Family Day

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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....

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

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....