Friday, October 23, 2009

Week 21

Japan: October 16-23

Tokyo:
It was so good to finally be back in Japan after several years. The first few days we spent in Tokyo. I introduced Lisa to the many sights of the city including Asakusa, Shibuya, Shinjiku, and etc. We had some wonderful food and watched football with Kent.
Sunday I got to see some friends, Atsi & Naoko, we attended church with them and I met their daughter. It was nice to see them as a family, last time I was here they were on the road to marriage.

Kofu:
We took a road trip to see Mt. Fuji and explore this small town or suburb. We had a picnic near the castle and enjoyed the view.

Before heading to Sendai we caught up with another friend, Yuki. He has come to TN once, I was introduced to him through TN BCM summer missionaries, Amanda and Jen, on a prior trip to Japan.

Sendai:
Home Sweet Home, or at least it was for 3 years of my life. We are staying with my Japanese family and enjoying some of the best food ever. I told Kumiko tonight that she should open a restaurant.

We've attended a kids English class and prayer meeting with the Itous, where I was able to visit with old friends.

I have seen one of the new church buildings and taken Lisa on a tour of the city. There is now a Starbuck's in Sendai. That would have been nice years ago!
Lisa likes the 100¥ shops ($1 store). I find myself waiting on a lot of benches!!

Today we took a day trip to Kakunodate, known for its Samurai houses. We had a picnic by the river, made by Kumiko, and walked around town looking at the houses.

We have another week here in Sendai. It will be a busy one but we are so excited to be here and so grateful for the Itous and our time together thus far.

Tuesday, October 20, 2009

Week 20

October 9-15: Taiwan

As we continue to make our way through Asia we are having a great time meeting up with friends. In Taipei, we stayed with Lisa's family Oliver & Jan Lee, parents of Saul.

Our first days were packed with a ferris wheel ride, a trip to the fisherman's wharf, a ride through a national park, and a trip to the beach. We had great timing with the beach visit, just in time for a kite festival on a windy day. Another interesting thing, we saw a shrimp farm..???, not sure what to call it. Basically, lots of shrimp throw into a murky pool of water with people gathered around with fishing poles, kind of like fishing in a fish tank.

We spent lots of time at Taipei 101, tallest building in the world, apparently soon to be surpassd by Dubai. We finally had a clear day and made it to the top to get the view of the city.

A highlight for Lisa was getting to meet Melody's parents. We had a great time talking to her mom about various mission trips and experiences.

The week ended with the national museum, a trip to the countryside and freedom square.

Thanks for everything Oliver and Jan!!

Taiwan


A kite festival on the beach on a day trip in Taiwan.

Monday, October 19, 2009

China


Our tour guides from the village.

Thailand


An elephant ride in Thailand.

India


Hanging out with friends at the Taj Mahal.

Nepal


One of the mountain top views from our trek in Nepal.

Sunday, October 11, 2009

Week 19

Sorry for the hasty ending of my last post, our ride to the airport showed up early and I was forced to shorten things a little.

October 1-8
China: Xichang

Our time in China was so much fun. My friends took such great care of us and we enjoyed catching up with each other. We even got a chance to watch some football together. I was also grateful for their knowledge on ordering food, we had some great meals.

Xichang has mountain views and also a lake. One day we took a trip there with some Chinese friends. We tried out new foods, took a boat ride, and enjoyed watching JD(almost 2 years old) play in the water. He was the star of most of our outtings getting lots of attention from the Chinese.

Another highlight of the week was a trip to a nearby village. The kids were so cute. They became our tour guides for the day and loved getting their picture made. We enjoyed getting a taste of the culture upclose.

We took in some local sites including a museum on the local minority group. The museum was overlooking the city and we took a slide back to the bottom.

It was sad to say goodbye. Always hard to be far away from such great friends. Love you guys and thanks for everything!!