The goodness of Japan

Well on the way home I kept telling myself to check for my umbrella that I left at the convenience store this morning. I did remember and low and behold it was still there. I have to admit that this is one of the amazing things about Japan. I've run into this a couple of times, once when I lost my drivers license it somehow showed up at the police station and they told me to make sure that I contacted the lady that picked it up and thanked her. The other time I left the church's computer on the train. I thought for sure that it was gone for good, but the station staff called ahead and were able to pull it off the train at the end of the line. I just had to go pick it up. Why is it that if the same thing happened in America you could pretty much say good by to your things, even if it was just my cheap umbrella, but here in Japan the chances of getting your things back are fairly good.

Forgetfulness

This must not be my week for remembering things. I have been waiting for an email with a message that I am supposed to translate and last night I looked on my desk top and saw a word file that was saved there, I wondered what it was so I opened it. Low and behold it was the document I had been waiting for. As I tracked down the email that it had come on I realized that it had come last Tuesday. I think that I came home exhausted after the one day trip, opened my mail but really didn't look at it. But I had downladed the file.

Then this morning it was raining so I rushed around to catch the train, grabbed my umbrella and headed out. Stoped at the convenience store right at the station bought a small snack and then headed into the station. I actually had some time to spare. Got the commuter express and was on my way. I got off at Jiyugaoka and as I was walking down the stairs I thought, "Where's my umbrella?". It was then I realized I had left it in the umbrella stand outside the convenience store. Well the good thing about living in Japan is that it will probably still be there tonight when I get home, that is as long as I remember to look for it.

Sunday in Fukaya

I was asked to come and sing at Fukaya church. I'm a little embarrassed to put this up, but oh well.

It went well and we had a great time.

Trip to Gunma

We took advantage of the national holiday and took a short trip to Gunma. We stayed at Kanedaya, a very nice little inn.  We had the healthy meal plan and they said that between dinner and breakfast we would be having a total of 50 different vegetables.  The food was really good and not that heavy, although we all did leave the table stuffed. Here is our dinner.

And the breakfast was just as good at least for me, I think I might have been the only one that finished everything.

Zori

Yesterday we fled school and took an overnight trip to Gunma.  Stayed at a great little inn "Kanedaya" and then went to Takuminosato and made Zori.  Here is my finished pair. It was a lot of fun and it was really fun chatting with the two older ladies that helped make these. 

Sakura

Was out shopping and ran across a new artist I had never heard of Scott Murphy. He has done some interesting things to some Japanese songs.

Day off

Spent the morning, getting train tickets, & rental car set for next week, then off to the softbank store to see if they could straighten out my access for their HP. I also up'd my plan. Then this afternoon I headed to Yokohama for a soak and a massage. Walked to World Porters for an early dinner, and this my view.

Yakatabune

Clip from the cruise on Sunday night.

SNL Politics

I love the line, "I can see Russia from my house."

Yakatabune

Alina and Ryoko sharing a good laugh probably because I couldn't get my camera to take the posed picture, but this shot turned out really well and is indicitive of the evening.



This is the first time that I had taken one of these cruises and it was really fun. The Karaoke was a blast even though I was really wanting to sing something from Grease, and there was not a single one. What's that all about? We could have rocked "Summer Nights". Miuraya was the company that we used, it was nice but I wish they would have had better service. But that was probably par for the course since most of the people were of the Gaijin persuasian.

Festival

Yesterday we played in Jiyugaoka again, and this time we only played once in the parking lot. The rest of the time we got to play in front of the station. The last time then they said come up on the stage, but sadly to say refrained from lugging the big drum on stage so I had to be content to play from below.

Thanks to Mr. Miura for the pics. I'm completely out of the video on this one.

Soaked Again!

What is up?  It was over cast when I left this morning so of course I made sure to take my umbrella.  Didn't need it at all the weather was beautiful all day, and when I left the house again to meet Jabby for dinner at 5:30 it was still beautiful. Then of course as we were just about finished the torrential rains hit again.  Well we hopped in a taxi and they dropped me at the station, and I thought well it will be another umbrella purchase at the convenience store, so as I jumped into the store and glanced over to find all the umbrellas were gone.  Well luckily I was wearing a wife-beater so I slipped my shirt of after walking a little ways stuck it in the little bag that I had, luckily or my cell would have been fried, and got drenched the rest of the way.  I did take my shoes off at one point because on Friday I remembered that it was like a river behind my house.  Well tonight it wasn't as bad, but still.  This has been the most unusual week of weather I have ever experienced in Japan.  You think we were being hit by a typhoon.

Rain, rain go away come again some other day.

So this is what the weather looks like in Japan today. There are heavy rain warnings over pretty much the whole country.  It is kind of freaky, I think it has rained everyday since I got back from Okinawa.

Yesterday it was nice most of the day even though the forecast called for rain all day. So when I left school the skies were beautiful and I totally forgot my umbrella.  Around the time I left Ginza the thunder and lightning had started. By the time I got to Nakameguro on the train it was pouring.  No umbrella but at least I had worn my crocs.  Take of the socks, roll up the pants, and stop at the convenience store right outside the subway exit. Even rolling up my pants up past my knees they still got wet, and so happy for the crocs because I had to wade down the little back street to my apartment. The water was flowing right around my ankles.  All this rain just make you want to stay inside. How much longer?

Zest

Met Shige in Ginza to go to Zest for dinner. I was showing him my new video camera and said, "It has a flash" at which time he decided to get a closer look, that is when I snapped the pic.


Probably the weirdest thing about the evening was there was an older probably in his 50's foreigner that was a waiter. Through out the evening he kept stopping at tables that were only young females and would spend a few minutes chatting them up. Or should I say trying to pick them up, it seemed rather blatant and maybe just barely tolerated by the Japanese staff. I guess you see all kinds here.

Apt

In my conversation with the Kingdom Ministries Team last night I was asked about my apt. so just in case any of you are curious hear is a picture of my living room, the bedroom is off to the right, smaller, and I am taking this from my kitchen. The living room is 6 mat, bedroom 4.5 mat, and I think the dining kitchen area is 8 or 9. Pretty big for one person when you consider that all the other apartments in this building which are all the same size are occupied by couples or families with 1 or 2 children.  And at 90,000 yen a month it is actually not that expensive.  I'll let you do the math, I think the yen was at 106 to the dollar yesterday.

Nakagusuku

This is the remains of an old castle, that had magnificent views of the ocean on both sides of the island. Basically it was right in the middle and pretty much what seemed to be the highest area around.  So the name actually means Center Castle. 

This was one place I had never seen before so I was glad that I found it.

I really wanted to get a picture of me standing in the gate above but there wasn't anyone around to ask when I thought about it.

Okinawa

These were taken with my new video camera, I thought that I might get some in the water shots but it was not an easy place to get in the water and I would have really needed my reef shoes. Anyway, this is Maeda Misaki. I had read that it was a secluded area great for snorkeling, and diving, but it is no longer secluded. There were a ton of people there which made me just want to get away.

I actually think this is the place we went snorkeling so many years ago.

It was very beautiful.

Eisa

This is the ending of Yamazato seinen kai's performance. they were one of the best groups.

Shinkansen?

So, on my way to Okinawa I say this at the airport and almost laughed out loud. I think the Japanese have cornered the market on cute. Too bad you can't here the cheesy music that it played as it transported people to the gates.

Shao Long Bau

Watching the olympics has been fun but I really enjoyed "The Today Show" while I was back and their segment "Today's Chow" was really fun. Here they make one of my favorite Chinese dishes, 小龍包.