六月一日

Some of my first impressions of Japan:
1. Beautiful. Driving back from the airport on day 1 we passed miles and miles of rice fields which looked absolutely stunning. Everything is very green here in Chiba and the neighborhood I am staying in has many traditional houses with beautiful architecture. This neighborhood also has a small Shinto shrine and Buddhist temple both of which display artful craftsmanship. Early this morning I was able to run along the paths of one of the many serene parks in the area. 

2. HOT! It is the beginning of the rainy season here (梅雨 "tsuyu") and many houses and buildings do not have air conditioning. It is almost perpetually 蒸し暑い "mushiatsui" (hot and humid) with the exception of the early morning and sometimes evening. 

3. Active. Every day on the way to school I see dozens of children and students walking to their schools. People are riding bikes everywhere. Even at 5:00 in the morning people are out and about. Most of the necessary stores are in walking distance so most people don't need to drive. Not to mention that the gas is very expensive and roads small and confusing. I already have blisters on the back of my feet from walking, but I feel much more healthy and energetic overall.

4. The food here is amazing! The night we arrived we went out for Korean barbecue (oddly enough) which consisted of roasting our own pieces of meat on a little grill in the middle of a table and dipping them in our choice of sauce. To say it was delicious (美味しい "oishī") is an understatement. Every day so far I have bought for my lunch a little stuffed rice ball called "onigiri" from one of the many コンビニ "konbini" (convenience stores). So far that and "senbe" (flavored rice crackers) are my favorite Japanese snacks.

 
First train ride 
  
Ramen!
Trip to the mall

Japanese supermarket  
 
Neighborhood Shinto Shrine enterance, called "Torii" 鳥居⛩
 
New building at CCSI (left) 
Story time in elementary English class, (much enthusiasm).
 
Learning phrases like "my name is..." "happy birthday..." "nice to meet you..." etc. 

 
(CCSI genkan above) Many Japanese buildings have a small space of stone or tile floor at their entrance, called a "genkan." This is where shoes are taken off and slippers put on, in order to keep "dirty" spaces separated from "clean" spaces.

More pictures and a weekly prayer update to come! :) 

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