Merry "early" Christmas

Kie and I met at Tully's to kick off our Christmas celebrating with a live set. We listened to a saxophone and guitar combination and it was amazing. This guy could wail. He played some Christmas music, his own stuff, and some American favorites. He was really good.
The guitar player totally whipped out a ukelele and I almost signed up for lessons right then and there. I had never heard a ukelele live so it was rad. I was sold that it is my new favorite instrument.
Ah, yes...
and then I got home and Mary and I started preparing for the BEST club Christmas party. Our house is an official disastor site. We haven't had any time to clean so we just kept piling on the ingredients, mess, and dishes. This is what it looks like at our apartment to throw a Christmas party.
Apparently at 4AM I thought that using my cookie for a mitten was hilarious. Which I still think is pretty silly but perhaps 4AM is a little too late to be making cookies. They were delicious though.
Mary and the mess... at about 2AM. We called it quits at 4AM and actually doing a lot of it the night before helped us greatly. We were not stressed at all the next day which was great because we made a ton more the next day and got ready ourselves. (I took a leisurely hour and a half to get ready which was AWESOME. Hooray for doing my hair and feeling girly again. ha ha)
At the party...
I love this picture...
Mary~ goregous and dressed up~ elbow deep in mashed potatoes. We didn't have a big spoon. I snapped our wooden one in half trying to stir. So she used the next big thing... her hands.
HEY Kelli, remember at Nicole's wedding when you taught me how to do my hair like this? Well, I totally did it. And I love it. Thanks friend. Also, how do you get the front to look good? I had some difficulty with the front. It wasn't nearly as cute as the back. I also tied ribbon around the rubber bands and pulled them through. You can't see them too well in this picture though.

Then we had the BEST club Christmas party. Mary and Tomo organized the whole thing. It was AMAZING. Merry Christmas BEST CLUB! We had a fun party December 15th with amazing food, three speakers, and some new games. Abby was my helper in the kitchen. While Mary was emceeing I kept sneaking back and forth to the kitchen to get everything ready. It was fun. Although Abby and I did some testing of the dessert while we were alone in the kitchen. :) ha ha
I gave my first speech in Japanese. I wrote it and then Yuri, a student in BEST and my friend, translated it for me. He wrote it out about a month ago and I've been practicing ever since. I was INCREDIBLY nervous~ I do not like to give speeches, even in English, but everyone seemed to understand me, by God's grace alone, I am sure.
Everyone enjoyed talking and eating together.
Mary really wanted to do gingerbread houses and even though graham crackers and frosting are two things NOT easy to find in Japan and they were our main ingredients, she held her ground. We went ahead and got everything and she was AMAZING putting it together.

The gingerbread houses were judged by Abbie and Josiah.

The winners were "Mommy" (Jin) and Kie (picked by Josiah)

Abbie chose Yuri and Dan's gingerbread house.

We had two speeches; the first one was given by Himeji, a Christian student from Utsunomiya BEST club. He talked about his personal story and how he became a Christian.
The second speech was given by Tomo; staff from Utsunomiya BEST club. He talked about Santa Claus's history and how it ties into the gospel. (Saint Nicholas) Sorry if these are a little sketchy on the speech content... they were in Japanese.
Afterwards we moved outside to exchange gifts and say goodbye. Dan, an exchange student from U-Nebraska Lincoln, is leaving this Monday. Everyone is sad as for the past three months he has been able to join our B.E.S.T. events. Dan will graduate this Spring with a degree in international studies and then will serve the United States with the Marines for four years. We are so proud of him and wish him the very BEST at what God has for him next. PLEASE come visit us again, Dan.
Here the students are giving him a farewell gift. Dan bonded with the downtown guys a lot.

BEST club guys (minus Yuri who had to catch his train)

The BEST club girls
My friends from downtown Tokyo.

Mikkun, Ty, Masashi, and Mamoru

Sooo.... Dan's leaving and all the girls are sad. Ha ha!!
It was a great party. THANK YOU MARY who organized the WHOLE thing. Thank you Tomo and Himeji for coming to speak to our BEST club.

