gifts
Hello again,
Another very long day today...I really enjoy reading all of the e-mails that you all are sending. Thank you so much, it's nice to communicate with someone who speaks english.
Today held many interesting things: After our devotional this morning, Kristina, Jake, and I went to Yama-Ya (the foreign food store) to get groceries and luch stuff for today. I cooked macaroni and cheese with sausage in it (Thanks for the idea Jeromey :), and we had soy beans on the side. (Thanks to everyone else who sent lunch ideas too, I'm sure I'll use them.) After lunch we met with some readers and one of my readers (Mrs. Moriya) offered to take me to the beach. Julie came with us. It was beautiful, but there were tetrapods (huge jacks-shaped concrete wave barriers) everywhere. After the beach she gave us a driving tour of the coastal side of town. She also took us to a Buddhist Temple site. It was very interesting to see, but I felt very strange being there. Then she offered to drive us to the grocery store where she helped translate for our shopping and insisted that she buy cold coffee with soy milk, and miso and soy flavored fish. (she had also brought cherries that she had picked for us from an area in Japan famous for cherries). When we returned to the store, Kristina told us that one of the Japanese church members had been at the church for the last hour trying to make an appointment to read with Julie. She spoke no English at all, so Kristina had to communicate with no translator present. She had also offered Kristina a present of dried seaweed with sesame oil, and insisted that she try it. :) Kristina was not impressed. I thought the seaweed was good. I reminded me of pork rinds for some reason. We found out later that she thought we taught Japanese people how to speak English (from scatch)...Kristina is going to work with her anyway. I think it will be good for both of them, but a very slow process I'm sure. One of Kristina's readers also brought us homemade wheat bread (I could get used to this gift giving culture).
Jake and I finished recording and editing his video, and Jake practiced his Asian driving skills again under Sugao's supervision. I got to ride along this time. I'm glad I wasn't driving, It is utterly impossible on many of their roads for two cars to pass. I don't know what happens yet in this situation, but if I find out I'll let you know.
Tonight we walked Julie home (to Judith's house), and we found a vending machine with a large bottle of Dr. Pepper on the way home. We are very excited about drinking it tomorrow.
Another intersting cultural adjustment today was when Kristina bought Yaki Tori (chicken on a stick) from the grocery store. She thought she was buying chicken with different kinds of sauces, but instead it was different parts of the chicken. She bit into one, and found out it was a whole skewer of skin. It was pretty gross. We gave those to Sugao. :)
Goodnight all,
Have a wonderful day,
Jeff
Another very long day today...I really enjoy reading all of the e-mails that you all are sending. Thank you so much, it's nice to communicate with someone who speaks english.
Today held many interesting things: After our devotional this morning, Kristina, Jake, and I went to Yama-Ya (the foreign food store) to get groceries and luch stuff for today. I cooked macaroni and cheese with sausage in it (Thanks for the idea Jeromey :), and we had soy beans on the side. (Thanks to everyone else who sent lunch ideas too, I'm sure I'll use them.) After lunch we met with some readers and one of my readers (Mrs. Moriya) offered to take me to the beach. Julie came with us. It was beautiful, but there were tetrapods (huge jacks-shaped concrete wave barriers) everywhere. After the beach she gave us a driving tour of the coastal side of town. She also took us to a Buddhist Temple site. It was very interesting to see, but I felt very strange being there. Then she offered to drive us to the grocery store where she helped translate for our shopping and insisted that she buy cold coffee with soy milk, and miso and soy flavored fish. (she had also brought cherries that she had picked for us from an area in Japan famous for cherries). When we returned to the store, Kristina told us that one of the Japanese church members had been at the church for the last hour trying to make an appointment to read with Julie. She spoke no English at all, so Kristina had to communicate with no translator present. She had also offered Kristina a present of dried seaweed with sesame oil, and insisted that she try it. :) Kristina was not impressed. I thought the seaweed was good. I reminded me of pork rinds for some reason. We found out later that she thought we taught Japanese people how to speak English (from scatch)...Kristina is going to work with her anyway. I think it will be good for both of them, but a very slow process I'm sure. One of Kristina's readers also brought us homemade wheat bread (I could get used to this gift giving culture).
Jake and I finished recording and editing his video, and Jake practiced his Asian driving skills again under Sugao's supervision. I got to ride along this time. I'm glad I wasn't driving, It is utterly impossible on many of their roads for two cars to pass. I don't know what happens yet in this situation, but if I find out I'll let you know.
Tonight we walked Julie home (to Judith's house), and we found a vending machine with a large bottle of Dr. Pepper on the way home. We are very excited about drinking it tomorrow.
Another intersting cultural adjustment today was when Kristina bought Yaki Tori (chicken on a stick) from the grocery store. She thought she was buying chicken with different kinds of sauces, but instead it was different parts of the chicken. She bit into one, and found out it was a whole skewer of skin. It was pretty gross. We gave those to Sugao. :)
Goodnight all,
Have a wonderful day,
Jeff
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