One week later!

Part 1 (Ski Camp)
I am back from my ski trip and I have so much to share and write about... I still haven't gotten over the excitement yet and it was really such a fun and fruitful experience. I enjoyed myself so much so much so much and i think this post will be a super long one! :)

Ok, left for Nagoya and Nagano on Sunday and met up with Pamela. It's been almost 2 years since I last saw her and she's grown prettier! N more genki and radiant! Attended her church service and got to know a few people.

Before I went to this ski camp, I had no idea what kind of trip it would be or what to expect. All I really wanted to do was to meet up with Pamela and catch up, as well as try skiing. And so, when Pamela asked me if I would like to join her for skiing, it was a 'YES' without hesitation and this camp has turned out to be such a great blessing to me.























Pamela and I

This ski camp is organised by Campus Crusade for Christ (CCC) and there were many university students, missionaries as well as stinters from different countries with CCC. For me, it's the first time I interacted with the Koreans and made friends with them. I became close to 3 of the Korean girls... and they are staying in Osaka now.

Ahha.. thoughts running all over the place again...

Ok, so let me start with the skiing part.

First time I saw so much snow.... First time I tried skiing... First time I felt so afraid and so limited... First time I fell so many times (much more than learning roller-blading)... First time I felt I really couldn't do it and wanted to give up as fear gripped me.

What happened on the first day was that in the morning, as we learnt how to ski, I was able to get the hang of it quite fast and could go down the slopes. The only problem was that I couldn't stop... simply couldn't!!!! N then I would fall or crash into people because of the speed. So after lunch, during our 自由練習時間　(self-practice time), I went up on the beginner slope with my beginner class and then.... well, I got stuck there on the top... Everyone in my group went down the slopes but I just got stumped and din dare to try to go down myself without the instructors even though in the morning, i did succeed in getting down that particular slope.

Up on top at the slope watching everyone ski or snowboard down with ease was difficult for me. I really just stood there... I stood there for about an hour, many times taking small steps forward, but stopping and staring at the 'what-seemed-impossible' downslope. It's funny because people who knew me would know that I am quite adept at picking up new sports, and would go for the challenge. I know that that's me too, but i really couldn't do it then... Faith and fear... fear and faith... both went through my mind. Faith to do it, yet fear stopped me in my tracks. Faith told me to go ahead, then fear gripped me again... I was really so afraid of falling and injuring my knee again, and flashbacks of falling last year at ECP just kept me from moving forward... It was a feeling that I had never experienced before.

So as I was up there contemplating on what I should do, and many people passed me by. There was no way to get down except down the slope, so in the end, I took off my skis... and slowly trudged down the slope. I felt so defeated, so feeble, so lousy and so discouraged that I decided I wouldn't try again on the second day...

But I did. I actually went to tell the person-in-charge not to buy my lift ticket cos I din want to continue with my lessons, but she told me she had already bought it, and then I decided. I MADE UP MY MIND AND DECIDED THAT I MUST NOT GIVE UP. With faith, I will be able to say to the mountain of fear in me to be removed and cast into the sea and it will move.

And my instructor, Jody, knew what my problem and he really really really was patient with me, and even brought along chocolates to encourage us as we went on with the lesson. I fell once more... n then found myself learning how to stop properly... and then went down that particular slope again... n then confidence arose... n then learnt how to do the turns... n then I realised it really wasn't as scary and as intimidating anymore.

This is such an important lesson for me. It really is and I am very very happy because I really felt I have grown in faith through this. What seemed like a giant really was not. It was all in the mind. The Korean girls encouraged me so much in this because as I looked at them, they too were afraid and yet, they were bolder and more courageous than me! Ahha, I am so glad I stuck it out... so glad that I din give up. To be able to ski down the slopes was so exciting and liberating!


A pict of the 3 Korean girls (Yung Gyung, Hyung Jung, Okkyung) and I who went skiing together the second day. They are my first Korean friends and they are so funny! Hahah... They are only in their very early-2os!
今度のcampは三人と仲良くなったことは　めっちゃうれしいです。いろんな励まして　ありがとうね。また神戸ね！


My instructor - Jody! Thank you so much! It wouldn't have been possible without you, and I will remember not to step on the rope.

Ahha, anyway, what you see behind us is the rock climbing wall. That was our activity on the 2nd night. Skiing was only just part of the camp. We rock-climbed, and some others went for a night hike too.

Rock climbing was also difficult! It requires tenacity and perseverance and in the beginning, it seemed easy but halfway, when my hands lost all strength, man... it was tough to heave myself up to the next level. We had to touch the ceiling before we could come down. It was really tough but great fun!



















More pictures of the ski trip


The Beginners Class for Skiing


A picture of the snowy landscape


Me in Beth's ski gear


Snow is soft and comfy... n not as cold as I thought it would be!


