Walk home from school

This walk home from school was different than most afternoons. Usually, Roo is chatty and singing or commenting the entire distance. On this day, he was quiet and contemplative. I had stopped to take a photo of a newly constructed home, and he continued walking at a leisurely pace. In these photos, when I see him on his own in the distance, I can’t help but thinking he’s growing up too fast!

Maiko san & Family

I first met Maiko when she was a teenager living with my Aunt & Uncle in New Ulm, MN. We connected shortly after I arrived in Japan. I learned she was living near Tokyo and has a small son, too. This weekend we traveled to her and her husband’s home near Narita in Chiba Prefecture. We had a wonderful afternoon together beginning with a lunch of delicious Japanese food, a trip to Boso Village which contains a reproduction of a typical commercial street during the Edo period, and ended with a stop at the Museum of Aeronautical Science. Roo enjoyed chasing Gaku's papa. Ryan and I were happy to get away from the city and breath fresh air on a sunny crisp afternoon.

The family pet, Mari chan.

Costume girls strolling the commercial street at Boso Village.

Pottery Shop

Gakushi and Roo grinding cinnamon.

A vendor preparing dango, a japanese dumpling made with rice flour. The variety we sampled was mitarashi dango, covered with a sauce made of soy sauce, sugar, and starch.

Roo was thrilled to sit in a real fighter jet at the aero museum.

Eucalyptus Oil

I’ve learned it works wonders for removing stains from leather. A week or so ago when Roo came home from preschool I failed to notice the black stuff tucked in the folds of his cargo pants on his bum. I made his after school snack and placed it on the dining room table. Since he’s constantly on the move, he bounced around from chair to chair while consuming his snack and playing with toys at the table. After he was done, I noticed that three of the four light tan leather rented chairs contained dark black streaks. Since I believe children should get their hands dirty, I’ve never been one to fret over dirt, paint, glitter, glue, clay, water, mud, and what have you. We changed pants and I got out my trusty enviro friendly cleaners and cloth. Then, I panicked! The black stuff only smeared and darkness remained as the gunk seeped deeper into the pores of the leather. Calmly, I called the school to inquire about what this could be and how to remove it. They explained that on the roof top playground the black double sided tape that keeps equipment in place does indeed stain. Two of the teachers from down under recommended eucalyptus oil.. So, a week goes by and on my next trip to the spa I purchased a small bottle. Skeptically I gave it a go. Voilà, it came out completely!

Basic Buddhism: The Four Noble Truths & Nirvana

Explained in class as the Truth of 1.) Suffering 2.) Cause 3.) Extinction, and 4.) the Path. The Shakyamuni Buddha was motivated by a desire to understand human suffering. The doctrine of the four noble truths is meant to meet this motivation. They offer a way of living. Suffering is not skirted, but confronted. The cause of the suffering, a desire for something, identified. The suffering is annihilated by an adjustment of mental attitude. And finally, the path to rightly thought and behavior is established to extinguish suffering for good. There is a parable comparing these truths to the foot print of an elephant. Footprints from many other animals can fit in the one print of an elephant. Such are the four noble truths. All other teachings “fit” within.

We also had a side discussion on nirvana. A word that has infiltrated western speak. During the discussion I realized my mind didn’t have an accurate understanding of the concept. I equated the concept of nirvana with the concept of heaven. And, the unavoidable association with Kurt Cobain, grunge, and flannel. In Mahayana Buddhism, there are two types of nirvana. The teacher explained, one is written with the kanji characters meaning “without residue” and another written with the characters meaning “with residue”. Simply put, the residue is the physical world, including our bodies. It is somewhat fair to equate the "without residue" to heavenly bliss. What I found interesting about the other, "with residue", is the belief that nirvana, or a quiescence, is believed achievable in life. An ideal state of mankind living in harmony, peace, and quietude. What a lovely thought!

Anpanman Museum

Would a child’s experience living in Japan be complete without a trip to the Anpanman Museum? I think not! Especially one who is as committed to his daily five o clock television program viewing as Roo. His class was off school today for parent teacher meetings. After our conference with his teachers followed by lunch at La Boheme, we took a 45 minute train ride to Yokahama in search of all things Anpanman. Two glitches of whizzing by our stop at Shin-Takashima (apparently we were on the express) did not deter us. We persevered and made it to our desired destination! Click below to enjoy the slideshow:

Anpanman Museum

For an in depth explanation of Anpanman, visit this website.

Espresso Machine

When my upstairs neighbor left Japan and returned to her home country of Germany, of course she took her espresso machine with her. Our occasional lattes in the afternoon were enough to feed my habit and help me resist the temptation to purchase another contraption to clutter my counter. Seriously, do I need another 100volt piece of equipment? The answer… YES. I regret not watching Tina more closely. I’m even using her coffee that was part of a pantry collection she couldn’t pack and still, mine aren’t tasting as fine. I’ve concluded it must take practice. Or as Ryan rationalized, “Europeans just know how to make coffee. They’re into that sort of thing.”

3-Day Weekend

We had a full three-day weekend with a variety of activity.

A trip to the train station in the taxi.

Tsubasa's fifth birthday party.
Oishii cake!

Lunch at Jonathan's with ice cream for dessert.

A school friend of Roo's and her parents came over for dinner. The Daddy knows how to box!

Posing next to Optimus Prime on a shopping errand to Shibuya.