"Sore ikura?"
How much does that cost?
After work, it took three tries to find an open pastry shop (my favorite one, closest to our home, was closed, another one had gone out of business, must be the local economy or lack thereof). My husband brough home a small bottle of champagne (actual champagne, not sparkling wine). The occasion? Our second wedding anniversary. Two years ago, we got married. The day before the wedding, there was a big earthquake. The trains got stopped and my out-of town friends and relatives got stranded in various locations including but not limited to train stations, elevators, and unprepared homes of fellow relatives. I'm still getting comments about how my marriage was an earth shaking event.
On our first anniversary, we re-created our wedding banquet. For the first time, I actually got to taste what we'd served our wedding guests. It was good (just as it should be for what we we'd paid for it!), but not the sort of thing that we could pull off with the Pumpkin Princess in tow (at the time she expressed her pleasure at the lobster by turning somersaults inside me :P) so we opted for the more simple celebration.
Monday, July 21, 2008
Entry for October 18, 2006
"Itsunomani?"
When did this happen?
I expect most of the hits to this blog are from people I know in one way or another, so drop me a line if you're checking up on me. For those of you who don't know who I am or where I live, it will suffice to say I live in Japan. If this were the US, I would be living in an eternal red state if the Republican party were to be equated with the Liberal Democratic party, which is probably a rather apt comparison as the Japanese Liberal Democratic party is neither very liberal and is becoming less and less democratic. To offer proof for this observation, I need to look no further than our new Prime Minister. His grandfather was a prime minister (and I think he was tried as a war criminal, I need to check up on my Japanese history) and his father was also considered a PM candidate until he died of cancer about a decade or so ago.
Now, I'm all about patriotism and being proud of being Japanese and supporting the troops (they are the Self Defense Forces, I know, but they're here or out there or wherever they need to be because their country asked them to be and so the country is obliged to give them support), but when PM Abe (that's Ah-beh for those of you not familiar with Japanese names) talks about "the Beautiful Country Japan", I start thinking about the pre-WWII era and quiet, restrained women serving their fathers-in-law and husbands and sons, and I want to tear out my hair.
Those of you ranting about red states and blue states, those of you who would like to see a Democrat in the White House again, consider yourselves lucky. At least you guys have a fighting chance to get what you want. Japan has been led by a PM from the LDP for essentially its entire post-WWII era. I hope to see a non-LDP PM at least once more before I die (it happened once, sort of, I think it was when I was in university or maybe high school), but I ain't holding my breath.
When did this happen?
I expect most of the hits to this blog are from people I know in one way or another, so drop me a line if you're checking up on me. For those of you who don't know who I am or where I live, it will suffice to say I live in Japan. If this were the US, I would be living in an eternal red state if the Republican party were to be equated with the Liberal Democratic party, which is probably a rather apt comparison as the Japanese Liberal Democratic party is neither very liberal and is becoming less and less democratic. To offer proof for this observation, I need to look no further than our new Prime Minister. His grandfather was a prime minister (and I think he was tried as a war criminal, I need to check up on my Japanese history) and his father was also considered a PM candidate until he died of cancer about a decade or so ago.
Now, I'm all about patriotism and being proud of being Japanese and supporting the troops (they are the Self Defense Forces, I know, but they're here or out there or wherever they need to be because their country asked them to be and so the country is obliged to give them support), but when PM Abe (that's Ah-beh for those of you not familiar with Japanese names) talks about "the Beautiful Country Japan", I start thinking about the pre-WWII era and quiet, restrained women serving their fathers-in-law and husbands and sons, and I want to tear out my hair.
Those of you ranting about red states and blue states, those of you who would like to see a Democrat in the White House again, consider yourselves lucky. At least you guys have a fighting chance to get what you want. Japan has been led by a PM from the LDP for essentially its entire post-WWII era. I hope to see a non-LDP PM at least once more before I die (it happened once, sort of, I think it was when I was in university or maybe high school), but I ain't holding my breath.
Entry for September 28, 2006
"Seki ga tomarimasen."
"I can't stop coughing."
I'm still battling the virus the Pumpkin Princess brought home from day care. It's getting annoying. I don't feel too badly off, nor do I have a fever, but coughing fits can wear a person down. I'm wary of anything stronger than Tylenol and Sudafed though, as I am nursing.
"I can't stop coughing."
I'm still battling the virus the Pumpkin Princess brought home from day care. It's getting annoying. I don't feel too badly off, nor do I have a fever, but coughing fits can wear a person down. I'm wary of anything stronger than Tylenol and Sudafed though, as I am nursing.
Entry for September 24, 2006
"Chiisakute kawaikute kussssaaaaaiiiiii mono naani?"
"What's little and cute and reaaaaallllyyyy stinky?"
The answer to the above query, of course, is "a smiling, poopy, Pumpkin Princess."
Nuff said.
Yesterday was Field Day at the Pumpkin Princess's day care. At nine months old, her event consisted of me holding her and running with three other mothers in a "race" to grab a paper basket containing wafers and biscuts.
