Iki Island! March 20, 2014

Hi everybody!

It sure has been a long time since I’ve posted. It feels like a lifetime has gone by! Just yesterday I graduated from GenkiJACS language school. It’s a weird feeling, but I know that Kyoto (and my trip to Shanghai in a week) will be wonderful experiences as well.

I wrote a blog post for GenkiJACS about our trip to Iki Island, and you can view it at this link:

http://genkijacs.com/blog/

During the following week I will be staying with a friend (since my home stay ends tomorrow). I don’t know if I’ll have internet there, but I’ll have no school and nothing to do! Maybe I can catch up some of the blog posts and tell stories about some of my adventures!

Until then, stay warm, healthy, and happy!

Blessings,

Morgan

God-Send December 26, 2013

Konnichiwa!

Hello!

I am so looking forward to introducing you to a very special place! This place and I had a very funny beginning. (There is always a funny story isn’t there??)

The Beginning:

One day I decided that I would get up early on a Sunday morning and venture into a yet unknown area of Tenjin to find a church that I had happened upon once with some friends at night. I arrived about forty five minutes earlier than the start time that was listed on a pamphlet I had picked up and began my search. On the way to this church, among many twists and turns, I saw the church pictured above and thought to myself, “Hmm… if my church doesn’t work out, maybe this could be an option in the future.” Well, that time came sooner than I had anticipated because when I finally found the original church I was searching for, it was not open! I decided to go sit at Starbucks and wait to see if it would open a little closer to the start time listed. 10:25am rolled around and I decide that it was time to go see if the church had opened yet (the start time listed was 10:30am). When I arrived at the original church, it still was not open. Since the place looked abandoned, I decided to try to see if I could find the church I had seen along the way. Unfortunately, I had turned so many times that I could not remember where it was! I had about 15 minutes to look because I had read that this church started at 10:45am. After getting throughly lost, and turning back and forth several times, it appeared in front of me. There should have been rainbows and sunshine over it for how relieved I felt. (Funny side note: someone I met at this new church had seen me that morning walk one way in front of him, and then a minute later walk the other way. It was really funny to hear his perspective on my journey to find his church.) In the end, I was warmly welcomed and included immediately. When I went out afterwards with a group of young people from the church, I made sure to take note of a few land marks so that I could find it the next time I came. (Despite this, my second journey was probably less successful than my first. I got thoroughly lost in the rain for 40 minutes and then turned a random corner and there it was. God kept reminding me that it was Him who showed me the way because I had to get completely lost twice, pray, and then find it hahhahaha.)

Since the discovery of this church, I have had so many opportunities to serve open up to me. Not to mention the incredible people I have had the pleasure to meet! I also have experienced many firsts, such as seeing the Lord’s Prayer, Bulletins, and Hymns in more than one language!

 

 

 

I also got to experience wonderful caroling every week leading up to Christmas! 

 

 

There was a skilled pianist, violinist, guitarist, and even harmonica player there too! 

 

I was kindly invited to attend a chapel service at a nearby college where some of my friends from church do worship. Again I experienced a warm welcome, and ended up singing in the band and reading from scripture on my first day!

This is a picture of the service program… the circled areas are where I joined in:

 

 

My church has become my new home. I’m so glad that I was led there! I remember the first day very clearly. The pastor gave a sermon that I knew was for me. It is a very cool experience knowing that God is with you wherever you go. I did not know that I would hear a sermon in a random church that I would stumble upon by accident in Japan that would change a perspective that I had held on to for years. It was not a coincidence! The rest of the day went even better. I was invited to an English prayer group and I met a lot of young, kind people of all different backgrounds. We ate a wonderful, home-cooked meal at church and then went out to Starbucks together. It has been incredible!

 

The church has provided me lots of opportunities to serve as well! I’ve been able to use my flute and vocals to serve, and soon I will help out with reading the English translation of the sermon on some Sunday mornings. 

 

Here is more of the wonderful people! This was a Christmas luncheon and happy birthday meal!

 

 

The church:

 

 

 

I recently discovered that a friend of a friend that I met at Karaoke (you must go to Japanese karaoke!) is also Christian. She invited me to a youth group party called “One Seed” which was also an incredible experience! I discovered many other great opportunities to serve there too such as attending “street music” in Keigo Park ministry, meeting a Japanese vocal teacher that could show me some repertoire in Japanese (senior thesis???), and exposing me to some Japanese worship music! I’m looking forward to getting more involved! There were many wonderful people there as well who welcomed me and fed me delicious food…

 

 

I can not describe how endlessly grateful I am for these experiences, and most importantly for the incredible people I have had the privilege to meet. I know God has given me people who can care for me while I am away from home. I only hope to be able to give a small portion back throughout my stay! It just gets better and better. More updates about my adventures to come! 

 

Merry Christmas! 

~Morgan

 

PS: The next post will be all about my wonderful Japanese Christmas! It was so unique, and I felt so at home. Thank you for reading!

 

Coffee for Two December 15, 2013

Last week I had a unique experience with a random person at Starbucks that made me laugh for days!

