Flake in order to Sense

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  The coolest part of the island of Shodoshima (off the coast of Takamatsu, the biggest city in Kagawa prefecture) is the actual olive garden they have there (not the resteraunt). They tried to introduce olive trees in four different parts of Japan, but they only took and grew in Shodoshima. We had fun seeing all the greecian art and a little bit of Holland too. We went to a cool greenhouse where I bought myself a mint plant. We made a cool craft too (that felt kind of like being at girl's camp again) where I glued herbs and flowers from the area on a piece of an olive trunk. But by far the coolest was going to the onsen there. An onsen is a public bath, more like public hot tubs (usually they are natural hot springs, but the one here wasn't). By bath, I mean everyone is completely naked. Luckily, it is only girls with girls and guys with guys, so no co-ed stuff. It is a little weird at first, until you realize that everyone is just walking around naked. It was actually really nice. You take a real shower before you get in and they have all different ones. Some outside, one with rosemary in it, and one that was kind of like a massaging chair. I loved it. I wouldn't mind going back. It was a great trip there.

We didn't get to head up to the monkey forest or see the many peacocks, but we did get to see a cool peace statue and the narrowest strait in the world (it is even in the Guiness Book of World Records). It is called the strait of Dofuchu. Look it up. It was a great day and very relaxing.

On our drive home from church every week, we always pass these pagodas that are jutting out of the trees on our left. We have always wanted to visit them, so today we did. It is just another temple in Japan, but up kind of on the mountain overlooking the ocean so it is very peaceful and beautiful. It makes you realize you are in another country, because it is just right there in the middle of houses and next to one of the busiest roads around that area. The train even goes right by it. It is smack dab in the middle of the trees, so it is way gorgeous. We had a fun little jaunt there today and got some great pictures. Gotta love Japan!!

You see these random things. Who would have guessed that Japanse people are into such riskay things. If you can't tell what these lions in this statue are doing, don't even bother to ask. It is on our drive home from Toyohama every time we drive it. Candace, my friend, got these pudding snacks as a present from one of her students who went to Osaka. Thus again, if you can't tell what is being portrayed, you are a much more innocent person than me. Finally, you can get all kinds of kit kats here. Banana, fruit parfait, super white cream chocolate, cherry, anything you want. I don't understand why, but I guess Japanese people like them. Go figure. Anyway, I thought I would give you a little more taste of what living here is like. It always keeps you on your toes and guessing what you might see next.

To use the line from a popular primary song seems very fitting for this wonderful holiday. How can you look at these pictures and not love my mom. She is my best friend and my best support. I love her so much. How can I express in words what my mother means to me. I can't really, but I will try. She is the one person I know that loves me unconditionally and that knows me probably better than I know myself. I don't know what I did to be sent to such a loving mother, but it must have been something great. She has always made our home a safe haven from the bombardments of the world around us, not only for her children, but anyone her children brought home with them. She loves all and is the planner, organizer, computer, and glue of this family. It takes a lot to keep a family of 11 together and functioning and she did it with such love and finess. I can't fathom how. I love her soo much. I would be lost in this world without her. Happy Mother's Day!!!

I took a two day trip to Fukuoka to go to the temple and do a little sightseeing. It was great. We had a week vacation here called Golden week. Basically there is a national Holiday on April 29th for the last Emperor's birthday, then a holiday on May 3rd for Constitution day, and then another one on May 5th for Children's day. Because the 3rd and 5th are national holidays, they mad eth 4th one too, but for no good reason. It is a fake holiday. Then on top of that, becuase of the 29th, they basically let people off of work for a week. No complaints on my part!! I loved it. These pictures were taken at a park near my hotel. I got to go to the Art Museum there as well and see some Monet and Renoir. A bit small compared to The National Museum of Art in Washington D.C. that I am used to going to. Anyway, the best part was getting to ride in a little swan paddle boat. I have never taken one before and since these ones were cute swans I couldn't resist. I must have looked pretty funny all by myself and being a gaijin (foriegner). But I am sure I looked even funnier when I got bored and started paddling backwards. It was a fun day and I got a lot of sun. What more could you ask for than swan paddle boats?!

