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
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.
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.
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 =)
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~ =)
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.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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！
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.
