Monday, August 26, 2019
こんにちは!
Why is Japanese food so good? Seriously, can someone look it up for me? I can't use Google and I really want to know if there's some sort of ingredient (I wouldn't know cause I can't read the 漢字 (kanji= the Chinese characters that Japanese stole) on the ingredients Ogata姉妹 uses)... (This is a long email btw)
Spiritual Stuff:
Last week during our weekly planning session we made it our main goal to 頑張ります (ganbarimasu= do our best) when it comes to finding. That day, after about an hour and a half of unsuccessful housing (though I'm starting to find it fun), we felt like we should go to the 駅 (eki= train station) and talk to people. But first, we decided to drop our bikes off at the apartment. We left the apartment, rounded the corner, and stopped a young woman who was walking by. Turns out, she had just moved into the area for work and doesn't know anybody yet, is my age (19), Christian, and 100% willing to take a Book of Mormon and check out our church sometime because she hasn't found one in the area yet! We exchanged LINEs and have been talking since! She wasn't able to come to church because of work, but she was so sad she couldn't come. We love her already!
The next day, the only attendee of our weekly Book of Mormon class was a completely unknown woman who remembered the Salt Lake Olympics, likes researching other Christian religions, and saw the sign for our class while she was in town. She has a love for anything and everything that will help her learn more, and while she lives in Tokyo we're excited to keep in contact with her and help her grow!
Ogata姉妹 continue to be amazed with the fact that blessings really do come as soon as you dedicate yourself to the work. We'd been having several weeks of no success, and within the space of a couple days saw more miracles than my entire time here! We're loving it.
Some Things I Forgot to Talk About Last Week:
We have 2 new cute, young, female 英会話 (eikaiwa= our free English class) students! They're the opposite in every way of our other students. We're going to start a separate class for them this week because they're very lost with the level 2 stuff that we're teaching our regulars, but we're so excited!
Daily Life/Fun Stories:
Went to a legit ramen shop last P-Day for the first time! There was no AC so we almost died but it was actually very cathartic, eating burn-your-tongue-off-hot ramen while sitting in the boiling shop. Delicious. Also, recognized some of the music that was playing, including some kpop, anime songs, and others.
Last P-Day we went back to Odawara Castle and actually went inside this time! It was 500円 (a bit under $5) but well worth both the views and the discovery that Odawara Castle was the residence of the Houjou family during the Warring States period. And that Houjou family symbol was the Triforce. Yes, that triforce. And now it makes so much sense why I've been seeing it on signs, sidewalks, and more places all over town.
One day during language study Ogata姉妹 was trying to say "Plan of Salvation" but it kept coming out as "Plan of Salivation." When she asked why I was laughing so hard, I looked up the word salivation and soon she too was dying. We proceeded to say things like, "I will cook some delicious food tonight!" and die some more. It's the little things.
I keep getting told that I look like Snow White, I'm so pale. I mean, wrong hair color, but thanks? It's kind of funny because in Japan it's the opposite of the US, everyone wants super pale skin instead of tan skin. Tanning here is bad news. And instead of people saying "I'm so white!" people say "I'm so black!" Interesting cultural difference.
On Tuesday we had interviews with the mission president in Kichijoji, which was great, except we had to prepare to go on splits with the STLs afterwards... Which meant we ended up running late... Which meant, oh no, we had to take the 新幹線 (shinkansen). For those of you who don't know what the 新幹線 is, it's Japan's bullet train. Yes, that bullet train. And no, it doesn't feel like you're going fast at all. You can stand up and walk around just fine, even when it's slowing down and speeding up. And it sped up a lot.
It was fascinating riding the 電車 (densha= train) around Tokyo as we traveled the rest of the way to Kichijoji, because it really made me realize that Odawara is, in fact, a very small city, and very different from Tokyo. I can't wait to see the various places I'll travel during my time in Japan!
Splits were so much fun! The very first thing we did was get lunch at a Japanese pizza buffet, which, let me tell you, was a whole experience (see "New Foods" section). Other things include talking to people on the train, trying (and failing) to find people to talk to on the streets, and more. I was paired with Wang姉妹, who goes home after next transfer, and who also happens to love BTS and have the same bias as me! So yes, we got along very well. Although, we did run out of toilet paper while we were staying at their apartment and it was Tuesday...
On Friday, we got invited to eat sushi with that couple who usually takes the missionaries out for udon every month (it's a Sunday this next time so we switched it up). I was so surprised when I ended up actually liking everything that I ate! (See pic) My favorite was the ひらめのえんがわ (hirame no engawa= the meat at the base of a flounder's fin), which is apparently pretty unsual, especially for a 外人 (gaijin= foreigner), as most people like tuna and/or salmon. Speaking of tuna, while we were eating, a worker brought out a full-on giant tuna. As in a huge, probably caught that day, fish. Which he proceeded to cut up and make into sushi. Which was absolutely delicious and you could taste the difference.
I love パンパーティー! Literally translating to "bread party," パンパーティー (pan paatii) is the Japanese version of a munch and mingle. Only better, because there's actually enough food for a full meal and you don't have to re-eat lunch when you get home. See pics below!
New Foods:
-Legit RAMEN. With quail egg, which it was also my first time eating.
-Japanese pizza, specifically tuna and calamari, Godiva chocolate, and more *Warning: do not eat while thinking of it as pizza*
-bavarois/ババロア/Bavarian cream = delicious heaven, made by a ward member who's very skilled
-SUSHI: squid, some sort of shellfish, tuna, salmon, shrimp, flounder, and more that neither I nor Ogata姉妹 could identify (all of it raw).
-warabi mochi
-yakuruto (that really tiny banana drink you see people drinking in manga and anime all the time)
-konbu (some sort of kelp) and umeboshi (pickled plum) onigiri
-zerii (Japanese jello)
-durian candy (not that bad, but also not good)
-calpis (water version)
-nasu no miso itame
-gyoza harusame soup
-purin (basically Japanese flan)
-indo karee (Indian curry. But in Japan and so slightly different. Still delicious)
-okonimiyaki! Finally!
About the Pictures:
- So hot. But so delicious and so worth it.
- Finally got back our zone conference pic! Love our Fujisawa Zone, aka he smallest zone in the mission. (Please ignore my very shiny face and firzzy hair)
- left= Godiva chocolate "pizza." right= tuna and calamari "pizza" (along with some attempts at normality)
- We're so spoiled.
- Our branch before the パンパーティー! Love them all.
- パンパーティー!
- indo karee! Yes, that garlic Naan was really that big!
- A shrine I saw while on splits
- Love Odawara's ocean!
- Yet another gorgeous sunset
愛してます!
-スナ一姉妹
No comments:
Post a Comment