Kris and I were at Starbucks, passing the time while I was waiting for a friend to get out of class to go swimming. We ordered some drinks and snacks, and found a small table next to an older Japanese gentleman. We sat down and proceeded to talk about random things in English for a good twenty minutes. Over time I begin to notice the gentleman next to me starting to squirm as he intently examined an electronic translator. At first, I curiously wondered if he could possibly be listening to our conversation. Kris and I continue talking, and then I notice that the gentleman was actually looking at a sheet of paper with increasing intensity by the minute. Before long, he shyly turned to us and asked if we could help him translate something. He handed us the sheet of paper. It was an article by a friend of his about a colleague that had died. He asked us to help him find the subject and verb of two English sentences in the article. Of course, we gladly obliged, and after re-reading very poorly-written English sentences a few times, we finally determined what we hoped was the subject and the verb (no wonder he couldn’t figure it out!). He thanked us profusely and after chatting a little, went back to his business. At that moment, I decided to pull out all of my one yen coins and count them just for giggles. I had 64…

This seemed to amuse the man. He kept smiling to himself and glancing at our table. Finally, he decided to strike up a conversation again in English. He starts talking about random things like how Japan/Fukuoka is hosting a 30km simulation of the big bang and how it’s on the down-low now because the two men who ended up heading the project don’t get along. The whole time he’s talking we’re both just kind of staring awkwardly and going, “really? Oh. I see. Uh huh…” Eventually he asked us,

“Are you students?”

Kris nods. I say, “Yeah, we go to GenkiJACS right down the road.”

At this the man perks up and suddenly says, “I will buy you coffee!”

Kris and I look at each other and then politely try to refuse his offer with as much gratitude and regret as possible. This doesn’t phase the gentleman. He goes on to say, “Here it is… polite to… accept offer of coffee… if I give it.” He then proceeds to tell us a story about how some meeting in Fukuoka happened and they said that if you meet any international students you must buy them coffee.

…Well we eventually accepted the offer. He asked us what kind we wanted, and to my great pain Kris quickly answered, “anything is good.”

Maybe the man thought we were poor with all of the “pennies” on the table? I wasn’t sure. But there we were with our coffee… the only problem being that we both had just had a full drink, and neither of us actually likes coffee!

Well, I taste mine and quickly realize that I am in a pinch. It is as black as night, I’ve never had it before, and it tastes really bitter. Kris and the man sense my discomfort and both mention that there are milk and sugar by the counter. I jump up and grab the sugar. The man continues to talk to us… and as he’s talking to me I just nod and respond, “uh huh… uh huh,” as I literally drown my coffee in sugar and milk! By the end of that whole, totally embarrassing scene as both Kris and the man laugh at me, this is what our coffee looks like…

Surprisingly, after the sugar it was actually pretty good, and I’ve never felt more awake after half a glass of anything! The man eventually leaves us to our coffee. Both Kris and I have no idea what had just happened. The whole thing was really strange.  I asked some local friends later and they said that they had never heard of such a rule too!

Of course, we could have dumped the coffee out after he left, but Kris felt obligated to finish it. So we did.

So that was our Coffee for Two people who don’t like coffee, forcing it down for a random man who made up a story about how it’s appropriate to accept his offer of coffee based off of a rule that probably doesn’t exist.

The result:

As we were walking back to GenkiJACS, Kris “reassures” me that my attempt at casually pouring loads of sugar into my coffee was completely obvious. We couldn’t stop laughing about it.

Observations: Culture + Peoples December 9, 2013

Wow!

I can not believe it has been a month since I left America and began my adventure to Japan. I am truly sorry for the delay, and I really hope to post more often from now on. Because my class schedule changes every week, my posting day may not be as regular as I initially hoped. However, I think escaping to a coffee shop after school on an early class day will work well. If I am around interesting people, it just does not happen. 😉

My friends liken me to a detective. When something interesting happens, I have a habit of whipping out my little notepad and furiously taking notes on my observations. I have made so many interesting observations over the past month! Some of them are insignificant, admittedly, but it is still fun to notice them! I am having a blast noticing similarities, differences, and surface details of the Japanese culture. Not only am I getting to experience the Japanese culture, but also, because of the unique situation I am in due to my international school, I am picking up neat facts, ideas, and funnies from all over the world! I have created (for fun) an ongoing list of people I’ve met and where they come from. So far, the count is at:

Norway \\\

Mexico\\\

Germany\\\ \\\

Malasia\

Israel\

Sweden\\\\

Canada\

America\\\\

Switzerland\\\\

Slovenia\

Scotland\

Netherlands\\

France\

Australia\\\

Brazil\

Belgium\

Italy\

China\

Korea\

Finland\

These are just countries represented by the people I have met at GenkiJACS (my school-www.genkijacs.com)! Outside of school I have met many people mainly in college groups and church from:

Japan (…around 23)

America \\\ \\\

Indonesia\

China\

Uganda\

St.Vincent (A country in the Caribbean)\

Korea\\

Argentina\

It has been a blast getting to know new people from new places. I have had the incredible opportunity to ask questions about different cultures. It is always so fun to get to know other people’s traditions… I might even take some things back with me! (For example, they have some pretty cool party games in Belgium: bobbing for apples in water… AND flour. Also, there is a funny phrase called “laundry chicken” from Israel describing the state of a chicken when it is boiled, white, wet, and bland.) Other fun things I am hearing are things like: Norwegians can understand people from Sweden, but people from Sweden often can not understand people from Norway. It is a marvel concept for me. In Korea, every man has to serve in the military. One of my friends is taking a break from school (not GenkiJACS) to go. The seasons in Australia are opposite!! (Ok, I heard that one is common knowledge… but I did not know that……) Norway has the most luxurious prisons… rated as 3-4 star hotels I believe. They also have different dialects everywhere. Drive 20 minutes and you hit a new one. Apparently there are even different dialects within a family sometimes!

