It's Shaun the Sheep!

I'm laying in bed this morning, having some quiet time and looking at Facebook.  It is a common scene these days.  I try to stay in bed as long as possible, while my husband and son watch the "news" (which is more like a morning talk show vs. actual news).  Suddenly, my husband gasps and shouts "You've got to see this!"  I quickly hop out of bed and run to the living room to see Shaun the Sheep on a plate.  Turns out there is a new café featuring Shaun the Sheep meals!

My husband quickly pulls up the website and says, in a disappointed tone, "It's really expensive."  I reply "If only 1 adult goes with our son, it won't cost too much."  His second hesitation came as the announcement that it was "just a café" and it didn't include a themed play area.  I took it to mean the food probably wouldn't be that good, but he knows that this is Japan and mediocre food is unacceptable (unless you're in a theme park).  Five minutes later, my husband had to leave for work.  I shouted after him "Text me the address of that café!"  After all, fun Aardman themed pop-up restaurants never pop-up in Seattle (to my knowledge).

My son and I didn't have any plans for today and I thought, why the heck not!  Let's have an adventure.  Turns out the café is a 45 minute train ride away, near JR Kichijoji Station in a department store called Parco Kichijoji.  The ride seemed to fly by, even the confusing transfer at JR Shinjuku didn't phase me (although I did pick up my son and carry him on the packed platform - safety first!).  As we walked down the street towards the department store, my son spotted a column wrapped with an advertisement for the café.  He starts jumping up and down "I want to see Shaun the Sheep!  Momma, I love Shaun the Sheep!  Can we go there?"  I smile and tell him that is why we came here - to eat at the Shaun the Sheep café.  He starts pulling me into the nearest café, which isn't the right café!  I have to herd him in a different direction and inside the building and point to a different sign in order to calm his overzealous heart.  We take the elevator up to the 4th floor and emerge right down the hallway from the café.  My son gasps and says very quietly "There it is!"

The Sunday Brunch café has been around for a while.  This is just a special promotion that they are doing.  It is super exciting for my son because my husband (a die hard Aardman fan) introduced Shaun the Sheep to him and it has been their special thing for close to 2 years. 

We are quickly seated.  I was amazed because this was the first day of the special menu and Tokyo is known for its crazy lines.  Just as we are settling in, the waitress brings a huge stuffed Shaun for my son to cuddle while we wait for our food. 

The menu has several options and we finally decide on curry for my son and salmon cream over rice for me.  Even though my husband thought it was expensive, I didn't.  The two "adult" meals cost just less than ¥3,000 ($27).  (My son opted to not get the kid's set because he really wanted curry.)  Expensive for a café?  Yes.  But for Shaun?  No.  The staff bring out cute paper placemats with Shaun on them, and before too long our food followed. 

The meals were so adorable!  Amazingly adorable!  However, this didn't stop us from digging right in (after photos of course).  I was shocked how good the food was.  I was expecting cute, but subpar tasting food.  I was still willing to pay for it, even with this expectation.  It was an experience for my son and me.  I'm so glad  I was wrong though, and my expectations were more than exceeded.

We ate our fill and didn't leave any room for dessert, which is sad because they have cute Shaun the Sheep desserts, too.  Guess daddy will have to take junior back another day...

Admiring the Moon

Today was a holiday of sorts in Japan.  It is the day of Tsukimi, or moon-viewing.  The moon-viewing takes place on the 15th day of the eighth month of the lunar calendar and is a day to stop and appreciate the autumn moon.  It is a tradition that is still widely celebrated today with sitting outside (or near a window), gazing at the moon, and eating sweets called dango.

We were fortunate to be able to go up to the top of the Mori Building in Roppongi Hills to view the moon.  The top of the 54 floor building has an observation deck and you can even go out on the roof to see the views of the city.  If you recall, I'm a bit nervous around heights, but I really wanted to enjoy this moment with my family. 

We invited some neighbors to go with us, as we figured their 2 girls and our son would enjoy the time together.  Going with friends was really nice, even with over the top excited kids.  Right from the meet up, they were all bouncing off the walls with excitement.

We walked over to the Mori Building, paid our admission, and took the elevator up to the observation level.  The views of Tokyo at night were breathtaking.  For some reason I wasn't as nervous as I was in the Tokyo Tower and was able to relax enough to really enjoy the sights. 

