Number 19

Japan 19

This morning I am writing with the soundtrack to Space 2001 playing in the background. Dana’s sister gave it to him as a Christmas present and he is enjoying it this morning.

Speaking of Christmas, we had a very nice one, although it was a little different from what we are used to. Christmas eve, we had clam chowder and a tray of Japanese appetizers that we picked up at the store for dinner and then we decorated a birthday cake for Jesus. The girls had lots of fun with the cake, after that, we opened presents and played. Christmas morning, we went to church and then to lunch at a nearby restaurant. We spent most of the rest of the day just relaxing at home.

Since Dana has been off work, we have spent some time just driving and exploring some of the nearby towns. Dana and the girls have also been playing with their racecars and working on craft projects. I have been trying to get ready for our new school year that begins Monday. It has been nice to just be together and enjoy the gifts that God has given us.

I neglected to mention in my last chronicle that I broke my foot yet again. I suspect when I get home it will require some serious care by a good podiatrist/surgeon, but I will cross that bridge when I get there. In the meantime, my doctor is sending me a special brace from the states and I am wearing my cast that I brought with me until it gets here. I also bought a cane to help me with balance

Monday, we met our friends from Yamaguchi at Tokyo Disneyland. It was so nice to see them again. We had fun going on rides, eating caramel popcorn and watching the parade. Because of my foot, I decided to rent a motorized wheelchair to get around. It actually worked out pretty well because Charlene liked to ride on my lap and I could keep up with our group walking. It was a cold day but pretty outside but I don’t think we noticed the temperature too much until we sat for two hours waiting for the parade.

Disneyland is having a Countdown to 2000 parade from the 26th-30th and then a special event on the 31st. I thought it was neat to be able to see a parade that would only be running for a few days. I guess Disneyland is pretty much like Disneyland any place you go. Snow White’s castle seemed to be bigger that the one in Anaheim, but most of the rides were similar. There were a few rides that Anaheim used to have and Tokyo still does, but for the most part it seemed very familiar.
One thing that we did observe is that the Japanese people go crazy for Mickey and Minnie Mouse! They scream like you’d think they had seen a real mouse and go crowding for a picture with them. I couldn’t believe it! It wasn’t a gentle crowd. The other time that we noticed that the Japanese seem to lose their politeness is when it is 10pm, the park is closing and they are shopping for their souvenirs and presents. Disneyland certainly has that market figured out. It was very unusual to not see someone carrying a large bag of “presento’s” around the park or to his or her car.

Tuesday, we met our friends briefly at the Ginza section of Tokyo to say goodbye. We all hope to see each other again, but are not sure if or when that will happen. Still, they will always be our special friends in Japan. After that, we went to a hobby store and then to a bookstore with a good foreign section. (I have the receipts to show how good!)

Wednesday, Dana took the girls out for the day, so I could work on putting our school schedule together. I had a very productive day. Dana and the girls seemed to have had fun too!

Well, with this being the last day of 1999, I thought it might be appropriate to look back at what we have learned during our time in Japan. Some things were not as they originally seemed. I am sure there will be more lessons over the next few months, but here is the start…
1) The straw-like floors are called tatami’s, not the pads that you put down to sleep on. The pads are called futons.
2) Futons are more comfortable if layered.
3) It is a lot of work to fold up futons everyday, so I don’t.
4) It is possible to get ‘real’ size drinking glasses in Japan; you just have to go to an American military base to do so.
5) Folding 1000 paper cranes takes a lot of time!
6) It is not necessary to drive 6 hours one-way to buy a turkey in Japan. They are available at the department store 5 minutes from home!

I know there are more lessons than that, but that is all I can think of for now.
Well, I had hoped to get a Christmas message out, but I never got that done. Know that you were and are in our prayers. We didn’t get all 1000 cranes folded, but we did include all of the names that were sent in our prayers. We have been working on getting our family web page together with the chronicles and pictures. We will let you know as soon as we are finished.

As the clock counts down toward midnight, may there be peace in your heart and may the Jubilee 2000 bring you joy and love. (I suppose electricity and water wouldn’t hurt either!) God bless you.

Blessings and prayers,
Marion