Cigarettes

I've been trying to take photos of things that seem normal to me but that I know are not to people who have never been to Japan. One such thing here is cigarette vending machines...although I think my mom said that these used to be commonplace in the states a few decades ago.

Strawberry flavor

Girly, pretty cigarettes. Smoking is still allowed here in restaurants and bars, but is restricted on the street as there are specified smoking areas where people congregate. My mom had not been here for 14 years and she said that far fewer people smoke here than before.

Kimono

I downloaded Picasa...don't expect any fancy photo editing though. ;)
...and yes I forgot an 'e' and can't fix it...case in point, no fancy editing.

A young woman sat in front of me during church and I couldn't help but take a photo of her beautiful kimono, a symbol of Japan, in front of the cross.

Her name is Maria (real Japanese name) and she works in a kimono store. Another woman asked her if she could "wear" kimono herself, meaning if she could put it on herself which is a difficult task, and she could.

The joys of school and a Yokohama sunrise

Two weeks ago I finished Winter Quarter of school! It was perfect timing before my friend Libby and my mom visited this past week. Now I am back to practicing my 'homemaking' and working part-time on a work project and typing my great-grandmother's autobiography (it has only been typed on a type-writer). I've got my work cut out for me before our good friend Nick comes in mid-April. We only have one month here which is so sad because we are just getting to know our new friends better and really feeling at home here. But perhaps we will return someday as this work trip will be going on for the next ten years. We really love Japan and the culture and people and feel very comfortable here so it is sad to say goodbye. We also love Yokohama. We have great friends close to us, never-ending opportunities to experience the culture, and Yokohama is a beautiful city with many places to escape the busyness of city life. It will also be hard to return for a visit if we don't have our wonderful home to return to (our apartment). Staying in a hotel just doesn't seem right when you are at "home" somewhere.

A picture of finals week. I had my first ever Red Bull energy drink. It was a last resort...but it worked! I don't plan on making it a habit but now I know what to do when I'm desperate for energy.

The sunrise that the Red Bull enabled me to see...after writing 40 pages.

Daikan-yama!

Daikan-yama is a super fun district where our church is. It has become more upscale in recent years (according to a nice shopkeeper I spoke with) and we enjoy walking around and exploring after church on Sundays. There are lots of great cafes too.

...love...

...more...

Having coffe at "Eataly" a great Italian cafe/grocery store. It has the most amazing bread I've ever tasted- Pistachio bread, with real, fresh pistachios baked in the bread.

Some really interesting architecture as well...

More homes...

In the dome of the octagon.

Model homes

We found a model home complex across the street from church. Stephen and I walked around several of the homes and had fun daydreaming. Some were Western and others were like cabins. They were all so cozy!

Fire pit chairs.

Another Thursday night at Sayo's home...

Adorable poodle! These are everywhere here.

Cute kids with their puppy across the street from Sayo's place.

Another one of Mrs. Morita's delicious breakfasts...I'm spoiled. ;) I think I may have forgotten to mention that I go to Sayo's home every Thursday to spend the night. We wish Stephen could come every week too. :( Her mom gives me cooking lessons which is wonderful because I was hoping to learn how to cook Japanese food while here.

Mrs. Morita meticulously peels these "mikan" (similar to oranges).