Just an update!

Just a Guz is going through some changes- soon - as in a time not determined by the clock but by the emotional and physical regeneration and recollection of America- the Just a Guz of JAPAN will be turned into the next phase of the journey.... to this I shall not know or understand till that time comes for when does the wind blow? when its windy.. 

Any who as far as updates I am falling back into the life of in America- not sure yet if I am American... I have finally slept through the night on my own, secured a residence in Washington Iowa (to that I might add-- a yeah and excitement yet... not going to host many parties for the space is very efficient-enough for one teacher trying to start living in America). I am in transit to find a car- I have a brand new Ford Focus in my rent's garage- being tested this weekend but am heading more towards a Toyota Yaris... this shall remain a thorn in my flesh...but I do have a cell phone which is a step forward, and have enjoyed the sights and sizes at local malls.. To this I add- since the change above is inevitable so is my style of blogging- it shall change back to the older version of conversation and discourse about things in life (and less like a daily check up due to the dullness that will set in as far as not living in another country.) That is all...

Remember: Do not fear change embrace the chance that this may happen again....

~Molly 

Fasto UPdate!

It is 500 am I leave at 750 am from my apt. I have only had 4 hours of sleep as of now. (This can be a good thing.) On my last official bike home I was soaked- reminding me of one great reason I will be glad to ride in a car. Had my last confusing Japanese moment- a time when I couldn't understand- and they were just repeating the same thing- not changing into easier Japanese for the sake of our dumbfounded faces... But overall I will miss this Japan home I have. I have friends. I have created a home. I have created connections.. Which means I will come back sometime. Kinda like Bahia in South Pacific..." It calls to me". (please enter Kofu will call you, come to me come to me here am I your special Island. come to me come to me).... 

Remember: What is a fanny pack worn on your back called "a back pack"??? I think not. That has baffled me for a while!

~MOlly

Almost home!!!

Now the count begins for I have only 1 day and 1 travel day left... 1 day in Japan  and then sat at 750 I leave the apt..... Sadness- yes, Happiness- yea, Less heat when I get into the car on sat- YEAH- and I am ready to step onto English speaking soil- no matter the consequences.......

Remember: 90 degrees may be hot in AC but it is even hotter when you don't have it!

~MOlly

We Killed it!!!!

We killed it! That was the phrase that our new friends from Australia used while we climbed this beast called Mnt. Fuji! Just in case you were wondering- It was accomplished. Challenge was challenged and dominated. A short recap.... We climbed starting on July 10, at 930pm and reached the top at 430 (around 6 hours due to so many climbers), then descended in about 3 hours. This was my first all nighter (doing anything). I am one who loves and needs sleep so one of the hardest parts was just being tired. But As seen above- That is our TEAM SUMMIT. Joe, ME, Nikki and Beck! We rocked the mountain (hehe). We had met Beck and Nikki while at the train station and with their experience in climbing- we grouped up and had a blast chatting and just bonding while climbing. It was wonderful- those girls were such a blessing. God new we needed some help! 

This was a shot we got at the 5th station (we started at the 5th station). Fuji has 10 station and you can climb all of them but the first 5 are in the forresty part of FUji and 5-10 are the harder more mountain (volcanic) climbing areas. Most people climb the 5th to the top. We had almost not been able to climb due to weather and the leftover snow on Fuji- but God prepared a wonderful day for us. There was NO rain, and it was warmer than usual! (it was the perfect day!). So after we took some pics on the mountain before leaving and getting all our gear on we left with our team and started the ascent at 930. 

After about two hours we made it to the 7th station. The first few stations were pretty close together and were pretty easy to climb. In fact it was more of a walk in the park compared to what we had coming. By this time, I was realizing that mountain climbing is intense! There are so many factors to think about- safety, gear, physical readiness. This would be a challenge that I was so excited to take. As far as gear- I was loaded as you see- I had my head light, Fuji climbing stick (which had a bell but I ripped it off after going crazy hearing it for 2 or 3 hours).We reached the 7th by around 12am. (thus we had beat the "usual"time it takes to each station). Without so many people it was easy to keep moving even with the break we were taking.

