Home sweet home~

so I've been back to Van for 2 days now. It's quite nice that I don't have much of a jetlag. Thanks for keeping my busy for my first day back. =) Wow, dim sum is greasy..haha! On my first day back, I felt like I've left home for a looooong time, but that 5 months also felt fast... When I went back home, it actually felt a bit foreign....familiar yet foreign. One trivial thing that I found was that my washroom at home is sooo dirty... =P haha! well, I guess the shower room at my home in Sendai is tooooo white....so a "yellowish" w/ some stain seem...dirty..ha! =P I've also figured out how "big" my home in Vancouver actually is. When I was sitting on the couch in the living, I found out that my place in Japan is even smaller than the living! literally!! haaaa...

It's interesting to come back home. Things seem familiar but a bit foreign on the first day. Haaa, and now..the second day...somehow it felt like as if I've never left. It was nice to "practice" w/ Anthony, Eric, Jaeson, and Joseph tonight. It reminds me of the good old days. I really missed time spent w/ these good friends, good bros and sis. Well, at least I see you guys as my dear bros and sis. I guess part of my "homesickness" back then was the lack of any close friends. I felt like I couldn't find anyone to just chill. I really treasure every moment here with my dear family and friends. (well, but I guess one thing of living solo is that there's no curfew..haha! =P )
I am really grateful for God's presence. You raise me up so I could move the mountains. Well, not sure if I'm that strong yet. Lord, please help me to be like You. Lord, please mold me to be your...pot. Lord, please help me to be strong to face all the upcoming challenges wisely. Lord, thank you for giving me all these opportunities to experience You. Your words are even more touching now. Thank you. Thank you for giving me all I have and not giving me things that I don't have. All things happen for the good. I believe You will show me the path You want me to take.

Man....from my posts...you can really see how "all over the places" my brain is. Haaa, no wonder I'm not good at writing...Wait...I'm teaching English tho..haha! Yay! excited for tomorrow....excited for my everyday life! =) Take care my friends! みんな、一緒にがんばろう！ファイト！！ =)

...playing with my head...

"Forgiven" by Sanctus Real

Well the past is playing with my head
And failure knocks me down again
I’m reminded of the wrong
That I have said and done
And that devil just wont let me forget

In this life
I know what I’ve been
But here in your arms
I know what I am

[chorus]
I’m forgiven
I’m forgiven
And I don’t have to carry
The weight of who I’ve been
Cause I’m forgiven

My mistakes are running through my mind
And I’ll relive my days, in the middle of the night
When I struggle with my pain, wrestle with my pride
Sometimes I feel alone, and I cry

In this life
I know what I’ve been
But here in your arms
I know what I am


When I don't fit in and I don’t feel like I belong anywhere
When I don’t measure up to much in this life
Oh, I’m a treasure in the arms of Christ ‘cause

I’m forgiven
I’m forgiven
And I don’t have to carry
The weight of who I’ve been
Cause I’m forgiven
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After hearing a sermon online from Cornerstone Christian fellowship in Seattle about inner healing.."Becoming a house of healing"...Haa, then it seems like "the past is paying w/ my head"... reminded of the wrongs I've said and done. Well, I guess I just gotta have faith in HIm that I'm forgiven...

Ugh, why am i so weak..? Why am I scared/worried about the future/other uncertainties? I need some power....stronger faith.

suddenly thought of this "old" song...made me cry. ha!



ugh, so fan.... go away...go away...go away.......!

Hmmm...still wonder what the next year would be like....

What's my goal?

Yeah....to stay or not to stay. I guess it's still too early to say. True. What's my goal? What do I want to get out of this experience? Thank God that His words are helping me to better adapt to my life here. Initially I felt quite uneasy on all the changes that was happening. Yeah....suddenly leaving what's familiar can cause emptiness....like...what am I doing? I have nothing left w/o other external stuff to keep me occupied. This is the day that the Lord has made. God is slowly telling me to rely on Him instead of relying on man or environment. The world will change. I guess I felt a bit frustrated at changes. What once to be somewhat familiar seems to become more and more distant. Well, I'll be safe in Your arms right? =) You'll lead me wherever I go. With your power, some things can be easier than anticipated. Unfortunately, I have to admit my weakness...loneliness still strikes me sometimes. May God continue to give me strength and wisdom to do what I'm meant to do. May we be able to walk through my life together. Fear not! 主永遠與我同在，在你裏面沒有改變，你的信實從昨日到今日一直到永遠！ Amen! Emmanuel. =)

Solitude...

Hmmm...a sudden thought. Well, although my sis and stan are here w/ me in Japan...I wonder if God is trying to "take away" everyone who were used to be "close" to me and put everything foreign around me.....!? I guess things happen for a reason. Although I'm not sure what the plan is like, I guess I just have to have faith in God that all things work together for the good. No matter how "uneasy" I feel about the situations, I just need to be strong and trust that God will lead. God will never give me tests/challenges that are too hard for me to bear right? Yes, I guess it's a great time of faith. God, please lead me and show me your way!! Sometimes situations may seem unpleasant, God, please help me to stand on ur words and believe that You will guide me through using Your ways. Thanks God. You are awesome. =)

ahaha....1 or 2?? that's a question. haa!

