I recently had an afternoon out with a friend and her mother. We had a wonderful time together! It was nice to be like someone's daughter for a while. First, we went to an onsen. Then we had kawarasoba. Next we went to another town to go to a garden. They know that I love hydrangeas so they wanted to take me there to see them. Before heading home we looked at antique stores and then had dessert. It was a lovely day!

Today in Culture Class, the second year English students gave a presentation for their final. They all put a lot of time and effort into their projects. Here is a picture of the class and all their creativity! Our topics were: Ellis Island, Loch Ness Monster, British Tea, British English/American English, St. Patrick's Day, and Thanksgiving.

Yes, you read that correctly. Last week I tried the latest drink in Japan--Pepsi Ice Cumber. It's actually not as bad as it sounds. It has a carbonated, cucumber taste. It's not bad. Plus, it sounds refreshing, which I'm sure is a huge part of the advertising gimmick. We'll see what they come up with next;)

One of the things I love about my job is that I get to journal with students. We write letters back and forth every week asking and answering questions. Sometimes questions or answers are misunderstood, so you have to go back and clarify. That happened to me this week. Last week I asked one of my students, "Are you like your mom or dad?" I knew that this one could easily be misinterpreted but I decided to give it a try anyways. This was the reply I received (unedited):

"You asked me which you like mother or father? It is too difficult for me to answer. I like both. Unfounded. A reason isn't necessary for liking my parents. Everyone thinks so surely, too. How about you? Don't you think like me surely, either?"

The voice of this first year high school student definitely comes through. I guess that I'll be doing some damage control this week:)

Yesterday, I went out to eat with a friend. We ate at a monjyayaki restaurant. It is similar to okonomiyaki (for those of you who know what that is). It is mixed and cooked on a grill in front of you. Then you take your little spatula and scoop up enough for a bite. It's fun.

My friend told me that before WWII, mother's would mix water and flour and make moji (letter) shapes with the batter. It was a way to make learning fun. After WWII, they started adding vegetables, meat, tofu, etc. to the mixture. Somehow by saying moji moji moji really fast, it started to sound like monjya. Thus, it's called monjyayaki instead of mojiyaki.

Dad, Happy Father's Day!
Your love, encouragement, and support have been a huge blessing in my life. Thanks for all that you do. I love you!!!

Japanese Iris--I love the flowers here!

I think that the rainy season has officially started in Japan. I go outside and look up to see if the clouds show signs of rain, I carry an umbrella everywhere, and take advantage of any sun that comes for laundry. Since I hang all of my laundry outside to dry and I walk all of the time, knowing what the weather is or will be like has become a much more important thing to know in my life. Today it isn't raining but there is major cloud coverage. I was hoping to lay out on the roof and try to tan a little. Next month, I'm in a friend's wedding and would like to get a little bit of color so I'm not as white as a sheet! Maybe tomorrow...I can only hope!

The hydrangeas are in bloom in Japan. I've decided that hydrangeas are one of my favorite flowers, especially in Japan. They seem to be much more colorful than the ones that I've seen in my part of the States. I love the vibrant blues and purples!