Chunichi Dragons Baseball

We went to our first Nagoya Chunichi Dragon's baseball game last weekend. If the name sounds familiar, it's probably because you recognize it from the movie "Mr. Baseball" with Tom Selleck. The movie is about a baseball player who is traded to a Japanese team and has trouble fitting into society.

The seating was pretty comfortable, and we were fortunate enough to have good seats right behind third base. I was a little disappointed in the food selection, but that goes without saying when all I have to compare it to is the delicious garlic fries at the Seattle Mariner's baseball games! I was however impressed with the fact that you can bring drinks into the stadium - including alcohol! They just make you transfer it into a cup to get rid of the bottles and cans.

indoor stadium

The Dragon's have 3 mascots - a blue dragon, a pink dragon, and a koala. Apparently the story goes that Nagoya was the first city to get a koala in its zoo, therefore the team adopted the animal as their mascot.

I think the koala is a fan favorite.
Many of the kids even wore koala ears at the game.

My favorite was of course the pink dragon!
I love that their mascots look like cartoon characters.

I was impressed with the fans at the game... they get really into the game! The stadium was essentially divided in half, with Dragon's fans on one side, and the opponent fans on the other. Each side waved their team flags when their team was up to bat, and all fans sang songs and cheered. I was also impressed with the cleanliness of the stadium - we didn't see any trash on the floor, and the bottom of our shoes never got that sticky feeling that you get in most stadiums in the U.S.

cheering fans!

It was a fun experience, and I'm glad we went. The game itself was a bit boring, as it was tied 0-0 throughout the entire game until the Dragon's finally scored in the 10th inning. So I'm glad to report that they won, but I think our next adventure will be to check out Nagoya's soccer team.

Hanami

Japanese Cherry Blossoms (sakura) bloom between late March and early April. This year was perfect timing for all of our visitors, as our family was able to see the beginning of the blooms and Nicole was able to see the end.

"Hanami" is a very popular time in Japan's spring. "Hana" means flower, and "mi" means seeing or viewing. Therefore, the term "hanami" means admiring the beauty of the cherry blossoms. Many people gather in parks to view the beautiful trees, while others have outdoor parties under the cherry trees eating, drinking, and singing.

Sakura along the Yamazaki River.

A tunnel of cherry blossoms on the bank of the river.

Sakura at Nagoya Castle.

Schreurs/VerHeul Trip to Japan

Joe's mom and dad & sister and brother-in-law came to visit last week - and we had a fantastic time! The week went by fast, especially since we tried to show them as much as possible during their time here. Fortunately the weather cooperated in the beginning of their trip, but towards the end we had some rain which took away from site-seeing.

The first day we went to my friend Miyoko's house for a traditional Japanese meal. She was nice enough to make 3 Japanese dishes for us to try. The first was okonomiyaki, which is a Japanese style pancake made with a variety of meats/seafood (usually pork, shrimp, and squid) and veggies, mixed with green onion, egg, and batter. Then it's topped with okonomiyaki brown sauce for a delicious meal. The second dish was called yakisoba, which is essentially just fried noodles (similar to Chinese chow mein). Lastly we tried takoyaki, which are ball-shaped fried/grilled octopus made with octopus chunks, batter, and green onion (although Miyoko substituted the octopus with cheese, for fear of foreigners being weirded out with eating octopus).

Japanese lunch at Miyoko's house (takoyaki is being prepared on the hot plate).

Next we went to the city of Nara. It's one of our favorite places in Japan because it's small enough to walk around, yet large enough to see quite a few famous sites. It was the first permanent capital in Japan, established in 710. Even though it is no longer the capital, it still has quite a few historic treasures including a giant buddha and several old temples.

Mom S feeding the deer that roam throughout the city of Nara. The deer were once considered messengers of the gods. Since then, the deer have been regarded as heavenly animals, protecting the city. Today there are over 1200 deer roaming the city who have ultimately become a symbol of the city. Even though the deer are mainly tame, they can be rather aggressive if they think you will feed them. Numerous vendors sell deer crackers around the city, and people are quick to buy them.