Tokyo Tower

After going around the perimeter of the building, we were ready to head up to the roof.  We put our bags in lockers (only phones and cameras were allowed on the roof - no bags of any kind), and got on another elevator that took us up to the roof.  We then went up 2 small flights of stairs and were there.  We were on the roof of a 54 story building.  It was incredible.  The air was crisp, but clear and it felt like you could see for miles and miles.  There were clouds in the sky, but they were high up and didn't obstruct the view of the city lights.  It did, however, hide the moon. 

There is a helicopter pad in the center of the roof that we were asked to stay off until 7 pm.  So we wandered around the perimeter of the roof gawking at all the beautiful lights.  After a short time up there, we found a place to sit and were just enjoying the moment, when suddenly, the moon peeked out from between the clouds.  We, and many others, started applauding with joy.  It was truly exhilarating to see the beauty of the moon on this special night.  For the next 15 minutes or so, we watched as it danced around the clouds, in and out of view.  Every time it graced us, we felt excited and happy.

As we wandered back to the apartment, we stopped by a traditional sweets shop to purchase dango.  Dango is a treat made from sweet rice flour rolled (usually) into a ball.  The dango we bought was in a log shape and covered with sweet red bean paste, or anko.  The sweetness is much less than what we are used to in the states, but it is a lovely (in my opinion) flavor.  The dango is a bit on the chewy side, but I love it.

As we celebrated the moon-viewing tonight, I felt more connected to the culture than I have since I arrived here.  Even though I am still and outsider looking in, I felt part of the celebration. 

Fire!!!

Today was forecasted to be rainy.  Back in Seattle, I'd simply toss my kid into his Muddy Buddy and hit the road, but today I didn't want to subject myself to wet feet and feeling clammy on a train.  Instead we opted for the Fire Museum in Shinjuku.  I found a website that lists the "best tours and things to do with kids" and it was at the top.  It's free and guaranteed at least an hour of entertainment.  The museum plus the train ride and we would have enough entertainment to fill our morning, but still get back for lunch and a nap.

We got out of the apartment around 9, and quickly found our way to the museum.  I still find it a little nerve wracking to get onto very crowded trains, but I'm stressing about it less and less.

Although it is named "Fire Museum," it would be better to call it the "History of Firefighting in Japan Museum."  There are some (read limited) English translations throughout the museum, but I still learned a lot.  The museum had exhibits from the Edo Period (1603 - 1868) through present day firefighting.  I was very impressed with the exhibits from the Edo Period and Meiji Period (middle of the 19th century), while my son preferred the modern exhibits, as they were more interactive.  We both walked away smiling and happy that we spent 3 hours there! 

I'm feeling really distracted by the upcoming move.  I'm having a hard time "entertaining" my son as I focus on what needs to be done.  I'm overwhelmed with the "when we're settled" thoughts and not living in the moment really well.  So, the distraction of the museum was really nice.  I'm also applauding myself for purchasing Legos, as it has become his go-to toy.  Of course, the first time I step on one, I won't feel very enthusiastic about the purchase!  But in the meantime, I will enjoy them for the entertainment that they are.

I feel like the last few months of my life have been filled with a whole bunch of "hurry up and wait."  I'm fine with the hurry part, because I like to be busy and have things to accomplish.  I don't mind having lots of deadlines and many balls in the air.  I am a natural planner and I tend to get things done sooner rather than later.  I detest the last minute scramble to get things done.  It is the waiting that drives me crazy.  We found the place that we want to move into.   We've been approved to live there.  We went furniture and appliance shopping.  Now we wait.  We wait for the keys.  We wait for the final measurements before we can buy all the big ticket items that we need.  We wait.  And I'm getting restless.  I need a project.  But I feel like I can't start one until after we've moved.  Gah!  Road blocked again.

Just a Regular Day

Today was just a regular day.  Nothing special.  I didn't even really realize I was in Japan. 

It started with getting up and cleaning the apartment.  I did the dishes and started a load of laundry.  I picked up toys and papers that had been left strewn about the night before.  Since my husband had already fed my son his first breakfast, I fed him a second one (he prefers to eat lots of little meals instead of 3 big ones). 

After getting dressed, brushing teeth, and fixing hair, we headed out the door.  We first walked over to the international grocery store to see if they had chipotle chilis in adobo sauce.  They did, but only a large can for over ¥1150 ($10.20), so I decided I wouldn't be making mole any time soon.  While there, we saw really yellow peaches and bought a couple.  I was also amazed at the size of kiwis.  Honestly, the kiwis here are always huge.  I don't know why there is such a size difference than what we have in the US.  We left the store with yellow peaches, German gummies, and a couple of hard ciders for my husband.

