Church...not visited for a month
Okay, so it's not that much different than when I was back in the States. But yesterday, I got a package of CDs of the sermons for the past month from my home church. I never knew how much I was missing until I didn't have it anymore. Listening to the cds, I found that there's so much that I forgot in a month.
Really, God is the God of the broken, poor, weak, and humble. In Japan, it seems like there's so many people full of great character. There are so many people trying to earn a better life here. What I'm seeing is that no matter how much you do or how much you deserve, you cannot earn the gift of LIFE.
It's so easy to get swept away in how everyone else is and forget what really matters most in life. God is definitely good...and even though He is so good, it's so easy to forget.
Saturday, September 30, 2006
Monday, September 25, 2006
It's like there's a party in my mouth and EVERYONE's invited!!!
I bought some cacao in a carton. i thought that it would be something like Chocolate milk, but man, this is so much better! One sip and I thought, man, this is good stuff. This is better than coffee! Hmmm...then I think what Chocolate actually does. And I think...yeah, that's probably why.
I bought some cacao in a carton. i thought that it would be something like Chocolate milk, but man, this is so much better! One sip and I thought, man, this is good stuff. This is better than coffee! Hmmm...then I think what Chocolate actually does. And I think...yeah, that's probably why.
Friday, September 22, 2006
It's been awhile since I posted. I've been sleepy for the most part. What else is new? Anyway, I'm wondering how long I'll be at this job. I don't know if I'm going to get canned after 3 months, or if I'll be able to be successful. And even if I am successful, I don't know if I'll be able to stay here because of complications. But I wonder, why am I in Japan? Why did I decide to leave my home country and move to a foreign land? Because of a job? I don't know what I was thinking. But I'm here and it's not too bad, but still, it's tougher than I thought.
I find that I still have a long way to go as a teacher. Man, it's a big change from the other job that I had. Oh man...
I find that I still have a long way to go as a teacher. Man, it's a big change from the other job that I had. Oh man...
Saturday, September 16, 2006
Okami
I heard good things about this game from someone who owns a Japanese PS2. It came out around a year ago in Japan and is making its release in the States. It's like the Zelda of the PS2, if you don't count Dark Cloud. You can find the one of several articles on www.gamespot.com
If you just want to read the main preview you can find it here
It comes out on September 19th in America. I will most likely pick up a copy here in Japan. Man, I'll be getting all these good games and I won't have time to play them...
Anyway, it probably won't be a big hit in America mainly because of the Japanese mythology aspect. But, the person who told me about this has high recommendations of the game and I trust her game playing experience.
You can find it on www.EBgames.com for $39.99. You can find the link here.
Rogue Galaxy
Apparently people in Japan don't like Rogue galaxy for some reason. I don't know why. But then again, I've never played the game. I looked on the reviews for Amazon and saw that a lot of people gave it poor ratings. I neglected to read the Japanese though. Hmm...maybe I should do that. Anyway, I'm thinking of buying it from www.amazon.co.jp
Used video games in Japan...
Apparently used video games in Japan seem to have high quality in their condition. In America, the only thing that seems to matter in used video game stores is that the video game works. I'm not sure about all the games, but it does seem like all the games I bought used are in like new condition or at least very good condition. We'll see though. Man, what is my obsession with video games? To that I say, hey, if you wanted to create new worlds, what would you do? Become a storyteller/programmer/creative writer and gain ideas from as many things as possible. Too bad I have no time though...to play games I mean. Maybe if I spent less time on blogger....hmm.....
I heard good things about this game from someone who owns a Japanese PS2. It came out around a year ago in Japan and is making its release in the States. It's like the Zelda of the PS2, if you don't count Dark Cloud. You can find the one of several articles on www.gamespot.com
If you just want to read the main preview you can find it here
It comes out on September 19th in America. I will most likely pick up a copy here in Japan. Man, I'll be getting all these good games and I won't have time to play them...
Anyway, it probably won't be a big hit in America mainly because of the Japanese mythology aspect. But, the person who told me about this has high recommendations of the game and I trust her game playing experience.
You can find it on www.EBgames.com for $39.99. You can find the link here.
Rogue Galaxy
Apparently people in Japan don't like Rogue galaxy for some reason. I don't know why. But then again, I've never played the game. I looked on the reviews for Amazon and saw that a lot of people gave it poor ratings. I neglected to read the Japanese though. Hmm...maybe I should do that. Anyway, I'm thinking of buying it from www.amazon.co.jp
Used video games in Japan...
