One Year in Japan: Lost and Found Again

As of November 13^th I have been in Japan for one full year. I have been trying, with little success, to write a deep, reflective post about my past year here, and I have realized that some things just cannot be expressed well in words. But if you have been following this blog, I think you can get a little taste as to what this past year has meant to me and what I have felt along the way.

Having restarted writing this post one more time, I have decided to take a different approach, because, honestly, all of that reflection has boiled down to one simple fact. Through all the turmoil, fear, stress, and unfamiliarity, God has made this place my home. Just like He promised. I’ve come to realize that while I still miss my home in America very much, I will miss my home in Kumamoto almost as much when I leave. With God’s help I have created a home here, complete with family and friends. It hasn’t been easy, and I know I still have a ways to go, but I am comfortable and happy now, here in this place.  I have discovered who Caroline Keenan is in Japan.

So, instead of reflecting on the past year, I want to tell you about some events in the past weeks (since I haven’t posted in eternity) that I feel really show what I am talking about with regards to Kumamoto becoming my home. So, without further ado…

One weekend in September I got tired of staying in my apartment. That Saturday I went alone to a nearby family chain restaurant called Joyful (much like a Japanese version of Village Inn) and gave myself a pep talk while slowly eating my tonkatsu. It was time for me to start putting myself out there. It was time to make friends outside of the missionary community, where people are infamously busy all the time. It was time for me to step up because no one was going to do it for me.

The next day, at the international service I invited a young woman I knew to go get coffee with me that week. We made plans and I went home and invited another acquaintance to coffee for another day that week. So, essentially, for the past couple months, I have been going on “friend dates” to try and expand my circle. They have been working (almost too well my budget and calendar are telling me!) and I have been making many new friends, exploring new parts of the city, and drinking lots and lots of mochas.

My success reminded me that, sometimes, all you need is a short burst of courage, but, also, that many women do not have this. That first coffee meetup, the young woman I was with told me she was so glad I had invited her, because she was shy. I wondered how many other people feel the same in this city and I came to a conclusion. I talked with some of my new girlfriends about it and they thought it was a great idea, and so… I created the Girl’s Night Out in Kumamoto club. The plan is for us to meet up once a month. Everyone is encouraged to invite others so that we can all mingle and make new friends. I also hope that women who are new to Kumamoto might find us on Facebook and join in so that they don’t have to feel lonely in a new place.

We met up for the first time on November 1^st, and went to dinner and karaoke. It was a blast, and deemed a successful venture by all. There is truly nothing like a good circle of friends to make you feel at home.

So here’s to new friends and an overfull social calendar! I’m loving it, and reminding myself to have at least one night a week at home! Also, I really need to rework my budget…

The second and third examples of settling in and making Kumamoto my home happened one weekend in November at Kyushu Gakuin and Kengun respectively. That Saturday, Kyushu Gakuin held its biannual KyuGakusai or culture festival, and on Sunday Kengun held its annual bazaar to raise money for the homeless center. It was a REALLY long weekend. It was also the final piece that let me know how much a part of this place I have become, and, also, how much a part of me this place has become.

What is KyuGaksai you ask? Well essentially it is a big festival here at the school. The students create businesses, such as cafes or mini restaurants, or they create something to sell, the most popular item being towels. This is to teach the students how to run a business or be a salesperson. They also have a talent show portion that students prepared for. The talent show was brilliant. My personal favorite was the karate club’s demonstration. Their coach kicked through like six bats. At once.

I am a helper for the English Speaking Society here at school. The ESS club was making popcorn for the event and I knew I would be helping, but I was also informed that it was supposed to be run by the students and not me. Ha!

So I arrived Saturday morning and met up with the other native speaker teachers and we strategized our day… which went up in smoke a bit later when we found ourselves working the booth alone, none of our students in sight. Now, to be fair, some students had showed up to work that morning. But the ones who showed were 3^rd years, so this was their last bunkasai and we wanted them to have some fun, and our foreign exchange students, for whom this was their first and their last bunkasai. The 1^st years had to work in their classrooms, though one managed to come help near the end and we, sadly, have no 2^nd years.

