Driving home for Christmas

Hi everyone,

How are you all?

Oops, it’s been a while since I’ve written anything. But I do have some news.

In a few weeks time, I will visit the UK  J.

It’s the first time for me to come back since I left in August 2010. I can’t wait to catch up with family and friends, in Telford and in Coventry!

So, on that note… if you are free on Tuesday 3^rd January, please drop in at the Open Arms pub, in Cheylesmore for a drink and a catch up. Anytime between 5pm-11pm is good.

Yay! I’m looking forward to it J.

Thinking of you all…

September

It's August. Time flies!

As the saying goes, all good things must come to an end and unfortunately, the summer holiday is nearly over. Looking back, it’s not been the most restful holiday I’ve ever had, but I have really, really enjoyed it!

For the past five weeks, a typical day has looked like this:
-Wake up
-Cycle to Gusto for breakfast. Look at the notes for the day’s lesson
-Cycle on to my Japanese class
-Home for lunch
-Cycle to Starbucks to do my homework and occasionally chat to someone there
-Do something fun in the evening (often involving people and tennis).

Today, I had the end of course test, which, thankfully, I managed to pass. This means that I am eligible to study in the next class. However, I’ve decided to take a break for a while. We’ve flown through so much material in the last five weeks. I’ve understood it (often thanks to some second and third explanations from Nilesh, Michael and others!), but I’m not yet using all of it so I want to spend some time practicing speaking (watch out Yuichi, Kabe, Adrian, Eri, Mai etc!!). All being well, I will try to start the next class at the same school in January.

I have done some other things too. A while back I got an email from Hugh and Mikio in Coventry which lead to me meeting a lovely family who have just moved to Nagoya from Coventry: Aki, Kana and their daughter, Yuna. Well, in August, they invited me to Ise in Mie Prefecture for the weekend. Their whole family was so kind to me and gave me a lovely experience of their home town, including a visit to Isu Jingu and a taste of the local food, including delicious udon and sensational sashimi!

The week after, we had our church holiday on the sea front in Hamanako. There, we ate the local delicacy, eel, which got a mixed reception and Tsuyoshi taught us how to windsurf, which we all enjoyed! It was a really significant weekend for the chuu,rch, with several people being baptized in the Spirit and all of us growing together as a family.

I’ve also enjoyed some great day trips. In particular, last weekend I went on a white water rafting day in the stunning location of Nagara, Gifu with Eri and Marie from tennis and some other folk I met on the day. It was a really brilliant day!

Finally, I’m excited to tell you I’ve booked a return flight to the UK on December 23rd, for about two weeks. More details about that trip in the future.

So, a lot to report, but it’s back to work next week. Our topic is Dinosaurs. I’m confident that the kids will know more about them than I do, but I have at least got a good idea for a dinosaur related dance!

God bless. P.S. Yu, I played tennis with Nobu last week. We thought of you.

The summer holiday has started and my Japanese course is under way. The teaching has been very good and is stretching me in many ways.

I have always tended towards internal thinking. I like to listen and to absorb. I like to reflect and to revise. I am comfortable with these practices. However, I don’t like being asked questions without having the option to say, “please let me reflect on what you’ve asked and come back to me.” Of course, the teachers are absolutely right to build this into lessons, but I struggle with being put on the spot, especially in front of a group, simply because I don’t like making mistakes and the public correction that follows. And when I’m put on the spot, I talk all kinds of nonsense. I know that this is an immature position. The rod and reproof give wisdom, says Proverbs. But even though correction is a powerful honing tool, I haven’t learnt to love it yet!

Anyway, back to the course, I am glad to be challenged to "have a try and see what comes out", since I know that this is how the majority of communication works. Planning ahead is fine if you’re giving a speech, but real conversations don’t work like this.

The course runs for one month. I may blog more during this period, simply because I spend more time each day in a Japanese-only speaking environment, but still need an outlet to communicate more extensively. We shall see.

