Memorial Day Means Summer
 
 
Happy Memorial Day! That is the greeting that all my friends and family were exchanging on Monday. That is because each year the last Monday of May marks the Memorial Day Holiday in America. This is a day that Americans honor their troops and remember servicemen and woman that have served in the military. It is especially a day to honor those who lost their lives in the line of duty.
In America, on Memorial Day schools, government offices ,banks and most businesses are closed. The holiday is observed with special ceremonies all over the country. There are fireworks displays, parades, wreath laying ceremonies, many people visit the graves or memorials of fallen soldiers. At Arlington National Cemetery in Washington DC there is a special gun salute. It is also a big tradition for families and friends to gather for barbecues on this holiday. In fact, Memorial Day is one of the biggest barbecuing days of the year!
Over the years, Memorial Day has also come to signify the beginning of the summer season. This is the day that most beaches will be opened to the public for the first time for summer. As a result, this holiday has become a bittersweet day for me. On one hand we remember the sacrifices of our military men and women. On the other hand it marks the unofficial beginning of summer, my favorite time of year!
I have to admit, this Memorial Day passed without much fanfare on my part. I was not able to take part in the festivities with my family. However, I was able to reflect on the sacrifices made by those that serve for the US and appreciate that summer is finally here.
I hope you all looking forward to summer as much as I am. I have been warned that summer in Japan can be a little uncomfortable with the humid weather and the invasion of bugs. Still, I am really happy that I get to experience summer here in Japan. I am looking forward to making some awesome summer memories.

Take Care,
Raashida

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Life in Japan
 Even though I have spent many years living and travelling in other countries, I can't say I have ever gotten either homesick or had a severe case of culture shock.  I've always been more sad when I have to go back to the familiarity of Canada, rather than staying on in an exciting new country, learning about the culture and having adventures.  Every other country I've lived in has been an English speaking one (besides Switzerland, but most people there speak English).  My family is of Eastern European descent, so when I lived in Europe, it was easy to find 'comfort foods' like the ones my mother made growing up. Plus there was no language barrier.
 
Living in Japan these days is much easier than I imagine it would have been 10 years ago for a foreigner.  There are foreign imported foods everywhere, not only online on websites and in foreign food stores such as Kaldi and Jupiter, but also in regular department stores.  For example, YouMe Town has imported Skippy peanut butter, Scottish shortbread, and Australian TimTam cookies.  Seiyu at the mall here in Kudamatsu also has gerkins (pickled cucumbers) imported from the U.K. and sauerkraut from Germany.  Sauerkraut is something my mum used to make when I was a child.  It's soured cabbage (a little like kimchi, but not nearly as spicy).  It's not something everyone likes, but where I come from in Canada, where many people are of German and Eastern European descent, it's a traditional dish, so I was super excited (and surprised) to find it here in Kudamatsu.

Besides being able to find foreign foods in Japan, other things are much easier these days as well.  I can e-mail friends all over the world from my mobile phone and send them pictures of where I am at the moment, so it's like I'm not even gone.  I also use Skype a lot to talk for free (or very cheap) with friends and family.  I can even share my screen with them (or vice versa) and we can watch a movie together!  It's also super easy to listen to music and watch TV or movies in English on my computer and some theatres in Japan play the big English movies as well (like at The Mall here in Kudamatsu).  I have, however, been trying to watch more Japanese TV and movies lately to practice my Japanese, so if anyone can recommend anything good to watch, it'd be greatly appreciated! There's also the western influence in a lot of other things, from white wedding dresses, to 7-11 and McDonalds all over the place (although this is one thing I don't necessarily like, at times it is comforting). The one thing that I do have trouble with is buying clothes and shoes here, although I have discovered places where it's possible.  And if not, there's always the internet to order whatever you need from Amazon or E-bay! The other thing that was really difficult in the beginning was meeting people and making friends, because I don't speak Japanese.  It probably took about six months to meet anybody, but once I did, I was constantly going out and doing things and meeting more new people!  I'm also a really independent, having lived on my own since I was 18, so for me having to ask someone to help me with simple things like going to the post office or doctor is really difficult.

