Cooling down and Settling In

We have returned from なつやすみ (natsuyasumi, summer break) and are back into our routine. The girls have started their second trimester of school. I am back to my Japanese lessons, my mom group at Yochien and my bible study. The air is cooler and fall has begun. Japan has fours seasons, the same as Michigan, and it is exciting to experience our second season here. One of the things I love about Japan is the seasonality of it, if that is a word. Fall has brought new weather, foods, festivals and activities. Mostly, the food stands out as special. Food at the store and at restaurants is very seasonal here in Japan. I could plan on eating the same things in America year round, because we import so much and alot of the same produce is available anytime you want it. But I do not meal plan here in Japan, I just walk to the grocery store and see what’s there…then the next time I go those items may not be there anymore. I have really learned to appreciate what is given to me day by day, simply in the way I feed my family here. Also, when you eat and enjoy something for such a short time it becomes special and you appreciate it more. We have enjoyed tasting all the new fruits and vegetables and already miss the summer fruits that have passed. The cooler weather has also brought us back outdoors. Loren and I are training for an upcoming quarter and half marathon and we can now run outside without suffering heat stroke. The girls are learning more and more Japanese and they seem to be making more friends and good memories at school. The past month we have been grape picking, potato digging and have observed the rice harvest. We have also experienced typhoons and finally made a trip to Costco and thoroughly enjoyed eating our weight in pizza and American hot dogs.

We have also been feeling so thankful for the friends we have met here. They bring us to parks, take us to dinners on trains, invite us to festivals and are constantly helping us out and answering our questions. We want to experience as much as we can of Japan life, but with the language difference sometimes it is difficult to learn. We see food at the store or commercials on television, and we scratch our heads and try to imagine what it might be or mean. Or we see something we want to do or try, but cannot figure out the details because we cannot read Japanese and Google translate is not going to cut it. The culture is so different that sometimes my interpretation of something (such as a school lunch or function) is way off. I laugh with my Japanese teacher as we share stories about our cultures, learning we have so much in common but are so different at the same time. But I think we are getting used to being different…being the ones who have no clue what is going on or how to do something simple like buy a ticket to a ferris wheel ride or order a coffee. The kids have accepted the fact that I am not Japanese and that their lunch will look different than everyone else’s. Avalyn is coming to grips with the fact that sometimes I have no idea what I am doing, and accepts that we may do her school homework wrong or forget her gym clothes. Without our friends, living in Japan would be even more mysterious and with them it is a lot more fun.

So I had to find out what Oshiruko was. Often, when we get invited somewhere we just go and have no idea what will happen or what to expect. So we were served bowls of Oshiruko and I had no idea what it was, but you can read about it here. It was served alongside pickles and umeboshi. Very traditional and everyone had a taste, but Loren and I ended up eating everyone’s servings…all but London’s. We didn’t have a chance to finish it before she dropped a large rock onto her bowl and shot bean soup all over the man sitting next to us.

We have a few exciting things coming up, a trip to Okinawa and cooking Thanksgiving dinner at church. Prayers welcomed anytime for our family, particularly for us all to get along and find rest on our vacation and that we can be organized enough to pull off a successful Thanksgiving dinner. Thanks for reading!