A Day with Natsuho

Last Saturday was a holiday in Japan called Culture Day.  So, Aaron had the day off.  None of my students were able to make it to class that day.  A few had other plans, one had to study for some tests, and another was sick.  So I got the day off as well, and we took advantage of it. 

We met up with our friend, Natsuho.  It'd been a long time since we'd seen him, so it was a meeting overdue.  Natsuho showed us this cool curry place in downtown Sendai.  It had some interesting dishes that were a little different from the typical Japanese curry place.  Aaron and I both got the tandoori chicken.  The curry was excellent, but the coolest thing was seeing little people hanging around all over the place.  Literally.  They were so cute.  Hanging on the cash register, potted plants, napkin dispensers, and so on.  We ate and chatted about random things and just caught up.  

After curry, we decided to check out the arcades.  We actually tried out two.  Both were called Taito Station.  The first one was pretty small, but the second was much bigger.  First we hit the 5th floor.  Yes, the arcade had 5 floors!  The top floor was the Dart Floor.  Normally I associate darts with bars and billiards, but I guess in Japan they're considered an arcade game.  Aaron and Natsuho duked it out while I just took pictures of the arcade.  I was happy to sit on the soft pleather couch.

 

After playing several rounds of darts, we headed back to the first floor, which was the crane game section.  There were so many crane games with every type of prize you could think of.  Very type of plush toy, t-shirts, collector figurines... the most disturbing was the slutty school girl statues.  In front of the arcade was a taiko drum game.  Aaron and Natsuho duked it out again.  Natsuho was very good.  I think Aaron didn't quite understand all the rules of the game, and neither did I!  But I think they enjoyed it.

There was also an air hockey game on acid located on the first floor.  It's like your normal air hockey game, except that it shoots a hundred pucks at you at the same time and you have to get them all in the opponents goal.  It looked really fun.  

While they played their air hockey match, I was capturing all the craziness of the arcade.

THE CLAWs look like alien robots!

And I found this lost Rilakkuma wandering the place.

Aaron about to take his first shot.

After the arcade, we walked to a bowling alley that was not too far away.  It was located on the 5th floor of a building in downtown Sendai.  I was so surprised that anyone would put a bowling alley on the top floor of a building.  I wondered how people on the 4th floor, or the entire building for that matter, managed with all the noise from above.  I was also surprised by how nice and clean and modern it looked.  Usually every bowling alley I've seen in America is old, dirty, and dingy.  But this one looked really updated.  Unfortunately, the smell of smoke was still there, like every other bowling alley, or public place in Japan for that matter.  But it was much more bearable since there weren't too many people there.

The first game we bowled was horrible.  Aaron and I both scored under 100.  It was honestly the worst game I've bowled since I was about 10.  I think I got a 62 or something really embarrassing like that.  The second game was much better and I got a 123 and I actually managed to get some strikes and spares.  The third game I think I got a 119.  My legs and hand were already tired by the time we reached our third game.  I think I got like 5 splits in that game!  It was pretty terrible, but it beats a 62.  Natsuho was very good.  He consistently got strikes and spares.  He definitely killed us.  But it was a lot of fun.  In the end, the bowling alley printed out our scores.  They recorded what we got in each frame and all the exact pins we knocked down.  It was pretty cool.

What the monitor looks like in Japanese.  I'm in the middle.

While walking outside we also saw a funny dressed man.  When we looked at him, we noticed he was holding up a sign advertising his ramen shop.  It was Tenkaippin!  Our friend, Dave, works at Tenkaippin in Hawaii and it was a place we would visit after going to the beach in the summer.  I had to get a picture with him.  After bowling, Aaron was really curious about it, so we checked it out.  I was still full from the curry, so I just sat while he ate his miso ramen.  Unfortunately, I'd say that Hawaii's Tenkaippin is much better.  Aaron regretted it later.  Even so, the whole day was a lot of fun.

Aaron enjoyed bowling so much, he wants to do it again as soon as possible.  Natsuho is a fun guy to go bowling with.  While we were bowling, he mentioned he had a girlfriend.  It'd be great if we could arrange a double date.  As for me, I really like bowling and I was pretty disgusted at myself for getting such a terrible score the first time around.  I also had much less control over the ball then I used to.  Getting some practice would be a good idea.  But I'm also significantly older than I used to be.  At least that's what my body's telling me.  I was sore for the next two days from bowling.  From bowling!  Now that's a little sad.  That means I need to start exercising more.  Natsuho also mentioned his girlfriend works at a gyutan (cow tongue -- Sendai's specialty) restaurant.  I don't really like gyutan, but I suggested we all check it out together one night.  I don't know when we'll next get to see him, but hopefully, it'll be soon.  It was nice to get a full day off and spend time with a Japanese friend.