So all in all, living in Japan hasn't been nearly as difficult as I imagined it to be, and the culture shock and homesickness is definetely much lower than I expected as well. The only thing I REALLY miss is Tim Horton's coffee Take care!

Ziggy
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Everyone is Special
You are important  This is something that we humans do not say to each other enough.  Each and every one of us has a special talent or characteristic.  We all bring something of value to the table.  Something that makes us an individual and that contributes to our families, workplaces, schools, communities and the World! 

I know that this is partly cultural, but I have found that many of my students have difficulty explaining something that they are good at doing.  Sometimes this is a sign of humility but often it a reflection of how much that student doesn't recognize their own talents.  I have noticed something special about each one of my students.  I appreciate the talents and special qualities of all my students.  It is what makes my job so much fun.  

Please take time to think of the things that make you special and give yourself a pat on the back.  You deserve it  Also, tell the people in your life what makes them special to you.  Maybe you will tell them how smart they are, or how great they are at sports, or how beautifully they play the piano.  Sometimes we all need to be reminded that we are important to someone.  

So today, I just want acknowledge your special gifts and say thank you for all your hard work, effort and for bringing something special to the table every class.

Take Care, 
Raashida
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The (Unofficial) Start of Summer
According to the  calendar, I know summer doesn't really start until the end of June.  In Canada, we have a national holiday at the end of May.  It's to celebrate Queen Elizabeth's birthday, but most people call it 'May Long' (because it's a long - 3 day - weekend) or 'May 2-4' (because it's usually around May 24).  This is the first weekend of the year the provincial and national parks open.  They close for the winter due to the cold and for public safety (so no one falls through the ice on the lakes while ski-dooing or trying to ice fish or any other winter activities).  I usually go to the lake and go camping with my friends this weekend.

For me, I feel like this past weekend was the start of my second summer here in Japan.  I went to Nijigahama Beach in Hikari for the first time this year, had a barbecue, and set off fireworks.  What gets more summery than that?  I really love the beach (even though I can't swim) and I'm glad that even though I don't live a five minute walk from it anymore, it's still relatively close.  There's something relaxing and calming about everything the sea represents - the smell of the salt, the sight of the water stretching forever into the horizon, the sound of the waves lapping at the shore, the feel of the sand between my toes, the taste of ice cream on a hot summer day...I didn't see the ocean until I was 14 years old in Mexico, that's how far from it I live in Canada (maybe a two day drive away).  So for me, it's always been somewhat of a mysterious place, representing freedom and almost every time I've lived in another country, I've been near the sea...I don't think that's a coincidence!

It's also nice to see my calendar filling up quickly with things to do and places to go over the coming months.  I tend to be a hermit in the winter and hibernate at home, but am the complete opposite in the summer and have been slowly waking up and coming back to life as the weather warms up.  I hope you all had a great weekend as well!

~Ziggy~
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Let the Good Times Roll
Well it is Thursday and the weekend is almost here.  This week I am really looking forward to the weekend coming.  Not because it is a break from work or an opportunity to sleep in.  This weekend two exciting things will happen.  The first, is that my husband, Victor    will return to Japan.  The second is that I will attend my first wedding   in Japan!

Ceremonies like weddings, funerals and birth rites are celebrated differently around the World .  These ceremonies give a window into the culture of the people that take part in them.  I am really interested and excited to be able to witness the similarities and differences between weddings  here in Japan and in my home country of America as well as in  my country of residence, South Africa.  I think that it will be really fun and I am looking forward to wishing the Bride and Groom a happy, healthy and prosperous life together and feel honored to be sharing in their special day.

I am all set for the weekend.  I have my party dress ready, the car rented  and my dancing shoes  are dusted off.  So let the good times (and the weekend) roll !  I hope that you all have a wonderful weekend too.

Take Care,
Raashida

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