Winter break

This past Monday and Tuesday was CAJ's winter break!  I was able to take another trip up to Takayama.  It was fairly cool temperatures, between -3ºC at night and about 10ºC during the day.  I was very thankful for electric blankets and wood stoves. It is a beautiful place to be, very calm and it allowed me to relax, read a book, watch some hockey, and rejuvenate.  

On the way up, we made a stop to see the Oyaji Buddhist Temple.  It is a sacred place where you can find a large image of the goddess Kannon.  It was founded in 810.  There was a tour bus stopped when we walked into the temple area.  We are not allowed to video or take pictures in the temple, but as we were standing outside you could hear the chanting inside.  

Isn't it interesting how the temple is built into the rock?  Many of the Buddha images were carved into the stone.  There was a huge image of the goddess Kannon.  Check out the following pictures.  

Rock where the temple was built into.

A shrine in the crevice

One of the buddha images.  Putting a bib on an image is common.

More images

Images carved into the rock

Goddess Kannon

Looking down

We also went to Matsushima.  Matsushima is known for its beauty.  There are a number of islands and the views are very pretty.  There are shrines and temples on some of the islands, however because of the tsunami on March 11, 2011, some of the bridges were washed away.  

View of one of the bridges to the island.  

I did take more pictures, but there would be too many to put up on the blog, so feel free to go to www.flickr.com/photos/wlangelaar to view the other pictures.  

Brain Bowl!

Ok, to some degree, if you know me at all, Brain Bowl would not be some place you'd anticipate that I would be at, never mind being a coach for the Christian Academy in Japan Middle School team!  Yup, that was me!  Good thing I didn't need to participate in the activities, but help out by collecting papers, tallying, and just being around to help manage the students.  
Each school was allowed to bring up to ten students, although two out of the ten would be considered as substitutes but they were able to participate in the first and third round of activities.  The actual Brain Bowl event was at the K. International School Tokyo (KIST) near downtown Tokyo.  The schools that sent teams were English speaking schools.  
Each of the students were put into teams of four students, each student from a different school. 
To start off, the teams were to create a banner with their team name and make name tags.  After about 30 minutes, the first round began.  Each team was given and paper where they could write the answers.  Questions were read to the group and they wrote down the answers.  The questions varied from geography, to Japanese culture, to English, to Science, to Math.  Round two was a buzzer round.  Two teams went up on stage and questions were read and they buzzed for answers.  Each pair of teams were given up to ten questions. Next was lunch and then was round three.  This round consisted of a variety of questions such as logo identification, country identification, mazes and sudoku style activities.  
All in all, the day was quite fun, but I'm sure if I was a participant, my brain would be VERY tired!  Here are some pictures I took throughout the day.  

The heater was a close friend in the cold gym!

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.  

Rice, Snow, and Homeless

Every once in a while I find something that is unique to Japan, or at least based on my experiences, it is unique.  Here is a rice dispensary.  It's open 24 hours a day.  You can get rice anytime you want!  I guess that would make sense in a country where rice is quite important!  

  

Monday morning we woke up to more snow.  It wasn't fully anticipated by most of us as not all the weather reports indicated that there would be snow.  We did begin school on time and the snow was pretty much melted by noon.  I am not a person who likes the cold weather or even snow, but it does make things look clean.  Here are a couple of pictures taken on Monday morning

In the yard.

Down the street

This past Tuesday was my Bible class' turn for homeless outreach.  We met at Higashikurume station by 5:40 a.m. or at Ikebukuro by 6:15 a.m.  Some of the students were apprehensive about going, but were also excited.  After all was said and done, we all had a good experience and were able to minister to a number of people.  We even saw some of the men reading the pamphlet, which was quite exciting.  The students also commented on the fact that they saw some of the men eating their breakfast.  One student gave a great description when she gave her breakfast to a person.  She said she had this warm, good feeling.  It is good to hear that being a part of this ministry gives the Middle School students the opportunity to impact the world for Christ!

The "breakfast" I made for Homeless Outreach.  It was an obento, crackers, orange, and edemame.  A Christian pamphlet is also included.  

Some of my students on the train ride back to CAJ

Riding the train back to  CAJ

Resting after eating breakfast

Finishing up breakfast.

It has been a busy week at school.  We had our Homeless Outreach ministry on Tuesday, students are towards the end of preparing their portfolios for Student Led Conferences, working on their Science Expo projects and just working on the regular routine things. 

The Brain Bowl is scheduled for Wednesday, February 13th.  The team of grade 7 and 8 students has been chosen and we are getting prepared.  We also have Winter Break coming up in a couple of weeks.  

Thank you all for your prayers and support over the last 5+ months!  The adventure will continue and I look forward to the challenges ahead!  

Snow day!

When I think back to August 2012 when I moved here, the temperatures were in the 30's C and the humidity was high.  Sweating was an hourly occurrence.  We are now in the throes of winter, brrrr, it can be chilly.  The temperatures outside aren't necessarily so cold, right around 0C, but the buildings can be cool.  The best place to be in a building is by the heater. 

The courtyard at school at about 10:30 a.m. taken from my classroom window on the 2nd floor.