Playing with snow. I tried to make a 鼠 (nezumi = mouse) and it turned out looking like an 猪 (inoshishi=pig), so I decided to use this 兔 (usagi=rabbit) to pose a picture with. This usagi is made by a Japanese friend!
























I have to post this pict... cos I have such looooooooong legs here. Haha...




















A view taken from the bus... The water was an unusual shade of green. 本当にいい天気だね。
























The last day at Nagoya Takashimaya before I departed for Kobe again

Countdown

Another 1 hour till I leave school.

Another 5 hours before the girls come over to my house to 'torn' for the night.

Another 1 day before reunion dinner in Singapore for CNY.

Another 2 days before CNY!

Another 2 days before I go to Nagoya, then to Nagano to ski!!!!

Whahahha. Sigh, I can hardly contain my excitement now... I need to calm down. Well, calm down and cool down Olenju! And a great 'Thank You' to 教頭先生、藤池先生 and my colleagues for granting me this leave! :D

BRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR.
Ok, anyway, last night, the weather took a drastic turn and from a very nice, bright, breezy day, about 9pm, suddenly I was really really cold, and shivering. I really wondered if it was just me, but when I checked with Tom just now, he said he felt the same way too.

Chills... chills and more chills...

And last night, I also prepared my house for the 6 beautiful ladies who will be staying overnight. I vacuumed the house, got ready the futons, laid my kotatsu blankets out properly and cleaned the toilet as well! Ahha.. I was so pleased with myself.

And in school today, I finished all the exam papers I had to set, and then cleared up whatever work's left so that I can really enjoy myself skiing!

And I have to show you this pict. I saw this along the corridor.... It makes such a loud rumbling noise. It radiates heat and light, and you will love it in the very cold winter. No prizes for guessing it right... it is a Jumbo heater! Well, this isn't the biggest one I have seen... but it is certainly scary. The 'voooom-vooooming' sound can be heard from afar!

That's the school nurse beside me, and she stays just one floor below me in my apartment block too. The heat must have been too strong... she has to close her eyes! And yeap, that's the nearest we could get to it... It is strong man.

And Tom beside the small heater in our staff room. Each 2 rows share one of these heaters. Certainly much more miniature in size and less noisy. :)

Some picts of my classes

Keisuke with his guitar for Show-N-Tell

The lovely class I had great fun teaching yesterday

All sorts of cutesy stuff on the girls' bags. Well, many of them are hand-made and stitched. :-) Girls being girls! I remember a time long ago when I made my own Winnie-the-Pooh bag too.

One last picture! Cos the weather was great yesterday, I decided to try a new route home... and came to this park. This is on the other side of the train tracks, and it was quite a bit of a detour before I reached my station - Suzurandai. Nevertheless, the fine weather makes the mini expedition so enjoyable!

A quick post just after lunch

Had a great class just now with Soma sensei with my Year 2 students... so happie! Ahha... this class has really warmed up to me and they are much more responsive than when I met them last August. We are on the theme of 'Inviting friends to your house', so I got them into groups, and they had to draw their dream house and then invite their classmates to their dream house. It was really fun! I don't have the finished products with me yet, cos they have not completed their houses, but I am definitely looking forward to touring their dream houses.

And.... Keisuke brought along his electric guitar for Show-N-Tell, and Chie made cookies... whahhaha... another round of yummy treat. Anyway, I took lotsa pictures using my old and trusty Konica Minolta, but cos I can't wait to write this entry, you won't get to see picts of my class just yet. However, here are some picts using my Sharp phone... keke... n also, today, two of the girls in my class gave me chocolates! They are Aya and Takako and they are from the Basketball team too. They made the chocolates and sweets themselves, and I was really so happy!!! A nice belated Valentine's Day gift...hahahha... some of my kids are really lovely and sweet.


Yummy Chocolato Treats ありがとう！

And then Tom and I headed for an early lunch. We went to 7-11 and here's a picture specially for Tom's parents!

Say Cheezu, Tom-kun!

And today, the weather's bright and beautiful. Decided to just take snap shots of 7-11 and the area. :)


Haha, I think this is my 2nd picture of the different types of drinks. I can't help it. They look so colourful and pretty!


So beautifully and meticulously arranged, aesthetically pleasing to the eye!
Well, recently, I have developed a taste for the different types of tea here. Oolong-cha 烏龍茶, kenbi-cha 健美茶, mugi-cha 麦茶, gogonokoucha 午後の紅茶, jasmine-cha　ジャスミン茶, ooji-cha 宇治茶, milk tea ミルク茶, lemon-tea レモン茶, ocha お茶... It's an inexhaustible list!


It's cold and windy, yet bright here.


神戸甲北高校学校
Another view of my school taken from the back


Beautiful Day!