It's been one year for me, exactly, here in Japan. Crazy business.
Well, one Christmas party done... two to go. Ha ha!!

To My Sidekick

A birthday poem...

ahem....

Happy Birthday to you,

to the guy who always knew,

that sticky situations require a laugh,

and if him you didn't like, he didn't give a pooh.

But who doesn't like this guy?

He could be friends with a fly...

And console your aching mind

with suggesting a jeep to buy.

But let me take this time,

to tell you why best friends he's mine.

I'll never forget the fight I got him stuck,

surrounded by 9 year old punks~ he was really in a muck.

But did he ever gwibble, wibble or whine?

No way, he acted just fine.

When college came I wrote letters

and trusted you with tears...

wanting to trust someone with all my fears.

Then there came the duty call

where he went and fought for us all.

I remember being scared

about you being away so far,

but that was probably because I crashed your car.

I'll never forget that day, or wanting you at home to stay.

Flying out to Wyoming in the sky, clear blue...

only to sleep the entire time I was with you.

You making me laugh

you have such a humorous craft.

Teaching me to pop up on one wheel,

or stacking the deck when you would deal.

But we're no longer those little kids,

and that makes me sad,

remembering all the fun we had.

Knowing you are far but I'm the one that's away,

sometimes makes my blue day, grey.

I wish I could make these moments magic,
and make you pants from quilted fabric,
but I know you are in hands of gold.

With the best wife whose equally bold.

And not only Rocket's but in the One,

who causes our lives to weave and spun,
never quite knowing when we'll be blessed

in each others companies I'm always impressed.

Dear Jordan, Thank you for the giving me your sunshine for when I am the one who is alone.... So many times you saved me and never even knew, leading me onward when I was the one who was supposed to lead you. So many memories are on the nightside. Walking barefoot in the high times....**

Happy Birthday! And until the next time we can walk barefoot together again... I remain your little sister and faithful laugher of the other 3/4 of your jokes. ;)

Going, going, gone.

One year, it's been one year since I've arrived in Japan. It's crazy to think about this past year and to think about all the roads I could have taken and have taken.

I can't quite put my finger on the feeling of whats flowing through me. Sure, it's only a year. I've had 24 of them... what makes this one so special?

So different?

I can't tell you.

It's like I said goodbye to a good friend, both inside of me and outwardly. There was a path and a choice and I feel like I took it. But had to part from something else.

I laugh when I think about how naive I was when I arrived in Japan. I remember going to the midterm retreat and watching those that had been here years longer than my two weeks and I remember wondering what was so different about them. It's like passing soldiers; I was fresh, new and full of energy. Their eyes held secrets. Secret prayers, wishes, hopes, and disappointments.

I'm not saying I'm not still naive... I'm not saying I know what I'm doing or why I am doing it but I just feel different. Or at least the sense that I WANT to be different. I don't want to be the same person I was ten years ago, five years ago, one year ago... I want to change and be changed.

I saw the hat you've never worn but probably wear every day.
There you go- your face hidden in a million.
Some days, most days I wander where you'd gone.
To be lost in tossed cigarette butts, recycled trash, and songs I skip on my ipod.
Classic moment for the crazy.
Going, going, gone!

Gone like that moment, snow falling outside my window.
Airplane in the sky and then I was on it.
Sparkling,
jump rope,
laughing
crying.
Up, down and all around
Going, going, gone.

Clear's my new favorite color
cause then there'd be no secrets.

Puffy vests and Christmas lights.
Surrounded but alone
ring around the rosy
but we still fall down.

Beautiful like glittery packaged.
Right in front of my face but seemingly out of place.
Like me
going, going, gone.

Can I have a minute?

I'd like to take a minute to update you on my crazy life... but I only need a minute cause I have some things to do...