It was a busy day but we had a great slogan, “American popcorn made by real Americans!” Later, as the students returned, it became “American popcorn made by real Americans, Japanese, and Australians!” This was really just too long so we dropped the slogan. We had fun and even managed to get out and see our students. This was detrimental to me as I learned (and, more unfortunately, my students learned) that I cannot say no them. I bought six towels. SIX! Plus a T-shirt from the soccer team and WAY too much food. As self-preservation throughout the day I did one of two things. I either told them I would come back later, or I just flat out lied and said I already had bought one of whatever they were selling. Not very Christlike of me, but I was getting desperate at that point because you better believe that later promise was remembered and I was hounded, “Sensei have you bought one yet? Have you?” Even the, “I already bought one” had its issues, as I had accidently told a student I was buying Christmas presents and that spread like wildfire. So when I informed them I had already bought whatever they were selling the response was, “Christmas present!” When the boys found out that I did not have a boyfriend, Dad became the favored present receiver and they tried to explain why Dad would like their towel or T-shirt more than the competition. It was highly entertaining and highly damaging to my wallet.

I left at the end of the day exhausted, happy, and loaded down with purchases. I slept for an hour, ate a quick dinner and headed out to Kengun to make the crepes that the junior high and high schoolers were to sell at the bazaar the following day. We made one hundred crepes that night. I was beat by the time I left, but pretty darn happy.

The next day was very cold and raining. I arrived early to help set up for the bazaar. The fellowship hall had been transformed into a second hand shop and the kitchen was bustling with food prep. There was a short church service and then we opened the doors. There was a huge line! I didn’t see much of the inside chaos because I was outside selling crepes with my students. We took turns eating lunch, crouched behind our selling table. That hot curry was the best I had tasted and warmed me right up. I tell ya, my church ladies know how to make the most amazing curry.

Once we had cleaned up from the crepes I got to go shop myself. I bought several English books on the history of Christianity in Japan that I am very excited about, and even did a bit of Christmas present shopping. There were some really unique finds there and I enjoyed looking around. At last it was time to head out and prepare for the English service. A long weekend indeed. Luckily I had Monday off!

The reason I highlight these three simple things is because they are just that. Simple acts, simple things, that define becoming part of a community. God has truly blessed me here in Kumamoto. Friends, students, church family… home is where your heart is and at times I think that part of the discomfort of my job is that my heart is split. Half back home and half here. It’s not a bad thing, and you learn to live with it, because the half that is here is becoming stronger by the day and the half that is back home is waiting patiently.

I hug the knowledge that I am loved here, that I have a place here, as I enter this Advent season. I gave thanks for it when I had my Starbucks conversation club students ask themselves why it is important to give God thanks, and again, when I ate my Thanksgiving pizza with my friend Karmen. I gave thanks as I decorated my apartment for Christmas. Stocking, nativity, Advent calendar (there was dancing and singing for joy in the aisles when I found that at an import store), simple things, but things that make it a touch more Christmas, a touch more home. In the words of Philip Philips and his immortal song Home, “If you get lost you can always be found, just know you’re not alone, cause I’m  gonna make this place your home.”

Caroline Keenan here. Lost and found again.

Mountain Climbing!

1052 meters! Whoot!

Beautiful fall colors in Kumamoto

A great view of the castle!

Running in the fall at sunset; one of my favorite things!

Sunflowers on my way home from school make me happy!

Girl's Night Out!

Karaoke times!

A day in Fukuoka!

Thanksgiving dinner with Karmen. Introducing my friends from South Africa to a wonderful tradition! Only we had pizza and pasta instead of turkey and mashed potatoes, but it was delicious non the less!

The Christmas tree outside of Kyushu Gakuin! Here comes Christmas!