Apparently used video games in Japan seem to have high quality in their condition. In America, the only thing that seems to matter in used video game stores is that the video game works. I'm not sure about all the games, but it does seem like all the games I bought used are in like new condition or at least very good condition. We'll see though. Man, what is my obsession with video games? To that I say, hey, if you wanted to create new worlds, what would you do? Become a storyteller/programmer/creative writer and gain ideas from as many things as possible. Too bad I have no time though...to play games I mean. Maybe if I spent less time on blogger....hmm.....
Late night rantings
We will never ask you for your password!
What's your password?
Do you want it?
Yes!!
Okay here it is. **********
...
That's something that you can use whenever someone asks you for your password. It always comes out like this. **********
A kid on this online video game typed that in the chat room when someone asked him for his password.
Everytime I type my password it comes out like this *********
We will never ask you for your password!
What's your password?
Do you want it?
Yes!!
Okay here it is. **********
...
That's something that you can use whenever someone asks you for your password. It always comes out like this. **********
A kid on this online video game typed that in the chat room when someone asked him for his password.
Everytime I type my password it comes out like this *********
Friday, September 15, 2006
Sometimes I wonder why I'm here in Japan. I mean, I feel like a loser most of the time, because I don't fit the expectations that people have of teachers and I can't expres myself in Japanese. I guess we're all human, and I do show my weaknesses more than others at times. I do see some reasons as to why I'm here, but then again, I'm finding that I need to pray more, spend less time on the net, and work more on my assignments.
It's tough. I mean, with a full time job, i'm seeing just how little time I have in the day to spend on things that I want to do. If I really want to get things done and get the important things done, I'm going to have to prioritize my time and play much much less. Which means, not doing anything on the weekdays except work and pray. heh. Get it? If you don't know Japanese, then that pun might not have made sense. But I meant pray.
I can't let everyone down. I know that if I fail, my friends and family won't be let down, but if I fail, then all my coworkers in my company and in the schools will be let down.
I'm still trying to get into the swing of things, but so far it's been kind of tough. I feel like the lessons that the company made suck. So I need to make my own adjustments to them. The books that the company made for teaching are all written in Japanese, and those aren't bad. They're actually pretty good. But the ones that I'm talking about are the ones online that are written in English. Some of them are good. But then I feel like a lot of them don't mesh well with the culture. But then again, who am I to judge only being here 3 weeks.
Hmm...maybe I need to study Japanese more and study the books at school that are in Japanese. Man, Japanese...I guess that's the key. Learn the language and the culture and things will be easier. heh
It's tough. I mean, with a full time job, i'm seeing just how little time I have in the day to spend on things that I want to do. If I really want to get things done and get the important things done, I'm going to have to prioritize my time and play much much less. Which means, not doing anything on the weekdays except work and pray. heh. Get it? If you don't know Japanese, then that pun might not have made sense. But I meant pray.
I can't let everyone down. I know that if I fail, my friends and family won't be let down, but if I fail, then all my coworkers in my company and in the schools will be let down.
I'm still trying to get into the swing of things, but so far it's been kind of tough. I feel like the lessons that the company made suck. So I need to make my own adjustments to them. The books that the company made for teaching are all written in Japanese, and those aren't bad. They're actually pretty good. But the ones that I'm talking about are the ones online that are written in English. Some of them are good. But then I feel like a lot of them don't mesh well with the culture. But then again, who am I to judge only being here 3 weeks.
Hmm...maybe I need to study Japanese more and study the books at school that are in Japanese. Man, Japanese...I guess that's the key. Learn the language and the culture and things will be easier. heh
Thursday, September 14, 2006
It's Thursday here. Around 8:30pm. I've been slowly trying to adjust to my life here as a teacher. It is a lot different than being a student. But yeah, standards are much higher for teachers...of course.
Anyway, I don't have anything really to say that I haven't said on my other blog. But yeah, some interesting things have occurred because of a communication gap. The vice principal thought that I called him an old man. Luckily my translator was there to clarify things. Just his reaction makes me laugh even now. heh. Luckily the relationship didn't start out bad.
I also said some things that I didn't mean...I mean, I said some things which I wasn't intending to say. I was trying to say something completely different, but I found out that I said something totally wrong. But then again, we'll all make mistakes when speaking another language.
I found an electronics store. Too bad it's kind of far away. I think that I'll just order from the net on their website. I can't imagine how I'd fit a vacuum on my bike. I'd probably have to walk all the way there and carry it home if I did. But at least now I know where the store is. But I did buy the Japanese version of Valkyrie profile for the PSP there. I couldn't find the other games I wanted. So I think that I'll visit the game shop close to my house for Valkyrie profile 2. I bought a Neon Genesis Evangelion game for the PS2 here also for $20. Man, it's in pristine condition for being used. I also bought Metal gear solid 2 for $10, Koudelka for $5, Carnage Heart for $1, Growlanser 4 for $20, Fire Emblem for the GBA for $30. So basically in one day I spent...$86 on used video games and $40 on one new video game. I told myself that I'd make a limit for myself each month. I still have yet to receive my first paycheck.