Thank you for your support and messages of encouragement!

July update

Hi everyone. Just a quick update because it’s been a while.

Things are going well at GraceCity church. Thinking back to when I arrived in Japan last summer, the church has grown so much since then. Recently, we had some more baptisms, which was great. In August, we have a weekend away planned to Lake Hamanako. I think there’s about fifty of us going, which must be nearly double the number that went last year. Last year, I arrived in Nagoya just after they had all got back, so I’m especially looking forward to it. The video for the last year’s camp is here: http://www.gracecity.jp/media_en.php.

In two weeks, school finishes for the summer. We have one month off, which is lucky. I’ve booked myself onto an intensive Japanese study course, five days a week, every morning. I’m so looking forward to it!

Finally, thanks for all my birthday messages last week. I had a really nice birthday and got another surprise on Friday from my fantastic tennis friends. Love you guys.

Take care!

May update

After reading about Simon and Becci's three-week adventure in Cambodia, I feel inspired to write another blog entry.

Today is a beautiful, sunny day. I've recently finished playing tennis and am now at home, recovering from slight sunburn and an all-you-can-eat naan bread lunch time challenge at Mogul Palace.

I've completed six weeks in my new job at Aichi International School. Have done all the usual beginning of term things; establishing rules, routines, that sort of thing. The kids are very young, only five years old… and there are twenty of them. I'm still very much learning how to relate to kids of this age and am not sure if it will ever be my niche, but I’m just happy to be back in primary school. Recently, we had an egg hunt for easter and a picnic outside under the beautiful cherry blossom trees.

Life is good at GraceCity church. Easter flew by quickly, without all the chocolate and bunny rabbits in the shops. My craving for cadbury’s mini eggs has only recently passed. Lots of guests came to our Easter service, which was good. We were packed in like sardines and the search is well and truly on for new premises.

In other news, Nilesh came back from his travels in Australia recently, which is sad for him, but great for me to have my housemate back. Japanese study is going okay. I have a new teacher. She doesn't speak any English, which is good for me. I was talking to Dave recently about learning Japanese, and we decided that it's good at the start to have some English, just to explain certain things. But this new arrangement feels like the first time your arm bands are removed when you're learning to swim. I feel the step up, and it's good.

I hope you’re all doing well back home. I’ve heard you’ve had lots of nice weather recently. If you have some time, get in touch and let me know what you’ve been up to.

Osaka trip

Finally posting some pictures from my short trip to Osaka in March.

Keep on asking God for the things you want

I have finished work at the two Junior High Schools and have in fact also parted company with Interac. A few weeks ago, I applied to be an elementary teacher at an international school in Nagoya and was successful. I have just completed my first full week there. I’m exhausted, but happy!

For a while, I’d been asking God for an opportunity to return to work at an elementary school and had pushed at a few open doors. However, the doors were closed one by one until I could see no more ways to do it. With the new term just a few days away, I went to the park for a walk and tried praying again, asking God that he would provide something miraculously, but that I was grateful to have any job.

I had applied for the job at the international school a week or so earlier, but received an automated email that explained that my application was too late and they had already recruited for the available positions. Anyway, when I got home from the park, there was a new email in my inbox, sent whilst I was out praying, from the head teacher of the school saying a position had just become unexpectedly available and was I still interested. I couldn’t believe it. I wrote back telling her that I had booked to go to Osaka for a few days and wasn’t available for interview until coming back. She kindly agreed to wait. I got back from Osaka late in the afternoon, jumped into a suit and that evening was offered and accepted the job.

So, I am in charge of my own class again and I get to teach all the subjects! Hurrah! The kids are really young, which is a bit scary, but it’s a good new challenge. They are nearly all Japanese, but their English is great. The day after accepting the job, I learned that the head teacher is also a christian when she suddenly took me to one side and told me that she believed God had brought me here for a purpose, which I would find out in time. She also revealed that she’d had her friends praying fervently after suddenly finding herself a teacher short three days before the start of term.

