I recently sent out a new prayer letter. It followed a long intensive process of rebuilding an email list.
So if want to join the mailing list OR if you thought you were on my list but didn't receive a letter all you have to do is sign-up on the top right column of the blog where it says, "YES, send me update."
Thank you for your interest and prayers for this season of ministry! Level 4 of Japanese language school is a lot harder than level 3 was and is providing many lessons in humility, perseverance and joy.
In other news, KANSAI CHRISTIAN SCHOOL's annual drama production is this weekend. They will be performing the play "Dr. Seuss's THE CAT IN THE HAT." I'm excited to see the performance from a seat in the audience this year. I've gotten a preview of the props for the production and heard some of the behind the scenes stories. It promises to be an entertaining evening!
If you're in the area . . . Join in the Fun!
KCS Eagle Theater Co. presents
Dr. Seuss's The Cat in the Hat
Where? Heguri Community Hall
When? April 19, 2013
What time? 19:00 (Doors will open at 18:30)
How much per ticket?
Adults: ¥1000
Middle & High School students: ¥800
Elementary School students: ¥500
Pre-school children: ¥0 (FREE)
Tickets will be sold at the door.
For inquiries, please contact the office at (0745)45-6422
Play originally produced by the National Theatre of Great Britain. Adapted and originally directed by Katie Mitchell based on the book by Dr. Seuss. Dr. Seuss's The Cat in the Hat is presented through special arrangement with Music Theatre International (MTI). All authorized performance materials are also supplied by MTI. 421 West 54th Street, New York, NY 10019 Phone: 212-541-4684 Fax: 212-397-4684 www.MTIShows.com
Thursday, April 18, 2013
Thursday, March 21, 2013
You might be in a Japanese school if . . .
As I was taking a study break it occurred to me that what is "normal" now at the end of the first semester as a student in a Japanese language school took some adjustment at the beginning. I began making a list of things are part of my "new normal".
You might be in a Japanese school if . . .
1. You pass a sumo wrestler (or 2) on the way to school.*
2. Your teacher uses a Pikachu stamp on your homework.
3. Red pen circles all over your paper indicate correct responses.
4. Students go to the コンビニ(convenience store) at break time.
5. You study kanji while riding the train to school.
6. You sleep while riding the train home from school.
7. Classmates share their dried squid and/or Pocky sticks with you at break time.
8. Students use their cell phones as electronic dictionaries.
9. The teacher says, "お疲れさまでした" or "Thank you for your hard work" at the end of each class.
10. You find all your school supplies at the 100 yen store.
13. Your school field trip is to a Ninja Museum.
I posted this on my Facebook wall and some friends responded with these additions:
14. You start to dream in Japanese.
15. You bow at the beginning of every class when the teacher walks in.
16. You answer every question now with a nod and then say "hai"!
17. You know all the names of the different kinds of fish in Japanese. BTW, they all translate in English to "tuna".
18. You start to buy a bottle of green tea instead of Cola, (it will taste better with the dried squid.)
19. Before you try to say something, find yourself saying え～と～
20. You learned the kanji for umbrella and the 101 uses of the umbrella in Japan.** 傘
21. You learned the art of bowing quickly with your head.
Feel free to add your own suggestions in the comment section.
Foot notes:
You might be in a Japanese school if . . .
1. You pass a sumo wrestler (or 2) on the way to school.*
2. Your teacher uses a Pikachu stamp on your homework.
3. Red pen circles all over your paper indicate correct responses.
4. Students go to the コンビニ(convenience store) at break time.
5. You study kanji while riding the train to school.
6. You sleep while riding the train home from school.
7. Classmates share their dried squid and/or Pocky sticks with you at break time.
8. Students use their cell phones as electronic dictionaries.
9. The teacher says, "お疲れさまでした" or "Thank you for your hard work" at the end of each class.
10. You find all your school supplies at the 100 yen store.
11. You use the game "rock, paper, scissors" to resolve a tie or decide who goes first.
12. From your classroom window you see women dressed up in maid costumes handing out brochures for maid cafes.
13. Your school field trip is to a Ninja Museum.
I posted this on my Facebook wall and some friends responded with these additions:
14. You start to dream in Japanese.
15. You bow at the beginning of every class when the teacher walks in.
16. You answer every question now with a nod and then say "hai"!
17. You know all the names of the different kinds of fish in Japanese. BTW, they all translate in English to "tuna".
18. You start to buy a bottle of green tea instead of Cola, (it will taste better with the dried squid.)
19. Before you try to say something, find yourself saying え～と～
20. You learned the kanji for umbrella and the 101 uses of the umbrella in Japan.** 傘
21. You learned the art of bowing quickly with your head.
Feel free to add your own suggestions in the comment section.
