July 2003

Eric has continued attending a Japanese language school twice a week, run completely—and professionally– by volunteers in Sendai.  He cringed throughout his class a few weeks ago because he noticed that his teacher’s blouse was torn across the shoulder, and he was sure the rest of the students noticed, too.  After class when the other students had left, he decided it was best to tell her before she met more people.  In polite Japanese, he told her that her blouse was torn.  She laughed and said, “Oh — it’s supposed to be like that — this is the latest fashion in Japan!”  

March 2003

I (Sue) recently was feeling overwhelmed with Owen’s arrival and the huge stack of laundry that needed to be done.  (We don’t have a dryer, so we hang out our laundry, which can be tricky in the winter).  So I decided to pile it all into the car and drive it to the nearby coin laundry I had noticed once.  I got there, parked my car, unloaded a big bundle, and started to walk in, and I noticed...it’s not a coin laundry, it’s a coin rice-hulling store!  You put in a few coins, dump in your rice right-off-the-stalk, and out comes the nice rice.  I drove back home somewhat sheepishly….

I (Eric) was asked to give a short speech at the elementary school’s 6th grade graduation in March.  (Japan begins the new school year in April).  I was sitting with a whole line of community guests, and at the beginning the M.C. introduced all of us.  When they announced my name, I followed suit and stood up and bowed and said “Omedetoo Gozaimasu (Congratulations).  I sat back down, and the M.C. with a somewhat surprised look thanked me for having been the special speaker.  My carefully prepared speech remained unheard, as I realized that the beginning introduction was when I was to present, and I had missed my opportunity!

October 2002

Eric:  We often get gifts of food and vegetables from our neighbors (see Japanese custom mentioned above).  One day we received a few persimmons.  I asked Sue who gave them to us.  She told me they were from “Grandma Sato”.  The next day “Grandma Sato” rode her bicycle by our house.  I called out to her and she stopped and greeted me with a big smile.  So I thanked her for the persimmons but the smile disappeared.  She said, “what persimmons?”  I came inside bewildered, only to find they were from the OTHER “Grandma Sato”!

Sue:  Recently a woman interested in missions here came and  visited us in Sendai.  She came to church with us, and at the end of the service I had to introduce her to the congregation.  I shared how our friend was planning to climb Mt. Fuji the next week, and that she would also be meeting with the mayor of Sendai.  Laughter erupted.  Oh no.  Eric was trying to whisper something.  And then I realized—I had just told the congregation that our friend was going to be meeting with the urine of Sendai!  (shi-ko instead of shi-choo—an easy mistake??)

    June 2002

We’ve enjoyed visits this spring from Eric’s mom and brothers Mark and Neal;  our friend Paul from L.A., and Sue’s sister Beth.  It’s always fun to be part of new cultural learning!  Here’s a few highlights from Beth’s visit (thanks Beth for giving us such good material!)

—–As you’ll see on the last page, the Japanese bath  is near sacred in the Japanese culture!  Although now most Japanese have baths in their homes, the public bath and hot springs are still among favorite pastimes. We were taking Beth to a hot spring location, which had an indoor and outdoor large public bath — one side for men, one for women.  When Beth realized she’d be NAKED with a bunch of other unknown ladies, she insisted that she’d wear a bathing suit….Until she told several different Japanese friends of ours and got faces like this:

—–Beth was also a great sport and came along on different ministry adventures with us.  One was a cooking class with about 20 women.  We were asked to bring our portable convection oven to the pastor’s home for the class.  We arrived late, bringing 2 guests, and  Beth and I had to carry the oven up the back porch stairs and into the kitchen area where the class was going on.  We got about half way across the kitchen floor, and suddenly Beth said, “Is it OK that I still have my shoes on?”  I just about died… Even when carrying the heaviest of objects into a  house, the Japanese ALWAYS take off their shoes.  Always.  Beth tried to slip off her shoes, but it was difficult to be discreet while still carrying a heavy oven!

            March 2002

This season our tickles have seemed to focus on FOOD in Japan:

Eric was excited to make a chicken recipe we found that could use our crock pot.  He went and bought a two-kilogram (5 pound) bag of frozen chicken thighs…. Put them all in the crock pot with some other wonderful ingredients one morning before we left for a very busy day.  We came home that evening around 7 pm and our whole home smelled so delicious….He served it up on top of hot rice, and we dug in…. And discovered that Eric had cooked us up five pounds of chicken skins!  We had to wonder WHO would ever BUY five pounds of chicken skins?  Stay tuned….

During Allison and Anthony’s visit with us, our pastor treated  all of us to a dinner of Sendai’s specialty beef.  Anthony loved it, and had two portions!  It wasn’t until our drive home that we told our visitors that they had both just eaten a whole lot of cow tongue.  They promised revenge…

Their revenge came very soon after, though they didn’t have to do very much to plan it.  The day that Allison and Anthony were flying back to New Jersey, our neighbors Mr. And Mrs. Yoshida called us up and asked if we’d like to go and have yakitori (chicken on sticks) with them. We were excited for this opportunity!  Molly was our evangelist in meeting the Yoshidas… we met Mrs. Yoshida when she was on her daily walk with her 2 dogs– one very big, one very small (their picture was in our October newsletter).  This was a great opportunity to hang out with them.  At the restaurant, we all shared a big plate of chicken sticks—yum!!  We were content and full.  Then came… main course!  Our host began serving us one stick after another… the first stick:  chicken livers.  When he made sure we were done that,  the next stick:  chicken hearts.  The third stick, in answer to our question above on number 1:  a stick of chicken skins.  Wow.  And finally, saving the best for last, a stick of chicken intestines.   Double wow.   Perhaps  this, too, is all part of having a learning posture….

October 2001