Part 1 - Walking to school

This morning, I did the unthinkable; I actually walked to school from home. It's been something that I told myself I would do at least once during my stay here, and it was quite unexpected, but I decided to walk this morning.

Sometimes, I think I am crazy. I do things so impromptu. Walking to school really isn't so hard, for I have walked home from school numerous times before. It is the morning, when it is cold and my muscles aren't ready for the slopes that make the walk hard, but haha, crazy me decided to 'just do it'.

So I probably looked like an alien to the many Japanese who walked past me. I had a white windbreaker on, my backpack, a big Christmas paperbag filled with chocolates to give to some of my male colleagues (Friendship Day Choco), black gloves, my Nike shades, and my MP3 player.

Along the way, I huffed and puffed, but it gradually got better. Listening to Delirious certainly made everything seemed brighter, and I could appreciate the beauty of the morning. Saw some kindergarten girls and they greeted me with a very genki 'Ohayo gozaimasu'! I walked beside the railway tracks, and many trains passed me by. Saw many elderly out with the dogs or taking an early morning walk. And as I continued walking, with my muscles slowly getting in synch with my brain, I felt better! And then I passed by the パン屋 (Pan-ya=Confectionary shop / Bakery)... and wow... the fragrance of freshly-baked bread... so tantalizing and so inviting. :) Resisted the urge to buy, cos I already had some biscuits for breakfast with me!

And then, I reached Kita-Suzurandai station, and that marks the last lap to the school. I take this same route everyday from Kita-Suzu to Kouhoku and the hardest part about this is the very very last part, where you have to climb up a long flight of stairs, followed by a final upslope... Every morning, when I walk this route with Amasaki-san (She's the school admin officer and I usually see her on the same train daily), I always think that the Japanese are so fit and I always tell her I am so 疲れた (tsukareta=tired)!

Anyway, I reached school about 8.20am, and was perspiring and really 疲れた! I felt happy though. :) What a different way to start my week... (Well, yesterday was another public holiday here, so no school for me! keke.)


Part 2 - Akashi Outing

昨日　休みだから　のんびり過ごした。　朝ごはんを自分で作って　ピッザパンとバナナとコーヒーとMeiji チョコのおやつと烏龍茶を食べた。おおいしいいいい。

その後Ziweiと話した。Ziwei-さん　卒業のために　がんばってね！いっぱい話して　とてもうれしかった。

予定はないから　昼は安保先生と一緒に明石のｇｙｍへ初めて行った。このｇｙｍは埋立地に建設されるから　海も見える。走るながら　海も見える感じは　とても懐かしいね。シンガポールのEast Coast ParkでE151と一緒に過ごした時間が思い出した。Ｇｙｍから明石橋もよく見える　眺めはきれいです。
運動が終わったら　本当に爽快感がある！

Ok, so I went to the gym yesterday with Anpo sensei because it was a public holiday and there was no school. This is the Akashi Axtos gym and it's just beside the sea, built on reclaimed land. From the treadmill, I could see Akashi bridge, and couples and families on the beach. Well, it was a very different view for me, and I enjoyed the session very much. Also, Akashi wasn't cold at all. For a moment, how I wished I lived at Akashi instead of Suzurandai! :) Yeah, anyway, after exercising, I felt really refreshed! Thank you for inviting me Anpo sensei.















This is the view from the front of the gym. I thought it looked quite pretty. There are many family restaurants along the road, as well as newly-built residences.





















Taken at dusk, a picture of yours truly. :)
















That is Akashi Bridge behind me. This bridge links Awaji Island to the main land and Awaji Island is about the same size as Singapore. I must go there one day.
















安保先生！

Love is in the air
Just came back from church not too long ago, n tonight, we have a special V-Day cell group. The message was about love and marriage, and though some of the kids were really still very young, it is never too early to teach them the right things, n u will be really amazed at what they think marriage is. One boy went.. "It is the union of a man and woman into one being!" Such a good answer!

Ok, so today, 2 young couples, 1 married (Keshi n Jun) and 1 engaged (Washi n A-chan), came and shared about their marriage and love life, and the atmosphere was just kinda different. Lotsa laughter and great fellowship. They asked me about Steve too... n seriously, with so much talk going on about V-day, I can't help but feel a little 寂しい (sabishi ) and really wished for Steve to be around. :)

I think Valentine's Day is a great day to express our thanksgiving, appreciation and love to the special person in our lives as well as loved ones and friends. Of course we should be thankful for them every single day; it's just that V-Day, with all its hype, makes everything perhaps more romantic and memorable.

Dear Steve-san,
Here, I just want to say how blessed I am to have you in my life... Thank you for being a pillar of strength and support in my life, for encouraging me and believing in me through the tough times, for the assurance given and the trust you have in me, for being understanding and patient, for being the gentleman, for caring for my mum, for the laughter and joy, for the futomomo powerpoint you just sent me, for being a wonderful friend and soul-mate... You light up my life. Thank you dearie...