*disclaimer*

Before I begin telling a little bit about what I’m observing, I would like to remind you that my scope is limited! I currently live in a city called Fukuoka. It is on the southernmost main island of Kyushu, on the north-west shore. Fukuoka has just this year topped the 1.5 million people mark making it the sixth largest city in Japan, and growing. The area in which my school is located is called Tenjin. I. Love. Tenjin. It is lively with a lot of shopping and nice people! Any observations I make here are characteristics of this type of place and may not accurately represent all of Japan! The apartment I live in with my host family, however, is about 50 minutes south of the city by bus. It has a small town feel and I love its peace and people too.

(I took this photo when I visited Fukuoka Tower… it’s a bit gloomy, sorry)

*end disclaimer*

1. Everyone here seems very welcoming.  No matter where I go I am greeted warmly and kindly. At school, the ladies at the front desk were really kind to me when I arrived a little distraught my first day. At the church that I found (more on this later!!), I was blown away by how welcomed I felt. I have never before felt this welcomed in a new church back home. I came in looking a little lost (because I got lost to find it), and people immediately greeted me, smiled warmly, introduced themselves, spoke English, showed me around, and got me settled in the pew. Afterwards, a young group of people invited me to an English prayer support group, lunch, Starbucks, and a few guys even showed me some parts of Fukuoka that I have not seen. It was incredible.
2. Style. People have it. I mentioned this a little before, but I have some more ideas on what is popular. For men and women alike, nearly everyone has some kind of single or double breasted wool coat. Of course, there are fluffy winter jackets too, but not TOO fluffy. I rarely see people in hats. In fact, I put one on once and someone laughed at me! I have a feeling it is taboo. I feel awkward when I wear my hood. Ladies like big bows in their hair. Even through their thirties too. My host mom also wears them. Of course, Kimonos/Yukatas are a pretty common sight. I probably see at least one a day. When it is cold, they have a large piece of fabric that wraps around the whole kimono. I mentioned the thigh-length boots before. Pretty much any boot is good. Almost all of the shoes (if they are not tennis shoes) have a heel. I have not seen many flats. Men have the sharpest shoes I have ever seen. They are really shiny and pointy usually. Or squared off. Even 50 minutes out of the heart of the city people look sharp.
3. The elderly people here are a mixed bunch. I have experienced some very kind elderly people, and I have also experienced the type that feel entitled. Honestly, I have never seen an older person with such speed and strength as at the bus stop. They end up in front of you every time. I met a very kind woman at the bus stop once too. We had a pleasant conversation, although I could barely understand her. Many older people will smile at me. One rung his bike bell really forcefully while I was sitting outside of Starbucks, stared straight at me with a huge grin, glanced ahead to make sure he was not running anyone over, and stared a second time! However, he was a little weird…. A  less ideal experience was when an older man saw that I had gotten in line first, and snuck right past me and took my spot in line. I had to fight being seriously offended. The line was only 2-3 people long… All of that being said, as a whole it seems that these observations are typical of older people anywhere. 😛
4. The rules! There are many rules in Japan. Some of them are more bendable than others. On the bus, you are not supposed to talk on your cell phone, eat, or drink anything. In fact, my morning bus rides are very quiet. However, once in a while you will get people using their cell phones, and I like to see the reactions of the people around me. Truthfully, no one reacts, but it sure does get palpably more awkward. I am often surprised on the night bus too. Sometimes it is super quiet, and sometimes there is a low buzz from people talking everywhere. Also, crossing the street is interesting. You are supposed to always wait for the crosswalk sign. Because I am not intimately acquainted with the laws of Japan, I usually stay on the safe side and do not cross early. But I have also found out when it is ok. (For example, when the street is 8 feet wide and there are absolutely no cars… just jump over.) You may not eat and walk at the same time, but drinks can be ok. However, if you are on a train, do not drink your drink. I have asked several different people of different ages and different backgrounds on the eating and walking thing. Everyone says it is pretty taboo. If you are starving, stop and stand somewhere and take a few bites. In convenience stores, there are sometimes window seats where you can eat your snack.
5. I definitely have gathered that there is a huge concern for being fat. So many different situations and side comments come to mind. No one has ever called me fat, but it’s hard to not get offended when people start hinting at it to other people around me. That is all I will say. 
6. The cross pattern is very popular here, but it is just a trend. I asked around about this one too. The cross pattern is very popular, and some people even wear huge cross necklaces. But most of them are not Christian. However, it was pretty cool when a friend of mine overheard the couple next to us say that they left their bag at church.
7. I have had great opportunities to talk with people who understand both the Japanese and American cultures. It has been an adventure and a journey of self-discovery. One thing I am coming to understand is that I have the ability to set the pace that I want with people. Until recently I have been very confused about when to be casual and when to be formal. The most confusing part of this whole deal is that when you meet a Japanese person, they often try to bridge the gap with you as a foreigner by speaking English, trying to shake your hand, or being more casual. So automatically we start at a different playing field than what I learned in school. I need to be the one to set the standard for myself. I need to make an effort to try to reach them culturally just as much as they are trying to reach me. The greatest example of this that a friend of mine who has lived in Japan for a handful of years told me is that when he speaks English with an elderly lady friend of his from Japan, he is very casual. But, when they switch to Japanese, he would not dream of using casual form. I am learning that English and Japanese do not directly translate in that way, and it is helping me to understand when to use what. That being said, at this point my conclusion is as follows: with your family casual is good. With new acquaintances that are your age or below, be formal at first, and slowly get more casual as you get to now them. However, if they are not Japanese, I have found that it is way less awkward if you get casual quicker. If you are meeting someone older, try to keep it more respectful, even if they get more casual. I have found that even with a lady I know from church who knows both cultures well and would accept short form from me, she seems to really appreciate it when I try to show her respect. I still feel uncomfortable with speaking short form with my teachers too. Many people here do it, but it does not seem right. However, I have been corrected by a teacher before when I used long form… not sure what that was about. Anyways, this has been an important discovery for me. I hope I did not lose you!