Next was the 8.5 station. We had been climbing for about 4 hours, it was 130 am, and we thought this was the 9th station. We were tricked. But we knew we only had about 1 hour and 30 mins left so we were excited! (and a shmidge tired). I had a head ache the whole way up and down and felt the altitude but these things were just part of the difficulty of climbing a mountain. This station you could buy stamps- which you could use at the post office at the top! Yeah there is a post office at the top of fuji! WOW- imagine living and sleeping up on fuji for a while- just working at the post office. Crazy! But we stopped here a little longer gaining strength and a few layers of clothes. by this time the altitude was very high and it was dropping in temp pretty fast. We saw lots of snow while climbing this far but here is where it felt cooler than any temperatures we had this winter in Kofu.  It was nice that it was so warm the day before and when we returned. Then we started up to the last stations. Station 9 was only a sign so 8.5 was the last station with food or drink till the top. Also, along the way there are little houses where you could bunk for a while . People would climb us earlier that night sleep and then finish the climb to reach the top by sunrise. Since this was true- at about this time many people were finishing their climbs thus it was very busy. We would have reached the top earlier but the lines of people as seen below kept us at a slow pace- which was actually nice...

There were so many people climbing from about 330 on. It was so international- it felt weird. After meeting our Ausie friends we thought maybe it would just be a few of us Foreigners- but there were SO many! It was my taste of America before returning.. Crazy..But in this picture above this zigzag style was how we climbed up the mountain- you couldn't just go straight- and by this picture we were definitely on all fours hoisting ourselves over lots of rocky areas. It was very cool! We had many climbing terrains- from a wooded path, to loose volcanic steep hills, to rock climbing terrains. It was sweet!

Team Summit made it to the top for the sunrise! By this time it was 6 of our 9 hours climbing and it was a wonderful break!!! The view was beautiful- what a view of God's handy work! It was amazing- words and pictures do not do justice to what I saw as I climbed and reached the top.

I have seen a lot of amazing things in Japan.. I have seen my first real surfer, my first real Japanese culture, my first year living alone, and my first volcano. This is the crater in the middle of FUJI! We were surrounded by volcanic rock and were able to see into a inactive volcano. WOW!

Then the decent- what a trip. We started on the Yamanashi side of the mountain (the mountain is half in one prefecture and half in the Shizouka prefecture) and ended on the wrong side (about 45 mins by taxi from where we needed to be). That was not even the most exciting part- it took us about 3 hours to get off the mountain and about 2.5 of the hours were spend walking down in this thick volcanic loose rock- on gradients that were steep enough to basically ski down the side. It was fun yet very hard on the joins and feet. WOW we just wanted to be off the mountain! hehehe! But besides that we had a blast! We were challenged by the climb, and being tired- yet I finished my first Mountain climb- relying on God to be my shelter and protector. Also I was able to see a different view of the wonderful creation God has made! What a blessing.

Remember: there are so many fun people to meet- just try and God will bless you so much! (God new we needed to meet the Ausie girls what a blessing).

~MOlly

Before Fuji....

My thoughts before Fuji....

My first big climb= 3776 meters

Pain= inevitable

Gain= daring to experience life and challenges (seeing the splendor of our king)

Travel partners= (pulling ) Joe up the mountain, and Rexi (a dog given to me by a three year old in the states). basically two pets- hehehe just kidd'n.

Goal= to make it up to see the sunrise (about 6 hours of hiking up the mountain), then (three hours down) and nursing my wounded body....

Influence= Bob the Builder (Thanks dev dev) "Can we fiss (fix) it? Yes, we can!"

Remember: Though I may not like roller coasters, and jumping off tall things makes me sick, hiking up a mountain contains the same dangers there just is less of that free fall feeling (thank goodness)...

~MOlly

Coattails....... various ways... good words.....

This is the shortest blog I have written yet...

This is the response I have received from students today writing a final email-type writing to me.. Observe how they used their dictionaries.....

-I learned it (English) on the coattails of you in various ways.

-English is very hard but I have understood well by your favor. 

-I came to like English on the coattails of you. (must have shared the coattail information).