Recent happenings~

Wooo...it's November already!! I have been in Japanland for 3 months now! October actually went by somewhat fast. I guess it was a somewhat pleasant month? Not much had happened. It's usually just work...occassionally hang out w/ other ALTs (yes...don't really have Japanese friends yet......) Haaa...ohohoh.....my Japanese drama crave is back! Yup, a lot of drama watching time. =P
Man, I really really need to work on my Japanese!!! I hate not being able to communicate w/ others!!! or....I really dislike the feeling of taking forever to say something....... =( That's probably one of the reasons why I rarely speak to the people at work. I do want to speak to my coworkers more though..... I often feel like I'm in my own little world at work....and often not sure what I should be doing at work. I'm also often not sure how I should plan the lessons....what are the best ways for the kids to learn the language...etc. Hmm, I wonder if I'm thinking too much...haa! Well, so recently (been happening for awhile actually..), I kept on thinking if I should stay here for 1 year or 2 years.....Hmmm..not sure.


A few days ago, I had the opportunity to talk to Uncle B and Uncle Man sing via skype. Haaa...when I was talking to uncle B, tears suddenly came out..XD I guess I do miss home. I miss the great ppl back home. I miss hearing their voices. I miss seeing them. I miss spending time with them. なつかしい。。。 Well, but as the November 1 card said, "you dream came true!" Yes, that's right. Coming to Japan had been my dream. I should treasure every moment. =) This is the day that the Lord has made, so I shall rejoice and be glad in it. =)


Ahhhh!!! Passion 2010 concert just happened in Van!!! Obviously I miss it.....WELL...BUT I'M GONNA SEE MY LOVELY SIS AND BRO IN LAW IN LIKE...AN HOUR!! What can I say.....? God is good to me. =) Gyutan time! =)


So it was our school's chorus contest yesterday. It was awesome to see the students perform after the days and weeks of practice. Man....I miss singing..... Although I was never in choir...I do miss singing...very much. It's an in-school chorus contest, so each class competes each other. It's great to students play piano, and conduct! I was really amazed at one of the students in 2-7. He's a short and little guy. He was the conductor for their free choice song. His conducting was good! It was song w/ hard beats.....It was just awesome! I couldn't help myself but to say "subarashii" to him afterwards....haa! Well, I think I will remember his name from now on. =) Although he didn't win for the conductor award, his conducting was pretty awesome to me. It was AMAZING to see how TALENTED those students were!!!! That's especially true for those students whom I know a bit better. =) すばらしい！


After our chorus contest, teachers had "drinking party" again, just like Sports day last time. After I said "yes" to the party on Tues., I was actually a bit regretted... Since I never really talk to my co-workers, I didn't know what to expect in the party. Also, I didn't really do anything for the chorus contest. Last time at the Sports day party, it was a bit awkward cuz ppl didn't know what to say to me. haa! XD Also, it's kinda expensive this time...haaa. It's like $50 for chinese food. Well, so when I went to the restaurant, I was trying to be all cheerful and stuff....and said a lot of "お疲れ様でした” Hehe, to my surprise (a bit), Nemoto sensei who was sitting beside me started to talk to me. =) Hehe, then conversations using super broken Japanese started. =) Thanks for the itouch my lovely friend! I was able to show the teachers some pictures. That was kinda nice. Haaa, and I guess it's a Japanese way of doing things. Everyone had to do a little speech. I did my little speech too. Well, I didn't say much. I just said something like it was amazing...blah blah. It WAS amazing. I wish I was singing with the students. It was nice to hear the teachers talk about the kids...blah blah. =) It was quite a pleasant dinner. I was glad that I was able to talk to them. Wow, seriously, God, You're amazing. =) I trusted that you will guide me and You pleasant surprised me! Hopefully I could interect with my coworkers more from now on. Haaaa, I left a bit early from the dinner, but it was like 11:15. We started at 7......it was interesting how long it lasted. I guess 快樂時間過得特別快吧。。。 Thanks Lord....really. Thanks for leading me through my everyday life...no matter how big or small the things are. =)


Haaaa...ok, time to vaccum.............sooo dirty.. =S


Counting down. I can't wait til Christmas. =)


cheers my friends! God loves you and I love you. =)

ファイット！！

Errr, I'm starting to...not like going to work haa! I guess I'm just lazy...and job can be kinda stressful. I often don't know what to do....like what activities to do...how effective the activities would be...how to create the "preferred" atmosphere in the classroom....Haaa...we'll see.

甚麼辦？我不會交朋友耶。。通常一個人，也比較被動，又不敢。。哈！loner! =P Looking forward to the yakiniku on Sat. w/ a few church people. =) Yeah, I feel lucky to know God. We had potluck yesterday...it totally reminds me of home and even church in HK..



Haaa, there were a lot of rice-related dish and a lot of buns. Well, but I really enjoyed having potluck....eating w/ everyone else. Suddenly felt like home. =) Well, this is the day that the Lord has made, so I should rejoice and be glad in it... I'm trying...

