Sayonara and a contest

Although I have been working at getting everything ready to pack up and leave Japan, it really hasn’t hit me that it’s actually happening now. I am right on schedule for everything I want to have finished and will be ready when the packers arrive next Monday. I have not been keeping up with my daily gratitude posts and I plan to do better. I am changing them up a bit this week and want to post about the things I am going to miss about Tokyo and Japan. These are still very much gratitude posts, you see.

So today as I plan to say sayonara, these are the things I am going to miss:

This morning I got up early to take a photo of the Angel Moroni…there will be more to come. A few weeks ago I was a bit distressed when the tower that the Angel Moroni is on became covered with scaffolding. I knew that there was damage from the earthquake that caused Moroni to spin around. He was still in position so I thought they were doing the work while he remained in place. Then one day he was just gone. I was a bit sad and worried that this beautiful statue that I can see from my window might not return before my departure. Then just as quickly as he had disappeared he was back and last week the scaffolding came down. They actually installed a new angel. Some of the missionaries are referring to him as Moroni the Younger. Here are some photos a temple missionary sent to me.

The old Angel Moroni was taken down in parts

The new angel just put into place

This morning's view

I wanted to get up early and shoot the Angel Moroni from this spot down the street. The large silver building is Mori Tower in Roppongi Hills. If I shoot from the corner down the street from the temple it makes it appear as if the Angel Moroni is on top of Mori Tower.

I will miss seeing the the angel from my window everyday.

I will also miss the wonderful smell of the Japanese bakeries as I pedal the streets early in the morning.

I think I am going to miss having a blog called Life in Japan. I’m not sure what to call it now.  I don’t think I want to call it Life in Texas. I’m open to suggestions…maybe I should have a contest. Submit your ideas and I’ll think of a prize if there is a winner. I have an idea, but I would be open to others.