Playing Catch-up

Brief update
Things I've learned this past month:

• Words are hard. My team and I are working on learning Japanese and in the midst of that have found that our English is quickly deteriorating. We often catch each other saying painfully ungrammatical things, even making up words or new verb forms. I've also caught myself making more mistakes typing than ever before. I think my fingers are forgetting what the English alphabet looks like on a keyboard. By the end of the year my posts might be mostly monosyllabic, just a heads up.
• 250 square feet of living space is small, but doable. You learn to be really resourceful with what space you do have. Pictures will follow soon, but for example, half my roommate's and my wardrobe is hanging in plain sight on our wall. Suitcases become sculptural pieces in the corner or function as a sort of trunk to store things. It's a little hard when you realize the only furniture you have is your futon serving the function of bed, chair, couch, and table. But I like to think of it as a dorm room with a bathroom and kitchen attached. And actually our shower room is quite large so we can always go there when we need alone time!
• 7-Elevens in Japan are a God-send. Without them my team and I would currently be starving as we have no pots, pans or a rice cooker yet. You can get your average corn dog, but they also have onigiri, noodles, gyoza, really anything your tummy could desire. And whatever foreign phrase they ask too quickly when you pay is to see if you want your food heated up. Yes is usually a safe answer. And talk about convenience. Dinner in under 5 minutes, done.
• The 99 cent store equivalent, Japan's 百円ショップ (Hundred Yen store) is a fun, but dangerous place for poor interns like me to go. It is a little too easy to justify spending just 100 yen on something, especially something you don't really need. But at the same time, it is an amazing place from which to stock an apartment at a cheap price. You can find anything from laundry clips to bentou boxes to tupperwares to dishes and pans. If you came over to visit, pretty much my whole apartment is furnished from here. Maybe not Better Homes and Gardens approved, but it works for our simple needs and tastes.
• I like fall weather a lot better than summer weather in Japan. I would take a cool brisk day anytime over heat and humidity. But then who wouldn't? There's nothing like a walk to campus on a sunny day with the air crisp and the birds singing.
• Ministry is still intimidating and tiring for little introverted me, but God is ever faithful in providing good conversations when I most need them. Japanese students are usually pretty shy in using their English but are also usually quite friendly when you break the ice. We've all met at least half a dozen students in our week and a half of ministry who are interested and excited to hang out with us. Sometimes we just pull the pity card and say we are new and have no friends and they generously take pity on us and let us hang out with them. It's nice having friends.

I think that about sums it up for now. Pictures of the apartment (aka dorm room or small boat maybe) and a ministry update from Waseda to come over the weekend!

Blessings in Him
Quinn


P.S. Check out Ephesians 1: 12-13 from the Message when you get the chance. And enjoy the glorious living we have in Christ!