Todai-ji is one of Japan's most famous and historically significant temples. It houses Japan's largest bronze buddha statue (called Daibatsu), and is the world's largest wooden building.

Dad S bought a roof tile at Todai-ji to support the reconstruction of the temple. The instructions were to write your name, address, and prayer/wish on it. His wish was for healthy grandchildren. :)

We spent the rest of the afternoon wandering around the city and exploring a variety of temples and pagodas. After a full day of walking, we were ready to head back to Kyoto so that the girls could do their maiko makeover, we could eat dinner, and head to the hotel.

Mom S & Rachel at their maiko makeover. Their professional pictures turned out great! The name Maiko means apprentice Geisha. It takes years for an apprentice maiko to master their art and become a Geisha, which means "practitioner of the arts."

We stayed the night in a Japanese ryokan (Japanese style inn). You have to sleep on futon mats on the floor. Not only were we lucky enough to find a hotel in Kyoto in April, but we feel very fortunate to have found a family style room to accommodate 6 people! It felt like were were kids again having a slumber party in sleeping bags. Very fun experience!

We woke up early the following morning to explore the city of Kyoto. We spent the morning at the famous Kinkaku-ji (the golden temple), then headed over to Kyoto's Castle called Nijo Castle, and ended at Ginkaku-ji.

Family shot in front of kinkaku-ji. One of the most beautiful spots in Kyoto.

Ginkaku-ji was built as a retirement villa for the shogun in 1482. However, after his death it was converted into a Zen temple. This temple is more famous for it's surrounding area including a Japanese garden and wooded grounds covered with a variety of mosses.

After spending the day site-seeing, we attended a Geisha show in the heart of Kyoto's historic entertainment district, Gion. The performance was a cherry blossom spring dance, which is only performed in the month of April.

Unfortunately we weren't allowed to take photos during the show. This picture I took off of the show's website so that you could see some of the costumes and scenery. It was an incredible experience! We all really enjoyed it. It was a great opportunity to see Geisha and gain some insight into the Japanese culture.

After an exhausting 2-day adventure of site-seeing in Nara and Kyoto, we took it easy for the remainder of their trip. Lots of eating, shopping, walking around Nagoya, and Tiger Woods golf. The girls also did a pottery shopping trip to Seto one day while the boys did an Asahi brewery tour.

On Wednesday, the girls went to ikebana class. Mom S and Rachel learned moribana style, and I was able to try freestyle. It was nice that they were able to participate in a Japanese art.

Their trip aligned perfectly with Japanese cherry blossom time! We walked around a park to enjoy the flowers and see the importance of the blooms to Japanese people.

We tried to take them to a variety of restaurants while they were in town. We ate sushi, eel, Taiwanese dumplings (Rachel's favorite), ramen (Mom S's favorite), and Indian (Dad S & Alex's favorite).

Thank you to Mom and Dad Schreurs & Rachel and Alex for making the long trip out here to visit. We had a great time with you all, and miss you already.

Thailand

I have been behind on posting blogs lately. We were in Thailand, then headed back to Michigan during the Japan disaster, then shortly after arriving back in Japan we had family visiting. It's been 3 non-stop busy weeks!

Overall, our trip to Thailand was great! It was a little stressful at times, since every time we turned on the T.V., news, or checked our email we were constantly seeing negative reports on Japan's nuclear disaster. But despite all of the stress, we really enjoyed the country of Thailand. The land, jungle, islands and beaches were gorgeous! The people were extremely friendly, the service was great, and the food was excellent.

