Only 3 weeks??

Inside the home church...Meg, you like?

Our feast!




Today is my 3rd week anniversary in Osaka. I've experienced a lot already...homesickness, jet lag, awe, etc. This weekend was especially fun. Friday was pizza and movie night at the Parry's, and they bought white chocolate macadamia nut cookies. :-D Then Saturday I finally gave in a played with James...I forgot how fun Legos were! But seriously, I did experience Japan a little bit this weekend...

Today I went to Tomoko's church (in Totsuma's - another OCC staff- house). It was nice, and I had two personal translators...we had lunch afterward and I actually liked it (curry stew and rice maybe?). To top it off, it was the pastor's birthday so we had chocolate cake! Afterward, Tomoko wanted to introduce me to Johanna, another American from her church. Well, she is amazing and invited me to spend the day at her apartment. I met her roommate and friends, and we had a great meal and good time talking. Johanna and I swapped stories and talked about Christianity and evangelism here (or lack thereof). Dinner was Oden, a spicy winter stew that cooks in the middle of the table while everyone digs in together. I even ate soy beans and nattoo (so I can mark it off the list for good, right Kelly?).

When the ladies found out I was engaged, they made me tell the story. It made me miss Brian a lot...and this weekend was his birthday. It kind of scares me that all these things are going on at home and I don't know about them...people are going on with their normal lives, but I kind of imagined that they would pause while I was away. Johanna said she forgot about the term shotgun (she has been here 2.5 years) and who the president was...that scares me! I mean, I don't care about politics, but what if I forget birthdays and inside jokes and all that?

I don't have much time to mope...I begin teaching for real tomorrow. I am glad because it has been boring...I mostly eat junk food and watch tv (though my English choices are limited). So I am excited to get busy again. However, I am a little scared...I've always felt and looked so young that I'm afraid the girls won't respect me. And I'm even more afraid of my adult classes. I also talk like a New Yorker now, and need to slooooooow dooooown. There are just so many little things I should have been working on these 3 weeks, but now I'm out of time. Here goes nothing...