Ariel's First Letter from Japan

TADAIMA!!!

 

I have finally made it to Japan!!! It is everything and anything I could ever imagine and much MUCH more! I am obviously obsessed with it. I just walk around in awe. 

 Ok so let's start with my companion slash trainer. SHE ROCKS. Somehow the stars aligned and I got a companion that is a perfect match for me. We are besties already. She is hilarious and perfect. Her name is Sister Derricott and she is from Bountiful, UT. She has been out for 7 months and her Japanese is bomb so it gives me hope. She is a great missionary but still normal and totes understands my humor. We have tons of fun together 

Ok so my area... It is called Shibuya!!! Google it! be jealous!! It has the busiest intersection in the world and is INSANE. It is literally a sea of people always. When you see Tokyo on movies and stuff, it is my area. I am in the heart of Tokyo. Seriously wouldn't have it any other way! This area is perfect for me! And I will for sure be here for at least 2 transfers and most likely more than that. I love love love it! The people here are SO awesome. I seriously walk down the streets and just stare at people's outfits. I feel like I am in a magazine 24-7. Japanese people are so much more fashionable than Americans. Also there are huge semi trucks that drive by blasting j-pop music which are their Japanese boy bands. It is hilarious. If you can imagine, most things here are so funny to me. I cover 1 Japanese ward and 2 English branches here so wooo I get to speak English too! Also we teach English classes on Wednesday nights and it is so FUN! Japanes people love to learn English it is funny. 

Today we bought my bike and put it in a bag to carry it from the bike shop, on the train, and back to our apartment (which by the way is the most expensive apartment in the missionary world). I am sure next week I will have plenty of stories of the dumb things I do slash things I crash into on that bike. Get ready. The trains here are so cool I feel so cool taking them. It is like waiting for a Disneyland ride waiting for the train amongst all the Asians I love it. Yesterday on the train there was this little Japanese girl counting on her fingers (better than me might I add) and I wanted to steal her she was so cute. The children here are SO CUTE I love hearing little babies speak Japanese it's hilarious. 

On Sunday we had a BAPTISM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! My first Sunday in Japan, my first baptism!!!! It was so awesome. I didn't know the man very well obviously but I was overcome with emotion when I saw him come out of that water GLOWING!!! It rocked. 

Unfortunately Japanese people LEGIT CANNOT say my name for the life of them so I got permission from my President to change it to something they can say. I am either going to do Ariel Shimai or Swain Shimai. We'll see. haha it is so funny everytime they look at my tag and then take 10 minutes to sound it out. 

The other day we were at a member's house making lunch with a less active and it was so fun. The member's name is Busso kyodai (kyodai means brother) and he is from Italy and speaks Japanese, English, and Italian. So the whole time he is cooking us this Italian meal singing Italian at the top of his lungs. It was so funny. We were speaking English, Italian, and Japanese with him. As he was cooking he turns to us and goes, "My mama always say, The food is like the woman, very delicate." HAHAHa he is hilarious. 

Ok so the food here is very interesting. Hahhaha I want you to google nato right now. It is fermented beans and unique to say the least. My companion loves it and of course my first day fed it to me. It's not my favorite not going to lie.. Hahaa but last night was my first time eating at a member's house and it was really good food. We sat on the floor on little pillows and everything! (I couldn't feel my legs when I stood up).

 

Anyways... I know I am forgetting SO MANY things but most importantly, I LOVE JAPAN!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

xoxo,

Nihonjin gossip girl

 

oh yeah and the garbage trucks talk. Mostly everything talks here. AND they don't have dryers. just washers.