On Monday, January 14th, I bicycled to school in the pouring rain.  My experience has usually been that if I bicycle one way, it is dry by the time I have to go the other way.  Well, Monday, January 14th was a different story.  I have found that the weather predictions for this area tend to be incorrect, so I usually don't look at the weather too often.  Well, I probably should have, that day.  Brian and Bette decided to take the van and offered to take me as well, but I said I'd bicycle to school.  As it turned out, by about 9 a.m. the rain changed to snow.  It snowed for the rest of the day!  After it was all said and done we probably had about 5 cm+ of snow.  Now if you live in Red Deer, Alberta, or Hague, Saskatchewan, or Grand Rapids, Michigan, it's not a big deal, but here in Higashi Kurume or Kiyose, in Japan, it is a HUGE deal!  There is not one snow plow in all of Tokyo.  People are not used to driving in the snow, so driving in snow is as much about being careful with your vehicle as watching out for everyone else.  Bicycling is not really an option since the sidewalks are not shoveled, never mind the roads.  Fortunately, I was able to catch a ride home with Brian and Bette.  The next day there was still a lot of snow around so, we had a snow day.  It was quite timely, since we had semester grades due the following week and a number of other things due within a week or so. On a side note, the way the roads were cleared were mostly a result of someone shoveling the snow, or the snow eventually melting.  There was even a picture in the paper of Sumo wrestlers shoveling snow.  

A litter later in the day.

Thursday, January 17th was my second opportunity to go down to Ikebukuro station with a Middle School class, to pass out breakfasts and warm items.  We again met at the Higashi Kurume train station by 5:40 a.m., took the train down to Ikebukuro, passed out the breakfasts, and traveled back to Higashi Kurume.  Here are some pictures of our activities.  

Waiting for students to arrive at Ikebukuro station.

Putting lunches by homeless.

Cardboard walls set up by a sleeping homeless person.

One of the hallways we walk down looking for the homeless. 

These fellows were cleaning Ikebukuro's station walls. 

We took the Kotesashi 6:44 a.m. train back to school.

On Tuesday, January 29th, my Homeroom/Bible class will be going down to Ikebukuro for our opportunity to pass out breakfasts to the homeless.  Pray that we may be able to make a positive impact and that God will bless the recipients and as they read our pamphlets may come to see their need for a Saviour.  

Homeless Outreach and Gakugei School visit

So, the first week back to school after Christmas break had lots of activities.  It has been busy!  Here's what we have on our plate for the next couple of months: 

We have started in earnest on the Science Expo projects.  Science Expo will be on February 21st and 22nd.  There were many questions about topics and what would be approved experiments this week.  Hopefully almost all the students are set and can begin working on their experiments. 

This week the CAJ Middle School began the Homeless Outreach Ministry at Ikebukuro station.  Each homeroom teacher has spent about three or four sessions discussing homelessness here in Japan.  Before the actual date to go pass out breakfasts, each homeroom class will have each student prepare a lunch, randomly exchange their lunch, and then go to the neighboring park to eat it outside.  Hopefully, this activity will give the students an idea of what homelessness is like.  

My homeroom class is scheduled to go on Tuesday, January 29th.  To familiarize myself with the ministry, I went with one of the grade seven homeroom classes this past Friday morning, January 11th.  We began by meeting students at 5:40 a.m. at the Higashi Kurume station to catch a train down to Ikebukuro.  The homeless are allowed to sleep in the station during the night, but by about 7 a.m. they are asked to leave, which is why we leave so early in the morning.  Each of us prepares two to three breakfasts and include things like wool hats (toques as they are called in Canada), gloves, warmers, socks, or scarves.  We also include a Christian tract written in Japanese.  By about 6:10 a.m. or so we arrive at the Ikebukuro station, divide up into smaller groups and walk through the hallways of the station looking for people who are homeless.  If they are sleeping, we just leave a bag beside them.  If they are awake, we will greet them and give the bag to them.  

Waiting at Higashi Kurume station for some of the students.  Notice the two boys at the back?  Not sure they wanted to be associated with us.  :)  

Arrived at Ikebukuro station and are walking around to find homeless people to pass out our breakfasts.

One of our students just left a bag by this man. (sorry for the blurriness.  I was trying to be discreet.)

Riding back to CAJ

When we arrived back at CAJ, we had a delicious breakfast waiting for us.  It also gave the homeroom class an opportunity to discuss their experiences with each other.  

A delicious breakfast of pancakes and sausages was waiting for us at the CAJ cafeteria, prepared by the National Honor Society students.  

Students sitting down to hot chocolate.  

It was good to go along and see how the ministry is carried out.  I plan to go along again with one of the other grade six homeroom classes Tuesday, January 15th.  
On the way back from Ikebukuro, I was able to take this picture of the train on the track beside us at one of the stations.  You may notice how packed the train is!  I experienced that on the way to Tokyo Disneyland this Christmas break.  You literally are standing there surrounded by people holding you up.  People are literally pushed into the car.  Everyone sways with the car, and you don't even need to really hold on, because everyone is swaying with you.  

If you look at the other train on the next track, you can see how packed the train car is.

Friday afternoon, half of the grade six class went to a nearby school for students with special needs.  Our grade six students played some games with their students.  It was a good 45 minutes of interactions and games.  

CAJ students sitting on the floor listening to the welcome. 

The Gakugei students officially welcomed us in English (although it was tough to understand), loved the thought though.

One of the Gakugei teachers gave instructions for the first game. 

Playing our first game

One of the games we played had to do with the song, "When the Saints, Go Marching In."

Someone forgot her indoor shoes even after sending an email reminding students to bring indoor shoes!  

 Today I took Hana on a fairly long walk, probably the longest yet.  She was pretty tired by the end and basically crashed on the floor after getting a drink of water.  On our walk, I noticed that some of the houses sure are built close together.  I would say they are about four or five feet apart.  

Look how close together the houses are.  

The semester is ending next week.  That means the grades must be all complete and preparing report cards.  Students have also started putting together their portfolio for their student/parent conference that will happen in February.  

Lots of good activities, but it is busy.  I am praying you all have had and will continue to have a great 2013!

Please feel free to leave a comment or two.