I am of course delighted that God provided in such a wonderful way. However, whilst the new job is great, it’s the interaction with my God, who listens and cares about me that is more exciting. God wants the same relationship with you.

It’s the weekend! I’m looking forward to a good long sleep and some tennis tomorrow.

Hope you are doing well. Miss you back home.

Japan earthquake and tsunami

Firstly, thank you so much for your thoughts, concerns, messages and your prayers for me and for Japan. It’s really appreciated.

I was at school when the earthquake struck. It was horrible. It felt a lot like motion sickness. I suddenly felt really dizzy but it passed away after a minute or so. Then, with the rest of the world, we watched the TV in horror as the tsunami swept inland, taking everything in its path. We are all shocked at the scale of this disaster. For the people who live in the affected regions, life has changed forever and rebuilding everything will be a huge job.

Like many others, the extent of the suffering has moved me to pray. When Jesus was on earth, he also gave special attention to those who were suffering, whether it was hearing the cries of those who were sick and healing them, standing against injustice or protecting those who were suffering prejudice. Japan is now suffering and I pray that God would give special attention to this country in the coming years.

給食

This week, I was invited to join the third graders at their special graduation lunch. We each got rice, soup, fish, a pork chop, fried chicken, spinach, potato salad, a cherry tomato, two little cakes, a strawberry, a slice of melon, a kiwi segment and a croissant. We also each got a syringe containing a very thick, syrupy coffee solution to inject into the usual carton of milk. It was kind of them to include me. I have done a complete half turn with school lunches. When I started here, they were a source of great anxiety, but I have to say that now I have become used to Japanese food and flavours, I really enjoy them. We have either rice, noodles or bread each day, a soup packed with vegetables, meat or fish, more vegetables and sometimes a dessert or piece of fruit. They are great value for money (₤1.80 a day) and it’s three or four weeks before the same meal is repeated. A very positive feature of Japanese schools.

Recently, I’ve been trying to learn a Japanese song for the next time I’m at karaoke. I’m learning a song called キセキbecause it’s often played at lunch times, so it’s something I hear regularly. So far, I’ve done the first and second verses, but it ain’t half difficult!

Have struggled this month to study Japanese. Have just got a bit tired I think. As was the case at the end of the autumn term, I’m becoming a little jaded and looking forward to the holiday, so that I can have a proper rest and start afresh in April.

I have one week of work left and then I’m on holiday for two weeks. I’m going to visit a friend who lives in Tokyo. We became friends back at university. Some of you may have met him since he did alpha whilst we were both at Warwick. We both like tennis and will probably spend most of the time doing that. I am considering sleeping at one of Tokyo’s world-famous capsule hotels. Has anyone done it before? I also want to visit Jesus Lifehouse church, which is a big church in Tokyo. After Tokyo, I want to come home via Hakone, where I hope to take a very long soak in the hot spring there and enjoy the views of Mt. Fuji, which is nearby. I want to climb Fuji this year, but not this time. I think it will be more fun to go in the summer as a group and do it together.

Hope you’re all doing well. I miss you all.

キセキーhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s_lcH_2nw-o

Half a year in Japan

February! I’ve been living in Japan for half a year. What a brilliant half a year it’s been!

God has been kind, giving me a great church family to be part of and friends to share life with. Friends have been very generous towards me, and I’ve enjoyed some fantastic experiences as a result of their hard work. Thank you. I also want to pay tribute to folks back in England, who have been kind enough to pray for me, write to me, skype with me.

Of course, this half year has been challenging too and continues to be. Living in an unfamiliar culture, trying to understand what’s going on, daily commute, work, church planting, making new friends... it’s fair to say that I often feel overwhelmed and tired!

As for recent news, things are going well at GraceCity. We’re all feeling excited about the increasing numbers of friends of ours who have suddenly started coming on Sundays. We had a successful Christmas service and wonderfully, we’ve seen a number of guests and friends decide to continue to come in subsequent weeks. We are praying for breakthrough.

