz!]


[chicken & veggies curry: my first decent home-cooked meal other than udon/noodles]


[another beautiful sunset taken from my balcony]




Well, my first week of classes. They went really well. I enjoyed every single class thus far. It's funny how my students, whether they are children or adults, are so suprised to know that I'm only 22. Then it throws them off when I greet them in Japanese and then I tell them I don't know Japanese. Ha... I must say that it helps a WHOLE lot knowing Chinese characters in Japan. Many things are written in what they call 'kanji' and I figure a lot of things out because I know a few kanji here and there. It also helps when my older students need some sort of definition and I can write it down in Chinese :D Yay! Go, 7 years of Chinese class! But this week has been amazing. I have two more days of classes. Can't really say which ones I enjoy the best. I love chat'n up with the adults and it's easier for some because they have some background in English. On the other hand, I like the challenge of explaining to adults who have limited exposure to the language. Then, there are the kids. Most of you know I'm a sucker for kids. So, having the chance to teach them really brings joy to my life. I love their energy and smiles. It is a challenge but thankfully I have a translator when I work with the kids, so that makes life a LOT easier. Commuting isn't that bad. The furthest church I travel to probably takes an hour in total. All in all, I'm really hoping to make a difference while I am here. Not just in teaching English but befriending my students and even the people at church and making myself useful. I really want to shine for Him. God-willing.

Hmm...on a totally different topic....food here is really good. There are so many different kinds of sweets! Even at the train station, there are venders selling Japanese sweets. Then, at the subway station, there are all these bakeries and goodies...ahhh..so tempting! Don't wanna come home with 20 extra pounds!

Alright, more food pictures coming up...tune in!

I had my first English class in Japan today :D I was blessed with 3 little girls as my students. They were very sweet. Although one of them was falling asleep! Ha... I was told that she slept late the night before. I do hope that was the case and not my boring teaching. I really enjoyed myself. I taught them phonics!

My mother in Japan knew that I really wanted to borrow a guitar here in Japan, because we saw one sitting around at church. She asked the owner of the guitar this weekend and the person was willing to lend it to me during my time here! Ahhh! Amazing! Now I won't be bored! God provides :D

I'm going to have my adult classes tomorrow at Nagoya church! Wish me luck :D


[so, some things CAN be expensive in Japan. would you pay $7.14 for a box of brownie mix? Forget that, I'm coming up with my own mix!]

I FOUND THE MALL!

Konnichiwa! Watashi wa Anna desu. Nihon-go wa wakarimasen. Doomo arigatogosaimashita.
[translation: Hello! I am Anna. I do not understand Japanese. Thank you very much]

I've been getting around with those words. Hah....oh, and, of course, "____ doko desu ka" (where is _______? ). Even if the person does know, I still have no idea what kind of directions they are giving me. So, the best is body language. Let's go back to the basics. People here have been very kind. Helping me along the way as I have gotten lost MANNNNY times. Baaa..I can't believe how sucky I am with directions! I should really listen to Eric and just drop some crumbs or use strings to find my way back. Funny how I found the mall as I made some turns...not really knowing where I was going. But heading home was the toughie...I got lost. Good thing I treated myself to a good meal and a ma-cha (green tea) ice cream for lunch...or else it would have been frustrating to be lost and hungry :|



On a brighter note, Hiroko (my mother here in Japan) brought me to central Nagoya yesterday. We walked around..window shopped :D And she bought me food. Tasted my first Starbucks beverage in Japan..of course, another green tea drink--Macha Frappacinno. They have a lot more snacks than the Canadian branches.

< taken at starbucks >


< more visual displays of fooooooooood >


< mmmm....cake. The Japanese pronounce it "ke-ku" >



Alrighty friends, until next time. Teaching starts soon! Please keep me in your prayers.

Sorry dear friends, I have now changed the setting so non-blogger members can leave comments :D CHEEEERS!

Bachelorette Pad

[ starting with the hallway ]



[ to your right is bedroom #1 ]


[ to your left is the bathroom: with the Japanese tub and a shower...and a mirror ]



[ separated by a sliding door is my sink and washing machine ]



[ a few more steps down is the SUPA TOILET!!!!! I have yet to try out the many functions ]




[ through the door, you'll see the kitchen and living room area..and further down is the balcony ]


[ the stove/sink/counter to cook my udon and many kinds of noodles ]



[ my fridge with a lack of solid food ]



[ but at least I brought my Lays from Canada...although that will be gone soon ]



[ then if you turn right again, you will see the other 2 bedrooms, also separated by a sliding door ]



[ then there's the balcony view....yup, the church is right across "my" apartment :D ]



[ but it ain't the same without you guys around. I even have to take my own picture...*sigh* ]