Random things about Japan today...

• It's hot...I say this sentence at least 8 times a day. Never has weather dictated my mood as much as it does here. I think not having central air has a little bit to do with this.
• It's humid...I say this sentence at least 16 times a day. I grew up in Tennessee so I know humidity, but Osaka has humidity on steroids. Not even my miracle straight perm can withstand this humidity.
• Below is me with Taisei, my old language teacher's, Yoshi, son. He's five months old and has soooo much hair! Have you ever seen a 5 month old with so much hair?! Please notice Taisei is modeling a pocket pouch bib in plaid made especially for him by my dear friend, Laura, through Lindy Hop Design. Doesn't Taisei look handsome in such a frock?

• Today Liz got this package in the mail. Her friend sent her homemade cookies...and she used popcorn in place of those white curly Styrofoam things. It was a lot of popcorn. We'd like to eat it, but it's a little stale.

• So it's official...my friend, Wendy, and her mom, Mrs. Valerie, are coming to visit me in October!! I'm pretty pumped! Wendy and I went to the same high school and church, and our mamas are friends. Wendy is now married and has a little boy, Fox (or Foxy!). Here's pic from Wendy's wedding shower at my house in 2004 (this was pre-handy dandy digital camera so it's poor quality...sorry!). It was Hawaii-themed in case you are wondering about the get-up...me, my mom, Wendy, Mrs. Valerie, Amber (her and her hubby just announced they are having a baby!), Megan, Kellie, and Ashley (who just returned from Guatemala after a year of missions!). More to come about Wendy later!!

• Currently suffering from Post-Shiona Syndrome. Shiona made it safely back to Washington safely...but she is already stinkin' missed so much here! Our last photograph at the airport...sniff, sniff.

• One of my goals right now is intense scripture memory. I want the Word to flow out of me and to constantly be on the tip of my tongue. Memorizing Galatians 1 right now. Some super good stuff and bold proclamations. "I want you to know, brothers, that the gospel I preached is not something that man made up. I did not receive it from any man, nor was I taught it; rather, I received it by revelation from Jesus Christ." Galatians 1:11-12

A glimpse of my adventures with Shiona!!

Motivators

SHI's SHI's GOODBYE PARTY

Shiona is going back to America on Friday, so yesterday we had a goodbye party for her. It was like her tenth goodbye party but this was the best one. Shiona has been in Japan exactly two years teaching at a middle/high school, and she will be going back to Washington state where her sugar boogar and family are. I have to say I am so sad Shiona is leaving. This is one of the hardest goodbyes because even though I will be going back to America in the next few months, we might as well as be in different countries as far away Washington is from Tennessee. Shiona and I have done many things together, have gone on so many adventures together, share all the same values and beliefs, have spent numerous nights giggling and talking, have gone through "I LOVE JAPAN" days together, have gone through "I HATE JAPAN" days together, and we have the same idiotic and stupid sense of humor. I have affectionately renamed her Shi Shi, and now it's stuck. But I think the two things that have most made Shiona and I's friendship deep and strong is that we have seen Japanese come Christ together and we have been to the Japanese public bath together. Yep, that's the recipe for a strong and wonderful friendship...leading people to Christ together and bathing together.

Front Row from the left...Megumi, Takako, Shiona, Liz, and Chi. Back Row from the left...me, Maya, Koni, Kaori. I made Shiona a scrapbook with all the adventures we have had the best year and half. I liked it so much, I almost didn't give it to her. Shi with her gift from the Seelens...a calligraphy Bible Verse.

At the party, we ate and ate, played games, and watched home videos Shiona has recorded in Japan. Shiona is quite the movie director and producer. She has taken all these videos and has edited them with music, subtitles, credits, and other things, and she has created movies. She has made "Guam: The Movie" starring Kaori, Koni, me, and Shiona. I have it on DVD and am currently making copies to send to my parents and sisters. Shiona also made a "Happy Birthday, Katie" DVD. And a "Mt. Fuji: The Giver of Pain" movie is in the works, and as well as a prayer DVD about Shinsaibashi. It's like a Shiona Production Company.

And only in Japan does a goodbye party consist of a trip to Karaoke. This particular trip included "Country Roads" by John Denver, "Survivor" by Destiny Child, "Jolene" by Dolly Parton (I changed the title to Shiona..."Shiona, Shiona, Shiona, Shiona, please don't take my man just because you can"), and "Part of Your World" from Little Mermaid...Karaoke is always the most random songs ever.

