私のチェロ (Making a Speech in Japanese)

This is to prove that in fact, I have learned something in Japanese class. Here is my book 1 speech, celebrating my successful completion of part 1 beginning Japanese. Actually, this speech is about how I started playing the cello. Those of you who can read Japanese, have fun. I'm not providing a translation, so the rest of you can just use your imaginations. Or google translator, which will provide a similarly imaginative result. がんばって！

私のチェロ

私の両親は音楽が好きです。　私が生まれる前から、　母は私に歌を歌ってくれました。　父も歌を歌うことが好きで、　ギターも弾きます。　

子供のとき、　私も音楽が好きでした。　5歳からピアノとバレエを習い始めました。　バレエは楽しかったですが、　私はあまり上手じゃありませんでした。　そして、　バレリーナがピザを食べてはいけません。　大変ですね！　ピアノを弾くことも楽しかったですが、　いつも一人で練習と演奏することは少し寂しかったです。　クラシック音楽を弾きたかったですが、　先生はポピュラーミュージックしか教えてくれませんでした。　

小学生は5年生から、　楽器を習うことができます。　私は学校のオーケストラに参加したかったです。　しかし、どんな楽器を弾いたらいいですか。　一番好きな楽器はオーボエでしたが、　オーボエを吹きたい子供は最初にクラリネットを吹かなければなりません。　私はクラリネットがあまり好きじゃありませんでしたから、　オーボエを選びませんでした。

ある教会員の女の人はチェロを弾いていました。　私はその人がチェロを弾くのが好きだったし、　バイオリンは音が高くて、　煩いですが、　チェロは音が甘くて、　低いし、　それに、　バイオリニストは人が多いです。　だから、　もちろん、　チェロを選びました。

小学校のオーケストラでチェロを習い始めました。　すぐ簡単なクラシック音楽を弾くことができました。　ほかの子供と一緒に音楽を演奏することはとても楽しかったです。　ピアノをやめて、　チェロを個人的に習い始めました。　

高校のとき、　私は音楽家になることを選びました。　父と、　音楽科が有名な大学へチェロの先生に会いに行ったんです。　インディアナ大学のチェロの先生は私の演奏を聞きました。　このチェロの先生はしかめっつらをしました。　先生は、　「下手です。　チェロをやめてください」と言いました。　私は一日中泣きました。

しかし、　チェロが好きでしたから、　やめませんでした。　その代わりに、　新しいチェロの先生にチェロを個人的に習って、　たくさん練習して、　頑張りました。　一年後、　コロラド大学に申し込みました。　オーディションに合格して、　コロラド大学に入りました。　やった！

I like food. Why not start the new year with a recipe?

I was looking in my pantry and thinking about what to eat, and really not wanting to go the grocery store... I discovered that there were some old vegetables which wanted to be eaten. Also, it's time to clean things up a bit before the new housemate arrives. (Note: we're currently living in the OMF guest house in Sapporo. It's meant for people who are short term missionaries like us, or others from OMF and missionaries' families who need a place to live for a few months or less.) Our last housemate, Lauren, went home to Tokyo before Christmas. Here's a picture of our farewell dinner--Tonjiru soup, a recipe from a dear friend in Tokyo (Ronna Husby), who also happened to be my preschool teacher. :) Oh, by the way, Lauren went to high school with Ronna's daughter. Small world... (Actually, although I might eventually post about Tonjiru soup, this post is about curry.)

Anyway, back to the recipe. Or not. One more digression. Christmas was a little funny this year--first time on our own, and first time so far from "home"... although really, where is home anyway? In any case, Christmas presents were kept to a minimum, since we will have to either leave stuff behind to haul it home. I bought my own Christmas presents. That's another "weird" thing about this Christmas. My presents to myself were a special bento box for New Year's food, and a donabe--a heavy clay cooking pot that I can use on the gas stove! (It's pronounced doe-nah-bay, by the way.) Oh, I love it already. This is my first time cooking with gas, and I've been a bit frustrated that there's no such thing as "low heat." The lowest setting on this stove means "rapid boil." Oh dear. The wonderful thing about the donabe is that it's good and heavy, so even on a gas stove, I can simmer my soups. How exciting! (Keith's comment: "why is it that your favorite cooking implements are always the hardest to clean?")

