What did you do this weekend?

I have to admit, I LOVE weekends!  I find they give me a chance to reflect on the week, to rest up, and gear up for the coming week.  The only problem with weekends sometimes, is that they feel really short.  Occasionally, on Saturday evenings I get anxious already, because I know I have gone through half of the weekend already and Monday morning will be coming up quickly!  So, what did you do this weekend?  Here's what I did...

Friday after school I had a parent/student/teacher conference with a mom and a student that couldn't make it during the scheduled parent/teacher/student time earlier this month.  That went well.  I think I like having students there because you can converse with them and see what their perspective on their learning is while the parent is there to hear what their child is saying.  Sometimes it's enlightening and sometimes the teachers, students and parents are all on the same page.  

After packing up, Skype was ringing on my iPad, it was my oldest brother, John, calling from Red Deer, Alberta!  I was quite surprised because it was already after midnight where he was!  We had a nice chat. It's always good to catch up.  

In the middle of my Skype session with John, Roberta came into the classroom and invited me to go out to dinner with her.  This restaurant is actually in Tokorozawa, which is kind of northwest of Christian Academy in Japan.  Simone, the student teacher living with us, came along too.  The restaurant was actually a Himalayan restaurant with various types of curry.  It was very delicious.  Ruth S. came along too.  Ruth and her husband, Larry have been here for many years as CRWM missionaries.  We were able to walk past a CRC in Japan that they were involved in planting!  By the time we left, it was dark and this is what I was able to video.  

The evening was fun!  We had great conversation and got to know each other a little better.  We had taken the train from school to Tokorozawa and we took the train back, but had to still bicycle home afterwards.  We were both tired by the end of the day. 

Saturdays are fun days when there isn't much on the schedule.  Simone decided to take out her hair extensions and then twist her hair up afterwards.  That was a multiple hour process!  

Simone working on her hair.

 While Simone was busy, I decided to run over to the Daiso to pick up some things I've been looking to get.  There are usually interesting items, and some even have English on them!   

These are just like the KitKat you get in Canada, just they are small and three little packages in this box.

I bought this a while ago but kept it because I thought it was funny.  Can laundry be cute?
It advertises as Tough and handy Clothesline, and the best is that it's pink!  

Tender Basket!  This basket is designed for put various goods in order to Make your life to be convenient and joyful by Daiso!  😃

How can you not resist buying one of these baskets?  They make your life to be convenient AND joyful!  Yup, shopping can be humorous!  

Saturday evening was the first of three Thanksgiving dinners I will be having this year.  Some of the women teachers from some of the English speaking schools as well as friends from various churches came together in Higashikurume to celebrate Thanksgiving.  We were quite a diverse group, meaning there were a number of people with passports from different countries.  There were Japanese, Korean, Australian, New Zealanders, South African, Taiwanese, US and Canadian passport holders.  English was the common language though.  Some had never had a traditional US/Canadian Thanksgiving meal with the fixin's.  It was a fun evening together.  The only HUGE drawback was that it was pouring rain when we left home and we were on our bicycles.  Good thing we thought to bring extra clothes along.  By the time we left to go home, the rain had stopped.  

Bicycling in the rain is an adventure and does happen...

Sunday was a day where there were very few things on the agenda.  It was a relaxing day.  I did laundry, went to church and was able to Skype with friends from Maryland!  

It was really a relaxing weekend!  I am looking forward to teaching again tomorrow.  Interacting with those grade six students is something I look forward to each day, although some days are more difficult than others.  

I pray you have/had a great weekend too!  What did you do?  

Higashi Kurume Matsuri!

You wouldn't believe what happened after church!  I went to the Higashi Kurume Festival (Matsuri)!  They have these local festivals in different cities.  There was one in Kiyose, where I am living, but I didn't go there.  Higashi Kurume is where Christian Academy in Japan is located.
There is food and entertainment on the street that has been blocked off.  Lots of varieties of food and a large variety of entertainment.  Enjoy the pictures and the videos.

A Japanese playing a variety of non-Japanese instruments and American song!

Look at those Americans shopping at the broom shop

One of the floats that they carry in the parade (I didn't stay for the parade...but that's what I was told).

YUM Carrots!

Cauliflower

Don't these look good?

A variety of leafy vegetables!

The three wheeled vehicle surrounded by fruits and vegetables!

Isn't this clever?

Dancers of all ages, notice the older lady's shoes, the younger ones are wearing two toed type socks.

A close up.

Some of the danders with the band providing the music.  

Experience after experience...

