The Stuff with No Pictures

We are behind in blog posts, so sorry for posting 4 within two days! Things are busy with us but good. I started Japanese classes, which are on Mondays (getsu-yobi) and Thursdays (moku-yobi) for 2 hours each day. Those have been going well as I am also learning how to read and write in Japanese. Most days I'm totally overwhelmed in class, but I'll get there (I hope!).

I also joined a women's association called College Women's Association of Japan (CWAJ). They are a group of half Japanese and half other nationalities, but you are required to speak English. CWAJ gives scholarships to students studying abroad overseas along with providing assistance to the visually impaired. They also offer several social activities and volunteer opportunities. I plan to volunteer with their annual fundraiser, which is a Print Show displaying almost 200 prints. I also plan to get involved in their Children's English Circle - an after-school program for returning Japanese children who wish to maintain their English language skills after living in an English speaking country. I'll keep you posted on how these things go.

On Tuesday afternoons, I am taking pottery lessons (why the heck not?) with a friend. We've made teacups so far...mine were a little larger than they were supposed to be. I think we're making a bowl or something tomorrow. I'll try to display some of my "artwork" in the future.

To top that off, I have BSF (Bible Study Fellowship) on Tuesday evenings, and we joined a small group through the church we've been attending. BSF is a great way to go further into understanding the Bible, and I am learning a lot. I am really enjoying these two groups, which are made up mostly of Japanese people. It's easy to forget that I'm in Tokyo since there is such a large American expat community here, so I like the balance these groups provide.

As you can see, life is active here in Tokyo. October should be a fun month. We have two Halloween parties to attend (need some costume suggestions, please), Run for the Cure (same as Race for the Cure), Beyonce concert (yeah, that's right) and who knows what else!

We love and miss you guys!