The first few days we stayed at a resort called Our Jungle House in the Khao Sok rainforest. It was about a 2 hour drive from Phuket airport. The drive to the jungle was the scariest part of our trip. We walked out of the airport to see a random person holding a paper with "Schreurs" written on it. So we hopped into this person's car (who couldn't speak any English), drove through some rough towns and areas along the way, watched the sun go down and it get pitch black, wind through narrow streets through the mountains, and eventually ended up at our resort. If I didn't know that other foreigners have done this trip before, I would have been more nervous and thought that we might not make it to our destination.

It was very hot and humid, and the treehouse was pretty rustic: a hard mat/bed to sleep on, no air-conditioning, one light inside that was similar to the light of a candle, lots of bugs, and only cold rainwater to shower. We even had to sleep inside a mosquito net to keep the bugs out. But even though it wasn't the best accommodation, it was an unforgettable experience. It was neat to be in the jungle and actually sleep inside a treehouse.

our tree house

inside our tree house

There was only one bar/restaurant, but the food at the jungle house was the best that we had in Thailand. They had a variety of authentic Thai meals to choose from, including green curry, pad thai, stir-fries, and noodle dishes.

bar/restaurant

upstairs at the restaurant

We also had the opportunity to go on a 2-hour elephant trek through the jungle. The trip took us through streams, orchards, and the tropical jungle. At the end of the ride, I was even able to scoot down off of the seat and ride on the elephant's head. It was scary and not safe whatsoever, but very fun! I didn't realize how rough and hairy an elephants skin is.

elephant trekking

riding on his head!

After our rustic treehouse adventure, we headed back down to Phuket to stay in the luxury of a 5-star Marriott beach resort. It was quite the opposite experience of the jungle house! Our room was ginormous and beautiful, overlooking one of the many pools. There were also several restaurants to choose from throughout the resort, including a variety of international restaurants and buffets. We spent most of our days laying in the sun by the pool, walking the beach, getting beach side massages, and eating amazing food dishes.

sunset at the Marriott

One day we booked an all day tour to see James Bond Island and Phang-Nga Bay. Our first stop was at James Bond Island, where the filmed "James Bond: A Man With a Golden Gun." Next we headed to "Hong Island" and "Panak Island" where we were able to relax and explore the areas by canoe as the staff paddled us through the caves and mangroves. Lastly, we headed to "Pan Yee" the floating Sea Gypsy Village, to have lunch and shop.

James Bond Island

Phang-Nga Bay

going inside a cave a "Panak Island"

"Pan Yee" the floating Sea Gypsy Village

On our last day in Phuket, we took a Thai cooking class at the Marriott. We woke up early to explore the local market with our teacher, then headed back to the school to learn how to cook a variety of dishes. We learned how to make Phad Thai (stir fried Thai rice noodle with peanut), Gaeng Kheaw Wan (chicken green curry), and Som Tum (green papaya salad).

teacher explaining ingredients at the local market

cooking!

final product - delicious!

If I had one word to describe Thailand, I would use the word: GREEN! The jungle was green, the mountains were green, the trees & plants were green, some of the houses were green, the food/fruit/vegetables were green, the bugs & lizards were green, and even the ocean was a beautiful green color. It was amazing!

green tropical environment & river

green islands & ocean

green caves & water

green giant lizards, snakes, etc!

I have 2 Thailand albums on our shutterfly website, one for the Treehouse and one for Phuket. http://emilyandjoepictures.shutterfly.com/

We're Expecting!

On Monday, January 31st, we discovered that I was pregnant! I took a pregnancy test, which tested positive and then immediately made a doctor appointment for the next day. So on Tuesday, we nervously headed to the doctor - who confirmed that I was indeed pregnant. He couldn't estimate a due date quite yet, as he said it was too early to measure the size. So he asked me to come in again in 2 weeks to estimate a due date. Four weeks and two appointments later, he confirmed that I was 10 weeks along and due September 27.

My first trimester has been a breeze! I feel very fortunate to not have experienced any morning sickness, nausea, or food aversions. I have been feeling a lot more tired, especially early in the pregnancy. My hormones have also kicked it up a notch and my skin is a lot more oily, which leads to acne and constant breakouts. I've only had one food craving so far: cauliflower. Kind of a weird craving, considering it's a food that I really haven't eaten since I was a child. I have also been really into citrus fruits.