You wouldn't believe what I did last night!  Friday evening I attended Christian Academy in Japan's High School play, Arsenic and Old Lace.  It was quite a fun evening.  The High School students did a great job!  Many of them had to pull off accents in English, which is probably not a first language for many of the actors.  Punch lines were hit and the audience was quite lively.  It was quite an enjoyable way to spend an evening.  

Beautiful day for a bicycle ride

Bicycle shop

You wouldn't believe what happened to me today!  Bette and I decided to take a bicycle ride to Lake Sayama-ko.  It is only about 10 - 15 kms away.  It was a beautiful day.  We took the path along the river for much of the way to the lake.  On one of the inclines to cross a road, I pushed hard on the pedals on the bike to get up the incline and the chain broke!  Bette consulted her iPhone map and figured out that we were not far from a train station and near train stations there are usually bicycle repair shops.  Sure enough, about a kilometer walk, we found this lovely family owned bicycle repair shop.  I was shocked by this little old lady (we figure she must be about 80+ years old) who was sitting on her haunches fixing a bicycle!  She was really small in stature, barely taller than the bicycles, but she was definitely the boss.  We had younger people help us but they were consulting her for decisions.  

There's the owner. See, she's just a little taller than the bicycles.

Bette and I went to Doutour for a cup of coffee while we waited for them to put the new chain on the bicycle.  After about 45 minutes, we went back to pick up the bicycle and it was all ready, they even pumped the tires up.  

We decided to continue bicycling to the lake.  I'm glad we did, it was quite beautiful, as the following pictures show.  

Path by the lake

Lake Sayama-ko

We were able to see Mt. Fuji as well (not in the pictures), but Mt. Fuji doesn't show up very well on the pictures.  One day I may try to hike up Mt. Fuji so I can get good pictures of that mountain!  Anyone willing to hike up with me?  

I am the Potter

There have been a couple of changes since the last post.  Bette returned from her trip with CAJ's Cross Country team for a meet.  Brian has gone to and returned from the US and Canada for a PR trip for CAJ.  Simone Castro has moved in for seven weeks to do her student teaching here at CAJ.

Monday, October 22nd, CAJ's Physics and grade six class went on a field trip to Toshimaen.  It was my first school field trip here in Japan.  An interesting event since I don't speak or read Japanese at all and we were taking the train to Toshimaen.  A good thing the Physics teacher has a much better grasp of Japanese. Toshimaen is an amusement park with a variety of rides.  All 41 grade six students, 12 physics students, and 7 adult chaperones made it to and from Toshimaen.  We divided the grade six students up into six groups and each group had two physics students to lead the group and try to understand what the rides were doing related to physics.  It was a fun day for all!  

Entrance to Toshimaen Amusement Park

The past two and half days we had parent/student/teacher conferences.  We had 40 conferences scheduled.  The other two core teachers and I met together with the parents.  Students were not required but welcome to come.  The majority of the students did come.  It was really the first time I had students with parents at conferences.  I think it is good for parents, students and teachers to sit down together to talk about successes and areas of improvement, at least at the middle school level.  I found that parents were quite supportive.  
Today, Saturday, November 3rd, was a fun day!  Brian, Bette, Ginny, Simone and I went to Mashiko to the pottery festival.  We looked at a place where they make indigo and walked through many, many pottery places and visited a kiln.  The one verse that kept going through my mind was Isaiah 64:8, "Yet you, Lord, are our Father. We are the clay, you are the potter; we all the work of your hand."  I saw many, many different types of pottery.  I was amazed at how the potter can shape the clay in so many variety of ways to make many different things.  The Japanese like to have many different cups, bowls, knickknacks and plates that are used for specific food or tasks.  I kept thinking about how God created each of us for a variety of different tasks, some of us look alike to others, but we each have been blessed with a wide range of gifts and talents.  It made me reflect on how God was shaping me throughout my years here on this earth.  Each of my experiences have shaped me to make me into the person I am today.  Even though God has had a hand in shaping me, because of my sin, I am a cracked pot.  I can go into a mini-sermon on all the things I thought about, like going through the fire, cleansing, blemishes, etc. but I will leave you to enjoy the pictures I took of Mashiko today and maybe think about what kind of "pottery" is God shaping you to be?  

Here is a sampling of the variety of pottery.

A kiln built into the side of the hill.  This kiln was destroyed during the March 11, 2011 earthquake.

Inside the kiln

Some of the pots at the kiln.

Pottery at the kiln in various stages

Potter's Hand by Darlene Zschech (Hillsong)

It was a beautiful end to the day.  This picture was taken on the ride back home.