I have really enjoyed the majority of the people I have met here. I can not wait to tell you about the new church I have discovered, the awesome food I have eaten, and the fun events I have gotten to take part in! Thank you for reading!

Stay warm,

Morgan

Japan Through My Eyes November 21, 2013

Hello! 

Let’s jump in! *Cannonball*

What has been the biggest surprise to you so far?

Ok, I get asked this question a lot actually. Fukuoka television has asked me (I got interviewed on the street corner one day), my friends have asked me, and I’ve asked me. At first, I had no idea how to answer this question (really, I said “uhhhhh” on television repeatedly due to this fact), and literally everything I have done has been different than the way I did it back home. Everything I have seen so far has been an adjustment for me. However, I believe I have finally come to a conclusion.

The biggest surprise so far has been what I was prepared for the whole time. 

As strange as it may seem, the little things like people speaking Japanese and people encouraging me to take off my shoes before I enter a room have been the most surprising experiences I have had yet. I think it’s because it’s finally a tangible experience to me. I was expecting everyone to speak Japanese, but it wasn’t until I saw a random white guy (no offense intended) in the subway station that it really hit me how different it has been here. The guy smiled really crookedly as if confused at seeing me and then said, “hi,” almost like a question. I said, “h- hi,” back. And at that moment, while I was stunned by familiarity, I realized how different it’s really been. 

There have been other small examples of this too. Such as when one of my teachers literally backed up with a nervous laugh when a friend of mine said she had gym shoes in her bag. I thought to myself, they really are serious about cleanliness when it comes to shoes. I was expecting to have to remove my shoes in Japan, but I was still shocked when I saw people live it out. (Side note: We remove our shoes at my house in America too… but the motive to do so seems different here.) Thoughts?

I wish I had some extravagant answer for you. Obviously there are many new things all around me that I could talk about. But as far as the biggest surprise goes, it has definitely not been little things like the vending machines on every corner, the driving on the opposite side of the road (however much getting used to that took), or the incomprehensible amount of bikes. It has been the obvious things: Language, customs, copious amounts of anime, and people’s disposition. A quick explanation of that last one: I knew ahead of time that Japanese people are very respectful, like their distance, and guard themselves. However, when I experienced the pervading and overwhelming compliance of this attitude, I was shocked when things like a genuine, open smile came my way. Just today I made full eye contact with a younger woman on a bus across the street from mine. She nodded, held eye contact, and smiled. We shared a moment, and my heart smiled too because I realized I had been yearning for that. (I am NOT saying Japanese people are cold. That would be a terrible generalization. But I have definitely been experiencing the estranged feeling I was told I would get when the vast majority of people try to respect your privacy by avoiding your gaze.)

Is there anything that you expected to be different but has actually turned out to be similar?

Yes. For some reason, I had this really old fashioned picture of what home life would be like in Japan. In my mind I saw people in kimonos shuffling around in house slippers serving hot tea with the paper doors open to the zen gardens outside. I was really shocked to find out how modern the homes actually were. My host brother and sister (ages 4 and 6 in order) play the wii every day. The toilet seat is heated, with a whole bunch of fancy buttons that I’m too chicken to push. I’ve had tea once out of a metal tea pot from the stove, and the “mansion” I’m in (just like an apartment but with more than two floors)  is super fancy with dark wood doors and silver handles. However, there are aspects of the ancient culture with a modern twist that are really fascinating too. My family has a table called a “kotatsu” which is synonymous with “glorious”. Ok, that was a joke, but seriously this table rocks. It is a low table that you have to kneel or criss-cross your legs at (old style), but it has a built in heater underneath with a layer of blanket (in between the hard surfaces) that hangs over your lap (modern twist). If you eat at that table, you are sure to fall asleep from the sheer comfiness and warmth (I fell asleep this cold morning when I was half under the table). There is one set of traditional paper doors in the room where the original tatami beds are. And, much to my surprise, there is a door that is the same modern, dark wood but that slides like an old style door. (The first day I didn’t even see it and took a shower with it open… oops. Thankfully there is another set of doors between the bathroom and the family… and a translucent glass door.)