Ok, and here are some pictures taken today!

Beth and Nozo


Jun and Keshi


Design your own Valentine pancake!























The pancakes were made by Vivid girls and each person will then design his pancake. The most creative design wins a prize.


She's so happy...























Ok, this was actually my pancake, but when she saw it, she fell in love with it and really wanted it, and so, I decided to give mine to her... I made her day, and she was really really on cloud nine.....

Dinner in church

Arigato Nozo-san... thanks for the generosity and delicious dinners. I gave away a pancake, but got blessed with a wonderful dinner! Miso soup, fish fillet, salmon steak, salad, rice, egg dressing... It's really really ooiiishiiiiiiiiii.


A close-up on the salmon

I LOVE SALMON.

Musings on a quiet Thursday afternoon

The staff room is unearthly quiet now... I am the only person at my desk and Tom is away at the lounge reading a book. The rest of my colleagues are in a meeting, and what a sharp contradiction it is from this morning. This morning, and yesterday, there was a great flurry of activity going on. People were running helter-skelter, rushing to get everything ready for this morning's big day. It is Kouhoku's Speech Day, and this is unlike the Speech Days I have attended back home. There is no giving out of any awards and this Speech Day is as literal as the word 'speech' means. This morning, so many so many students took their turns to give speeches to the whole school, and the whole school just sat quietly to listen to all the speeches. I did too, trying to understand, cos they were mostly in Japanese and there was only a 5-minute break in the 3-hour long event.

Yup, and Valentine's Day is round the corner and this day is celebrated in quite a different fashion here because instead of the guys showering the girls with gifts, it is the opposite! On Feb 14, the fairer sex gives chocolates to the men, and there are basically 2 types of chocolates they give - the 義理 (giri=obligatory) chocolate and the 本命 chocolate. The honmei chocolates are given to that special someone the woman is serious about.

Well, one interesting thing I have read about is that if I give giri chocolates to my superiors or bosses, they are expected to return another giri gift to me exactly one month later on Mar 14, and this day is known as the 'White Day'. Haha, what is interesting is that this returned giri gift (need not be chocolates) should be twice the value of my original gift. Haha!

And again, this is an example of how the Japanese make everything very unique. White Day! I mean, I have never heard of White Day till recently and when I did some reading on White Day, I learnt that it's for the guys to reciprocate and to return chocolates or a gift to the ladies who blessed them in the first place. At the end of the day, or should I say the month, not only is everyone happy, the departmental stores and chocolate manufacturers would be beaming from ear to ear because of a sharp rise in profit!

And do you know how White Day came about? It was believed that a certain confectionary, a marshmellow-manufacturing company, took advantage of the Japanese feelings of obligation and created this day in the 1960s. The name came about because marshmellows were white and fluffy back then. This day gives the men an opportunity to return a gift to their female friends. What sharp business acumen yah? Though White Day is still not as popular as V-Day, it is yet another money-making prospect!

Haha... ok, I have almost finished this entry. Tomorrow, the O-Level results will be released and I will be very excited to hear about how 5D has done for this exam. I pray they will all do very well and that all of them will go on to enter the college or polytechnic of their choice. :)

Uplifting morning

I checked my email this morning as usual and felt really happy when I read an email that Samantha sent... filled my heart with warmth. What a great way to start my day this February morning!

And... it's about the BNSS Basketball girls back home in Singapore, and as I type this post, I can really recall very very vividly how they have grown, especially the tears and the hard work. I know that in life, nothing comes easy and if we have a passion, a dream, a vision, we have to work hard, train hard, do whatever we can and then trust God to do what we cannot, and so this is the beginning of the story of how the team began back in 2002.

Personally, at that time, though I was filled with fire and passion, I didn't really know if I could handle the committment and manage everything well. I really was quite unsure, because I was a green horn, I had just started teaching and I was totally inexperienced. Many times, I felt like I had failed too. Thank God for good friends and colleagues like Mr Yee! He was a strong pillar and guided me through. It is so important to have like-minded people working together, encouraging each other along the way. :) Well, all I felt was that I could do something for the girls and for the school, and see the team to its best potential.. I simply wanted to try my best.

The reason why I am writing this post is because I felt really lifted in my spirits this morning reading the email that Samantha sent. She said there's so much laughter during training now, but that when it is time to be serious and to train hard, they are disciplined and focused. That is absolutely wonderful to hear. When I was in Uni, I remember our coach saying that 'A happy team is a winning team'. That doesn't mean we would win all matches all the time... there are other aspects in which we win as a whole.. building better friendships and ties that last past beyond playing basketball.

