I love days off!

I just love days off!! I only have one this weekend (since I had Thurs off), but I am having such a great day! I woke up early, lay around for a while, then at 8am, jumped on the net for a few hours... relearning how to diagram sentences!! So much fun! I haven't done it since about grade 7! Then I put on my iWorship CD with the volume up while I did lots of housework, stopping regularly to dance and sing along with the CD, practice yoga, and blow bubbles! Very satisfying.

It is such a beautiful day, that I kinda feel like I should go for a walk, but I walk every day (nearly) to work anyway, so I think I'm gonna stay right here in my rowing clothes and hot pink bed socks and not leave the house all day! Yay!

It's one of those bliss days, where the simple little things fill me with joy. May each of you have an equally joy-filled day, whatever you may be doing! XXOO

Playing

I had the day off today because of a shift swap with Kirk. Today is also Martina's day off! Yay! We discussed the idea of going to Fukuoka to go ice skating or shopping. But then we decided that we'd rather spend the $40 return bus fare to Fukuoka on clothes or something, so we just spent a day shopping in Sasebo! Yay!

I got up, finished my book, chatted online to Adam and Hannah, had a DMC with DB, then Martina and I headed off. We walked out to Daito, and visited lots of shops. I bought a hair dryer, perfume, a Japanese comic book, a Japanese study book, some trackies... so much fun!! And of course we had to visit a couple of coffee shops, too! Then we came home to watch some telly. 'Twas a fun break from the usual work week!

Winter View

When looking out my bedroom or loungeroom window, I gaze onto a lovely cement wall. However, it does have its moments... check out the winter view! (The one time the snow actually settled properly!)

Gorgeous, eh?

Kaki Matsuri

It is just about the end of my weekend, but it has been a busy and fun-filled one!

At church yesterday I met two other English teachers, Danielle, who has her own business-type thing, and Kelly, who works in a school. They invited me to go to the Kaki Matsuri (Oyster Festival) with them and their friends. It was good fun - a group of about 10 people, with an awesome mix ... Japanese and foreigners, and a variety of professions. And I ate SO many oysters!!

I went to church again in the evening, and had an exciting Japanese experience on the way. While walking in the morning, I had somehow lost a glove from my bag... in the evening, I found it sitting on top of a bush along the way! If you ever drop stuff, someone will probably pick it up and put it on top of a bush or fence so it is off the wet ground and easy for you to find. How sweet is that! I was so happy, for my glove that was lost was now found!!

After church I went out with Nova people, to welcome Stephanie and Nick, a new couple from America. Went to Bishnu, a delicious Indian restaurant.

I had a jamies day today... didn't get dressed until 5:30pm! But I did some yoga and house work while I was still in my PJs. Had to get dressed in the end to go out for dinner with Heather Rori and Heather Donna to a beautiful Thai restaurant. Had heaps of fun and lots of laughs!

I love living in Japan... amazing service, friendly and helpful people, strangers who pick your glove up for you, being able to just stop on the road to run into Family Mart (if you put your hazard lights on, there doesn't seem to be such thing as a No Standing Zone!)... it's a cool place.

A new church

Today I went to International Christian Assemby. It was great!!! Very small... there were 12 adults, 2 teenagers and 5 kids. But before I even walked in, I started to get excited... instead of a hymn being played on an organ, I could hear a keyboard, an electric guitar and a djimbe!!! (The pastor couldn't play the djimbe as well as you DB, but it still sounded cool!) There are of course some great hymns, but it was nice to sing some familiar modern choruses and actually understand all the words and stuff.

The second thing to impress me... they prayed!!! Not just for the offering and "God bless this service", but for some relatives of one member, and for God to be working in Sasebo, and in us, etc, etc! And we had communion too! They don't have communion at Lighthouse.

The sermon was really good too. Don't know how long it went for, which is a great sign - I wasn't looking at my watch! He spoke primarily about Matt 3:17 - God the father expressing His love and ownership of His son, Jesus. Talked about our relationship to God as a father, and how we should try to imitate that with our children. (Honestly, I have nothing against families, but I'm getting a little sick of being the only person at church without one!! Well, obviously I have one, but not with me each week.)

Going back tonight for the Sunday night Bible study... and I think it actually will be a Bible study discussion, not just another sermon! Yay!! Can't wait!!!! They also have some sort of fellowship night on Wednesday night, but I can't go 'cuz of work, which is a bummer, but at least I can go on Sundays!!

Heather Rori and Heather Donna were also there (they'll give me a ride tonight, since its a 50min walk), as well as another Heather!!! LOL!! They're everywhere!! 13 adults this week at church, and 4 named Heather!!

A new hobby

Martina & I started our new hobby today - yoga! One of the guys at work put me on to it... it is really close to our apartment and just $12 for a 1 1/2 hr class, with refreshments served free of charge afterwards. (Very small class sizes too... our class had just 4 students.)

We nervously tootled off at the appointed time, not really knowing what to expect. It was heaps of fun though! We weren't anywhere near as flexible as the others in the class, and made the teacher laugh, but we got better even in just an hour and a half! We were supposed to touch our toes and lay our hands flat on the ground... yeah right!! I couldn't even touch my toes with the tips of my fingers!!! But by the end of class I could almost get my hands flat! Just by doing different exercises and stretches! And I didn't at any time feel any strain or anything! Wow!!

We didn't wanna make a big deal about starting this new hobby until we had tried it for a while to see if we liked it. But half way through class, a TV camera crew walked in!!! One reporter joined the rest of the lesson, while the guys filmed away! How funny! So much for keeping it quiet... we might get to be on Sasebo TV next Thursday! LOL! Two baka gaijin (foolish foreigners) twisting and falling around looking dumb! Giggle!