Anyway, my friend Amanda-Jane convinced me to try riding there. I cannot believe I did it. I have been quite scared of riding the city streets. I only had one near-miss with a child, and otherwise did quite fine. If I can do this, I can do anything!
Wednesday, April 2, 2008
Accomplishments
After a boring month of regular "life" stuff, I have to share my latest accomplishment. I rode my bicycle through the city to the new Tokyo American Club (TAC). (In case I forgot to mention, the TAC razed their building to the ground in January and is rebuilding from scratch - they are in temporary quarters in Takanawa for two years. The new spot is not within walking distance like the old one was.)
Sunday, February 24, 2008
The Weinsteins Ski!
This week the kids had Thursday and Friday off from school, so we decided to take a trip up to Nagano, about 4 hours north and west of Tokyo. We rented a car on Wednesday and off we went! The Hakuba area of Nagano is stunning - adorable and everything a ski-village should be. There were chalets next to the mountain, good apres-ski pubs, excellent hotels, and Japanese onsen (hot springs) all in a contained area near the mountain. You might remember that this is the area that hosted the 1998 winter olympics - and in fact, was hosting a world-cup event for disabled skiers while we were there.
Marc has been skiing since he was about 10 years old, so he enjoyed the experience from start to finish. He said the snow was excellent and the mountain trails were terrific. I, on the other hand, have just had my fourth skiing experience, so all I can say is that the beginner trails were nice and smooth! I don't love it, really, but it is such a fantastic experience and a new way in which to use my body, so I forsee a few ski trips per winter for a while.
The best part of the trip was the kids, though. Bailey took about 15 minutes to get his "ski-legs" back on after a few years, but he took off in a flash. The instructors at the ski-school at which we had the kids enrolled nicknamed him speed-demon. He and Marc spent Friday afternoon skiing together and Bailey kept up with him perfectly. Sydney was the biggest surprise! She took a lesson Thursday morning and went to daycare on Thursday afternoon because I did not want her to get over-done or overtired. Then she took lessons all day Friday. By Friday afternoon she was going up the chair-lift and skiing right down the mountain! In fact, on Sat. afternoon, she and Marc got to ski together - and she really was proud of herself. She did excellently and we were so proud OF her!
We stayed in a place called the Morino Lodge, run by a Canadian and a Scotsman who are total ski bums and they own the lodge to indulge their habits - skiing every day! Craig and Matt were both relaxed and happy people who genuinely want their guests to have a good time. They did everything they could to ensure it. We were staying in one of their tatami rooms so our "beds" were futon on the floor, but the room was quite spacious and clean. Breakfast every morning was nothing flash, but very filling coffee, toast, cereal and fruit.
The weather was absolutely perfect. Both days were "bluebirds" - perfectly blue skies and just about at the freezing level. The sun was so bright we had to wear our goggles to see properly from the glare off the snow. Saturday was snowy - almost too snowy to ski, but we all did a bit of it anyway. We came home Saturday afternoon after lunch.
After each day of skiing we went to a local onsen and relaxed. Onsen are traditional Japanese hot springs. Users take a full-on shower and then soak in the water which is over 100 degrees. The baths are separated by gender and bathers are in the buff. I swear, it is the reason the Japanese live so long - one soak and I can literally feel the stress melting off my body. After the full day of physical exertion the water felt incredible and made us ready for the next day on the slopes.
The whole thing was incredible and I'm so glad we did it. Enjoy the photos!!
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
Omochitsuki, February 11, 2008
Yesterday the kids had Omochi pounding at their school! Omochi is a traditional Japanese treat for welcoming in the New Year - and we did it to celebrate the Chinese New Year, not the secular one. Aren't we multicultural?? 
Omochi are sweet, sticky rice balls. Rice is pounded by huge mallets in a ceramic bowl until it is extra-sticky, then balled and rolled into various toppings before being eaten. Anyway, the event was under the purveyance of the parents' group - and specifically the Japanese parents who knew how to do all this. They did it purposefully on a Japanese holiday so the dads could be there, too.
Each class got 30 minutes to complete the event. First they put all the kids in traditional Hapi Coats and headbands. Then each kid got a turn taking the long-handled hammer and pounding it into the hot rice. Think about it: SANCTIONED SMACKING!!! Each time the kid hit the rice, the traditional shout of YOOISHO rose through the crowd. Cheering and chanting abounded! The kids just loved it. And according to the principal, we had just about 100% parental participation. What a community!
The bowl with the pounded rice was then ferried upstairs to the big multipurpose rooms where Japanese moms stood at the ready to roll the balls and dip them into sauces. There were three different ones: brown sugar, soy sauce and seaweed, and sweet azuki beans. After the pounding the entire class trouped upstairs for tasting. Each kid tried each one and there was so much that they could come back for seconds!
The parents were so great - they had prepared everything perfectly and stayed ahead of the pounding so that there were always plenty of omochi ready for the next class. As you can see above, Marc helped with a good deal of pounding himself.
