IT'S THE HOLIDAYS!

I'm off for Kyushu for the next ten days! Wow! The last time I had a long break like this was - no, not summer vacation, but - when I went back to Sydney to touch base with my folks last year in June. That break seems like so long ago. And its like even longer ago that I had month long summer breaks to enjoy. Have I transited from university student into regular working life like that?

A few mornings ago, I started thinking about if I would come back to Japan after serving in Thailand. I'm just speculating at the moment, but you never know how life can shift just like that. I have a post-Thailand plan that goes something like another extended return to Australia to touch base again and then Singapore for a few years to do Teacher's College (one of few options). I started thinking what would compel me to postpone those plans and come back here.

If I came back, I can't forsee anything more than a years stay. And, I realised if I came back I wouldn't want to teach EFL on its own again. In fact, I would want to teach Pre-academic skills at a school - at a christian international school. I would want my job back. So why am I leaving?! What all this mindwandering led to was that I thoroughly enjoy my job and that I would want to teach and teach Pre-K to elementary kids. And eventually, that would mean getting a Post-graduate Teaching Diploma from Teacher's College. And I can only afford to do that in Singapore at the moment. Which brings me once around the circle, going back to Singapore instead of postponing that for yet another while.

Of course, what I am not saying yet is why I would want to postpone it at all.

Audio: 月亮代表我的心 by Teresa Teng.
Biblio: Mother Tongue by Bill Bryson.
Cerebrio: Overheard: "I've been praying about it a lot more. I feel confident that God will reveal His will soon even though it may be something unexpected!"

THE BREVITY OF LIFE

Wow, so its another headlining week. Obviously, I'm safe and sound. But like the earthquake in fall last year, this one, too, was a bit close too home. I take the JR Kobe line up and down Kobe and Osaka when I'm about town. On the limited express which I take, Amagasaki station is just two stations from mine, Ashiya station.

The accident happened just past the Amagasaki station on the Fukuchiyama line which splits from Kobe-Osaka at Amagasaki. Hhrrmm. I am shaken by the brevity of life once again. And I wonder how I can pray for those affected. And I wonder how I manage to go on with life with almost no concern for the safety of my loved ones. This could've been anyone, anywhere, anytime. A bus, a car, a tram, a train, a plane. In Osaka, in London, in Sydney, in Hamilton, in Brisbane, in Delhi, in Singapore. It could've been my family, my close friends, my mates, my acquaintances - anyone I love.

Audio: -/-
Biblio: Mother Tongue by Bill Bryson.
Cerebrio: Dustin's here, so this week is another busy one!

BE STILL MY BEATING HEART

This week has passed incredibly fast. A million and one exciting things have been happening at the same time in my head. What is it with "leaving", that life gets exciting after that mark? Anyway, I gave my very first message at last night's Hope Chapel Osaka's friday night service. I've never been to the friday night service so when I met the crowd, I immediately felt out-classed and out-cooled by the street vibe I was getting. House DJ's, homies, street kids with sunnies, sweatbands and big silver chains hanging off their necks, gospel & hip-hop musicians, band members and actors from the Disney entourage. Here were the people who are in with it and I was strumming fuddy-duddy on my accoustic guitar to Shine, Jesus, Shine and telling them why they should do missions.

But I believe God worked in that situation and spoke to them personally anyway. They were really cool and they were really warm at the same time and once I got over being overwhelmed, it was a roller-coaster ride of side-splitting laughter hanging out with them after service at Cafe Continue. We're going to do the friday night thing more often now. ;-) Anyway, I think sunday's message of the same topic will be set too.

Other things have been set in motion too, things that are pregnant with possibility and hope.

Audio: William Orbits Barber's Adagio For Strings remix.
Biblio: The Wild Sheep Chase by Haruki Murakami.
Cerebrio: Chocolate chip, potato chip, chips-ahoy,corn chip, tortilla chip, chipalatte, Chipmunks, computer chip...

BOLD

What a weekend!

I'm officially Cert. TEFL'ed! The last module that addresses teaching Young Learners took much longer to finish than I expected even though I had plenty of experience in that. What with everything happening recently. It's amazing I've found this breather of space today to submit my last assignment to my tutor.

The word for the weekend was: Bold. It was surreal. It was exciting. It was a mark of things to come. And I depleted my savings while doing so. I paid the premium for medical insurance for the Thailand six-month mission and bought my airticket to Thailand. Yes, I'm going!

There's an amount of certitude in having an air-ticket and all manner of paraphenelia required for the mission that makes you so bold. It's knowing, "Hey, I'm leaving and I got so many more weeks or months till I'm on to my next chapter in life!". Well, I've got only so many weeks and months that if I want to do something, I'd better do it now!

Needless to say, sometime over the weekend Laura and I did some doing of what needs to be done so that in the future there are no regretful "What-ifs". I won't give away too much on the blog at the moment lest I get ahead of myself. Its just the exciting possibilities that tingle down my spine, wipe a smile on my face and keep me awake all night!