Lastly, it’s been surprising to adjust to how informal people are when they are at home. My host family (and this differs from every family) started speaking short form to me right away. I was awkwardly using long form (more formal) for a week or so because that’s what I thought was appropriate. But after a few funny looks and corrections, I’ve learned to tone it down a bit. It’s such a stark contrast from what I experience outside of the home that it still confuses me a bit. Today I kept leaving out the sentence final “desu” to an older lady I met at the bus stop! I kept adding it on as an afterthought, and I was shocked at how pleased she seemed to have been with our conversation when she smiled and waved at me from her bus. I thought I had been pretty rude. I know every host family situation is different, and this isn’t a complete picture of the way Japanese people live, but my experience has been much different than I expected it to be and I want to share it. Even so, it’s been wonderful!

Is there anything you expected to be similar, but actually turned out to be different?

Hmm… to be honest, not really. I pretty much expected everything to be completely different. I didn’t know what to expect!

What are some of the most interesting or strange things you have come across so far?

• Oddly colored cheeses. It’s all lighter colored than back at home. Even the cheddar.
• Traditional Japanese toilets. It’s like a urinal, but on the ground.
• If you buy food at the convenience store, the cashiers often put a little towelette in your grocery bag. So handy. They also offer to heat up your food for you right there at the register. 
• Speaking of convenient stores, many shopping places have a little shelf where you can set your purse so that you can more easily access your money. I. Love. It.
• Green tea flavored Pocky. It tasted interesting. Not good or bad. (Pocky is a packet of bread-like sticks that are covered in usually chocolate, strawberry, or in this case green-tea chocolate. I’ve even seen cookies and cream, and some kind of orange flavor now.)
• My host family brought me to an arcade once. My little brother and little sister collect these playing cards, and I thought that they were just regular playing cards. Little did I know that at the arcade you can play on these machines that make your cards come to life. My host sister’s cards are all clothes and accessories, and when she scans them, they appear on the character she is playing in the game. I thought that was the coolest thing ever, and I honestly wanted to play too!
• Saibashi. They are chopsticks that are extra long and used for cooking! 
• A $40 pair of converse shoes…. for babies. That’s right. It was a whole 12cm long. What maybe was even more surprising was that my host mom said before we walked into the store that it was a place for cheap shoes! Most children’s pairs were $30 a pair.
• The whole coffee “jelly” phenomenon. I got a frappuccino drink once that said it had coffee “jelly” in it. This turned out to be literally chunks of tasteless jello in your drink… I couldn’t finish it. 
• The many different ways to recycle and throw trash away here. I learned 5 or more different types of trash. However, thankfully in most fast food places it’s narrowed down to “burnable trash” and “not burnable trash.” Until you get to Starbucks. I stood at the trash place for a minute trying to figure out where everything went. Visualize me standing there disassembling my cup and separating the parts into their respective places…
• The crosswalk song. Everyone knows the crosswalk song… One time, I heard the song and it was really close to another crosswalk with the same song… but it seemed like it was a tritone off. (Meaning the songs were clashing in a very scary way).
• Melon bread. It’s really yummy. 
• Ice cubes in Orange Juice. It’s a thing here. 
• Cars here are kind of ugly to me. They are like boxes on wheels. Occasionally I’ll see a full-sized, really fancy car and it makes my day. I think, that’s what I’m talking about! But I do like all of the mopeds and motorcycles. And the bicyclists here are very skilled. You think you’re going to get run over, but then they miss you. They have eyes like hawks. It’s a survival thing.
• Money trays. Apparently people don’t like making contact with each other (this is only a surface-level guess) because there is always a tray for you to place your money where the cashier will pick it up. Although, it is nice because the cashier gives you time to get your money out while they bag up your stuff. Still curious though.
• For being such a cleanly place, it was a little surprising to see the lack of soap in bathrooms all over. Also, there are rarely paper towels, so I saw women pulling towels out of their purses for a week before I finally got one from the 100yen shop.
• The strangest rule I’ve come across is not being able to use soap or shampoo in the community pool showers. This one is completely beyond me. 
• There is a bright yellow, grated strip of metal down the center of every sidewalk in downtown Tenjin. For a week I thought to myself, I’m trying to walk here… what is up with the metal thing? Then my friend let me know that it is for the blind people. So are the crosswalk songs.
• Rice fields (or something like that) in the middle of the city! On my bus ride to downtown I see farming land in between buildings and apartment complexes! They aren’t too big, maybe the size of a decent backyard. But I was stunned!
• Billboards near the highway that play videos. Who’s idea was that??
• A plane with hello kitty on it. A commercial plane.
• The astonishing amount of knee-high and thigh-high boots. People here are SO stylish (now, we are in a major city, so I’m sure that plays a huge part in it). It’s all about showing the legs. Mini skirts and the highest boots possible. For the more classy type, nylons are very popular. I’m glad I brought some! I haven’t payed too much attention to the men’s fashion, but today I saw a man in a knee-length black coat made out of velvet. That seems to be an exception even here though. It was definitely a first, and I’m pretty sure I stared at the shiny until I had to look where I was going so that I didn’t get ran over by a bicycle. 
• Today I experience the most crowded bus ride of my life. The thought “sardines” crossed my mind, and I was practically sitting on the lady to my right while I was providing the main support for the lady on my left that wasn’t holding on to anything. She was suspended in mid-bus by a mass of people. 
• People wearing cross-patterned clothing and accessories. I often wonder if it’s because they are really Christian, or if it’s just a fad. I’ll have to ask someone when I find another person.
• A Shirley Temple (a non-alcoholic drink made of sprite and cherry grenadine) made with ginger ale, cherry grenadine, and orange. That was definitely a first. 
• A Japanese person with a lisp. I guess that can happen, but I was still surprised for a second. I’ve never experienced a lisp in another language… I guess I could have been anywhere. 
• A old woman carrying a dog in the basket on her bike. It was adorable.

