Great China...in Japan? Yokahama (Sunday)

It just gets better and better here in Japan and I cannot believe I am getting paid for this. Today, Craig, Karen (my lay leaders/liaisons), Ben and Ashley (a young couple from the community) and Rachel (half of another couple from the community) all went to Yokahama-China Town, Japan! But before we hit the town…we stopped at the brand new New York Bagel place by the Chuo station. This is the funniest bagel store EVER! They make great bagel sandwiches-but only on plain bagels even though they serve all kinds of different bagels-all toppings ONLY on plain. The chairs are old Church pew chairs...is that sacrilidge? And they advertise that their water comes from Mt. Hood and their wheat comes from Montana.

Ok, so up to Yokohama…we headed to China Town which is an eye festival. Everything is gorgeous and there are dead, glazed ducks hanging in most of the windows. We saw yam and bean curd ice cream, an incredible tea shop, and beautiful (but a little schlocky) souvenirs.

We had lunch at this Chinese place which looked great (they all looked great) and who knows what we ordered but it was tasty (but not quite enough for the six of us). We had a blast though in our own private room with a lazy Susan and chopsticks flying. After lunch, I survived my first unisex AND squatter only bathroom. (Some bathrooms here are unisex a la Allie McBeal and some are holes in the ground that you…well, squat over and pray you do not splash your shoes and I happened to walk in to one which was both J)

And, on an unrelated, but personally exciting note, I charged lunch and everyone paid me back which means I now have YEN! (When I got here, I realized my bank card was experied…tee hee and oops!)

Next stop: the promenade-another endless feast for the eyes. Not just the food pavilion (and a stop to sushi-go-round because, well, we were HUNGYR) but the whole walk over was stunning. There are Ferris wheels all over the place here with amusement parks and this one is set on a particularly beautiful backdrop.

Really what was so great about today was spending my time with this group of people. I feel like I really had the opportunity to talk with and get to know them better. I learned much about each person, their lives, their history, their desires, ambitions, and just who they are as people. I saw some wonderful, amazing, fascinating things, but the most beautiful of all was just living a little slice of real life.

For me, I have never really played Rabbi before. I have been the Jewish leader in many places, but none of them in this full-time, involved in all parts of life, kind of way. It is terrifying. I won’t lie. I worry that I will do or say the wrong thing-that I do not yet know enough to lead or what to do in any given situation.

But here I am, trying my best anyway, hoping the words come when they are needed. Hoping the actions arise when necessary. Hoping I can think of the right questions to ask and have the ability to see enough of what is happening to be able to respond effectively and appropriately. I don’t know if I am doing it well. (So far, no one seems to hate me yet or is talking about early departure from base…although learned today that non-military folks get the boot from base-if they are bad enough, Captain Weed has to send them back stateside.)

This is just what is on my mind. I have no concluding thought like-and it seems like it is going fine and I should worry less. It does seem like it is going fine…but I don’t always know. This is such a big responsibility and I am having a great time with the fluff parts (touring Japan) but being a Naval officer and being a Rabbi are real, serious things. Right now-well, it is as if I have been thinking about being a Rabbi for a long time. And now, even though I am without title and ordination, I am. So this is some piece of what this life that I am planning on and working for is really like.

It will take me weeks to begin to untangle this all and to really be able to say what I think. (Shoosh, I hope that process goes well…I have a lot of loans to pay back NOW if it does not. Don’t worry mom, I’m kidding.)