Of course there are many wonderful Japanese dishes I can make with my donabe, but this isn't one of them. I invented this one on the spot. Influences were a wonderful curry I made with a friend 10 years ago in the Netherlands (the egg idea came from that recipe), a Japanese book I just bought about using up the old veggies in your fridge (I LOVE this book), and the particular things I had around the house. It was cold, so I didn't feel like going to the store. I use my donabe all the time. Tonight's dinner was risotto, also beautifully cooked in my donabe. :)

Here we go. Enough chit-chat.


Orange and Green Curry

• 1/2 kabocha or other small-ish orange-fleshed winter squash, seeds removed, cut into large bite-sized chunks (if you are using kabocha, skin on is fine--hence the "green" in the title)
  
• 1 can coconut milk
• A bit of water or broth
• 1 sweet potato, peeled and cut into large bite-sized chunks
• Olive oil
• 2 onions, coursely chopped
• Salt
• 4 cloves minced garlic
• 2 tbsp minced ginger root
• A bit of leek
• 1 tbsp green curry paste
• 1 cup red lentils
• 4 hard-boiled eggs

In a heavy pot (I used a Japanese donabe), bring the kabocha, coconut milk, and enough broth or water to cover to a boil. Add sweet potato.

Meanwhile, heat a dollop of olive oil in a frying pan, and add the onions. Sprinkle them with salt. Cook on low heat for 10-15 minutes to caramelize. Add garlic, ginger, and leak, and sauté for a few more minutes. Add curry paste and a few splashes of broth, and mix.

Pour the onion mixture into the soup pot, and deglaze the pan with a little water or broth. Cover and simmer until the kabocha and sweet potatoes are tender.

Also meanwhile, cook the lentils until they are al dente… if I can use such a term to refer to lentils. Add the lentils to the soup just before serving. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary.

Serve over rice with the hard-boiled eggs.

2009 Year in Review

Since our "December Newsletter" was mostly about what we've been doing the last few months, I (Celia) thought I would post a "year in recap" sort of post. It's been an exciting year. Click on the links to read more about each item and to see some pictures. I was originally going to post a whole bunch of pictures, but since I already posted most of them anyway, I changed my mind. Just use the links. So, on to the recap...

We started the New Year (2009) in Seattle with my family. Our friend, Carla came to visit, too.

At school (Regent College), we were busy with big projects. Keith took the Old Testament comprehensive exam, while I worked on my arts thesis, which was a series of worship services with lots of instrumental music. (Incidentally, this was the year when I got over "artistic block" and started practicing my cello again.) Meanwhile, we both worked as teaching assistants for Greek (Keith) and Hebrew (me). Busy times. We were really glad when it came time for...

Graduation!! 

That's right! We graduated from Regent College on April 27! After 3 1/2 years of noses to the grindstone, we finished. Both of us got a Master of Christian Studies degree. Keith's concentration was in Biblical Studies, and Celia's was in Christianity and the Arts. Keith received prizes for Greek and Old Testament, and Celia received prizes for Christianity and the Arts and Hebrew.

We went to Colorado to visit friends and prepare for... the next step, finished up stuff in Vancouver, including my cello teaching job at St. James Music Academy, then we went on a road trip to visit Keith's family and a couple of national parks. We came back to Vancouver, packed up our apartment, said goodbye to our friends, then we were off to...

Japan!!
After spending 3 1/2 of our 4 years of marriage in Canada, we thought, why not try living in a third country? ;) We're presently living in Sapporo on the island of Hokkaido. We're here for 8 months (until around the beginning of April 2010) working for Overseas Missionary Fellowship International (OMF).

Since we arrived in Japan, we've been studying Japanese, working at Satsunae Lighthouse Church, playing concerts, working with students at Hokkaido University... as well as eating and generally enjoying and growing accustomed to Japanese culture. That's a very short summary, so please check out the links above, and also our September and December newsletters if you haven't done so yet.

December was a very busy month. I prepared for and played 4 concerts (1 of which could have been a Master's level recital). There were many Christmas parties and events to attend and help with. Meanwhile, we carried on with our usual activities--Language study, meeting with students, and playing music at church. We celebrated Christmas without our families for the first time ever... and yes, it really is true that Japanese people eat KFC on Christmas Eve...

It was a little lonely, but we were glad to have a few days to rest. Keith made a roast, and we ate Christmas dinner with our "house parents" and some friends from their church.

At present, we are enjoying the company of my parents and brother here in Sapporo.

