Three Weeks...

since the "Big One." Aftershocks have diminished. Power outages are few and short. Food and gasoline are readily available again in the area. The Japanese people have put their shoulders to the proverbial wheel and are getting on with things. The task of searching for victims and the massive clean up grind on. They will build again and build better. Other news in the world has distracted people from thinking about Japan. Here were not likely to forget any time soon.

A Clever Cat and Discovery at Daiei

You may remember Stubby chan, the Guest Home Cat. She's lived at the GH longer than anyone else. Since Gareth and Ruth are away, Stubby and I are taking care of the GH this week. My primary responsibility in Stubby's estimation is to ensure she has food in her bowl at quite regular intervals. On Saturday, my day off, the upstairs neighbor was asked to perform the feeding duties. Today I was about a half hour later than usual. After filling Stubby chan's bowl I saw the neighbor coming out of the office next door. She asked if I had fed the cat. Sometime earlier she had come out the front door of her apartment and there was Stubby waiting on her doorstep as if to say, "Georgia's probably not coming today, are you going to feed me?" Stubby is in her late teens, and looks more like an 'old cat' all the time, but where food is concerned, she doesn't miss a trick.

After making sure Stubby had an adequate lunch I walked into the town center to the Daiei Department store's food floors to get ground coffee and something for lunch. Coming up the escalator I saw that the display at the top had a definite "Christmas" theme. There was a small display of Christmas cards in the corner. To my delight I found 4 different cards that had an evening snow scene that included a church with a cross on the spire, and no mention of the new year inside! The cards are from the Sanrio company (Hello Kitty's Company).

Another Busy Season

Does your life continue to get busier? Mine has been pretty busy lately with getting ready for summer teams in Serve Japan, regular duties at the Guest Home and visitors. The weather has had some wet and cool spells, but the last two weeks were filled with sightseeing and visiting with an old friend, and today another couple is in Ichikawa and we may be able to get some time to chat before they head back north tomorrow evening.

The picture is of a door at Meji Shrine featuring a carving of the kamon of the Kiri or Paulowina flower.

If you haven't seen enough cherry blossom pictures, here's one from Hakone in the mountains with the bright clear sky behind it. Japan is certainly a beautiful place to be in the spring.

Don't look now, but...

February is all but over for 2010. Sometimes time really gets away from me.

So, the first week of March - here in Japan - Hina Matsuri is celebrated on the third. This is a holiday just for girls, it's Doll festival. Little girls display their collection of dolls representing the Emperor and Emperess and their court. Doting parents and grandparents buy dolls for the collection. These are not to be played with, but are just for "pretty" and are to be admired.

On the third I will be joining a group of women from OMF and other Missions for the JEMA Ladies Retreat in my favorite place to go in Japan - Karuizawa.

Wum, Wom, Warm

Was just out in the brisk breeze to pay a couple of bills (Health Insurance and Water) at the Seven-Eleven. (When they say convenience store here, they mean it!) I was waiting at a crosswalk for the light to change, and a couple was standing slightly behind me. She said something to him I didn't catch and he answered, "wum." She said emphatically, "wom." They said the same words to each other, with the lady clearly enunciating each time, "wom" to which he answered, "wum." The light changed, as we started across, I turned to the lady and said clearly, "warm." We all laughed heartily.

Notice Anything Different?

All around the neighborhood for the past two weeks have been signs of pre-New Year activity. In a word - cleaning. The wall around the garden. All the screens from the house windows lined up to be washed. Larger piles of discarded household items set out on the Wednesday pickup day.

Starting the new year with a clean house, a clean slate, a chance for a do-over. The sad part is that there is no significant change in the hearts of the people, and that's the only way to initiate real change.

Has your heart been changed, cleaned, made new?

Luke 11: 24-26

Christmas in Ginza

Went to Ginza with Yasuko to have lunch, see a movie and shop. It was a National Holiday - the Emperor's Birthday, so the traffic was blocked on the main street and things were decorated for Christmas. They've done a lot with LED lights in the trees along the street, and banners. Lots and lots of people walking and looking around. It was a beautiful sunshiney day.


New vocabulary bura - bura = shopping around
Gin - bura = shopping around in Ginza
kamameishi = meal cooked in a heavy pot on the stove featuring rice in the first layer and greens and in this case chicken and slivers of yuzu peel on top. Oishii

Anniversary

I arrived in Japan for my fourth time one year ago. It looks as if I may be able to stay for about one more year, thanks to the generosity and prayers of many of you, my friends and supporters.

I must say that I would like to push thoughts of packing and moving as far into the future as possible, just on general principles. Ugh!

I have been able to re-establish relationships with most of my friends from past visits as well as making some new ones. I've learned how to do some new things - mostly with computers. have honed some skills, mostly in sewing and have even learned some Japanese, though woefully little compared to the vastness of the language.

I ride a bike now instead of jumping in the car, use yen instead of dollars, call people using my computer and eat cold rice for lunch by choice.

It's a different way of life, but one that I enjoy most of the time.

So, for a while longer you can check in on me here. Thanks for following even when I haven't had much to say. Write a comment - I read them all and answer most. Mata neh - till next time.