Adventure to Takedao

      On the morning of the 31st, I awoke long before the other girls. With the sun up and shining, it looked like a beautiful day.  It was nearly nine by the time the girls were up and we had eaten breakfast. We were trying to decide what to do. Originally we had planned to go to USJ on Wednesday, but since it was getting late and it was Halloween, we decided not to go.  Instead we made an alternative plan: go on an adventure to Takedao! Mom and Dad said they would drive us down to the train station if we could get ready quickly. So we threw our stuff in backpacks and jumped in the car. Unfortunately due to an accident, the road to the train station was very backed up! So instead of having Mom and Dad wait through the traffic, they dropped us off at a nearby bus stop. The bus we wanted to get on was sitting at the bus stop when we pulled up, but we still had to cross the street! We waved goodbye to Mom and Dad. Then the light turned red. The traffic stopped. We ran across. The bus had waited for us! It seemed like somehow the bus driver must have thought that we were wanting to get on. Whatever the reason, it was nice to get on a bus right away! As soon as the three of us were inside the doors closed and we jolted into motion.
         We selected our seats near the back of the bus. Jenny and myself on one side and Tiffy on the seats across the isle. Admiring the views out the window we tried to fully enjoy our long bus-ride. Because of the accident, it took about 40 minutes for the 15 minute trip to the train station. Good thing was that we were together and we enjoyed commenting about the buildings, trees, and fields as we passed them. Finally, we arrived at the station! First stop was the 100 yen shop. We looked around for several minutes. Then we went upstairs to the 5th floor of the building. There was a small dermatology clinic that we heard would pierce ears. We walked in hoping to find out more details. After talking to them for a short bit and getting answers to our questions, we went down to McDonald's and made a plan. We would soon be departing for Takedao. But since in was noon we bought some lunch at McDonald's before heading out.

        After finishing lunch and chatting with a group of friendly old ladies, we went down to the train station, bought our tickets, skipped down the stairs, and then waited on our platform. After about 10 minutes our train arrived. The doors closed and we lurched forward, plunging into a dark tunnel. The tunnel was much longer than I had expected and took perhaps five minutes. The first station was Takedao, so we got off the train and climbed down the stairs. It was a tiny station. In fact it was so tiny that there was no man at the window and the ticket gates only worked one way! To get out of the station, we simply dropped our old tickets in a box and walked out!  Staring at a somewhat cryptic map, we figured out which way we should walk in order to get to the Takedao Onsen (the hot baths in Takedao).  To the right. Along the river. Next to the red bridge.

 Left: the river.  Middle: from inside the tunnel.  Right: Tiffy found a cubbyhole.

         Seemed pretty simple. We turned right and walked beside the beautiful river. The maple leaves were just barely turning colors and added to the beauty. After rounding a corner, we could see the red bridge. Walking through a tunnel, we came out near the bridge. Ahead we saw a nice, well-managed building that might be the Onsen. A friendly middle aged man greeted us from the front desk affirming that we had found it. After finding out how much it would cost, we decided to go. He handed us towels and gave us directions: down the hall, to the right, through the red curtain.

 One of the baths

We spent nearly two hours soaking in the hot water. It was quite enjoyable since no one else was there. It was Tiffy's and Jenny's first time to go to an Onsen so it was a new experience for them. Finally we got tired of sitting in the hot pools, so we made a plan for the rest the afternoon. After getting dressed, we thanked the staff and left.

           We explored the area a little more and found several inns. We also climbed down the rocky bank to have a closer look at the river. Tiffy found a cool crevice under a huge rock! We spent several minutes climbing around the rocks, before having a snack and returning to the train station.

           We got on the train with one last look at the river. Then we sped through the tunnel and back to our train station. We checked the time of the next bus and thankfully it only took the normal fifteen minutes to get back, so we were able to get home before it was completely dark.

        Thus concluded our adventure! Home. With soup, salad, and cookies. Games and family. Warmth and fun. We'll probably return to Takedao sometime again, but right now we're... home!

Octoberly-ness

      It has been a while since I've written and a lot has happened! Fall is always one of the busiest times of the year! I wanted to give you a quick update of what's been happening! 

      Last thing I wrote about was our trip to Osaka in September, which was amazing! Since then I've taught a bunch of English classes, worked at FBC on Rokko Island (http://www.fbcusa.com/), gone to the zoo with the family, went on a fabulous mother-daughter outing, ordered a computer, had family worship times, and decided on when to get my wisdom teeth pulled!  The last month just seemed to fly by!