Anyway, I should be good to go as long as I don't go out and buy more video games that I can't play yet. I have yet to buy a Japanese PS2. I'm waiting for it to go down after the PS3 comes out. Anyway, it's about the same price as it is in the States. $130 here in Japan. Hopefully they don't pull an XBOX on me and raise the price on it after the PS3 comes out. The XBOX went up in price after the XBOX 360 came out. The main reason is that the XBOX 360 can't play all the XBOX games. So what I'm saying is that it's not completely backwards compatible. But who knows...I have a date that I promised myself that I would wait until I bought a PS2. We'll see.
Anyway, I don't have anything really to say that I haven't said on my other blog. But yeah, some interesting things have occurred because of a communication gap. The vice principal thought that I called him an old man. Luckily my translator was there to clarify things. Just his reaction makes me laugh even now. heh. Luckily the relationship didn't start out bad.
I also said some things that I didn't mean...I mean, I said some things which I wasn't intending to say. I was trying to say something completely different, but I found out that I said something totally wrong. But then again, we'll all make mistakes when speaking another language.
I found an electronics store. Too bad it's kind of far away. I think that I'll just order from the net on their website. I can't imagine how I'd fit a vacuum on my bike. I'd probably have to walk all the way there and carry it home if I did. But at least now I know where the store is. But I did buy the Japanese version of Valkyrie profile for the PSP there. I couldn't find the other games I wanted. So I think that I'll visit the game shop close to my house for Valkyrie profile 2. I bought a Neon Genesis Evangelion game for the PS2 here also for $20. Man, it's in pristine condition for being used. I also bought Metal gear solid 2 for $10, Koudelka for $5, Carnage Heart for $1, Growlanser 4 for $20, Fire Emblem for the GBA for $30. So basically in one day I spent...$86 on used video games and $40 on one new video game. I told myself that I'd make a limit for myself each month. I still have yet to receive my first paycheck.
Anyway, I should be good to go as long as I don't go out and buy more video games that I can't play yet. I have yet to buy a Japanese PS2. I'm waiting for it to go down after the PS3 comes out. Anyway, it's about the same price as it is in the States. $130 here in Japan. Hopefully they don't pull an XBOX on me and raise the price on it after the PS3 comes out. The XBOX went up in price after the XBOX 360 came out. The main reason is that the XBOX 360 can't play all the XBOX games. So what I'm saying is that it's not completely backwards compatible. But who knows...I have a date that I promised myself that I would wait until I bought a PS2. We'll see.
Wednesday, September 06, 2006
Yeah, I know that I'm supposed to be working on my hw, but yeah, after reading someone else's blog, I decided that I wanted to post some things.
I guess I should spend more time in prayer and in how I relate to people. I find that there is a lot of things that I don't know about. But a lot of things about life can be found inside of the Bible and out in the real world. I'm finding that people don't know Jesus here. But when I look at the people here, I see that they are good people, yet they don't know Jesus. And I look at myself, and I see someone who knows Jesus a little bit, and is a good person, but still has a long way to go to catch up in life to maturity.
I know that if I did what God asked me, then things would generally move in the right direction. Right now, I'm finding that I need to spend more time with God instead of nil. It's so busy here. I get out of work at 5pm. I get to work around 8am. I feel like I have so much to do. But I know that there is more to life than work. I'm still trying to figure out what is most important to me. Right now, in my choices, I'm seeing that survival is the most important right now, work 2nd, and God is last.
I'm thankful that God will accept me no matter what anybody else says. He knows me better than anybody else. He knows me, what I've been through, and what I will go through. He also knows everyone else intimately also. I've come to see that everyone is special, yet recently, I've found that I don't see everyone that way. From God's perspective, He is impartial to everyone. What I mean by that is that He loves everyone the same. And if He could forgive the worst of sinners, he could forgive you and me and everyone that I don't get along with.
One thing that I've been thinking is that if I don't get things together here, at least in my spiritual life, then I don't know where I'll be going. What is it that I really want? Do I want God? I think my choices have been saying no. If I think what is more important, it is definitely God and people. But yet, I find that I have been living for myself.
In a world that fights against God, a world that wants to idolize something other than God, it is so easy to follow the flow instead of going up the river to the mountain. Okay, enough babbling. fighto.
Must do what's right.
I guess I should spend more time in prayer and in how I relate to people. I find that there is a lot of things that I don't know about. But a lot of things about life can be found inside of the Bible and out in the real world. I'm finding that people don't know Jesus here. But when I look at the people here, I see that they are good people, yet they don't know Jesus. And I look at myself, and I see someone who knows Jesus a little bit, and is a good person, but still has a long way to go to catch up in life to maturity.