Personally, I can’t wait for the weather to warm up so I can go for long walks round Tsurumai park again, where I love to lay out all my thoughts before God and hear what He has to say. Sometimes I hear him and sometimes I don’t. I always come away refreshed. Somehow, walking outside in the freezing wind just doesn’t hold the same appeal.

Work is going okay. I have got to know some of the japanese english teachers better and we are working together better. I decided yesterday to compare my formula for planning a literacy lesson when I was at Stoke Heath, and my formula for planning a lesson here, teaching English in Japanese state schools. This experience is definitely adding something to me as a teacher.

Japanese study is moving along… slowly. The kids at school are great to try out new sentences on and I’ve recently started making more use of them. Today, in between classes, I learnt how to make “I have A so I have to / must do B” type sentences. For example, “Sorry I have to go now. Tomorrow, I catch the train from 7:00 so I have to get up early”, which I think is…あの、すみませんがもう行かなくちゃ。明日は７時から電車が乗るので早くおきなくちゃいけないんです. Japanese speakers, what do you think?

Keep well everyone. I’ll try and write again in March. God bless.

A little bit of everything

Hello everyone. This week, I’ve spent a huge amount of time at Starbucks, where my study of nihongo has been almost as rich as the delicious dark mocha frappuccinos that have fuelled my efforts.

Also, in an attempt to restore dietary harmony, I’ve made a push this week to start cooking. Unbelievably, it’s the first time I’ve made the effort since coming here. Pathetic, eh? Still, there is a plan in place so I am at least moving in the right direction.

In addition, on Thursday I stumbled upon what must be one the most technologically advanced toilets in existence, at Max Value supermarket of all places! With its impressive array of buttons and options, the experience offered easily rivals Starbucks for comfort and I would consider taking my textbook and studying in there in the future. My only regret was pressing the ‘Powerful Deodouriser’ button. Powerful it most certainly was. I nearly passed out and had to make a speedy exit.

This Sunday, we meet as a whole church for the first time in a couple of weeks. Having been away to Hiroshima too, it feels like long time no see. Looking forward to seeing everyone though. There’s a lovely vibe at church. One of my friends, Daisuke, summed it up well, ‘It feels like a family’, he said. With lots of visitors coming each week, this can only be a good thing.

Go back to work on January 11^th. This is the final term, since the school year here runs from April to March. At the end, I have a few weeks holiday so if any of you want to see Japan, to see the loos at Max Value, or for any other reason, be my guest!

Take care all.

P.S. Three cheers for England for winning the ashes this week and for my beloved football team, Leeds, who managed a fantastic draw against Arsenal today!

Hiroshima photos

Hello everyone. Happy New Year! I’ve just got back after spending three days in Hiroshima 広島市. I’ve attached some pictures for you to enjoy.

This is the famous Atomic Bomb Dome, one of the few structures that survived the blast and is now a world heritage site. The dome is a part of the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park, which was built around the hypocenter of the bomb. Also nearby is the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum. We spent hours in the museum reading about the background, and looking at painful pictures, movies and objects, showing us the destructive power of the atomic bomb.

Now, Hiroshima is rebuilt and is a beautiful town famous for its sea food. Nilesh and I visited an oyster restaurant, owned by this man, and ate them after being barbecued in their shells. They were amazing! 

Another food highlight was eating Hiroshima okonomiyaki, a kind of layered pancake which typically includes batter, huge amounts of cabbage which is pushed down as it cooks, bacon, beansprouts and optional items such as squid, octopus, and cheese. Noodles (yakisoba, udon) are also used as a topping with fried egg and a generous amount of okonomiyaki sauce. It was a very satisfying dish!

Only a 5-minute ferry ride from the city is the beautiful island shrine of Miyajima, which is famous for the floating gate, a torii that appears to be floating in the water.

Reflections: Hiroshima is a really great city! I definitely want to go back someday.