Another first

Today we had another of these 'first time we have ever done this' kind of experiences. Calum was taking part in his first Japanese swimming competition. As usual, detailed instructions are given as to what and what not to take. One such item is 'inside shoes', which usually means what they wear at school. We turn up to find that everyone else is wearing a special kind of sandals. The communal sense of what is required on any particular occasion is something Japanese people excel at but is something we have yet to master. People were there with mats and all the relevant gear as if they had gone for a picnic. Everything was of course organised with great efficiency. When we arrived there seemed to be hundreds of competitors all taking their turn to warm up in the pool. They were all from different places, but the same sports club, so all were in the same 'uniform' - not easy to recognise who was who! There was the all-important opening ceremony with short speeches (though curiously most people didn't seem to be paying much attention). Plastic 'megaphones' were on hand to aid the cheering. Cameras were out in abundance - we even saw people taking video and photos of sheets pinned up displaying all the results! Going to a sporting event in Japan is much more than just that. As is so often, it gives insights into the culture. And next time we go, we will be better prepared - we might even provide the proper footwear for Calum too!

Happy Easter!

This past Sunday we visited another church in a town around 1.5 hours away from where we live. We joined in the worship there in the morning but the main reason for our visit was to see and be part of what happened after the worship. For the past 20 years, this church has held an Easter festival at the end of April for the local community. Japanese just love festivals, complete with food, games, music and fun. We were amazed at how many people turned up. It seems that from around 5 or 6 years ago, the numbers have really picked up. Yesterday there were around 220 folks who came along from the community, many of them children. The church members were busy and each played their part in welcoming those who came. There was such a happy and relaxed atmosphere. It was a great way for the church to connect with the community. The pastor has been there for over 30 years and has over that time built up relationships with so many - from the mayor to the school head teachers to the people who live round about. Who knows how many seeds have been sown over the years and through the annual Easter festival. We hope in a small way to take some of what we observed yesterday and use the building below our house to hold some kind of mini-festival to make further contact with the folks who live here in Hiragishi.

Hot springs

The Japanese have given us many things. The electronic gadgets which are produced here are mind-blowing in their ingenuity. Yet one of the best things Japan has to offer must surely be the hot spring baths. This past weekend we had the chance to stay overnight at a hot spring hotel. As always in this country, the service is without comparison. We were duly kitted out with our 'yukatas', the light kimonos which are worn during your stay. You wear it to go to the baths, you wear it to go to the restaurant for your evening meal, you sleep in it. The idea is that you leave the outside world behind and just escape for a day. The particular hot spring place where we were staying has baths dating back almost 100 years, though of course they have been renewed and modernised since then. There are larger baths and smaller ones; ones that bubble and ones where you can lie down; there were quite a number which claim to have healing properties for various ailments; and there are outside baths - it wasn't snowing out there, but there was still snow lying on the nearby mountains. You get cleaned at the area set aside for that purpose - and you really are meant to scrub yourself clean. Then you are free to soak in the communal baths (men and women separate of course). It's something that just has to be experienced to be appreciated. You feel soooo good afterwards. Thank you God for making Japan a land which has so many hot springs - and for calling us here so we can enjoy them!

On the road (and in the air)

This week David, Daniel and Matthew have found themselves at Agonda Beach in south Goa on the west coast of India. It's a gem of a place, just a very quiet town with a few guest houses, beach huts and restaurants with a wonderful beach and sea. Local traffic consists of scooters, cows and wild pigs. Week one of the half-term break is always busy but week two gives the chance for the boys to unwind, have fun and enjoy some different food (as well as quite a few treats!) We are staying in a very simple guest home just a minute's walk from the beach run by a Catholic family - there is quite a Catholic heritage in this part of India. For Daniel it is not all play as he has to do some study for GCSE exams which are coming up fast. It's always good to have these days together and this time we are with two other families (one Swedish and one Australian) working respectively in Bangladesh and Calcutta, so we have rich times of fellowship and conversation over the leisurely evening meal. Tomorrow however the journey home begins with an overnight bus journey back to Ooty. After a couple of days there, David has the joy of two consecutive overnight flights to look forward to, with a day in Singapore in between. Our lifestyle is certainly unusual, but never lacking in different experiences.

