Amerika-Mura

In the evening of Wed, Nov 19, our appointment got canceled unexpectedly, so we went out to visit "Amerika-Mura", which we read about in our Lonely Planet.

According to the Lonely Planet, "Amerika-Mura, which means 'American Village', is a compact enclave of trendy shops and restaurants, with a few discreet love hotels thrown in for good measure. The best reason to come here is to view the hoards of colorful Japanese teens living out the myth of America."

At one point we felt like we were back in the States with our youth kids! Sagging jeans, long tops, baseball caps... :) In the main area called the Triangle Park (right side of top pictures, basically a small cement triangular area) there were a group of 3 boys beat-box-ing too. There were lots of small shops selling all sorts of Western-style merchandise and a lot of the employees were standing outside waiting for customers, some of them smoking, maybe enjoying the variety of people walking outside too despite the cold? We saw a Japanese person with dreadlocks too - didn't think that was possible with our type of hair, but guess it is.

We had a really good meal there too, probably one of the best meals we had in Japan in a really nice atmosphere. We actually treated ourselves to a yummy dessert too! :)

It was a very windy evening but we had a good time walking around, visiting Amerika-Mura with all of its shops and restaurants. Lots of funny English too ("Gosic", "Jaket", etc) to keep us smiling. :D

Week Three Review

(At the restaurant where we had lunch on Sat, Nov 15 after visiting the temple. We're waiting for our food to come out, and feeding Juhee tomatoes. The portable inflatable high chair she's sitting on is worth its weight in gold! Juhee's very good at eating while sitting in her own chair. Such a good girl! :D)

Mon, Nov 10 - Thu, Nov 13 - Family time, recovering from travels, re-stocking fridge, cleaning, laundry (takes much longer here as we have to hang all of our clothes outside on the balcony), vacuuming (at least twice a week 'cause the tatami floor shreds), cooking & eating at home (curry, pasta, rice with side dishes, udon, etc), research (on visas, starting & running a business in Japan, etc), and of course, lots of time spent in the Word and prayer regarding all of the things that we've seen, heard, and experienced during the previous two weeks, but the last 3 days (6-8th) in particular.

Fri, Nov 14 - Visited the largest Korean middle school in all of Japan. We were running late to meet Mrs. K, and then read the map incorrectly which caused us to go the exact opposite direction from the school. We were going to be very late, and were feeling hot and tired from the weather and all the walking. We called Mrs. K, whom we'd arrange to meet, to reschedule for the following week. We were on our way home, but decided to swing by the school to drop off a little gift we had prepared for Mrs. K. When we went to the school, we ran into Mrs. K in the lobby, and she asked us to stay to have lunch with her students. We gladly agreed, and joined her students for lunch, during which time we had a fun Q&A session in English. We were impressed as they'd just started learning English earlier this year. The students loved Juhee, and passed her around from student to student who were all saying that she was so cute. Who are we to argue with that? ;) The bell rang signaling the students to go to their next class, and we were then able to spend some time alone and have a good chat with with Mrs. K. She was really nice and welcoming, and we shared a lot about each other as well as news about the friends who had visited the previous summer. Mrs. K was very happy to hear about her friends.

Sat, Nov 15 - Visited Sumiyoshi Taisha Temple to see what the Shichi-Go-San celebration for children is all about. We had so much fun! Look below for blog re Shichi-Go-San celebration.

Sun, Nov 16 - Attended Sunday service at Nishinari Church, the church our Korean congregation visited on short-term mission during the summers of 2005 and 2006. Our church members memorized whole phrases in Japanese so that they could speak to the Japanese out on the streets of Osaka. The members of Nishinari Church were so happy to have us there and they asked us to stay in their church "mansion" during our last week. We're having lunch with one of the ladies from the church this Friday too. The head pastor, Pastor Kim, told us that the brother in charge of changing the slides for the screen was one of the people who was brought to Christ while our church members were here in Osaka. Others have also been baptized. Yay! :D

Week absolutely flew by~

Just for fun... :D

Juhee figured out how to take one arm out of her clothes on her own for the first time (and continued playing as if it was the most natural thing in the world). :) She's figuring out how to un/dress and most of the time, she's actually helping us now. She knows that socks are for feet so she puts her socks by/on top of her feet and wonders why they're not staying on. He he he... :)

They have trams in Japan! We didn't know, but apparently they do! I guess more in some of the suburb areas as the urban areas all seem to have massive, very efficient subways. This was one of the newer ones. Tried to get a pic of an old one which was so stylish but a whole bunch of cars came and stopped right next to it. :(

Even Japanese humming birds look Japanese! It looks a bit like a moth too, but the way it was humming around and going backwards, sideways, and forwards, made it sound and look like a humming bird with a Japanese design on it. :D

Just in case you can't read it, the sign says: "It is strong in time, and it is gently to time tough at time." Translation anyone? I think this is definitely one of those English-for-design rather than meaning type situations. :P

Picture taken in front of a hanbok store in Korea Town, Osaka. I'm pretty sure they're not very South Korean though. The colors and design patterns are ones I don't think you'd see in South Korea - especially not coming from my maternal grandmother's shop where she only makes really traditional hanbok.

