I am thankful for Starbucks Milano Espresso Drinks from 7-11. u

Happy Thanksgiving to those who celebrated it on the day or before I did! I still can't get everything right! It was a marvelous day- since We celebrated it the Monday before Thanksgiving and it was a holiday! We had a wonderful feast at Angela's apartment. We had a chicken sized turkey, stuffing, pumpkin pie, cranberries, potatoes, fruit salad, cheese and crackers, brownies with white chocolate drizzled on top and so much more food! It was a Thanksgiving to remember! WOW! 

Annie and I playing Rummy cube- We were such a great team- we definitely rocked the tiles.

Ok a little boast- I rocked my brownies with white chocolate drizzle! OISHI

Us girls- "ok mom we will stop being so silly!"

 

Us with the food- Oish-so!

Then we feasted after just as a remembrance, on the Saturday after. This was a feast of traditional Thanksgiving foods from all over the world. We had an England style stuffing, Turkeys which were the "correct" size, and berry crisp which was to die for. yeah for eating. 

Annie and Me rocking our new hair cuts- Does she not rock those Japanese Bangs?!

Us at Thanksgiving #2

The desert table-Yeah that is cherry pie and cheese cakes and berry crisp!

What a week of eating- It was wonderful! I was so thankful! Lets look at what I am thankful for:

I am thankful for:

1. Cherry pie and berry crisp

2. little boys named Jay playing with his animals

3. potatoes and corn

4. friends in Japan- actually they are my family!

5. being in Japan

6. Talking to my family on Thanksgiving

7. scrabble

8. the terms used with cooker- rice cooker- ok that is it I love rice cookers and rice block.

9. being able to understand more Japanese

10. kotatsu-s which keep me so warm

11. Bing Crosby for with out in my life my holidays would be less enjoyable

12. for people like you who listen to this and keep following my journey- Love the messages!

I am so thankful for everything- and plus the next blog I am about to write! 

Remember: Rice cookers need to be washed properly and stored in ventilated areas- oh wait maybe we should just place people who eat rice in ventilated areas! 

~MOlly

The lad is a diminutive percussionist.....

Well here at JAG, we have done so many things and still need to keep moving. So a semi-fast update is upon us in order that the upcoming updates may relate to things of the present (and presents). So here is a blurb of what has been happening in Japan.

1. I found a place which sells cans of pork and beans! So I bought a few cans with chips- and indulged my American taste buds with a great Nacho Navidad! Yummm. What else can you ask for?

2. There was a choir concert/ contest at school. Each grade sang songs and then each class gave a little vocal appreciation. It was delightful- I shall place online some videos of the children stretching their vocal  apparatus  so expect many wonderful voices gracing your ears soon!  Just imagine now- 700 wonderful voices making many great songs come to  life!

3. At Bible Study this last week we  met two guys from Cuba and Columbia. They approached and spoke some English but we soon found out their languages were Spanish and Japanese. SO we had a trilingual conversation in English, Spanish and Japanese! It was so fun to experience this understanding using all three languages! WOW you had to be there! (ps we invited them to church and they came!!!!!!) 

our street booth

my display- on cardboard boxes!

4. By MO was a part of a flea market this week! Nagisa- my Japanese sister invited me with her friend to share a booth. SO by MO took it to the streets! It was so fun to practice my Japanese and show my work here in Japan! There was a sweet street band playing and a little girls dance concert on the street. These little 5 year olds danced to the Nutcracker and were very Kawai! SO cute! It was fun to be able to feel less like a foreigner and see how Japan would react to by MO! 

Many things are happening here I just got my first Japanese cold, took my first time off to sleep and try to not get everyone sick, and my student I worked with for the speech contest came in FIRST for all of YAMANASHI so she is going to TOKYO! I was so proud of her! She worked so hard! YEAH!  

Remember: When it rains and is 20 degrees out, a good Kotatsu and a brownie does the trick! 

~MOlly

This JUST happened!.....