They arrived on December 28. We celebrated New Year's together, I played a concert on Jan 3... but maybe I'm getting a bit ahead of myself, since now it's 2010. I'll post more specifically about the concerts and Christmas things soon, but for now, check out my mom's blog about family time in Sapporo and New Year's.

As we say in Japan... 新年おめでとうございます！ Happy New Year!

Happy New Year! 新年おめでとうございます！

 

Happy New Year!

Here in Japan, people send New Year's cards rather than Christmas cards. We probably should have sent them through the mail, but we couldn't find anyone's address. Well, we have lots of addresses, but only for people in other countries who don't take part in this tradition.

Since we ran out of time to ask people for addresses, and since we thought those of you in other parts of the world would enjoy this, here is our special homemade greeting. Keith did the picture and I did the the writing. It's the year of the tiger, hence the tiger in the picture. And if you don't recognize the shape on which the tiger is standing, that would be the island of Hokkaido. I hope you enjoy it.

The greeting reads:
新年おめでとうございます
New year's congratulations
今年もよろしくお願い申し上げます
This year, please continue your good favor towards me
みなさまのごけんこうを祈りしております
Praying for everyone's good health
二０一０年元旦
New Year's morning, 2010


We are praying, dear friends and family, not only for your good health, but also that this would be a year full of God's blessings for you in every way.

Love, Keith and Celia

p.s. "2009 in recap" post is coming... but right now my parents are here, and I'm playing a concert on Sunday, so I'm a little busy...

December Newsletter

メリークリスマス
Merry Christmas!

Looking at Christmas lights and eating baked sweet potatoes purchased from a sweet potato truck in Odori Park (on the way home from a concert)

Dear friends,

Merry Christmas from the Olsons, or as we say in Japanese, メリークリスマス. This is more of a newsletter than a Christmas letter, but please check our blog again soon, as we will post a more traditional/all inclusive “year end recap” here.

It’s hard to believe that our time in Japan is already half over. It has gone by remarkably fast, especially now that we are busy with many different activities. We are continuing on with our language studies, but we’ve dropped to 1 day a week to accommodate our other responsibilities. Keith teaches English Bible study and conversation classes at Kibou no Oka Church on Fridays and Saturdays. We have already had many opportunities to use our musical gifts. We have continued to help with music for worship at our church, as well as at a number of other churches.

Our Church: Satsunae Lighthouse

Playing Bach at Kibou no Oka Church

Concert at an art show arranged by Oomagari Church (a new church plant) with the theme of the life of Christ

December is the most significant time for outreach for Japanese churches, since at this time people are interested in coming to concerts and other events, and sometimes they are curious to learn more about what Christmas means. For us, this means playing many concerts. Last week, we both were part of a city-wide outreach concert. Keith sang in the choir, and Celia accompanied on cello. Celia will be playing two major concerts on December 22 and 24, as well as playing for numerous parties and events.

We have also begun work with students at Hokkaido University. Our most important tasks are to meet students, make friends, and generally be present in their lives.

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Talking about Jesus
Working with Students through FMZero

FMZero's "Upside Down Party"

On Wednesdays we have been meeting with college students for English conversation, games, and Bible study. The group is called FMZero (that’s OMF backwards). During the Bible study, we talk about Jesus and Christianity in a manner quite different from the evangelism which is carried out in the US. If you want people to listen to the gospel in the US, then you must come up with a novel way to present the gospel that grabs people’s attention but does not immediately give off “Christian vibes.”

For example, while I (Keith) was at the University of North Dakota, everyone was talking about a guy named Eric, and people were wearing bright orange shirts with bright orange buttons asking, “Do you agree with Eric?” Whenever you asked an orange shirt what’s up with this Eric guy, they gave you an elusive answer saying that all would be made clear at such and such a date, time, and place. This went on for weeks. The ploy worked well; many people, myself included, showed up to hear Eric speak. Eric was a Christian and he wanted to talk to us about Jesus. Once the word “Jesus” was mentioned, the atmosphere changed from excitement to “groan.” In the US it is just uncool to talk about Jesus so directly because people have their preconceived notions about Christianity already and are “vaccinated” against it.

This is different from working with the Japanese, because many have no notion of what sin is and why Jesus would have to die for them. I don't need to dress the gospel up with bright orange buttons. I can be myself, tell the story in the old way, and Japanese people hear it with fresh ears. I don’t mean to imply that evangelism is easy in Japan. The students who come to FMzero are drawn by the prospect of practicing their English speaking skills with native speakers. Many hear the Bible stories for the first time, but remain unaffected by them. The sad fact is that the cold weather, homework, and tests are increasingly keeping even our “regulars” from coming to hear the gospel at all.

