On the Pond

Crap Blogger

2010-06-04T20:02:00.000-07:00

Weechan brought this back from her adventure in the Botanic Gardens specially for me.
Cute!

Apple Store iPad madness in Ginza from our weekend in Tokyo last week. I so have to have one.
Still holding out though.

Cover photo for M's first album?

I'm sure I've been so crap lately that no-one ever looks at this any more anyway, but just in case....

The PTA stuff and work stuff and Facebook and Twitter addictions have led to major backlog on the blogging front, as it always seems much easier to do a quick real time status update than a full blog post. I still hold out the hope, maybe in the summer holidays hat I will catch up and get back into the rhythm soon, but in the meantime, I have found a new addiction to add to the above.

It's caled Blipfoto. The premise is that you upload one photo a day. And it has to have been taken on that day, so the result should be a true photo journal. I kind of like this having to choose one moment of your day to share. The restriction of it makes you think through what defined your day.

It is also a site used many real photography enthusiasts, and some of the images by others are truly stunning, and there is a general positive feel to the community. I joined after watching a friend's entries for a few months, in the hope that it might make me actually learn how to use my camera to better effect, and to get back to the basics of what this blog was meant to be about: a daily record of our family for my mum and sister in Scotland, and for M when she grows up and wants to look back.

Watch this space, but if you want to know what we're up to, please check out :

http://www.blipfoto.com/mairismum

http://www.blipfoto.com/JaxI

Or follow @jaxsensei on Twitter and you'll get updates on both of the above.

I try to keep Facebook for people I actually know.

I leave you with a few images that narrowly missed being blips.

Where this Came from I'll Never Know...

2010-02-16T04:52:00.000-08:00

Weechan ( looking in the mirror after cleaning her teeth): "I think my face is getting whiter, maybe I'm getting the cold like Michael Jackson".

Dirty Housewife Exposes her White Bits

2010-01-04T19:14:00.000-08:00

I have just hoovered my entire house and washed my floor by my good self for the first time in over a year and this has led me to want to say a few things.

1)
To the person, who when confronted with the suggestion that white flooring tiles would be a stylish way to finish off the simple modern look of my living room the size of a small aeroplane hanger said "Yes Jax, that is a great idea!": I know where you live and I am coming to find you, and show you what we do in Scotland to people who do bad things.

2)
I think I have just, in one morning, burned off all the calories I would have used had I actually gone to the gym I have been paying the ¥10,000 monthly subscription for for the past 6 months.

3)
To Mika Tanaka, who has been doing this job for me once a week for the past year, with the excuse that I am a working mother who also is the commandant for the PTA and couldn't possibly do it myself I'm so busy (!?): remind me to pay you a million yen a week, it would be worth it, despite the fact that you unreasonably demanded 2 weeks off at the only time of the year when I have parties and actually need the house to be clean. (Please no-one actually tell her I said this)

4)
To the person who invented that white stuff that looks like polystyrene fire lighters but actually removes grime without even touching it: may you find your reward in heaven where you will be serviced eternally by women who had to wash their own white floors for entire marriages before they died.

5)
To Mairi and Yasu: may you enjoy the rest of the meals of your lives, which will be served outside on the balcony from now on, in all weathers and seasons, where you will not be able to dirty my floor.

6)
To my employers: thank you for making it possible for me to justify not washing my own floor every week.

7)
If that is the amount of dirt and yuch that came of my white floor that gets washed once a week , god knows how disgusting the floors are downstairs, which thankfully are not are not white, therefore I can't see the dirt, therefore obviously I don't have to wash them.

8)
To Mr Dyson: there were amazing attachments in the bag that I hadn't even known existed. See point 4). It was almost as good as my Watashi no Heya Lucky Bag.

OK, now I've got all that off my chest, I'll wish you a happy new year, and express my intent to speak less shite on facebook and twitter in 2010, and try and update the blogs instead, since the intent was for my daughter to have a record of her early years, and 2009 was a bit of a blank.

Oh well...best laid plans....

And no-one come round for a while to dirty my floor.

Bonfire NIght

2009-12-06T05:39:00.000-08:00

We did Bonfire Night on November 6th. I think everyone had a good time... Here are some pics.

Created with Admarket's flickrSLiDR.

Dear Santa

2009-11-27T06:54:00.000-08:00

or Fi, or Yasu, whoever is looking

I have of course been a good girl.

Most of the time.

Nigella lawson’s measuring spoons

http://www.johnlewis.com/230223352/Product.aspx

serving hands

http://www.johnlewis.com/230335005/Product.aspx

8 of these

http://www.johnlewis.com/230797941/Product.aspx

http://www.amazon.co.uk/THERMOTHERAPY-Cherry-Warming-Cooling-Pillow/dp/B0027MDO8Y/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=drugstore&qid=1259327542&sr=8-1

http://www.amazon.co.jp/gp/product/B002GRX110/ref=s9_newr_gw_tr03?pf_rd_m=AN1VRQENFRJN5&pf_rd_s=center-3&pf_rd_r=1A2ZX88G9JENYQ5WDJPZ&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=463376776&pf_rd_i=489986

http://www.astonmartin.com/thecars/db9

The convertible please

http://www.amazon.co.jp/Vitantonio-ビタントニオ-VSW-400-ワッフル-ホットサンドベーカー/dp/B0002ZL9LW/ref=s

http://www.amazon.co.jp/Vitantonio-%E3%83%93%E3%82%BF%E3%83%B3%E3%83%88%E3%83%8B%E3%82%AA-PVWH-4000-PN-%E3%83%91%E3%83%8B%E3%83%BC%E3%83%8B%E3%83%97%E3%83%AC%E3%83%BC%E3%83%88-2%E6%9E%9A%E7%B5%84/dp/B002M77MQO/ref=pd_bxgy_k_img_b

good cook books

wine

an umbrella stand

tights (mainly black)

a pressure cooker

The Wedding

2009-11-23T04:29:00.000-08:00

My brother-in-law got married on October 24th, which is surprising only in that I have thought for 6 months that he was getting married on October 25th, and only found out just in time to change all the hairdressing appointments!
It was very bizarrely Japanese, but in a lovely place, with really lovely food.

Good luck for the future, Uncle Y and new Auntie M!

Created with Admarket's flickrSLiDR.

Sports Day 09

2009-11-23T04:25:00.000-08:00

And this was the scene at Sports Day this year. Mairi was a bit disappointed that there were no actual races this year. She was looking forward to winning her race for the 3rd year running - no pun intended.

Created with Admarket's flickrSLiDR.

Ballet Sneak Preview

2009-11-23T04:22:00.000-08:00

We had the posed photos for the programme taken the other week. Here are a few scary make-up shots of the prima herself.

Created with Admarket's flickrSLiDR.

Catch Up Halloween 09

2009-11-23T04:19:00.000-08:00

Just call me Jackie-o-Lantern....

Created with Admarket's flickrSLiDR.

Scotland Summer -09

2009-11-23T03:55:00.000-08:00

And here are the few shots from Scotland which I managed to take after Yasu brought my other camera. Still can't believe my record of my entire summer was fried after the great camera washing incident... Once again:oh well....

Created with Admarket's flickrSLiDR.

Catch Up Time - Yufuin in July 09

2009-11-23T03:47:00.000-08:00

Once again, long time no blog. Have totally become a slave to Facebook, against my will, which, along with a festering yet unproductive foray into Twitter has taken its toll on my blogging.
I have also been so busy this Autumn with various Halloween and PTA related things (who goes straight into being PTA president without really knowing what's going on at the school?? But once again I digress), that I have regularly forgotten to take my camera out of the house at all, never mind to the importtant milestones of M's life that I am supposed to be recording. Oh well...

Catch up time again.

Here are some shots in a Flickr slideshow from Yufuin with Ba-chan this summer, before we went to Scotland:

Created with Admarket's flickrSLiDR.

Bye bye Dr Ed!

2009-09-26T00:57:00.000-07:00

Said goodbye to another friend today. Hazards of the job of being a long term gaijin. They all leave eventually. Boohoo.
Anyway, Shez, here's the proof that I put him on the plane and made him leave the country.

After check-in there was a bit of an absence. Apparently there was no English on the instructions in the gents. I suspect it might have had more to do with the 8 pints of Guinness the night before at Molly's, but then I'm never right....

We waved good bye from the newly revamped observation deck.

Proof that the last grain of rice has really left the country.

We miss you all.

Come back soon.

Dr Fish

2009-09-22T18:44:00.000-07:00

Dr Y and Weechan tried this last week.

These fish apparently like nothing more than to feast on the dead skin on your feet. Your feet come out after 15 minutes feeling refreshed and clean.
Apparently.
Just the thought of it was too much for me.
Yuck.

Scary US Democracy

2009-09-16T00:47:00.000-07:00

Long time no blog, y'all.
There are many excuses: summer away, jetlag, general hectic bedlam after going back to work, school, and the whole PTA thing, to name but a few, but the main two are that I poured a bottle of mineral water all over my new camera, thus destroying all my photographic evidence of my summer in the UK (AND I couldn't blame anyone else to make myself feel better), and that we have hardly done anything worth commenting on since we came back, because every free weekend is taken up with ballet rehearsals. The joys of being a primary school parent!

Anyway, to be going on with, here are a few priceless shots which show why it is questionable that the choice of the leader of the free world rests in the hands of so-called "normal" US citizens. Now "some of my best friends " are American, but I did love these.

My personal fave. I bet Obama has this framed on his wall!

Got these from my friend. Have no knowledge of the original source, sorry.

Photos

2009-08-19T08:24:00.000-07:00

We had our family photos taken yesterday by the brilliant Ken Sharp. Now I have the nightmare of choosing which ones I want printed, or whether once again to buy the whole lot of them on DVD.

