Quick summary of yesterday since I didn't do an official blog post:
I went to soccer practice at 1:30. There were maybe ten of us who showed up. I can only assume this was because it's Golden Week and a lot of people are on vacation. Even so, I would have felt bad for not going since I missed the last game and Wednesday's practice. Miyuki and I paired up, which is always fun because she speaks a good mix of English and Japanese and is a great teacher. She continues to teach me Kansai ben, which I use whenever I want to get a laugh out of someone. Apparently, Miyuki and some of my other teammates are still set on having a pizza party at my dorm so we may arrange to do that in a week or two. Also, similar to how Yuu and his mother kanjified my name, I asked my teammates to come up with something for me. So, they came up with this:
The day started out pretty rough because I learned that my close friend's brother had been found dead in his apartment. It came as a shock to everyone in her family and it upset me that I couldn't be there for her in person. Thankfully, she knows Jesus and has strong faith that will carry her through this tragedy, but I am concerned for her family. After talking with her briefly, I set out for church with a heavy heart.
The news weighed heavily on my mind throughout the entire service. I sang songs of praise and listened to a message about how Jesus sets people free from sin, but I was incredibly subdued the entire time. Even when the congregation prayed over me, I had trouble staying focused. Since Yoonkyung and Hana had to practice with the worship team afterwards, we didn't leave church until 3 PM. By then, I was feeling terribly homesick. Sunday has always been family day for me in America. It was also the day I usually got to spend with my close friend. The combination of events and the timing really made my heart ache.
Thank God for Yoonkyung. When church was over and I had explained to her how I was feeling, she took me out for coffee and we talked for a couple of hours. I told her about my family and our Sunday traditions and about my friend and how I was lucky enough to see her come to Christ. And I finally got to tell Yookyung how happy I was to have met her, and how she is the only person I can truly be myself with. We no longer call each other friends, but "shimai" (sisters). From the coffee shop we met up with Hana and went out for dinner. A big bowl of rice and meat only further improved my mood (shocking, I know). By the time I returned to my dorm, I was feeling 100% better.
I have survived the first month! Hopefully things will only get easier from here. With the help of my new friends, I feel that my Japanese has improved dramatically. Now it's just a matter of continuing to get better, if only a little more each each day.
I know I can do it!
I went to soccer practice at 1:30. There were maybe ten of us who showed up. I can only assume this was because it's Golden Week and a lot of people are on vacation. Even so, I would have felt bad for not going since I missed the last game and Wednesday's practice. Miyuki and I paired up, which is always fun because she speaks a good mix of English and Japanese and is a great teacher. She continues to teach me Kansai ben, which I use whenever I want to get a laugh out of someone. Apparently, Miyuki and some of my other teammates are still set on having a pizza party at my dorm so we may arrange to do that in a week or two. Also, similar to how Yuu and his mother kanjified my name, I asked my teammates to come up with something for me. So, they came up with this:
心凛
It loosely translates to "dignified soul." Sweet, right? Anyway, our next game is on Wednesday in Kyoto so I am pretty stoked about that. Now, back to today's news.The day started out pretty rough because I learned that my close friend's brother had been found dead in his apartment. It came as a shock to everyone in her family and it upset me that I couldn't be there for her in person. Thankfully, she knows Jesus and has strong faith that will carry her through this tragedy, but I am concerned for her family. After talking with her briefly, I set out for church with a heavy heart.
The news weighed heavily on my mind throughout the entire service. I sang songs of praise and listened to a message about how Jesus sets people free from sin, but I was incredibly subdued the entire time. Even when the congregation prayed over me, I had trouble staying focused. Since Yoonkyung and Hana had to practice with the worship team afterwards, we didn't leave church until 3 PM. By then, I was feeling terribly homesick. Sunday has always been family day for me in America. It was also the day I usually got to spend with my close friend. The combination of events and the timing really made my heart ache.
Thank God for Yoonkyung. When church was over and I had explained to her how I was feeling, she took me out for coffee and we talked for a couple of hours. I told her about my family and our Sunday traditions and about my friend and how I was lucky enough to see her come to Christ. And I finally got to tell Yookyung how happy I was to have met her, and how she is the only person I can truly be myself with. We no longer call each other friends, but "shimai" (sisters). From the coffee shop we met up with Hana and went out for dinner. A big bowl of rice and meat only further improved my mood (shocking, I know). By the time I returned to my dorm, I was feeling 100% better.
I have survived the first month! Hopefully things will only get easier from here. With the help of my new friends, I feel that my Japanese has improved dramatically. Now it's just a matter of continuing to get better, if only a little more each each day.
I know I can do it!
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