iPhone

After hearing that it may not be up to the Japanese market, this preview gives us some insight on what to expect. I think when it comes to Japan they are going to have to make major improvements or they won't make it in the market. Just too many vital features missing, I mean things that are standard on phones here. Let's hope they get their act together.

Rated

Mingle² - Online Dating

Utsukushigahara Onsen

Tried some trick photography of an overview of the bath. This was the private outdoor bath that we had for two hours during our stay. This place was really great and I would highly recomend it to anyone. Izumiya

Black Castle

The first picture that I put on this blog was of Shige and I at this castle, and here it is again. This little castle town is really nice and I think it would be a nice place to live. It seems to have the all the nice things of a big town, good shopping, god restaurants, onsen, and the best of all it is all in close proximity. I mean you don't feel like you have to take an hour to get anywhere like here in Tokyo. I added the rest of my pictures up on my mac page, if you want to see more go there.

Izumiya

Always have to take a picture when I'm in the bath. We got the private use of this bath for an hour in the evening and an hour in the morning. Click on the picture to see my other pictures.

Office Management

Ran across this, this morning and I was laughing so hard I started to cry. It certainly would be an effevtive tool.

A night in Matsumoto

Today we have no school because of the msuic festival on Friday, we took a short adventure to Matsumoto. Here are Abby, Alina and Rachelle at the foot bath. There was also an outdoor bath, a private outdoor bath, private indoor bath and the regular indoor bath. We stayed at Izumiya, a very nice inn here in Utsugushigahara Onsen. I really had considered the place next door but this place has just as much atmosphere, and the service and the fod was great.

The OC

Ok, I finished season one of The OC. What a tough ending, had me in tears and the anticipation for the next season... I'm just glad that I don't have to wait for the new season in real time. I have to start the new season tonight. I'm sure it is not Ryan's bably and Teresa has just played a game on Ryan.

All that said it is amazing how this drama has pulled me in. Even there are a lot of things that happen that I don't agree with, I think there are so things in the show that mirror life. Also in reaching out to Ryan the Cohen's have found benifited so much. How true that is for us in reaching out to others often it is us the benifits the most.

Too bad I have to go to the school music festival today, if not I would be locked up at home watching as much of seson 2 as I can. Well maybe it is a good thing that I get away.

Speaking of Wisdom

Or should I say, "Speaking of Gross", we just had an anoucement at school about the proper disposal of you sanatary napkins. I had to go over to Connie's desk and extol to her exactly how much this grossed me out. I guess I am used to this kind of thing happening at a girls school, but they always want us to be careful how we use the PA system because sometimes the announcements can be heard in the surrounding neighborhood. Wouldn't that be a fun one to overhear.

Wisdom

知恵

Today I had to speak in chapel and the theme this week is "Wisdom". As I was riding to school I had a mini revelation about the word. The kanji for wisdom is written above, the interesting thing is that when you break it down the first part is 知る＝to know, the second part is 恵み＝Grace. So couldn't you say then that to know grace is wisdom. More specifically to know the grace and mercy of God I believe brings true wisdom.

Parents from Hell

Heard this story in the news yesterday and it was in the paper this morning. Seems like parents are the ones that need to be educated. One of the parents complaints was don't have my child do cleaning, because I never have her do it at home. It also tells of things like six hour phone calls to administrators as well as teachers, and of course at all hours. I get glimpses of this at school. i hear teachers talk about long phone calls and parents that seem to have more to learn than their children. I think the parents need to take more responsibility in actually raising their children and let the teachers get to the task of actually teaching the subjects that they are there for.

OC

I have been hooked on another TV Series, OC. Ok I know that it has been around for awhile but I just happened on it by chance when it was packaged with a DVD that I rented 2 weeks ago. Actually the first 4 episodes were great, I was really moved by simplicity of the story. A family that is willing to take in a boy that has gotten into trouble and his family has abandoned him. I think is probably the pilot when Sandy ties Ryan's tie. A simple act of carrying. Ryan's life is turned around by people who go out of their way to care for him.

Shouldn't we all be trying to impact the lives of others just as Sandy is Ryan. I know this is a teenage drama, but it continues to move me to tears. There are some things in the show that make me cringe, but at the same time I keep watching. It is actually refreshing, maybe unrealistic at times, but all in all a good show that I'm glad I stumbled upon, and even more happy that Abby had season 1 & 2 and I don't have to spend any money to enjoy it.

