Camping Trip to Shima - Ise prefecture -Once summer school let out, we took advantage of summer vacation and headed to Ise prefecture and spent some time at Shima. Because of the time of year, we had the beach virtually to ourselves. We stayed in a Japanese style bungalow with tatami mats and futons, (think camping pad and light sleeping bags).
The campground was across the street from the beach with a huge covered patio to get out of the blistering afternoon sun. We beach combed, swam, body surfed and took full advantage of the beautiful ocean and beach. Stephanie found the largest sand dollar I have ever seen. The shell is bigger than the palm of my hand and was one of the best finds of the trip. The campground and the wonderful campground attendant were the other best finds of the trip. |
| Stephanie's huge sand dollar! |
The sweet and heartwarming campground attendant showered us with kindness and unbeknownst to us, was very generous in providing some amazing delicacies for us to try. She appeared at our picnic table and offered us some Sazae shellfish or Shima famous Turban snails. We told her no thanks but she returned about ten minutes later with a huge abalone served up in the shell and a plate of the Turban snails, one for each member of our family. |
| Abalone served in the shell - a Shima delicacy |
What ensued after that was both delightful and very entertaining. My whole family ate the abalone except me and indicated it was good, but pretty chewy. Then she proceeded to offer us the utensils to eat the GIANT Saza shellfish. Only Bob and Stephanie were brave enough to eat the unsightly shellfish. |
| Sazae shellfish in the shell - before |
Our attendant proceeded to coat the shellfish in soy sauce, pulled it out of its shell and served it up on the plate. I kid you not, I almost gagged. I never could stand the smell of liver and it looked a lot like liver to me. |
| Sazae shellfish out of the shell - after |
I am attaching a video of Bob and Stephanie eating the Sazae shellfish, you can hear me laughing hysterically in the background.
You can hear Bob as ask her "Oishii desuka?" Which means is it delicious? She says, "So, so oishii". Meaning yes, yes it is delicious. They tried the first part of the snail and said, " Oishii". Then came a part that looks like well...something you should not put in your mouth. Bob says, "kowai". Meaning I am scared. She laughs at him and tells him, "daijobu". Meaning it is ok, it's alright. He takes a bite at her prompting and as you can see from the video, once she is out of earshot he says, "Oishii jenai". Meaning, it is not delicious. Once we returned home we learned she offered us a very expensive and coveted delicacy of Shima. We greatly appreciated her generosity however, the delicacy unfortunately was wasted upon our family.
Alex Graduates 8th Grade -
So proud of this kid and the young man he is growing up to be. Alex graduated 8th grade this spring and will begin high school in the fall. So fun to be a part of our kids everyday experience in Japan and at school. What a blessing it is to teach, worship and serve with them all the while watching them grow into loving, caring and responsible young men and women.
Bob handed out the 8th grade graduation certificates and was able to give Alex his certificate which made the promotion that much more special for our family. |
| Alex graduating 8th grade |
 |
| High school and junior high graduation celebration |
Bamboo Shoots From Our Neighbors -Our neighbors dug bamboo shoots and shared some with us. I had no idea this is what the small strips of canned bamboo we buy in the states looked like in their original form. Apparently this is a seasonal tradition and families harvest "takenoko" and eat it in many dishes. They serve it with rice, in stir fry, and boiled.
Bamboo shoots are dig up from the base. Once peeled, they boil it and cut it into chunks or strips. It has a very mild flavor and has chambers inside the stalks. |
| Takenoko shoots from our neighbors |
 |
| Our neighbors recent "takenoko" (bamboo) harvest |
Thank you -You may grow tried of hearing me say it, but thank you for your faithful support and prayers. Because of your support, we are able to invest deeply and generously in the school and our community.
We marvel at the grace of God, His kindness and faithfulness. We see Him open doors and opportunities for us regularly and are humbled by the friendships we have made and community in which we get to serve.
In Christ, grateful and amazed we get to serve Him in this way.
K. Chadduck