It's nice to see the students enjoy the lesson. Although I'm always nervous teaching the special ed. class, I love the atmosphere there!! I (and I bet all the students) feel safe there. When I have a bad day, I love eating lunch w/ the special ed. class. Although some students have difficulties doing certain tasks, the other students will always help the others! These students have definitely make the classes more..."successful". For example, we were playing a board game today. 9 of them were playing together. Before a student could roll the dice, the student beside him/her drew a card (vocab that they learnt), and the student w/ the dice had to say what the word first. They would all enthusiastically clap for others when they got the correct answers. When certain students were stuck, the others would help. With these supportive students, the lesson went better than I thought. Well....a few students got a bit toooo excited...... Hmmm...still not sure what to do for Halloween! errrr...

OHhhh...I saw a "Milk Japan" campign yesterday. I wanted to post the clip of different dairy products here...but I can't....weird. Milk Foundation in Japan's marketing target was definitely for little kids. They made a really cute book telling kids why they should drink milk. It was toooo cute.



Ohoh, My JET Japanese books arrived! Yup, I will start to study Japanese for real! (finally........haa....) がんばろう!　ファイット！ Errrrr!



Errr, again....希望明天會更好。。。How's everyone doing? Long time no see. May all be well. You're always in my heart. Cheers~ =)

here it comes again....

so mom's back to tw/van. I actually didn't spend as much "quality time" w/ her than anticipated. I got quite tired from the Tokyo trip.....felt quite stressed from work... I am not worthy to be loved like that. My mom does care for me...very much. Sometimes I wish she doesn't care for me so much...I'm not doing as well as I could... (at least it's not reciprocal...) Ha....人就是這樣，we often take love for granted.....whichever kind of love.

Man, this is taking longer than I thought. Sometimes I wonder if I'm really "qualified" to go abroad and stuff. Back home, I was telling myself that ok! I'm gonna make lots of friends....be social...etc. Hmmm, I don't know why it's not really happening. I'm often not motivated to do anything. That's bad. I guess a different environment is making my emotion to be kinda different too. I've never really been like this back home. It seems like the older I am, the weaker I am. That's just....strange, odd. I wonder when this will end....or is it just the "stage 2" thing...? I wonder..... May there be joy down in my heart.....always...and always. =)

More on life....

Soooooo……how’s life?? Life is full of joy and challenges. This week has been pretty tiring. Man, I think I’ve been totally spoiled by all those Stat holidays!!! A “complete” week feels like…a lot! =P I had a pretty crappy lesson on Monday…yes, it was CRAPPY! It was just awkward seeing all those blank stares from the students. It was my second time leading the same activity. The first one was ok….but it wasn’t great. I did ask my JTE for advice for improvement. I guess I sooooo wanted to get it right that everything just fell apart. Initially, I was a bit scared to talk to my JTE, but I felt I need to talk to him. His response to my apology was actually not as “harsh” or critical than I thought. Haaaa, he was like..”did you even prepare? What were u thinking??” Haaa, how embarrassing! Well, then I told him my plan on the same activity for the later lessons. When we were doing the same activity for the 3^rd and 4^th times, things got a lot better. We were explaining and demonstrating the activity together. He also helped me to write stuff on the board so that the students can understand. Ha, that’s what I call TEAM TEACHING!! We work together to deliver lessons for the good of the students. During the 4^th time, my JTE asked the students “do you understand?”, I almost shouted for joy when they said “yes!” (!!!!!) Hopefully this kind of team teaching momentum will continue.

Haaaaa, man…challenges. For the last few classes, my JTE did his own stuff w/ the students and I led my activity after his stuff. One time, while my JTE and I were walking to the classroom, he told me, “Joyce, I don’t have anything specific prepared for this class, so you’ll have the entire class.” When I heard that, I was like….WHAT?? YOU MUST BE KIDDING ME!! YOU’RE TELLING ME THAT A MINUTE BEFORE THE CLASS STARTS??? My activity would last for about 25 min….so that means I had to lead something for another 25 min. Luckily, he told me to prepare some sort of ice breaking activity before, but we didn’t do it because he had something prepared. Thus, I ended up leading that ice breaking game w/ that class followed by my planned activity. It was good that I’ve done that activity before so I knew how I would explain to the students. Haaaaa, but man….I don’t know if I would be so lucky next time…..as to be able to think of an activity like….right away!! Well, God will watch over me right? =) Gotta add oil arrrr!!!!!

Yes, going back to this stressful week. I had no free block on Tuesday…so I stayed at school til quite late to plan lessons for Wednesday. I left at like…6pm. I just felt like I couldn’t stay at school anymore. I was tired…and stressed. After the tiring day, I was totally not looking forward to the following Tuesday w/ no free block. Having back to back classes is just…tiring. However, the day actually went by somewhat fast and positive. The activities I planned for the 1 nen sei’s went somewhat well. Haaaa, I’m glad that my bday was before this stressful week. =)

Ok, speaking of bday, I was fortunate to have friends here to have pancake brunch together. Although the pancakes weren’t as good as IHOP’s, it was the people who matter. J After hanging out at Sophie’s place, I went home. It was glad that I didn’t go to the party (I know……I’m so non-social… =S ) I had the opportunity to catch up w/ a few friends and family!! Although it was kind of late Vancouver’s time, I saw my sis on MSN! She said she was waiting for me~ Awww, that was sooo sweet! It was also nice to chat w/ friends whom I hadn’t talked for a while. It’s great to hear some updates and recent happenings on the other side of the world. Haaaa, remember! I want my bbt~ =P Thanks sis for gift card….and yay! I have a touch now. Thanks my friend!! =) I guess if the relationship is “strong” enough, distance can actually make the relationship stronger. It is great to know that some ppl truly care. I’m guessing those ppl exist. Well, at least God will be here no matter what. I am fortunate.