Check out his blog, on which Mairi features today. If you do decide to use him, please mention my name!!

http://www.kensharp.com/blog/2009/08/19/mairi/

Ballet

2009-07-17T07:00:00.000-07:00

So, this is not because I think my daughter is the next prima ballerina with the Royal Ballet. We are going home next week and thereby missing the most intensive training period for the December Ballet Show that M has promised to take part in. SO the teacher suggested I video the class today so that M could watch it, practise, and not forget the steps while we are away. So, in the name of dedication, here is the dance in its raw form. From last year's experience, they will all suddenly look great on the stage, even if it seems far off now!

Twinkle Toes- Nail Art

2009-07-17T06:37:00.000-07:00

Finally went and got my toes done today. I've been meaning to do it for a while, but I never had the 2 hours free. My summer holidays which started yesterday have been started off in style with a 3 hour massage yesterday, and an emergency hair dye today which was accompanied by the arty nail do.

I deserve it dammit.

Note, I did not get my finger nails done. Too bloody expensive to get both in one sitting!
I wasn't really aiming for the Liberace look: the gold looked much more understated on the display models, but hey, if you're going to do a thing....

Now all I need is a few nice outfits to go with my feet.

Two Hot New Girls in Hiroshima

2009-07-17T06:14:00.000-07:00

Went out for a coffee this afternoon with the girls, and was charmed by the latest Hiroshima debutantes. Young A with her luvly Mummy above, who I thought was teeny until I saw her next to (almost) 2 week old E, below.

Destined to be a beauty like her gorgeous brothers (and Mum of course).

And adorable cheeky monkey O was on hand to remind us what happens when they start to be able to move!

Fred

2009-07-17T06:09:00.000-07:00

Before

1 week later

Barber shop

Skinhead Fred

Thank you.

Scottish Visitors bring the Rain

2009-07-17T05:55:00.000-07:00

It really has been a real Rainy Season this year.

Don't know if they brought the British weather with them, but we were glad to see our good friends from Scotland the other week.

New addition since we last met, C is definitely a "braw bairn".

"Baby" S wasn't playing when it came to getting her photo taken this time, but she's definitely no baby any more!

And another one of Prince C with his two slaves. Haha!
Great to see you guys. Will phone when we reach sunny Scotland.

Swine Influenza Precautions? 豚インフルエンザ対策？

2009-07-17T05:46:00.000-07:00

No.
This is the get-up Weechan had to wear to serve the school lunches at her Japanese primary school.
That's fine, but my major complaint was that I had to iron it. My iron hasn't seen the light of day since Granny was last here!

いや。
小学校の第一周は給食当番でした。それはいいけど、Grannyがスコットランドに帰って以来、アイロンを出さないといけなかったの。原則としてアイロンかけない私ですから、タイミング悪いなあ、と思った。

A Brief Pause in the Rains

2009-07-17T05:37:00.001-07:00

It has really been a rainy rainy season, but on the one Saturday where the sun shone, we made full use of it by getting the paddling pool out when the K kids and the F kids came over for lunch.

T was on fine form. I'll keep the other nude shots for private viewing!

Can't believe these 2 are so huge now. S, 9,

I, just turned 7. Happy birthday I. What happened to your chin???

For Granny

2009-07-17T05:33:00.000-07:00

Friend Ai-chan came round the other weekend to play, and we had a rare these days dressing up sesh (while the grown-ups watched Wimbledon!). See? I am Tinkerbell!

Head Hunger

2009-07-16T02:44:00.000-07:00

After a slight headache drama, which I suspect may have been brought on more by preferring Kim Possible to the prospect of a piano lesson,rather than by the original bang on the head; we went out, came back and a large dinner ensued.

Mairi: "Mummy, I feel much better now, maybe I had a headache because my head was hungry...."

Morals - Hiroshima A-Bomb Education for 6 year-olds

2009-07-02T07:27:00.000-07:00

Today Weechan's 4th period class was "Morals". I was interested to see what that was going to be about.
She came home full of tales of a video they had been shown.

"Okori Jizo" or Angry Jizo, is basically a tale of one little girl's experience of the 6th of August, 1945.
I have heard Weechan's garbled version of the story, which has large gaps in it, but it has obviously made a big impression on her. She can't stop talking about it.

I've just ordered a copy of the book above from Amazon so I can see what the message of it is meant to be, but I'll leave you with the words from the mouth of my babe before she went to sleep:

"So if America and Japan were fighting about something, and they both did bad things, then they just have to say they're "sorry", and "that's OK", and we can all get along again with no more big bad bombs"

In a nutshell really.

I'm reserving judgement on what I think of showing this stuff to 6 year-olds, until I see what's in the book, and I definitely have a raised eyebrow about whether it should be shown in "morals" class. But it's hard to complain about any anti-bomb propaganda, when you live in this city really.
We're not going to be here for bomb day this year, so I'll show you a couple of YouTubes I found while searching for a video version of the above story. None of them will make you feel very good, btw, and you probably shouldn't watch in front of any small children you're not ready for that chat with yet.

The first is an cartoon about the message Hiroshima wants to send the world (my interpretation). I think it's beautiful.

This one is about the post bomb hospitals set up to deal with the survivors. The first hospital you see is the Red Cross Hospital where Dr Y works today. It's all in Japanese, but you get a good idea of what it was like here after the bomb.

And lastly one by the BBC reconstructing the day.

Back to School!

2009-07-02T06:49:00.000-07:00

Yes, I did just report that my girl was on holiday.
But the job that I have to do to pay for all her free time, is unfortunately in the Japanese school system, and my hols don't start for another 3 weeks.
So we are indulging her Japanese half, by sending her to the local elementary school up the hill for the last 3 weeks of term.
The walk up the veritable mountain every morning with a jam-packed satchel, in wellies and with umbrella notwithstanding, I'm glad to report that she is loving it.
Control freak Mummy is of course having severe issues about letting her walk up the busy rush hour road by herself (well, with 3 other 6 year-olds), but the gins before bed are helping with that. Having already made friends with the neighbour over the back who is in her class, K-chan, meant that Weechan was really looking forward to her first day there, while Mummy was phone-watching all day.

I expected her back at 3:30.
The torrential rain started about 3pm. No I mean like a power shower. No exaggeration for dramatic effect. It sounded like machine gun fire on my roof.
3:30 came and went.

2 mini Mummies sittng on my shoulders giving me grief:
Paranoid Mummy: " I'm going out to search for her"
Other paranoid Mummy:"Don't be crap. She'll be mortified"

The doorbell rang.
She normally opens the gate herself, but I hear, rather than see her, in the video entrance phone screen. She's too wee to be seen. Bless.
"Open it for me..."

I run down and open the door to find her standing there in endofthelivingworld tears.

Paranoid Mummy: "Oh God she hated it. She will refuse to go back. What will I do?"

Thankfully (I am awful), it was "only" that she was truly traumatised by the rain she'd just had to walk home in, and to boot hadn't heard me say I was coming to open the door, so thought she'd been abandoned.

#crapmum

So far the Japanese she has taught herself and learned at school is still more advanced than what they are doing up there, so she doesn't have comprehension issues yet. This will probably change next year, but all in all a great start.

Deluge

2009-07-02T06:41:00.000-07:00

In the pub last Sunday someone was complaining about the lack of rain we've been having this year for a rainy season.

TAKE IT BACK- DAMMIT!

I went straight home form the pub an filled up the paddling pool for some respite from the 33 plus heat we'd already been having.

And then the rains came.
And the thunder.
And the lightning.

Haven't seen rain like this since my sub-tropical Miyazaki days.

Rain clouds, I think you've made your point.

Now stop.

Sparkly Sayonara

2009-07-02T06:36:00.000-07:00

Created with Admarket's flickrSLiDR.

The last supper with the R family. FAR too much champagne.Far too many sparklers. Far too much noise. Sorry neighbours.

There are some quite cool Harry Potter-esque shots here tho.

Summer Holidays

2009-07-02T06:22:00.000-07:00

How can I pay so much to a school for tuition and they are on holiday already??!!
There should be no bloody holidays for anyone at that price, that's what I say.
But as with most things, no-one ever listens to what I say.
And so it was, that we found ourselves having a picnic and staring at horror film inspiring insects at Hiroshima City Forest Park last Friday after half day closing of school for the start of the summer holidays.

Sigh.

Kids are happy though.

One for E's scrap book (teehee).

Fun and Drama with the R Team in Kyushu

2009-07-01T17:55:00.001-07:00

We enjoyed a great time the other weekend on our last road trip with the R Team, who finally left us this morning to go back to Blighty.

We started off en famille.
Weechan, photographer in chief.

Then met the R Team en route.
The highlight of the trip was the day at Kijima.

N and E headed off to Poseidon and other death defying rides first,

while the junior team headed off to driving school.

G started off with help from super driver Dr Dad.
While A had help from Mum.

Oops!

G was soon independent.

And A continued to look the other way.

Amazingly (!) both of their numbers were on the pass board.

Licenses obtained!Congratulations!

Then on to more group nonsense.

Wimps!

Finally getting her tornado potato!

Made Mummy think she had the stomach for Poseidon. Wrong!

But of course it doesn't even come close to the lunacy that was Birdman (see video in previous post)

Dippin Dots are always a good thing.

And then there was the nail biting drama to end the day.
Superdad E daringly managed to drop the one and only electronic card key for the family car out of his shirt pocket, right in the middle of a roller coaster ride.

Could have been anywhere. Those things go rather fast. And cover a large area.
This left 9 people to get home in one Prius.

Spare key?
Yes.
In Hiroshima.
5 hours drive away.
oops!

Chances of employees finding said key?
While higher than in some countries, where they wouldn't even have bothered trying, it has to be said:slim.

Mazda?
"We can get into the car, sir, but we cannot get you another key to drive home with."
Oh, for the days of real keys and actual mechanically operated vehicles.