Foot notes:
*#1 in the last 11 days I've passed 9 sumo wrestlers.
** #20 My final essay/speech was on the way Japanese people use umbrellas. I was one of 2 students from my class who were voted by classmates to give the speech again at the all school closing ceremony.
** #20 My final essay/speech was on the way Japanese people use umbrellas. I was one of 2 students from my class who were voted by classmates to give the speech again at the all school closing ceremony.
Tuesday, March 12, 2013
Checking In
Yep, I'm still here.
I'm still in language school. Thank you for those who have been praying for me!
God is teaching me much spiritually during this time of linguistic learning. Perhaps someday I'll be able to into words the stretching process taking place in my heart.
I'm also doing some of the "not so glamorous" tasks related to my job.
* Japanese Taxes
* US Taxes
* Expense Reports
* Mailing list reconstruction
I'm glad there are some fun things in the mix like:
*School field trip: to a Ninja museum and historic Japanese town
*Meeting new friends: 2 Japanese women introduced themselves to me this week
*Missionary Fellowship: Prayer & Praise
*Celebrating my niece's birthday via Skype
*Celebrating my niece's birthday via Skype
*Girl's Night: Making Pizza, talking of media, music & movies then introducing the girls to "I love Lucy!"
I'm enrolling in the next semester of language school which starts April 9.
PS. March Madness in Japan : translates into the Spring Sumo tournament - which happens to take place in Osaka just a few blocks from where I attend language school. (March 10-24) So far I've spotted 2 Sumo wrestlers outside the arena. (They're easy to spot. What to look for: LARGE Japanese men wearing a kimono.) I wonder how to say, "May I have your autograph?" in Japanese.
Monday, February 25, 2013
What's language school like?
I've been away from the blog for a while. But life is moving right along.
I attend Arc Academy. A Japanese language school in Osaka- Namba. I'm in a level 3 class (level 10 being the highest). Class runs for 3 hours a day 5 days a week. I usually have at least two hours of homework. The commute takes about 1 hour each way: a 15 minute walk to the train station, 30 minute train ride, and then a 15 minute walk to school.
I have 3 teachers, ( 2 women, 1 man) and our lessons include, kanji (written Japanese), pronunciation, reading, listening, grammar, conversation, essay writing/ speech, and an occasional field trip. We start each day with a 10 question kanji test, and end each day with a test summarizing the grammatical material we studied that day. We leave with homework reviewing the concepts studied in the lesson everyday. Every Friday includes an "achievement test" which covers the previous week's grammatical structure. There are a lot of tests but it has been a good may to measure if I really understand the concepts being taught. There are also 3 support classes available outside of regular class time if extra support is needed.
Kanji, and reading classes are most challenging for me, conversation and speech class is most enjoyable. But I feel like progress is being made in all areas. I am enjoying the learning process and have some amazing teachers! ( Our main teacher's mannerisms and personality remind me of my Japanese host mom.) Knowing how rare of a chance it is for me, a teacher at an English speaking school, to have one whole semester to focus solely on language learning is a huge encouragement to me. Plus the voices of my former first grade students saying, "Study hard Ms. Harms" encourage me to 'lean into' the material.
There are about 15 students in my class. 1 Italian student, 1 Spanish student, 1 Turkish student, 2 Swedes, 2 Taiwanese students, and 8 Chinese students. Some students are studying to get jobs in Japan, others in preparation to enter college or graduate school. A few have come and gone after a few weeks as they were only in class for a month before continuing their world travels.
This Friday we have our first field trip. The whole school is going by bus to a neighboring prefecture to visit a ninja village. Should be interesting!
I attend Arc Academy. A Japanese language school in Osaka- Namba. I'm in a level 3 class (level 10 being the highest). Class runs for 3 hours a day 5 days a week. I usually have at least two hours of homework. The commute takes about 1 hour each way: a 15 minute walk to the train station, 30 minute train ride, and then a 15 minute walk to school.
I have 3 teachers, ( 2 women, 1 man) and our lessons include, kanji (written Japanese), pronunciation, reading, listening, grammar, conversation, essay writing/ speech, and an occasional field trip. We start each day with a 10 question kanji test, and end each day with a test summarizing the grammatical material we studied that day. We leave with homework reviewing the concepts studied in the lesson everyday. Every Friday includes an "achievement test" which covers the previous week's grammatical structure. There are a lot of tests but it has been a good may to measure if I really understand the concepts being taught. There are also 3 support classes available outside of regular class time if extra support is needed.
