It has been an interesting month. This time of year is beautiful in Tokyo. All of the leaves are changing color to golden yellows and crimson reds. The Japanese are even beginning to put out the Christmas lights and trees. Explaining why Jesus is the reason for the season has made transitioning to spiritual conversations an effortless endeavor. This is in contrast to the do-you-believe-in-God approach, which tends to catch students off guard. Culturally speaking, in Japan, God is typically an afterthought if at all. Discussions of a spiritual nature are far from commonplace. This reality differs from the environment I was raised. But recently, I have discovered that I am in much more foreign territory than my first impressions led me to believe. My heart has been in a unique place lately. In a sense, I think my heart has simply been in somewhere else. My emotions seem to have suffered some sort of inhibition; the range is slight. Experiences that used to make me want to perform a celebratory back flip now yield a warm smile. Instances that used to weigh heavily on my heart receive this sort of frown and shrug combo. I failed to recognize this emotional detachment at first, but more and more it has come to my attention. So amid the holiday hoopla, I set out to find what brought me to this unique season of my own. I think I have pinpointed the problem. It’s Japan. Perhaps that is too broad and somewhat accusatory. I believe being in Japan has got me all out of rhythm. Before coming here, I received great preparation and training. A portion of that instruction was dedicated to experiencing a new culture, as well as the shock that comes with it. I think all of the talk about all things familiar I would soon miss and the overwhelming effect of a new culture resonated with me before coming. So my defenses went up. Sure, I had that initial thought of, “What have I got myself into?”. But after that brief first impression I felt as though all was normal. The adjustment seemed to be much quicker and painless than I had anticipated. It is apparent things aren’t that simple. Lately, I have become more aware of my circumstances. I am in a different world. Physically, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually; nothing is as it was. I live in a new land, speaking a new language, with all new people, new ideas, new philosophies, new beliefs, and few encounters with the familiar. Naturally, it was a little dose of the familiar (my girlfriend Rana) who helped me recognize this stoic demeanor I‘ve been stuck in.
Since identifying my heart’s current condition, I’ve been able to be intentional about seeking it out. I have discovered the beginnings of recovery. Prayer has been key (no one knows my heart better than God). Talking through it has helped. Accepting that it’s ok to miss those old familiar things works too. So be praying with me about this. I will say that my heart feels softer by the day and this is a good thing. Be encouraged, as I have been lately. So rather than talk about all the junk I miss at home, which you all probably are either freely enjoying or taking for granted, I thought I would share a few things which flirt with familiarity only to mix in a Japanese twist.
1) Japan is a dog and cat culture. I don’t care for cats (at all), but here I actually don’t mind them as much. The cats here are the cleanest breed of roaming animals I have ever encountered. They are literally cleaner than some domesticated cats I know of in the US. Perhaps in an effort to differentiate his pet from the roamers, I witnessed one man walking his cat on a leash. This was an exciting lifetime first for me, and although I say “walking the cat,” standing around with the feline would be a more accurate representation. It’s the dogs here that fascinate me though. Most come in small sizes (like all things Japanese). I have probably seen more pugs than anything. Owners like to don their pups in trendy little outfits and hats to strut around town in. These dogs are incredibly well trained. For weeks, I was beginning to forget what a dog bark sounded like. Japan is remarkably quiet, especially in the evening (which also happens to be prime dog-walking time). I have spent time in libraries more raucous than this tranquil metropolis of 35 million people. I do have a suspicion that the dogs that don’t stay in line get sent over the bay to that country with a fondness for canine cuisine.
2) The yaki-imo truck. This is simply a truck that sells yaki-imo, roasted sweet potato. The best description I can muster for the yaki-imo truck is the sinister Japanese cousin of the American ice cream man. This truck drives around town slowly, with two glowing, orange paper lanterns and the loudspeaker humming a drawn out “yyaaaakkkkiiiimmmmooooo” chant. The scent of burning charcoal and sweet potato emanates from the smoke stack of the trucks on-board furnace. I can’t help but notice however that the truck only appears after thick cloud-cover has canopied the vicinity of this rolling merchant. Sometimes the weather has been poor all day, other times the sun was shining vibrantly just moments prior to the trucks emergence. This meteorological phenomena isn’t quite as apocalyptic as the rolling clouds the aliens followed in the film Independence Day, but there is something suspicious about this truck. No one trusts the stranger who lurks in the shadows, but that catchy “yyaaakkkiiiimmooo” chant is enough to keep me interested in a bite.
