"H" is for the Huelmans!

Mom and Dad came to visit and I was the happiest girl on earth. As I was waiting at Fukuoka airport for their delayed flight, I was thinking of all the things I wanted to show them in Japan, and all I wanted to tell them. I was thinking about how I couldn't wait to see them and how I was gonna run up to them and throw my arms around them and never let them leave Japan without me. I was beside myself with anticipation and I was grinning like a fool. And yet, when their plane finally arrived and I saw them walking towards me, I couldn't remember anything I had planned to say. I couldn't move my feet to run and jump on them as I planned to. I could hardly even open my mouth to speak. I just stood there, my eyes welling up with tears. Dad looked at me and said "Aww, Ella. Me, too," and I hugged him close, and then Mom planted kisses all over my face and I was so overwhelmed with happiness. I had missed them so much and it had been over a year since I had seen them last.

The 8 days that they were here were a bit of a whirlwind. I have written everything down in my planner/diary to keep it all straight. My parents were wonderful travelers. They tried new foods, learned how to use chopsticks, met so many new people, took many great pictures, and never complained. They both tried their best to speak the Japanese words they know (arigatou and such) and I was so proud of them. I loved to see what they found interesting in Japan. Mom made many observations about the fashion and the people; Dad took pictures of road signs. Ha ha. Some things never change. ^_^

After they left, people here said so many good things about them. More than one person told me that they could easily see the family resemblance physically, but also in our personalities. They all thought Dad's blue eyes were pretty, and that he was extremely tall. I had taken them to school to visit, and afterwards, some students came up to me to ask just how tall he is exactly. I was like "just wait until you see my little brother." Mom and Dad brought sweets for everyone, too, which were awesome. The Starburst, in particular, seemed popular. 

I hope my parents had as an amazing time as I did. I wish they could have stayed longer because I feel like there is so much more to show them. I am however, grateful that they even had the chance to come at all. I am so happy they could see my life here; the town I live in, some of my schools, my office, my dinky little apartment, my new Japanese language skills. Getting to share Japan with some of my family has made my experience here that much more real. Now when I go back home, I will be able to talk about Japan with them, and they will know what I am talking about. 

Their visit was the vacation of a lifetime, and I made so many wonderful memories. Most of the memories are heartwarming, others exciting, some of them downright hilarious (right, Mom?), and all of them priceless.

"G" is for "Gaman"

In Japanese there is this word "gaman" which basically means "to endure." The idea of gaman is so rooted in to the culture here that it is hard to explain, but has been so much a part my experience that I feel I must try my best to do so.
My first taste of the gaman mindset was biking to work in my first rainy season. I would show up to the office or to school looking like I just jumped ship and swam myself there. I was thinking "This is torture. I hate this." And yet, I did it. I had to do it because there just were no other options. I haven't quite mastered teleportation yet and taxis are too expensive to take every day. I had to gaman.
During the summers, Japan tries its best to conserve energy by turning off lights and air conditioning (even when it's 30 degrees Celsius outside). The other ALTs and I would bike to the office, sit in pools of our own sweat because they won't turn the air on before 10:00, while holding ice packs on our pressure points and sitting in front of the fan. Then they turn the air off again in the afternoon. Why do we have to suffer the heat when there is a perfectly good air conditioning system in place? Hard for my spoiled American self to understand, but it is perfectly normal for my Japanese co-workers. I think they feel that it's okay, as long as we are all gaman-ing together. It's just the way it is done.
I see this in so many places, in so many ways. I sometimes think to myself  "wouldn't it be easier/nicer if they did it a different way instead?" I have realized, though, that the daily struggles of Japanese lifestyle are part of the culture and Japan wouldn't be the same without it.
That said, I still believe hot water in the school bathrooms would drastically improve the winter experience here. ^_^