Monday, September 28, 2009

My First Day Alone

Today was my first day alone in Tokyo since Kan had to be at work first thing in the morning. I learned a lot about myself in just one day. As you can imagine, it is a little lonely hanging out with a 1o month old in a foreign city where you do not speak the language. I decided to just spend the day getting familiar with our neighborhood. Miyako and I found a way to make it to the river and stroll alongside the river. We saw lots of children getting out of school and people leaving work. We had a nice day, but it was lonely. The Lord showed me that in the US I fill my time with stuff to do and people to see, and this is not necessarily a bad thing, but I think sometimes I use a busy schedule to keep me satisfied and fulfilled rather than looking for that in the Lord. I am thankful for a God who shows me these things, forgives me, and meets me even when I feel alone. He is the one true person who can truly satisfy me.

I am excited about some opportunities the Lord is providing for me to make some friends through strange ways in Tokyo. My American inlaws have a friend who lives 90 minutes from Tokyo and she is going to come stay with us for three days to hang out. It will be fun to get to know her better and to learn about her life in Japan as an American. I also follow a blog of a lady who lives about 90 miles from Tokyo. She has connected me with a yahoo group for foreign women married to Japanese men. Through this group, I hope to connect to some of those women who live in Tokyo. And finally, Kan and I will be going to a PCA church on Sunday so I am hoping this gives me some opportunity to meet people.

Many of you may be wondering how Miyako has done with jet lag. She slept last night from 7 PM to 6AM and only got up once in the middle of the night. I let her stay in her bed until 7AM so she can get used to the 7AM wake up time like we have in the states. I am grateful she slept so well. However, her naps were a different story. She did not take her morning nap and cried the entire hour of it. Her afternoon nap though was great as she slept from 1-4. The worst part was the evening after her nap. She did not want to wake up at 4 and was fairly cranky until bedtime tonight. I was trying to hold her off until 7 but felt so bad for her...she was simply exhausted. So, she went to bed tonight around 6:45. Hopefully she will make it 12 hours. Kan and I are different stories. We went to bed at 9 and were both up at 3. Finally at 5 I decided to get up and do my P90X DVD's a friend let me bring. He finally caved and got up too to go for a run and get us breakfast fixings. I did get an afternoon nap today but feel for him as he did not get that luxury working all day and evening.

I felt like the wife of a Japanese man as we had eggs, bacon, rice, and miso soup for breakfast. Well, Kan had the soup. I just could not eat soup for breakfast. It is a foreign concept to me. :)
Tomorrow Miyako and I are headed to the mall. I am hoping to find her a booster chair of some sort. I think she is tired of spending so much time in her stroller since we walk everywhere and that is also what I am using as a high chair. Wish me luck!

2 comments:

Matt Krebs said...

Enjoy those first days when everything seems foreign. I remember them well and wish I could go back to knowing nothing, sometimes. It has its own peace.

Kim F. said...

Oh Shari, thanks for the updates. Please know that I am reading them faithfully (you are in my Google Reader, of course) and LOVE hearing how you are doing. Are you going to the PCA church that the Iversons lead? If so, please introduce yourselves. They will not know us, but you can throw out RTS Orlando, St. Paul's Church, and that we are friends with their son and daughter and grandchildren.

Sounds a little like STINT...relying on the Lord when "normal" things are stripped away. Hope this blog and other means are rich food for your soul as you process and grow in the Lord over the next month.

Love you.
Kim