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.
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| 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!
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Some friends outside of the Kyoto Church.
This church was made Japanese Style. |
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| A fortune cookie in Japan! |
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| Bamboo groves |
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| Togetsukyo bridge with friends |
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| The wonderful Tani family |
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| Keiko and I tasting the flowers |
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| Otsu kids festival...they let me particpate |
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| Daibutsu...a very big Buddha |
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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. |
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. 
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.
