The entire staff room is so quiet now cos everyone has to attend a general meeting with the exception of Tom and me... and cos Tom has taken the entire week off as his parents are visiting, I am alone in the office, and it is really quite nice for a change!
Yesterday was the oosouji day (大掃除）and here, the teachers change seats every new school year here, so can you imagine the ruckus and the dust??? Vaccuum cleaners, wipes, trash, papers, rubbish... The Japanese are so organised that there is even a designated day and time for this to take place and I was like.. 'WOW'. I cannot imagine how it would be like if Singapore schools practice this too. Before I left Bedok North, the clearing and packing too me an entire week!
But actually, I think this practice is kinda good too. This forces everyone to CLEAN their tables and the staff room and now the place is much neater and tidier and in a sense, everyone is ready and anticipating a great year ahead. Also, it gives the teachers a chance to get to know many other colleagues better. :)
Well, actually I started this post some time ago but din get to complete it cos I was just so pooped out! Ahahha... This last week, I was actually quite busy and the first big thing that happened was ....
Part 1 - Pamela comes to Kobe
I had such an enjoyable time with Pamela simply just fellowshipping, chit-chatting, shopping, sigh-seeing... It is her first time in Kobe and yeah, God is really good.. Who can imagine that 6 years ago, when we first met in CHC while bringing Nozo and his team around Singapore that 6 years later, we will meet here in Japan, and then going to Nozo's church this time round?
Pamela is really a very very sweet girl. She is so motherly and love just flows out of her. The few days I spent with her, I too have learnt many things from her. She exemplifies someone with the Fruit of the Spirit - love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.
Well, we talked about many things, and cos it's been so long since we last chatted, this time, we really got to know each other much better and ahha.. she asked me so many questions about my past relationships, crushes and of course my present relationship. It was actually quite fun reminiscing my younger days... ahahha.. One thing both of us agree we so miss about being home is that it is so so difficult to have such wonderful fellowship and sharing here. In Singapore, it is so easy. For instance, you could just call a close friend, meet her, sit down over either a cuppa or Ya Kun and talk!! Here in Japan, I so miss that. There are of course people I can talk to or go out with, but it's never the same doing it with someone who truly knows you.. you understand what I mean? It's the quality of the friendship and communion.
Well, let the picts speak for themselves. We took so so so many pictures!
At the Ijinkan (Foreign Settlement Area in Kobe)
At Kobe Harborland, Mosaic :-D
Pam and I in church :-}
Part 2 - Church Spring Camp
People here love camps. There are so many different camps, and so this year, I had the chance to join KBC for a spring camp in Himeji.
Stayed in one of the cabins... It's nice! It's got this European woody feel to it - a first time for me! And the name of this area is...
Suponikku Park
I only joined them during the first night and second day due to work committments but it was great nonetheless. It was so funny. The first night, I arrived with Keshi around 8 plus and was really really famished but upon reaching, the night session of PnW and preaching was about to begin, so there was no time to eat.. and and and... I grew hungrier and hungrier by the minute and was trying really hard not to focus on my growling stomach and and and... and then at one point in time while Nozo was preaching, we had to turn to this verse.
Phil 4:11-13 (NLT)
Not that I was ever in need, for I have learned how to be content with whatever I have. I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little. For I can do everything through Christ,who gives me strength.
God is indeed such a wonderful encourager! Wahhahaha :) And dinner that night was a huge, steamy plate of Curry Rice, one of my favourites!
Ok, some picts of the camp now.
Vivid Girls taking a break!
Oooooiiiishiiiii Yakiniku BBQ on the second day for dinner
I took some time off alone while the kids were playing games and surveyed the land myself. Below are some preserved, rebuilt buildings from a many many jidais (時代）ago.
I have so many picts to show! Heez.
Toilet
Inside one old house
Outside one old house
Haha.. this whole area looks like a movie set! I have never really seen such landscapes before and was quite fascinated. Reminds me of Jin Yong Wu Xia Xiao Shuo... Yang Guo and Xiao Long Nu!
And beautiful pottery on display... :)
And just 2 more picts for this Part 2.
Leafy veges and bulbous turnips for sale
The people living in this area plant their own crops and sell them, and how do they do it? They display the produce out in the open, and trust you to place the money into a bucket at the side after you choose what you wanna buy! There is no one in the vicinity as I took this picture and I peered into the bucket... some￥there.
The Japanese are an honest and trustworthy race. Amazing. :) However, I think there is always deficit still, cos I saw another sign that says that it is important to remember to pay for what you take. :)
And finally, Part 3 - Laksa Time
I cooked laksa for my colleagues and I so enjoyed myself. :)
Dear Steveywonder, thank you for the laksa stuff you sent over from Singapore... cos it was such a blessing to my colleagues here! The laksa really tasted so delicious and yummy.
Making invit cards for my colleagues
The ingredients
Having fun!
The Boiling Cauldron!
It was so 懐かしいいいいいい。。。I really miss the taste of laksa!
Posing with some senseis
And you know what happened after the laksa lunch? 2 other teachers decided to do a 'collaboro' (Japanese lang for 'collaboration') and made marmalade cheesecake! It was so fun! Ikoma sensei made the cheesecake and Sawada sensei made the marmalade and a few of us had it for tea. Little things like this make me smile! :)
Ikoma sensei and Sawada sensei :-D
And... the wonderful collaboro - Marmalade Cheesecake
This post must have been one of my longest entries. Actually writing it doesn't take much time, but the selection of pictures and uploading of them take aeons! And even as I end this post, wahhahaha, the teachers are still at the meeting... I am just so thankful that I dun have to attend the meeting, cos it's all in Japanese and I will be literally 'Lost in Translation'! And then I remember all the looooong meetings back in BNSS!
