Happy New Year!

Me on a hike overlooking Seoul, South Korea

I’ know I’m WAY overdue in a posting, so here is my meager attempt to catch you all up on the happenings since I last wrote...

South Korea!

I had a fall break from school at the end of October, so me and four other colleagues headed to Seoul for the long weekend.  We explored a variety of sights, including the war museum, a few palaces, a hike overlooking the city of Seoul, and even took a day trip to the DMZ (demilitarized zone) between North and South Korea that was VERY interesting.  Walking through the underground tunnels that the North Koreans built in an attempt to attack South Korea was surreal, and sad that a once unified country became so divided.  In terms of culture, I assumed that Korea would be much like Japan considering its just a few hour flight away, but it was surprisingly different!  I think the two biggest differences I noticed were the cost and the people.  Things in South Korea were SO much cheaper in Japan, I couldn’t believe it!  From eating out to shopping, its no wonder so many Japanese catch a flight to Korea to do their shopping!  The people there were also not as polite as in Japan...I noticed this most on the metro.  Here in Japan, people are beyond polite; they wait their turn outside the metro for people to get off and then file in, yes sometimes, being up close and personal during rush-hour, but respectful nonetheless!  In Korea, there was a lot more pushing and shoving and “aggressive” behavior that just threw me for a loop  Upon returning, I was told that anytime you leave Japan, its a culture shock just because the way people are here is rare in other parts of the world.  I would agree with that! :)

Women's Volleyball World Championships!

Japan was the host country of the FIVB World Championships and I had the privilege of seeing two matches, the highlight for me being the Bronze medal game of Japan vs. USA.  Unfortunately for the US, Japan was victorious, but going to these games were a lot of fun, not to mention entertaining!  I think the most interesting aspect of the games was that they taught the fans in the stands a dance with their gold thunder-sticks to the song "I Wish For You."   Talk about getting a song stuck in your head...I kid you not, I heard that song over 25 times during ONE match!  This event was HUGE in Japan,; matches shown on television, posters displayed all over the city, and the stadium filled.  As a woman athlete, I was excited to see so much support!

Middle School Volleyball!

Coaching the girls ended mid-November at our season tournament, and they played really well.  We ended up getting third place overall, and had a lot of fun as a team.  They all wanted Coach Jury to braid their hair, so I had fun doing 13 girls’ hair before our first game!  The following weekend, I had the annual end of season sleepover at our school's gym, complete with 28 girls and me.  Let me tell you, I forgot how much energy middle school girls have!  Overall, the support from the parents throughout the season was amazing and I’m very much looking forward to coaching the girls again next season.  

Varsity Girls Basketball

As soon as volleyball ended, I jumped right into coaching the Varsity girls basketball team here.  Overall, the girls have been great, and as I’m sure you can imagine, 11th and 12th graders are MUCH different to coach than 7th and 8th graders.  It’s been fun getting to know a new group of girls, build relationships with them, and really challenge them to work to their potential.  They are coming off a season of only two wins, and currently we are sitting at 2-3 .  They have a lot of potential, and I’m excited to see how the season plays out.  As I’ve said before, its a much more intense schedule of practice and games than I had in Luxembourg; in fact, its very “American” in the way the sports are run.  We play against other international schools around Tokyo, along with the Military Department of Defense schools weekly.  It’s been a lot of fun so far, and I’m looking forward to seeing what all the season brings!

Ultimate Frisbee at Mt. Fuji

I’ve continued playing ultimate frisbee and am definitely improving my skills.  I think being tall compared to most other players is quite the advantage and its been great getting to know a new set of people outside of school.  For the tournament in November, I had to snap myself back into reality when I got to the set of fields we were playing at for the weekend, as it was right at the base of Mt. Fuji with a beautiful view.  I guess Mt. Fuji is one of the icons of Japan so to be so up close and personal was pretty amazing.  The team I play for has a family of two teams, and in total, there were 64 teams at this tournament.  One of our teams placed first, and the other somewhere in the 30’s, so we walked away with our heads held high!  

Thanksgiving

As I reflect on what Thanksgiving has meant to me over the years, and even more-so in my six years living abroad, I am continually reminded of how blessed I am.  This year I had the opportunity to attend three different Thanksgiving celebrations: one with my Ultimate Frisbee teammates, one with my Hope College Japan BFF and her visitors, and another with a family from school.  The dinner with my Ultimate Frisbee teammates was very American in the sense that there was a massive turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, and gravy, but it had a twist on the meal.  It was potluck style besides that, and considering my teammates are from all over, there was a very diverse spread.  On actual Thanksgiving, I had a homemade Japanese style meal made by my Hope College Japan BFF, Eva Folkert that was both delicious and very much enjoyable.  My third thanksgiving dinner with a family from school was incredible as well,  with not only a turkey, but a ham as well!  The night ended with some Karaoke in their living room and a lot of laughter!   Let's just say my stomach was quite satisfied after a week of eating like that!   I think the thing that continues to ring true year after year is that I'm continually amazed at how God provides for me.  I'm beyond grateful for everything and and continue to give thanks not only on Thanksgiving, but every single day of the year, as I have much to be thankful for.  

Meeting Kairi in Kobe

With my friends Micah and Jess having baby Kairi at the end of October, I had the privilege of meeting this little bundle of joy for a weekend last month!  I was psyched enough to have friends from Luxembourg living in Japan with me, and the fact that I got to meet the addition to their new family was a lot of fun!  I still can’t get over how much of a miracle babies are, and to think they are formed from a single sperm and egg is such a reminder of how AMAZING our God is.  I had a great time with Micah and Jess, and enjoyed getting to see little Kairi’s photo shoot too, which is apparently the Japanese thing to do.  They have photos taken of the baby and then go to the shrine to thank their god for their baby’s healthy growth.  Micah had received this photo shoot as a gift from his colleagues at work, so we went to the photo studio and got baby Kairi all dressed up and then after, went to the shrine to get some pictures there.  Micah’s colleague and his wife came along and definitely shared the Japanese culture with us!

Home for the Holidays

I spent a little longer at home for the holidays than expected due to the passing of my grandmother, and as hard as it was, I’m SO thankful I was able to be there and have the closure I needed.  It was a tough way to start the break, but a blessing in disguise in the sense that I had much more family time than I had anticipated.  I connected with a lot of friends from high school, college, and Lux while home, and am constantly reminded of the love and support I have in the US.  Many of you know the maximizer I am, so while on the home front, I was constantly bouncing around from coffee dates, to dinners, to sporting events, and even road trips to both Indianapolis and out to Colorado!  There never seems to be enough time with these people that are so dear to my heart, however, being home never makes me wish I was there.  Now don’t get me wrong, there are definitely times I wish I could pick up some of my friends and family from the US and bring them to Tokyo with me in my suitcase, but we all know that is not an option.  I have a strong sense of peace that I’m where I’m supposed to be and trust that God will continue to give me that peace until He leads me somewhere different.  

I hope you all have a GREAT start to 2011 and a blessed new year!