As you can imagine, there is urgency in what is being typed and to the eyes of those who will read. Why you may ask? Simply, I ride a bike to school everyday. And today I want to take you on that most ridiculous of trips. I started from my apartment as usual, praying not to be killed by what is around the fast lane bend (for those who do not know- I live at a corner apartment which is lined by two very busy roads- thus around the river bend), and made it with much success. I was very grateful that I made it around death pass and headed up the hill to a bridge that will lead me to the bike path. I huffed up the hill again crossing traffic strategically to dodge the on coming range of bikes, cars, garbage trucks, vans, and the worst mopeds! I made it with a little sweat on my brow as usual so I wait at the light on top of the bridge to turn to the bike path.. and .... I hear a honk! The honks in Japan are very delightful for they are out of respect that they are honked- or make the sound /pu/pu/ that is how they say honk honk here! Well I look out of curiosity and I see one of my teachers from Kamijo waving at me- the one who looks like the Japanese mofia! (what you say? One teacher at Jonan asked me if I knew the teacher who looked like the Japanese Mofia at Kamijo and I said yeah- laughed and now he is the teacher who looks like the Japanese Mofia! I am laughing as we speak!) Well that was a delightful wave and acknowledgement! So I ventured to the bike path. This is the place for runners, many students who travel in sets of three trying to play chicken with you and business men who ride in their suites. I thus saw a man on a bike smoking a cigarette (two actually men), and a man riding a bike who had two dogs one on a leash and the other leash-less. They were huge dogs and the leash-less one looked as if to say *sumimasen (excuse me) because he moved out of the way and gave room for my bike on the path. (This was all without anything said to him by his owner!) (even the dogs are grateful and kind here!) Well I reached school and was delighted to find a group of people greeting me. What a crazy way to start my day! I think everyone should ride bikes to work if possible there are so many great things to experience as you ride to work! I was angry, happy, and almost cried during this trip. It was almost great as watching North by Northwest! I hoped to create a honest sense-worthy trip to school with you! Tune in next time when I we travel into the squatty potty. (just kidding though that is a worthy experience for everyone!)

Remember: Respect people being sick at for when some people are sick, you have a great day!

~MOlly

Have a Cornucopias Thanksgiving!

Thanksgiving is quickly approaching and thus begins the cornucopias of season decorations. We have just put our pumpkins away and now bring out the fresh cornucopia. This is a decoration to which I can not be thankful for, but yet celebrate......

I figure a little history of cornucopias would be appropriate. The cornucopia is the symbol of the harvest that we are thus thankful for. It was traditionally a goat horn filled with the fruits of labor that each family was able to bring to this traditional meal. The "horn of plenty" it has been called. To this history I am only grateful but my detest is not against the history but the decoration of this symbol.

Horn of plenty? Plenty of what? Plenty of ? Cattails, fake flowers in shades of death, random twigs and dirt? I have been brought up to detest this symbol. Why you may ask? (disclaimer: I will disclose the names of the FAMILY members who so diligently created this thank-fully-we-got-ride-of-that-cornucopia tradition). So one Thanksgiving as we set the table we noticed a large twig shaped into a horn sitting on our table. There were cattails, leaves, and small pumpkins spewing themselves from the bowels of this thatched horn. Much to my surprise we left this on the table as we tried to thankfully pass the huge poultry around the table with all the fixings. One may have asked- What is this? or Why is this here? Another who created this horned beast replied- it is a cornucopia a traditional Thanksgiving symbol. To this two persons, who only want to eat and enjoy stuffing themselves as fast as possible, might have suggested that this be removed from the table (possibly thrown off the porch), for the sake of room for extra food on the table.( while in their heads they were trying to move this monster staring at them so they could enjoy a hearty meal).  This was not pleasing to the creator but it was accepted and thus every year the cornucopia was not on the table and soon was used as a chew toy for the neighborhood dogs. 

This tale is not a fable.

Remember: As you sit to thanksgiving think about what is in your cornucopia. Is it a symbol of hearty nature or a chew toy for animals. BE careful

~MOlly

All the votes have been cast!

As you all now know, Obama is the new president of the United States of America. You think this post is all about him- NO WAY, He may have won the presidency, congratulation, but I would like to comment on the building emotions that have surfaced here in Japan.

It all started about two weeks ago when a drunk Japanese man tries to tell me what he thought about McCain and Obama. Though I did not understand all the words he was using his emotion and use of IIE-NO and HAI-YES, and DA ME- NO WAY, were enough for me to understand his predictions and will for this election. This instance made me wonder why this was so important to a Japanese man. Well, the second instance happened at school a this past week when a teacher said "When you country sneezes we feel the blow!" I didn`t understand this till I thought about it later!

