Getting into the Christmas Spirit...

This blog is a bit of a rewind...I realized that I didn't really tell you about many of my activities leading up to Christmas, so here you are!

The snow started falling, Christmas songs started playing on the radio, and little by little Christmas crept up on me. I bought my first fake Christmas tree, put up lights and a nativity set in my apartment, started Christmas shopping, attended many a Japanese Christmas party, and day by day grew more excited for Christmas to arrive. Here are a few pictures to show you some of my pre-Christmas events.


One Saturday night Siobhan, Stephen, Jamie, Lindsay, Paula, one of Jamie's students and I went carolling to some of our friends houses here in Ishikari. We donned Santa hats and reindeer antlers (which broke in about two minutes making me the one-antler reindeer!), and headed out into one of the first real snowfalls of the year. It was so much fun to knock on doors, and be greated by "bikkurishita!" (wow...I'm so surprised!). Everyone loved this "weird" Canadian tradition.
















The Sapporo Factory Shopping center. They converted this old warehouse into a shopping mall a few years ago. At Christmas they put Santas all over the outside walls. Ayumi, Nanako and I went Christmas shopping one Sunday afternoon.

















Ayumi and Nanako at the Sapporo Factory...





















And the famous giant Christmas tree at the Sapporo Factory. Believe me it's not just a normal tree! At 5 o'clock music started to play, and lights began to flash. The tree is loaded with lights, and different ones flash at different times, all in time with the music! Wow... I'm not sure if I would call it cool, interesting, or just funny! But everyone seemed to love it.





















Dinner with friends in Sapporo at this great little Italian restaurant...Girls, it was pretty "crisp" wasn't it! And, although my pasta required an "itadakimasu", the cheese that Ally had was definitely "itadakimasen" ! : )
















The Sapporo Chocolate Factory. Kae and I went there with great intentions of being highly educated in the art of making chocolate. However, we ended up spending our 1500 Yen on an all you can eat dessert buffet!


















Inside the factory. It looks really beautiful, but trust me, the food tastes even better!






















With Pinocchio at the Chocolate Factory

Myanmar

The day after Bryon flew back to America, I flew to Myanmar to visit O.J. It was so nice to leave the piles of snow behind in Japan and venture into a warmer country. It was also great to see O.J.'s new home, meet his friends, and have a very relaxing and fun vacation in Yangon and at the beach. Despite the poverty and instability in the country, everyone was so happy and friendly. I was treated by O.J.'s friends to many visits, meals, outings, and gifts. And O.J. was a great tour guide/translator! Thanks big brother!
Unfortunately, my camera batteries died a few days into the vacation, but here are some pictures that will give you a little taste of our adventure...


A few minutes after arrival from the airport, the first visitor arrived...the first of many to drop by in the following days! This first one was a monk from the monastery down the road. We had lots of fun playing cards, talking, and having photo-shoots (one of his favourite pasttimes!).















Schwedagon Pagoda in Yangon....so much gold, topped with a 76 carat diamond! Also, it's the most popular spot for afternoon naps by anybody and everybody, and for dates.




















Welcome to Ngapali! The beach that is virtually paradise. We were picked up at the airport by this cute little bus, and as you can see by the huge smile on my face, I am very excited to have the 5 miles of bumpy road go by fast, and get into the warm tropical waves.
















The beach just outside our door. It was so peaceful and beautiful.
















Some of the locals heading home after a long day of work...
















Some local fishing boats. One day O.J. and I took a boat similar to this out to another beach where we got to go snorkelling, swimming, and watch some of our Myanmar friends spear fish and bbq them for lunch! Wow! It was amazing.
















And back to Yangon....At the zoo with friends of O.J.'s.
















A sunrise walk along the lake by O.J.'s apartment. This is one of O.J.'s many friends...

Christmas in Japan!

My first Christmas in Japan was fabulous! Work ended on December 21st, and left with me three weeks of freedom. Then, on December 22nd, Bryon arrived from Oregon! The next nine days flew by....We spent Christmas eve and Christmas day with my church family. Then, on Christmas day we had dinner with my pastor's family. The following days were spent skiing, exploring, relaxing, introducing Bryon to some interesting Japanese cuisine and some of my friends, and enjoying funny moments such as....me attempting to ask for the bill at a restaurant (in Japanese), and receiving a big mug of beer instead! Or, a Japanese friend of mine coming up to Bryon and starting to bow, and Bryon misreading the cue, hugging her instead! Then of course, all of the ladies in the room had to give him a hug too. They thought it was hilarious!
Anyways, here are a few pictures to share some of the memories with you.


At our Christmas Eve Service...in the middle is my friend Ayumi who I met at Kaiwa Cafe, a weekly English conversation cafe that we have at our church. On the right is a friend of Ayumi's.
















The Ishikari beach at Christmas
















Bryon enjoying some "kaiten" sushi (sushi off of a conveyor belt!)





















Bryon blowing up a big snow tube, before we attempt this hill at Moreanuma Park that you can see in the background! We had a few trial runs in which we attempted to go down only half the hill. Then we did the "big one"...a ride down the whole hill. It was honestly the craziest tube ride I have ever had. We went so fast, and hit two big jumps (we both flew off the tube on the second one)...I screamed the whole way down! It was very worth the long time it took to blow up the tube, and hike up the hill.





















Meeting one of my Japanese teachers, Arata-sensei...She calls herself "strict", but really, she's an excellent teacher with a very soft heart. I love my lessons with her every week.

















Opening presents! Thanks everyone!
















After a day of skiing at Niseko we headed out for dinner at an all-you-can-eat restaurant. But wait...it's only all-you-can-eat for one hour!! And you have to cook your own food on the grill at your table! Needless to say, it wasn't the most relaxing dinner. Basically, we gorged ourselves on steak, chicken, prawns, salmon, vegetables, rice etc. for one hour, burned half our food because we were too busy eating, and left feeling extremely full! But, it was really fun.






















Bryon with my friend Akemi's granddaughter...He was known as "papa Bryon" all night long! It was shortly after this that he ended up hugging everyone!





















New Year's dinner...