3) Macodonarudosu. That is the Japanese pronunciation for McDonald’s. There is one I pass almost every day just 100 meters from the local train station. I have this dilemma which I am hoping all of you loving readers will help me with. First, a little background: I am even less fond of this establishment than I am of cats. Not because the food isn’t good (I find it tasty), or because the food is dreadfully unhealthy (nothing a little running can’t overcome), but simply because of what McD’s represents to me. That is, all things McDonald’s related have this direct association to lowness. The food quality is low, the majority of my past experiences dining there were subpar, and I have this general impression that a consistent portion of their clientele can be lacking in class as well. When I worked on a farm last summer the three most common forms of litter I picked up were beer cans, cigarette packs, and McDonald’s food wrappers. I’m not saying everyone who indulges in an Arch Deluxe is automatically qualified for a Jeff Foxworthy joke, but I’d be lying if I didn’t say one’s potential increases. So back to my dilemma. I told myself I would not eat at McDonald’s this year, so as to not detract from the purest and richest experience of Japan I can afford myself. This was an easy commitment. Upon my arrival however, I discovered that the McDonalds’ out here have menu items completely unique to the regions. Entrees such as teriyaki burgers and shrimp mcnuggets caught me a little off guard. I now find myself debating whether trying these unique items will increase the fullness of my experience here, or if going to McDonald’s Tokyo will detract from my experience, just as eating there could potentially detract from one’s life experience anywhere. I would love to hear all of your thoughts on this matter. In honor of the late Vincent Vega, I will strongly value the feedback of any persons who have consumed a Royale with cheese.
Saturday, December 15, 2007
Seasons Greetings
Sunday, October 28, 2007
Japanese Joy
Hey there again everyone. Sorry for the delay since my last update. I'm still figuring out the ins and outs of this whole blog culture. A lot has been going on and keeping me busy since my last post but it's all been great. So I guess that's where I will start. I am feeling great. I had a very encouraging week and I have really enjoyed this past month. Blessed is a good word to describe how I'm feeling. I think a number of things have contributed to this, the first being prioritizing and valuing my time spent with God. A few weeks ago, I was feeling this sense of disconnectedness from everything. I felt disconnected from my team and ministry, my close relationships back at home, God and even myself. Relationships in general just felt static. What made the situation even worse, I couldn't figure out why. Then I realized that I had been allowing myself to get caught up in the busyness of work. I think the most significant time I had allowed to depreciate was my time spent with God and in His word. I thought about my times I had been reading scripture and spending in prayer and not only were they rushed and brief, but I usually had crammed them into some lull in my schedule, hardly allowing me any opportunity to be engaged. This wasn't the first time I had discovered myself doing this, but I felt fortunate to have recognized the need for adjustment in this spiritual discipline. Since reevaluating and being intentional about spending quality time with God, I have seen vast improvement in my relationships as well as an increase in my joy. This week during my team’s Wednesday night dinner, we discussed a chapter out of The Life You've Always Wanted by John Ortberg. In the chapter, Ortberg discusses the topic of joy. He paints a really neat picture of how joy is the most intrinsic quality of God's character; above anything else, God is joyful. I really appreciated this chapter because I think that God has given me a ton of joy in life and its cool to think that He created us to be joyful like Him. So with that being said, I would like to share some of the joys I have had recently.
1) Ministry time. Ministering to college students, in a nutshell, is the reason I am in Japan. My team's goals are to see new students make decisions to place their faith in Jesus Christ, and to see the faith of these new believers as well as current believers built up and sent out to share their faith with others. Unfortunately as many of you know, Christians are about as common in Japan as carne asada (I am trying to avoid all of the petty "rare" and "tough"-to-find meat puns that are coming to mind right now). Because of the spiritual condition of students here, the team's primary role for now is to go to the university campuses and share our faith with others. This can be a difficult task, especially when one considers both language and cultural barriers. I have found both to be obstacles at times, but like I said I have been very encouraged as well. Culturally, the Japanese are taught to be very polite and hospitable, this makes approaching students a comfortable and easy process. The problem however, is that their desire to not offend you, combined with a fairly high shyness factor, creates a recipe for a student who will agree with everything you have to share with them (i.e. God's existence, His Love for us, Man's sin nature, Jesus Christ's sacrifice and compensation for our sin nature, etc.) and then they either, "suddenly have to go" or seem to become extremely busy when the time comes for follow-up meeting number one. This week though, I have really enjoyed my time spent sharing with students. One guy, Yuki, questioned why it is I would come all the way to Japan just to meet with college students and talk with them about a God they don't believe in. He thought it seemed pretty meaningless, especially for someone like me already in my mid thirties. After clearing up that I'm actually a modest 22 years old I got to explain to him that from a materialistic perspective, my prospects didn't look too bright, but from an eternal perspective, getting a student to realize that our life on earth is temporary and that we have the opportunity to spend eternity with the Good and Perfect God of the Universe, I have a pretty sweet gig. I have had a number of similar, real and authentic conversations with students this week. Granted people weren't placing their faith in Jesus left and right, but the discussions have been honest and engaging, and I have come to accept the reality that if I can connect with students and share truth with them effectively, then God is the one who is going to work on that planted seed. It's been great. But I will add that I would be stoked to see some new believers. I was reading a proverb the other day and it says that a man who tends to a fig tree gets to enjoy its fruit, and I can't help but think that with all this sowing the team is doing, I hope we don't have to wait too long for some figs. I invite you to pray with my team that God is working on student's hearts out here. So the honesty (sometimes a bit blunt) of students has been a blessing and a source of joy.