I am starting to post belly and ultrasound pictures on our shutterfly account. I added a new page to our site titled "baby schreurs", so you can see the pics at: http://emilyandjoepictures.shutterfly.com/babyschreurs

I am currently 14 weeks and will be 15 on Tuesday. Here is a video of my ultrasound this week. It's pretty amazing how quickly the baby is growing and how developed he/she is! There is even a 4D image at the end. We're currently calling the baby B-BOGS, which stands for Baby Boy Or Girl Schreurs. We should be able to find out at my next appointment in 3 weeks whether it's a girl or boy.

The Latest From Michigan

Boeing has deemed it safe to return to Japan and asked all its expatriates to return starting next week. News and information from their experts say that Nagoya is safe. The following is the latest: Radiation is at background levels and no increased radiation has been seen since the event. There have been no measurements of contamination in tap water in Nagoya. Monitoring will continue for the foreseeable future. Analysis of worst case scenarios assuming full nuclear meltdown and unfavorable winds still show radiation at background levels in Nagoya.

Emily and I have been in touch with a number of friends still in Nagoya. Actually, Emily has a pregnant friend that has remained there since the Earthquake and another returning this coming week. Our friends have informed us that life is continuing on as if nothing is wrong.

Emily and I have spent the last week in Michigan with our family and friends. We have enjoyed our time away but are indeed headed back to Japan. Joe will leave Monday and Emily will follow on Wednesday. Mom and Dad Schreurs as well as Rachel and Alex are still coming for their visit. We look forward to seeing them all and showing them a good time in Japan!!

Home Sweet Home

The Fukushima nuclear power plant situation has continued without resolution and as such we decided to come back to the good ole U S of A! We had been spending a week vacation in Thailand with a planned return to Nagoya on Sunday. Instead, with a optional home leave provided by Boeing, we decided to extend our trip and head directly to the States. We will spend this week in Michigan with our friends and family. Then we will go to Seattle so Joe can work until our return to Nagoya. We're hopeful to return next week but will keep everyone posted on the progress.

Earthquakes, Tsunamis, and Nuclear Disasters...Oh My!

On Friday, March 11th, just before 3PM in Japan, an 8.9 magnitude earthquake hit off the coast of northeastern Japan. The closest coastal city to the quake was Sendai. Sendai is to the northeast of Nagoya where we live by around 250 miles. Shortly after the quake a tsunami was hitting the coasts of Japan. The hardest hit areas of the quake were unfortunately the hardest hit areas by the tsunami. Then to add to it a nuclear power plant to the south of Sendai in Fukushima started having problems keeping a number of its 6 nuclear reactors cool.

The earthquake was felt all across Japan. In Nagoya, the registered magnitude was around a 4.0. Fortunately, this was not that strong and the majority of buildings and structures are designed to withstand much worse. The earthquake did however last for about 4 minutes straight. And subsequent to it there were tens of similar strength aftershocks.

Emily was with a student and thought it was just her - she started to feel really dizzy and thought she was going to pass out... then her student yelled, "It's an earthquake!" Emily definitely felt it and saw the buildings moving. It was Emily's first earthquake and not what she expected. The expectation was for shaking and rattling like you see in the movies and news. Instead it was slow moving and like a rolling motion.

Joe was away from his standard office near the water and in downtown Nagoya when the quake hit. He was on the 7th floor of a small building trying to get his new work computer setup with some of his coworkers. He was sitting in a flexible back chair when all of sudden it was like a rocking chair. It took someone else to say "earthquake" to realize "yep, this is an earthquake". We all just sat there thinking its going to end shortly. But after the 3rd minute came and passed we decided we needed to get out. We took the office administrator (who was freaking out) down the emergency fire escape and waited for it to stop. The quake was not as Joe expected either. Instead of vigorous shaking and vibrating it was a slow rolling motion where you just felt unsteady and unbalanced like you were on a rocking fishing boat. Then for the rest of the afternoon, we lived in paranoia of the aftershocks..."there's another one".