-I was not like English last year but I like English now!

--- great!!!

Next, a comment on what your future dreams are.

-I want to be a father but I can't play Judo or Kendo.....(my favorite).

Remember: learn Judo and Kendo if you want to be a father- I hear it is a qualification.

~MOlly

Finals... not the test kind.

Well I am confronted with the most lasts ever! I have had three lasts- so far- goodbye to Jonan Chu Gakko students, church family, and most of my host family. These have been very bi-emotional- (i made that up) sad and wonderful.

First Jonan. The students and teachers (thought I told them every month till I left), thought I was not leaving. I told them the day before I left just so they could do whatever formality they needed to as far as a ceremony of sorts, or something-( not because I wanted it but because it is always done here in Japan.) So I gave a short speech- as prior blogs attest to, and stood outside after school giving my final goodbyes to around 600-700 students. There were many arigato-s and doitashimashita-s, many high fives- a few hundred hugs, and shy kids just looking saying goodbye with their shy-ness (which I have come to appreciate). There were also a few sad goodbyes from students who have enjoyed random convos with me- or running with me while we did the race, and a few confessions of I love... ENGLISH (gottcha) and I will study very hard.... I want to come to America! I will miss them so and already do! 

Next, church. It was music night where we all came together to raise praise to God through singing, and dancing. It was such a wonderful time of worship. I heard many solos- a Jeremy Camp song- sung by a Japanese Guy who sounded like him- it was crazy. Also, A friend, Prescilla from Oregon, brought a song written by her sister to us and asked if we could get a group together to sing it. Her sisters song was wonderful! Four of us stood with a guitar to worship God- what a sound like heaven. Also Annie and I belted out the Doxology accapella style, (which is a family fav to do). As we prepared and practiced - like two hours before we sang ( which is another family favorite thing to do), we so felt the presence of God come over us. No matter how we did- no matter what harmony was horrible- God was there and we felt him. It was so wonderful!  They have been my family of God this year- and such a wonderful international family! I love them very much and will definitely be supporting them as they seek God with all they are... 

Then My J-family. Last night we had a party to celebrate this year but also to celebrate Nagisa going to Kyrgystan very soon. She is joining a peace corps of sorts and will teach the people of a village crafts that they can use to sell. She is such a wonderful craft person. She has been a craft outlet for me taking me to so many rare and wonderful places as well as just being a wonderful person to talk to. She is so gifted at to many things such as textiles, drawing and just everything artsy. So this night was wonderful. We cooked together us daughters with mom, making fried chicken (Japanese style), fried potatoes (not to be confused with french fries) they were real potatoes and grown from their garden- which does make a difference.  Then Nagisa made some nepal bread (like corn tortillas) and a sauce which was out of this world. As well as rice, tofu and eggplant mix, and my little fruit salad. It was a wonderful night. Shun and Miyu (grand children) were there showing everyone how much they could eat and how cute they could be- they were too cute. I couldn't handle it! They gave me die ski (which is translates give her loves) after I gave them two cute puzzles, then us girls enjoyed trying on the earrings I made for them- and taking pictures. Then we all just sat around talked in Japanese and English (me speaking more English) and just enjoying each other. It was so relaxing and just comforting. I love them also and will miss them much...

I am starting to say goodbye to my students. I have had a few last classes even when I have a week of teaching left. It has been unreal this time around because in a  few days give or take 9 or so I will be back in the states doing not knowing what to do.. Well doing a lot but not doing what I have struggled through and learned to do here in Japan. I will be loud again (well maybe- for those who do not know- I have actually come to enjoy a more quiet life, one that requires less talking and more actions, but also just the Japanese way of life), I will be speaking English everyday (not from a textbook), I guess I will have more say on what happens in my life, I will teach for my first year in the States, and things I just do not know now.  Again I am trying to keep up with my brain so I shall publish this and move on as I know how- One day at a time relying on God with all I am.

Remember: Before you face certain pain (climbing Mnt. Fuji) one must consider how long 6 hours up and 3 hours down will be all in one time.............. Or you just stop thinking and do it. 

~MOlly