I AM A-O-KAYE

Remember November

Sunday, December 1, 2019

I often wonder what’s next in this phase now that I am in the land that I have been dreaming about for a long time.

God made one big dream come true. But it doesn’t end here, right? 2019 is about to end and the question of "How will you spend your last month this year?" still has no answer.

But God doesn’t work with limitations.

In 2015, I traveled to Hakone with my family. I remembered this verse during one of my reflections.

Wait on the Lord in expectant faith right now. Keep your eyes above, lift your eyes to the hills for where does your help come from? It comes from the Maker of Heaven and Earth Psalm 121 (ESV)

"They who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint." Isaiah 40:31 (ESV)

Waiting. This is one of the hardest part of life. We all face a waiting game everyday. Sometimes we wait for a short time and some takes months and years. There is one thing that I am sure of when waiting.

God is not finished yet.

I am not staying on the same page. I am just being prepared for the next.

My transcendent phase in Japan has just begun. And the events will only be known to me as they unfold.

Whether they unfold beautifully or not, these events are beneficial to my growth. They are teaching me to glorify God in everything, and reminding me that this life is not my own but for Him to use in Kingdom purposes.

During my eight months here in Japan, one of the beautiful things that God has done in my life is give me a new spiritual family here in Kyoto. I first found a Japanese Protestant church in Ayabe. Though I couldn't understand the preachings in this church, the people there are really kind and generous. Early November, I was able to attend Lifehouse Kyoto, a church that I found even before I came to Japan. The only problem is the location which was far from Ayabe. The people there are similar to my home church in Victory/Every Nation. I could easily speak about my faith in God with them. I really think speaking to people about God face to face is really beneficial to my spiritual growth. I really wish to improve my Japanese so I could speak with Japanese Christians too who couldn't speak English. These churches have been an answered prayer after months of praying before I came to Japan. I am grateful that He not only gave me one church but two.

In these two translations of 1 Corinthians 2:9, I am reminded of God's amazing plans and how He will carry every plan into completion.

Things never discovered or heard of before,

things beyond our ability to imagine—

these are the many things God has in store

for all his lovers.

1 Corinthians 2:9 (TPT)

“What no eye has seen, nor ear heard,

nor the heart of man imagined,

what God has prepared for those who love him”

1 Corinthians 2:9 (ESV)

God is really amazing. He knows what we need in every season.

Japan, Our Meeting Place

Sunday, September 22, 2019

Six months have passed since I came to Japan. My life here is not full of sunny days all throughout but my sense of purpose has been becoming clearer as time goes by. People who have experienced living abroad could attest to the challenges that come and go. It takes a leap of faith to live far from home, especially from my family, after three decades. But these challenges bring in new learning experiences, life-changing adventures, and holistic growth.

Being cautious and nervous like a cat when I meet new people, I always had to muster up my courage to answer a recurring question, "Why did you come to Japan?" The first words that usually pop up are culture, language, and experience. Since I spent two years of my childhood in Japan, I have always been wondering what it’s like to live in it and interact with its people.

Unearthing Japanese Culture

My family and I, especially my Dad, have loved Japanese culture throughout the years. Like most of my friends, I grew up watching animé shows dubbed on TV. I fell in love with Studio Ghibli movies so much that I named my first cat Jiji and one of our parrots Totoro. My brothers and I share a fun childhood because of Japanese toys and video games (Hello, SNES, GameBoy, and Play Station!). With regards to Japanese food, I have never had difficulty eating different dishes because I have been used to the taste since I was young. My Mom cooks them at home and we ate out in Japanese restaurants most of the time. Now, I am learning to cook some of their dishes that mostly contain vegetables partnered with soup or salad and I am also experimenting on my own.

When it comes to cultural immersion in the community, I didn’t have any major difficulties blending in with the people. I was naturally born a shy and gentle person. Well, I also have days when I let loose but that depends on the people I'm with. In the Philippines, I am usually one of the few introverted people in a group. Before I left, the president of our employment agency have told me a couple of times that my personality fits in Japan. Some people also say that I have "quiet strength." Surprisingly, Japanese people are shocked when I tell them that I consider myself shy. They usually see me as a very friendly and approachable person. It turned out that they are a lot more shy than me!

Matsuri Festival during the Golden Week

I have observed that Japanese people love sharing about their culture as much as they like hearing about other cultures. I love how some of their faces light up when they share or learn something new. It’s like unearthing a treasure box. Even though I currently live in Ayabe, an inaka or small city in northern Kyoto, surrounded mostly by nature, I appreciate the unique opportunities given to me. The members of the Ayabe International Exchange Society's English class and Japanese class have helped me in various things and they provided ways for us to be a part of the community.

My Neighbor Totoro lives nearby.

The Ayabe International Exchange Association's BBQ party last June 9, 2019.

Greater Motivation to Study Japanese

Back in college, I was already interested to learn Japanese and I wanted to enroll in the language elective courses offered in the university. However, my friends discouraged me because Japanese 10 and 11 were the hardest language classes to take. In order to acquire a higher GWA, I opted for Spanish 10 and 11 classes for two semesters. Now, I am already regretting it. I should have started studying Japanese then. So in 2015, I started my self-study with my uni's Japanese module while waiting for a slot in the extramural language classes in the university for graduated or non-UP students. Three years later, I was able to secure a slot and two more classes followed. The fee was relatively cheaper than most Japanese language courses nationwide. This jumpstarted my #LearningJapanese journey.