It feels very different coming to Tokyo this time. For the last 2 times, I was super excited to explore everything. Well, not like I am not excited this time, but after taking a 5-hour bus ride from Sendai right after work, sitting in a Tokyo subway train didn’t excite me. I was glad that I wasn’t living in Tokyo. I somehow didn’t like the busy, “complicated”, seemingly stressed atmosphere in Tokyo. I don’t know why the “once impressed me” train system in Tokyo seems overwhelming this time. It seems complicated. I like how Sendai has only 1 subway line…and a not so complicated JR system (well, at least to the places I need to go…) I like how Sendai is a “small city”, but it has pretty much everything you need. In Sendai, I can almost find all the things I see in Tokyo. Well, I am enjoying my trip here tho! It’s just a bit tiring. =P

Haaa, no worries. Be happy. God will lead. Cheers my friends.

ok...忘記背後，努力面前....................

Yes......忘記背後，努力面前....................雖然昨天浪費了昨天兩個小時的生命，but that's life!! so.....再來一次！！もう一回。。。もう一回！=)

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好，這個post是我給自己的一個小project。哈哈，對於很會打中文的人，打中文就像吃飯一樣簡單。。。oh well，whatever。。。給自己的小功課啦。哈，身為港台人，好像真的要會點中文。這也是讓我媽看得比較舒服啦。。。一直説要用中文都沒做到。。。=P

Wow，今天，我literally來了兩個月了！時間過得很快，但又覺得過了好久。可能這兩個月裏發生了很多事，情緒也波動比較大吧。Well，其實生活還不錯啦。暫時沒有很major的culture shock =） This is the day that the Lord has made, so I will rejoice and be glad in it. =) 真的很感謝神帶領我來到日本。。。一個我一直想來的地方，一個陌生又遠離家人朋友的地方。這兩個月更學習到倚靠主。。。在這裡有感覺新鮮的時候，有孤單，有大笑，有迷惑，有平安，有哭的詩候。神，我知道你許可所有事情的發生來造今天和將來的我。哈！真的要常提醒自己要fix my eyes on Jesus。。。因爲主你永遠與我同在，在你裏面沒有改變，你的堅定從昨日到今日一直到永遠。=） 縱然環境，人事，世界在改變，神的愛，神的話，神的promise永不改變。謝謝主！認識您真好~~ =）

也算慢慢習慣這裡的生活吧。Hmm，其實還蠻像otaku。。。下班後有時去grocery store，有時跟“鄰居”吃飯。。。但大部分時間weekdays下班後都在家。不知道為什麼很多時候又沒甚麼動力去認識新朋友。。。oh no。。。有病？？ =S 可能有時候會怕吧。。。或覺得不熟。。哎呀。。。可能真的有病。。。errrr，在改啦。。希望明天會更好。Maybe it takes time…

Ha,今天開Sendai JETs monthly meeting，講到地震和續約的東西。說到地震，昨天八點多九點多的時候有點搖搖。門有點震震震。。。還好只是小震啦。。。but yea，聼說地震真得很normal。哈哈，到續約。。。其實還早啦。才來了兩個月，再說吧!

工作是還好啦。還在學習怎麼跟不同的老師配合，因爲我在每一個classroom的role都不一樣。Errrr。。。不知道怎麼教啦！學生很多時侯都會怕講英文。。。也是啦，想當年我也怕講英文。希望神給我很大的聰明智慧在我的工作上啦。。。 希望學生比較不怕英文，又可以讓他們學到日本以外的世界。 =）

Haaaaa！今天在Special Ed Class用日文教一個學生數學耶！！！！=P It was a pretty scene。 =）（當然用了很多gestures 和actual material。。。）

很期待看到熟悉的面孔。=） Thanks mom and sis~ =)

還是覺得是對的選擇，須然不知道會如可，但很期待，更期待。=）

很好。。。one thing checked on my mundane “to do list”. It’s time to accomplish the next. =)

非常感謝我的家人朋友。感謝你們的support, encouragement, and simply being there for me. I love you…can’t stress enough.. =P

Cheers my friends~ =)

みんな、じゃあまだ！=)

very sad...

oh my...a post typed in chinese is GONE!!!!! deeply saddened. It took me probably like...2 hours... very sad...very very sad.....