The most interesting part of the whole thing was the coming together as an international community. In addition to the Japanese contingent, there were Indian kids, French kids, American kids, Armenian kids, Korean kids - and the list goes on... All of those children and their families were uniting to take part in an ancient Japanese tradition. Enjoy the photos.
Wednesday, February 6, 2008
Monday, January 28, 2008
Hello Kitty Mania!
January 28, 2008
I don’t have pictures of this yet, but I will get them: we went to Hello Kitty Place in a mall here in Tokyo. This is one of those “only in Tokyo” experiences.
The kids had the day off from school last Monday and I wanted to do something fun and special for them. Bailey had a birthday party to go to (brave parents – 10 boys and fishing rods at a local pond – of course Bailey was the one who got the hook in his finger. Don’t worry – he’s fine) so he was busy. But Sydney needed a little distraction.
My friend Amy is Japanese-American and has a daughter in Syd’s class. Malia and Syd are really great friends. We also had another little girl from the class – a Finnish girl named Aura. All three are five years old and clearly spend a lot of time together in the classroom. It is so interesting to see this Asian, European and American trio interacting with their different accents. It does not stop them from talking a mile a minute! Amy suggested this mall, La-La Port. Just the name is a little odd-sounding, I thought. It turns out that the mall is geared toward mothers and children – stores, restaurants, everything with mothers and kids in mind.
Amy drove and it took about 30 minutes to get there – it’s in Odaiba, near where they have that replica of the Statue of Liberty. There were some American stores – The Gap, Lands End, Claire’s, but most were Japanese brands of jewelry, clothes and shoes.
Lunch was an interesting affair. The restaurant we went to had a big red chandelier made of poufy balloons. Everything else in the place, from the tables to the chairs to the floor, was pink. The omelet Sydney ordered was heart-shaped, as was the mound of rice of my curry-rice dish. There was squeaky, clappy music playing in the background. The girls loved it!
After lunch we went to the Hello Kitty playground. I could not believe this place! You pay by the hour per person and they just mark your in-time. It’s so easy to say that you’re only going to be there 30 minutes – and then you end up staying an hour. Again, the girls just loved it. They got to dress in frilly costumes, put on make-up, serve tea, participate in a live Hello Kitty show (given by a woman in a blue puffy dress with multiple crinolines, chunky heels and high squeaky voice – think of every stereotype you know of cutesy.) and then jump in a ball pit. For the parents – presumably moms – there are massage chairs and a coffee bar – all of which cost extra. The girls changed outfits three times, spent as long as we’d let them in the ball pit (which had the advantage of a big ship in the back of it) and put makeup all over their faces - literally. Luckily there were wipes for afterward. Amy and I bought a throw-away camera. As soon as I have it developed (remember that???) I’ll get the pix up on the blog.
Our final destination in the mall was a chocolate shoppe. Again with the cutesy! Malia had a teddy-bear shaped cake-let, while Aura and Sydney had mini-parfaits. I had a coffee in a teeny tiny pink cup and saucer.
By then the girls were tired and I don’t blame them. They were pretty quiet in the back of the car on the way home.
By the time Sydney and I got home, Bailey was there. His friend Kalani and he had gone to the park with Minnie after the party and Sora had just picked up Kalani before I arrived. So both kids were pretty whipped. Dinner was a small affair of pasta that night before an early bedtime.
All-in-all it was an excellent day off. I’m just proud of myself because in the midst of all that pink and cute, I didn’t throw up once. I just have this crazy feeling that that’s not the last time I’ll be there…
I don’t have pictures of this yet, but I will get them: we went to Hello Kitty Place in a mall here in Tokyo. This is one of those “only in Tokyo” experiences.
The kids had the day off from school last Monday and I wanted to do something fun and special for them. Bailey had a birthday party to go to (brave parents – 10 boys and fishing rods at a local pond – of course Bailey was the one who got the hook in his finger. Don’t worry – he’s fine) so he was busy. But Sydney needed a little distraction.
My friend Amy is Japanese-American and has a daughter in Syd’s class. Malia and Syd are really great friends. We also had another little girl from the class – a Finnish girl named Aura. All three are five years old and clearly spend a lot of time together in the classroom. It is so interesting to see this Asian, European and American trio interacting with their different accents. It does not stop them from talking a mile a minute! Amy suggested this mall, La-La Port. Just the name is a little odd-sounding, I thought. It turns out that the mall is geared toward mothers and children – stores, restaurants, everything with mothers and kids in mind.
Amy drove and it took about 30 minutes to get there – it’s in Odaiba, near where they have that replica of the Statue of Liberty. There were some American stores – The Gap, Lands End, Claire’s, but most were Japanese brands of jewelry, clothes and shoes.
Lunch was an interesting affair. The restaurant we went to had a big red chandelier made of poufy balloons. Everything else in the place, from the tables to the chairs to the floor, was pink. The omelet Sydney ordered was heart-shaped, as was the mound of rice of my curry-rice dish. There was squeaky, clappy music playing in the background. The girls loved it!