Thank You!!!

 
(At the park next to the Sumiyoshi Taisha Shrine we went to yesterday. Peter really likes the sweet potato snack that he's holding. :) Juhee's so used to being in that baby carrier now she tries to put it on when we're at home and when she sees one of us put it on, she becomes very excited. So cute! :D)


Thank you for your prayers!!!

Since we sent out the last newsletter, none of us have had a single mosquito bite, the ones we had are all gone, and Juhee hasn't had any teething problems (and no new teeth which can definitely wait till we get home!) so thank you 'cause God's definitely answering prayers.

We also know for sure that our well-being, our safety, and the divine appointments that God has put into our lives during our time here is due to your prayers too.

We have just one week left. Can't believe it! Time's gone by sooooooooooooo fast.

Emotionally, I've been switching between extreme joy and extreme sadness as I become excited and so happy about moving here but then so sad about the thought of leaving family and the friends I've finally made and started to get close to behind. Sigh... Moving is never easy but Peter and I have done it before and I'm sure we'll be doing it again. It's different this time, 'cause this time we're the parents, not the children, but I'm sure God will be with us and with your prayers - what more will we need? :)

So thank YOU so very very much.

Shichi-Go-San Celebration for Children

 

(A little girl waiting for her mom to finish praying in front of the main temple. They'd just placed coins inside the metal thing in front of them before praying. Some of the adults would put coins in, put their hands together, clap three times, and then pray.)

(Entrance to the Shrine. Juhee just woke up from a nap so wasn't in the mood for pics yet. :D)

According to Kansai Time Out, November 2008 edition: "This is an annual celebration for children who have reached three (san), five (go), or seven (shichi) years of age. Throughout the month, but especially on Nov 15, children are taken by their parents to a shrine to receive the blessings of the gods. The children are given chitose-ame (1,000 year old candy), which is like salt-water toffee and stretches to symbolize long life and good health. There are various accounts of the origin of this festival, but the one most frequently cited is the belief that children of certain ages were especially prone to bad luck. Traditonally, three-year-old girls would be given their first obi, and boys would wear their first pair of hakama at five years."

We went to the Sumiyoshi Taisha Shrine (supposedly houses the Shinto gods of the sea, famous for its red Sorihashi bridge) in Osaka and I was a bit disappointed on our way there 'cause we didn't see a single child wearing kimono, but once we got there, there were so many! They were so cute in their colorful kimonos! There were a few dressed western style too but not very many.

The chitose-ame is the same as Korean yut 엿 which we give on special occasions like for college entrance exams (because it's sticky, it symbolizes the person taking the test "sticking" to the test, i.e. obtaining a good mark / score). We didn't see any, but we think that it's what the children were carrying around in long thin bags from one of the special stalls inside the temple area selling goods (toys, snacks, hot food were sold outside the actual temple area).

There were also groups of 2-4 women sitting on mats wearing kimonos in front of a sign and the parents were taking their child(ren) to them. We tried to wait around to see what happened but only caught the end of whatever was going on. We think that they were praying / blessing the kids.

Everyone seemed to have arrived in cars and no wonder. By the end of the walk around the temple, most of the kids were in their parents' (usually dad's!) arms or in a stroller. It can't be easy walking around in all that clothing and those Japanese sandals! There were lots of proud grandparents around too which was great to see.

It was great seeing so many families together celebrating this annual festival. :)

Tempozan Area - Home for Now

(Osaka Aquarium is famous for its two huge whales. The Giant Ferris Wheel is also a big attraction and the Tempozan Market has lots of shops and a food court too. They're a 5-minute walk from where we're staying so we like to take walks there when we can.)

This is the area where God has led us to stay for 28 days. It's at the very end of the green Chuo line (Osakako subway station) and is home to the Osaka Aquarium, the Giant Ferris Wheel, home to many Japanese, and a surprisingly large population of foreigners. There are at least a few in our building alone and it's not so uncommon to see foreigners at the station, walking or cycling around the area.

The day after we arrived, we met a Korean-Japanese gentleman who owns a Korean merchandise shop at the big market we go to. He told us how to get to Korea Town (Tsuruhashi subway station) and since then, we've dropped by for a chat almost every time we go to the market. Last time, he said that he was praying for us, which surprised me 'cause he told us that his grandmother's Christian so he attended church when he was a kid but hasn't been since. Today, he said (amongst other things) that God is going to punish humans for making things like airplanes ('cause we're not supposed to fly) and the internet, like He did with Noah and his Ark. He then joked and said that us four (three Ohs plus him) were going to be the only ones saved. I have no clue why he thinks that or said that but every time, something new comes up and we seem to get a bit deeper. He told us that there are lots of red neon crosses in the Tsuruhashi / Minami area as there are lots of Korean churches and Korean residents in that area. He said that there are also a lot of drinking parlors with Korean and Chinese women (providing a particular service) in them - no Japanese women - and that after a few drinks you can't tell whether you're in Japan or Korea. He said that the men go there during the week to drink and then go to church on Sunday and pray...

