3rd Advent Sunday

Hope is the theme of this advent weekend. There are times when my faith seemed to waver in various aspects of daily living, but it is the hopes expressed in many ways seem to brighten up my day. Caffeine helps too.

Plans mentioned in my previous blog came to pass in their own special way. I was done with packing and sending off my stuff past noon and I made my way to Ueno to meet up with Ching Boi and Marie. I spent some quiet time enjoying Ueno Park before the girls joined me. We enjoyed our zoo visit where Marie had a fun time understanding my native, mother, and national tongue and language, Ching Boi likes reptiles, and I had a good time looking at the jackass penguins.

After spending about 2 hours at the zoo, Ching Boi and I jumped on the trains to Yokohama for Jewel’s Christmas presentation. It was the first time I had to buy tickets for a Christmas production. What I found most intriguing is how Charles Dickens’s “Christmas Carol” is presented with Japanese nuances. It was really strange for me. Nevertheless, I enjoyed Jewel’s passion in the musical. I am still stuck on deciphering Japanese language and culture in the production. Ask me another time for it is a long story in itself.

I ended up spending the nights at Jewel’s even though I did not plan to and found myself catching the 5:58am train back to Tokyo the next morning. Rushing back to my apartment for last minute packing and straightening out the place, I was done way before my expectation and had time to grab a grande gingerbread latte from Starbucks after placing my stuff in the coin locker at Omotesando. I enjoyed my last Sunday at Tokyo Union Church saying my goodbyes to close friends and my beloved high school group.
Thank you, TUC! You are my home church away from home.

Richen visited TUC with Baileyna, and I brought them for a Thai lunch at Shibuya. After lunch, we moved to Suidobashi to meet Sunil. We were surprised to see a huge “manga community” there. These were serious dressers from almost every anime produced. There was a convention, it seems, and it was a “feast” for the eyes. Sunil and I split from the group and went on the highest coaster in Japan, “Thunder Dolphin.” I screamed all the way and it helped released all the pent up emotions within me that were accumulated in the past month. AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH! It was great!

The entourage of 4 made our way back to CNT after collecting my stuff at Omotesando. The evening was wrapped up with a wonderful dinner shared between Sunil and I. Although I was dead tired and my guts still shifting from the ride, it was a wonderful Sunday. Now, all I have to face is the great move tomorrow. Oh boy!