I finally made it to the big garden/park in Takamatsu that is pretty famous. It is called Ritsurin Park.Everyone has been telling me to go, but I never seem to have time. So this last Saturday, since I had off school and was in Takamatsu to watch my student's archery tournament anyway, I decided to visit there. It is very beautiful and peaceful. There are tons of pathways and things to explore. They have a cool folk art museum as well where they make traditional pottery and sell it. It is pretty expensive though. I found a tiny raft tied up with no one around. I was really tempted to untie it and take it for a ride. But I was a good girl. They have tons of turtles and coy in all the ponds they have (Alicia, I thought of you when I saw the turtles). It was just beautiful and relaxing.

Since so many people are curious if I starve here in Japan, I thought I would include a few pictures of the fun things we get to eat here. The first one has tempura and udon in it. Tempura is basically any type of meat you want (including fish) battered and deep fried. Udon is a type of noddle they have that gets really fat when you cook it and they put it in a soup (usually with a really fishy taste). My meal also came with some pickeled vegetables, rice, and salad (made purely out of cabage). The meal in front of my roommate believe it or not was our breakfast in Hiroshima. It is a soup called mizu soup (kind a herby soup. I don't really like it) and rice balls called onigirui (they are covered with sesame seeds and something else. It kind of tasted like bird seed). Definitely something different for breakfast.

Here we are celebrating Easter in our own way in Japan. I was smart, and when I went home in February, I bought an egg dying kit. I did discover though that using the powder food coloring they have here, as well as water and vinegar, works almost as well. My friend Jonas (the one who looks stoned in his picture) found out that chad used to beat us up as little kids until we said "Chad is my master," so he wrote "Jonas is my master" on one of his eggs. At least we can have a sense of humor right?! Anyway, after all was said and done I realized I wasn't in any of the pictures. What a dork!! It was still fun though and good to do something for the holiday in a country that does not celebrate it.

You know you are turning Japanese when you buy a Kimono and acutally wear it. I wore this one to a tea ceremony (I didn't drink the tea. Don't worry) and then to church. The second picture is of a bunch of people from my branch. They totally accept us as one of them. Even Colonel Sanders (the trademark of KFC) has turned Japanese becoming the first Colonel Samurai ever. These papers were Kira's, Jessica's, Kristen's, and my attempt at Japanese calligraphy. I got pretty good at the end. I am thinking of taking it up for real. How could you go to Japan and not do Karaoke. Kristen and I were rockin' it!! This is a typical Japanese car and one we drive for school. It fits one and a half people. Literally. Japan makes you crazy as I have turned trying to do the pillowcase dance with Japanese supplies. I had the biggest head ever. This is where we get to relieve ourselves. Yes, it is built into the ground. We affectionately call it the squatter. Finally, it wouldn't be Japan if you didn't have anime drawn on everything including your trains. This one happens to be the anime of a man who has a doughnut type head filled with anco (a sweet red bean here) and whenever anyone in the anime is starving, he offers them his head to eat. Strange, but the kids love it. Its called Anpanman. Gotta love Japan.

There once was an English Teacher in Japan named Amberlyn. She had 3 students by the names of Kasumi, Briar, and Coco. Each student had their own talent. Kasumi was in High School and could play Japanese Archery (which is the coolest by the way), Briar was five and could do Ballet, and Coco was 6 and could play the piano. Each worked hard at increasing their talents. Kasumi practiced hours with a bow that was 2 times as big as she was. She perfected the stance to shoot (legs a little more than shoulder width apart. It looks like they are going to do the splits) and the bow before the match begins. The ceremony and pomp that goes with this kind of tournament was amazing and very difficult to perfect. Briar practiced hours learning how to hop and do whatever the ballet terms are and playing the tamberine as well. Coco as well practiced hard and got her 4 songs down including Old McDonald and Oh When the Saints, which she played with her parents. As time wore on, all 3 students invited their sensai, Amberlyn, to watch them perform and judge who was the best. As Amberlyn attended these various events she concluded that all 3 had great talent and that they could not be compared to one another. Thus we see that we each are given our own gifts and must work to perfect them as best as we can, not comparing ourselves to anyone else. Sorry I don't have a picture of Coco playing the piano. She looked way cute. The picture of the archery does not have Kasumi in it, but I thought it was cool anyway.