Fret not, young padawan. It gets better.

6-15

*****

Due to time constraints, I decided to send you my companion’s email instead :D

Last week on preparation day we were invited by a member to come learn joudou (a martal art using a waist hight staff, used by shrine maids to defend the temple (usually from rouge samurai)). It was a lot of fun. It's also a lot of hard work. Sands shimai really liked using the bokken. You only had about an hour so we only got through two basic forms. Afterward we were able to teach [about the gospel]. One is less active and the other is not a member. We will be teaching them again today but this time no jodo (the weather is getting rainy). We were also invited [to a cermonial luch]. It was intense. 45 minutes of Seiza three times in a row with five minute breaks to wash the utencils. Sands shimai was able to practice [performing the ritual] herself. (Sands: IT WAS SO FUN!!) It is incredible the amount of detail that is put into every single motion.

For me it was a test of endurance. If you don't know what seiza is, it is sitting on top of your legs thereby cutting off the circulation. After about 10 minutes your legs start to go to sleep. After 20 minutes they begin to burn. By 30 minutes you are in quite a bit of pain. The worst part being that other than pain, your legs are numb. So when you stand up you your legs are mostly functional, but you can't feel them and so is having a prosthetic. It is a perfect prosthetic, it works just like your real leg, but you can't feel it and that makes it extremely difficult to stand. (Sands: Fret not, young padawan. It gets better.)

We had a Kokan [going to a different area, and working with other missionaries] this week. I don't particularly like leaving my area but it is fun to see how other missionaries do things. It rained all day that day. We're beginning to get into the rainy season so that will be the usual for about two months. After that it will get extremely hot. Apparently rainy season and Typhoon season are not the same. Typhoon season will begin in the fall or so. I'm not particularly looking forward to it. (Sands: I AM!! :D)

So I have told you about the food basket that members put food into for missionaries.This week we were given eel. We had quite the conundrum as to how to cook it. We tried frying it like a normal fish, but it just fell apart. So we battered and deep-fried at it. It was very good because we had lemons. We were talking and Sands Shimai and I were saying, when life gives you eel, fry it. And then I said and thank heavens it gave you lemons first. Apparently when you touch it leaves a silver residue on your hands. It remind us both of the goa'uld.

We had another adventure cooking this week. Last week a member gave us a head of lettuce. Was very kind of them. She also gave a head of lettuce to the elderly couple serving here. One day we were talking with the elderly couple and they asked us if we had used a lettuce yet. We said we had not. They then warned us that we may want to wash it very thoroughly. Apparently it had quite a few slugs. So we look in the refrigerator box and put it in, and sure enough, slugs. Good good thing we learned slugs become immobile when refrigerated. For that we are very grateful. So we washed the lettuce, picked off the slugs. …

We have rescheduled the gyoza activity [for this coming week because everyone] is healthy now and with any luck should remain so. I hope there is a good connection made.