Please pray for us as we continue to visit him in his shop and speak to him about a variety of issues. I believe that God's placed us here and made our paths cross for a reason.

Week Two Review

(Top: "Happy Smile Xmas!" Couldn't resist capturing this rather unique season's greeting at a huge shopping mall in Hiroshima.)

(Bottom: In the Shinkansen to Hiroshima. Sara Juhee's sitting in her own seat too! She's been a little trooper during our travels.)

God's been really blessing our time here with divine appointments and the beginning of life-long friendships. So much has happened, it's hard to process and to summarize but I'll try...

Tue, Nov 4 - Met a friend of Peter's sister-in-law and had a delicious Korean meal. After the meal at her restaurant she took us to the store next door and helped us buy some essentials so I could cook for us better, especially for Sara Juhee. She gave us lots of helpful information on education of little ones in Japan too.

Wed, Nov 5 - Rest and preparation for the following few days.

Thu, Nov 6 - Travel to Hikone, just north of Kyoto to meet a family who have been serving in Japan as missionaries with WEC for over 10 years (I think closer to 20).

Fri, Nov 7 - Travel to various locations in Kobe to look into English school franchise opportunities and then off to Sanda to meet a family who have been serving in Japan as missionaries for 20 years with Asian Access.

Sat, Nov 8 - Travel to Hiroshima by shinkansen!!! to meet a family who arrived in Dec 2007 as missionaries with Pioneers, the missions agency we'll probably be coming to Japan with.

Sun, Nov 9 - Time out to rest and family worship at home. Needed time to process, reflect, discuss, and most importantly, pray thru the many things we'd seen and heard during the previous 3 days.

We were able to use our 4-day pass for only 2 days but we still ended up saving - yay! :) We've been trying to write down the things that we've learned from all of these amazing people that God has connected us to and allowed us to meet during our 4 weeks here. We've been challenged a lot by the things we've heard and learned as there were some things we were so sure about that we've had to question. Am I making sense? For example, we were very keen to have "bible study" groups David Watson style, using the CPM Discovery Bible method, but we're learning that it's probably not the best fit for this particular culture group and in this urban setting. But we still need to look more deeply into this 'cause we know that there's at least one Korean church trying this and the Korean learning style is the same as the Japanese (both rote).

God's opening more doors for us and haven't closed any yet... There seem to be many many things that we can do here. But which one? And where? Osaka? Kobe? Hiroshima???

It didn't rain (on us)!

It rained a lot here from Thursday night to Saturday evening but it didn't rain while we were out. On Friday, the day we walked outdoors the most we've ever had to so far, it didn't rain a single time while we were out in Kobe and I think it was just barely raining when we arrived in Sanda, so we maybe got a couple of drops of rain on our heads as we went from the station to our new friend's car.

On Saturday, not as much rain in general compared to Friday and we only got a couple of drops of rain going from another new friend's car / garage to their house in the beautiful mountains of Hiroshima.

You've obviously been praying really hard and your prayers have worked miracles. Thank you! :)

Love from Osaka

Forecast - Rain

It's raining tonight. Thankfully it started raining after we arrived home safe & dry.

The forecast is for rain tomorrow (Friday) & Saturday, two of our busiest days so far! Please pray for little to no rain, safety, and health...

I always get a bit nostalgic when it rains... Memories of life in the UK... I can't even remember the last time it rained in San Jose. Apparently it rained during the past week though!

Guess we'll need to get used to living with more rainy weather. No time like the present! :)

Looking Ahead

Just a quick one... This is actually part of an email I just sent to a friend:

*****

Today (Thurs) was a busy day - left home around 10:15am for Hikone, got back around 8:45pm, 2.5 hr trips each way. Tomorrow's going to be another busy day - leaving home around 9:00am (we're going to get squished big time!) for Kobe, after looking around the two English teaching franchise sites we'll have lunch and then head to Sanda, and then get home late again. Sat morning we need to leave home around 10:00am, be in Hiroshima around 12:30pm and then will prob get home late again. Sun morning we're going to the 100+ yr old Korean-Japanese church and then going to the annual festival taking place in Osaka's Korea Town so will get home hopefully not too late. Monday we may need to go to Kobe again, but we'll see.

No travel sickness so far and hopefully none during the next few days - please pray for me as it tends to get worse the more tired I am and with Juhee waking up so often during the night, carrying her around in the baby carrier everywhere, climbing up and down all those stairs, trying to keep her quiet and preoccupied during our subway and train rides - it's hard work! I'm physically exhausted but I'm so happy I think I'm going to burst. :)

We learnt so much today from the missionaries that we met. We have lots we want to share!

*****

The sharing will have to come at a later time but please pray for us (safety, health, proper meals esp for Juhee, no travel sickness) as we do a massive amount of traveling over the next few days.

With love and a grateful heart... :)