And the finale of the evening...me dying Shiona's hair 22N (or dark ash blonde). She wants to look good for her trip home.

Parked Cars

Space is an issue in Japan, but this is a little much. Two parked cars in my neighborhood.

A little adventure...

It's Obon here in Japan...what does that mean? Everyone's out of work and school, and it's ADVENTURE TIME! So, Kaori invited Liz, Shiona, Maya, Koni, and I to spend the night at her father's hotel in Kyoto. It was totally awesome and by the far the best trip in Japan so far. The whole trip was an adventure and I didn't know what was going on most of the time, but it was so great! This is us on the beach of the Sea of Japan...that would be the west coast of Japan. I have never been to the west coast before and had never seen the Sea of Japan. While we were swimming, I said something about swimming in the Pacific Ocean, and Kaori informed me we were in the Sea of Japan not the Pacific. I was shocked because I had no idea where I was in Japan. I had traveled all the way to the other side of the country and didn't even know it. Here's our dinner at the hotel. For three of us, those two platters have every meat and seafood imaginable, and we grill it ourselves. It was quite the spread. I had snail for the first time, but I ate the wrong part first and am now forever scarred to eat snail again. Typical Japanese hotel with the tatami floors and futons. Here's our big mess of futons. We went to this restaurant where all they serve is soba, a noodle. I ate three plates of soba...that's a lot of noodles. This is called Amanohashidate. I'm told it's the #3 most beautiful view in Japan (I don't know who decides that). Liz, Kaori, me (note to self, never stand on the highest part of a rock when with short people, you look gigantic), Koni, Maya, and Shiona at Amanohashidate. Ok, so here's the thing with Amanohashidate...if you look at it upside down, the sea turns into the sky and the sky turns in the ocean and that strip of land looks like a bridge in heaven. I couldn't really tell anything, though. And a coffee break (and me with my tea because I'm a coffee-hater). What a great two days with ghetto trains, Kaori's Dad driving crazy mountain roads, dirty Sea of Japan, a competitive game of Hip-Writing, late night giggles and video recording, all six of us sleeping in the same room, crabs in the bath, bees in the car, and a very interesting view from our hotel balcony. Thank you, Kaori!!

It feels like 110...literally!!

Weather.com is reporting that the temperature in Osaka is 99 degrees today. And it's reporting that the "Feels Like" temperature is 110 degrees. 110 degrees!! How can a country that was sooo cold in February be this hot?!?

All I did today was eat...

Two more reasons I love Japan...one, your birthday is a season, not just merely a day. And, two, when you eat at a Japanese home, you EAT. Eight days after my birthday, I am still getting cards, presents, and cakes. I have to say that it's fun celebrating my birthday days later. Barb cooked some yummy Mexican food and a birthday cake for me. With Mexican food difficult and expensive to come by, it was a most wonderful gift. Thank you, Barbie!! This is actually the only birthday cake I had. Because I was on top of a stupid volcano and using artificial oxygen to prevent altitude sickness, a cake on my actual birthday was not possible. Then for supper, Liz and I were invited over to Emi's house for sukiyaki. Here's Yumi cutting up meat. Here's Emi and her sugar booger, Nobu, in the kitchen preparing the meal together. They're pretty adorable. Liz with some of the ingredients for sukiyaki...tofu and some sort of noodle resembling earthworms. And here's the big pot of sukiyaki...it's a big mess of beef, mushrooms, tofu, cabbage, and onions with soy sauce. It is quite good and very foreigner friendly. The time it took for us to eat this meal was around 2 hours. Eating is an event here. Yumi, Liz, and Emi with bowls of raw egg in front of them. The correct way to eat sukiyaki is to dip everything in the raw egg and then eat it. I did it one time to accommodate my hosts and survived, but I passed this time on the raw egg. Yumi and Emi! What meal in August is not complete with a run to the grocery store to get ice cream?!

Psychiatric Help

I finally got some good counseling in Japan.

Shamelessly Stolen From Another Blog

Go to your page and list the last fifteen people who have left comments. If someone has commented more than once, skip to the next commenter.

1. Amy B.
2. Michael B.
3. Chi
4. Lizzy
5. Amanda S.
6. Jason C.
7. Jennifer H.
8. Madoka
9. Shiona
10. Ai
11. Charlie S.
12. Leann G. (but she got married and I don't know her new last name)
13. Stephen C.
14. TK
15. Grayden

And here's some fun questions...