The earthquake had no affect on Nagoya. There was no structural damage that we know of, certainly nothing major. The tsunami also had no affect on the Nagoya coastal regions.

On Saturday, the day after the quake, we were leaving for Thailand for a week vacation. At the airport it was obvious a number of people had their flights canceled but the airport was operating as usual. We were able to get out on time and our currently still in Thailand.

The nuclear power plant situation was not something we expected or saw coming. When we arrived in Thailand we learned of what was going on and began to wonder what was going to happen. It seems like every time we turn on the TV there is a new development regarding the power plant. Currently, we have to trust that everything is being done to contain the situation there. However, Nagoya is around 200 miles away from the affected power plant. This is well beyond a safe buffer zone should "shit hit the fan". We are reassured this both by the news and Boeing. Boeing continues to monitor the situation and is keeping all of its employees in Japan well informed. Currently they have relocated those employees who were working in the Northeast. If this puts your minds at ease, a number of the them are now in Nagoya. We continue to watch the news, internet and emails we get from family and friends regarding this situation. As of right now we feel safe and believe it is safe to return to Nagoya at the end of our trip.

Thank you to everyone for thinking of us and keeping us in your thoughts and prayers. We are so appreciative.

Our thoughts and prayers are with those truly affected by this terrible and devastating trio of disasters that has struck Japan.

SURPRISE!

Joe's good friend from work, Brian, organized a surprise 27th birthday party for him. We managed to get 25 of our close friends together for a fun night at Outback. We also managed to keep it a complete secret. :)

Surprise! He had no idea.

Table #1

Table #2

Good friends :)

Everyone singing "Happy Birthday!"

Make a wish!

Happy early 27th Birthday to my wonderful hubby! His actual birthday is March 16th, but we will be in Thailand for it. Thank you to Brian for organizing the surprise and making the reservation. He had a great time! We feel so blessed to have met such wonderful friends here in Nagoya!

Week off!

I don't have to work this week, and it's been great to have my life back! I didn't realize how much I've been missing out on with friends and social events. I decided to quit my job, so I am officially done working at the end of this month... and I can't wait! I'm counting down the days until I'm done - March 25th! :) Don't get me wrong, teaching in Japan has been an incredible experience. I've learned a lot, explored new areas, met new people, made some extra money, and really enjoyed the kiddos. But I'm ready to move on and get back into a regular routine at home. Our house has been a disaster, especially since Joe is in grad school now. He doesn't have much time to help out, so most of the responsibilities are falling on me right now. It doesn't help that since we live downtown I have to go to about 5 different grocery stores each week to get what we need... and with no car, it can be difficult and time consuming. It's overwhelming to try to work and keep up with everyday life in Japan. So I've made the decision, and I can't wait!

This week I was able to go back to the Meet & Greet, a gathering of foreign women at a local American restaurant once a month. It was nice to catch up with friends, see people I haven't seen in a long time, and meet new people. I'm looking forward to adding this back into my life next month.

I was also able to go back to Ikebana class! I didn't realize how much I miss this! I go with a group of girls that I've become really close with, and I miss having the opportunity to see them regularly. This is another activity that I'm looking forward to adding back into my life. This week I did freestyle, here is a pic of my final product.

This is what I recreated after bringing my flowers home. It actually looked much cuter in class because I had a different shape of vase. I love the pink gerber daisies.

My other big news is that I booked my flight home for the summer! I'll be arriving in Michigan on May 27th and leaving on July 15th. However, during that time I will also be traveling to Savannah with my family to visit Michael, going to Tucson to see the von Scheliha family, and then to Seattle for Eric & Fran's wedding. It will be a crazy and hectic summer, but I can't wait to finally see everyone!