And I saw the picture that Sam sent me too. I really believe and feel that everyone has grown and matured... into beautiful young ladies (like what Mrs Yap always says!) :D I look at everyone and think about what's going on in their minds. What dreams and aspirations do each and everyone of them have? What will they be doing 10 years down the road? hahahaha... seems like a weird thought right... but 10 years ago, I had just graduated from DHS, and was in VJ playing basketball too. (Hmmm... maybe one of them will be in Japan working too! Ahha!)

Yeah, so here is what I want to say finally... Keep on keeping on girls. Be disciplined and focused and try your best! Encourage each other and always think for the team first. Believe that all of you are already champions in your own heart and lastly, always be appreciative and thankful for your teachers-in-charge, your team-mates... n the HANDSOME MAO JIAO LIAN!!!! :D

Singapore

Today, I feel so patriotic... because I am doing lessons based on the theme of travelling.. and what better way to teach internationalisation than to bring in Singapore? Well, I really got quite excited about our sunny island and went online to source for a number of music videos and promotional videos of Singapore. I also checked out some facts about our sunny island.

Well, all along, I know I am a true blue Singaporean, but feelings of being proud of our country... I mean, really grateful that I was born there, live there... proud of our uniqueness, of our people, the different races living in harmony, of our food... our 'fine' country, Singlish... and of course, I can go on and on again. Well, such feelings seldom surface, hmmm, only maybe during National Day, but now that I am in Japan, I am really becoming more aware of our country. I feel like I am getting to know Singapore again looking at the videos and listening to the songs. :)

I guess sometimes all of us take for granted the country we live in... the peace, the security and the blessings that God has given, and in this time of uncertainty that we live in where wars abound and disasters shake the world, I am extremely grateful and thankful for Singapore.

Racial Harmony with 5D

Snippets of the weekend just passed

I love weekends and last weekend's been great, busy, but one where I met up with friends, cooked for my neighbours... did many things. :) Well, in a nutshell, usually, my weekends fly by! Well, in this post, I am going to write in both English and Japanese! たぶん長い時間がかかるかも知れないけど　がんばります！

Sat morning. Woke up really early at about 7 though I slept around 2.30am. Did 2 loads of laundry, sunned them and then went to Takarada's house to cook chicken curry, Singapore style. It's really easy to cook that, (Heez, cos it is instant and pre-packed) and then Holly came up and we had lunch together with Chisato and the kids.

Salad, Chicken Curry, Japanese Curry

For the kids, they had the Japanese curry because they would probably find the chicken curry too hot for their tastebuds.. n they did.
Look at Kosei. He wanted to drink the chicken curry (Initially, he wanted to put the whole bowl to his mouth and gulp it down. So garang!!) and well, attempted one tablespoon before saying 辛い辛い (karai=spicy) and washing it down with a huge glass of water.


料理を作り方は簡単です。シンガポールにあまり料理をしないから上手じゃないけど　SuyinとSokは十二月に訪問する時持ってきたインスタントシンガポールカーリを使うとすぐできた。辛いやつから　子供たちはあまり食べなかったので　日本カーレを食べた。私にとってこの前作ったlaksa はもっとおいしかった。

夕方時私はちょっとびっくりされた。その時は体育館へ行った。帰るとき受付の一人は私に五千￥の商品券を渡した。なぜかと言うと　安保先生は私の進めでこの体育館に参加した。私は本とにびっくりした！この五千￥の祝福はすごいじゃない？
安保先生も今年から　決心してタバコを吸うことが辞めるつもりです。今から健康のために一緒にがんばりましょう！
Ok... so here's something else that I want to share which happened on Saturday. It was such a nice surprise for me and I thank God for this blessing! Anpo sensei signed up for the same gym too and on Saturday, when I finished my swim and was about to leave, I was presented with a　5000￥ voucher. I was truly quite shocked and then, they told me it was because Anpo sensei told them that I had recommended the gym to him. Well, they have this reward gift system and yay yay, it is really just very nice to know I have this 5000￥ in my hands to spend!

Sat night. Was out with Holly and Joe, and Joe comes from one inaka west of Himeji and the whole night was spent chatting, laughing ourselves silly and trying to find ourselves a cafe after dinner. It was really difficult cos Sannomiya was so crowded then. There were queues everywhere and when we finally found a place, bought our drinks and settled ourselves comfortably, the waiter came to us and told us they would be closing at 11pm and the time on my watch was 5 mins from 11! Nevertheless, it was enjoyable catching up with them.

