ChanomiTalk

The weather today was bright and sunny with a big blue sky. This means it was a great day for sight seeing but really hot! The first stop today was the Kamakura Buddha. This is a giant statue of the Buddha in a seated position meditating. The statue is very large and impressive. Crowds of people crowded around the Buddha with many schools also sending student field trips to the scenic spot. The scene was so moving that I wrote a NACOS haiku to commemorate the visit. The Hasedera Temple was the second stop. This spot is famous for the 11 headed wooden Buddha statue that it contains. The statue is very ornate and impressive to see but unfortunately picture taking is not allowed. Finally, the last stop was a Shinto shrine called Tsurugaoka Hachimangu. The shrine rests on top of a steep hill with many steps. After walking all day, it requires a strong will to make the climb. At the top, the shrine has a museum with artifacts from ancient Japan. Photographs are not allowed in the museum, and only very low light is used, in order to protect the precious treasures.

夕方には、みんなで家の近所を散歩しました。

どれだけ風が強かったか、ご覧ください！

Today I visited Enoshima. It is a small island to the south of Fujisawa. There is a temple on a mountain top there. The views of the ocean are amazing! The scenic view made up for a monk that brushed me off when I asked about some kanji outside the temple. On the way to the temple it was cold and rainy due to the typhoon that passed by. This meant that there were no visitors at the temple upon arrival. Fortunately, the weather quickly made a turn for the better which provided a great opportunity to enjoy the temple without the crowds. Only after reaching the top of the mountain, I had to chuckle because I discovered that you could avoid the difficult climb and the slippery steps by riding an escalator. One good thing about the typhoon was that when the weather improved, all the clouds cleared to provide a direct shot of Mount Fuji! After walking around for about three hours, I think I got my exercise for the day.

ベンさん、中国出張の帰り、日本に立ち寄ってくれました。昨日午後、成田空港に到着後、藤沢に直行。東京、横浜を素通りして、藤沢に５連泊、本当にうれしいことです。藤沢、5日間滞在中、日本語の特別訓練を実施する予定です。

I never imagined that the NACOS family is so strong! Recently, I traveled to China for business. On the way home, I had to pass through Tokyo so I decided to stay for a few days. I contacted NACOS and traveled to Fujisawa where I was re-united once again with my beloved instructors. We met in the evening on a pedestrian bridge outside the north entrance of the local railway station. I never felt so welcome! I am very thankful to discover that NACOS has found a good home. Since arriving, we have visited some supermarkets and even a “hyaku en” store (similar to dollar stores in the US). I have had a chance to help Yukiyo San practice her English and Chay San has challenged me to diligently write haiku all via NACOS chat. Before leaving, I hope to have some more time to tour Japan and practice Japanese. I really hope that NACOS will enjoy the Panda cookies that I brought from China and that the NACOS family will continue to grow and flourish.