     The weather has been perfect lately, which has been really nice for walking to my English classes. Several times a week I've been walking the 25 minutes to Sakuradai, down the hill, to teach English. I have really enjoyed teaching. With a variety of classes I've gotten to know several different families, gone into their homes, and seen how they interact with one another. I have now taught nearly two dozen kids between 4 and 10 years old and several parents. I have really enjoyed the experience. (kidswow.com)

       Yesterday Mom and I went to the Japanese hospital to check on getting my wisdom teeth pulled. Last month my orthodontist took an x-ray of my mouth and told me that I need my wisdom teeth pulled. =\ So yesterday Mom and I went first to our dentist to ask if he could pull them out.  After looking at the x-ray, he told us that it looked like too difficult of an operation. That was helpful information, so we went to the hospital knowing that it was our only option. After waiting a long time we were able to see the dentist in the hospital. He seemed like a nice, confident doctor which I'm happy about since he will be doing the operation. We had to decide whether we wanted to have my wisdom teeth pulled one at a time with about a month in between each time (this option would be much cheaper and would allow me to go home right after each operation) or we could have two or more pulled at the same time, but I would have to stay at the hospital for several days which raised the price by a lot. Hmm... After calling Dad, we decided to go for having all four pulled out at the same time. I will get them taken out on the 16th of November at either 1:00 or 3:00 in the afternoon. But I have to check into the hospital by 1:00 PM on Thursday! Then I will be staying Thursday, all Friday, probably all Saturday, and possibly Sunday too! I would really appreciate your prayers for that time. It's my first operation and my first time to stay at a hospital! So that is something new! :) 

       On a funner note, I really enjoyed going to the zoo with Mom, Dad, Tiffy, and Jenny on the twelfth of this month. We were able to leisurely enjoy being together, watching the animals. 

 

Little monkeys =)

 

       The coolest thing was when we looked at the bears. There was a single black bear in one of the closed in areas. When we went over to the glass to look at it, it was staring at us with its head pressed against the window. Tiffy sat down on little ledge right beside the glass and the bear opened up its mouth and looked like it was trying to take a juicy bite out of her arm!!! So glad that glass window was strong!! Those were some massive teeth! Then it raised one paw against the glass as if to try to get at her from a better angle. I would have to say that that was the closest I've been to a bear. I would not want to meet one out in the open! Another time the bear stood up against the wall perhaps to scratch itself. It was huge! It seems like it was probably seven or eight feet tall. Yikes! 

 Notice all the kids in the background

       The girls have been studying about birds in school this year, so we enjoyed seeing a variety of birds. It is so interesting to see the how differently God made birds. Some are big; some are small. There are all different colors, different shapes and sizes of beaks, different ways of moving around, a variety a feet, and so many kinds! Pigeons, sparrows, parrots, peacocks, flamingos, ostriches, penguins, eagles, owls, and cockatoos... (only to name a few)! Fascinating!

       Another highlight was our mother-daughter outing! Mom and I were able to go out on Wednesday the 17th and stay overnight at Shiawase no Mura! We had so much fun! It rained on Wednesday, so we did a little bit of shopping at Co-op Days, before driving to Shiawase no Mura. It was barely sprinkling (versus pouring) when we parked, so we decided to go putter golfing. We put on the ponchos that Mom had brilliantly thought to bring, then bought our tickets, and started playing. We were the only ones on the whole course! We were trying to decide whether that was because it was raining or because it was lunchtime. Pretty sure it was since it was lunchtime. =)

       By the fifth hole it was really raining! We were both getting drenched, but we continued playing in the rain! It was actually pretty fun! Since it was raining it didn't really matter what score I got. I could just enjoy the game and not be so concerned with how well I did. When we were finished we were both wet and hungry. So we went to a little restaurant and had a delicious tonkatsu set (breaded pork) with rice, miso soup, cabbage salad, and pickles. Yum! We then drove to our hotel hoping we could check in a little early and change out of our wet clothes, but we had to wait the thirty minutes until 3:00.  

     I loved our hotel room! I've been in two hotel rooms before and each time I have loved it! It felt like a miniature play house, but in real life. We had two cute little beds, a little couch, chair, and table, a shower room, a bathroom, a closet, and a tiny refrigerator. Loved it! 

 

     After getting in dry clothes, we settled down on our comfy beds and talked. We talked and talked and talked and talked, until finally we wanted some dinner. We went and got dinner, ate, played a game, and went to bed. In the morning Mom set out a delicious breakfast spread! So good! As we ate we decided what to do. After eating we packed up our stuff and checked out right on time at 10:00 AM. Then we rented bikes and cycled around the botanical garden for a half hour. Since it still wasn't raining we decided to go putter golfing again! There were a lot of people on the course (I guess cause it wasn't lunch time...). I got the same score as on Wednesday and Mom got one point under her previous score. =) It was fun!