2) Rana. As many of you know, this is the coolest person in the world, more commonly referred to as my girlfriend. She is an intern with Campus Crusade for Christ at Michigan State and often my greatest source of both joy and encouragement. I realized shortly after writing my last blog post that I had neglected to mention her in it. This error was both highly unusual and slightly unjust. Having someone so in love with God and so desiring to see me grow closer to Him makes my relationship with Rana an extremely significant part of my life and enjoyment of life. God has truly blessed our relationship so much that I can't think of a single negative thing about it, except maybe the thirteen time zones between us.
3) Surfing in Japan. I got to surf every day this summer. It probably wasn't the roughest transition out of college. Needless to say, packing up and coming to Tokyo put a hitch in this routine. But about two weeks ago, my good friend from USC, Jon Whitmore (he and his wife lead the Tokyo Stint Team East; my team is Stint Team West) and myself took the six AM
train out of Mitaka. Two hours, two train transfers, and a three-kilometer walk later, Jon and I were standing on the black sand of Ichinomiya Beach in Chiba staring at steady and consistent eight foot sets (waves) rolling in with about fifteen surfers sitting in the lineup. We were somewhat relieved because we chose to surf this weekend due to a typhoon swell that had been building for about a week (meaning good/big wave conditions) but when we stopped by a board shop near the beach, the guy said he wouldn't rent boards to us because the surf was too big. After finding a different surf shop willing to rent us a couple of junk boards, we paddled out and it was a blast. Sure the sets looked gigantic once we made it out and the occasional ten footers weren't exactly settling on the nerves, but I managed to catch a few waves early on and get a feel for my board as well as the waves. After about six waves caught, five mental adjustments and three tumbles, I was feeling pretty confident. Fairly soon, a nice peak rolled in and I was in a pretty awesome spot, so I paddled, aimed my 7'6" plank to the left, dropped in, and rode the longest wave of my life. It was awesome. I still get goose bumps when I think about it. I ended up paddling in, because the shore was so much closer than the lineup, and running down the beach to this jetty area that formed a sort-of protective bay that made paddling back out super easy. We surfed for about three hours straight before hiking back to the train station where I slept all but about 3 minutes of the train ride back. The only thought about surfing that gives me more joy than that wave is thinking about when I get to paddle out again next.
4) Basketball. Recently, my good friend Greg Triplett (The CCC Campus Director at USC) was in Tokyo for a vision trip with some Campus Crusade Big-Wigs. On the morning of Greg's departure, he, Jon, Jared (one of the guys on my team) and myself went to this outdoor park to play a few pick-up games of hoop with the locals. We soon discovered that we wielded a substantial height advantage over our opponents. All four of us are at least 6' tall and there may have been two other guys all day who were close to eye level with us. If you've seen One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest (If you haven't, please do because it is a brilliant film), it was like four Chiefs running around the court. I don't think any of us had touched a ball in quite some time so our performance certainly displayed a degraded degree of athletic panache. But a polished game was not necessary. We would drive to hole time after time and grab all the offensive rebounds which opportunity afforded. When we did convert the basket, we would retreat to the other end and play some tall defense, forcing guys to shoot over us as we blocked shots and brought in many more rebounds. At the end of the session, I think we went undefeated through six games. Dominant and fatigued, we retired to the sidelines leaving our many defeated and downtrodden foes to duke it out for a distant second place. We concluded that in the six games, our team made a total of three outside shots, two of which were made by the 5' Japanese guy we picked up as our fifth. Too many details about this experience were too hilarious to not be joyful.