Asako took me home to meet the family. It was AWESOME. We saw hanabi (fireworks) and ate delicious festival food... and her Dad wore a kimono. It was a great weekend. She and I are here in this picture, eating these addicting pickled radish things. Her brother is in the background. Her family was so warm and friendly. They have a great relationship. She has two older brothers and a younger sister. Everyone was so friendly and I laughed the whole weekend. I was really glad I had just seen my family or I would have been really homesick after hanging out with Asa's family. But luckily I had just hung out with the Schupbachs. (and Icenogles wink, wink!)
So if you've been keeping up with my blog you know I have dizzy spells. So I decided to take vitamins. But because I refuse to be boring and because I am the baby of the family AND because my Mother loves that I am still her baby.... I now take my vitamins via gumball. I just chuckled as I wrote that. How ridiculous is it that I take my vitamins like a child? Actually, they are REALLY good (i love gumballs, period) and now I'm killing two birds with one stone and actually getting my vitamins when I chew these suckers. Don't they look good? Wooo and NOW with blue raspberry.

Hey Grandparents!!! These are the shoes you "got me" for Christmas. My Grandparents gave me money for Christmas so I went out and bought these cute shoes that I've been wanting. And I bought some new socks (how old and ridiculously mature is that? Aren't I still in the age where I don't notice the holes in my socks?) and.....
a planner for 2006. How cute is this planner? The writing says, "It's a sandwhich with Honey, Peanut Butter, and a Banana. It's really delicious."
Lately, I've been running around Tokyo getting some things done for our final push of BEST club until the winter slows us down a bit.

Things to look forward to:

Kie's Birthday Dec. 11

Fuyu's Birthday Dec. 12

going for my driver's license (please pray I'm SO nervous) Dec. 12
Jordan's Birthday Dec. 13

BEST club Christmas Party Dec. 15

Mitsuru's Birthday Dec 17

Jeremy's Birthday Dec 18

Christmas Party with my little kid English class Dec 21

Christmas Party with Upperclassmen Dec 22

Christmas Dec 25

Mikkun's Birthday Dec 25

Midterm Retreat Dec 25-28

Kelli "yeah baby" Burrier's Birthday Dec 26

Mary's Birthday Dec 27

Possibly Nagano Dec 28-30ish?

And...... snowboarding in December, February, and TEN DAYS IN HOKKAIDO IN MARCH!!!!!

So needless to say, we're having a ton of fun here and also, this blog is a bit boring but there are FUN things to post about in the very near future.

Now, I'm going to go and defrost my hands... winter is definitely here in Japan and my apartment. Brrrr.....

I am having some random thoughts... it might have to do with the fact that I stayed up all night in a Jonathan's Restaurant but I just wanted to say something MUY IMPORTANTE!!!

I've been trying to get a hold of Lorraine Gonzales and all her uiowa emails bounce back. Here ye! Here ye! I will give 500yen to whoever can get me Lorraine's information. I miss her.

On another random note; I've started listening to some new music. I've been thoroughly enjoying the latest find I've REdiscovered. WEST SIDE STORY! I know, I know. It's a little cooky but I can't help but be obsessed with it. I think it's because now I have the excuse to sing, "I Feel Pretty" walking through downtown Tokyo. I mean, I don't need an excuse to sing that song but I like having this one. Plus, I just really like the soundtrack.

Back to why I was awake all night... a group of us went to the fish market which is WAY COOLER in the early morning. But because it is on the opposite side of Tokyo we had to stay downtown in order to catch the right trains. We stayed up all night and then went to watch the fish come in and the auction at 4:30AM. It was amazing.

On our way... Emi, Mary, Naoko, Jean (Mary's sister) Asa and Jo
The fresh catch... shellfish
What a sad picture. The fish and it's fate...
And then we found the "entrance"...

There was so much fish from around the world. At a certain degree (like 50 below) fish will still "fresh" for two years. No joke.
They cut open a part of the fish and then judge and mark it with a red paint to show the quality of the fish.

See the guy flashes his flashlight into the fishes insides... it was SO cold in this room.
More fish... there was SO much.

Everyone had a lot of fun listening to one of the workers explain the process.

On my way out I saw a basket of fish that were STILL flopping around... they kept flopping out of this tub. Wow!

My personal favorite part about fresh fish. Eating them!

Kie and I enjoyed the days catch... yum yum!!

And when I say, "we enjoyed" I mean we really enjoyed.