• What is the best memory you have of #10? My best memory of Ai-chan is when we went to Mitsuo's house last fall and you shared your testimony with Shihoko and she said she wanted to know the same Jesus you knew. Good stuff.
• Why are you friends with #9? Because I think Shiona is funny and she thinks I am funny! Plus for a long time she was the only other American my age that I knew in Japan, so we were friends by default :). Seriously, because she is an amazing person who is so stinkin' in love with God and it just spills out of her life!
• When's the next time you will see #6? Hmm, I have no idea when I will see Jason again...maybe debriefing?!?! Maybe you should come film in Osaka!
• What does #12 love most in the world? I know Leann loves God and puts Him first! And I am going to assume loving her husband comes after her Savior.
• Tell something juicy about #15: I only know Grayden by proxy. He's Shiona's sugar booger...anything I share about him is breaking my confidentiality agreement with Shi.
• What impresses you about #1? Amy is a Journeyman in Tokyo! I am so impressed she is obeying God and serving Him in a difficult city like Tokyo. And she climbed Mt. Fuji with us! Anyone who climbs Mt. Fuji to the top deserves some respect!
• What do you like about #8? Madoka is my accountability partner and what I like best about her is that the Bible is her final authority. She takes everything and holds it up to the Bible...she is totally awesome.
• What's your favorite memory of #2? Michael is an old BCM buddy, and my favorite memories of him involve the BCM co-ed Flag Football Team my senior year of college. We totally rocked that year...even though I never did squat for the team except show up.
• What was your first impression of #7? I met Jennifer last year when she was a missionary in Japan. I thought she was super-southern and super-cute. I still think that, but she is also an amazing woman of the Word and is going to be a fantastic mama!!
• How did you meet #3? Believe it or not, Chi and I met in a convenient store last May. We've been friends ever since! Our friendship even survived climbing stupid Mt. Fuji!
• Do you think #13 could kill someone? Stephen Cavness is in seminary and loves worshipping the Lord...I surely hope not :).
• Who does #14 spend the most time with? I only know TK through Shiona and through the internet world, so I am not sure, but I know God is up there with the top peeps she spends time with.
• What is the last thing you did with #11? I went out to eat with Charlie and his family on Wednesday and ate some yummy yakitori!! And then went to Baskin Robbins!!
• Have you ever been to #3's house? Yep, I just invite myself over.
• How do you know #4? Lizzy lives with me and is my partner-in-crime. I only know her because the IMB forced us to live together :).
• Do you think #5 is sexy? Haha, yeah, Amanda is a hottie!! She is also awesome at speaking Japanese and loving the Japanese!
• Have you ever liked #7? I like Jennifer, but I don't LIKE Jennifer :)!!
• Where was the last place you went with #8? Madoka and I ate at a German bratwurst restaurant. Random, I know.
• Are you real close to #9? Yep, Shi and I are almost attached at the hip. We are applying for "Amazing Race" together.
• What kind of relationship to you have with #10? Ai and I are wonderful friends, sisters-in-Christ, and both are residents of the famous suburb, Itami!
• Have you ever been to the movies with #12? Yep...Leann and I saw Terminator 3 together at the Martin theater! Do you remember that?!
• Have you ever gotten in trouble with #6? Hmm, I don't think I've gotten in trouble with Jason...YET.
• Would you ever make the move on #14? Ha! Well, considering she's a girl and I like me some southern boys, I don't think so :)!!
• What do you and #11 talk most about? Hehe, Charlie and his family are my neighbors...we talk about ministry, lots of different topics on Japan, his family, my family. I think our favorite topic is Amazing Race, though :). God and Amazing Race...that about sums up our conversations.

A TYPHOON IS COMING!!

We were suppose to go to this huge firework show tonight, but it's been canceled because a typhoon is coming!! Look at this map...that typhoon is heading straight for Osaka!! It is suppose to get here at 4pm today. It's my first typhoon! And the Tennessean is totally coming out in me...what does every Tennessean do when there is even a remote threat of snow or other bad weather? Runs to Kroger!! I will be running to my Kansai Super Market this afternoon!!

Reasons my 24th birthday was totally awesome!!

