Peace

Reminiscing

Shirokanedai Primary School Visit
and
Reuniting with Friends



I was so happy to see Segawa Sensei and Kyoko the other day! Segawa was our professor at Hope College for my freshman and sophomore years and Kyoko was our TA. I hadn't seen them in about a year and then Segawa had emailed me to see if I wanted to get together for dinner and drinks. She took us to this cute little restaraunt in Takadanobaba, a place where she had dined and drank at during her school years. It was called Ninjinya - which means Carrot Shop. I had such a good time and loved catching up with them! David and Rachel were there as well, so it was a little class reunion.

Checking out the little desert display.

Rachel, listening in on conversation.

Trying to decide if we were going to brave the chilli peppered chicken. It was so spicy! The entire meal was about 6 or 7 courses. And I was STUFFED afterwards. Segawa spoiled us and paid for the whole thing. So, we are definitely taking her out when she comes back to Holland. She'll be coming back because she recieved a research grant to study ex-missionaries in West Michigan. Or at least that is what I understood from the conversation in Japanese.

The chopsticks and holder - a fresh carrot.

Just last week, I was given the opportunity to visit the Shirokanedai Primary School for a whole day, sit in on classes, eat lunch with the kids, and share stories with them and play games. I pass this school every morning on my way to my classes at Meiji Gakuin University, so it was nice to be able to step inside and take a closer look.

These boys were definitely trouble in the classroom. But they had wonderful personalities and were so energetic and vibrant, something that you don't normally see in everyday Japanese society. Maybe it was because they were still so young. Regardless, it was a breath of fresh air to be placed in such an environment. Even if only for one day.

Here are some of the sixth graders whose class I sat in on. They were such a blast! And you can see the baseball that one little boy is holding. He pulled it out of his backpack and signed it and gave it to me as a present.

The whole class. What a riot!

Eating lunch. The lunch was absolutely wonderful. But once again, the teacher saw how big I was and put extra rice and miso on my tray.

Middle of May

Things have been going by so fast lately. I cannot believe that we are nearly halfway through May. Wow. It has been a while since I have updated, so here I go. Recently I have done a lot and been to many different parts of Tokyo. The above picture is taken of me in the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Offices in the Observatory. I was researching Shinjuku and had to do a presentation for one of my classes and thought it would be nice/appropriate to get some skyline shots.

Enjoy coffee after running around Shinjuku.

Can't get away from the Anchor. I saw this lit up in Yokohama and immediately thought of Hope. I was in Yokohama for the day with some friends. (Kei, Hirokazu, Mariko, Yu - all have been to Hope before and Kei is coming back for an entire year, starting in the fall.)




Sunset in Yokohama

The view over the city skyline from the Yokohama Bay Port was amazing. I had no idea that I was going to see a sunset like this one. Really, these pictures do not o it any justice at all. In the pictures you can see Landmark Tower (the tallest standing building, not structure, in Japan (I went up into the observatory at night to see the lights and view of the city), the famous sky wheel, and Yokohama Bay. It was the perfect end to the day.

At Karaoke (we needed to take a break from walking) and a view of China Town, Yokohama.

I am absolutely in love with this picture. To start, Yokohama is a very diverse place. They are celebrate 150 years to the end of national isolationism this year. Yokohama was the first port to open up to the outside world. So, as you can imagine, there are many different cultures in the area. On one block, next to the boardwalk, there was this line of different shops and restaurants. Some were 50's and 60's American Diners, some were Dutch, some French, and then there was a Hawaiian Restaurant. And this dog was out in front of the shop. He lived there and had a little door to go back into the storage unit right next tot he shop entrance. We watched him for a bit and he would just relax and watch the people stroll on by. I decided to stop and give him some attention and pet him and snapped a few shots. He was quite interested in the Icee's that we had. His face was priceless.


Earlier in the day, we went out into Yokohama Bay in Paddle Boats. And yes, they even make their paddle boats smaller in Japan. My knees were to my chest.



So, those are the most recent pictures that I have taken here in Japan. I have been really busy with school. Just this week, I had two presentations, two essays in Japanese, and so much more busy work. I am getting used to it all, but it is still a little overwhelming at times. It is so hard for me to believe that this week is almost over. Here I am, at the start of Friday, and I can remember the start of the week like it was yesterday. It is all blending together.

On Wednesday night, I play basketball with a club team here. This past Wednesday was my first time going. And as soon as I walked in, I noticed that I was the only non-native Japanese speaker there. I stood out like a sore thumb. Nonetheless, I was thrown onto a team and proceeded to play 5 games on basketball (from 4-7 pm). It was a long night. I was really surprised at how skilled most of the players were. And fast. And since we all know that I am not fast (not at all) I had to introduce some of my game to them. They were quickly acclamated to the way that I set screens, boxed out, and rebounded. After knocking a few people down, I think that I earned my place on the court as "that slow, strong kid." I had some good assists and some points up on the board so it was nice to not leave the court empty-handed. Actually, the team that I was on one the majority of our games. I had a blast!

More to come later!

Love and Peace from Tokyo,
Seth

Golden Week

I am exhausted. I am tired from thinking. I am tired of walking. I am tired. Simply tired.

All I want to do in the morning is sleep. I think that tomorrow will be a good day for me to sleep and catch up with work and letters. School has been a little overwhelming at times. But I think that is due mainly to the circumstances that I encounter and deal with outside of the classroom.

I've been worrying a lot, lately. And it is often hard to sleep. But I am sure that once Golden Week is over, I will be fully operational once again. Thursday is going to be a very busy day, but I am trying to be optimistic that it will be productive and go by quickly.

Last night, I went to Odaiba (comparable to Navy Pier of Chicago, but a little larger) and it was quite interesting. We visited many different places and were able to see the beach, Tokyo Bay, and all of the beauty of the port city. At night, we rode the Giant Wheel (かんらんしやん）and it was great. The view was spectacular. We were able to see all of the lights from all of the skyscrapers in Tokyo. We even say the Tokyo Tower. Even though I am not much of a heights person, I did enjoy it.

Also, these past few days, I have been been back and forth between school to watch my friend, Kei, in a Badmninton Tournament. He is a very skilled player and is the top of his team. I was actually quite amazed with the sport and the way that it is played. I have never seen a competition quite like that. They played well and Kei won most of his games. The overall team, Meiji Gakuin University, finished third. 1st went to Yokohama City Commercial University and 2nd went to Tokyo University.

Enjoy the videos and pics. I keep trying to stay as updated as possible.

Love and Peace,
Seth

Reaching the Top of the Sky Wheel in Odaiba.