日曜日の教会礼拝はすごかった。Vividの皆は先週から聖書クイズがあるので皆はよく詳しく読んでいたと思う。私もクイズの準備中で神様からいっぱい受け取った。一緒に成長しよう！礼拝が終わったら　べーズチャンとChiとChihoとYorikoと一緒にしゃべる時は（冗談ばかりですけど)楽しかった。ふふふ。そんな感じはシンガーポルの教会の友達と一緒の気持ちのよい感じです。ありがとう！

最後に昨日の夕方やすと会った。食事しながら日本語と英語でいっぱい話していた。何で私はイエスに信じることを教えた。：）

And so, I'm almost done for this entry. As I re-read it, it sounds pretty much like I am reporting what I have done for the weekend, especially those parts in Japanese! Oh yes, and during lunch just now, I was reading CNA Singapore news and realised that mid-Feb is Chinese New Year! I am going to miss it so much cos I always look forward to visiting Chinatown, squeezing with the crowd, soaking in the atmosphere, loving the noise and the liveliness in the place, stopping by at various stores, snacking on traditional food, getting ang-pows while I still can, talking over the steamboat and the reunion dinner, visiting friends and relatives, going to Steve's grandma's house, staying at home watching CNY variety shows, having a long, good break... and I can just go on and on...

Well, Kobe has its own Chinatown too :) Happen to have one in my hp, so here it is. However, I don't think I am doing the place much justice; this picture doesn't seem to be very well-taken!


That's all for the few snippets.　オレーンの週末の短い情報が終わります。:-D

What a nice surprise!

This morning, Soma 先生 handed to me some letters that the 3rd-year students from one EL class wrote last week. I went.. Wow... What a nice surprise and seriously, I was quite touched. My morning suddenly became so much brighter. :)


Last August when I first got introduced to the class, the students were all really unearthly silent and when you ask them a question, everyone looks down at their table! However, as the months passed, classes became really more enjoyable and I started to have fun too. :) Doing Show-n-Tell with them was memorable, and almost all the girls of this class baked cookies or cakes and brought them for Show-n-Tell! haha, can u imagine that? Every week, I have free cookies or cakes. Teaching here has been a great experience. I think teaching EL here has caused me to become more patient and understanding, and I do empathise with the Japanese students who are trying to learn English. I know it's hard for them, cos I am going through the embarrassment and the difficulties in learning Japanese too.





Haha, next, presenting to you the random doodling of another student. Well, most kids here can express themselves very well through drawing. This is really cool to me, cos I am just not used to the idea of picking up a pencil, and drawing my thoughts out.


Ok, here's wishing all the 3rd-year students success in their examinations! :D

Sports Club Axtos

Feeling so happy and relaxed this morning... yay yay.. you know why? Last night, I went to the gym and had a really good workout.

Yesterday, for the first time in a loooooooooong looooooooong time, I exercised. I really worked out and ran and swam, and the feeling was simply exhilarating. To many, they may think I am crazy, but seriously, I am deprived of that kind of give-it-all feeling and work-till-you-drop feeling, and I have been feeling lousy with myself too. Excess energy left unspent.. There have been several days and occasions where I desperately wish for some good exercise and yay, yesterday, I had my wish fulfilled.

God, it was so good! I just ran and ran and din want to stop. Exerted myself slightly, and at the same time, reminded myself that after a long hiatus, I shouldn’t really tire myself out, but I was just so spirited. When I was running, I imagined I was at East Coast Park, running with Kelvin, Wanz and Bubu! To keep myself focused, I told myself 'Oh, I just passed by the seafood restaurant... Oh! That's the bicycle shop coming up.. Go on, go on.. Jia you Jia you!' Haha... you think I am crazy? Maybe I am! Well, on the way home, though I had to walk along the dimly-lit streets, and it was drizzling, I felt very happy.

This gym is Axtos Sports Club and it’s newly built. Built last year, it wasn't even on the map! So when I first arrived, I couldn’t find any gym near my area. Thanks to Anpo sensei, last week, as we were driving back from the post office and convenience store, I saw the sparkling, brand-new facility! So happy and immediately the next day, I went in and checked the place out and tada, signed up for membership.

Lotsa facilities there and different pieces of equipment. You have the usual stuff there like the treadmills, the bikes, the weight-training corner, a studio, oh yes, and equipment to test your body fat, BMI, blood pressure... etc. They did a preliminary test on me before i began so that i could chart my progress. Flexibility test, balance test, stretching test, etc. Good! Very pro! Also, the trainers are friendly and helpful. And and... there is also a swimming pool, a jacuzzi, suana, etc... and and... an aromatherapy room where you can go in, settle yourself into a massage chair, close your eyes, take in the fragrance and go to lala-land.

Haiya... nothing can describe the relaxed ecstasy now.. and more so because I know my body is the temple of God. This year, 2 of my goals are to eat more healthily (less instant food... I shall cook more! And dear Holly, if you read this.. I am inspired by you. ありがとう！) and to exercise regularly (Need I even go into the benefits of exercising?). Really thank God for answering my prayers.