Options:
1)try to persuade someone to get into house and express the key to Kyushu, then come back and get the car the next day.
2) E gets the train home for 5 hours, gets the spare key, gets another 5 hour train back, then drives straight back to Hiroshima again, with multiple trips to Yufuin from Beppu to ferry all the bodies home.
3) breakdown and cry, then live in the theme park as the newest attraction: the Glorious Glaring Gaijin.

High tension in the park. Which is now closed for the day.

Then Japan (the great side) kicks into action.
All spare staff are called in to help, and E and Mummy are allowed inside the now closed roller coaster enclosure to do a sweep search.

We have never been inside a roller coaster outside the carriage so this is kind of cool.

After about half an hour of everyone's pessimistic scanning of the grounds and fake rocks which I almost fell though....

TADA! The offending article was discovered by an eagle eyed employee. IN the tunnel of the ride!
Amazing!

I often say "only in Japan!" and it doesn't usually imply respect for my host culture.
This time it is said with awe and gratitude.

Thanks Kijima Korakuen staff! A case of beer will find its way to you soon!

And E, keep your keys in your wallet!

Party!

2009-07-01T17:39:00.000-07:00

A few shots from the R family's goodbye party. Not great as I forgot to get the camera out until late, and most of the delicious food had disappeared!
Great party, R-team.

The traditional shot of Lorna eating.

Pernilla's yummy cheese "brain"!

Pre-party Sleepover

2009-07-01T17:26:00.000-07:00

Too many bugs for real camping, but we improvised with an indoor camp in our tatami room.
G drew this great picture, and Mummy thinks it deserves a mention!

Long lost masterpieces

2009-07-01T04:22:00.000-07:00

Humans by Weechan circa 2005

These came out of a little used book recently.

On race, Morgan Freeman

2009-06-28T16:04:00.000-07:00

I love it!

Mummy by Weechan

2009-06-27T06:27:00.000-07:00

MIchael

2009-06-26T02:54:00.000-07:00

So I'm kind of sad. Whatever you can say of him, he's the icon of my generation I suppose. Like Elvis was for my Mum's.
But I have to say I was genuinely surprised today at work. I teach 12 1nd 13 year olds on Fridays, and was expecting them all to give me the "So what?" look when I mentioned him dying.They have often not even heard of huge Western stars. Some of them did. Then at lunchtime, a 13 year old girl came running up screaming "Jackie!!" (I get this a lot).

"Jackie, you told 2-5 that Michael Jackson is dead"

"Yes, I'm really sad."

" NOOOO!"

And then she burst into tears in my arms. In all seriousness.

Who cares about all the rest of it?

If you can make a 13 year old girl in Japan cry when you die, that's the mark of a true superstar. And there has to be a reason for that.

Call me sad, but I'll drink to him.

Hope he's at peace now.

Birdmen

2009-06-24T05:56:00.000-07:00

OK, so I don't have time to tell the full story right now, but thought I better share my husband's bravery (or something!) with the world first.

Last weekend we had an adventurous day at Kijima Korakuen in Beppu. There was much upping and downing and round abouting, but by far the craziest thing anyone did was this. N and DrY tested their and our nerves by being dropped from a great height. Horizontal bungee jumping- not for the faint hearted!

Family Friends Food and Fish and Tokan-san 09

2009-06-18T05:59:00.000-07:00

Some shots and a couple of videos if you scroll down, of Hiroshima's
Yukata (summer kimono) festival a couple of weeks ago.

Bon-odori dancing in Shintenchi

Hiroshima's Elvis?
And it seems the Slosh crosses all cultural barriers!

The Curse

2009-06-17T04:04:00.000-07:00

OK, so I tempted fate and Weechan and I replanted her morning glory seedlings and her sunflower seed project a week or so ago.
Everyone says, oh you can't go wrong with these ones, they're practically impossible to kill.
But "everyone" doesn't know about the curse.
I have quite obviously been hexed in a previous life, to the effect that every even vaguely green life form that I come within 3 feet of, shall wither and die before my very eyes.

And usually inside 3 weeks.

In the week since we planted them, the sunflower has already perished, despite my best efforts.
The morning glories and the tomato seeds we planted are still gripping fiercely on to life, but then, we haven't reached the 3 week mark yet.

NO, really, you have no idea the crushing sense of responsibility and doom that comes over me when people give me a simple plant gift.

And now Lorna has given me a rhubarb seedling with the final fatal verbal accompaniment:

NO-ONE CAN KILL RHUBARB.

No-one who's not cursed, I say...

Shakespeare Revisited

2009-06-17T03:42:00.000-07:00

A flashback to the Shakespeare production of Romeo and Juliet at Jogakuin the other week.

Do these faces give you any idea how worried I was at the beginning, that I'd made a huge mistake even thinking about taking two 6 year-olds and a 7 year-old to their first play.
After a dodgy start though, they all got really into it, and were trying to guess what was going to happen at the end.
Thanks to the players of the International Theatre Company and the British Council for organizing the tour.

All Clear

2009-06-17T03:38:00.000-07:00

Do you know I actually asked my Mummy to go to the dentist the other week, when we were passing one that looked cool.
The lady showed me how to clean my teeth properly, I got a new toothbrush and toothpaste, and the dentist said I didn't need any fillings.
Yay, me!

Fresh from the Farm

2009-06-10T03:28:00.000-07:00

Words on Tasty Bites

Getting it off my chest- so to speak

2009-06-09T06:34:00.000-07:00

Had a -I have to admit - rare these days, very annoying race -related experience today.
It was the school staff health check day. On the plus side, being only part-time, I only had to have a chest x-ray, and while getting your shirt off in a bus in the school car park is not the most fun you might ever have on a Tuesday morning, at least I was spared the indignity of having to stand in a queue and make small talk with my colleagues while holding a cup of my own warm pee, as the rest of the full timers did.

Anyway, the process entails taking your paperwork down to a makeshift "reception area" in an unused meeting room, where there are two nurse-types who check it and direct you to the appropriate station depending on what your contract requires you to have checked.

So down I go, and in front of me are 2 teachers being processed, plus 2 pee-clutching English teachers with whom I engaged in light banter as we waited, then after I arrived, about 3 other teachers joined the line.

So the nurse-type (could have been a techie, could have been an administrator who knows, everyone has a uniform here) on the left finishes with her victim, and my 2 English teacher colleagues go to her together
for some reason, leaving me, very conspicuously - right in the middle of the doorway- next in line.

SO nurse-type on the right finishes dealing with the teacher she has ushered into the ominous looking "Stomach Check" station with the sign saying "expose your belly button before entering (!?!?!). She then pushes past me, and goes out into the corridor, checks the paperwork of the teacher behind me in line, and sends her onto the bus for the very x-ray I'm waiting to get.
At first I was just confused, thinking there was perhaps some special reason to let this woman go first - an imminently starting class or something.
So she comes back in with the lady's paperwork, puts it on the desk, pushing past me twice to get in then back out again, and deals with the next guy in line.
I say, very politely, in my best Japanese, "excuse me, is there some reason why you are making me wait? I can come back later..."

She ignores me, doesn't make eye contact at all, continues to deal with all the other teachers in the queue, before coming back, checking that the other girl was definitely not going to be finished any time soon, before unapologetically and silently taking care of my paperwork, and sending me on to the bus for the x-ray.

Thankfully the radiologist was perfectly professional.

Now first of all I should point out that I am in fact married to a Japanese man, of my own free will, and have lived in this country as opposed to going home, which I could have, for almost 20 years, of my own free will. My point being that not ALL Japanese people are like this, in fact like anywhere else, most of them are really quite lovely.

Also, I have just started reading a book, called "The Secret Life of Bees", which looks like it might be quite good, in the first chapter of which I have just read a description of a black woman being jailed and hospitalized after being severely beaten up for the dastardly crime of daring to register to vote in 1965 in America. My point being, that I know that as racism goes, this is hardly the worst thing I could experience.

Nonetheless the urge to shout "IT'S NOT FAIR!!!!" really really loud has been with me all day.
This kind of blatant xenophobia - and I mean that in the true sense of the word- can really ruin your whole day.

Now, perhaps this woman has had a bad experience with some other whitey in the past. Some of us can be just as objectionable as she was. Perhaps she was feeling a bit under the weather, had PMT, or had been chucked by her boyfriend last night. Maybe the English teacher who asked her what her name was in just the wrong tone of voice all those years ago looked just like me, god forbid.

Perhaps so, I can't really say. But I CAN say with 100% certainty that she has never met, nor had any verbal or social contact with ME before, and therefore in her professional capacity, she has no reason to make me wait any longer than anyone else.

I mean, you're not telling me that in a job which deals with people confronting their medical insecurities on a daily basis, that she has never met a Japanese asshole ( I could introduce her to a few if she wants). Maybe the last one she met had glasses, or curly hair. SO is it acceptable for her to then brazenly avoid serving anyone with bad eyesight or a dodgy perm?

Silly cow. Pardon my language.

So, as I famously said on the stage at the teacher training conference a few years back: you get arseholes everywhere in the world. I shouldn't let it bother me. True.

But what really bothers me is, that while I could report her for her rude and unprofessional treatment of me as a patient, as my hubby suggests, I know that if I did, while many of the staff would actually sympathize and agree with me in private; on aggregate, it would be ME that had caused the hassle by reporting it.

Right or wrong doesn't matter here, it's the person that made everyone deal with the whole sorry mess that's the problem. And that's where the real culture shock lies.

Sometimes I think the spitting in your face, name-calling type of racism is preferable, because at least you can answer it back, and everyone agrees it is unacceptable.

More than a minority here, while they wouldn't actually go as far as behaving like this lady, secretly understand her fear of me. And that fear in some way mitigates her attitude to me for them.