      After golfing we drove to Costco, stopping at the thrift store on the way . We walked over to the mall next to Costco to look at Uni-Qlo, but didn't find anything we wanted. So we went back to Costco, ate lunch (it was really yummy), bought the groceries, loaded up the car, and started driving home. As we drove, the sun began to set in a gorgeous display of orange, yellow, and blue. As we watched (and took pictures) it got progressively more and more stunning. I felt almost like we were driving down some magical road in a fairytale. 

       As soon as we got home, we put away the groceries, cut and bagged the pizzas, and packaged the meat into smaller portions. Once we finished putting away the Costco items, Tiffy and I packed for working at FBC on Friday and Saturday. 

        On Saturday FBC was having their annual Halloween Open House event. Tiffy helped run the shop, while I was able to help with the 4 parties. I was in charge of leading a song activity with the help of volunteers from the Marist Brothers school. Although I was a little nervous in the morning about leading the songs for up to a hundred kids plus observers, when we actually started I felt quite comfortable. I made a point to stand in the front of the room and interact with the kids from the moment the party started in order to get comfortable with being in front of a crowd. We sang two songs which went really well! We had good response from the kids and they seemed to really enjoy it.

       I then sat in the photo corner for the rest of each fifty minute party. Parents would take pictures of their kids with me. Smile, smile, smile! I enjoyed it! We had a bunch of games that the kids would participate in and win prizes. Just before the party was over, we all paraded down to the river mall and back around to the FBC garden. We had a lot of fun! 

      Other news that I'm excited about is the fact that I ordered a computer! I hope to get it within a week! Our family has always been a Macintosh family, except that when Jas went to college he was given a Windows computer included in the college fee. I decided that I would really like to learn how to use Windows computers, so I ordered a Windows laptop! I'm looking forward to learning how to work with the different system. So I'm excited about that! 

       Life is cruising along! The months seem to fly! I am trying to decide on details for a trip to the U.S. early next year. I'd love prayers for wisdom and peace, that I would know what to plan and what I have to leave out or leave open. Thanks for all your love, support, and prayers. God bless!

Osaka in 10 Hours

         As we glided down the escalator, I watched an old village appear. Through the windows, we saw old Japanese style homes along a narrow street. Down a few stairs, we found ourselves in the scene. In the Osaka Museum of Housing and Living, there was a small village built to represent the Edo period (1603 to 1868) living conditions. In one of the small homes was a old-fashioned oven, in another was a small table with a tea set, behind a house was a tiny garden, and in front of another building were several examples of toys which may have been used during that time. We were able to dress up in kimonos and walk around the village. I tried to imagine what it would have been like to live in such tiny homes, with such narrow streets, and such primitive cooking tools.  What would it be like to walk around in a kimono all day, every day? How scary would it be when lightning flashed through the night sky and thunder literally shook your small wooden house? I enjoyed walking through the museum in a yukata for about twenty minutes. We then went down to the second floor where there were models of how the Japanese towns changed from before World War II to present.

      Last Monday, we met  in Osaka station at 9:30 a.m. and waited for about an hour before everyone had finally arrived. Each of us had bought the Osaka Shuuyuu Pass which would cover train fees and entrance fees for about thirty different locations for one day. With the fabulous leadership of Mrs. Seelen and Mrs. Flaherty, we found our way through a maze of subways to the museum. After walking through the museum, all thirty-three of us hurried to the subway station to go to the next location - the Tsutenkaku Tower. Before going into the tower, we each split up for lunch with a designated meeting time and place.
        I think it was just before one o'clock when we packed into the elevator and made our way to the top of the tower. At the very top was a 360º viewing area from which we could see much of Osaka. Below us we could see the Tennoji Zoo with a few zebras walking around. But mostly there were a lot of roads, cars, buildings, and more buildings. After viewing Osaka for about fifteen minutes from the tower, we met again outside. We regrouped and went back to the subway station.

