Far West in the Far East

Fukuoka, in Kyushu, the major island of western Japan, is home to the Shaos, colleagues of ours supported by Chinese Alliance churches in Canada to reach out to the 40,000 Chinese living in their city of 1.5 million.

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The Shaos met us at the airport, and we went for Chinese food that evening. Later we met with the translator and reviewed the message. I've spoken through a translator at Chinese churches in Canada many times, but it's been translation from English to Chinese. This time I spoke in Japanese.

The Shaos found a condominium with two adjacent rooms that made one large room for meetings, and even the sounds of a Sunday service do not disturb the neighbours.

We had a chance to meet the members of the congregation after the service, as we enjoyed lunch together. Chinese food? No, roast beef and pizza, among other things, although the roast beef was flavoured with a particular Chinese herb that made it unique. It was very good.

One member of the congregation owns a popular Chinese restaurant in town, and we went to visit him at his work.

While downtown, we strolled through Fukuoka's version of Central Park. The Shaos told us that it is a replica of a park in China.

Wouldn't you know it! The least dignified picture of us and the Shaos is the best quality. Oh well...

It was good to see the impact the Shaos are having in the Chinese population of this city. We only wish they lived closer to us.

Before and After

You can see the process involved in enjoying the s'mores after our Canadian style burgers, hot dogs and salads BBQ. First the cooking,

...and then the eating. Another satisfied customer! Not counting the Loves and Woons, there were 58 adults and many children, totalling over 100 in attendance.

It's a great chance to meet the husbands of the women involved in various programs, and we hope to follow up with some who are interested in further contact.

So far, one of the women who attended expressed interest in studying the Bible. We also made and improved connections with numerous people, so that makes it worthwhile. Several people wrote or stopped to talk to us afterward to say how much they enjoyed the event.

We can always count on a date in November to be perfect weather for barbecuing. Next year the Loves will be on home assignment, so the barbecue will be more of a challenge for us. Perhaps we should ask for a short term team to come over and grill for us. Have spatula, will travel...

Endaka

We arrived in 1987 in a time of trauma for the Japanese economy as a result of the appreciation of the yen against the dollar following the 1985 Plaza Accord. In the morning news programs, the yen/dollar exchange rate was listed on the bottom corner of the screen. It was that important. 円高 or "endaka" refers to the "high yen" (yen high, if you follow the order of the two kanji symbols)

After a few years of a stronger dollar, we're back to Japan feeling a strain from its high currency value, which of course affects exports. Canada is also feeling the pinch with a dollar at or above par with the US dollar.

So, here's my humble suggestion for a more affordable currency for Canada:

Many thanks to graduating senior Jonathan Love who created this masterpiece. He'll be leaving Japan and our colleagues Don and Carol Love for greater adventures in university, but probably not the Royal Canadian Mint. I mention Jonathan to show I don't waste my time creating something like this. I just waste my time posting something like this.

Okonomiyaki: The omelettepancakepizza!

There's a whole street of stores a few blocks north of us selling one local delicacy known as Monjayaki. One friend described this as "casserole on a griddle" It seems appropriate, since Monjayaki never quite becomes firm. You just scoop up some gloop with your little paddle/chisel. What's in it? There are so many variations it's hard to summarize. Vegetables, meat, a little flour and water, and maybe cheese, kimchi or some other addition.

As you can tell from this picture, no one can complain about how their monjayaki was cooked, since they cook it themselves. One other specialty is okonomiyaki, which literally means "cooked as you like it" and features a huge variety of ingredients. The base is an egg/flour mixture that is both like a pancake and an omelette, and the other things added make it like a pizza. At least this one does become solid as it cooks. It's covered with a sweet brown date sauce once it's ready to eat.

You can tell by the summer clothing and Laura's presence that this was taken in the summer. Things are getting chilly here now, and Laura's studying hard for her first exams in nursing, but the Monjayaki street still serves these dishes all year round. Maybe they should try a turkey and cranberry monjayaki or okonomiyaki for expat Canadians in October!

You'd Never Guess

Don't even try guessing where this picture was taken on the way to our Praise Time Summer Camp for 2010. We took the Tokyo Aqualine, which is a tunnel for half of the distance across Tokyo Bay, and then becomes a bridge spanning the other half. At the point the tunnel reaches the surface of the water, there's a rest stop, and that's where we took this picture. In the middle of Tokyo Bay.

You could say there were two themes to the camp. One was a DIY approach to meals. An entire dinner wrapped in foil and cooked in the campfire coals, an omelette in a bag in boiling water, hot dogs and s'mores, and as you see pictured here, bannock on a stick for breakfast. pull it off the stick and put ham and cheese or jam in the hole.

The other theme was the parables of Jesus. We looked at selected parables in smaller groups. It was of course the first time these young people had heard these stories and thought through the meaning.

Of course we had the usual camp activities like swimming and hiking and games. It's amazing we didn't get lost on this hike with so many guides showing us the way!

Like just about everywhere in Japan outside of the cities, it was mountainous terrain, and we enjoyed the waterfall and pool after a hot hike.

We sang some praise songs related to the parables and did some skits on the themes of the parables at the times we gathered together for a campfire. Here we are reenacting one of the skits.

No, the signs the girls are holding do not say "Receding Hairline" and "Male Pattern Baldness" The girls symbolized suffering and worry, and I was weighed down by them. Laura didn't add much credibility to her part by smiling so sweetly while holding up a sign saying "suffering" but remember, this is a reenactment after the fact.

Laura Sensei

Laura spent most of the summer with us and did some tutoring in English with children we've made contact with in the community. Some lessons were once a week, but some were everyday, because of a student's plans to enter an international school in the Fall.

Sometimes English teaching goes beyond just English, it would seem! So, with Laura's birthday and departure date approaching, we had a party for her and invited her English students to attend as well.

So, Teacher Laura (Laura Sensei) headed back to Canada to start a nursing degree at Momac, which is Mohawk College/McMaster University.

A Vanishing Part of Japan

Retailing has changed drastically in Japan since we arrived. Big box stores, particularly big box drug stores, have all but made extinct the little corner drug stores that used to be everywhere in Japan. The few that survive do so through personal connections, I suspect. Here's an interview with one remaining store owner. A little slice of life in Japan:

Thursday, July 22, 2010

Pharmacist Masaaki Goto | The Japan Times Online