After all, it's me that looks different.

And the nail that stands out must be hammered down, as the proverb says.

ITSNOTFAIR

So there.

Japanese Primary School Sports day

2009-06-05T21:54:00.001-07:00

SO last weekend we had all the plans for a sport-filled weekend: swimming lesson on Saturday with high chance of getting the next badge, followed by elementary school Sports Day on Sunday.

Mummy as ever (fruitlessly?) engaged in the battle of trying to achieve the best of both worlds for Weechan, had arranged for her to be allowed specially to take part in the Sports Day, in advance of her going there every day when the International School holidays start in a couple of weeks. All this to ease her transition so she doesn't stand out like the proverbial sore thumb, nor the nail that requires hammering down, depending on your cultural perspective. Not sure what the teacher really thinks of all this, but she's graciously going along with it.

So, I was ready on Saturday to hit the shops to gather the appropriate materials to make the mother of all bentos (packed lunches), to rival all the neighbourhood bentos, thus assuring my acceptance into the local fold of mothers, as is required for a Japanese sports day.

Needless to say, true to the B-movie script which is life in the On the Pond family, 2 minutes before departure to he shops o Saturday, Mairi decided to ram her scooter into the plastic drainpipe on our balcony, shattering it, and sheering a dramatically sanguine gash into the back of her heel.

Surprisingly, I did not in fact ignore the spurting blood of my daughter and grab the camera to prove this to you, but instead mopped, disinfected and dressed the wound as I contemplated the now fresh page of my weekend plans.

She's fine by the way. It was deep enough to cause alarm, but not bad enough to require stitches.
However.
No pool, no running now possible.

And so it was that we found ourselves as spectators with the neighbours' cousins at the sports day the following morning.

Weechan decided she wanted to wear her uniform anyway, to show solidarity for her classmates.

There were lots of the usual events:
Eye of the Typhoon

It was not just the school kids' day, but also a community event. Here is the lovely T-chan, daghter of one of Mummy's colleagues, who has just moved into the neighbourhood.

Our district was in the white team.

But Weechan's classmates and our neighbours were in the red team, so we could just support everyone without getting in trouble.

This horseback battle always impresses me: you have to make a pyramid.

Then run at the enemy and try and steal their hat.

Really surprising no-one usually gets hurt.

2 of Weechan's classmates are Dr Dad's colleagues, so they had plenty of important doctory things to chat about.

The view from the sports field.

As in any country, the parents are avid fans!

As usual, despite best efforts, we ended up standing out a mile for all the wrong reasons. Weechan was a bit shy.

She was really looking forward to running in her race, but we enjoyed watching all the fun anyway.

This game didn't involve any running so we took part in it.
Mummy even got one in!

But in the end the red team lost.

Twice!

But the big kids were really kind to Weechan so we achieved our aim. She can't wait to go every day.

K-chan and Weechan's classmates entertained us with a great dance.

And then the neighbours invited us to join them for their impressive bento.
Next year, I will show my culinary mettle, I promise!

Thanks to the I-family for their picnic hospitality!

Christmas is over...

2009-06-05T21:50:00.000-07:00

Yes, it's June. And this is Dr Dad finally sawing up the remains of our last year's Christmas tree from Iwakuni.

Does that tell you something about our family?
Mmmm.

Do You Believe in God Burger?

2009-06-05T21:26:00.000-07:00

"Fresh sandwich" with added burger and "gekikara" chilli sauce!

In a recent Facebook waste of time quiz, my darling sister accused me of making this place up, as she has continually accused me of making up rules for games and cheating in general since our early childhood days. I can only say it is a sad thing when people have to stoop to attacking the character of others in the face of fair and square defeat.
Sadness at the state of the world and humanity in general aside, this is definitely the burger of choice in Hiroshima in my book. The old "I hate MacDonalds" rants have been forced to the surface at school these days, so God Burger has been enjoying somewhat of a revival in my close circle.
These 3 were certainly happy to be taken there the other day, when I couldnt be bothered to cook for a playdate tea the other night!

Happy Anniversary to Me!

2009-06-03T16:54:00.001-07:00

I even got flowers!

9 years ago today we tied the knot in Japan.
Wow!

And the love just keeps on burning...

In spite of these pyjamas!

Finally....

2009-06-01T00:20:00.000-07:00

The day I've been waiting for for months!!
1 tooth down, 19 (?) to go!!

とうとう１本が抜けた！

It came out while I was at school.
学校にいる間に自分でぬけた。

Mummy says she hopes the tooth fairy has change....

Barbecue

2009-05-29T05:25:00.001-07:00

Nice day in the nearby countryside the other Sunday. A 4 family cook up at Mikumari Kyo up the back of Diamond City. I hadn't known the place was there, despite living here for 9 years and having spent quite a considerable number of hours at Soleil!

Good food and company!

This was going to be baked apple,with nuts and fruits but i forgot the butter and the sugar so it was dubbed "Apple Mush" by the lovely M, my harshest critic!

Lazy day by the river...

At least it was for me. I believe some of the party went for a hike, but they had the good sense not to mention such a thing to me.

By the river, and in the river...

With iPod...

and without...

Snug after an unexpected (by her anyway) dip..

And hot coffee for the road!

Good times!

Girls' Night Out

2009-05-27T03:11:00.000-07:00

So I have a new camera, right?
新しいカメラを買ったよね。

Which was bought with the thought that it would be great to be able to take snapshots and video footage with ease, especially at Weechan events, right?
Weechanのイベントで楽に写真とビデオが撮れると思って買ったよね。

Right.
そうだった。

Except when you can't work it. There was just such an event on Friday for the first time: Weechan's school Spring Concert. I capitalise to show honest respect for Takako-sensei, for not having a nervous breakdown controlling the raw talent before her (OK, that might have been a tad cynical, but I do think T-sensei does a great job). It wasn't the talent that was raw, just a few notes here and there, but all in all a nice show if you are a parent, if you know what I mean.
Anyway, not one decent photo nor video did I manage to take, despite repeated efforts, before the batteries ran out. Yes that's right. Half-way through Weechan's stellar performance of "movement"- whch was the second number of the night. Luckily I have a chance to see examples of this movement in the livingroom on a daily basis, so all is not lost. Tally ho. I wish I could have shown you one of the seniors doing his "Somewhere over the Rainbow" though. It really was quite good- maybe not as good as he thinks it was, but hey, he's 17 with a guitar and a God among the senior girls!

問題は一つだけ：使い方が分かりません。
この間Weechanの学校の春のコンサートがあった。新しいカメラをもっていっても、一枚もいい写真が撮れなかった。しかも、Weechanのすばらしい出番の最中に電池が切れた。
まあ、親バカしか楽しめないような小さいコンサートですけど、せっかくだったので、アイドルの高校生（女子高生の中だけでね！）の「オーバー　ザ　レーンボー」を見せたかったなー。

Once again I tried, on the girls night out, but I really can't show you many of the pix I took from there either, so I am respectfully borrowing the ones taken by Tee - thansk T!
土曜日もカメラを持って出かけて、もう一度挑戦。
まだまだ使えこなせないで、写真は全部ダメ。
ですから、Tさんの写真をお借りしまーす！

Italian dinner at the restaurant where we had our Wedding party (number 2) almost 9 years ago.
This time I wasn't dressed as a pink bunny or accompanied by a raccoon with large testicles though, so not (quite) so conspicuous.
もうすぐ９年前結婚式の二次会で使ったイタリア料理店でおいしい食事でスタート！
今回はピンクのウサギのカッコをしていなかったから、比較的に目立たなかった。

Next place: it may look like we were in the back store cupboard of a factory selling knocked-off videos, but the atmosphere in this retro bar is actually quite nice, as are the desserts!
次：
光のせいか？ちょっと汚く見えるけど、レトロのバーでのデザートとカクテールはおいしかったよ。

Then on to Karaoke - is this the latest way to stop the swine flu??!!

ブタインフルエンザ防止？？

Disinfected microphones.
久しぶりに行ったカラオケで消毒されたマイク！

「ガールズ　ジャスト　ワナ　ハブ　ファン！」だって。そうさしてもらった！
So we did!

Til 3am!
午前３時まで起きたのは久しぶり！

Susan Boyle? Bring it on!
Note to self: Michelle Obama may have the right to bare arms, but I really don't!
次のアメリカンアイドル？？
自分にメモ：もうちょっとジムで結果が見えるまで、袖無しはやめましょう！

Girls' Night In

2009-05-27T03:02:00.000-07:00

Dr Daddy was all busy again on Thursday, so by Weechan's request we made pizza together for dinner.

" Mummy you really are a good cooker!"

Supermum to the rescue!! (Turn me up to gas mark 7...)

Nice to do something together apart from homework for a change.

" Mummy we never have time to play these days"

Oh, oh, where did Supermum go....

On ice tea...

2009-05-25T05:08:00.000-07:00

"Ice tea in summer tastes like the feeling of peace and quiet!"

Weechan, May 25th 2009

Twitter and the World We Live In

2009-05-20T15:54:00.001-07:00

WARNING: THIS POST CONTAINS BAD LANGUAGE MUM! I KNOW IT'S NOT BIG AND IT DOESN'T BECOME ME.