Kanji, and reading classes are most challenging for me, conversation and speech class is most enjoyable. But I feel like progress is being made in all areas. I am enjoying the learning process and have some amazing teachers! ( Our main teacher's mannerisms and personality remind me of my Japanese host mom.) Knowing how rare of a chance it is for me, a teacher at an English speaking school, to have one whole semester to focus solely on language learning is a huge encouragement to me. Plus the voices of my former first grade students saying, "Study hard Ms. Harms" encourage me to 'lean into' the material.
There are about 15 students in my class. 1 Italian student, 1 Spanish student, 1 Turkish student, 2 Swedes, 2 Taiwanese students, and 8 Chinese students. Some students are studying to get jobs in Japan, others in preparation to enter college or graduate school. A few have come and gone after a few weeks as they were only in class for a month before continuing their world travels.
This Friday we have our first field trip. The whole school is going by bus to a neighboring prefecture to visit a ninja village. Should be interesting!
Please pray for:
Please continue to pray for language study that I would grasp what is taught and find ways to use what I'm learning. Pray that I may be a light for Jesus love among classmates and teachers.
Mi kasa es tu kasa!
When you first came to Japan . . .
What surprised you?
What bothered you?
What brought you joy?
日本へ来たとき…
びっくりしたこと…
困ったこと…
うれしいこと
These were the questions that I was given as a topic for my Friday essay class 作文. Knowing I would be spending a month of Fridays writing, re-writing, memorizing and then presenting it as a speech I wanted to take care to pick a theme I could do without getting weary of and might be different from other classmates. I made a decision to try to choose a topic that could point out the differences and be positive. Needless to say, limited vocabulary was also an issue.
I came up with a long list of possible topics.
Japanese high tech toilets, the use of space, education systems, grading papers, remote controls for everything, the public transportation system, religious holidays, onzens/spas and public baths, seasonal specialties in shops, kitkat varieties, how to use an escalator, 100¥ shops, fashion, manga, pets as children, kanji, obesity/ body image, use of umbrellas, group verses individual.
In the end, I found some topics might be the stuff of a master's thesis, others fun to blog about but for my essay I decided to write about . . . Umbrellas!
It's specific, simple, unique and something I've come to enjoy about Japanese culture.
In writing my essay I've discovered a new favorite kanji, 傘
'Kasa' is the Japanese word for umbrella and it looks like 4 people= 人
Under an umbrella. Very intuitive and easy to remember!
Mi kasa es tu kasa. In Spanish this means: my home is your home. But in Japanese class my Spanish classmate says this about Japanese umbrellas. Saying it in Spanish but meaning: my umbrella is your umbrella.
So I have a few questions for you.
Do you use an umbrella when it rains? Why, or why not?
雨が降ったら、傘をさしますか？ どうして？
Do you use an umbrella when it snows? Why or why not?
雪が降ったら、傘をさしますか？どうして？
Do you use an umbrella/ parasol when it is a hot, sunny day? Why or why not?
暑くて晴れたら、日傘をさしますか？どうして？
Please tell me how you use umbrellas where you live and why!
Tuesday, January 15, 2013
What if it doesn't fit?
You try on a pair of jeans that don't fit, what is your response?
A.) You try on another size
B.) You try on a different style or brand?
C.) You decide there is something wrong with you. You need to change your body to fit into the jeans and make a plan to lose 10 pounds.
D.) You give up and wear jogging pants.
Today I started Japanese language study (after missing 3 classes due to influenza). I took a placement test last week and was placed in a class today. It was level 4. (there are 10 levels, 1 being the lowest). The class started with a 漢字テスト。(Kanji test - recognizing a Japanese system of writing based on borrowed or modified Chinese characters). A test I tried to take - despite the fact that I'd never learned these kanji. The class continued with 3 hours of worksheets, reading, listening, writing and tests covering material I have never studied.
I started with some great self-talk,
"It's ok Lori, You just haven't learned this, YET!"
"It's ok Lori, kanji is your weak area, wait until they get to the listening part, you can do this."
"It takes time to adjust to a new teacher and curriculum, this is just day one, give yourself time."
I even brought out my teacher voice, "Just do your best with what you do know, and be sure to preview the material for tomorrow."
But eventually it was like mental exercise just to stay positive, "I should know this. I've lived in this country long enough, I should know this by now." I had to keep fighting negative thoughts and lies.
Eventually I realized - if I was trying on jeans I wouldn't try to jam my leg into a pair that was way to small. I wouldn't start a diet and try to fit into the jeans by the next day. And I wouldn't give up. I would look for a different size, a better fit for me. So, after class I talked (in Japanese) with the head teacher about my impression of the level of class and made plans for tomorrow to try level 3.