gift giving

One of the lessons that we learned early in our days in Japan is that you can't outgive a Japanese person. Gift giving and reciprocation is culturall very important. At both summertime and New Year there are special gifts to those you feel indebted to, typically a superior. At these times of year shop shelves are filled with special gift packages just for the occasion. When you go on holiday (even if just for a night) you would bring back a gift from that area, and again Japanese hotels and airports are well stocked with just the right sort of thing. In general, if you receive a gift, whether for the birth of a baby, during a stay in hospital, you should think about giving a small gift back in return. Until they give an appropriate gift, some Japanese feel burdened with this sense of obligation. At Easter we thought it would be nice to take some decorated eggs to each of neighbours, mentioning that we were celebrating Easter that day. Only three boiled eggs - we thought that would be small enough. Not so, however. At one house the lady insisted on searching in her cupboard and produced a big bag of chocolates (which of course the boys were delighted to receive). That evening our doorbell rang and there stood another of our neighbours with a bag of three different boxes of chocolate, from a very nice shop. She had obviously gone out specially to buy these. They were probably worth 20 times the boiled eggs. But that lady probably felt better once she had given something back. How hard it is too for many Japanese to receive the free gift of the gospel.

Entrance ceremony

After only 7 school days for a spring break, the new school year started today. For Alistair this meant the pomp and circumstance of the entrance ceremony - a special occasion for those starting school for the first time. All the 6 year olds were resplendent in their suits and ties for the boys and black or pale peach coloured dresses for the girls. Outside, they all received hand-made accessories for their bag, made by the local association ladies as a reminder for them to be careful of traffic. Inside, after a brief introduction in their classroom, the children processed in to the hall to the music of the 6th graders orchestra (which everyone plays in). The 5th graders looked after them all, showing them where to sit. The national anthem, a speech from the principal, then greetings from each of the other school years, led by the 6th graders followed. Calum had a part in his year's greeting as they introduced the fact of the autumn school show by doing a brief performance of Michael Jackson's Thriller dance! Then it was the compulsory photo and down to the classroom. There they received their brand new textbooks. In Japan, each child receives a set of high quality brand new textbooks each year, for free. Parents, however, buy jotters, pencils, crayons etc (all as laid down by the school) as well as a pack of items which the school has chosen to help the children learn things like maths. So each child has their own complete set, and everything is new. Parents on low income receive a grant to help them buy these things. Later parents will buy the 2 octave harmonica, paint set and other items as required. Every single pen, crayon, maths tile etc has to be individually named, and specially sized labels are on sale to help. It's all quite an event, but the children are made to feel very special. Even if you meet people in the street, when they see the outfit, they will bow and say "today you entered school - congratulations". It's a big landmark in the life of a Japanese child, and for us too this year, marking the end of nearly 16 years with a pre-school child or children in the house!

Double life

It is often said that missionaries live in two cultures but are never really fully part of either. We go one step beyond that and take in a third culture. David is presently in India visiting Daniel and Matthew for half-term at Hebron School way up in the Nilgiri Hills in Tamil Nadu. The snow of Sapporo is left behind for the pleasant climes of Ooty. Actually lots of things change - bathing techniques (the good old bucket bath); food (a little bit spicier); early morning alarm (courtesy of the prayer call from the local mosque followed 30 minutes later by the 6am siren); and the traffic (crazy bustle of cars, buses, people, cows, goats, horses, often all trying to find a space on the road where there is one whether it's the right side of the road or not!) The first week is time for catch up at school - meeting the staff, interviews with the teachers (the report cards have just been distributed), enjoying the company of other parents who encompass many nationalities and work in many different parts of Asia. We love the family atmosphere at Hebron School. There is such a tangible sense of love caring and encouragement. Yesterday evening a Praise and Prayer evening was held at the school, attended by many of the older children as well as staff and parents. It was a wonderful time for this international community to praise and pray together as well as hear from three speakers who shared about their country of work and what they are doing (David had a slot on Japan). Keeping a toehold in three cultures has its challenges - but we (boys included) are all the richer for the experience.