After all the Ashton Kutcher/CNN highjinx last week, I finally gave in to a niggling temptation in my brain and signed up for a Twitter account: " just to see what it is all about". There went the weekend!
I was supposed to be making up exams for La Creme de la Creme and latterly marking the papers, but got hopelessly drawn into the world of inanity that is Twitter - especially in my case- haha.
What is it about us these days, virtual peeping Toms on the lives and thoughts of complete strangers that we are? You think that's sad? Maybe, be smug then if you want. But I have met new people ( most recently @CatatonicCat on Twitter, whose newly born blog I stole the above YouTube from - cheers!), and learned a lot about things I'd never have contemplated researching, from all the blogging in the past few years.
From the first " Jax is certainly quite the chatterbox" primary school report , to the Linguistics degree and my getting-paid-to-have-a-chat job, I have always been all about communication. It's the only way to iron out the misunderstandings which lead to unnecessary hatred and wars! (So there!) Yes, there's a lot of unqualified crap out there, but sometimes the people with the qualifications spout shite too, so so what? Look at this way, it's a great thing for freedom of speech, everyone can have their say, with the added bonus that no-one is forced to listen to it.
People go on about the antisocial nature of today's internet, Facebook, blogging, Wii playing world, and we sad geeks who inhabit it.
I bet we have more contact with our mates than you who are waiting around for the time to call, or write that real letter!
Geek be it!
On twitter the other day my friend @littleforeigner told me tongue in cheek (I hope anyway, as he's never offline in one form or another either, to the greater good of all little foreigners in Hiroshima I might add!) to look up "Is Twitter bad for your health?) on the BBC or CNN.
I did just that and found THIS .

I'm with Stephen Fry! And he says it all much better than me.

Stop Press: Jax joins the gym- and actually goes!

2009-05-20T04:52:00.000-07:00

OK, so it's the 3rd gym I've paid the entrance fee for in Hiroshima, point taken.

But I think I can say I've already been more times to this one in 3 weeks than I have been to all the other ones put together. Working every day but only in the morning has been good for lots of reasons, but freeing up a couple of hours each day when I can actually go and get some exercise is the greatest. Since the advent of Weechan, with no living relatives within even flying distance, I really have not had the necessary hour and a half to myself to go
( ITISNOTANEXCUSEITSTRUEDAMMIT), but now I'm all gung-ho with my new house, new work schedule and new freedom.

Of course, being me, it s all a tad

One step forward:go to gym 4 times last week

Two steps back:major piss-up at book club

One step forward: 2 aerobics classes this week for the first time in 9 years!!

Two steps back: cupcakes, scones and homemade bounty bars (see Tasty Bites) on Sunday!

One step forward: Freshly steamed veg and rice for dinner

Two steps back: The G&T I'm about to have to have (there are forces at work in the universe, which I can't control, you know)

But then with no gym I'd only have been 6 steps back, right?

Watch this space - supermodel in waiting will deliver!

Things I never thought I would say to my own child when I was 15

2009-05-20T04:48:00.000-07:00

If you don't eat all your seaweed, there'll be no Disney channel!

Lovely Lazy Weekend

2009-05-18T04:19:00.000-07:00

I didn't think it was going to go well, when the muesli exploded all over the kitchen when I opened it. Amazing how not even one kernel got in the bowl.
But we ended up having a really nice weekend. No plans apart from to suit ourselves, so there was lots of sitting about playing board games.
朝、開ける時にシリアルのパックが爆発したら、今週末はあまり
期待できないな、と思った。本当に、１粒もボールに入らなかったし。でも結構楽しかったよ。予定がなかったから、勝手に出来た私たち。
ボードゲームをやったりして、ブラブラ。

And the biggest sensation: Daddy decided to cook!
そしてなんと：Dr Daddy が夕食を作ってくれるって。

Menu: Potato pancakes.
He saw this on the telly and decided he could do it.
メニューはテレビ料理番組で見たポテトバーガーだって。

Very tasty if I do say so.
結構おいしかったよ。

Plain or with feta cheese or a nice fried egg or bacon on top.
簡単でフェタチーズ、目玉焼き、ベーコンなどを乗せて食べたら特にうまい！

Then there was the traditional falling asleep during American Idol. "I can stay awake Mummy!I can, honest"
そして最近の毎週のパタン：アメリカンアイドルを見る途中でソファで眠ってしまったWeechan.

The next day after joining the local youth club, a couple of friends came over for afternoon tea and playtime!
日曜日、子供会に行った後、新しい友達がお茶しにきてくれた。

Sometimes you need a rainy weekend to make you chill out!
時々雨の日がないとなかなかリラックスが出来ないね。

Resourcefulness!

2009-05-18T03:53:00.000-07:00

Weechan was complaining of an inexplicable sore leg the other night, so we thought we'd ice it up. A look in the freezer found something the perfect fit! Nice to have legs that fit in a wine cooling sleeve! It's going to take a few more aerobics lessons for Mummy to achieve that...
この間Weechanが何故か、足が痛いと言いていたから、冷やそうと冷蔵庫の中を見たら、この６歳の足がぴったり入るものがあった。ワインクーラーに入るぐらい細い足、いいな！
もうちょっとエアロで頑張らなくちゃ！

日本語が最近ないと苦情がでたけど、すみませんでした。相変わらず忙しすぎて、さぼってしまった。ごめんね。また時間が許す限り日本語を復活させようと思うけど、あまり時間がないので、変なところがいっぱいあるかも。許してね。

Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou?

2009-05-14T05:20:00.000-07:00

Image repectfully borrowed from the players website, and I hope they will forgive me for promoting it!

A reminder that this year's Shakespeare at Jogakuin University is "Romeo and Juliet", and will be performed on Tuesday, June 2nd. Doors open 5:30, show starts at 6pm. Get there early for a good seat!

For more details click here.
日本語の情報はこちらです。

Calling all Anal People!

2009-05-14T05:16:00.000-07:00

Today's Blog of Note is a good one. It is a better way to waste your time than Facebook!

http://statspuzzles.blogspot.com/

Go on, see how long you spend on it: "I know this one!!!!"

maching worts

2009-05-10T16:29:00.001-07:00

Weechan's "poem in your pocket" for school Reading Week a couple of weeks ago. Narrowly missed being "mashed pulp all through the washing" yesterday as it was, needless to say, still in the pocket when I discovered the jeans in a toy box...
Next Poet Laureate, no question!

God I hope this doesn't start an international trend....

2009-05-10T14:44:00.000-07:00

Check out this link.

http://edition.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/meast/05/10/saudi.court.wife.slapping/index.html?eref=rss_topstories

Maybe I better start mending my ways just in case.....Dr Y might get ideas...

Mothers' Day

2009-05-10T04:58:00.000-07:00

What a nice way to be woken up!
It's Mothers' day here in Japan.

Even if I wasn't looking my best.

Weechan is finally old enough to want to do something herself, so we don't need to rely solely on Daddy!

Although he did outdo himself by arranging for us to go and see Slumdog Millionaire in the afternoon while Ba-chan got some Mairi time.

Excellent day for Mummy. Thanks guys!
Jai ho!

Mummy's School Sports Day

2009-05-10T04:21:00.000-07:00

Created with Admarket's flickrSLiDR.

We went to Mummy's students' sports day yesterday. Uncle John was dressed as Mr Incredible. I was supporting the green team and the red team, so I was happy when the green team won!
I love Sports Days!

Developmental Updates

2009-05-10T03:48:00.000-07:00

1) We would proudly like to announce that we finally have waggly teeth.

The front bottom 2 have been movable since about January, but, in spite of being hit squarely in the mouth at Ioan's birthday barbecue last week, which even drew a respectable amount of blood, they stubbornly refuse to approach the falling out stage. Tooth fairy be warned: this girl will require a visit soon!

2) We have finally had a common childhood disease!

2 weeks ago, when a bizarre pimple between the eyes turned out not in fact to be an early mosquito bite, Weechan was diagnosed, expertly by Ba-chan of course, as having chicken pocks.
As we have somehow avoided all of the usual kiddie spotty things so far, Mummy was kind of pleased, in a cruel kind of a way. Dalmation jokes did not go down well with the invalid, nor did having to stay of her beloved school for 3 days, but on the plus side, it was only 3 days because they have a drug for chicken pox here, and I can testify that it works. we caght it early and she had not even one more spot from the moment she took the medicine.
Impressed? I was!
Apologies to Alex in my class for passing it on.....oops!

On Chesil Beach and other stories...

2009-05-09T03:04:00.000-07:00

Picked this book for an image because I read it very recently and thought it was just beautiful!

Last year I joined a book club that a few of the parents and teachers at Weechan's school were forming, in the hope that it might force me to make some time for myself to read. I've always been a reader, from Narnia, the Famous Five, the Secret Seven, Anne of Green Gables, Little Women and on, but recently I found that reading, along with all the other trappings of adult life (like going out for a drink, or to the pictures occasionally, getting dressed up to go out, or even watching programmes without Tinkerbell in the credits) has been sacrificed to LIFE WITH SMALL CHILD.
If I've managed the odd Ian Rankin or Patricia Cornwell over the past few years I've done well.

So. I thought I'd take back some ME time. May sound like a bunch of poncy gits sitting around being all intellectual, but it has generally been half an hour of reactions to the book followed by good wine and chat with people I wouldn't otherwise have met. The best part of it for me, having been culturally annexed for a while, is getting book suggestions from people who do have time to read and sift through the rubbish. Of course you might not love every book, but it's good to try things you wouldn't otherwise pick too.

I have found all the books interesting, despite a definite ongoing concentration camp/end of the world theme there for a while, and it has got me back into reading again.
I often get the impression that my friends back "home" think the expat life in Japan all seems very glamourous and far flung, whereas in fact the reality of my life with Never-gets-a-day-off Dr Daddy and Need-to-meet-my-relatives-sometime-for goodness-sake Weechan means that almost all of them are much more traveled than me, as all my money and time seem to be used up on a constant commute between Scotland and Japan.

Thanks to the Book Club, this year I've been to war-ridden Southern Germany (The Book Thief), on the Road through a futuristic devastated North America (The Road), the Dominican Republic (The Brief and Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao), the Ukraine (Everything is Illuminated), most of the countries in Africa (Don't Let's Go to the Dogs Tonight), India, England, Thailand and the States (Unaccustomed Earth), Sweden (The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo) and Hungary (Fateless), so far, with a couple of independent forays into India and round the world in a boat with a Tiger (Life of Pi), scary Tokyo (Grotesque), and off to uptight early 1960s England (On Chesil Beach). Next I'm off to Spain (The Shadow of the Wind), and who knows where I will go from there...
Thanks to Wendy for having the idea in the first place!
I look forward to the continuing journey!