Sports day 運動会

Yup, it was Sports day today. It was fun!!! =) Unlike the sports day I had when I was in elementary school, this sports day doesn't have any "traditional" sports other than relay running. However, I guess the point of sports da y here is for everyone in the school to be involved in an activity. It's basically classes vs. classes. There's also a parents team. There were 5 "sports"

1. throwing bean bags into a basket... ( XD )
- there are around 18 ppl in each circle. They will pick up the bean bags from their circles and throw them into the basket. Yup...it's that easy. =)



2. Tug-of-war
-yup, ur basic tug-of-war. Class against class. It was fun. Well, tug-of-war is always fun. =)



3. passing big ball & small ball...
-2 ppl grabbing either the big ball or small ball....run to the middle, and grab the other ball...then run to the other side of the field. It was fun tho. :) I was playing it too! I was in the PTA team (parent & teacher association). When the students saw me...a few of them were yelling "Joyce sensei~~~" hehe..they are so cute.. XD

4. Running with a bamboo...
-haaa..i like this game. =) 5 kids hold a bamboo. They run to the first cone, make a circle..turn, then run back. After they run back to their group, the bamboo has to go under everyone, meaning everyone in the group has to jump over the bamboo. Then the bamboo will be brought back to the front from the back over everyone's head. Hmmmm, sounds confusing, but it was fun!!! =)



5. Relay!!!
-there were relay against each class, and relay against other clubs. Teachers formed 2 teams too!! I was in one of the teams, going again the girls. Well, but the teacher's team that was going against the girls consists of 4 male teachers and 2 female teachers. Some students were sort of complaining about the teacher's team composition.....then the males teachers told them that because they suck, that's why they're in the girls team....XD tooo funny! =) Well, as expected, the teachers lost....like last place. It was fun tho! =)

Ohhhhhh.....marching band......I want to play my clarinet too......

After sports day, there was a staff dinner. Yay, I finally had my authentic ox tongue. It was yummy..... =) Although I didn't talk much w/ the teachers (since I have very limited Japanese....and they're not that into English...), it was still nice to hang out w/ colleagues outside of work. Haaaa...Japanese really like Nomihodai (all you can drink). Man.....couldn't really stand the smoke tho..ha!

This is the day that the Lord has made~

September 12, 2010 - Sunday. Hehe, I think I am getting better. :) Haha, yeah, I guess I was going through my stage 2 of the "cycle of culture shock"..XD I guess I felt that there's no one close here....felt a bit uneasy about all the changes that seem to be happening. Well, God brought me here right?? He will be with me wherever I go.

Ok, since today was church day....and I am going to a Japanese church, let me do a Japanese 101. =) For those who have been going to church, you will probably know this song. We sing this right before 問安. Instead of saying "peace" and shaking hands, people would say "おはようございます！”and bow. It's very "Japanese" eh? =P



Kk, enough talking. Here's the Japanese lesson.

この日は


この日は　この日は　主が作られた　主が作られた
われらは喜ぼう　この日をば　この日をば
この日は主が作られた　われらはこの日を喜ぼう
この日は　この日は　主が作られた

(in romaji...so ppl can sing along..haa!)

konohiwa konohiwa shugatsukurareta shugatsukurareta
warerawa yorokobou konohioba konohioba
konohiwashugatsukurareta warerawakonohioyorokobou
konohiwa konohiwa shugatsukurareta

(English version)

This is the day

This is the day (X2) That the Lord has made (X2)
We will rejoice (X2) and be glad in it (X2)
This is the day that the Lord has made
We will rejoice and be glad in it
This is the day (X2) that the Lord has made


Yes. God has allowed everything to happen. This is the day that the Lord has made, so I will rejoice and be glad in it. I've been singing this song for the last month...and this is my sudden discovery. I guess God had just hit me on the head. haa! =) It was a nice hit. I will cherish everything God is giving me, and thank God for the things that He is not giving me. =) Thanks Lord.

Man.......this is bad....just spent like...$140ish on shoes today... =S They are not even that cheap....why did I buy them??? I just need runners.......! sigh... I guess no eating out for the week... Well, I DID make a big pot of curry..! I also marinated some chicken. Yup, deal! Those will be my dinner..s for the week....

Oh, talking about runners, the reason why I need runners is because I AM JOINING SPORTS DAY!! Haaaa, should be fun! =) Each club is going to have representatives to do a 200m X 4 relay. There will be a teacher team...and I WILL BE ONE OF IT! Haaa, I can't believe I'm gonna run in sports day!! I've never ever joint sports day before! Well, I guess I was one of the cheer leaders when I was in grade 4. Wow...don't even want to attempt counting fingers........ ANYWAY, I think the students are SOOOOO gonna win...=P Oh well, it's just for fun anyway. It should be fun! :)

Ohoh, the Jozenji Street jazz festival was AWESOME! Seeing all those bands made me wanna SING!!~~ =)

Yup, I am feeling better I think. Yes, I will treasure all the opportunities I have. Well, I don't know when that "stage 2" is gonna hit again. That's ok! I am safe in His arms. =) Just wanna share this song with you...for those who doesn't have facebook.....Ahemm...u know who u are.. =P



God will never leave us or forsake us. I believe since He had promised us that He will never leave us and we will be safe in His arms, there is essentially nothing to fear...nothing to be discouraged... Everything is under control! Isn't it great....~~ =)

Wowwwww....POURING!! I guess typhoon is either coming or it's here! Welcome to Asia. =)

Once again, thank you for those who care for me and 精神上支持我。 I love you all. I mean it.

Thanks Lord. Your love is amazing.

cheers~~ =)

Vaporized...

It's interesting how and why it disappeared....suddenly. Odd. Well, deal with it.....

