Disembarkation

We have dreaded writing this post because it means our time in Japan has come to an end. It is difficult to leave friends, family and a job that pays you to be awesome at English.          

Quick English Lesson:

Watashi wa eigo no kyoushi desu.

(I am an English teacher.)

or as I like to say...

Watashi wa eigo desu.

(I am English.)

 Japanese culture is something we will never fully understand, but it has earned our appreciation and respect. You would be hard-pressed to find people so kind and helpful.

On Saturday, we gave up our car before becoming incredibly lost after we boarded the wrong bus. And yet, this memory will fade away. We will remember the good times...

AET Welcome Party

School lunches

South Korea

Kyoto

Fuji

Halloween

Disney Sea!

Our time with the Kajiyamas

We will see you on the other side (of the Pacific)!

A Family Affair

Our families came to visit us over the Christmas/New Years holiday. Though enjoyable, it was like taking 4 illiterate children on vacation. We have become somewhat accustomed to living in Japan, but to be responsible for someone who is new to international travel is exhausting wonderful.

We were always trying to get them to try new foods...

chicken kebab

okonomiyaki

gyoza dogs (meat dumpling in bao dough)

real crab soup

Japan also has a lot of history and many sights worth seeing...

famous monkey sculptures in Nikko

Oarai beach

Ushiku Daibutsu (Ushiku Buddha)

Fukuroda Waterfall in Daigo

To relieve some stress and look awesome we took shopping breaks...

H&M

and spent one night at the happiest place on earth (besides Krispy Kreme when the red light is on), Disney Sea in Tokyo...

Under the sea

Carousel on the Arabian Coast

We also spent time with the Kajiyamas. They have helped us so much and have basically become our adoptive parents in Japan...

breakfast with the Kajiyamas

New Years Day

and now I present the only photo with all of us...

Hope you had a good time in Japan. Come back anytime, but call first. 

Disneyland

Thanksgiving is one of our favorite holidays, but this year the formula changed...

Thanksgiving - family - football = SAD (seasonal affective disorder)

So this year we decided to skip the traditional festivities and visit a place devoted to happiness that is also overflowing with turkey legs...Disneyland!

We left around 5 AM and stayed until the park closed...

A Thanksgiving feast (part 1 of 3)

Many of us bought these character hats to keep warm and look awesome. 

Our future olympic tea cup team. We spun so fast I thought I was going to fall out. 

One of our favorite floats in the parade. 

It was a great day of fun and adventure. We just went to Disneyland! What are we going to do next? 

Go back to work. 

When you wish upon a star

A couple of weeks ago my Thursday school (meaning I visit there once a week) told me if it was not raining next week then I should wear a suit so we could take a faculty picture.

The next week it was not raining so I wore the suit. I arrive to find that the schedule has been changed. We are still taking the picture at 8:30 and at 9:00 we are going to get potatoes...

I don’t understand...

We bypassed the store and dug them out with gloved hands. I thought my first Japanese field trip might be to a park or store or museum. Maybe we would drive instead of walk and I always imagined less manure. I mean, some manure, just... less.

Last weekend we piled 7 people into 2 cars and drove down to Tokyo for Chelsea’s birthday. It was a sluggish 4-hour trip that was mostly bumper-to-bumper, but then we made it to Disney Sea.

Chelsea, Staci, and Emily

Just went through Italy and on our way to the center of the earth.

Under the sea.

Port, Chelsea, Emily and Staci

On the train heading to the Ginza district for the ICEBAR.

Everything was made of ice!

Chelsea, Emily, Staci, Daniel, Luke, Cole and Port

One last picture before the hypothermia sets in...

Then it was back to Disney Sea.

We just had to have some ears.

The park is closing...Some of us take the news better than others.

Cole, Luke, Emily, Chelsea, Staci, Port and Daniel

Next stop...Disneyland!