Aaron, me, and Natsuho.

The Sunde's Come to Town

A few weekends back, Carol Sunde and her husband Brad came to visit ACC.  Carol's a former missionary kid who spent most of her life in Japan.  I got to meet them and talk with them for a brief time.  They were very kind and friendly.

At church, they blessed everyone.  First, Carol played the piano and sang a few worship songs.  I really liked her playing and as soon as she started I knew I had to record it.  So here it is:

After Carol performed, Brad gave his testimony.  It was really sweet and mentioned just how much God loves Japan multiple times.  I didn't catch the first minute of it on camera, but I managed to get the rest.  Several of the high school students showed up for church service that day just for the chance to see them.  They had visited the Sunde's when they went to Minnesota in May.  Clearly, they were blessed by them because they came especially for them.

After church service, we all took a big picture outside in front of the church.  The Sunde's left shortly after for Ishinomaki.  I didn't get to talk to them again, but it was nice to meet them.

Imonikai at the River

Hirose River

What is an imonikai?  It's something that's special to Tohoku.  If you've only been to Tokyo or the Kansai region of Japan, you've probably never experienced imonikai.  Imonikai is basically like a picnic or bbq usually held in the fall season next to a river.  But instead of eating sandwiches or meat, they main dish is soup.  Soup in a big pot with potatoes, lots of veggies, and pork or beef.  Sendai's thing is pork and miso.  I love imonikai, because I love food.  And it's the closest thing I can get in Japan to having hibachi at Ala Moana Beach Park.

Making the soup!

This year, ACC Fileo threw an imonikai next to the river that runs below the church and my apartment.  I'd actually never been down there, so it was a nice adventure going down there.  Especially in the fall, the trees were nice with brown and orange leaves.  Still, it was cold.  I couldn't wait for the soup to be cooked!

While chefs were at work preparing the soup, the rest of us played some games.  Tomowari marked several rocks on the river bed with red and green X's.  It was our mission to find the rocks.  This was very similar to looking for a needle in a haystack, because the whole bank was nothing but rocks of many sizes.  I found one rock, and it was for the wrong team.  After finding rocks, we had a stone skipping contest.  I'd never skipped stones before.  There really aren't many places to skip stones in Phoenix and I had earlier made a joke to Aaron that throwing the rocks into the river was not pono.  Hawaiian word for "righteous."  Aaron showed me how to do it and I managed to do it during the practice round.  The whole time I kept thinking of this scene from Harry Potter.  (Yup, nerd alert!)

But of course, during the real contest, I got a plunk!  The others were very good at it.  Aaron was really good at it and I managed to capture it on video.  (Let's see if I can get that on this thing!)

Finally, after skipping stones, the soup was ready!  Yum.  I had 2 bowls.  I was surprised Aaron only had one.  I was even more surprised that we managed to finish the entire pot!  I think it was a really nice time.  I think Aaron really liked it too.  It's a Sendai tradition that I love!

 

Everyone enjoying the hot soup on a cold day.

What is an Engagement Ceremony?

Last weekend, the church decided they wanted to throw me and Aaron an Engagement Ceremony.  Aaron and I had no idea what this was, since we don't have engagement ceremonies in America.  The pastor and his wife explained that it was a Japanese tradition.  It would be short and take place right after the church service on Sunday and we'd all eat lunch together.  It seemed like no big deal.  We always have lunch after church anyway, so we agreed.

Come Sunday morning, we were very surprised.  After the regular church service, Aaron and I were standing in front of the church facing each other.  The pastor spoke about marriage and cited Genesis 2.  Then he asked us to agree to some sort of vow or promise to love each other under God or something like that, where we answered by saying, "Yes," or "I will."  This was all in Japanese and I didn't have a translator, so I don't know what he said exactly or what I agreed to exactly.  Then Aaron and I shook hands very awkwardly.  Twice.  Then Aaron and I both gave a short testimony about our relationship and God.  I didn't really know what to say, so I just talked about how I prayed for a good husband and how Aaron and I got together.  I think Aaron's testimony was much better, though he gave it in Japanese so I couldn't understand everything he said.