Watching the other, older kids in their events was actually quite interesting. It was a study in child development. You really couldn't call what the 3 year olds were doing "running", it was more like "toddling very very fast". The older the kids got, the more it got like actual running, and the oldest kids were most definitely competing to be the first across the finish line.
Same with the dancing. The younger kids pretty much kind of stood randomly waving their arms around to the music, and a couple pretty much just cried until their teachers came to hug them. The older kids were definitely dancing to the music, and a few of the older kids showed a definite musicality. Maybe I was watching a future Lausanne Scholar!
"What's little and cute and reaaaaallllyyyy stinky?"
The answer to the above query, of course, is "a smiling, poopy, Pumpkin Princess."
Nuff said.
Yesterday was Field Day at the Pumpkin Princess's day care. At nine months old, her event consisted of me holding her and running with three other mothers in a "race" to grab a paper basket containing wafers and biscuts.
Watching the other, older kids in their events was actually quite interesting. It was a study in child development. You really couldn't call what the 3 year olds were doing "running", it was more like "toddling very very fast". The older the kids got, the more it got like actual running, and the oldest kids were most definitely competing to be the first across the finish line.
Same with the dancing. The younger kids pretty much kind of stood randomly waving their arms around to the music, and a couple pretty much just cried until their teachers came to hug them. The older kids were definitely dancing to the music, and a few of the older kids showed a definite musicality. Maybe I was watching a future Lausanne Scholar!
Entry for September 21, 2006
"Bacchii!"
(It's) icky!
(note: this blog entry is not intened to be read for persons consuming food or drink, or those generally squeamish.)
The Pumpkin Princess and I were driving to day care. I heard a sneeze, and whining which lasted for about three seconds.
Then I heard slurping sounds.
I did what any parent driving down a busy street with a baby in the backseat suspected of slurping what she'd sneezed would do. I continued driving as safely as I knew.
When we got to day care and I unbuckled her, she had dried ickiness around her lips. I tried not to think about what that suggested.
(It's) icky!
(note: this blog entry is not intened to be read for persons consuming food or drink, or those generally squeamish.)
The Pumpkin Princess and I were driving to day care. I heard a sneeze, and whining which lasted for about three seconds.
Then I heard slurping sounds.
I did what any parent driving down a busy street with a baby in the backseat suspected of slurping what she'd sneezed would do. I continued driving as safely as I knew.
When we got to day care and I unbuckled her, she had dried ickiness around her lips. I tried not to think about what that suggested.
Entry for September 18, 2006
"Shinpai ja nai no?"
Aren't you worried?
My mom (the Pumpkin Granny) bought a doll that can say 150 different words and phrases. It's called "Naouru-kun" which I guess translates to something like "will get better" or something, although "Naoru" in itself sounds like a semi-reasonably sane name for a Japanese boy. The doll will say stuff like "Hi" "ouch" "cough cough" and you give it a plastic toy candy or touch it with a plastic toy syringe. These plastic toys actually contain an IC which will activate sensor(s) in the doll, altering what the doll says accordingly.
So today, Naoru-kun was saying "cough cough" but the Pumpkin Princess and I were playing with building blocks and didn't do anything to Naoru-kun (I think what we were supposed to do was stick him with the toy syringe). Naoru-kun then said "fix me!" so I gave him a pat on the head.
"Fix me somewhere else!"
(hey, you, there, mind out of the gutter...)
"cough cough"
"Aren't you worried?"
The person who designed this doll is obviously quite clever and has a sense of humor.
Aren't you worried?
My mom (the Pumpkin Granny) bought a doll that can say 150 different words and phrases. It's called "Naouru-kun" which I guess translates to something like "will get better" or something, although "Naoru" in itself sounds like a semi-reasonably sane name for a Japanese boy. The doll will say stuff like "Hi" "ouch" "cough cough" and you give it a plastic toy candy or touch it with a plastic toy syringe. These plastic toys actually contain an IC which will activate sensor(s) in the doll, altering what the doll says accordingly.
So today, Naoru-kun was saying "cough cough" but the Pumpkin Princess and I were playing with building blocks and didn't do anything to Naoru-kun (I think what we were supposed to do was stick him with the toy syringe). Naoru-kun then said "fix me!" so I gave him a pat on the head.
"Fix me somewhere else!"
(hey, you, there, mind out of the gutter...)
"cough cough"
"Aren't you worried?"
The person who designed this doll is obviously quite clever and has a sense of humor.
Entry for September 15, 2006
"Suibun wo jyuubun ni totte kudasai."
Please take plenty of fluids.
The entire Pumpkin clan, including the Pumpkin Grandma, has caught a cold. We suspect the Pumpkin Princess brought it home with her from day care.
Oh well, at least it isn't the chicken pox, which is going around in a different class. Then again, since the classrooms are next to each other, I wouldn't be surprised if she caught that, too. At nine months, she's too young to get the vaccine.
Please take plenty of fluids.
The entire Pumpkin clan, including the Pumpkin Grandma, has caught a cold. We suspect the Pumpkin Princess brought it home with her from day care.
Oh well, at least it isn't the chicken pox, which is going around in a different class. Then again, since the classrooms are next to each other, I wouldn't be surprised if she caught that, too. At nine months, she's too young to get the vaccine.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)