Funny language moments?

I had a “reading saves lives” moment the other day with a friend of mine. We went to a pool to exercise and we couldn’t figure out which door to enter into because there were two. Right before we entered the men’s I cried out, “Wait! That has the kanji for men! This has the kanji for Women!” Minutes later we are getting into the pool and I start swimming laps in the water aerobics lane. I looked up to see the lifeguard pointing to the middle lanes and old men and women staring me down in disapproval. I started laughing when I saw the HUGE sign with the instructions for the lanes right near where we entered. 

I bought a 3 month bus pass (on purpose) and then found out that I would only be staying at my current residence for 10 weeks. It was easy enough the first time to just hand over the form and say, “I want this,” but the second time I had to fix the issue. That took a lot more talking and a lot longer sentences. Frequently I remember saying things like, “yeah… do that,” because I had only a vague inkling of what she was trying to communicate with me. I gave her my money and prayed that everything I needed had been taken care of! (It’s been great, no worries!)

I remember saying the wrong greetings and goodbyes at home a few times. They would say “ittekimasu!” (I’ll go and come back, or goodbye) and I said, “okaerinasai!” (welcome home) a few times. My 6 year old host sister would laugh and laugh about it too. It’s so simple, but I’ve never really needed to use it. 

Honestly, I haven’t said anything really silly yet because I haven’t been speaking outside of school and home too much. But when I’m out and about, the reality of what little I know right now sure does hit me! I’m glad I have friends that have been here a little longer and can translate for me afterwards. They’ll catch me after I talk to someone and say, “you didn’t understand a word of that did you?” At which I would answer, “nope.” This is after I attempted to lead the group in a Ramen shop to a destination I didn’t understand. We eventually found out we were supposed to go upstairs.

Final last words?

I’ve been adjusting well. However, reading back through my journal I realized that by the end of the first week, I felt I was getting things very quickly. By the end of the second week, it started getting harder. And now, I realize that I’m learning so much, but there is so much yet to learn! However, it’s amazing how useful it has been to be surrounded by the language! I learn something in class (at GenkiJACS!)and then that day I see it on a building, hear it in a conversation, or use it in real life. I am going to start studying new words by using them in sentences that I think will be useful in my everyday life. It’s so much cooler when you can study it and then apply it! Every day is an adventure, and I get to choose how quickly I move forward. This place is amazing! 

First Experiences- Japan November 8, 2013

Konnichiwa!

Good afternoon!

These first couple of days in Japan have been an absolute adventure! It’s been one of firsts, fumbles, friends, mistakes, discovery, exploration, and adjusting. I’ve been in Japan for only about 5 days now. I hope to take you through some of my adventures, and try to be as concise as possible… although no promises! Since everything is so new, this post will probably contain a smattering of all different kinds of things. As I progress, posts will probably become more specific, but for now, bring on the buffet style. 

My first sunrise in Japan through a screen (sorry about that, lol):

First sunrise.

I took these today. This is the view from my fourth floor apartment with my host family:

If you look carefully at the last picture almost all the way to the mountain line but still in the city, you can see the Shinkansen bullet train passing by. I squealed like a little girl when I first saw it, much to my host mother’s amusement. (It looks like a solid white line. There’s a train there, trust me!)

Apparently every morning Ojiisan and Obaasan (grandpa’s and grandma’s… or older people) play something called “Gate Ball” in the park outside of our apartment. It reminds me of croquet:

Gate Ball

Traveling to Japan went pretty smoothly. However, towards the end I did get pulled aside into a room that reminded me of a detention room at Narita airport in Tokyo. I claimed that I wanted to stay in the country for 8.5 months but I hadn’t gotten my visa yet. I don’t suggest doing that!! I think I got lucky because they let me through within minutes. Thankfully so, because I got to the plane within minutes of take-off. I also met a few new friends in the airport. My favorite part of this whole journey so far has been the wonderful people I’ve met!