01 | 20 | 15 | Learning phonetic of a different language

I have visited Japan five times before I moved here. But I have never spoken beyond the basic aisatsu or greetings. My Dad was fluent in the language because he studied it while he was taking his graduate studies in Tokyo. Surprisingly, when I came back to Manila after visiting him at two or three years old, my cousin-sister said I was speaking Japanese instead of Filipino. I grew up not remembering this at all. But it's good to know that I already had an earlier acquisition of the language.

Reading Kanji is so difficult because I only remember a few characters. Listening comprehension is also very challenging, especially when a person speaks fast and uses unfamiliar words. Usually, a guessing game and gesture game follows. Most of the time, keeping a Google Translate ready is the solution to communicate. Once in a supermarket, tears were swelling in my eyes because the Japanese manager who had to issue me a membership card couldn’t understand me for a full-blown thirty minutes until we've decided to use our smartphones. “Lamunin na sana ako ng lupa,” ang peg. But fortunately, I am constantly attending Nihongo classes in a community center where volunteers teach for a very small fee. Due to this, my speaking skills improve.

As an English teacher, speaking in English 100% of the time is encouraged. Speaking in English to students can increase student motivation, and speaking and listening practice. But the truth is, Japanese skills are essential to survive in schools. When the students are poor in English and only speak in Japanese, being able to understand what they say can help to give proper responses in English. Moreover, speaking a little Japanese also builds rapport with the students and fellow teachers. They are more likely to speak to someone who can understand them even for a bit. My students are usually amazed when I utter a Japanese word or sentence. It still feels foreign to them to see me speak in their language. But it strengthens the connection.

More Teaching Experience and Learning Opportunities

A picture of me teaching on a school newspaper--this was a first. Ph Reprezeeeent!

Teaching English in Japan has helped me in a lot of ways. The best thing is that while students are learning English from me, I'm learning Japanese from them too. I hit two birds with one stone. Also, after a couple of years, I am back to making materials, teaching numerous classes a day, and lesson planning. In the past, I have taught small special education classes and regular classes with 20 students with a total of roughly a hundred students. Now, I am teaching eight times more than that. I do not teach them every day. It’s just impossible to remember all their names, hobbies, school clubs, etc. Other than teaching, even though it’s hard to express due to the language barrier at times, I try to encourage them in their struggles and praise them for their efforts.

I have also learned to teach with more flexibility. The Japanese Teacher of English (JTE) can wreck my plans and change them every now and then and that’s okay. Each teacher possesses his or her own teaching style that I need to respect and adjust to. In Japan, maintaining a harmonious relationship is more important than being better or right.

During the past six months of staying in the countryside, I met a lot of kind and respectful Japanese teachers and students. I have encountered very few students who were “pasaway.” They were quite similar with Filipino students—naturally curious, work hard, make friends, joke around, and possess varied sets of interests. The noticeable difference was probably the oral communication skills and demeanor of students in and out of the classroom. Many of them are shy or reserved, especially where I live. Some possess the confidence to speak and enjoy the learning experience despite the difficulty. But most of them usually hesitate to speak in English. For someone who is studying Japanese, I hesitate many times too. I hope God will also give me more opportunities to speak with these students with greater rapport and connection. May we break the barriers together.

At one of my Junior High Schools, the principal (koucho-sensei), quoted a beautiful poem written by the famous Japanese poet and writer, Aida Mitsuo in his welcome speech to me:

Expanding my teaching experience in an international setting have been one of my goals for a long time. I wished to study and teach special education in Australia, America, New Zealand, and Europe a couple of years ago because special education was more developed in those countries. But I have never thought that I would be teaching English in Japan where special education is slowly developing. Fortunately, I was given one-on-one or small special education classes in my schools. I am looking forward to learn more about how they handle children with special needs.

Like the moon it shall be established forever, a faithful witness in the skies.” Selah, Psalm 89:37

The calling and desire to visit Japan as a tourist turned into a calling to reside or migrate here. I responded in prayer that whatever God asked and placed in my heart to do, I will obey Him. And amazingly, God answered prayer after prayer, working out all the steps smoothly. I know that this is God’s will because of the provision and security that I’ve been given. I hope to experience the fullness of His promises in this land. I believe that everything that I’ve gained will contribute to a greater story beyond my imagination. I will continue to brave out.

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taken by my friend Sicely S. during our summer bonding in Osaka

Finding a sense of purpose in the work we do, people we interact with, and places we traverse in is not easy. We tend to get lost or forget. But if we pause, stand still, and endure a little longer, beautiful things are brought to light.

All these reasons—unearthing Japanese culture, learning the Japanese language, and gaining more teaching experience and learning opportunities—are just secondary to Him.

Ayabe's Shisuigaoka Park

Japan is our meeting place—outside my comfort zone and right in the center of His will.

For He is the primary reason why I came here, then He is also the primary reason why I stay.

"The Lord shall preserve your going out and your coming in from this time forth, and even forevermore." Psalm 121:8

and counting. (:

Remember November

Japan, Our Meeting Place

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