Language learning is not easy. The language I'm trying to learn is not easy (see chart below). As an adult, having your communication skills reduced to that of a child is a very humbling experience. But I desire to be able to participate in Japanese conversations. I want to be able to talk about the deep and surface topics in this land where I'm now living. I want to be able to read my mail. I want to have conversations with my students' parents without a translator. I need to remember my motivation as I combat the negative thoughts that creep in. But, I think for now, I'll continue to pray that God would help guide my learning and guard my thoughts with this challenging task.
Via: Voxy Blog
Have you hugged a language learner, today?
(Or at least said something encouraging to someone trying to learn a new language?)
A.) You try on another size
B.) You try on a different style or brand?
C.) You decide there is something wrong with you. You need to change your body to fit into the jeans and make a plan to lose 10 pounds.
D.) You give up and wear jogging pants.
Today I started Japanese language study (after missing 3 classes due to influenza). I took a placement test last week and was placed in a class today. It was level 4. (there are 10 levels, 1 being the lowest). The class started with a 漢字テスト。(Kanji test - recognizing a Japanese system of writing based on borrowed or modified Chinese characters). A test I tried to take - despite the fact that I'd never learned these kanji. The class continued with 3 hours of worksheets, reading, listening, writing and tests covering material I have never studied.
I started with some great self-talk,
"It's ok Lori, You just haven't learned this, YET!"
"It's ok Lori, kanji is your weak area, wait until they get to the listening part, you can do this."
"It takes time to adjust to a new teacher and curriculum, this is just day one, give yourself time."
I even brought out my teacher voice, "Just do your best with what you do know, and be sure to preview the material for tomorrow."
But eventually it was like mental exercise just to stay positive, "I should know this. I've lived in this country long enough, I should know this by now." I had to keep fighting negative thoughts and lies.
Eventually I realized - if I was trying on jeans I wouldn't try to jam my leg into a pair that was way to small. I wouldn't start a diet and try to fit into the jeans by the next day. And I wouldn't give up. I would look for a different size, a better fit for me. So, after class I talked (in Japanese) with the head teacher about my impression of the level of class and made plans for tomorrow to try level 3.
Language learning is not easy. The language I'm trying to learn is not easy (see chart below). As an adult, having your communication skills reduced to that of a child is a very humbling experience. But I desire to be able to participate in Japanese conversations. I want to be able to talk about the deep and surface topics in this land where I'm now living. I want to be able to read my mail. I want to have conversations with my students' parents without a translator. I need to remember my motivation as I combat the negative thoughts that creep in. But, I think for now, I'll continue to pray that God would help guide my learning and guard my thoughts with this challenging task.
Via: Voxy Blog
Have you hugged a language learner, today?
(Or at least said something encouraging to someone trying to learn a new language?)
Monday, January 14, 2013
Prayer Update
A six month stateside assignment met its purposes to refresh, retool and reconnect. But I know God has also used it to prepare me for the adventure ahead of me this term.
The long-term substitute teacher that is filling in for me, teaching 1 & 2nd grade at Kansai Christian School, has graciously offered to stay for 2nd semester. This is such a blessing and gives me the chance to spend the next 6 months doing a Japanese language refresher course in Osaka. I'll continue living in the same mission home and commute about 45 minutes by train to take classes 5 days a week. I'm excited to be able to invest in relationships with students and staff at KCS while making new contacts with teachers and fellow students at language school.
Just as I was getting over jet lag, I became ill and was diagnosed with Influenza A. Thankfully I was able to see a doctor quickly and medication kept things under control. Unfortunately I was contagious for a while and unable to leave my house for 5 days. I missed the first 3 days of the semester for language school and have some catching up to do. I'm now done with the medication, no longer contagious and energy levels are returning to normal.
Today was a Japanese holiday - so no language school - but Kansai Christian School had classes. So I was able to stop by and have lunch with the 1st and 2nd graders. It was wonderful to see so many KCS students and
friends. I'm looking forward to talking with them again to hear more stories of adventures they've had over the last 6 months!
Please pray for:
1. Praise God for the opportunity focus on language study. Pray for perseverance and understanding to take my language ability to the next level.
2. Pray for wisdom and timeliness in maintaining and growing relationships in Japan and overseas. That I would be a clear witness to Jesus' love.
3. Pray for adjustment to the culture and new roles this semester.
4. Pray for the 2013-14 Kansai Christian School staffing needs to be filled with qualified Christian teachers. Positions open: 1st & 2nd grade teacher, and Principal with high school teaching responsibilities. More information about applying is available at: http://www.
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