5) Friendly locals. Since I can remember, I have always had this inexplicable tendency to find an establishment in which I become a regular and befriend the work force (it’s kind of like I inherited some sort of “Cheers” syndrome, only I never watched the show). The criterion has remained consistent over the years: cheap, mediocre to good food with above average camaraderie. In Chino, it was Chill Bill and his two Greek sons at Super Chili Burger. In Ocean City (NJ), it was Angelo and Pascuali at the Dollar Slice. In Antioch (IL) it was Boris, at the café appropriately named Las Vegas. Even at USC, I knew Terri at Calmart and Jesus at Chano's. I suppose it's only fitting that after a month here, I've already made a couple buddies. Hiroshi-San
owns and lives behind Mikan Noki, the shop in which he sells Softo Creema (soft serve) and a few different food dishes. Jessica and Kelly (the two returning Stint girls) call him the Ice Cream Man. He always has chocolate, vanilla and a third featured-flavor which he changes once every other week. I always try to get the new flavor on opening day. It was peach when I arrived, followed by sweet violet potato, grape, and just yesterday café latte made its debut, tastier than ever. He also cooks really good Gyoza(Chinese pot stickers), Ramen, Yaki-sobu (similar to ramen but on a plate rather than in a soup), and a delicious fried rice omelet. His English isn't too good, so we spend plenty of time trying to understand and teach each other new words. These drawn out single-word lessons don't help the fact that rapid food preparation isn't one of Hiroshi’s strengths, but it does increase the time I get to hang out with him. The second joint I am growing fond of is Indra, an Indian curry restaurant owned by a Nepalese fellow named Emerit. As it turns out, he was always super nice to the Stint team here last year and usually gives them all sorts of free bees. The first time I went, he gave us a big old platter of cheese nan (like cheese melted in a pita bread), and last week, he gave my roommate and me a free bowl of curry. I try to go at lunch because that is when you get all-you-can-eat rice and nan with your curry. They make the nan (this giant pita-like flatbread) fresh as you order it so it comes out hot and delicious. I also really enjoy the company of the cook, Bondy. He's also Nepalese, but looks Indian, and just stands looking over the counter with this endearing smile like he is really enjoying watching you eat. I think he makes the girls a little nervous, but I love him. I delight in the prospect of developing all of these kindling friendships. Plus, I think I‘ve always had a desire to be that guy who saunters into a crowded establishment and simply orders, “The Usual.”
Anyhow, I realize I have been writing quite a bit, so I will finish this post with another cultural tidbit. In Japan, they have three written alphabet's Kanji, Hiragana, and Katakana. Kanji is the alphabet most people are familiar with. This alphabet has something like 2000 characters, and it’s the meaning of the different Kanji symbols that gives words and sentences their meaning. Hiragana is the alphabet used for phonetic spelling of Japanese words. (In case this is unclear: Their, They're and There would all be written the same in Hiragana because they are all pronounced the same way, but it is through their different Kanji symbols that the meaning of each is distinguished.) This is why books use both alphabets simultaneously. Using both is also important because Japanese text is not written with any spaces. This makes my head hurt to think about, so I'll continue. Katakana is the third alphabet. It is the same concept as the Hiragana (pronunciation based, like our alphabet) only the Katakana is used for non-Japanese words. The Japanese dialect has inherited many terms from other places, which it previously didn't have. Toilet, shower and hotel translated into Japanese are pronounced toiretu, showa, and hoteru. Hopefully all of this has made sense. I tell you this only because in an effort to further integrate with the culture, I have learned Katakana. I walk down the street and stop every few steps to read what a sign says, and I love it. To me, it feels like doing one of those logic puzzles I thoroughly enjoy, only when I solve these, it has a tangible and useful result. I will admit practicing as I go about my day does effect the duration of a simple commute, but it has been helpful. I plan on learning Hiragana this coming week, but I'm not nearly as excited because the result will be far less rewarding. Learning Katakana is like learning a new form of English. Learning Hiragana will be kind of like how I already know how to read French. I can recite every word to you, just don't ask me what it means.
1) Ministry time. Ministering to college students, in a nutshell, is the reason I am in Japan. My team's goals are to see new students make decisions to place their faith in Jesus Christ, and to see the faith of these new believers as well as current believers built up and sent out to share their faith with others. Unfortunately as many of you know, Christians are about as common in Japan as carne asada (I am trying to avoid all of the petty "rare" and "tough"-to-find meat puns that are coming to mind right now). Because of the spiritual condition of students here, the team's primary role for now is to go to the university campuses and share our faith with others. This can be a difficult task, especially when one considers both language and cultural barriers. I have found both to be obstacles at times, but like I said I have been very encouraged as well. Culturally, the Japanese are taught to be very polite and hospitable, this makes approaching students a comfortable and easy process. The problem however, is that their desire to not offend you, combined with a fairly high shyness factor, creates a recipe for a student who will agree with everything you have to share with them (i.e. God's existence, His Love for us, Man's sin nature, Jesus Christ's sacrifice and compensation for our sin nature, etc.) and then they either, "suddenly have to go" or seem to become extremely busy when the time comes for follow-up meeting number one. This week though, I have really enjoyed my time spent sharing with students. One guy, Yuki, questioned why it is I would come all the way to Japan just to meet with college students and talk with them about a God they don't believe in. He thought it seemed pretty meaningless, especially for someone like me already in my mid thirties. After clearing up that I'm actually a modest 22 years old I got to explain to him that from a materialistic perspective, my prospects didn't look too bright, but from an eternal perspective, getting a student to realize that our life on earth is temporary and that we have the opportunity to spend eternity with the Good and Perfect God of the Universe, I have a pretty sweet gig. I have had a number of similar, real and authentic conversations with students this week. Granted people weren't placing their faith in Jesus left and right, but the discussions have been honest and engaging, and I have come to accept the reality that if I can connect with students and share truth with them effectively, then God is the one who is going to work on that planted seed. It's been great. But I will add that I would be stoked to see some new believers. I was reading a proverb the other day and it says that a man who tends to a fig tree gets to enjoy its fruit, and I can't help but think that with all this sowing the team is doing, I hope we don't have to wait too long for some figs. I invite you to pray with my team that God is working on student's hearts out here. So the honesty (sometimes a bit blunt) of students has been a blessing and a source of joy.