(Links are all to the first review that came up on the google search, not because I agree with them particularly!)

Flower Festival

2009-05-09T02:48:00.000-07:00

On the 5th we finally made it for a quick stop at the Flower Festival. The first thing we encountered were these ueber-genki marimba girls. Very entertaining.

Then there was of course lots of soranbushi dancing to watch.

Tasty things to eat.

Things to waste your money on.

But all in all there were far too many people there to have a great time. Last time we went in the evening of the last day, and it was perfect for a taste of the atmosphere without having to battle your way down the street. Will do that again next year!

Then it was off to 5 year old I's birthday barbecue.
Parcels were passed and cakes were eaten.

Good day all round really!
Happy birthday I!!

Gold Driver??

2009-05-08T07:53:00.001-07:00

Thank God it wasn't me who did this, is all I have to say.
Well, not all...
So much for having a Gold "Excellent Driver" license, eh!

Yufuin Day 2

2009-05-08T07:36:00.000-07:00

After our hyper Saturday, we started Sunday off with a peaceful walk through the outskirts of the town.

Dandelion clocks stopped time for a while.

There are some beautiful gardens in Yufuin.

Good to have time to slow down and think.

But wherever there is sophistication and style Japan, you can still expect to find Snow White and the seven dwarves as well!

2009-05-08T07:19:00.000-07:00

M can't wait until she is 120cm tall, so she can go on more of the exciting rides at Kijima, and Mummy is too scared, so we have to live vicariously through Daddy. Who in their right mind wants to do these things? Next time he has promised to try the Birdman attraction, so we7re looking forward to that!

Golden Week Part 1

2009-05-08T06:00:00.001-07:00

So as Golden Week comes around again, what with all the house buying of last year, and the new "Drive Anywhere in Japan on the expressway for 1000 Yen" discounts introduced last month, it was off to Yufuin again for the I team.
This time we only had one full day, so we decided to head to Kijima Amusement Park.

First it was the Go-karts, and they only had 2 seaters and 1 seaters, so M and Y went together.

"Why am I still waiting despite my line being a quarter of the length of yours, and you've already been on??"

I can go faster in the Prius for free....

Then it was on to the rides...M's favourite Dragon Coaster was first up.

Then we made full use of our "all you can ride" passports!

The view from the Pelican of Jupiter, the biggest old fashioned wooden rolller coaster in Japan.
Scariest thing I ever did was get on that a few years back, so I certainly wasn't repeating it last weekend!

Big wheel time.

Aforementioned Pelican.

One great thing was this foot bath with hot spring water, right in the middle of the park. Great for a rest amid all the traipsing!

Mummy needs a pedicure!

Refreshed and ready for more!

Then it was time for the highlight for Weechan; the new attraction: Kids' Driving school.

A mini version of the real driving licence centre, first you line up an get your photo taken.

Then it's downstairs to learn the rules of the road in the classroom.

Then outside for a few practical pointers.

Then you get to practise on the special mini town roads in your cheeky convertible.

With Kijima number plates.

The course had a petrol station, a family restaurant with car park to practise your parking skills, real traffic lights, level crossing and everything. Very lifelike!

The car isn't just a go-kart either. They have to put it in gear and use the indicators etc too, so quite a challenge.

After the practice, where apparently the staff are watching to see if you keep all the rules of the road (!!), there is the announcement of the results.

The numbers in red are the people who passed their test and got their license. The grey ones are the unlucky ones. (Although Mummy noticed that no-one seemed to be upset and there only seemed to be 20 people in our group....funnily enough...)

Weechan was number 9, so was very pleased to hear she passed first time, and got her very first driving license, identical to Mummy's.

From now on you can drive without taking the test if you get a ticket, and if you go on 10 times you can get a GOLD license like Daddy's. (Great marketing!)
So of course Weechan had to go straight out and try again after she got her license. Well, you need to practise your roundabout skills, eh?

Night time meant dinner at Artegio: photos for Uncle John who missed out on a great meal after giving up on the traffic jammed expressway and turning back home. Too bad, maybe next time.

Foie Gras terrine with strawberries and balsamic vinegar.

Lobster with spinach puree.

Porcini and chicken risotto with asparagus.

Kumamoto Beef grilled with rocket and parmesan: verrrrry nice.

Panacotta with fresh berry sauce.

It went down well.

There were a few other dishes which didn't last long enough to photograph, but all in all very worth getting dressed up for.

Curiouser and curiouser...

2009-05-08T05:47:00.000-07:00

You do see a fair amount of weirdness in this adopted home of mine, it has to be said.
But what on earth do you think this guy was up to?
For the uninitiated, he is wearing a typical nursery school uniform, and riding a tricycle through Peace Park...

OK then.....

Congratulations Uncle Y!

2009-05-06T05:31:00.001-07:00

Welcome to our family M-san!

Last week we had the official engagement ceremony for my Uncle Y and his fiance M-san.

We all got dressed up and went to a posh hotel for a special lunch. Ba-chan even wore her kimono.

The groom to be:

All the present I family together for once!

And my cute new cousin-in-law (?) T-kun.

After the ceremony we went for a walk in Peace Park, which full of the signs of Spring.

Nice day!

In the evening I had a special treat, as we were lucky enough to meet Donald who works for Disney (not that Donald!), and he got us great tickets for the Princess Musical that was in town.
We met him by chance in a restaurant and didn't know him at all, but his kindness made me very happy as I went to the show with Ba-chan that night. We have no e-mail address or contact for him, so we'll just have to thank him here so that it doesn't go unsaid:
Thanks Donald for your kindness, we hope you make it to Cirque du Soleil!

Easter Sunday

2009-05-06T05:09:00.001-07:00

My Granny sent me a great Easter egg this year, complete with bunnies! Thanks Granny! And Aunty Fi and Aunty Dalene for the great High School Musical ones too. I was so lucky this year. Even Mummy and Daddy got Easter eggs this year. We were a happy family. For those of you who don't know how to do easter eggs, here's a quick lesson:

1) Unwrap

2) Eat until you feel sick.

3) Set aside until the next session.

On Easter Sunday we went to Daimond City for picnic supplies, and I was lucky enough to find this again.

Everyone else looked rather worried as the went up and down, but I laughed my head off the whole time. Am I crazy? Maybe it was a chocolate high.....

Then it was off to meet some friends in the park for egg decorating and picnic fun.

Mummy told everyone what to do as usual.

There were lots of great eggs. K's Hiroshima peace egg was almost as good as his T-shirt!

Quite a colourful haul really.
Then the Mummies hid the eggs and some sweeties thanks to Aunty Joy in the park.

And we had an easter egg hunt as well.

Some people just went for the sweeties though!

Then we went to the K family's home for a classy dinner of takeaway Hiroshima speciality okonomiyaki with a cheeky little Beaujolais!
Yum!
Another busy day, but good time had by all!

Busy Saturday

2009-05-06T04:36:00.001-07:00

Now that the weather is getting better and the new school year has started, everything is kicking into action again after a quietish couple of winter months, so we had a busy Saturday the other week.
First it was the Green Festival in Central Park. All the local horticultural shops and garden desin places have a stall and you can get all manner of plants for your garden, if , unlike me, all living things do not wither at your very gaze. We also enjoyed a few healthy organic snacks under the shade of the trees. I liked this rosehip herb tea!

It quite psyched me up for the "Show us your school uniform and schoolbag" gathering at Weechan's play school from last year. Quite a good idea really , as they all went off to different elementary schools in April to make new friends. Mummy doesn't really know too many people though, so it requires a deep breath before arriving.

These were Mummy's favourite toys in Tulip.

We wrote our hopes for the future and buried in them in a time capsule in the back garden of the Play School to open in 4 years time.

Then in the evening we went to Tsubomi Cafe with the S family for dinner. The dinner was OK, but they have a great play area for the kids so it's a good place to go.

There is also a great hug giver on hand as you leave if you need one!

FOUND!

2009-05-06T04:09:00.000-07:00

SO the B-movie of my life continues. After phoning my friend's house, the 7-11, and the police after I lost my camera, and waiting 2 weeks with no news, I finally decided it really was too much to expect the world at large to go without a picture of Weechan for any longer and ordered myself a new spiffy camera from Amazon. At 50,000 yen or thereabouts (about 300-odd quid). Yes it was cheaper than the new Eos Kiss3X which did come out last Saturday which I could have bought, but still. I placed the order on Saturday night.

Sunday morning, the phone rings:

it's the police:

"We've found your camera"

I swear to God I do not make this stuff up or embellish for dramatic license.
My sister had sent Weechan an Easter egg, and we had popped in to the post office to pick it up on the way home. I'd totally forgotten we had been there. I must have laid the camera on the counter to sign for the egg......idiot!

Oh well.....
Now I have 2 cameras.
As a quick aside; don't you just love Japan. Where else would you ever get the camera back? And where else would the police actually phone you to tell you they'd found it. I love to moan about my host nation, but this is one aspect of the place I take my hat off to!

So your wait for pictures of my daughter is over.
I bet you all sighed a collective sigh of relief there, didn't you!

LOST

2009-04-21T02:45:00.000-07:00

I have lost my camera and am feeling very bereft and naked wherever I go. Weechan is no doubt relieved. However this means no pix of the festival. My friend Toshisama took some though. It's all in Japanese but you can get an idea from her blog post here.
If anyone else got any good one's I'd appreciate digital copies!