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Culture Shock?
Celia reflects on praying aloud in groups

We have been pleased, and somewhat surprised, that culture shock has been relatively painless. There are many things that are different about living in Japan, but many of them were expected. What we didn’t expect was that our most significant “culture shock” would be from adjusting to the unique culture of OMF. We hear that we are not alone; many other missionaries also experienced this when they first arrived in Japan.

Before we became a part of OMF, praying out loud in groups was not something we did very often. If we were in a group prayer setting, we would pray along silently as others voiced their prayers. We usually did not feel the need to verbally contribute to the group’s prayer.

 At OMF’s weekly prayer meetings, we break into small groups several times during the meeting to pray for different needs. Since we are new, the names and situations are unfamiliar to us. However, staying silent and listening is not really an option. There is an unspoken expectation that everyone in the group will verbalize their prayers. For me, initially, this meant that while other people were praying, I was frantically trying to fabricate a prayer in my mind, frantically trying to remember names (often unfamiliar Japanese names), frantically trying to say something intelligent about a situation I know nothing about. Unfortunately, I really was not participating in others’ prayers. After all this is over, I was as exhausted as if I was coming out of Japanese class.

In this context, I had to learn to listen better. In my weakness in public speaking and prayer, I had to learn to rely on God to give me the words to pray. If I wait and listen for God’s prompting, I don’t need to prepare my prayer in advance; I can fully participate in the others’ prayers. If I wait on God, he will give me words even for an unfamiliar situation.

Sometimes when I’m really tired, I still don’t seem to have any words. Maybe God wants me to listen and be encouraged by the other people. Sometimes I simply need to explain that I’m tired and I don’t have much to say.

It’s really been a privilege working with the other OMF missionaries. Many long years of living abroad and depending on God have given these people patience, humility, wisdom, and a sense of humour. We are thankful to listen to and be encouraged by their prayers.

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Prayer Points
Looking back, we are thankful for…

• God’s provision of such support around us. The food, hospitality, and love offered to us in Japan by missionaries and Japanese alike is truly heart-warming.
• The many Japanese contacts that we are making. It’s hard in any culture to turn an acquaintance into a friend, but language barriers make it even harder. So we are thankful for Mikiko-san and her son Yuugo-kun, Takaaki-san, Watanabe-san, Naho-san, Shino-san, and many others who patiently listen to our broken Japanese and try so hard to speak in English. We wait in anticipation of more friends to come.
  

Looking forward, we are praying for…

• O-san, who comes to a English Bible study that Keith is teaching. She is interested in Christianity but her husband will not allow her to go to church. There are many cases like this in Japan. Please pray that seekers like O-san persevere and bring the light of salvation into their families.
• Our conversation partners. We have begun to meet with several people for Japanese and English conversation exchange. Please pray that these will be times for mutual growth in foreign language speaking—sometimes it is hard to speak in Japanese when their English is so much better than our Japanese. Also please pray that opportunities to share about our faith will arise.
• Our church, Satsunae Lighthouse Church, which is attempting to make the change from being missionary led to being Japanese led. One of the biggest challenges in this change is calling a pastor. Please pray for unity in the church in this decision and adequate funds for calling a pastor will be raised.
• One of our church’s members, K-san, who will soon graduate from Hokkaido Bible Institute and who has already been called to pastor a church. N Church was another OMF church plant, and K-san will be their first Japanese pastor. We are thankful for God’s provision of a pastor for N church and of a place for K-san and his wife, M-san to serve God, but we are mindful of the challenges ahead of them. As this situation suggests, there is a shortage of pastors in Japan. Please also pray that God will raise up young people with a heart to lead his church.
• Celia’s Christmas concerts. Celia will be playing 2 major concerts on December 22 and 24. Please pray for efficient rehearsals and practice sessions, for good communication between Celia and her pianist, Shino-san, and for physical strength to endure long rehearsals. Pray also for the people who will attend the concerts—these will be outreach events, and Celia will be sharing her testimony.
• Celia’s grandmother, Grace. At present she is in very poor health. Please pray for Celia’s family as they visit and support her, and for Celia and Keith as they try to support the family from a distance.