2) Rana. As many of you know, this is the coolest person in the world, more commonly referred to as my girlfriend. She is an intern with Campus Crusade for Christ at Michigan State and often my greatest source of both joy and encouragement. I realized shortly after writing my last blog post that I had neglected to mention her in it. This error was both highly unusual and slightly unjust. Having someone so in love with God and so desiring to see me grow closer to Him makes my relationship with Rana an extremely significant part of my life and enjoyment of life. God has truly blessed our relationship so much that I can't think of a single negative thing about it, except maybe the thirteen time zones between us.
3) Surfing in Japan. I got to surf every day this summer. It probably wasn't the roughest transition out of college. Needless to say, packing up and coming to Tokyo put a hitch in this routine. But about two weeks ago, my good friend from USC, Jon Whitmore (he and his wife lead the Tokyo Stint Team East; my team is Stint Team West) and myself took the six AM
train out of Mitaka. Two hours, two train transfers, and a three-kilometer walk later, Jon and I were standing on the black sand of Ichinomiya Beach in Chiba staring at steady and consistent eight foot sets (waves) rolling in with about fifteen surfers sitting in the lineup. We were somewhat relieved because we chose to surf this weekend due to a typhoon swell that had been building for about a week (meaning good/big wave conditions) but when we stopped by a board shop near the beach, the guy said he wouldn't rent boards to us because the surf was too big. After finding a different surf shop willing to rent us a couple of junk boards, we paddled out and it was a blast. Sure the sets looked gigantic once we made it out and the occasional ten footers weren't exactly settling on the nerves, but I managed to catch a few waves early on and get a feel for my board as well as the waves. After about six waves caught, five mental adjustments and three tumbles, I was feeling pretty confident. Fairly soon, a nice peak rolled in and I was in a pretty awesome spot, so I paddled, aimed my 7'6" plank to the left, dropped in, and rode the longest wave of my life. It was awesome. I still get goose bumps when I think about it. I ended up paddling in, because the shore was so much closer than the lineup, and running down the beach to this jetty area that formed a sort-of protective bay that made paddling back out super easy. We surfed for about three hours straight before hiking back to the train station where I slept all but about 3 minutes of the train ride back. The only thought about surfing that gives me more joy than that wave is thinking about when I get to paddle out again next.4) Basketball. Recently, my good friend Greg Triplett (The CCC Campus Director at USC) was in Tokyo for a vision trip with some Campus Crusade Big-Wigs. On the morning of Greg's departure, he, Jon, Jared (one of the guys on my team) and myself went to this outdoor park to play a few pick-up games of hoop with the locals. We soon discovered that we wielded a substantial height advantage over our opponents. All four of us are at least 6' tall and there may have been two other guys all day who were close to eye level with us. If you've seen One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest (If you haven't, please do because it is a brilliant film), it was like four Chiefs running around the court. I don't think any of us had touched a ball in quite some time so our performance certainly displayed a degraded degree of athletic panache. But a polished game was not necessary. We would drive to hole time after time and grab all the offensive rebounds which opportunity afforded. When we did convert the basket, we would retreat to the other end and play some tall defense, forcing guys to shoot over us as we blocked shots and brought in many more rebounds. At the end of the session, I think we went undefeated through six games. Dominant and fatigued, we retired to the sidelines leaving our many defeated and downtrodden foes to duke it out for a distant second place. We concluded that in the six games, our team made a total of three outside shots, two of which were made by the 5' Japanese guy we picked up as our fifth. Too many details about this experience were too hilarious to not be joyful.