Hiroshima International School Festival

2009-04-16T05:22:00.000-07:00

In case I forget to tell you, I'm presently baking up a storm for Weechan's school festival. Please come if you're in the area. It's this Saturday (18th). Please call me if you need more details. All are welcome and there will be lots of tasty international cuisine and games and other nonsense.

Many firsts...kind of....

2009-04-08T05:43:00.000-07:00

It was Weechan's first day of school on Monday. Well, not really, considering she has been going to school for a couple of years now. But her first day of Japanese elementary school.
And it's strange, maybe it's my British background, but the buying of the uniform, and the school satchel and all of that somehow made it seem like her real first day of school for me, even though she will probably only go there for a couple of months each year.
Luckily, our nextdoor neighbour's daughter K-chan is also starting school this year so she has a friend there already.

So it was the first day of first grade, and because our surname starts with the 2nd letter of the Japanese alphabet, Weechan is number 1 in her class so she was first into the hall for the entrance ceremony too.

The older kids showed the new kids to their seats, which was a nice touch, and this half African girl was chosen to make Mairi feel at home. She was really nice.

Nerves were raw.

The obligatory ceremonies...

Then first out, with the new teacher, Ms U.

The view over the city from the 1st year classroom is breathtaking.

The girl nextdoor's name starts with "I" too so she sits next to me!

Who's going to do her best at 2 schools?
"Hai!"

Sakura, Sakura.........

2009-04-08T05:15:00.000-07:00

It's that time of year again.
When seemingly normal people get wasted in the afternoon under the fluttering pink haze of the cherry blossoms.

This year we went to Kintaikyo Bridge in Iwakuni.

Gorgeous!

Yes, we have cherry trees at home too. But there is something quite beautiful about the Japanese celebration of them.

We met the N family there.
Relaxed by the river.

Played some games and had a picnic.

And of course one of the 100 flavours of ice cream on sale there they even had soy sauce flavour!

Went for a walk.

Found monkeys in trees.

And some of the beauty Japan is famous for.

This was a good day!

Burgers for the Masses

2009-04-08T05:12:00.000-07:00

Had a good time with old friend E on Saturday. We made the burgers!

Yakiniku

2009-04-08T05:05:00.000-07:00

Went out for dinner with this cheerful crew last night to a nice yakiniku place within walking distance!!
A warm or should I say hot welcome to our guests from Engerland.

The first yakiniku seemed to go down well.

M's best friend for the day E-chan seemed to have good time.

Not bad with the old chopsticks for being here a week!

Last Supper

2009-04-08T04:39:00.000-07:00

Dr Dad moved hospitals last week, which has various ramifications good and bad for our family, but one of the most hard hitting is that we will not have many excuses to come to Canadakan, one of our favourite Italian restaurants, which was perfectly placed for stealing family meals when Dr Dad was too busy to come home. Both pasta and pizza will be sorely missed!

Especially the pizza.

0829-36-5551 広島県廿日市市地御前1丁目23-27

Forty and Fabulous!

2009-04-08T04:38:00.000-07:00

The cake me and Malaina made for JJ's 40th.
Happy Birthday JJ! May we have 40 more!

Created with Admarket's flickrSLiDR.

Transportation Project

2009-04-08T04:17:00.000-07:00

Weechan's project for her Transportation Unit of Inquiry at school was to build a model of a vehicle she had designed at school. Due to the influenza plague, I received the designs in an e-mail from her teacher. The specs were:

Description: Flying Car

Function of her vehicle - to be able to fly and jump over cars in traffic
Use - long journeys for land and air
Features - 4 wheels and 2 wings
Using recycled material
Special features - wings
super speed
environmently friendly

This is what we came up with:

A wind and solar-powered (the retractable roof is just one huge solar panel!) convertible, with wings that extend Chitty Chitty Bang Bang style when flight is necessary, and jet boosters on the back for super speed.

Now I'm sure the inimitble Miss B sees these exercises as an opportunity for parents to be involved in their child's learning and for a fun family project.
That would be fine if you weren't dealing with a thwarted Blue Peter presenter with control freak and perfectionist issues, someone with a "that'll do" attention span of a gnat unless there is a festering disease or a get rich quick scheme involved, and someone whose understanding of the word "help" seems to correspond to my understanding of the words "just do it for me".

I'll leave it to you to decide who is who in this scenario, and just how much fun we all had with this.

Miss B, if you ever read this, these things can lead to broken homes!

Family Day

2009-04-08T04:04:00.000-07:00

It is a lesser known fact outside Hiroshima, that 70-80% of Japan's calligraphy brushes are produced in the small town of Kumano, not far outside the city boundaries. They also make handmade make-up brushes which are apparently used by a lot of big names in the cosmetics business , paint brushes and brushes of many a kind. Anyway, I'd never been, so we had a rare family drive the other week to investigate.
Not necessarily worth devoting a whole day to, but just right for a half day drive, the visitors centre has exhibits on brush making from the dawn of time, and the kids cn take part in trying to make a brush or just use one to paint a postcard.

After that we had a Baps and Buns picnic on the beach - yes you people in Scotland- the beach! It wasn't exactly swimming weather yet, but Spring is definitely in the air, and if it was this weather in Scotland, people would certainly be swimming in the sea at St Andrews!

Gathering shells on a sandy beach is definitely better than 24-7 Disney!

And even Daddy got to stretch out on the steps for a while!

Bye Bye Tulip - Graduation Day

2009-04-08T03:21:00.000-07:00

OK, so I have been known to wax cynical on the subject of Japanese ceremonies. They do seem to have a formal ceremony for the beginning and end of any activity that one might do for longer than 10 minutes. And in my working capacity, I have sat through a few. Mostly the word "ceremony" is associated with numbness for me, of the brain and the buttocks.
But recently, the shoe has been on the other foot for the first time, I suppose. And so it was, with trepidation, and, quite frankly, full blown influenza, that I set off with Weechan and Dr Dad for her graduation ceremony from the play school she has been attending for the past 2 years- albeit part time. I really did feel like someone had scraped me off the road, but when I got there, my mothering instincts kicked in, and I actually started to feel a bit nostalgic.

All in all it was kind of nice to have an event to draw a line under a formative period of her life, say goodbye and thank you to well made friends and teachers. Oh hell, maybe it was the tamiflu, but I even shed a tear or two myself.

In true nursery fashion, we all had to sit on the tiny chairs, just like our kids, so there was that familiar numb bum sensation, just to prove that the rest was down to pure emotion.

The head teacher gave a rousing speech, to inspire us all for elementary school.

And to prove that Tulip is in the 21st century, one of the kids who had to move house before the end of the year got to take part in the ceremony and receive his "diploma" by web cam!
Kinda cool!

It's traditional at congratulatory events to eat these red and white beanpaste manju cakes.

That's what they looked like for about 20seconds after the box was opened!

Thank you Tulip! It was only sometimes, but we loved you!

Friday the 13th

2009-03-15T03:09:00.000-07:00

Well, we've had a relatively long spell of good health for Weechan really. It's been 7 months since she's really been poorly, the odd snotty nose notwithstanding. But on Friday, when not even the prospect of a chocolate treat and 2 friends coming over to play for the evening could raise a smile, I thought I better reach for my trusty thermometer, as 4 years of fit paranoia have trained me to do.

38.4℃

Oh.

Well sometimes you get one night wonder fevers, so we iced up and settled in for a sleepless night for Mummy, and Daddy who has to go and sleep with Weechan as I can't sleep a wink when she's sick if I'm next to her. Who knew I'd be such a freak?? I've always been of the "oh pull yourself together, everyone gets ill" philosophy, but ever since the seizure, now any irregularity in breathing is enough to have me shaking her poor wee self to make sure she's not dead. Oh well, they say admitting you have a problem is the first step to recovery, but I fear I'll be awake all night when she's 35 if I hear she has a fever...

Anyway, she was bright as a button the next morning, temperature normal. So, we thought we'd go for a rerun of the planned dinner party of the night before. Low and behold, as soon as the guests arrive: temperature rockets, eggs can be fried on the forehead time again.

This time: 39.5℃.

I can tell myself to get a grip when it's in the 38s, but when it passes 39, logic hasn't got a look in I'm afraid.

So the dinner party wasn't a great success, especially since the wonderful Shez's Friday the 13th included an impromptu trip to the dentist resulting in wisdom tooth extraction on the spot. So none of us were really in the mood to rave! So we all dispersed early, and another sleepless night was had by all.

Once again this morning: temperature perfectly normal, bright as a button, but as there was a planned sleepover at a friend's house tomorrow, we thought we'd better get her checked out today, just to make sure:

Result:

Type A Influenza.

Great.

Looks like her first absence from school tomorrow.
She will not be pleased.
Thank God I'm on holiday this week anyway - at least in that respect the timing is good.

White Day

2009-03-15T01:49:00.000-07:00

Well it was that quintessentially Japanese miracle of modern marketing: White Day, yesterday.
Only the Japanese could find a way to take all the spontaneous romance out of the most romantic "holiday" of the year.
So on Valentines day the girls have to give the boys the chocolate gifts, be it "giri" (obligation) to those they work with, or "real" indicating true lust, and of course the one disguised as the other both ways.
All the boys have to do is wait until they see what they get, then give a return gift to those who gave them something, and they can pretend it's "giri" if they want to.
So all the fluttery "what will he think of me" nerves for the girls, and none whatsoever for the boys. And no extraneous expense. Life set up for the alpha male as usual in Japan.

In our house Western customs have prevailed, as I like to think it's not "giri"!! But with Mairi we have vowed to keep up as many of the traditions of both cultures until she is old enough to decide she can't be bothered with either. So it was that yesterday she announced that Daddy should be buying us chocolates today "because it's White Day". I'm all for multiculuralism and since we were in Andersen at the time, it seemed like a great opportunity to truly have te best of both worlds. So Daddy joined the long queue at Jean Paul Hevin and this was my booty.
Two red chocolate praline hearts. Such an expression of unfettered love I have never seen.
They were good though.
Mairi got the chocolate squares she loves so we were all happy-cynics and lovers alike!