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Engrish of the Month
“British Bistro Bear” dishes: Celia could not stop laughing.

 

The back of the cup reads: “Bistro bear is the best gentleman of a British tradition. He is cleverly refined, is very stylish and kind. Ladies enjoy conversation with him.”

Language Mishaps
We are not immune…

By swapping the two syllables, Keith confused 大変ですね。 (taihen desu ne?/That’s difficult, eh?) for　へんたいですね。 (hentai desu ne?/Perverted, eh?) Not a mistake to make in polite company. The pastor of Kibou no Oka church thought it was hilarious, though.

Celia, trying to compliment our Japanese teacher on her singing (that would be “先生は歌が上手です”/sensei wa uta ga jouzu desu), told her “先生は下手が上手です” (sensei wa heta ga jouzu desu/Sensei’s unskilfulness is skilful).

A friend of ours explained to his teacher that he was going to prison for his vacation (かんごくへ行きます/kangoku e ikimasu) rather than South Korea (韓国へ行きます/kankoku e ikimasu).

Foreign loan words transcribed into Katakana are a source of amusement. We explained to our teacher that we had looked after the children at the missionary conference. She supplied us with the appropriate (or shall we say inappropriate?) verb: “ベビーシッターをします” (bebi-sh*tta- o shimasu—there’s no “si” sound in Japanese). After the laughter subsided, Sensei suggested that we change the pronunciation slightly when we are around native English speakers.

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Toilet Tidbits
You know you’re all fascinated by Japanese toilets…

I don’t understand why the rest of the world doesn’t catch up to the sophistication of Japanese toilets. Here is the picture of our house’s toilet with accompanying remote control, containing some of the most easy to understand Kanji (seriously, take a look and I bet a person with no Kanji background could understand some of these pictographs).

Some aspects of the Japanese toilet are admittedly a bit strange, and having lived in Japan for many months, I still do not fully comprehend all there is to know about “using the facilities” in Japan. For instance, there’s the sound function that plays running water (for encouragement maybe, or to cover up other potentially embarrassing sounds), and the retractable bidet function (a potentially very messy button to push if you are in search of the flush function). A quick note to visitors to Japan: the flush lever is in the same place that you’d expect to find it: next to the upper tank. Depending on which way you turn the lever, Japanese toilets have dual flush action, small vs. large flush. But saving water doesn’t end there; on top of the upper tank is a sink. You can wash your hands with the water used to fill the tank after you flush. This saving water function seems to me to be a no brainer, as does the seat warmer. No one likes the feel of cold porcelain on bare skin in the middle of winter. Some parts of Europe are already incorporating some of these ideas, but if I knew what the statistics were, I would still say that they are meager. I tell you, if you are replacing a toilet, get one of these.

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It’s Cold Outside!
Now that it’s winter, onsens are very inviting. Keith describes his weekly Sabbath habit.

Onsens are great. I've heard they are great places for evangelization, but that is probably because they are great places to be in general. We’ve decided to go to the onsen once a week on our Sabbath, which is typically on Mondays for missionaries. Onsens are establishments based around thermally heated water. There are pools containing back/feet water jets; other pools are a murky brown (I have yet to determine why they are that color); there are outdoor pools; a cold plunge pool; a sauna; and maybe most peculiar is the electric pool that sends a mild electrical current through your body (nonlethal, yet refreshingly painful). I suppose some gaijin are weirded out by walking around with a bunch of naked people, but my experience at public pools and the YMCA prepped me for that. However, the only thing that prepared me for the cleaning lady was the couple of times I saw one in the men’s public restroom. The cleaning lady is very professional about her work, so I am no longer shocked when I see her. I can always tell who she is even without my glasses on because she's the only one allowed to wear clothes. Once you get over those couple of hiccups, the onsen is a relaxing, cheap (about 5 USD) place which is especially nice in the cold winter. I can spend hours in the onsen going between hot and cold pools, which is apparently very good for the circulation and skin.

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Blessings on your Christmas celebration. May you know God’s presence as you celebrate his incarnation in the person of Jesus.

Love, Keith and Celia

Concerts and whatnot

As you may know, my primary job here in Japan is playing my cello. This is not a big surprise, since my primary job when I am at home is playing my cello and doing other music related activities. Keith has also been playing piano and singing a lot. Here's a little snapshot of some of the things we've been doing since we've been here, and a bit on what's coming up in the next couple of months...