Why is it such a big deal for other countries that we elected a new president? Well as I have found out based on living in another country and seeing the effects of the Stock Market on the world that what happens in the US does ripple to other countries. I do not see the US as the center of the world but it is a powerful country and all eyes were watching today (well it was our Wednesday your Tuesday) as the polls were cast. I told my students today that today was important for me, that we were electing another president, and much to my surprise they all had some opinion on it and new the candidates names! WHAT? I didn`t realize that this was important to everyone here also. (I thought it would be similar to that of Halloween- what is that? and no one celebrated it!) Well I guess this learning moment is caught on blog as I continue to learn many things about Japan and the world.

Also, Though I may not understand everything at school "Obama" translates very well! It was a hot topic today!

Remember: What you do today affects tomorrow but do not think about tomorrow or today will slip by like a fish in an ice bath! Just do your best!

~MOlly

DONICHI those bug bites!

Ok after my daily prayer as I ride home "My I not be killed while riding on my bike" I stopped at Ogino for my weekly restock on the essentials veggies, yogurt, milk, and grape flavored Mentos. I thought about all that has happened this weekend and forgot to write about it. so here is a snide bit of info about all he happenings this DONICHI-weekend!Ok after my daily prayer as I ride home "My I not be killed while riding on my bike" I stopped at Ogino for my weekly restock on the essentials veggies, yogurt, milk, and grape flavored Mentos. I thought about all that has happened this weekend and forgot to write about it. so here is a snide bit of info about all he happenings this DONICHI-weekend!

So at school we have been celebrating Halloween! I did a whole day of lessons at one school for Halloween. I didn't know I knew that much about HallAween! Well for my lesson we talked about the traditions of Halloween and then we did a role play on Trick O Treating, listened to scary music along with Michael Jackson's Thriller, and did a Halloween word search! (Funny thing- when listening to Ghost busters and Thriller- the students knew what these songs were and have seen the movie- I was shocked! We even danced a little to Thriller!)

My HallAween costume- I am everything I like about Japan, My favorite hat, scarf, dog Rexi (being the eeeeee? dog), my favorite question marker-hirigana /ka/, and I was dressed like my favorite Japanese homeless people who live under the bridge I go by when I travel up to Angela's house.)

We are so scary! Annie and Me at our own HallAween Party- can you say Kohi, scrabble, and sleepovers!

At church this weekend we had a Music Outreach. We sang sweet music and had a drama. Me and Annie were a part of this Drama! It was such a great night- we had sweet music and so many people! God was moving and changing lives! (so please do not watch unless you are my mother).

After church we watched "Horton who hears a who!" and ate pizza- what a great combo!

Sunday we woke early to go to the English Speech Contest! It was so good-two of my students placed and one is moving on to Nationals! I was so proud of all of them! Then came the good part- The CHILI PARTY~ what a great celebration of a great American tradition- chili, cornbread ( smothered in honey and set out for the soaking), pre-party treats, and pumpkin cheese cake- ok it was the celebration of everything that we haven't eaten in a while! 

Here we are just slobbering over all the food! HALLA it was so great!

My idea for pre party treats! Definitely had ugly ones but they tasted sweet~

The FAM~ Joe (dad- the only boy), Angela (Mom- in the maroon sweater), then Annie & Me (the kids). Ok we are all really friends but it feels like a family so much! We were just loved through cooking by our mom- Angela with great chili and encouraged to eat by our dad-Joe, and were brought to a new level of crazy by us kids! We had such a blast~

Well here we are straining what our mothers gave us- hehe it was so great! But today I am somewhat sore by this strain! We took around 8 pictures! I believe we were crying after this- out of pure ridiculousness!

Next we played pass the pigs, and speed scrabble!  These games were twice as fun once we added vomit, baby wipe, skunk spray flavored jelly beans. These flavors were very pungent and since we didn't know what each flavor would be, since for every bad flavored bean there was a similarly colored good tasting bean, it made our competitive nature arise! I did taste all the gross ones and they were definitely horrible! 

This weekend was so fun! I am so glad to have this family!

Remember: When you are asked to eat the second helping of chili say no~ what you do not know is the outcome of this choice!

Molly