K-sensei’s wedding

After the preparations for the wedding, I headed off. Unfortunately slightly late and with directions that weren’t quite right.

準備の後に結婚式へ行ったつもりだったけど、少し道が迷った。

When I got there the ceremony had started, luckily someone showed me where to sit.

着いたら、結婚式が始めた。誰か席が教えた事が良かった。

K-sensei in her gorgeous kimono.

K先生はすばらしい着物を着た。

So many kinds of silver wear!

たくさんフォクとナイフがあった！

The cake. This time it was a real cake. I found out later that Y-sensei’s was not. 

結婚のケーキ。このケーキは本当のケーキ。前の結婚式で本当のじゃない。

A few of the teachers, the bride and groom and myself.

先生たちと。

It looked like dessert, but really it was a seafood parfait.

デザート見たいけど、シーフードのパフェ。

They used a sword to cut the cake.

剣にケーキを切った。

After that, it was time for an embarrassing moment.

それから、恥ずかしい時。

I got called up to the front and I had no idea what for.

箱から私の名前を選び出した。何する事が分からなかった。

I was given cake but didn’t understand the instructions at all.

ケーキをもらったけど、説明がぜんぜんわからなかった。

Apparently, I was supposed to feed it to the guy standing next to me.  And eat it off of his spoon.

人のスプーンからケーキを食べさせられたらしい。 そして、この人のスプンから食べた。

The cake was HUGE. Everyone else managed to eat it in one bite.

ケーキは大きかったから、一口でできなかった。

The sashimi was so pretty.

刺身はとてもきれいだった。

Some soup.

スープ。

The teachers at my table.

私のテーブルの先生たち。

This knife had a really cool design.

このナイフはすてきなデザインがあった。

After the cake, they went for a change of clothes and came back in white to light the candles at our tables.

ケーキの後に着が変わった。白い服で戻って、蝋燭がを灯した。

I love how happy she looks in this picture.

この写真にK先生はとても嬉しそう事が大好き。

The train on this dress was soooo long!

このドレスの後ろはとても長い。

The last course.

最後の食べ物。

For the slide show K-sensei got to sit next to me!

私の隣に座った！

All of the teachers who came from the high school.

高校から来たの先生。

Getting ready for the wedding

After having breakfast with L and the gang, L helped me get ready for the wedding.

朝食の後にLちゃんは結婚式の準備を手伝った。

I don’t often wear make up, but she wanted to do my makeup.

化粧をあまりしないけど、Lはしたかった。

Way more eye make up than I usually wear, but it was totally perfect for the wedding.

目にたくさん化粧した。　でも、結婚式のために良かった！

The two of us together. Isn’t L gorgeous?

2人友達。Lはとてもきれいね。

It was lots of fun.

とても楽しかった。

Summer Adventures: Wedding!

I went to my very first Japanese wedding!

最初の日本の結婚式へ行った！

Who is that girl in the mirror? It can’t be me – she got her hair cut, she’s wearing makeup, jewelry and a dress!

この人はだれ？私じゃないでしょう。　紙が切ったし、化粧したし、ジュエリーを付けるし、ドレスを着るし。

We stopped for kabocha ice cream (Japanese pumpkin) on the way to the wedding.

結婚式の前にかぼちゃアイスを食べた。

Here’s my place!

私の席。

Our table had this kanji. Pretty cool looking!

私たちのテーブルのサイン。

Here comes the bride (and groom) all dressed in white . . .

新郎新婦は来た！

When they arrived they had to stand there for a minute.

来たの後にここで立っている。

Me and one of the teachers who used to be at the HS.

前の高校の先生と。

They coached a volleyball team together when they both lived in W-cho. The kids did a presentation.

W町でこの2人はバレー部が教えた。子供たちは発表した。

Another one of the teachers who used to be at the HS.

もう1人前の高校の先生と。

An outfit change and some fog!

新しい服とフォグ。

Time to cut the cake. As I write this, I realized we never ate the cake. I wonder what happens to a cake a Japanese wedding . . .

ケーキを切る時！でも、書く中に思い出はだれもケーキを食べなかった。日本の結婚式でケーキを何する？

Then they came around and lit the candles at the tables.

蝋燭に火を付けた。

Time to light our candle!

私たちの蝋燭。

Then they light the big heart candles.

最後は大きいハートの蝋燭。

Another pic with a past teacher and a student.

前の先生と前の生徒の写真。

Mrs. O loves pigs.

O先生は豚が好き。

The teachers I came with and the bride and groom.

先生たちと新郎新婦。

After the wedding, we drove back to our hotel and then went out for dinner.

結婚式の後にホテルまで戻った。　晩ご飯へ行った。

Aren’t these hot dogs cute?

これは可愛いですよね。

These teachers were all at the HS when I first came. Now they've moved to different schools.

私来た時にこの先生たちは高校にいた。今他の学校にいる。

K-sensei and our waitress.

K先生とウェイトレス。

It was a fun day, but it was full of super difficult wedding-Japanese.

楽しかったけど、結婚式の日本語はとても難しかった。

NZ Adventures 2: Arrival and a wedding!

After arriving in the NZ airport, my plane buddy and I found our way to the shuttle and off we went in the direction of two people’s houses, one person’s hotel and a restaurant.

This was my first view of NZ. Not the best photo as it was taken out of a car, but isn’t it pretty?


I’m sure the restaurant people thought I was crazy dragging my suitcase into the restaurant, but I managed to make it shortly after the group had sat down for dinner.

My across the table buddy, Davy, and I shared two pizzas – first the one she ordered and then the one I ordered. They were both so good!
(Photos below taken by Dolly)


After the dinner, we all headed to our various places of sleep. My group headed to the bed and breakfast we were staying at. I was glad that was our next stop, because I was tired and gross from so much time in the air and airports.

Early the next morning, we headed for Capernway, the Bible School where Ben & Mel had met and started dating. (Photo by Dolly)



The first couple of hours at the school were prep – setting up the area for the reception and prepping food. As people worked, I took tons of photos of the area where the rehearsal dinner would be held, and a few of the area for the wedding.



There were three photographers – one who was only there for the wedding and shots after, B and myself. B knew the bride better so she took the photos of the ladies getting ready, while I took the guys – I knew the groom better.

The guys were a lot of fun to hang with – it was the groom, his brother, Josh, Dan and Dan (yes, they have the same first name).



We originally took a bunch of photos of the boys with the super harsh mid-day sun, but when they started pinning the flowers on their jackets, I realized how amazing the light right there was and that we needed to take a few more – luckily I had willing subjects!



A group shot.



Despite being the rainy season, the day was cloud-less and gorgeous – I think a few of us may have even managed to get a bit sunburnt (probably those of us who live in a place where we have snow for half the year). 



Look how excited Ben is as he’s waiting for Mel to come down the aisle.



Here she comes!



The gorgeous ceremony!



Apparently Ben’s fingers grew before the wedding, Mel had a super hard time getting the ring on his finger.



The whole group.



Afterwards we took photos for about two hours of Ben & Mel and the wedding party, they were a good group, putting up with us photographers even when it started to turn a bit cold.



Of course we needed proof that I was at the wedding too.



The car they left in!



Congrats to the new Mr. & Mrs. R!