God's Providence

Sepbember 4, 2010 - God's Providence
(From my Daily card)

"All things work togehter for good to those who love God." (Romans 8:28)

God regularly and consistently takes all that He allows to happen to Christians, even what seems to them to be the worst things, and turns those events ultimately into blessings. That is divine providence at work. No matter what your situation - happy, prosperous, and easy; or sad, painful, and difficult - through it all, God works to do what is ultimately best and most blessed for you.

In His providence, the Lord uses "all things", circumstances that are evil and harmful as well as those that are good and helpful, to mold you into the kind of person He wants you to be. When you struggle with life, just remember what God promised the apostle Paul, "My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness" (2 Cor. 12:9). That pledge is for you as well.

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"你 的 恩 典 夠 我 用" and tears came out

1 month now...!

Yup, I have been in Japan for a month now! Well, a month and 2 days to be exact. =)
It somehow seems like a loooong time! I guess I've done many things...? How am I? so far so good I guess. I do miss things at home...and feel strange from time to time. I think I'm still adjusting my life here. I guess I'm just not a very social person (Haaaa....anti-social?..hmmm..) Well...getting there..getting there. =)
As of school, I'm enjoying it so far! Yes, there are a lot of repeating. For example, I've done my self-intro for more than 10 times now. It can get a bit boring from time to time, but I'm always seeing different groups of students! I do enjoy working with the students so far. Some of them are so funny!! =P Haha, I finally remember the 3 girls who always come talk to me! They even thought of ways for me to remember their names and their classes...XD so 2 of them are Rina, and the other cute girl is Saki (yes, I think she is cute~ hehe..) One of the Rina's is in 3-7, the other one is in 3-2, and Saki is in 3-5. Saki was like.."7-2=5"!!! They attempted to get me to remember their last names....hmmmm...didn't happen. Haaa...add to the 3, another girl joint the group. Her name is Jurina. Whenever I see them in the hallway, they will test me on their names...XD There are just soooooo many students in the school that I can really only remember a handful of them.

Oh, I really enjoy the special ed class too! When I was in that class, I was thinking maybe I can do that when I go back to Canada! They are innocent bunch of kids. =) One little girl, Juno, always likes to go to the teacher's room and say "hello joyce sensei~"...then she usually starts to speak Japanese to me....haha Whenever I ask "how are you?" to her, she would say "I am happy!" as simple as that. =) well, today, she said "I am hungry"...XD

Ohoh, there are 2 grade 8 boys who would come to the office everyday and say "it's time to clean up"... Apparently I've been assigned to clean a section of the school with the students. On the first day when they came and got me to do clean up, we used about 3 min....standing outside of the teacher's room...to figure out what exactly what he wanted me to do. Since I have very limited Japanese and they have limited English, it was sort of like a chicken is talking to a duck..haa After a few days, it has become a daily routine. We would chat every time we walk upstairs to the place where we had to clean. It was a pretty scene. =) One of the guys is pretty good in kendo. Haaaa, maybe I'll get him to teach me one day...hehe..! =)

Yay, I'm finally eating lunch with the students. The first day eating with the 1-1 class was awkward! The boy sitting right beside was TOTALLY ignoring me....XD and the girl who was sitting right in front of me felt awkward because she didn't know what to say to me. I started by asking things like "what's your name? how are you?"
haaaaa..and they got scared...XD The boy beside looked at me for 2 seconds, then turned back to his friends and continued to chat...haa.. Oh well, first day... Things are getting better. I eat with a different class everyday. Eating with the other classes has been quite fun. Many of them are like "hello Joyce sensei!" We would use simple English to chat.....and those students with stronger English would translate for the others (usually girls translating for the boys...XD) Well, I actually haven't even taught all the 1 nensei's. Some of them would try to think of things to ask me!

I actually really like how students would eat lunch together, start to eat lunch together, take turns to serve lunch, finish lunch together. This kind of "activity" can really build team spirit. I love it! Too bad it's not like that in Canada. I'm guessing it's similar in Taiwan eh? Too bad I wasn't raised in that kind of environment. I love teamwork. =) good teamwork. After each student got his/her lunch, everyone will wait until everyone is seated. One person in the class will say something...that I have yet to understand..., then everyone will put their hands together...and say "itadakimasu~~" It's cool!! After that, then the students can either put some of their food back (if it's too much) or get extra. The homeroom teacher would say what they have left so that the students who want extra would help themselves. From the last few days eating with the students, if someone doesn't like to eat something, either another classmate will help him/her to finish it, or s/he would just eat it (unless there's a lot of something s/he doesn't like..haha) I like how they are mostly willing to help each other. Today, the kid who sat beside me asked if I like milk. I said not really, and he said no too. However, he still finished his milk. I wasn't going to drink the milk, but since a student who didn't like milk drank it, so I drank it too. Wow....full fat unpasterized milk... By the way, school lunch is BIG! It's interesting how they want to make school lunch healthy, but there's deep fried food like.....5 out of the 7 meals i've had... Here's a picture of a school lunch. I would say it's one of the "healthier" ones..just to give u an idea. =) Don't get me wrong! I think they're tasty actually..hehe



I like being with the students so far. =)

Haaa, I think teachers here have sooooo much other stuff to do that planning lessons may be their very last thing to do. On Monday, I asked one of my JTE if he would like me to prepare anything for the class tomorrow. His reaction was telling me that he hadn't even thought of his classes. Well, he asked me to prepare some sort of ice breaking game and a writing activity using "want to". The next day (the day of the classes), we really couldn't figure out the writing activity, so we whipped up a plan literally 5 min before class started. After the ice breaking game, we had the students do some sort of skit from the book. My JTE and I first modelled the skit (with emotion and stuff..), then the students were practicing it. It was definitely effective to model the skit beforehand because the different emotion got the students excited...(Haaaa...I was an old woman and a man..haa, so I had to use different kinds of voice. The students LOLed.....haaa) It was fun.