Audio: The Space In Between Us by Building 429.
Biblio: A private collection of personal poetry.
Cerebrio: I cannot believe it! Its all over again this turning-of-the-page feeling, the excitement of the future unknown and possibilities in store.

ME? A TEACHER?

I am beginning to realize, albeit a little late, that a teaching career might just make some sense. Just what? Only six years too late since starting in 1999. Teaching experience has been of all manners and sort - P.E., Outdoor & Adventure, Accelerated Learning skills, Sunday school/VBS, Pre-K, EFL with kids, adults and soon to be university - except the formal in-classroom.

It's funny how things come to you like epiphanies when all along they were right in front of you. It's not as if I never knew the option existed. Oh, mom would never let me forget it. It's more like I always denied the possibility. Me? A Teacher? Never! The idea of teaching myself incarnate would be a nightmare.

Overheard on a phonecall:

"I'm thinking of going to Teacher College. What do you think of me becoming a teacher?"

"Huh?"

"To become a teacher?"

"Arn't you already a teacher? What do you think you are you have been doing in Japan?"

The point is, someone shared a very insightful comment this week, "Teaching will be one of the most useful tools to the children aged 1-5, who have been orphaned from the South Asia Tsunami. The window of opportunity to reach to them at this age, when they are most receptive, is in the next 10 years." In fact, teaching will be a way more useful tool than going to them with theology.

Now, that made a lot of sense to me.

Audio: Your Love, Oh Lord by Third Day.
Biblio: Mother Tongue by Bill Bryson.
Cerebrio: Who whudduv thunk, I'd reach to this conclusion like so?

WHAT'S OUT THE WINDOW?

What's out the window? Oei! Move over!

Audio: Everthing Will Be Just Fine by Relient K.
Biblio: The Wind Up Bird Chronicles by Haruki Murakami.
Cerebrio: Just had a meeting with Foursquare Japan Missions director. Hhrrmm. Somethings to think about.

OF SPRING, OF SUNSHINE AND OF SAKURAS.

It's official. When the cherry-blossoms are out, the cold-weather clothes go in. I pedalled down to the station this arvo and for the very first time, not only did I have no outer cover like even a windjacket, I actually felt hot. And to prove just how japanesy my lifestyle looks, I think I over-sakura'ed myself this weekend.


Sakuras in bloom in Wakabacho.

Audio: Si seulement je pouvais lui manquer by Calogero.
Biblio: The Wind Up Bird Chronicles by Haruki Murakami.
Cerebrio: Bring out the sunscreen!

LIFE IS JUST BUDDING

All is well on the home front. The weather is still chilly at dark but warm during the day. More importantly, it is decidedly less fickle, and the buds have that to thank for. The park is peppered with green, brown and pink buds of plum and cherry-blossoms. Why, I do believe, Spring is truly on its way.

Life is busy but what is new? The volume of people, food and dirt that comes through in our house has increased exponentially. It is well and truly on its way. Laura's sister, Claire and aunt, Roberta are side-splittingly funny and its nice that we all get on like fish to water. The family seems to hold up to its reputation to talking for Britain. I don't have need to try to break a moment's silence. Somehow, I managed to convince Roberta that she ought to buy a Panasonic Lumix on account of my Dad's research into his 58th birthday present; he is old and his sight is giving way. So apparently is his steady hand which is where the camera's excessively large screen and anti-shake mechanism suit both Dad and Roberta.

A chapter has turned in our time here, it is fast closing to and end. Fast. From here onward, life is a list of things to be done and checked off in our moments of respite whilst hosting our friends and family. Like today, the family of three are off scouting Nara while I am home trying to finish up some of the MBI subjects which will be useful for me on the field. I have two more modules for Biblical Basis To Missions which I have been just powering through. Congratulations and a good ego massage are also due to me for completing my Cert.TEFL. But I can't seem to find enough motivation for completing the TEFLing Young Learners I enrolled in.

Thailand Mission Update: The Foursquare Mission International (FMI) North Asia Regional Coordinator who oversees Overseas Missions for the Japan Foursquare Gospel Church requested my resume through Pastor Jeff. Jeff, bless his heart has been scouting for more support for me. It's amazing that Foursquare Mission International is interested in supporting me in Thailand. Up till now I thought this mission support would be only church-broad, but now it seems, its regional wide. I'm "meeting" him with Jeff in two weeks for what I think is a candid interview to hear how God might use me in Thailand. I'm not to stressed about it. All in God's hand and He's been providing for Thailand great so far. One little exciting thing, they'd like me to go to the Foursquare Tokyo Convention in June. Fully paid for. NICE.

Audio: Gekommen um zu bleiben from Wir sind Helden's Von Hier An Blind album.
Biblio: The Last Battle by C. S. Lewis.
Cerebrio: Why do the weekends take so long to come and then they go so fast?