A day at the zoo

Today I got to go on a little field trip with some of my family. It was awesome - my cousin Sabrina was babysitting my nephew Myles, so my dad and I decided to join them and head out to Winnipeg Zoo. For Myles it was his first time seeing some of these animals right before his eyes. He loved it! Of course, it was fun for us adults, too. Here are a few pics.

Say hello to...

My good buddy, Todd Mryglod! I have known Todd now for over 15 years! We were high school classmates back in the day, and now he's an engineer in Winnipeg, while I'm a teacher in Okinawa. Our paths crossed briefly the other day, and will cross once again when he comes out to visit from August 20-24. It should be a great time. Todd has been to Thailand many times, but this will be his first visit to Japan. Can't wait, buddy!

My Grandma and I

The other day I got to sit down with my grandma and visit. She is such a loving, wonderful lady. I know when I was younger, I used to not really enjoy my visits to her place - it smelled weird and the candies were old and even the cookies were not as tasty as store-bought ones. They just sat around and talked - how much fun could THAT be, I thought. But now, I have a great appreciation and love for her. She has been widowed now for over 9 years, but is staying strong and in fairly good health. Later this month, she will be 89 years old. Her mind is still sharp, and still gives me fits when we're playing Upwords together. Somehow, I beat her the other day, though. What kind of grandson am I???

Meet the cousins

That is, meet the cousin's children. My dad's eldest brother's second daughter's youngest two children (twins). Anjali and Anil. They're so much fun. Anyways, after a delicious dinner chez my cousin, the kids performed their customary "mini recital" for the guests. Little did I know, they have taken up instruments other than the piano, which was all I got to hear them play when I went to Alberta (where they once lived) 4 years ago. They've grown taller and are a little more mature, but they are still sweet kids and a joy to spend time with. Their older brother Suraj (not pictured) is also fun. Apparently he is the smartest mathematician his age in the entire nation! That's something to be proud of!

Sad memories

Today I got to visit the area that I used to live in. St. Adolphe was hit with a major flood in 1997, and since my house (along with the neighbours' houses) were in an unprotected area, the government bought us out, and each family moved to a different part of town. The houses then became property of the government, who then sold them and moved them to various parts of the province. So now, I have no way of visiting the home, or yard, I once grew up in. Sadness. Anyways, they posted a sign so that at least people who walk by will see that the area was once inhabited. Some of the photos they used on the sign were even contributed by my dad!

Part-way "home"

Well I'm really not that far from Okinawa right now, but I am in fact in a different country. I love the free internet access thing at the Taipei airport! So here I am, on my way back to Winnipeg for a brief visit. For those of you in southern Manitoba, hope to see you sometime real soon! To my Oki family, see you in about 11 days!

Man I missed this guy!

Last night I was blessed with the company of someone I hadn't seen (webcam aside) in almost exactly a year! Keisuke has spent the year in China, studying the language in order to be accepted into a four-year program. The results of his exam/interview/scholarship application are still in limbo, so keep praying for him!

Keisuke arrived at my place around 7:30pm, and helped me make perogies. He said he really enjoyed making them, and that they tasted delicious! I have never had disappointed customers when sharing the good news about the best food the world has ever known! Anyways, after perogies we sat around and chatted before I beat him in 3 straight games of backgammon. Then I felt bad and "let him win" *wink wink* the final game, and drove him back to Yomitan. Keisuke is scheduled to leave for Shanghai in 3 weeks, so if you're on Okinawa, try to spend a little time with him this month!

In my selfishness, I want Keisuke to stay in Okinawa so that we can spend more time in fellowship, Bible study, and prayer. But I know he's following the Father's leading, and China is the place he's been called to. See you later this week, K-West!

If I were a Simpson...

I found a really cool website today. It allows you to be "Simpsonized". Here's me in front of the Kwik-E-Mart, and also in front of Springfield Elementary School. What would YOU look like as a Simpson???

The farewells end...

On Friday night, our English department gathered at the Seibu Orion Hotel in downtown Naha to wish our 3 superstar ALTs, Aaron, Beth and Chad (the ABC's of ALT's) farewell. Dinner was awesome, and it was great to see them get recognition for the hard work they put in to bettering English education at Okisho. You guys will be missed dearly! (Aaron and Chad will be working in Tokyo in the fall, while Beth is moving to California.)

The farewells continue...

As mentioned in a previous post, my buddy and colleague Aaron will be leaving Okisho this month. In fact, today is his final work day. The kids absolutely love him and have been showering him with attention and gifts as he prepares to move on to his next job, in Tokyo. It is no wonder, though, that he is so popular - he's such a dynamic guy who brings positive energy to each class. I have been blessed to team-teach with him over the course of my first 3.5 months at Okisho. Here is a picture of the "Humanities Department" English staff... at least the ones who work together the most. From left to right: Aaron, Trevor, Yukiko and Kenney. Together we form a unique blend of personalities, teaching styles, and senses of humour. Last night was a fun way to cap off a successful start to the year. Tonight, we will be holding another farewell party for Aaron, as well as two other departing American teachers, Chad and Beth.