5) Friendly locals. Since I can remember, I have always had this inexplicable tendency to find an establishment in which I become a regular and befriend the work force (it’s kind of like I inherited some sort of “Cheers” syndrome, only I never watched the show). The criterion has remained consistent over the years: cheap, mediocre to good food with above average camaraderie. In Chino, it was Chill Bill and his two Greek sons at Super Chili Burger. In Ocean City (NJ), it was Angelo and Pascuali at the Dollar Slice. In Antioch (IL) it was Boris, at the café appropriately named Las Vegas. Even at USC, I knew Terri at Calmart and Jesus at Chano's. I suppose it's only fitting that after a month here, I've already made a couple buddies. Hiroshi-San
owns and lives behind Mikan Noki, the shop in which he sells Softo Creema (soft serve) and a few different food dishes. Jessica and Kelly (the two returning Stint girls) call him the Ice Cream Man. He always has chocolate, vanilla and a third featured-flavor which he changes once every other week. I always try to get the new flavor on opening day. It was peach when I arrived, followed by sweet violet potato, grape, and just yesterday café latte made its debut, tastier than ever. He also cooks really good Gyoza(Chinese pot stickers), Ramen, Yaki-sobu (similar to ramen but on a plate rather than in a soup), and a delicious fried rice omelet. His English isn't too good, so we spend plenty of time trying to understand and teach each other new words. These drawn out single-word lessons don't help the fact that rapid food preparation isn't one of Hiroshi’s strengths, but it does increase the time I get to hang out with him. The second joint I am growing fond of is Indra, an Indian curry restaurant owned by a Nepalese fellow named Emerit. As it turns out, he was always super nice to the Stint team here last year and usually gives them all sorts of free bees. The first time I went, he gave us a big old platter of cheese nan (like cheese melted in a pita bread), and last week, he gave my roommate and me a free bowl of curry. I try to go at lunch because that is when you get all-you-can-eat rice and nan with your curry. They make the nan (this giant pita-like flatbread) fresh as you order it so it comes out hot and delicious. I also really enjoy the company of the cook, Bondy. He's also Nepalese, but looks Indian, and just stands looking over the counter with this endearing smile like he is really enjoying watching you eat. I think he makes the girls a little nervous, but I love him. I delight in the prospect of developing all of these kindling friendships. Plus, I think I‘ve always had a desire to be that guy who saunters into a crowded establishment and simply orders, “The Usual.”Anyhow, I realize I have been writing quite a bit, so I will finish this post with another cultural tidbit. In Japan, they have three written alphabet's Kanji, Hiragana, and Katakana. Kanji is the alphabet most people are familiar with. This alphabet has something like 2000 characters, and it’s the meaning of the different Kanji symbols that gives words and sentences their meaning. Hiragana is the alphabet used for phonetic spelling of Japanese words. (In case this is unclear: Their, They're and There would all be written the same in Hiragana because they are all pronounced the same way, but it is through their different Kanji symbols that the meaning of each is distinguished.) This is why books use both alphabets simultaneously. Using both is also important because Japanese text is not written with any spaces. This makes my head hurt to think about, so I'll continue. Katakana is the third alphabet. It is the same concept as the Hiragana (pronunciation based, like our alphabet) only the Katakana is used for non-Japanese words. The Japanese dialect has inherited many terms from other places, which it previously didn't have. Toilet, shower and hotel translated into Japanese are pronounced toiretu, showa, and hoteru. Hopefully all of this has made sense. I tell you this only because in an effort to further integrate with the culture, I have learned Katakana. I walk down the street and stop every few steps to read what a sign says, and I love it. To me, it feels like doing one of those logic puzzles I thoroughly enjoy, only when I solve these, it has a tangible and useful result. I will admit practicing as I go about my day does effect the duration of a simple commute, but it has been helpful. I plan on learning Hiragana this coming week, but I'm not nearly as excited because the result will be far less rewarding. Learning Katakana is like learning a new form of English. Learning Hiragana will be kind of like how I already know how to read French. I can recite every word to you, just don't ask me what it means.
Friday, September 28, 2007
Tokyo: Opening Week
Welcome to my blog. I’ve never done one of these before and I haven’t ever spent more than a couple of moments looking at one either, so my familiarity is limited to say the least. Nonetheless, I figured these blogs are a good tool for publicizing my thoughts and experiences as I go about them. I assume any individual remotely interested in reading this already knows me and what I’m doing, but for the sake of formality, here’s a brief introduction: I was fortunate enough to feel a tug on my heart to dedicate at least a year of my life to “full time” ministry, specifically to do so oversees. So after many hours of prayer and consideration, I committed to spending a year interning with Campus Crusade for Christ, doing college ministry in Tokyo. The time came to honor that commitment, so here I am in Tokyo. Granted, there are plenty more details that went into my getting here, like the $45,000 God provided for me to live off, but I’m anxious to talk about the here and now. So that’s what this blog is all about: My year in Tokyo. Hopefully, it will give you a little taste of what an amazing year I know it’s going to be. I am excited to share Japan with you; I am excited to share the lives of Japanese students with you; I am excited to share this year of my life with you; but most importantly, I am stoked to share my God with you and how I trust Him to significantly impact all of the above this year.
