Weather and other things

This week has been quite calm compared to the previous weeks.  There was no major event, really, except this past Wednesday morning, the weather services were predicting a snow fall.  Here, weather predictions are more often incorrect than they are correct.  The issue is the temperature.  The temperature tends to be right around the freezing mark, so when we have precipitation, will it be snow or will it be rain?  Of course, there can be the situation where there is snow but it does not accumulate for various reasons.  So, deciding whether to open on time, delay opening, or close school can be a hit and miss decision. 

This Wednesday, since we already begin school an hour later regularly on Wednesdays, the call was to start at the regular time.  It was a very wise decision because there are almost no accumulation on campus.  Some of it may be due to the spreading of salt, but snow did not accumulate much elsewhere either.  

This is the umbrella hold by one of CAJ's outside doors.  It's full of umbrellas should it rain or snow.

Last Sunday afternoon, Hana and I went for a walk.  We walked down some streets I have not walked with her.  Look at what we found!  

It's a dispensary for goodies!

It looks like there were jams and possible pickled vegetables.  

One thing I have noticed the last couple of weeks is the amount of homes being built or rebuilt.  The other day I walked home and took this picture of a house that is being demolished and I will assume a new house will be built in its place.  

See the backhoe in there tearing down the inside?

It is common to put up a "cover" of sorts when building is going on.  I have found they are either blue of green (as it is in the above picture).  The other day while bicycling home, there was one street, only a block away from the house pictured above, that had three houses in a row where construction was happening.
The winter sport season is beginning to wind down.  The different Varsity teams will be going to the Far East Tournaments in a little over a week.  This week I was able to take in a part of the JV boys basketball vs. Yokota and the Varsity boys basketball game vs. Yokota.  Basketball is not as big a sport as it is where I lived in Maryland, so some of the skill level is different, but it was still entertaining to watch.  

CAJ is white and Yokota is yellow.  

The next couple of weeks will be quite busy.  Monday, February 11 is Student Led Conferences day.  Students and parents come to school and the student shares with his/her parent(s) about the things he/she has learned so far this year, as well as his/her report card, evaluations, and goals.  
On Wednesday, February 13 the Brain Bowl team goes to K. International School Tokyo (KIST) for the competition.  I will be going with the Christian Academy in Japan's (CAJ) Brain Bowl participants.  
We do have winter break coming up soon, on Monday and Tuesday, February 18 and 19.  I am looking forward to going back up to the Sendai region with the VanderHaak's to stay at the cabin in Takayama.  
On Thursday and Friday, February 21 and 22 is the CAJ's Middle School Science Expo.  Students have been working on completing their experiments and their Science Lab reports.  CAJ has a Science Expo every three years, so this is all the Middle Schoolers' first Science Expo.  The Science Middle School department rotates projects with next year being the spaghetti bridge project and the following year is the egg drop.  
We pray that the next couple of weeks will go smoothly and that students will really be able to learn with these experiences.