Mummy's Helper

2009-03-12T19:01:00.000-07:00

Last week I helped Mummy to make truffles. In fact I made most of them all by myself after Mummy mixed up the stuff. Glorious mess. Check out Tasty Bites if you want to try!

Last Days at Tulip

2009-03-12T18:53:00.000-07:00

Last week was midterm break, so most of my friends were on holiday, but I went to off to Tulip for the last time. I like holidays, but if I have to go somewhere, then I am truly glad I had the chance to go to Tulip. We went out to all the great parks in Hiroshima for picnics almost every day, or out climbing moutains, or off camping at the beach. And we made really cool stuff every time there was a festival or cultural day to celebrate. My teachers were great too.

And I loved the melon bus!
I'm sad to leave....

Recycling

2009-03-12T18:45:00.000-07:00

Remember the balloons?
Well the box was just too great to be ignored, so we used the sunny Sunday morning to get painting.

We're not finished yet, but we'll keep you posted!

Skating Practice

2009-03-12T18:37:00.000-07:00

Last Sunday we headed up to a big park so I could try out my new roller skates.

I approached the exercise with my usual "right in there" style.
And I got quite good for a first try. No major injuries to report.

We also had a badminton session. Mummy was rubbish.

Oh, and I forgot to show you this beautiful bouquet my Ba-chan gave me for my birthday.
Thanks Ba-chan!

If you can't go to the Oscars....

2009-03-12T17:19:00.000-07:00

Sad, yes. Oscar Cupcake.

OK, so you know I've always been movie mad and watching the Oscars is a must see custom instilled in me by my mother from an early age. One aspect of living in Japan that really does my head in, is the inability to see all the nominated films in time for the ceremony, but on the plus side, you don't have to stay up until the middle of the night to watch it live.
However, nothing beats a little live red carpet action, so by the power vested in me over the young ladies of this city, I wangled a way to have my own Oscars by making the girsl in one of my classes hold the Oscars as part of their oral assessment. In groups they had to nominate movies, and give presentations on why their film deserved to win. Then we all voted to decide the Oscar winners, and I promised them an Oscar night party after their university exams were all finished.
I forgot to take a photo of the red carpet, but there was one.
Me and my esteemed colleagues made fajitas and tacos for them. Whoever said Japanese girls don't eat much hasn't met this pack of vultures!

Weechan uncharacteristically decided to get into the spirit and helped me annouce the winners in her party dress.

And the Oscar goes to...

"Enchanted"....Yes, they are 18! Speeches were inspired by the "Thank you my pencil" speech of the Japanese guy who won an actual Oscar for a short animated feature this year.

Winners with their Oscars.

Doll Time Again

2009-03-02T16:57:00.000-08:00

Doll festival time again, and since I made the effort to get them out of the box, I thought they deserved the prerequisite photo on the blog. This year Weechan was actually old enough to help properly and appreciate them so it was a nice mother-daughter moment. Family traditions are good!

Ba-chan gave Weechan this Ichimatsu doll a few years back, but space restrictions have meant she hasn't always put in an appearance. This year I thought she made an effective addition to the genkan (entrance hall), along with our 2 new egg lamps. Dr Y thinks she looks a bit freaky in the light, but I like the faux horror mood....

Weechan Birthweek 2009

2009-02-28T20:25:00.001-08:00

Well the week of the 6th year has come and gone. The birthdays in our family are seemingly neverending, aren't they! In years past, there has been a rather large gathering at home for the Weechan's birthday, but this year, we've already had a few gatherings lately, and, more importantly, February's birthday just happened to coincide with the arrival at the cinemas here in Japan of one "High School Musical 3", which happens to be the very raisond'etre of the birthday girl at the moment.
So.. ever the nutters, Mummy and Y-chan's Mummy, decided to invite all my friends to go with us to see the movie, and then on to Haagen Dazs for ice cream.

There were 32 of us! 20 kids and 12 adults.

From the youngest...

to the oldest (!)...

and from all over the world...

we all seemed to enjoy the movie!
Go Wildcats!

The quietest moment was when we all had our ice cream.

The blonde table.

The girls at the back.

And the die hards made it to the park and played until it was almost dark.

Thanks to everyone who came and thank you so much for all your wonderful gifts. Weechan is the luckiest girl I know!
So the movie was last Saturday, a week before the big day itself, but the fun kept coming all week, courtesy of the Japan Post Office. Thanks to all who sent gifts from afar. We are always particularly happy when we get these tickets through the door if we are not in when they try to deliver.
The Japanese to the left of the word "SENDER" is "sashidashinin" which means, you guessed it, sender.
We're always glad to know in advance that the parcel came from the sender!

And finally, yesterday, she really was 6!!

Not a bad haul really! Thanks everyone!

After much much much deliberation, Mummy and Daddy decided on roller skates, which seems to have been a popular decision, thank goodness.

"Look Mummy! They flash" Thanks Granny!

And with this gorgeous dress from Finn, the birthday outfit was complete! Thanks Frasers!

The cake. In keeping with this year's theme.

So we had the neighbours over for a small birthday afternoon tea.

More presents! Thanks guys!

Well the cake is too much for just 3 people.

Then it was off out to Weechan's favourite Italian for dinner with Ba-chan and Ji-chan.
Photos by Weechan!

And the present of all presents, from Ba-chan and Ji-chan: RAINBOW ART!!!! Thank you!!

A very welcome surprise arrival from Yuta!
I love the box too!

Thanks Yuta!!!!
What a great birthday!

Valentines Day

2009-02-28T17:14:00.000-08:00

Some people get roses.Some people get chocolates.
This year I got Wii Fit.
This is the degree of romance in a marriage with a Japanese man...
Get into shape, woman!
Still, I'm not moaning.
I have gotten nothing in the past.
And, to be fair, most Japanese women get nothing at all, so it has taken me 16 years of training to get to this pinnacle of the romantic gesture.
And actually, I did want it.
In fact he's not that bad really...
Oh God, I'm in danger of getting mushy, I'll stop while my image as a cynical old cow is still in tact!
And I did give him Superman pants.
I suppose we were both sending messages of hope with our love.

So the family spent the morning getting in shape.

And then it was once more onto the rink for Weechan's school family skating night.

There were ups and downs.

But all in all Mairi was giving it laldy, as we say in Fife, for most of the night.

Even Mummy managed to let go of the side.

But it was never far away....

Sleepover

2009-02-28T16:40:00.000-08:00

The other day 3 of my friends came for a sleepover. Mummy was too tired after work to cook, so we all went to Mosburger for dinner.

Despite not geting to sleep till about 11 o'clock (surprise surprise!), me Y and L got up early to make the most of the time before the Mums arrived to get us.

A got up in her own good time, but everyone enjoyed heart breakfast. we were laughing because my Mummy gave us rice and nori for breakfast, and my friends said they never have that, they usually have toast, even though ll their Mummies are Japanese!!

We even tried out the sushi maker we got so that me and Mummy can make better sushi for Daddy the next time we try. We didn't have any sushi rice, or stuff to put in the middle though, so it was more like rice balls, but whatever, it was fun.

We all had a great time, but Mummy said Y-chan was the star of the show because she helped to wash the dishes. I hope I don't have to do that from now on....
(Don't worry Mairi, you're much too clumsy to get to wash my good plates!!)

Yufuin Minibreak

2009-02-28T16:16:00.000-08:00

We managed to steal Daddy from the hospital for a couple of days the other week, and went off to Yufuin for the first time in ages. As always good food was in abundance. We tried the "Yufuin Burger", which went down a treat .

Then went to the outdoor skating rink at Kijima Kogen. Weechan's first time, so we maxed out on the safety gear.

But she proved to be a tenacious challenger, and kept going for 2 hours, with a determination to skate in the middle of the rink, which belied her actual skills to the point that Mummy had to not watch.

Of course Mairi ended up better than Mummy, who was attached to the side-bar by the hand for the entire time. A plus side of this was that Mummy, unlike Mairi, didn't have to buy an entire new outfit before getting in the car. It was an unseasonal 17 degrees when we were there, so the rink was more like a paddling pool really, and I don't know why it never occurred to me to take a change of clothes.

Fun on the park followed, with a lovely meal at my favorite restaurant, Artegio, during which M did us the honour of falling asleep on the bench, so we actually felt like we were on a date for a change.

But despite all that, Ba-chan's hot spring bath is always the highlight of the trip.

Best Friends

2009-02-28T16:13:00.000-08:00

Y and M get ready to invite their friends to this year's joint birthday extravaganza.

PLEASE come to see HSM3 with me, PLEEEEEASE!!!!

School Update

2009-02-28T15:59:00.000-08:00

Weechan is really enjoying her school days this year. She loves her teacher this year so much that sometimes she calls me Miss B by mistake. I am impressed by how her reading skills have come on, and she is slowly getting into the world of homework. She has learned all about dance, materials and transportation so far in her program of inquiry this year, and they always seem to be going on field trips lately. Most recently they were off to the Fire Department's Training Centre, where they had earthquake simulations and lessons on how to behave in a fire, including actually moving their way through a smoke filled room.
Last month, just before Valentines Day, their class hosted assembly, and I got a written invitation from Weechan to come and see what they were doing. First we learned about recycling with a slideshow of their visit to a recycling centre, where they made soap. They also taught us all how to communicate our feelings to each other, especially about love. Mairi and Miki taught us about what feelings the colour of flowers communicate to us. It was really sweet.
It was all finished off by a song. I never thought I'd see the day when my 5 year old was entertaining me by singing the Cure!!
It's Friday, I'm in love!!