So here I am, in my new hometown of Mitaka, smack dab in the center of Tokyo, Japan. I have been here a week now and what a busy week it has been. This is only my second time being oversees, so the immersion into a new and very foreign culture has proven to be both challenging and rewarding. I think my initial fatigued impression as I stepped off of the train into this ultra-urban setting of flashing lights, high-rise buildings, and massive hoards of people was, “What have I gotten myself into?” All of the excitement and anticipation leading up to this wonderful adventure had accumulated into this overwhelming sense of doubtfulness and discomfort. As I looked around, I saw signs I couldn’t read, heard conversations I couldn’t follow, and received greetings I couldn’t respond to. I had anticipated all of this, but by the time my team and I arrived at the Student Impact center (the Japan Campus Crusade for Christ headquarters) I couldn’t help but feel the humbling discomfort of inadequacy. I was a square peg in a world of round holes; there was certainly no place for me here. As I continued to process the reality of my circumstances, I began to pray, “Tell me again God, why is it You called me here?” It wasn’t long before God encouraged me with a valuable lesson through all of this.The next day, four of my five teammates and I were riding on the train on our way to visit some local tourist spots. Getting a good nights rest helped ease some of the tension of my first impressions, but I still felt uneasy and out of place. I am leading the team of six along with my Co-leader, Jessica, so to better equip myself I am reading a book on Christian leadership entitled In the Name of Jesus by Henri J.M. Nouwen. There was one significant passage which really ministered to me as I read on the train. He writes:I am deeply convinced that the Christian Leader of the future is called to be completely irrelevant and to stand in this world with nothing to offer but his or her own vulnerable self. That is the way Jesus came to reveal God’s love. The great message that we have to carry, as ministers of God’s Word and followers of Jesus, is that God loves us not because of what we do or accomplish, but because God has created and redeemed us in love and has chosen us to proclaim that love as the true source of all human life. (P. 30)Amen Henri, amen. At this moment, I could feel the burden of my circumstances lift off my shoulders as I underlined each word of this paragraph. All summer long, as I prepared for Japan, I knew God was challenging me to be vulnerable and uncomfortable to the point where I would learn what it means to truly rely on Him. I even looked forward to this point. Well, I tell you my friends, I have arrived; and it feels really good. Not the vulnerability and inadequacy so much, but the understanding that I serve a God who knows what is best for me, so much that He will lead me out of my comfort zone and cause me to push my limits, all so as to reveal the depth of His love for me and the goodness of His character. I sit here humbled by the reality that God’s grace is sufficient for me and I couldn’t tell you the last time I truly experienced that. I’m less than a week into this excursion and God has already been rocking my world. Needless to say, with the burden lifted, I was able to enjoy the rest of the day and the many cool spots we visited. A few of the cooler things we saw was an old temple in Asakusa, the electronic Mecca of the world- Akihabara, and a 360 degree view of the entire Tokyo skyline at night from atop the Tokyo Tower. It turned out to be a memorable day.
What I find myself appreciating this week- The Smiles of the Japanese. The Japanese, while a highly hospitable and accommodating culture, place a high value on privacy. When I say privacy, I mean it’s rare to even establish eye contact with someone on the street. Sometimes on the train, I will prolong my gaze in the direction of other passengers until they acknowledge my presence so I can flash them a smile. This doesn’t happen very often. The JCCC staff members however, have been a huge encouragement. In a culture where casual friendliness seems lacking, the staff demonstrate their great appreciation for my team’s presence here with sincere and heart warming smiles and thank-you’s. My fondest memory though, occurred while I was walking down the main boulevard towards my apartment one afternoon when someone shouted, “Excuse me.” I must have been thinking about something significant because it wasn’t until the third “excuse me” (in English, mind you) that I realized someone was trying to get my attention. When I finally turned to see who it was, I saw an elderly gentleman on the other side of the street with a fisherman’s hat and cane. He had the most delighted expression on his face as he shouted a simple, “Hi!” I was so caught off guard that I was barely able to mutter a “hello” back before he turned to continue on towards his destination. This may seem petty, but it was a triumphant moment. It lifted my spirits. My heart felt the joy in that fellow’s aged face. These moments have been highlights of my week. While not the world leader in orthodontics, the Japanese smile is a beautiful thing.
Finally, a cultural tidbit from my week- The Japanese are the epitome of efficiency. This can be seen in everything from the water conserving sink/toilet combos to the escalator stand/walk etiquette. Nowhere is this more evident than in the waste management department. There is a trash pick-up virtually every day of the week and they always pick up different items. My kitchen has bins for burnable items, non-burnable items, plastics, PET bottles, cans, a combined miscellaneous section of items such as recycled clothes and glass waste. I just scratch my head when its time to discard something as simple as floss or my gum wrapper.
