Monday, January 13, 2014

miracles like not having snow fall on your companions head because he felt he should step out of the way

Thank you so much for those 100 things about Japan! I have definitely been here too long! ;P haha. But it`ll be sad leaving here. I`m so happy I was able to come here :)
I don`t remember America being that cold, but then again I was inside most of the time. It`s so cold here in Hakodate with the wind from the Ocean!
I used the Heated soles for a while and I loved them! They work great! But unfortunately they are a little thick for my boots. If I put them in and try to stick my feet in, there is a spot where my foot gets pinched and hurts so I can`t really wear them in these boots. They work great though! I actually got a pair of electric socks from the Olsons from camp and I haven`t tried the electric feature yet, but the socks in generally are very very warm! So if you see them thank them for me! And the gloves are working great as always :) I just have to plan wisely to use them for the coldest 2 hours of the day because the battery only last that long :P It`s really helping me to be warm this winter though. I can`t believe how cold it gets! But hey, that`s what makes us here in Hokkaido the Frozen Chosen =D And proud of it.
I hope your talk went well dad! I`m so excited to see the new ward and all the kids and everything!
I don`t have a lot of time this week to write so I`ll be quick! We have been working hard to go from a situation with no investigators to teaching more people here and it`s getting better slowly but surely! We had a person we found through phone calling come to church and two people showed up at our New Years Opening Party today! It was great! They`re not quite wanting to hear a ton about the gospel yet but we taught the 18 year old young man that came to the party today how to pray and get help in his studies preparing for college :)
My convert from the last time I was here came to the activity today as well and it was so fun to see her as a part of the ward and helping everyone out and such. It`s amazing to see how much the ward has accepted her in the year I`ve been gone and how much growth she`s experienced :) I`m glad I got to come back here to Hakodate.
There are miracles all around! It`s fun to see the new investigators and miracles like not having snow fall on your companions head from a roof because he felt he should step out of the way at the perfect time. Lot`s of little Miracles.
Oh, and my companion is teaching me how to Beat Box...it`s harder than I thought but I`m trying hard! :P
Anyways, I love you and I`ll talk to you agian next week! See you later!
Love,
Elder Sotto101 signs you've been in Japan too long.....
1. When you're outside Japan you still call non-Japanese gaijin.
2. You've continued to work through a shindo 3 earthquake without slowing down or bothering to mention it.
3. You're giving the peace sign in most of your Facebook photos.
5. You don't find engrish funny anymore.
8. You've started to reserve seats with your wallet / purse. You don't have the slightest worry that it might be stolen.
10. You bow when you're on the phone.
14. You no longer remember the English names for most types of fish.
17. You've started buying those strange English t-shirts.
19. You're starting to believe that romaji is English.
20. You ask people to "teach" you their phone number.
23. You get annoyed when young Japanese people use informal Japanese.
24. You've become extremely nostalgic about sakura.
27. You remember important dates by the heisei year.
28. You start to think that oyaji gyagu are funny (the corny jokes told by middle aged Japanese men).
29. You can ride a bicycle with a tiny clear plastic umbrella and not get wet.
30. You can wear a yukata properly.
32. You start feeling that many Japanese futon are too soft.
33. You say heeeeey a lot.
34. You enjoy cooking your own food at restaurants.
35. You don't pull over when police flash their lights.
36. At the first sign of a cold you wear a mask.
37. You often ask police for directions.
38. You can sing enka at Karaoke.
39. When you use a taxi in your home country — you wait for the door to open automatically.
40. You have accidentally apologized in Japanese in your home country.
41. You don't feel Shibuya is all that crowded.
42. You turn your headlights off when you come to a stoplight.
43. You eat curry rice (kare raisu) at least once a week.
45. You can hum the don quixote song.
49. (woman) You go naked at onsen without thinking about it but would never go topless at a beach.
51. You run for the train in a panic because there won't be another one for 1 minute.
56. You get the urge to yell sumimasen at restaurants in your home country.
57. You started to think that noodles are an ok filling for a sandwich.
58. You're starting to doubt your English pronunciation of Rs and Ls.
59. You bought a little plastic chair for your shower.
61. You drink corn soup from a can.
62. You own more than 8 umbrellas
64. You have used a stranger for support when sleeping on a train.
65. You're starting to add -san to the names of other gaijin.
67. You chose your bank by its cartoon character.
68. Your friends back home ask you what "genki" means.
70. You've become very picky about rice.
72. You bow when you shake hands.
73. You think there's food in the basement of all department stores.
75. You're not angry when politicians with loudspeakers wake you up at 8 on Saturday morning.
78. You always back-in when you park — no matter what the situation.
81. You complain about the dangerous lack of vending machines outside Japan.
82. You have slept standing on a train.
85. You buy kitchen appliances based on the songs they can sing.
85. You have purchased eggs from a vending machine.
87. You no longer get lost in Shinjuku station.
89. You can't use a toilet that doesn't have lots of buttons.
91. You believe that there's an onsen to cure all aliments.
92. You're starting to get Japanese comedy shows.
93. You think that corn & mayonnaise is a perfectly reasonable topping for pizza.
94. You know the theme songs for most of the products at your local konbini (convenience store).
95. You have said the phrase moshiwake gozaimasen.
98. When someone is talking you say "unn" a lot to show that you're listening.
101. You think stoplights are red, yellow and blue.

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