Thursday 17 May 2012

Sandcastles, Anpanman, & Bruises



This past Saturday we had our monthly children’s event at the center. This was by far my favorite one that we've had. We spent all Saturday morning playing in the sand. The kids brought bags full of buckets, old milk cartons, and shovels for digging. They meant business. We first had to clear the sand of big rocks. I was so glad when we were given permission to play in the sand without shoes.

The kids quickly broke off into groups and started creating their master pieces. I paired up with a little girl and we did our best to make a sandcastle with the cups she brought. She was an expert at making perfect sand balls. One of the volunteers made a sculpture of Anpanman (a child’s superhero in Japan). A group descended upon the sand pit and began digging a huge hole. Once the huge hole was complete they filled it with water. This hole was conveniently located under the slide. It did not take long until the kids were sliding right into it. I had my run at it a couple of times. 

The giant whole being created.
At one point I joined a team that liked building damns. They had created their own little lake. They turned the “Mt. Fuji” they built into a hill with tunnels that led to other ponds. I was having so much fun with them that when they called us in for lunch it was hard to break away. But then our tummies started calling us as well. During lunch I sat with a group of boys and one little girl that insisted we eat lunch together. The boys kept asking me questions about the US and English. They taught me a new game. After several rounds of the game I had a bruise on my elbow.

Once lunch was finished we went back outside and continued our masterpieces. The kids somehow managed to get even dirtier the second time around.  Before we knew it was time to clean up. The kids, being very good children, brought an extra pair of clothes to change into…they are always prepared here. After a quick snack we sent them on their way home.

The whole day was wonderful. I think the best part of it was that even though there were many adult volunteers there seemed to be no age difference in the sand pit. Everyone enjoyed playtime no matter the age.

Below are some pictures of my recent trip to Kyoto, Nara, and Otsu. Enjoy!


Some friends outside of the Kyoto Church.
This church was made Japanese Style.

A fortune cookie in Japan!

Bamboo groves

Togetsukyo bridge with friends

The wonderful Tani family

Keiko and I tasting the flowers

Otsu kids festival...they let me particpate

Daibutsu...a very big Buddha

If you crawl through this pillar you will
never suffer from illnesses. The line was long so
I chose to deal with the illnesses that come.

2 comments:

  1. Awesome seeing your grandmother's skirt participate in a kid's festival! I wouldn't have stood in line long either!
    love MoM

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  2. You are an amazing young lady...no pun intended. Keep the Faith!
    Love - UT.

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