Konichiwa!

Hello from Japan...well it's really our dining area. However, for the past week it has been converted into our version of a Japanese room. There is so much to share about this learning experience. First, let me say that our theme is honor...showing kindness and respect to others because we are all made in God's image (Genesis 1:27). Yes, we are all made in God's image, even though at times we don't look like it! We have spent a good bit of time training ourselves to look for God in others. In doing this we are learning to treat people well, whether we think they deserve it or not. An amazing example of this was found in reading a biography of Mother Teresa. What an awesome woman of character. She always taught her fellow nuns to look for Jesus in everyone they met and to care for them as though caring for Jesus himself. Wow!

Ok, back to Japan. Last week was spent identifying and making a map of Japan, making the Japanese flag, and learning about Japanese culture. Clothing, homes, and of course food were all a part of the fun. We even picked up a few Japanese words in the process.

Me, wearing the closest thing I could get to a kimono. I borrowed this cute dress from a Vietnamese friend. It does have an obi (the belt that goes around the kimono) but you can't see it on this picture. JJ decided that he wanted to dress like Rick Flair (the wrestler) that day. Behind us is the Japanese screen JJ painted and on the floor our straw tatami mats. Ok, they're really sheets but they worked for our purposes.

Our tokonoma, a japanese style raised alcove featuring scrolls, flowers, candles and the boys names in japanese characters. No, we didn't do those. I purchased these last fall in anticipation of this unit.

Most of our meals and schoolwork have been in our newly remodeled room. I was surprised at how easily we adapted. We have eaten dumpling soup (these were really Korean, but very close) dumplings and rice, soba noodles and edemame and udon noodles, all using chopsticks. I think the boys are really good at it after so much practice. We even ate our spaghetti with chopsticks! In fact I think the eating was their favorite part. IJ commented on how cool it is that it's not bad manners to shovel food into your mouth in Japan. Spoken like a true boy.

While the whole week has been full of fun and learning, the most fun was the sumo wrestling matches the boys engaged in. Sumo is the national sport of Japan. It was really interesting to learn about these heavyweight wrestlers and even more fun to watch the boys imitate them. Did you know that these guys have to weigh at least 250 pounds? We found a couple of videos on youtube that showed them training and eating. Can you guess what they do after eating a heavy meal? Yes, they take long naps. Aah, what a life. Take a look at our version of sumo wrestling-african american style.

We will continue our exploration into "the Land of the Rising Sun" with a Japanese tea ceremony, ikabana (Japanese flower arranging) learning about the life of a samurai, and a new year celebration.