Experiencing China

Day 14: One Leg Homeward
Osaka, Japan

Wow. We had a great view of Hong Kong this morning from the air; at least I did as I had a window seat on the airplane. The clouds cleared in a timely manner. I could see for miles and miles and miles.

Before I took off, Tony and I had a final chance to pray together. He shared with me some of his hopes for the coming months, some of his goals. I'm glad to be able to return to the States and share with common friends about what life is like for Tony, show them photos, and let them know what his needs are, both physically and
spiritually.

He accompanied me all the way to the Hong Kong airport where, since we had some extra time, we sat down for some frozen yogurt. We both tried the Sesame flavored yogurt; fairly strong taste and had the look of wet cement; sweet though a bit grainy in texture, which is certainly something I'm not used to in my yogurt. But I could get used to it. Other flavors included mango, green tea, white chocolate, and peach. No sign of strawberry or vanilla.

I have a layover in Osaka, Japan, for the evening and will fly to Chicago in the morning. In fact, I'll be leaving tomorrow and arriving in Chicago earlier on the same calendar day, by the clock at least. My departure time is eleven in the morning. My arrival is eight in the morning, same day. A bit odd, certainly not good prospects for jetlag.

Originally, the airline reserved a hotel room nearby the airport for me, but a friend of mine back in the States put me in contact with a couple here in Osaka whom I'm staying with for the evening. I have the pleasure of experiencing one more evening of Asian culture, not to mention good food. I'm staying with Tsuneo and Etsuko Morisaku who live about one-half hour by bus from the airport. The Japanese at the airport were truly helpful and friendly. At the currency exchange desk several men helped travelers fill out the correct forms while we stood in line. When I tried to purchase a bus ticket from a vending machine that baffled me thoroughly, a woman nearby took the initiative to help me.

And the food at the Morisakus was good. We had sushi, a kind of egg "soup" (was baked with bits of meat and hard-boiled egg), a beef and green-leafy soup, and then the centerpiece of the meal, the name of which I'm forgetting, a shared "stir-fry" (probably a fiercely inaccurate name for this) of sorts: beef, tofu, carrots, peas, sprouts, green leeks, more leafy stuff, all grilled with sugar and soy sauce. To top all of this off, we had homemade cake that had a subtle taste of orange. And of course all of this food was intermittently doused with cups of green tea.

Mr. Morisaku is an economics professor at the Osaka Prefecture University. He also leads a Bible study with IFES students and hopes to start up similar activities at other local universities. He attended an Urbana Mission Convention thirty years ago and then again in 1990 with his son. He and Etsuko told me of how they had met at an international Bible study many years ago in Los Angeles; after nine years there, they spent the last twenty in Japan again, mostly near Tokyo. They've been wonderfully hospitable.

I was especially excited to find out that Tsuneo's great grandfather was the very first Japanese immigrant to Canada in the mid-1800s. They showed me a book (in Japanese, of course, though it had photographs) on his life, his journey to Canada, his family's work and survival in the new land. It seemed to be an amazing story, one that would be worth exploring more.

The doorways in their home can't be more than five feet, eight inches or so and the floors are a fragile (seemingly) woven material; don't know enough to know the exact material. And my feet were about twice the size of the sandals they generously gave me to use upon entering the front door. I feel I'm going to break something, lean too hard against a wall or ram my forehead through the doorframe. But they're very understanding and even accommodating, for which I'm grateful. At dinner, Etsuko served me a glass of iced water before I even asked for it, a beverage they don't usually have with dinner, especially with ice. Their experience with Westerners and our culture is apparent.

I think I made a serious faux pas; hopefully it's not serious in their eyes. I was under the impression that Tsuneo was taking me to the airport in the morning, thought their home was much closer than it is, but he's not. I had to feebly explain to Etsuko before I turned in for the evening that I had misunderstood, that I had thought they were "closer to the airport" and so I "didn't exchange enough money for a bus ticket back to the airport in the morning." She gave me the necessary fare as I would be unable to easily exchange more money in the early morning. As she rifled through her change purse, I felt like her seven-year-old pining for lunch money. Wanting to be gracious and recognize her generosity, I stuck my foot in my mouth and offered to give her American dollars in exchange. She nervously laughed at this
and I wanted to flee to my room. Living is more expensive here than in the States and what is the equivalent to ten American dollars for me, the price of a bus ticket, is for her, well, simply a bus ticket.

Tsuneo voiced to me over dinner that he's seen renewed spiritual interest in Japan, especially on the part of businesspeople as of late. The Book of God, by Walter Wangerin, Jr., which is a novelized version of the Old Testament, has been a best seller here in Japan. He showed me a Japanese copy of the book. He cites the downturn in the Asian stock market last year as the reason for the renewed interest and he feels that Japanese businesspeople and manufacturers are no longer as confident in their products and services as they were at one time.

As I finish this trip, I feel as if I should have come to some grand revelation about myself or humanity in general, some ethereal platitude that sums up the experience of living or finding peace and understanding between cultures. This isn't the case. Rather, I'll be gleaning new insights into this trip for weeks, months, years to come, processing all this over time. I will keep journaling about my time in the People's Republic as it comes to mind and as I travel elsewhere. Such learning about the world and other cultures is a lifelong experience. Still, I will now be able to go back and share with Asian American and Chinese friends, get their views on
things and share my own.

I'm joyful Lord at your blessings. Thank you again for keeping me safe and healthy and for leading me continually. Watch over Tony, tend to the needs of the students and orphans whom I've just recently left in Guangzhou. Thank you again.

Woohoo! (that's the sound of joy)

Mark

home | urbana 06 | know your world | next steps | past urbanas | blogs
privacy statement | copyright | urbana.org team | about urbana.org
 site map | contact urbana | help | email list