Oh yes, and I can take a decent shower at the gym too. Ahha, it’s not that my bathroom is no good, but I have to work the cranky bath tub, and hmmm, nothing beats a really nice, clean shower, right? :D

Here are some picts, taken off their website. :)

The Gym


Sweat it out!


So inviting... Make a splash!


Relaxing Aromatherapy Room


Ahha, and this is my card, with this blog entry in the background.


Ok, it's time to work now!

A little about food

Today's cell group was great! We gathered as usual and wrote down our goals. In fact, we drew them out as well. One outstanding quality about the Japanese is their creativity and while I was trying very hard to draw out my goals, well, the rest of the girls did it with such ease! :D

So we shared about our goals and prayed for each other and then went down to attacking our おやつ(oyatsu=snacks) after that. Ahha... n we talked and laughed alot today. It was good. Yoriko just came back from New York and got for us some souvenirs.　ありがとう　よりこ！


And last week, we had mochi... we not only ate mochi, we made the mochi too. Mochi is the sticky glutinous rice u can eat with practically everything. You can eat it salty with shoyu or sweet with red bean paste or soup. Well, it was the first time I devoured so much mochi ever. :D

My attempt - Coming down hard at the poor rice grains!

Ok.. and here's a bit more about food. Had Okinawan food last Sunday with Yasu. Well, Okinawa is well-known for its longevity and there are about 525 centurians in this prefecture now in Japan! Besides living a balanced lifestyle, the Japanese here have a healthy diet. Here's an example of one dish - the Okinawa salad. I dun remember the names of all the various vegetables, but the green, stringy stuff at the top is most interesting. I think it's some kind of seaweed... and well, it tastes like salmon eggs. hahaha... n there's also goya (bitter gourd), which i like very much, and tau gei and yam with yogurt. That's the purplish stuff. Then you also get the usual toss of lettuce, tomatoes, etc. Hahaha, i am not sure if you will find the dish palatable, but i kinda liked it. :)


Ok... and tomorrow, i will be at my neighbour's house to teach them how to make laksa!

Rush Hour

This morning, I woke up and it was OK. These days, I seldom wake up really feeling like waking up and I need to change this. Maybe it’s the cold.. maybe it’s a lack of expectancy for the day… maybe I am procrastinating. Whatever it is, I need to resolve to change that. To decide that I have to get out of bed the instant my alarm goes off and get ready for the day and give thanks to God.

Because of my reluctance to get out of bed, a whole series of other problems arose… I was panicky.. I wondered if I could make it in time for the usual bus.. It’s not that I would be late for school just by lazing in bed for another 10 minutes.. It’s really that there would be too many commuters.. and I really dun like to squeeze with the students at all. Well, that got me kinda kan jiong. And as I walked down the slope for the bus, I saw it coming and ran… n missed it. The next bus came soon after, and usually, even then, I would still be able to catch my usual train on that bus, just that today, there was an unusual no. of passengers, and so many pple at the station that the bus was somewhat delayed.. and as I got down, I could still have made the earlier train… except for the fact that so many pple were teeming out of the station, and walking like snails… n I would have made it if I rushed past everyone… sometimes I really can’t stand the girls talking loudly in their school uniform, not giving a heck to the world around them. If they think it is cool, I certainly dun think so. Well, anyway, I was at the platform when the train doors closed. Hai, what a way to start my day I thought.... and so, there I was at the platform, wondering when my train would arrive, and where exactly I would be if I had got on the earlier train.

Yup, I certainly wasn’t late.. but I just felt so… haiz.. so rushed and so mentally tired..
The disgusting thing was that even as I was in bed, I din really enjoy the extra 10 minutes I had.. I already knew and could see the problems and the unease that would be caused just by being lazy, just because I laid in bed for another 10 minutes. So sick. Tomorrow, tomorrow, I will wake up the instant my alarm goes. Tomorrow, I will. I pray that I will have the strength and resolve to do it. I want to give thanks for a great day ahead and not run around like ants on fire.

Lalala. So, I just had breakfast and coffee. Last night, thank God for a good dinner. I had nabe. It was so delicious! Got the nabe idea from Tom. He was talking about eating nabe.. and nabe is so healthy… lotsa vegetables, and I found some siew mai in my fridge that had been long forgotten and decided to throw it into the soup. Oishi… Next time, I am going to eat more nabe… n it really makes me warm too. The only drawback was the smell of the soup lingering in the kitchen. I sprayed some air freshener but this morning when I woke up, I could still smell the shoyu in the kitchen.

And as an afterthought, Mama will be so proud of me for making such a healthy dinner. I took a picture just for mama to see. Cabbage, bean sprouts, mushroom, carrots, leeks, tomatoes, toufu and siew mai of course. Yay!! Happy happy. Wish I have my camera now to upload the picture.

And tonight, I am gonna meet Nozo, Beth n Co. in Kobe! So wonderful and I am looking forward to it! Ganbatte to myself.