At the end, we stood outside the sanctuary where everyone came up to us and said, "Congratulations."  Many shook our hands.  Some took pictures with us.  The hand shaking was followed by a lunch, where Aaron and I sat in front of everyone.  While we ate, the pastor asked everyone to think of words or word phrases that started with A and C.  Like, American Cheese.  It was pretty difficult for everyone, since Japanese is their main language.  They came up with things like, "at church," or "awesome couple."  Finally we ate dessert: brownies and apple cake.  It was all homemade, so it was very nice.

After it was all over, Aaron and I had to take a step back and breathe.  We thought the engagement ceremony was going to be lunch with cake.  We had no idea that an engagement ceremony was so similar to an actual wedding ceremony!  It was much more serious and formal than we had anticipated. I don't think Japanese people realize just how laid back Hawaiians really are, lol!  REALLY laid back! It's a good thing Manami told me the week before that I had to wear a dress.  Or else, Aaron would've shown up in shorts and slippers, and I would've come in wearing a hoodie!  And prior to Sunday, I couldn't understand why the church staff had been inviting people from my English classes if it was just a small lunch after church.  But finally, it all clicked once we realized what was going on.


We're both very private people.  I'm an introvert and even though Aaron likes to be around people, he hates being the center of attention.  So, standing in front of church and talking about our relationship for an entire Sunday was a lot for us.  Still, even though we weren't quite prepared for everything that took place, we were touched by the effort that the church went through to make it special for us.  The cafeteria was decorated with pink and red pompoms, pink and white balloons, and a sign with our names on it.  We were given flowers, cake, cards, and one student gave us a really nice picture frame.  Especially knowing that most of the people here won't be able to make our actual wedding in Hawaii in March, it was nice to be able to celebrate with them here in Japan.

Halau Hula Ayashichuo!

Junko, Sachiko, Yoko, Riho, and Sayaka up front.

After a successful turnout at the Hawaiian Night we held in August, we decided to start our own hula lessons at the church.  Starting about 3 weeks ago, ACC now holds a hula lesson twice a month for the local women in the community.  It's a great way to open the church up to those who aren't interested in studying a foreign language.  I'm really excited because I believe it shows a new side of God to the Japanese people.  God is alive, active, creative, and fun!  Hula is perfect because Japanese people have a great appreciation for it and it's a forgiving dance for those who aren't trained athletes.  Anyone can learn hula, no matter if you're young or old, fat or skinny, male or female, Hawaiian or Japanese.  It's also nice being Hawaiian and getting to celebrate my own culture with Japanese people at the church.

The lessons are taught by one of my English students, Sayaka.  Sayaka's been learning hula now for about 7 years and she's very good!  I studied hula briefly while I was a University student, but I pretty much forgot everything I learned.  Sayaka's definitely the expert.  It's also great that she can teach in Japanese rather than English.

We had our first lesson in October, and we just had our second lesson a few nights ago.  We had a good turnout the first time, but the second time was much smaller due to some women's work schedules.  It was still a lot of fun.  We've had a nice variety of ages, from high school teenagers to retired grandmothers.  So far we've learned two verses to a song called "Puamana."  It's nice that Sayaka chose a song about Lahaina, my hometown.  It's also a nice and easy song to learn for beginners.

So far, every student has said that hula is hard.  I think they're surprised by how hard it is.  You have to use muscles you normally don't use in everyday life!  I agree it is difficult.  But I think it's the right amount of difficult.  It's difficult enough to where it's a challenge, but not too difficult that you feel that you can't do it.  That makes it fun.

Hopefully after a couple months, we'll have the song down and can maybe even perform it in front of an audience.  It's really fun and I enjoy doing it a lot.  It's a lot less stressful than when I learned it in college.  Sayaka is very patient and an enthusiastic teacher.  My Hawaiian kumu in Honolulu was very passionate and, at times, dancing hula felt more like bearing the responsibility for the preservation of the Hawaiian history and culture rather than just dancing for joy.  It's probably why I quit after one semester, lol.  But this is a great way to bring more joy to the classroom.  Even Aaron said, "You've got something special here!'

I hope that we can continue this new ministry as long as possible.  And that as we continue for the next few months, it will grow.  That more women (and maybe even men) will show up and that everyone can be blessed by it.

Yoko and Sayaka have such beautiful pa'u.  Makes me wish I hadn't gotten rid of mine.  I guess it's time to find a new one!