After lunch we went to the Hello Kitty playground. I could not believe this place! You pay by the hour per person and they just mark your in-time. It’s so easy to say that you’re only going to be there 30 minutes – and then you end up staying an hour. Again, the girls just loved it. They got to dress in frilly costumes, put on make-up, serve tea, participate in a live Hello Kitty show (given by a woman in a blue puffy dress with multiple crinolines, chunky heels and high squeaky voice – think of every stereotype you know of cutesy.) and then jump in a ball pit. For the parents – presumably moms – there are massage chairs and a coffee bar – all of which cost extra. The girls changed outfits three times, spent as long as we’d let them in the ball pit (which had the advantage of a big ship in the back of it) and put makeup all over their faces - literally. Luckily there were wipes for afterward. Amy and I bought a throw-away camera. As soon as I have it developed (remember that???) I’ll get the pix up on the blog.
Our final destination in the mall was a chocolate shoppe. Again with the cutesy! Malia had a teddy-bear shaped cake-let, while Aura and Sydney had mini-parfaits. I had a coffee in a teeny tiny pink cup and saucer.
By then the girls were tired and I don’t blame them. They were pretty quiet in the back of the car on the way home.
By the time Sydney and I got home, Bailey was there. His friend Kalani and he had gone to the park with Minnie after the party and Sora had just picked up Kalani before I arrived. So both kids were pretty whipped. Dinner was a small affair of pasta that night before an early bedtime.
All-in-all it was an excellent day off. I’m just proud of myself because in the midst of all that pink and cute, I didn’t throw up once. I just have this crazy feeling that that’s not the last time I’ll be there…
Monday, January 14, 2008
Back in the saddle (queue the music here...)
So we have now been back in Tokyo for a full week, and it feels so wonderful to be here. I am pleased to report that this is home. Our beds are here, the kids’ school is here, and we have come home to a wonderful life full of friends and laughter.
Coming into Narita last Monday was quite easy. The flight was fine – though the kids didn’t sleep much. They’re excellent travelers though; they really know how to handle the long flight. When we got to Narita, we used a luggage delivery service. With four suitcases and still needing to get into the city by train, it’s the best option and not overly expensive. We took one valise with us and left the others for delivery Tuesday morning. We proceeded to get on the train into Tokyo. When we arrived at Tokyo station, we stepped out into the city and it was already dark. The lights of the city twinkled brightly as if to welcome us. You can imagine our surprise, however, when we got into the taxi that took us home and found that the taxi rates had risen as of January 1st! Instead of starting at $6.50, they now start at $7. (Though if the dollar got stronger, that rate would effectively go down…)
Jet lag hasn’t been too bad. The kids slept through the first night and Sydney had a bit of an issue with two 4am wake-ups, but other than that we’re fine. And now, a week later, everyone is settled. The kids ran to school and practically dove into their classrooms on Tuesday morning. They were delighted to see their teachers and friends and get back into routine.
Speaking of routine, this week we’re back to our usual round of activities – ballet, hula, Japanese lessons, violin lessons, and soccer. Bailey is starting Aikido and basketball, too. That kid would take a million activities a week if I’d let him!!
Several people have asked for pix of the house, and I’ll get to that right away.
In the meantime, thanks for your care and support and I wish everyone a happy, healthy, and prosperous new year! I look forward to sharing our 2008 adventures with you!
Coming into Narita last Monday was quite easy. The flight was fine – though the kids didn’t sleep much. They’re excellent travelers though; they really know how to handle the long flight. When we got to Narita, we used a luggage delivery service. With four suitcases and still needing to get into the city by train, it’s the best option and not overly expensive. We took one valise with us and left the others for delivery Tuesday morning. We proceeded to get on the train into Tokyo. When we arrived at Tokyo station, we stepped out into the city and it was already dark. The lights of the city twinkled brightly as if to welcome us. You can imagine our surprise, however, when we got into the taxi that took us home and found that the taxi rates had risen as of January 1st! Instead of starting at $6.50, they now start at $7. (Though if the dollar got stronger, that rate would effectively go down…)
Jet lag hasn’t been too bad. The kids slept through the first night and Sydney had a bit of an issue with two 4am wake-ups, but other than that we’re fine. And now, a week later, everyone is settled. The kids ran to school and practically dove into their classrooms on Tuesday morning. They were delighted to see their teachers and friends and get back into routine.
Speaking of routine, this week we’re back to our usual round of activities – ballet, hula, Japanese lessons, violin lessons, and soccer. Bailey is starting Aikido and basketball, too. That kid would take a million activities a week if I’d let him!!
Several people have asked for pix of the house, and I’ll get to that right away.
In the meantime, thanks for your care and support and I wish everyone a happy, healthy, and prosperous new year! I look forward to sharing our 2008 adventures with you!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
