Lunch Time In Japanese Schools

Here is a glimpse into my everyday life, here in Japan.

Children's Beer こどもビール (Kodomo Biiru)

Today, I did an American culture lesson with my students, where they learned about New Years celebrations in America. I showed them a few pictures of how Americans celebrate New Years and one of the pictures showed people doing a toast with glasses of champagne. I would have never showed a picture of an alcoholic beverage if I was teaching in an American elementary school but because the perception of alcohol in Japan is very different compared to back home, I was sure that it wouldn't be a problem even if they discussed it.

The Japanese don't consider drinking alcohol a negative thing in at all. Some people even think that if you don't drink, you are a bit strange. The drinking of alcohol is so much so accepted, that they even show adults in cartoons drinking alcohol.

 
 Anyways, during the lesson the homeroom teacher was asked to talk about Japanese New Years traditions and then compare them to American traditions. In one of my more rowdy classes the teacher pointed out the toasting picture and (remember that I don't fully understand their language yet but...) I think he asked them if they drink a little bit of alcohol to celebrate the New Years.
 He even made a gesture of drinking a little bit out of his hand. I was guessing that that's what he would do with his kids. But some of the kids said yes, they do taste some alcohol during the celebration, which wasn't surprising to me.

 
I once heard of my co-worker going to a hot spring that was infused with ume (sour plumb) alcohol and people could order countless ume drinks and even pour it into the water. He went on to tell me that there were a few kids that were actually drinking the water that they were bathing in and some drunk men began to pour their drinks into their mouths, after being asked by the kids, and the kids parents thought it was quite funny and clapped their hands to show their amusement to what was happening.

Anyways, what actually shocked me was when one child said that he sometimes drinks "kodomo biiru" (children's beer). I was like WWHHHAAAAATTT! That's a real thing?!!! And apparently it is. I guess the alcohol companies know how to start them off young.

Watch these kids. They be acting crazy in the beginning in the video and they're not even drunk yet.

A few kid approved beers.

So Japanesey: Steampunk Lolita

Yesterday, I went to Harajuku, Japan for the first time and had a few hours to kill, so I just decided to get lost. It was the best! Japan is AMAZING! I love it. From the fashion, to the food, to the historical sites; Japan has so much to experience and see.

I've heard of the popular Lolita style in Japan, but yesterday I came across a whole row of stores that specialized in the Lolita sub-culture. And what did I find? Steampunk Lolita clothing and accessories!!! It was amazing how perfectly these two styles meshed together. I absolutely loved it!

 

The Outsider

Sometimes, I feel like this when I go to church. I think, that's the reason why it's difficult to go to a big church, because people already have their groups and unless someone feels the obligation, no one might reach out and talk to you. But then I think that this is perhaps a spiritual battle as well, where  the isolation really isn't coming from other people but the idea is actually coming from something that is happening in my own mind.

But it comes down to this... I need to put myself out there if I am to make friends, so I do, even if it's difficult, I do it anyways and hope for the best. Thankfully, it seems that many people who attend the church I am going to now, are fairly good at reaching out to people and helping them feel welcomed. I am very grateful to the people who have reached out to me, and invited me to events, because if they didn't I wouldn't be able to make any friends or become connected to other Christians.

I hope that I can be they type of person that reaches out to the outsiders. I hope that I am the person who keeps his eyes out for people who need to be included and welcomed. I hope that I am the person that helps connect people to the Kingdom of God.

Japanese Trick Shots

I thought this was a great video to show you what Japanese schools, and what high school uniforms look like. And it's a pretty darn cool video too.

In Pursuit of the Next Goal

 

"... goals are simply statements of faith."

- Pastor Rick Warren, author of A Purpose Driven Life

In Japan, they have the phrase "Ganbatte!" They say it all the time. It can mean many different things, when translated into English, depending on the situation, but the feeling of the phrase is always the same. It can mean: "Do your best." "Good luck." or as it says above "Give it your all and FIGHT!"

I have decided that my next goal I want to pursue is a career in music. I've tried this once before and failed (well, I didn't fail but I just didn't achieve it). But I'm not the kind of person who gives up. My goal in life is to inspire people to dream BIG and to zealously go after their biggest dreams. I wouldn't be following my own advice, if I decided that I should just leave some dreams as simply dreams.

That's the main reason why I moved closer to Tokyo. I needed to be in a place where I had access to the entertainment industry. But now that I'm here in Tsujido, I'm having the most difficult time in actually going out to do something in entertainment. I have a few ideas though. I'm thinking about looking into joining a hip hop class near my apartment. I'm also thinking about registering with talent agencies in Tokyo. And ideas, will be what they will continue to be until I take some action on them.

But I have these hindering thoughts. Here is a list of the continual jabber I hear whenever I try to do one of those ideas.

You're not talented enough.
You're not good looking enough.
You're not tall enough.
You're not confident enough.
You're not young enough.
You're not...
You're not...
You're not...

Furthermore, these thoughts are then supported whenever I tell someone about my goal and they give me this look that seems to say, "Really?"

But then after hearing all those voices, I hear another voice. I believe that it's the Spirit of God. 
And this voice tells me, "It doesn't matter if YOU don't think you're good enough. Do it anyways. Even if you don't have faith in yourself." 
Then I think, "Yeah. It doesn't matter what I think of myself. It doesn't matter if I have self-confidence or not. Because, I don't need to have confidence in myself. I only need to have confidence in God. And if I believe that God brought me thousands of miles to Japan to help me achieve one life long goal, He can surely help me achieve the next. All I need to do is take a step in that direction. It doesn't matter if I think I'm going the right way or if I'm making the right choice. What matters is that I'm taking a step and trusting that the God who brought me this far will continue to bring me to the next place He wants me to be."

But then here I sit in my room. Typing this blog post, when I should be figuring out how I'm going to route my trip to Tokyo for interviews with talent agencies, and going to that studio to see if I can enroll in a dance class...

I need prayer. I need people to pray for me, even if they don't think that I'm good enough, or good looking enough, or talented enough. They can still pray that God give me the spiritual and physical favor and support to do His will, to do whatever it is that He brought me to Japan to do.

Please pray for a boost of energy to get these things done, and for God-given favor to achieve His will.

“Don't be afraid of death; be afraid of an unlived life. You don't have to live forever, you just have to live.”

― Natalie Babbitt, Tuck Everlasting 

At The Japanese Supermarket

     I was just at the supermarket and I needed to know if I had to cook a fish before eating it, because it looked like it was already cooked. But instead of saying, "I'm sorry, I don't speak Japanese," I think I said, "I'm sorry I'm American."