Errrrr....emtion roller coaster.... I'm probably still getting used to this place and this life. I would occassionally feel like I don't really belong here...ugh...that emptiness. I would sometimes feeel sooo bad that I want to cry. (Haaaa..that just happened like..yesterday in school!) Yes, God is always by my side. God is never changing. There is nothing to fear. =) I am really really thankful to have friends back home...or in hk who we could chat. No matter what we chat about, just having someone who truly cares for me is just...heart warming. Thanks for those who would listen...thanks for those who would just..be there. =) I am blessed. No matter what, I believe God will give me the best!...even when things don't seem to be as good as they could be.

Ok, time for another pudding. Sigh....bad bad bad bad......I think pudding is what I constantly will have in my fridge............bad sign.

Wow..this is looooooong.. In this stage, there are just so many interesting things..hehe =)

Suddenly find this song encouraging~ enjoy!



See you again my friends. Cheers~ =)

Here comes work...

Wow...I've been here for 3 weeks! My apartment is still sort of a mess...I've been spending like crazy on little stufff.....enjoying the AC, shopping around in the city, eating lots of carb......... Finally the realization that I'm actually here to work! Yes...time to work. Wooo finally did my little 1-minute speech in front of the 800 students and all the teachers.........in Japanese. It was quite a short speech, but it was still kinda nerveracking. It's cute to see students wearing uniforms and sitting on the floor. I just haven't seen that for a loooooooong time!



After the start of term assembly, it's time to teach!!! Yup...I'm here to teach. Something I found a bit different between Japanese school and Canadian school is that the classroom and class are more like the "students'" space than the teacher's space. Students would get AV system ready for the teacher...the teacher will only show up to the classroom about a minute prior to the lesson. In Canada, teachers have to prepare all the stuff...teachers are usually in the classroom earlier to prepare. Wait, I guess that was sort of what it was like in Hong Kong too? Well, it was waaaaaaaaaaaaaaay toooooo long ago...... Yes, and like Taiwan, students clean the school. It is their daily routine. That's why we only wear indoor shoes.

So my first few lessons.......the first one with the 3rd graders (grade 9) was more...boring than I anticipated. I guess I spoke too much... Well, it was my first lesson anyway! Things shall change...hopefully. 2nd lesson with the 1st graders was a bit better because my JTE kept on getting the students to ask me questions. 3rd class was quite interesting. It was with the special Ed. students. There were 7 students in total. The minute I step into the class, the students started to ask me questions. Yes, my JTE did A LOT of translation. I didn't really end up talking much about Canada and myself. We spent probably about 3/4 of class time writing their names on a piece of paper. I was glad that they enjoyed what they were doing tho! =) I like small classes. =) Then, we basically gathered around the teacher's desk, and we were looking through my food magazine. They seemed quite interested about the food! We didn't even finish seeing what I brought. It was definitely a wise idea not bringing my laptop to show them pictures on ppt....

Man.....I suck at remembering names.... I've been working with a girl who will be entering a Sendai English speech contest. Hmmm, I can't remember her name though. =S Well, ganbette ne!! English is a hard language and it's sometimes hard to be expressive...

Haaaa, some of the students are sooo cute!! I saw the girl who I saw a few times at school. Again, I can't remember her name, but she is sooooo cute!!! so genki!! =) just like those cute, sporty girl in manga...XD When she was cleaning w/ her friends today, we chatted a bit again. Then the girls started to get excited about some comedians who I don't know....They got quite excited and told me that I HAVE to watch their shows!! One person is called はんにゃ, and the other one is ロッチ. They also HIGH RECOMMENDED me to watch a show (?) called "The read theatre" (レッドシアター） Just to give you some idea of who they are, enjoy the clips. I just randomly found them on youtube...not like I understand what they were talking about....XD



Ohhh!! it's cool to hear music that I've heard back home!! (well...Japanese music that I've heard back home from some interesting individuals.... =P ) I was just walking along the hallway during lunch time, and I heard this song was played in one of the classrooms. Haaaa...too bad I just don't know these stuff well enough...or else I might be able to connect w/ the kids better. Oh well, it's just the beginning... =)



Haaaa, and I think the fact that I'm Chinese can lead to some misunderstanding, such as I should know a good deal of Chinese history. Sigh......sad enough, I don't. My supervisor was asking me something about 三國演義 today. She would like some help in pronouncing the people involved. Luckily she had the names in pinyin; or else I totally wouldn't be able to name those people for her. Sigh........that's... saddddd..... When she wanted to ask more about that piece of history, I only said "I don't know" sigh...sad...