Our first musical responsibilities were playing for worship at church. We've been doing this with some regularity since our arrival.

Then, our first concert was part of JCE5--the 5th Japan Congress on Evangelism. A couple thousand people were there, from all over Japan! This was a really important conference, since it only happens once every 9 years or so, and it probably won't happen again in Hokkaido for a long time. Can you find Keith in the choir? He really blends in quite well. It was his first time performing in Japanese! I got to play with some excellent violinists to accompany the choir.

In this picture, the word which you see repeated over and over on the screen can be transliterated "hareruya." Any guesses what piece we're performing? ;) The other pieces we performed were the Sapporo Olympics theme song ("Snow Ballad"), Beethoven's Ode to Joy, and You Raise Me Up. We're performing with this group again this Thursday at a big Christmas concert.

In October, Keith and I played together as part of an art show. I played two mini-concerts by myself (unaccompanied Bach suites--first complete performance of the 2nd suite!) and Keith and I played a longer concert together. A pastor from Hokkaido is quite a gifted artist--he did a number of copies of famous Biblical-themed paintings, as well as a number of his own works. All of the paintings featured scenes from Jesus' life. We had expected that people would walk around and listen the the music while they looked at the art... but no, they sat down and watched us. Our hosts kept adding more chairs... Keith found this to be a rather nervous situation, as it was his first time playing solo piano in a "concert" setting, rather than providing background music. He did really well, and we had a lot of encouraging feedback after the event!

When we played Arvo Pärt's Spiegel im Spiegel, we asked everyone to go look at the pictures--that piece really reflects the idea of God coming to us as we reach up to him, seen most clearly in the incarnation of Jesus.

The very next day, we played for the worship service at Kibou no Oka church, where Keith has been teaching English (and practicing the organ). This was part of the church building's first birthday festivities. There was a special celebration in the afternoon, and I played a couple of pieces and joined with an ensemble of musicians from the church to play some movie theme music.

 

I played again at Kibou no Oka in November for their monthly "kirakira time" outreach. (Kirarira means "sparkle sparkle." We are amused.) I played a movement of Bach's G major sonata for viola da gamba and harpsichord. I played with Naho, who is the organist at Kibou no Oka. We "made do" with a cello and an organ. (Ahhh... that organ is soooo nice... but I miss my viol!)

Keith and I, along with our friend, John, provided music for the ceremonial opening (hakkaishiki) of a new church--Hiragishi Izumi Kirisuto Kyoukai (translated, that means Hiragishi [a neighborhood of Sapporo] spring of water Christian Church).

 

(No, those people aren't all members of the new church--they came from all different churches in the area to pray for an support the new church!)

Coming up...
Right now I'm preparing for Christmas concert craziness. I had my first rehearsal with my pianist, Shino, on Saturday. We'll be preparing for 2 concerts on December 22 and 24, in Asahikawa and Chitose respectively. We're working on Brahms, Beethoven, and Bach. In addition, I'll be giving my testimony, and we'll sing some Christmas songs together! (Presently I'm looking for an opportunity to play the same concert in Sapporo so I can invite my friends... hopefully I'll have an update on that soon.)

Actually, the Christmas concert schedule starts this week: we have a concert on Thursday, then on Saturday, I'm playing a Bach suite and giving my testimony at a local church here in Sapporo. This will be part of Sakae Church's patchwork quilting exhibition.

In addition, I'm playing for all kinds of Christmas parties and events throughout the month! I think on Christmas day, when it's all over, I'm going to want to sit on the couch in my pajamas and stare at the wall.

And finally, a few prayer requests...

• I'm thrilled to have finally found a pianist! Praise God! I was pretty nervous for a while there. It was a little bit last minute, but we had our first rehearsal last Saturday. Please pray for good communication (neither of us are really comfortable in the other's language), good and efficient rehearsals, and a good working relationship.
  
• There are a lot of concerts and other engagements, so I need to be able to use my time wisely, not only to practice and rehearse, but also to rest well. I'm also continuing with student work, various tasks at our church, and language study. 
• Please pray for me as I'm planning the concerts for December 22 and 24. I will also be preparing my testimony for these two concerts, as well as the one this coming Saturday (December 5).
  
• Please pray for the possibility of a concert in Sapporo. I'm looking for a church to host us. At the minimum, it would be a very informal chance for Shino and I to invite our friends and family to hear us. Or, it could be a chance for us to partner with a church for an outreach event. Please pray that we would find the right opportunity and the right place to play.

