Festival Season

Hey everyone... sorry it has been so long since we last blogged. We have been so busy with festivals and new friends that we haven't found much time to blog. So I will give you a rundown of what has been going on over here since our last update. Work for Audrey and I has been going very well lately. We feel like we are finally getting in the groove of things and our students are starting to warm up to us even. Audrey and I both enjoy taking our lunches down to the cafeteria and eating with the kids. I just love how their faces light up when I walk in. I'm not sure if its excitement that I am there or just that they are stunned to see a teacher in the cafeteria... much less an American teacher. It is also a less intimidating environment for them to speak which allows them to relax a little and not worry about making mistakes. I have also enjoyed the opportunity to think outside the box and try to be creative with many of my lessons. Audrey is less fortunate at her school as much of her curriculum is mapped out for her. We are both building great relationships with the other English teachers which makes a more enjoyable work environment. Next week we are teaching a lesson on Halloween and its origins as well as introducing many of our Halloween traditions in the U.S. We will probably wrap up the lesson by playing Halloween Bingo which I am sure they will love.

On the 12th we had a matsuri festival for our community. We live in the Shinzaike area of Himeji so we dressed in our towns "Happy Coats" and marched around the neighborhood pulling a portable shrine on wheels. When we saw our town shrine for the first time we were awestruck. It is so ornate and beautiful. Someone told us that these shrines cost upwards of $250,000. It was huge... easily big enough for two 10 year old boys to sit inside with a drum that that they kept a beat on through out the day. As we marched through the streets we all shouted "yo yasah" "yo yasah" which apparently means nothing... I guess it just sounds good? We started at 8:00 a.m. and stopped marching around 12:00. We would take occasional breaks and the men in the town... including me... would say some chant and lift the shrine up off the wheels. Then we would chant some more and lift it over our heads. Only to chant some more and begin shaking it... over our heads. Then we would lower it onto our shoulders and walk in circles and then shake it some more. I never could figure out when to lift or when to drop it etc. but I just followed what everyone else was doing. This shrine had to weigh a couple thousand pounds and it seemed to get heavier and heavier as the day went on. At noon we stopped at a park near our apartment where we parked the shrine and had lunch. There were lion dancers that did some awesome dances for entertainment. Just as we were starting to relax three other towns showed up with their shrines... so we had to battle. This entails lining the shrines up side by side and everyone screaming at the top of their lungs as we tried to jostle each other for position and push each other.... without dropping or breaking the shrines of course. Then we would have to show off and lift it over our heads and shake it and yell some more. This lasted for about 30 minutes and drained every ounce of energy in my body. By this time it was already 3:00 so Audrey and I went home to shower and get ready for the dinner party they were having for us at 4:00 that evening. After a cold shower and some relaxing we headed to dinner. They had quite a spread for us but unfortunately we had to eat at the low tables where you sit on the ground. This would all be well and good except for the fact that I am not capable of sitting on the ground that way. For some reason when God made me he gave me giant thighs that are not really meant to be curled up. Needless to say sitting "Indian style" or as Audrey calls it "criss cross apple sauce" just doesn't work for me. None the less we had a wonder day and dinner with the people from our community and look forward to many more time like these.

Thank goodness the 13th was a holiday so we had no school. We were absolutely beat from our exciting day on Sunday but were looking forward to our plans to go into the mountains with Mr. Ayukawa for a little Onsen action and shopping at a farmers market. The weather was beautiful and it was a perfect day for a drive. Once we got there we shopped for some fresh produce. Then we got some lunch and headed for the Onsen. Oh man was that just what the doctor ordered. Once again I was the last one out... but I didn't care because I could not bring myself to get out. The open air bath was easily the best one that we have been to so far and the view was amazing as the leaves are changing colors and there was a little stream running next to the bath. I was even more excited because no one was giving me a hard time for my tattoo so I could keep my towel in the proper spot as I walked from bath to bath! After bathing we headed home and got ready for the week rest of our week which ended up being pretty uneventful.

On Saturday we were invited to lunch at the home of one of Audrey's co-workers. She lives pretty far from our Apartment so she was kind enough to pick us up. She had a beautiful family that we really enjoyed spending time with. Her daughter spoke perfect English as they are only 3 years removed from living in Australia. Her husband barbecued shrimp and chicken kabobs and steak. It was so delicious! We also had fish, salad and grapes that were the size of golf balls. After lunch and chatting we went inside and had tea and chatted some more. After 6 hours at her home she decided that she would take us home leaving us feeling very blessed to have been able to spend so much time with our new friends.

Sunday we went to church! I had begged Mr. Ayukawa to ask around and find us a church in our area, which he graciously did for us. The previous Friday he announced that he had found one and that he would take me during our lunch break so I could check it out. When we got their we rang the bell on the front door and the pastor greeted us and invited us up for coffee. We met his wife and the youth evangelist who speaks impeccable English which was quite a blessing. The pastor speaks good conversational English but has a hard time getting too in depth in our conversations but Masako was always able to bridge that gap. As we were chatting they were asking all kinds of questions about Audrey and I and then they asked if we were going home for Christmas. I told him that we were not and he promptly replied " well then you will spend Christmas with my family." I was absolutely blown away by his kindness... I mean I am just some Joe Shmoe off the street and he was all ready to have us come to his home for Christmas. So on Sunday Audrey and I went to the morning service and had an amazing time! We met a couple more people who spoke English.  One of the young men is actually an English teacher at a nearby Jr. High School and he translated the message flawlessly for Audrey and I. The pastors words really spoke to our hearts and we were almost moved to tears as we listened to this group of believers sing praise songs. It kinda opens your eyes to how BIG God really is when you see other people around the world worshiping him in a totally different language.  In true Japanese style we had tea after the service and then Audrey and I had to rush out of there because we had another engagement across town that one of my University students had invited us to.  She is a piano teacher and her students were playing at a community event and she wanted us to come watch.  We are so glad that we went because we got much more than we bargained for.  They had a kimono fashion show, they played beautiful Japanese instruments and sang traditional Japanese songs.  By the time we were done there it was almost 5:00 and we were starving because we hadn't had dinner yet.  Thankfully our favorite Japanese restaurant was on our way home so we stopped in for some yakisoba (my favorite) and okonomiyaki (Audrey's favorite).  It was delicious as usual and we definitely went home happy... and a little heavier for sure.  This week the students at Himeji high school and Kotogaoka are taking their midterms so Audrey and I have had a smaller work load.  I had to write the exam for my students and then grade them when they finished.  It took me pretty much all day but I graded all 280 so now I just have to input all of the grades.  Audrey got lucky and somehow has other teachers that are grading the test for her... needless to say I am pretty jealous.  Once again we have exciting plans for these next couple weekends but you will have to check back with us soon as we will do our best to keep you posted.  We hope all is going well for everyone back home.  We love you and miss you!!

Andre and I getting ready to lift the shrine over our heads as we jostle with a neighboring shrine

Audrey and I in front of the shrine while it was parked for one of our breaks

Me with the lion dancers... I had to give the lion noogie!

Thats me with the lion head on... I know some of you are thinking that it is a little easier on the eyes than my normal head:)

A picture from up in the mountains when we went to the onsen... the scenery around her is just beautiful

Lunch at Kondo sensei's house

Kimono fashion show

Traditional Japanese music

Our favorite chef and my yakisoba... she makes it right there on the hot tops in front of us!!!