So here I am, in my new hometown of Mitaka, smack dab in the center of Tokyo, Japan. I have been here a week now and what a busy week it has been. This is only my second time being oversees, so the immersion into a new and very foreign culture has proven to be both challenging and rewarding. I think my initial fatigued impression as I stepped off of the train into this ultra-urban setting of flashing lights, high-rise buildings, and massive hoards of people was, “What have I gotten myself into?” All of the excitement and anticipation leading up to this wonderful adventure had accumulated into this overwhelming sense of doubtfulness and discomfort. As I looked around, I saw signs I couldn’t read, heard conversations I couldn’t follow, and received greetings I couldn’t respond to. I had anticipated all of this, but by the time my team and I arrived at the Student Impact center (the Japan Campus Crusade for Christ headquarters) I couldn’t help but feel the humbling discomfort of inadequacy. I was a square peg in a world of round holes; there was certainly no place for me here. As I continued to process the reality of my circumstances, I began to pray, “Tell me again God, why is it You called me here?” It wasn’t long before God encouraged me with a valuable lesson through all of this.The next day, four of my five teammates and I were riding on the train on our way to visit some local tourist spots. Getting a good nights rest helped ease some of the tension of my first impressions, but I still felt uneasy and out of place. I am leading the team of six along with my Co-leader, Jessica, so to better equip myself I am reading a book on Christian leadership entitled In the Name of Jesus by Henri J.M. Nouwen. There was one significant passage which really ministered to me as I read on the train. He writes:I am deeply convinced that the Christian Leader of the future is called to be completely irrelevant and to stand in this world with nothing to offer but his or her own vulnerable self. That is the way Jesus came to reveal God’s love. The great message that we have to carry, as ministers of God’s Word and followers of Jesus, is that God loves us not because of what we do or accomplish, but because God has created and redeemed us in love and has chosen us to proclaim that love as the true source of all human life. (P. 30)Amen Henri, amen. At this moment, I could feel the burden of my circumstances lift off my shoulders as I underlined each word of this paragraph. All summer long, as I prepared for Japan, I knew God was challenging me to be vulnerable and uncomfortable to the point where I would learn what it means to truly rely on Him. I even looked forward to this point. Well, I tell you my friends, I have arrived; and it feels really good. Not the vulnerability and inadequacy so much, but the understanding that I serve a God who knows what is best for me, so much that He will lead me out of my comfort zone and cause me to push my limits, all so as to reveal the depth of His love for me and the goodness of His character. I sit here humbled by the reality that God’s grace is sufficient for me and I couldn’t tell you the last time I truly experienced that. I’m less than a week into this excursion and God has already been rocking my world. Needless to say, with the burden lifted, I was able to enjoy the rest of the day and the many cool spots we visited. A few of the cooler things we saw was an old temple in Asakusa, the electronic Mecca of the world- Akihabara, and a 360 degree view of the entire Tokyo skyline at night from atop the Tokyo Tower. It turned out to be a memorable day.
What I find myself appreciating this week- The Smiles of the Japanese. The Japanese, while a highly hospitable and accommodating culture, place a high value on privacy. When I say privacy, I mean it’s rare to even establish eye contact with someone on the street. Sometimes on the train, I will prolong my gaze in the direction of other passengers until they acknowledge my presence so I can flash them a smile. This doesn’t happen very often. The JCCC staff members however, have been a huge encouragement. In a culture where casual friendliness seems lacking, the staff demonstrate their great appreciation for my team’s presence here with sincere and heart warming smiles and thank-you’s. My fondest memory though, occurred while I was walking down the main boulevard towards my apartment one afternoon when someone shouted, “Excuse me.” I must have been thinking about something significant because it wasn’t until the third “excuse me” (in English, mind you) that I realized someone was trying to get my attention. When I finally turned to see who it was, I saw an elderly gentleman on the other side of the street with a fisherman’s hat and cane. He had the most delighted expression on his face as he shouted a simple, “Hi!” I was so caught off guard that I was barely able to mutter a “hello” back before he turned to continue on towards his destination. This may seem petty, but it was a triumphant moment. It lifted my spirits. My heart felt the joy in that fellow’s aged face. These moments have been highlights of my week. While not the world leader in orthodontics, the Japanese smile is a beautiful thing.
Finally, a cultural tidbit from my week- The Japanese are the epitome of efficiency. This can be seen in everything from the water conserving sink/toilet combos to the escalator stand/walk etiquette. Nowhere is this more evident than in the waste management department. There is a trash pick-up virtually every day of the week and they always pick up different items. My kitchen has bins for burnable items, non-burnable items, plastics, PET bottles, cans, a combined miscellaneous section of items such as recycled clothes and glass waste. I just scratch my head when its time to discard something as simple as floss or my gum wrapper.
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