A-Z from MKs in Japan

First off let me say that MK's in Japan will differ from MK's in other countries. And my family's MK life will probably vary from other Japanese MK's lives too.

Second, keep in mind that this is all just a fun compilation. Don't take us too seriously. lol. 

A:
....is for Airplane trip, because it is quite a long haul to get here. Depending on where you're coming from changes the travel time, but for us, from start to finish, it's over 24 hours.  However, that's not as long as the boats the missionaries used to come to Japan in, though! :) Most of us in our family really like flying and we only get to every five or six years, so it's a grand adventure for us. :) 

B:

...is for the Bon festival. The Japanese call it "Obon" which is adding an honorific prefix. It's a Buddhist festival that is celebrated in August, and it's all about the spirits of ancestors. It is one of the noisiest times of the year, with loud music, drums, and dances. 

C:

...is for Cuteness. Because Japan has plenty of it. They just love cute things. It's pretty much part of their culture now I think!

D:
...is for Drywall. We bought a fixer-upper house and so we are used to things associated with renovation! But...Abigail and I are finishing up our room right now which is awesome!

E:

...is for Embarrassments. They will come. They always do! lol. I have waay too many to count. And actually, the thing with being an MK in Japan is half of your embarrassing moments actually comes from furlough. lol! I could write a book... but then I would never live it all down. :D Just kidding, most of the things make me laugh so hard when I think back on it that I could fall over.

F: 

...is for Food. :D Of course, right? Japan has amazing food, y'all! I'm not a picky eater, so I like a lot of foods from other countries, but Japan will always be in my top list. And no, it's definitely not all sushi or raw fish, to those who live outside of Japan. ;) The Japanese don't even eat it every day. 

G:

...is for gaijin. (pronounced guy-jean). Aka, the everyday word for outsider. Foreigner. Us. :D Everybody knows a gaijin when they see one! Being pretty much the only gaijin in our town except for another English teacher (whom I have never actually seen) and maybe a Korean or Chinese (not sure), we forget we actually look so different from the Japanese and kind of freak out when we see a gaijin around here, just like the Japanese do. Lol!

H:

...is for Homeschool.  Pretty much nobody here homeschools but they are always gracious and kind when we tell them we are homeschooled. Sometimes they think it's interesting! :) 

I: 

...is for Island. Because Japan is not only an island country but a country made up of tons of islands. Thousands. There are four main islands, and that's what you'll see representing Japan, but there's plenty more. ;) Try to imagine a smaller California broken into bits, and you've got Japan. Oh, but with half the USA's population in that area. :D 

J:

...is for Jesus. The reason we are Mk's. There is joy, joy, joy in serving Jesus, joy that never will depart...!

K:
...is for Kanji. The picture words that can be interesting and frustrating at the same time. lol. Just kidding, they're not that bad. They are actually borrowed from China, but we use them here in Japan plus a writing system of characters representing syllables and then another version of it-- same sounds, different look-- for foreign words. 

L:

...is for Little. Almost everything here is scaled down compared to America. Small houses, compact cars, narrow roads, short aisles and little grocery carts in our stores.... When we first got to America last furlough we were shocked at how huge everything was. Then when we came back, everything seemed so small, and it was time to adjust again! 

M:

...is for multiple siblings. There are six of us in our family, we wish we had more. :D Seriously! We love kids. ;) 

N:

...is for Ninjas. Sorry, little-guys-in-America-who-wanted-to-know-if-they-exist-or-if-we-were-ninjas. That was history, and even if we were Ninjas, we wouldn't tell you, because Ninjas were the secret assassins for Samurai, so they had to keep private. :P

O:
...is for Omiyage. (Oh-mee-yah-geh). It's basically a souvenir or a gift. It's the custom here to give one of these to your friends and coworkers after taking a trip or going on a holiday, or when visiting someone at their house. Also if you move in somewhere new it's the thing to do to give all the neighbors an omiyage!  It can be anything but more often than not, it's some form of sweets, tea, coffee, etc, unless you're moving to the neighborhood and then it's soap, or hand towels or something. I don't know how this gift-giving custom started, but it's an important tradition to Japanese, and let me just say... it's very difficult to out give a Japanese person! lol!

P:
... is for passport. Every MK probably knows what this is like! Going to the Consulate to renew passports, etc., is a highlight. It actually smells like America in there, we think. 