I began noticing the differences as soon as I got to Tokyo airport (Narita). For example, the flight attendants bowed several times throughout their announcements. Also, when I looked out the window as the plane was moving out, the men on the deck were bowing to the plane and then waving! I waved back. 😛 English immediately became labored when I entered Tokyo too. I remember freaking out when the attendant said that we would be arriving at “eight past ten (10:08)” and what she meant to say was “ten past eight (8:10).” I was already going to be late getting to my homestay (I told them I would arrive at 7:30pm), so that startled me for a second! But it ended well. I also noticed the beautiful bamboo and foliage display in a hallway as you enter Tokyo airport. It said something like “Japanese elegance” and I appreciated the sight! When I got to Fukuoka airport and left the baggage check area, there were crowds of people waiting for their loved ones to come out. When they were finally reunited, the crowed clapped and cheered loudly at their return. It was a fascinating, beautiful sight. Finally, when I went outside there were curious stalls in the middle of the sidewalk that were designated smoking areas. Although, it wasn’t an “area” but an actual box almost like a telephone booth but with translucent windows. You could see the smoke coming out of the top. It was really fascinating. 

My favorite part of the trip before I got to my homestay was the taxi ride. I did pretty well pointing to my address and speaking decent Japanese, but after that I was silent for about 15-20 minutes. It was becoming palpably awkward so I decided to say something. I said “Fukuoka is beautiful isn’t it?” in Japanese. He agreed heartily, and then proceeded to ask me questions in Japanese. He knew little English, and at this point I was very uncomfortable with my Japanese, but he was kind enough to repeat things two or three times for me. At times we both had to just admit that we didn’t understand the question and then move on to the next. It was so satisfying being able to communicate with someone in another language. Even if I didn’t understand everything, making the effort was so worth it. 

I arrived very late to my homestay, but the family didn’t seem to mind much. Everyone was awake and waiting for me. The kids are ADORABLE, the Mom is super helpful and forgiving of my lack of language skills, and the Dad is somewhat reserved, but very kind. Within my first few days, they’ve helped me get to a bank, figure out a bus schedule, and learn how to use many household things.

I distinctly remember my first major language faux paux. I used the wrong counter. In the japanese language, there are many different counters for different objects. Saying you have two notebooks is different than saying you have two fish or two brothers. Well, I basically said I had “sanbiki otouto” meaning three brother things… instead of three brother “people”. Everyone laughed SO hard and the littlest one kept saying, “sanBIKI sanBIKI!” The saddest thing about this whole ordeal is that I actually KNEW the right counter. Most of the mistakes I make I don’t even realize I made until hours later when I thought about what I said. Anyways,

One of the first Japanese foods I ate was this little treasure:

It was a gift from my host mom. 😀 …and it was delicious.

When I finally found GenkiJACS (my school- www.genkijacs.com), and I settled down from being lost in a major city for an hour in another language, things started to look up. The first night was pretty smooth, but it seemed like everything went wrong after that until I got to the school. At one point, I remember thinking to myself, “Does the sun rise in the East here too?” I heard many students say that the first few days are the hardest. Since then, I’ve been smiling a lot. It has been so fun.

The sign outside of my school:

A comforting sight that first day:

School is an absolute blast. The teachers are amazing. The schedule is very unique. The teachers rotate so that you have the opportunity to hear many different speaking styles. The school is one of the very best language schools, and it focuses heavily on speaking. Students at this school come from all over. In my class alone I have 3 friends from Mexico, 1 friend from Norway, 1 friend from Germany, and me from America. I’ve met people from Malaysia, Switzerland, Sweden, Korea, Australia, America (New York City and California), and Scotland as well. One of the most fun experiences I’ve had at school so far is talking with all of my classmates about food from different countries. It’s been so incredible getting to hear about so many different backgrounds. I commented to another student how I love all of the accents (because the common languages are English and Japanese here), and she said that she didn’t really notice them but she doesn’t come from an English-speaking country. That was fascinating to me! The accents were so pronounced to me!

Kris (classmate from Norway) brought in chocolate from Norway! It was delicious!

Yummy discoveries: 

The first picture above is an onigiri with some meat that I couldn’t identify in it. It was very yummy. Also, apparently Meiji chocolate is pretty good here. In addition, with one of my snacks the cash register person put a nice little surprise in my bag. It’s the little things in life:

Yesterday I took the subway for the first time and Kris (classmate from Norway) and Derek (student from New York City) took me to the Pokemon shop in Hakata station. It was a blast. Many shenanigans. 

This is my first subway ride documented! We all laughed for a good five minutes at how creepy Derek appears in this photo. It was totally by accident.

And here is our destination:

We also went to a book store where I bought a Bible in Japanese (Psalms and New Testament only). We also found other treasures:

Later when I was showing my host mom the pictures, I found out that the Very Hungry Caterpillar is not only very popular in the US, but also in Japan! My host family owns it!