Fukushima

http://www.town.shimogo.fukushima.jp/kankou/place02.htmlIf all works out well this next weekend, I hop to make it to this little village nestled in the middle of nowhere in northern Japan. Wish me luck.

Rainy Season

Thursday we officially entered the rainy season, funny thing is that it did rain pretty much all day Thursday but since then we have had the most beautiful weather, clear skies, sunny and warm. The climate is changing, it is not the drab over cast and wet rainy season that I remember. Then I hear people saying that it is a "Dry Rainy Season" which of course makes no sense to me. And even though we are having good weather I think I am going to go out and get a new rain suit to wear when I ride my motorcycle. The one that I have now always leaks at the crotch, of course no where else, but the most obvious and embrassing place. Hope I can find a good replacement.

Living Faith

Yesterday Trey Hillman the head coach for the Nippon Ham Fighters was at Tamasei for our Living Faith program. For this program they try to get a well know figure who talks about how they live out their faith. Hillman has been involved in the promotion of the book "Power for Living", and so the school thought that he would be a good choice. Many of the teachers commented about how easy he was to understand and what a good talk he gave. Bernie translated for him and I think his translation was even better than Trey's speech. After it was over he came up to the teachers room and signed autographs and posed for a picture. He seemed to really enjoy meeting everyone, and was openly warm, friendly and non reserved, something that seemed to surprise many of the Japanese people. Most of them said that had he been Japanese, because of his position he would be more reserved, formal, and somewhat stiff. It was a good program and left a good impression on the students.

Soul Survivor

I have been reading thins book Soul Survivor by Philip Yancey. Actually I picked it up last summer but have just gotten around to sitting down and reading it. Basically he talks about 13 people that have impacted his life. Today I was reading the chapter on Robert Coles someone who I had never heard of but am glad I have been introduced to. Coles a Harvard graduate and professor of literature, spent time in the 60's doing psychological studies with children. Here are a couple of thoughts that came out of this chapter. Insights that he learned from the poor and underpriveldged.

"You see, my child, you have to help the good Lord with His world! He puts us here- and He calls us to help Him out..."

This from a grandmother of one of the first girls to be sent to desegregate the schools. He found the moral developement of these underpriveledged people to be on the same par as Jesus and Gandhi. When it came to living out their faith these "culturally deprived" families passed the test. Unlike others who, "got all A's and flunked ordinary living."

"Being pivileged, Coles concluded, tend to stifle compassion, curtail community, and feed ambition." Coles also states, "It was true the poor were cursed... Yet in a strange undeniable way the poor were also blessed, for whatever reason, with qualities such as courage and love and a willing dependence on God. The irony: Good humanists work all their lives to improve the condition of the disadvantaged, but for what? to raise them to the level of the upper classes so that they too can experience boerdom, alienation, and decadence?"

These are very profound words. I'm taking my time with this book because it seems like every chapter tells of someone very interesting that if I don't already know about I really should and I am enjoying being impacted by their words passed on to me through Philip Yancey.

Birthday Time again

So you really can't tell it from the picture but I am in cold sweats in this picture, I really thought I was going to fall over. I just wanted the picture to be over and sit back down. Actually I went and laid down.
So to sum up the week I have not had anymore problems with what ever was bothering me. I hope that the medicine did it's trick, along with the prayers from these guys. We were gathered for Cheryl's birthday. I think that we have given up on throwing surprises anymore, I mean it is always the same people and you know it is your birthday how often can you trick people that nothing is going on.

Under the Weather

Got hit with stomach pain last night that lasted pretty much through the night. By morning the pain had localized to the right of my abdomen, so I didn't even try to go to school even though I really needed to see my classes today so I don't get totally behind with them before summer. Anyway I'm thinking appendicitis, so I went to the Dr. and he gave me blood tests had them sent off to see if there were any problems and called me back later in the day to say that basically the results were inconclusive. I am on antibiotics and he told me not to eat today, and if it gets worse let him know. Basically he said that most cases that he has seen the pain is much more intense, and that unless it suddenly gets worse the antibiotics should clear things up. Hope he's right.