Q:
...is for Questions. You will get a lot of them being an Mk... from the people on your mission field (why are you here, where are you from, can you speak Japanese, how long have you been here, where do you live, are you staying forever, do you go to school here, do you teach English, etc.) and also from people in America. (What's it like being a missionary kid, do you like raw fish, are there ninjas there, can you speak the language, what are the people like, can you use chopsticks, how many people are in your town, how big is the island, etc). But, we do have to say, while some questions are the normal ones that we answer over and over, we still like answering them! It's fun to be able to share about our ministry and life, and it's nice that people are curious. :) And occasionally you'll get the really great random question and those are always fun! 

R:

...is for Radio. One of our ministries is an Internet Radio. If you look up Histujikai Radio, you should find it near the top! :) Or you can just click this link: Hitsujikai Radio. It's all in Japanese, but there are lots of instrumentals on it, too. In fact, I'm praying for more vocals. :) God has blessed the radio and we would like to see it grow even more and be used in ways the Lord sees fit. :) 

S: 

...is for Seniors. Because we have a lot of them here in Japan! You probably know that Japan has an aging population, and the grandpas and grandmas here sure do have long lives. They can be so sweet sometimes, and so funny other times. True story: A couple weeks ago, I (Victoria) was asked by a half deaf older man in the grocery store if I knew what I was doing. When I said yes, he asked me if I was a teacher here. I said, no, I'm only 17. So he gets this knowing look and says "Ah! So you came here to get married!" :O No. Sorry. I didn't even know American girls did that. Hehe. I told him, trying not to laugh, that I was not married, but he misheard me, even though I my voice was very loud and I was right next to him, and said, "So, you're already married." No! I told him I live here with my family. "You're family?" I tried to explain as quick as possible. Yes. My dad, mum, and five younger siblings. His reaction was hilarious. He practically shouted "Whooaaa!". 

T:

...is for Tradition. While there are people who truly believe in Buddhism or Shintoism, most of them simply practice the religion as part of tradition and culture. And that's just one aspect of how their traditions play an important part in the way they live, the holidays they have, etc. 

U:
...is for Umeboshi. I'm sorry, it was all I could think of! lol. Umeboshi is a small pickled plum. It's quite yummy. 

V:
...is for Valentine's Day. Why? Because here, Valentine's Day only is for the men. Not to fear, ladies-who-like-chocolate-and-that's-why-you-think-Valentine's-is-a-great-holiday! One month later is White Day, which is when the men give ladies sweets! It's a brilliant excuse for my dad if he forgot Valentine's Day! He'll just tell Mama he decided to do it Nihon-teki (Japanese style) this year. :P

W:

...is for Weather. Because our weather here in Japan is some of the best. Or maybe I should say Hokkaido. I don't remember a whole lot about weather in southern Japan except for it being hot and muggy. Any thoughts or inputs on that, Southerners? :D Still beautiful in pretty much any place I reckon... you can pick whether you like bamboo forests (south) or evergreen woods (north). :) 

X:
...X is for X-cited! We are X-Cited to be MK's in Japan! :) (Terribly sorry for the cheesiness. It's all the English alphabet's fault, there's not many good words for X that would pertain to this...lol!)

Y:
...is for Yukatas. Which is the casual, summer version of kimonos. I bet you didn't know there was two different types of traditional dress, did you? :D People wear yukatas to festivals in the summer, or sometimes just because they're comfy. They wear kimonos (winter and summer versions) generally for special holidays and occasions such as Coming-of-Age-Day, graduations, weddings, etc. That kind of stuff. Unless they really like kimonos and wear them just because they like to. Or if they're wearing it at the temples.  A few Christians will also wear a kimono to church. 

Z:

...is for Zenzai. a.k.a. Oshiruko. Same dish (Sweet bean soup with mochi in it--- absolutely delicious)! But it was one of those things that changed when we moved up north. Down south we always called it Zenzai. Up here in Hokkaido, everyone calls it Oshiruko. (Oh-shee-roo-ko). We always call it the latter now, except for my dad, who just likes saying zenzai better I think. :P (Quick note, it's also not just difference in the language depending on where you live, but there are a few tweaks in the dish, I think. But I'm not completely sure on all that, so I'll have to ask a Japanese friend sometime. Too bad it's summer or I would try making some. lol)

Well that's all!
Hope you all have a lovely day!
What was your favorite letter we listed today and why?
What would be the answer to that letter from your country?

<3
Victoria and Abigail