Janelle's Dumplings

Here's Janelle with her little dumplings.



Ha ha. Very funny.

I'm going to post a recipe for the dumplings Janelle taught me to make. (For those of you who don't know, Janelle was my piano trio partner [violinist], college roommate, dear friend, etc. from the University of Colorado. She is now married to Kelly, and they have 2 kids, Elaine and Elliott.) In Japan, dumplings of this style are called gyoza, but I don't know what they're called in Taiwan (where Janelle grew up). I don't think the dumplings I make now are "authentic" either in Japan or Taiwan, but I think they are delicious, and since they are made with easy to find, inexpensive ingredients (here in Japan), they are a great thing for me to make. The ingredients shouldn't be hard to find in major North American cities either... the one thing you really need is gyoza wrappers. Wonton wrappers work too.

Anyway, here's what you need. I don't do measurements. Use your judgment, and look at the pictures which follow.

• Dumpling wrappers of some description. I think gyoza wrappers (the round ones) are easier to deal with.
• Ground meat. I would recommend chicken or pork. Generally, you want to have slightly less meat than vegetables.
• An egg. This helps everything stick together.
  
• Minced vegetables. I typically use napa cabbage, shiitake mushrooms, green onion (negi in Japan), zucchini (usually I substitute cucumber in Japan--see hint below), carrot, onion, ginger, and perhaps a little cilantro. This isn't a fixed list, but my dumplings usually are about like this. Have fun and experiment with your favorites and what you have on hand!
  
• A little seasoning: salt, black pepper, hot pepper flakes (I use shichimi tougarashi in Japan) if you like it hot, soy sauce, sugar, sesame oil, and powdered dashi (Japanese soup stock) if you happen to have some on hand. Otherwise, use more salt.
• Corn starch or potato starch. Your mixture will likely be quite moist, especially if you included cucumber. Adding some kind of starch will help take care of this problem. You don't want your mixture to be too moist.
  

First, chop your vegetables and put them in a big bowl.

Next, add the meat, egg, seasonings, and cornstarch. (If you really like meat, you could use a bit more than this relative to the amount of veggies. Or, just leave the meat out if you don't want it at all. I can't vouch for the texture, having never done these meat-free.)

Mix, mix, mix! I usually use my hands, since that seems to work the best. You could try using a mixer if using your hands grosses you out. Add more cornstarch if necessary.

Lay out a few wrappers at a time, put about 1-1 1/2 tsp. of filling on each one. Wet the edge of the wrapper, fold in half, and pinch shut.

You can boil, steam, or pan-fry your dumplings, but I usually pan-fry... although there was a memorable hotpot I made into which I threw about 45 dumplings which had stuck together after sitting (raw) in the fridge overnight. (That reminds me... always cook them right away! Don't let them sit for very long, or they will turn into a sticky mess! Or freeze them--see note below.)

Anyway, pan-frying. Actually, I think this might be called steam frying. I don't know. It works really well, though. Heat up some oil (I prefer sesame oil) in a frying pan over medium heat. Put a single layer of dumplings in the pan, and brown one side. Flip them over, then pour about 1 cm of water into the pan. Cover the pan, and wait until the water is gone, and the other side has gotten a bit browned.

Now you're done! Arrange them all pretty-like, sprinkle with green onion and sesame seeds, and serve with dipping sauce. (Or just dump them on a plate and shove in front of starving husband.) I have included two suggestions for sauce below.


 Hints:

• If you are using cucumber, grate it, salt it, and then leave it to drain for about half an hour. This will give it a chance to lose some of its moisture, which can make the filling very sloppy.
• To test the flavor of your dumplings, immediately cook your first 1-2 dumplings (or more if you have lots of taste testers), then taste and adjust the seasonings if necessary. (You obviously can't taste the raw filling, that would be gross! And the onions wouldn't be cooked.)
• Dumpling wrappers usually have one side with more cornstarch on them than the other. You want to put your filling on the more cornstarchy side--then it will be easier to stick it together.
• If you want to freeze your dumplings before cooking them, spread them so they're not touching on a cookie sheet covered with parchment paper. Wait until they freeze, then put them in a container.