Ohoh, can't miss the free cooking class at ABC cooking studio w/ my kiwi friend, Winsy!


It was fun learning how to cook w/ limited Japanese! We seriously thought of taking a few cooking lessons, since it's like cooking + Japanese lesson...but it's pretty expensive. It's about $70/lesson....AND we might be grouped w/ other native Japanese speakers. No thanks. It was good to have a free lesson tho! =P



Hmmm..for my one (and maybe only? haha) reader, I WILL do a little video of my lovely apartment soooon! =) Stay tune!! Thanks for following...=) You make this blurb worthwhile..haha Take care ar you, Ms. Ant!! Ant is supposed to be strong!

K, that's it for now. I guess I should really think through my lessons for tomorrow..and prepare to go to sleep! 6-lesson day, here I come!!!

Ciao~ Take care friends, for those who see this~ =)

This Experience Must Come

August 11, 2010--This Experience Must Come
(From "My Daily Card")

Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven. And Elisha...saw him no more --2 Kings 2:11-12

It is not wrong for you to depend on you "Elijah" for as long as God gives him to you. But remember that the time will come when he must leave and will no longer be your guide and your leader, because God does not intend for him to stay. Even the thought of that causes you to say, "I cannot continue without my 'Elijah'." Yet God says you must continue.

Alone at you "Jordan" (Kings 2:14). The Jordan River represents the type of separation where you have no fellowship with anyone else, and where no one else can take your responsibility from you. You now have to put to the test what you learnt when you were with your "Elijah." You have been to the Jordan over and over again with Elijah, but now you are facing it alone. There is no use in saying that you cannot go-- the experience is here, and you must go. If you truly want to know whether or not God is the God your faith believes Him to be, then go through your "Jordan" alone.

Alone at Your "Jericho" (2 Kings 2:15). Jericho represents the place where you have seen your "Elijah" do great things. Yet when you come alone to your "Jericho," you have a strong reluctance to take the initiative and trust in God, wanting, instead, for someone else to take it for you. But if you remain true to what you learnt while with your "Elijah," you will receive a sign, as Elisha did, that God is with you.

Alone at Your "Bethel" (2 Kings 2:23). At your "Bethel" you will find yourself at your wits' end but at the beginning of God's wisdom. When you come to your wits' end and feel inclined to panic-- don't! Stand true to God and He will bring out His truth in a way that will make your life and expression of worship. Put into practice what you learnt while with your "Elijah"--use his mantle and pray. Make a determination to trust in God, and do not even look for Elijah anymore.

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Thanks....the "bestest". I guess I should have read this earlier...to save some tears... =P I miss you.

Thanks my weird lovely brother. Great to see you & love to see ur smile. Hope to see you again. Remember to SMILE! =D hehe...

Yup, gotta rely on God and experience life without my "Elijah"'s in my life. Well, I always know that I can live without my "Elijah"s, but it's just comforting to have them in my life. Yeah....let the adventure begin....and continue! 強くなってね！がんばろう！

Yes, I am here...

Wow...so I've been in Japan for a week now. It seems as if it has been a looong time. I guess a lot had happened...? In Tokyo, it was seminar after seminar... On the 2nd day in Tokyo, I felt sooooo exhausted...and I actually missed home...XD At the back of my mind, I was like.."what? it's only the 2nd day, and I'm homesick??? nooooo way......" After seeing & chatting with people back home, I was goooood to go again! Good. I'm back at my "honeymoon" stage. Good good.





Well, going out of the hotel building to get some snack kept me going too~ =)
After 2 full days of orientation at the Keio Plaza hotel in Shinjuku, time to go to my home away from home, Sendai! We're just in time for Sendai's biggest festival, Tanabata festival 七夕祭り. There's lanterns and decorated bamboos everywhere!! sooo festive! =) I almost forgot I'm here to work! My apartment is great too! I'm lucky to live in a relatively new apartment. Although it's somewhat small (my living room/dining room/bedroom/kitchen are all in a square), but I'm loving it! It's still a big mess right now. There are sooooooo many stuff for me to organize! My predecessor gave me a lot of things, especially plates, cutlery, cups! I think I have enough utensils for a party of 20 of more..haha.

hmmm, a few discoveries so far...
1. Everyday Japanese food in Canada is usually double the price of the ones in Japan. Eg. a standard lunch box is around $3-5
2. You actually have to pay extra for your phone charger... It kind of shocked me since phone charger is pretty essential, but why is it optional to get a charger...? interesting.....
3. It is still difficult to find store associates who can speak English in a Japanese city such as Sendai.
4. You need to purchase special garbage bags for the different kinds of garbage.
5. Yeah, get a bike. People bike everywhere...
6. Well, this is not new...but yup, my Japanese sucks... =(

Hmmm...to iphone or not to iphone....that's a question...

Well, I guess I should be cleaning my house, unpacking everything, perhaps preparing for my upcoming classes , or hanging out with the other JETs instead of sitting on my sofa/bed and embracing my laptop... Oh well, I'll give myself a chill weekend. Well, at least I have a phone, a place to live, and internet. Life should be good.

I guess that's it for now. cheers~ Enjoy Sendai.