I know that if I did what God asked me, then things would generally move in the right direction. Right now, I'm finding that I need to spend more time with God instead of nil. It's so busy here. I get out of work at 5pm. I get to work around 8am. I feel like I have so much to do. But I know that there is more to life than work. I'm still trying to figure out what is most important to me. Right now, in my choices, I'm seeing that survival is the most important right now, work 2nd, and God is last.
I'm thankful that God will accept me no matter what anybody else says. He knows me better than anybody else. He knows me, what I've been through, and what I will go through. He also knows everyone else intimately also. I've come to see that everyone is special, yet recently, I've found that I don't see everyone that way. From God's perspective, He is impartial to everyone. What I mean by that is that He loves everyone the same. And if He could forgive the worst of sinners, he could forgive you and me and everyone that I don't get along with.
One thing that I've been thinking is that if I don't get things together here, at least in my spiritual life, then I don't know where I'll be going. What is it that I really want? Do I want God? I think my choices have been saying no. If I think what is more important, it is definitely God and people. But yet, I find that I have been living for myself.
In a world that fights against God, a world that wants to idolize something other than God, it is so easy to follow the flow instead of going up the river to the mountain. Okay, enough babbling. fighto.
Must do what's right.
I'm in Japan right now and I've been riding a bicycle to the different schools that I'm going to teach at. I haven't traveled very far, because I'm not sure where to go. I don't know where there's an electronics store anywhere. I'm in a suburb of some sorts or small town. I don't even know the bus system here. Anyway, I've pretty much stayed in my general area and haven't ventured out too much.
Daiso, a 100 yen store, is pretty cool. It has a lot of the things that people need in their everyday life. But it seems like every time I go in, I buy a lot and people behind me buy like 4-5 things. I guess I have to adjust to my new apartment, so it's understandable. I don't have everything that I need yet...ie cleaning supplies and stuff...
Anyway, it's been a rough three days, but when I'm on the net at work looking up lessons, it seems to be fine. When I'm not on the internet and trying to create a lesson from scratch, it's pretty frustrating. I mean, there's so much that I could teach these kids, yet how to do that is another story. And how to make it interesting will take some time at home.
Anyway, I'll probably update my other blog more than this one. So yeah, please check my other blog if you know it.
Anyway, one thing that I like about Japan is that so far everyone has treated me so nice. Even though I know that they say some things in front of me or about me, I really could care less. The adults may talk, but at least they treat me nice while I'm there. If things change, then I think that I'm not sure how I'd take it. But yeah, I think for the most part they understand right now.
Teaching has been okay. I have a lot of things to improve on. I also have to work on my personality. Something that I could slack on in the states. I had my comfort zone back home. I could relax and not worry about things so much. I had my parents to talk to. Something I only have now on the weekends. And through email. Right now, I'm alone, but I know that I'm not the only person who feels this way.
I've been told to reach out to the teachers more. it's tough, because they barely speak English. And I don't know how to express myself in Japanese. I'm finding that I need to study more. Or else this is going to continue for the whole year.
Okay, well, I'd better get going. Time to update my other blog.
Daiso, a 100 yen store, is pretty cool. It has a lot of the things that people need in their everyday life. But it seems like every time I go in, I buy a lot and people behind me buy like 4-5 things. I guess I have to adjust to my new apartment, so it's understandable. I don't have everything that I need yet...ie cleaning supplies and stuff...
Anyway, it's been a rough three days, but when I'm on the net at work looking up lessons, it seems to be fine. When I'm not on the internet and trying to create a lesson from scratch, it's pretty frustrating. I mean, there's so much that I could teach these kids, yet how to do that is another story. And how to make it interesting will take some time at home.
Anyway, I'll probably update my other blog more than this one. So yeah, please check my other blog if you know it.
Anyway, one thing that I like about Japan is that so far everyone has treated me so nice. Even though I know that they say some things in front of me or about me, I really could care less. The adults may talk, but at least they treat me nice while I'm there. If things change, then I think that I'm not sure how I'd take it. But yeah, I think for the most part they understand right now.
Teaching has been okay. I have a lot of things to improve on. I also have to work on my personality. Something that I could slack on in the states. I had my comfort zone back home. I could relax and not worry about things so much. I had my parents to talk to. Something I only have now on the weekends. And through email. Right now, I'm alone, but I know that I'm not the only person who feels this way.
I've been told to reach out to the teachers more. it's tough, because they barely speak English. And I don't know how to express myself in Japanese. I'm finding that I need to study more. Or else this is going to continue for the whole year.
Okay, well, I'd better get going. Time to update my other blog.
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