1400 hours Fallfield Prefecture (Akita)
It’s been a fun week and we got
iPads which made it full of newness and excitement. Pretty much we are the
same. I kind of feel like not a young person, because, of how old all the
things I knew about electronics feel... but it’s all good. The reports are in
(I talked to a bunch of old people that have lived here forever and know what’s
up) and it sounds like cherry blossoms will be here by the end of April hopefully,
so that is also exciting!
Fun food facts:
I was asked what people drink with
dinner. I don’t know anything about alcohol, but sake seems to be drunk at
fancy restaurants in the evening. Excluding that, when I go to someone’s home
and they have beverages to drink normally its mugicha which is a wheat tea, I
talked about a long time ago, or its calpis (which I talked about a long time
ago) or some type of fruit juice (Japanese apple juice is the best) or soda
with the most common flavors being mitsuya cider (kind of like sprite) or like
a fruit flavor. Sometimes cola. If you have a hot food and especially if that
hot food is spicy mugicha is soooo good! I don’t even know why but it just
quenches that thirst. hahah
Culture point:
This isn’t so much about Japan as
it is about language I think but it’s just funny how well we know our own
native language and then at the same time how we don’t know it. I was talking
with Wheelwright Choro about kanji this morning and we turned over and asked
Koide Choro how many kanji he knew and he was like " I have no idea maybe
300 or more" and in order to read a newspaper you need over 2000 kanji.
(He easily knows 3000) but if you asked me how many words I knew how to spell,
I don’t really know. So it’s fun to learn from natives because you just copy
them and its makes all the painful parts of language go away. Also, there are
no custodians at the schools only the kids clean. (I asked my Doryo how it
isn’t just a super lazy mess and he said the teachers make sure they get it
down right... gulp. hahahah)
Spiritual thought:
With this next weekend being Easter
(huge shout out to My Wonderful Older Sister and her family for the package
they sent me) and so I recommend watching this video http://www.mormon.org/easter?cid=HP_FR_3-27-2015_dMIS_fMRMN_xLIDyL1-A_ and I will just add my testimony that I know that when I
pray about those that have died I feel peace in my heart very strongly and
clearly that they are not gone forever. And I know anyone that has worries or
pain about that can receive the same witness and peace I have if they
"seek".
Funny story:
I was complaining to Koide Choro
that he needed to do more funny things, so I could have better e-mails home,
and so, he was kind enough this morning to put on a show at the grocery
store.
I needed sweetened condensed milk
for a dish I wanted to make. I had seen it in japan before so I knew it existed,
just not where it was in the store. (turns out it’s by the flour and I have no
idea why) so we were searching and searching and I finally give up and pull the
gaijin card and ask the worker (I have never seen a Japanese person ask the
worker) and like they always do (since it’s like literally the best service in
the world) she just starts walking at 100 kph in the opposite direction. So I kind
of panic and just start following her. (You must also understand that as
missionaries we have a rule to always stay in sight and sound of each other.) I just bolt off and Koide Choro like panics and starts
following us.... while dragging the already 50 kg cart and they pick up speed... if there would have been only 10 cartons of milk in the stand
it would have been just like bowling but instead it was a giant stand with
about 100, so it was more like the last march of the Flemings...
Love each other for me!
Law Choro
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