Sauce 1:  Sweet Wasabi Sauce (my own invention)

• 1/3 c soy sauce 
• 1/3 c seasoned rice vinegar
• 1 tsp honey
• 1 tsp wasabi (use real grated wasabi if possible, not the powdered stuff)
• ½ T ginger
• A few drops sesame oil
• Garlic
• Cilantro
• Green onion

Mix the ingredients together. If raw garlic, ginger, and onion isn't your thing, you could saute them in a frying pan for a bit to mellow them out, as with the following recipe. Yum...

Sauce 2: Negi (Green Onion) Sauce (from a Japanese magazine)

• Minced Negi/green onion
• Tougarashi/red pepper flakes
• 100 ml soy sauce
• 1 Tbsp sake
• 2 Tbsp hot water
• 1 1/2 Tbsp sugar
• 1/2 Tbsp sesame oil
• 1 Tbsp minced ginger

Heat a frying pan with the sesame oil, fry the negi and ginger. Add all the other ingredients, then turn off the heat.

Itadakimasu!

Pretty things, funny things, tasty things

Here's a quick update on the kinds of things we see here every day. Some things (as the title indicates) are pretty, some things are funny, and some things are tasty... we'll start with the funny things.

Did you ever think you would see a Hello Kitty violin or ukulele? Hello Kitty is on everything.

Chocolate covered potato chips... both tasty and funny... it was funny to find something we thought was unique to North Dakota here in Japan.

"Mt. Rainier" coffee out of a vending machine. (Seattle is quite famous. We see pictures of Ichiro everywhere.) Unfortunately I only read the English advertising "espresso and milk" but not the katakana, which said "burakku" (black). No milk to be found in this coffee...

Peeing statue we found while we were away at a conference... it didn't seem to fit with the rest of the park. Oh well, someone has a sense of humor.

Pretty things...

The sky is so dramatic here! This is the view of our neighborhood from our apartment.

Trees changing colors...

especially ginko trees...

Stained glass at a local community center...

Children. These ones are pretty nice. Transitioning to tasty things, those buckwheat crepes they're eating were pretty tasty...

Ramen is famous in Sapporo. We eat it about as often as we can... and we eat every last drop.

Sushi! A guy from our church is a sushi chef! This is the meal he prepared for us. It was really helpful, since it was our first time going to a "real" sushi restaurant, that the food was prepared by someone we know... we weren't afraid to ask dumb questions or just chat (and blatantly stare as he was working).

Life is beautiful.

What I'm Thankful For

(I started writing this last Monday, but didn't finish it, since I realized I was going to need to go make mashed potatoes for Thanksgiving dinner. Oh well. I'm still thankful.)

Here in Japan, today is 体育の日 (Health and Sports Day, or something like that), which, oddly enough, is a national holiday. In Canada, today is Thanksgiving! Ironic. I will celebrate Health and Sports Day by eating a lot of food and loafing on the couch.

Usually on Thanksgiving, it is my habit to think about what I am thankful for, and more importantly, to give thanks to the one who gave me all of those things. Here's a short list of things that come to mind. I'm thankful for...

Keith. Yes, very thankful for the husband. He is peeling potatoes for Thanksgiving dinner right now. He is my companion on the crazy adventure that is our life. I'm glad God sent me to Japan with Keith.

Family. Even though they're far away, our family is supporting us in prayer. Sorry, I don't have any recent pics since we haven't seen them for a few months... use your imagination or look at the other posts. ;)

Friends. We miss our friends at home in Vancouver, and all the other places we have lived before (Colorado, Boston, North Dakota, etc.), but we are thankful for the new friends we are meeting here.

Dinner out with fellow missionaries

Eating ramen with Mikiko, our conversation partner, and her son, Yuugo. Well, actually all of the ramen is gone at this point. Delicious...

We're also thankful for our new friends at church. Um... once again there is food in all of these pictures? That sounds like a segue...

Food. I love the fall since there are wonderful things to eat. As I have previously mentioned, I think there's something special about Hokkaido's soil. God is indeed very good...

The vegetable stand at a local church bazaar

 

Our Thanksgiving Dinner hosts with the turkey, imported from North Carolina. I promise you the rest of the meal consisted of delicious local Hokkaido produce...

 

Work. Is that weird? Perhaps it is, but we are thankful to be doing the work God has provided for us. We get to study Japanese, meet with college students for Bible study and conversation, play for concerts and worship services, and other stuff too. We love our job.

We played for some mini-concerts at an art show put on by a church.

My heart is filled with thankfulness. That's the title of a song that I like, actually. God has truly provided abundantly for us.