Kay Kuh Kerosene

In this cold it is the norm to have a heater in the rooms that people use. Everybody here calls them stoves and had no idea what I meant when I referred to one as a radiator, maybe talking about radiation is still in bad taste here. I want to remark on how people carry jerry-cans full of kerosene to fuel up the stoves. I’m used to heaters being electric or gas powered but it appears that the most economic way to stay warm here involves carrying a liquid. It’s different to me, but I guess it’s normal here.

I went to preschool today, Aaron and Tomoho regularly turn up to this particular preschool to teach English basics to weebees. A is for Apple, Ah, Ah, Apple. B is for Ball, Buh, Buh, Apple. that is the Letter of the alpabet followed by the typical sound it makes followed by a word begginning with that letter (and sound). I introduced myself to the preschoolers in English and then went aside to watch the professionals. The building was about the size of my infant school growing up and was purpose built for kindergarten fun. there were 120 weebees and they were all split into classes of about 15 to 20 each, I remember when I was a preschooler it was just a single room with about 20 of us and some toys, the room was was used for other services outside of school hours. So this experience was very different.

In the afternoon we drove to Kanagi where there is another church. It was built by missionary volunteers in one week in the early 90’s and still grows today. Here is a picture from a photo album of pictures taken during the construction:
We were here today to teach English in the afternoon but nobody turned up to the first English class (we prepared for three), however, Women turned up early for a women’s bible study which usually happens at the same time, so we sat in with and joined the women while they read from zechariah. We all shared testimony too. Ruth translated mine into Japanese and translated the others into English for me. As ever, I am impressed with the vastness of God’s outreach.

I typed Zechariah with a small ‘z’ and the spellcheck squiggly appeared under it and when I rightclicked it the suggestion was not Zechariah with a capital ‘Z’ but the word ‘mechanizer’

After this one of the ladies, Sakura, invited us to her husband’s art gallery across the road, which had some very impressive oil paintings inside, and she offered to make us dinner for that evening aswell, which was lovely of her, and the food was lovely too.

Then children arrived and we went over some English basics with them too. Alphabets and Food and numbers. and they were hyper!!

In the evening we had adults over for a more advanced English class about Hobbies and Interests, I was the whiteboard man for that one and we talked a lot about hobbies and interests which was delightful. I explained some about the narrowboating culture in the UK which fascinated the Japanese people.

I had to rush off and did not see the end of this meeting because I had to catch a train to get home. This was weird. I was a alone on a platform in the middle of nowhere, a single rail and no station men. surrounding trees everywhere and snow absorbing all traces of sound. A train arrived and I went on, It was decorated with flowers!! pretty!!


and Octopus

I like the smell of kerosene, I’ve decided.