This life has an end, and that's why I can shine

Alright, here's post number two for today: the events of last week!  Much easier to remember since it wasn't as long ago haha.  XD;;

SUNDAY 2/6


So, as stated in my previous post, Jamie came back to Tsu with me from Nagoya to hang out for a couple of days.  But we had a lot going on on Sunday, so she came with us to the various places we went that day.  First off was church!  It was Alicia's last Sunday at church, so we had a little good-bye event with the choir members.  One of the members got up at 4am to make sushi rolls for us!  They were so good!  It was a really nice little gathering.

Group shot in front of the church.

After leaving church, we headed home just briefly before heading to Akifumi-san and Rieko-san's house for coffee and snacks.  Katherine, a girl who I met during our Fall Baking Day back in November, was there with her boyfriend, as well as our friend Anna, and a couple of Rieko-san's teacher friends.  So it was them, plus me, Becky, Carol and Jamie.  And it was a lot of fun!  I got to know Katherine and her boyfriend better, and there was just nice conversation all around.  I couldn't believe how fast the time passed!

Obligatory group shot.

After that, we went to Carol's house for our Purpose Driven Life book study, and Jamie came along for that too.  She fit right in with everyone, and the discussion was great!  Afterwards, since we hadn't eaten a proper meal since the sushi after church, Becky, Jamie and I went to Gusto (a family restaurant, like a diner-type place) to eat and chat.  It gave Becky and Jamie a chance to get to know each other a little bit, which was cool for me!

MONDAY 2/7

Since Mondays are my day off, it was a perfect chance for me to hang out with Jamie.  So we briefly took a walk to the beach, then went to Saty to shop.  For the record, everything we purchased was important and necessary.  *cough*  Yeah, I needed those Rilakkuma scented markers...  Anyway.  We were also both starving, so we ate at the curry udon place.  I got the same curry udon I got there last time: with katsu and mochi.  Seriously one of the best things I've eaten in Japan.

It was also important and necessary that we eat at Baskin-Robbins.

We'd been hoping to go see a movie, but the timing didn't work out, so we went back to my place and hung out for the rest of the afternoon, and then, in the evening, I walked Jamie to the train station so she could head back to Tokyo.  It's always kind of lonely when a fun time like that ends, but I drowned my sorrows in tv for the rest of the night, haha.  And I even cooked myself dinner!  So all was well in the end.

TUESDAY 2/8

As usual, Carol, Becky and I had our meeting in the afternoon.  However, we decided to once again meet at Mr. Donut to take advantage of their unlimited coffee.  I also had the most amazing donut of all time, which was a chocolate ring-type donut with chocolate cream in the middle...  I can't describe it well but it was fantastic.  What made everything even better was that Mr. Donut was playing Queen music the whole time we were there!  After our meeting, we did grocery shopping before heading back for the Center.

From there, Becky and I met up with our friend Saki and went to eat at Cutlet.  After that, we went to karaoke, where Alicia met up with us!  I failed to take pictures though...  But it was a lot of fun!  If I had my way, I'd go to karaoke like, more than once a week.  But I think not everyone loves karaoke quite as much as I do haha.

WEDNESDAY 2/9

In the morning, Becky and I went to the prefectural office to try to see about me possibly volunteering at the local elementary school, but unfortunately the person we needed to talk to wasn't there, so we'll have to try again another time.  And then Becky and I took my computer to get fixed, and then we took down our Christmas decorations.  Our goal was to take them down before Valentine's Day, so we were right on time, really!  We were afraid it might look kind of sad in our apartment without them, but actually I don't think that ended up being the case!  

After that I had class.  Another boy joined the class, so now I have two boys in that class, both elementary age, and I think they're really going to complement each other.  I was a little worried about how the class might go, so I was really relieved when it went well!  After that class was the Mie University Bible study, which met earlier than usual because pretty much everyone is on spring break right now.  (For some, the school year just ended; for others, it will end soon.  The new school year will start in April.  A pretty different schedule than what I'm used to!)  I had to leave the study early though, because I had another class to teach.  After that class, I rejoined the group, as they were getting ready to eat a kind of fish called sanma (which had been given to us) together.  I can safely say that I haven't eaten anything quite like it, but it was actually pretty good!  And then I spent the rest of my night studying for Japanese, which I'd kind of failed to do up until that day, what with all the other stuff I had going on...

THURSDAY 2/10

Japanese class was in the morning, as usual.  Afterwards, I cooked lunch for myself, hung out for a bit, and went to go pick up my newly fixed computer (hooray!).  Then Carol, Becky and I met briefly, and then set up tables and chairs for the soukai, the big JBC (Japan Baptist Conference) meeting that would be held the next day at the Center.  After that, we had dinner at Casa Mia, and I had my class.  After class, I watched a little tv and did a little bit of work before heading to bed.

FRIDAY 2/11

This day is National Foundation Day in Japan, so there were no classes.  There was, however, the soukai, which was pretty much an all-day meeting.  Sitting through such a long meeting wasn't the most fun experience ever, but it was nice to see my fellow missionaries!  

In the evening, Becky and I hosted a fondue party in our apartment!  Carol came to join us, as well as our friends Noriko, Miho, and Youko.  Super fun!

Since my parents sent me conversation hearts recently, I felt like it was only right to put them out to share.  Totally new to most Japanese people!

I...don't remember why I took a picture of our apartment.  Maybe to show the un-Christmas-ness?

The table, pre-food.

The food that was to be put on the table.  Quiche made by me and Becky!

And salad made by me!  I felt so accomplished!

Group shot!  Minus Youko because she hadn't arrived yet...

Everything set for fondue!  It was so good.  There are no words to describe how delicious everything was.

And then...people started roasting marshmallows over candles.  Yeah.  Apparently Japanese people don't roast marshmallows?  Youko's trying it out here.

Noriko's going for it too.  I don't know how many times she lit it on fire though...

Carol and Miho.  Becky got more candles out for the express purpose of roasting marshmallows over them.

It was such a perfect conversation heart.  <3

SATURDAY 2/12

Inspa!  Miho, Noriko and I took the train to Nagoya together to go.  One of the members, who's getting ready to move to Sendai, led the worship and gave his testimony.  Afterwards, we all ate pizza that some of the members had been working the whole time to bake.  Everything was so good!  Afterwards, a whole bunch of us went to eat at a Chinese place nearby (a different one than I've been to before).  I made a few new friends, which was pretty cool!  But I was too lame to take pictures, so all of these are blatantly stolen from Kumiko and Jun.  XD;;  Yay for Facebook!

Group shot.  I stand out so much...  XD;;

Two who didn't make it into the group picture, and two who just happened to be standing there.  XD;;

Food!

Homemade pizza!

At the restaurant: group A.

Group B.  lol we basically filled the place...

Me with Yumi, one of my new friends!  :D

So after eating, everyone headed home.  Becky stayed in Nagoya, but since Jun and I were heading the same direction, we went back together.  We also made a totally necessary stop at Starbucks in Nagoya Station.  I don't get to go to Starbucks much, so I take these opportunities as often as I can.  <3

And that's it for last week!  And now I'm more or less caught up!  Hopefully I'll update again before the end of the week so I can stay on top of things~