Another fun trip I took was right next door to the school! Jon (friend from Carthage!) showed me this store… and I geeked out a bit:

THAT, my friends, is a $32 Playstation 1. Life made. Also:

THAT was also cause for major geeking out. You are looking at the full disc set of the Eskaflowne series that I’ve had my eye out for YEARS to find. And now it lives next door to me for the next 5 months. ❤

Lastly:

 

If you appreciate card games from the 90’s and Miyazaki films (Princess Mononoke) then you’ll appreciate those last two photos. 

Well, it’s hard to try to convey everything that’s been happening lately. I hope this gives you a little taste of what I’ve been experiencing. There have been many more firsts in addition to the ones above. Like turning a Japanese penny into an oval pokemon-stamped copper coin (like in the US!), or meeting new friends young and old (mostly old, lol) at the bus stops, watching a Honda commercial in Japanese with a bamboo forest backdrop, learning how to use Japanese currency, communicating with a bus station attendant without even saying a word (he found me in the crowd and pointed to the oncoming bus to help me get on the right one), eating green soba noodles (my host mother’s cooking is out of this world), and hearing the words “you may not use English” in Japanese from my host sister. 

Or one of my favorite firsts so far… I’ve been riding the bus to and from school for a week now, and JUST TODAY I was the first to push the button that signals the bus driver to stop at the next stop. Usually, there are many people stopping at my stop and they beat me to it. Or they understand faster than I do which stop is next. But today, I pushed it before anyone else… TWICE. The first two pictures are some of the landscape I get to see every day. The third is the button. WOOT, documented:

Sorry for the sporadic post! On a final note, I think I’m adjusting well. I am recognizing certain things that I’m thinking as being part of the culture shock process. I think I’m progressing smoothly. Thoughts like “does the sun rise in the east here too” and “these people are more westernized than I originally thought” can be indicators. The second especially. Everything looks the same for a while, until it all starts looking very different. Despite this, I think I’m doing well and am prepared for whatever comes next week. For now, happy Friday! Tomorrow I go to the beach and maybe Fukuoka tower! 

Thank you for getting this far! 

Talk with you soon.

Blessings,

~Morgan

Departure for a Grand Adventure November 5, 2013

Well, I guess I’m a couple days late. Last Saturday, we sent our Morgy off to Japan!! We helped her get her luggage checked in, and then we said goodbye, and she was off!!

Details! October 31, 2013

Here’s to last-minute details!

Late-night shopping trip for: Space savers, adaptor, 2 pair slippers (one for house, one for bathroom), and Ibuprofen. Now I can finish packing!

Today I also confirmed both of my flights, and got some really good tips for smooth flying from some friends. Now that I think about it… I actually forgot to buy the earplugs tonight. I’ll have to get some tomorrow! I also got all of my documents printed out and put into a 3 ring binder:

 

The binder needs some color I think… also notice that I thought of taking this picture as I was writing this post… ergo the post in the background. It’s post-ception. Yep, that’s how I roll.

 

On a final note, today I had the incredible opportunity to have a free Japanese lesson before I attend the Japanese school. It was very interesting, and entertaining. Let’s just say it ended with my teacher telling me to “say hi to Gabriel-kun” (my brother) because he had been previously chasing me through the house saying “konnichiwa” to the teacher during my lesson… We laughed a lot. In the end I made it through, and although we both aren’t sure what level I should start at in class because I’ve forgotten so much grammar, I know that it will be a fun year. I think I’ll make it through just fine. 😀

 

 

Until next time!

~Morgan

Ready or Not!! October 30, 2013

With only 3 days until Morgan takes off for Japan, this is starting to get real for me. I’ve been preparing myself for this, too, and I thought I’d share part of my journey with you.

For a while, I wasn’t sure how I felt about all of this. I mean, having my bestie off in another country halfway around the world is kind of a big deal. For a long time, I didn’t think I was ready for this. I’ve had some fears of my own. I was afraid of being Morgan-deprived. (Yes, there is such a thing.) I was afraid of being lonely. I was afraid that she is going to grow and learn so much while she’s there, and that we would grow apart as a result. I was afraid I might make her homesick. Maybe I was even a little bit jealous that she is able to take this trip right now. But I’m also excited. I’m excited to see how Morgan grows while she’s there. I’m excited to hear about what she learns. I’m excited for the chance to grow myself in a new way while she’s not here. I’m excited to grow my relationships with other people during this time.

I don’t know if I would ever be ready to give up my Morgan for so long. And really, this isn’t about me. I don’t want to make it about me. This is about Morgan learning and growing. It’s about Morgan achieving her dreams and goals. It doesn’t matter if I’m ready or not. I’ll be here to support her, no matter what.

So, ready or not, we’re going to the airport in just a few short days to drop off my Morgy in God’s capable hands, where, of course, she has been all along.

Packing, Packing, Packing

 

 

I have most of my paperwork in one place. I just need to print a lot of it. I also have textbooks, journals, and gifts ready to go (Mom and I wrapped them yesterday!). I need to pick out my clothes now (the ones you see are just ones that I’ve unpacked so  far). It’s slowly but surely happening.

Here are the gifts:

 

 

Time for a little break! My family will be attending a “Karate in your Costume” halloween party. It’ll be fun!

 

Blessings,

Morgan