There is a Japanese proverb that says, "You're a fool if you never climb Mt. Fuji, and you're a fool if you climb it again." I'm a fool. Four years ago when I was a summer missionary in Tokyo I climbed Mt. Fuji. It was awful and painful, but I got to the top. I did it again because I am forgetful and forgot how hard it is to climb Mt. Fuji. However, it made for the best birthday yet!! I am writing this with sore legs, bruised toes, a sunburned face, and an utter distaste for Mt. Fuji, but despite all these physical pains, my 24th birthday was by far my most memorable and fun birthday ever!! Here's a rundown of my day...

• I am one year closer to spending all eternity with my precious Lord and Savior...hmmm, makes me so joyous and full of hope thinking about it.
• My sweet parents sent me a package full of all kinds of birthday goodies...makeup, "The Princess Bride" DVD (Inigo: "I don't mean to pry, but you don't happen by any chance have six fingers on your right hand?" Westley: "Do you always begin conversations this way?"), the best of Queen CD ("Somebody to Love" is my new favorite song), the Carrie Underwood CD, and a Las Vegas T-Shirt they got while visiting my sister and my brother-in-law.
• On Thursday night, Shiona, Liz, Kaori, Chi, Shoko, Kaylie, and I got on an overnight bus to Tokyo. We arrived in Tokyo 6am Friday morning and crashed at Amy's (another Journeyman in Tokyo) apartment in downtown Tokyo. This is us with Hachiko, a famous dog statue outside the Shibuya Train Station in Tokyo. If you watched the latest season of Amazing Race, you will remember that they went to Japan and had to find Hachiko to get their next clue.
• From Tokyo, we took a train and a bus to Mt. Fuji. We began climbing at 8:10pm on Friday night and started at Station 5 which is about half way up. Look how happy and clean and pain-free we all look.

• At midnight we stopped and rested at one of the rest stations. Shiona stood up and shouted to everyone at the station that it was birthday and lead them in singing "Happy Birthday". Very embarrassing.
• Saw a shooting star...not kidding, I saw a real live shooting star while climbing.
• I used an oxygen tank for the first time. The altitude got to me a little bit, but thankfully Chi packed oxygen.

• With a nice August birthday, I have never been cold on my birthday. Climbing Mt. Fuji, I almost froze to death.
• We climbed for 9 hours...9 HOURS!! The hardest part of it is that it is not some nice paved or dirt trail, but you're hiking through volcanic rock and ash. There are times while climbing you have to use all four limbs. It is hard. And it was so was crowded!! I think one third of Japan was climbing the volcano with us.

• The sun starting rising before we actually made it to the very top so we stopped along the way and watched the sunrise. "...He who created the heavens and stretched them out, who spread out the earth and all that comes out of it, who gives breath to its people, and life to those who walk on it..." Isaiah 42:5. It was so beautiful and peaceful...and cold.
• The crater of the volcano doesn't look like what I imagined. It's capped off with ice and rock so it just looks like a big rock valley. Mt. Fuji is classified as an active volcano. Here's me with the crater behind me.
• We all climbed to the top of Mt. Fuji!! After 9 hours, five rest stations, numerous rests, a few tears, several pumps from the oxygen tank, crowds of people climbing along with us, and several threats to quit, we reached the top without us nor Mt. Fuji erupting. In the front: Liz and Chi. In the back: Shiona, me, Kaori, Shoko,Kaylie, and Amy.

• On top of Mt. Fuji a bottle of Coke cost me $5 and I used a co-ed bathroom for $2.
• Took 4 hours to climb down. I think going down was the worst part.
• Got a nice sunburn.
• After Mt. Fuji, we went back to Amy's apartment and had my birthday dinner...Pizza Hut Pizza. It was great!! A medium and a large pizza cost about $55 American dollars, so it was a real treat to have some pizza.
• Chi made me picture magnets for my birthday. She took pictures from our various adventures together and glued magnets on the back of them. They were so cute and creative!! We're laughing because she made one big one with just Liz's face. It's what I've always wanted...a big Liz magnet :)
• After climbing up and down Mt. Fuji, taking two buses back to Tokyo, celebrating my birthday with pizza, taking a Japanese bath, it was time for us to take an overnight bus back to Osaka. Unfortunately we couldn't find it, so we ended up running all over downtown Tokyo trying to find the bus. Imagining running with a suitcase in flipflops after climbing Mt. Fuji and just eating pizza...not too fun. But we found the bus, and my birthday ended with me fast asleep on a bus home to Osaka.
• And I made a promise to never climb Mt. Fuji again.