ありがとう

このブーローグはお父さんとお母さんに感謝しているために書いています。
お父さんとお母さん　日本語で書いて多分間違ったところがいっぱいあるので　ごめん。。。

今年の正月　お父さんとお母さん一緒に過ごして　本当に嬉しかった。この機会は　私にとってとても珍しいです。５年ぶりだから。今の私は自分で神戸に住んでいて　時々もさびしいです。この正月は　お父さんとお母さんと一緒　はじめに日本の正月の経験が受け取った。一緒に掃除したり　買い物したり　簡単なことけれども　幸せです。

１２月３１日もお母さんのお誕生日です。その時　こうだ君とChristyも来た。みんなと一緒に食事をしたり　いろいろなことをしゃべたリ　あの日は時間が経ちました。　正月とお母さんのお誕生日のお祝いために　こうだ君はおいしいケーキを買って持ってきた。このケーキは面白いやつがあるので　写真も取った。見てね！

お母さん　お誕生日はおめでとう！

お父さんとお母さんは１匹の犬と２匹の猫がある。犬の名前はChocoという。Choco　はとても元気で　よい食欲がある。私がChocoのことも大好き。将来絶対自分の犬を買うつもり。


最後の日で　私のために　お父さんとお母さんは新幹線のきっぷを買ってくれった。実は　私はハイウェイバースのきっぷを買った。ハイウェイバースは一番安いだから。でもこの通う方法は１０時間ぐらいかかる。その上に　あまり寝られないから　ちょっとしんどい。　
ありがとう　お父さんとお母さん。

今年は　お父さんとお母さんのために祈ります。お父さんとお母さんはいつも私のことを心配して関心して　ありがとうございます。今年神様はお父さんとお母さんをたくさん祝福してください。よい健康をしてくださいて　お父さんのお母さんのことを守ってください。イエス様の平和、喜びと愛はお父さんとお母さんと一緒に滞在してください。

お父さんとお母さんの親切に心から感謝しています。

最後に　も一度 明けましておめでとうございます！

Jan 2, 2007

This 2nd of January 2007, I am sitting in my living room, writing an entry, with music playing, in my little house enshrouded in a fog atop a mountain in Suzurandai in Kobe, with my white lamp to my right and the orange electric heater to my left...

I am happy to be back home after a 5-day visitation in Tokyo. It was nice to meet up with Keiko after a 5-year hiatus and we spent the day chatting and catching up... 5 years ago this day, I was still in NUS, and I had just returned from a month-long exchange programme in Tokyo. 5 years ago, life was about Eusoff Hall, heartaches, friends, dreams and ambitions... and studying, of course.

Last 2 nights, as I was in my host-stay family's house, I was quite overwhelmed by many emotions... especially last night, and I gave thanks to God for my entire life... for all that's taken place in my life in 2006 and for all the loved ones and friends in my life. Maybe it's the new year atmosphere and I guess it's inevitable to reflect and to have new dreams and hopes for the new year.

New year in Japan is huge. This is the most festive time of the year and everyone gears up to usher in the new year. It's just like Chinese New Year in Singapore and households do a massive clean up and decorate their houses. They buy lots of of new year goodies, prepare traditional food, go visiting, etc. A whole host of variety shows is lined up and the countdown begins... 2007 has arrived.

Well, when I was on the night bus to Tokyo 5 nights ago, looking out of the bus window, I could see the housing, lights dotting the entire land. I was on the highway then and as I looked out, I couldnn't help but compare the sizes of Singapore and Japan. I was at Mount Faber once, and well, from where I was, I could see the end of our tiny island in a few directions. As for Japan, it really isn't the case. Though Japan is not the biggest country, to me, it is certainly vast. I could see the land and the mountains in the distance. In the bus, sometimes, I could see into the peoples' houses, though only for that short moment. I always like to imagine the lives and the stories of different people... :)

Anyway, going to the shrines on New Year is a must for the Japanese and they go there to seek peace and pray for the New Year. They pay a token amount and get to pick a fortune lot (おみくじ). That piece of paper foretells their fortune for the new year. I was at the shrine with Otousan and Okaasan yesterday and it was really crowded. There was a bazaar as well and after offering their prayers, families will enjoy themselves at the bazaar.

At the shrine, Otousan and Okaasan were quite surprised when I told them that I would just observe but not take part in all the prayers or fortune lot-picking. I explained to them that to me, Jesus is my protector and with Him in my life, I have the peace and joy. Seriously, the best thing that has happened to me in my life is knowing Jesus. :) Sometimes, I am overwhelmed by emotions too when I think about His goodness in my life and how He never fails.

Ok... this quiet evening, I am going to read a book. This book is called "Novel without a name" and it is written by Duong Thu Huong, a Vietnamese author. :)

Happy New Year.