        Our next location was near the water's edge. We were able to ride the Santa Maria! It was a model of the Columbus's original ship built to twice the size (it was still small!). I can't imagine sailing across the Atlantic Ocean in a boat that small - and Columbus and his crew sailed in one only half the size! Sailing on the Santa Maria might have been my favorite part of the day. It was a 45 minute cruise around Osaka bay. We were given freedom to wander around as we sailed, which was part of the reason I liked it so much. In the prow at the very front, I could stand letting the wind toss my hair. I looked over the side of the ship and enjoyed the sight of churning water. I wandered through the boat from end to end.  Below deck they had a few displays of old sailing equipment. Old navigation tools, ropes, and a small model of the ship were in glass cases with Japanese explanations. Above deck they had numerous places to sit, but I preferred to stand. There was a tiny cafe from which Tiffy and I bought a few little pieces of chicken. They were delicious!

 

  

view from near the top

        Sailing on the Santa Maria was really fun! I would love to do it again! When the cruise was finished, we walked over to the 112.5 meter tall Tenpozan Giant Farris-wheel! It was huge! It took about 20 minutes or so to go all the way around! Shalom, Yovel, Meg, Misaki, Jenny, Tiffy, and myself went in one car. We chatted, enjoyed the view, called to our friends in the car behind us, and then played Mafia! Tiffy was the narrator and we all went to "sleep". The mafia was told to awaken and she tried to kill someone by pointing to her victim while everyone still had their eyes closed. After the mafia resumed her sleeping pose, the doctor woke up and pointed to someone to rescue. Unfortunately she didn't rescue the right person! Everyone then was able to open their eyes and the Narrator told us the sad news: someone had died while peacefully enjoying the Farris-wheel ride! And the person was me! Bummer! Thus those who remained alive held counsel to determine who the mafia was. Some thought it was Misaki, others were sure it was Shalom, a few commented that it might be Yovel or Meg. Finally a verdict was reached since more people thought that Shalom was the mafia. By vote Shalom 'died'. The narrator then revealed to us that we had successfully removed the mafia. The game was over. It was perhaps the shortest game of Mafia I have played! By that time we were nearing the bottom of the Farris-wheel, so we gathered our stuff and exited.
       We met everyone at the entrance of the Farris-wheel. From there we walked back to the train station. Our next stop was Burger King! It took a while to get there, but it was worth it! We bought our dinners at Burger King (though a few people ate at other restaurants). The hamburgers were delicious! I thoroughly enjoyed my burger and small salad. Sincere and Meg shared some of their french-fries. Then Jenny and I split a small raspberry sundae. Yum!

        Once everyone had finished dinner, we walked to where there was a river cruise. The 6:30 slot was already too full for all thirty-three of us, so we waited until 7:00. Everyone split up into groups and went separate ways to spend the half hour. At six-fifty we met at the docking area again for the Tombori River Cruise. It pulled up and we climbed aboard. We had a lovely tour guide in the front. She tried to use her English and say things in both Japanese and English. When she asked Jenny where she was from, Jenny replied "America". When she asked Mrs. Seelen where she was from, she replied Itami. The tour guide was confused. A foreigner from Itami?! Then Mrs. Seelen explained that she had lived in Japan for many years. The next question was can you speak Japanese? Since most of us could to some extent, the answer was yes. From then on our guide didn't try to use her English as much, but she was still funny. The river cruise was a pleasant little journey down a small canal into the city and back.

Sincere and I

        When we finished we walked back to the subway and returned to Osaka station where we had begun.  Several of us then went to the HEP 5 Farris-wheel, while the rest went home. Jeremy went to Starbucks while we girls were on the ride. The three of us went in one carriage. We could play our own music from my iPod (we had some good movie theme-songs playing which gave it atmosphere). With that we took a 'stroll' through the Osaka night sky and viewed all the beautiful lights and buildings. I enjoyed it!

 Jeremy at Starbucks

       By then we were all pretty tired after a fun day. So after saying goodbye to our friends, we headed home. It was a great day!

Holding His Hand

Holding His Hand
August 29, 2012

by Kimberly Okerman

I’m walking down the beach,

just Jesus and I.

We’re talking together;

we laugh and we cry.

 

 

I see two pairs of prints,

footprints in the sand.

I’m reaching up to Jesus;

I’m holding His hand.

 

Some think I am weird.

They watch as I walk by,

my hand in the air

as I laugh and I cry.

 

They don’t know who holds me.

They can’t see his hand.

They just see my outstretched arm,

but I know who’s on the sand.

I know that I’m with Jesus.

I don’t care that they don’t see.

I won’t let go of Jesus and

He won’t let go of me.

We're walking on the beach,

just us two, Him and me.

Though others don’t understand,

I hold His hand proudly.

I won’t let go of Jesus,

I won’t drop my hand.

I love walking beside Him,

walking in the sand.