The park was next on our task list, as my son has been driving me up the wall with his energy.  He ran and played with other kids at the park.  This is a nice change of pace because he has been reluctant to play with other kids recently.  This surprises me as he's really social, but he has always been shy when meeting new people.

Once I extracted him from the sandbox and washed him off at the water fountain, we went to the bakery.  We picked up a couple rolls and some Halloween treats - doughnuts decorated like monsters. 

Back at home, we had leftover chicken and vegetable soup with rolls for lunch.  And then it was nap time for my son.  I stayed up and did some work for a friend. 

He only slept an hour, so we read books, listened to music, and did a puzzle.  At that point, I started chopping up veggies for dinner and he continued to work on his puzzle.  I realized I needed milk for the mac & cheese (we brought a Costco package of Annie's with us when we moved), so we headed back out to the grocery store.  My son carried the 2 litter bottle of water the 1 block from the store  to the apartment, which he loves to do because he thinks it defines his strength.  I carried the vegetable juice, mushrooms, mizuna (greens), milk, and small package of gyoza (my son begs for it every time...). 

When we got back, I finished making dinner.  As if he had been called and notified, my husband walked through the door as soon as dinner was ready.  We sat down for mac & cheese with chicken and veggies, as well as a salad.  By that point, we were all so exhausted.  My husband took my son out for a walk, while I laid immobile on the couch.  Although the day was "easy," I was exhausted. 

My husband put our son to bed and I'm soon to follow. 

Today I just moved thought the motions.  It wasn't exciting, or challenging, or adventurous.  It was just life.  And that is a good thing.

Must Buy All the Appliances!

When you rent a home in Japan, you get a home.  That's just about it.  You have to supply your own, well, pretty much everything!  I was surprised that the house didn't come with a washer.  Shocked that it didn't come with a fridge.  But light fixures???  Really?  That one floored me.  I didn't even notice it because we went there on a bright sunny day and opened all the windows.  When we went back to measure everything my husband said to me "and we need 4 lights."  I was like "whaaa???"  Couldn't even form a sentence there.  I have lived in a LOT of homes in my life and I don't think my family EVER supplied light fixtures!  Bulbs, maybe.  My husband pointed out that there is rarely an overhead light fixture in US living rooms.  But, we have lamps.  We don't need to buy a light fixture.

Our move in date is less than a week away, so we headed out to the big appliance store, Yodobashi.  This store has everything that you will plug into your home.  We started with washing machines.  Whenever I see a Japanese washing machine, I immediately have 2 thoughts:
1) it's so tiny and cute!
2) holy camoly, that's a lot of buttons!

Dryers are still not found in most Japanese homes.  They dry their clothes outside or in the bathroom (when it's raining).  Some washers have dryer functions as well, but I have never seen a separate dryer in a Japanese home.  We saw a few today at Yodobashi, so they are here, just not common.

After a whole lot of talking we realized we didn't have enough measurements and information in order to select our washing machine.  However, we did walk away with a lot of information and things to consider, so it wasn't wasted time.

Up next was refrigerators.  I was probably a little too excited to pick out our fridge.  When I lived here 15 years ago, my fridge was tiny.  The fridge I had in my college dorm room was actually bigger than the one I had in my apartment in Osaka!  Standard "large" fridges have 5 doors/compartments.  There is the fridge, ice drawer, flash freeze drawer, freezer drawer, and veggie bin drawer.  There were other systems (no veggie drawer, and French doors vs 1 door), but I wanted the typical 5 door version.  The thing about shopping every day means you don't store as much food, so I am up for the challenge of a large Japanese size fridge.  I learned today, the difference in capacity is in the depth, as the standard width is 60 cm (23.6 inches).  I think I can manage with the fridge.  We'll see how long I last before I buy a second freezer.

I found a fridge that I love, but we ran into a snag - measurements again!  We didn't measure the distance from the wall to the front of the counter or the width of the door frame to the kitchen.  Ugh.  Another appliance we will have to wait to order.  Luckily, as long as they have the item in stock they can deliver the very next day. 

I picked out my vacuum in record time because I already knew what I wanted.  They don't have upright vacuums in Japan, and I didn't want a canister that I had to haul up and down the stairs all the time.  So I got a cordless Dyson that just makes me want to vacuum.  I can't wait to use it!

Next we wandered over to the rice cooker department.  This little gadget, the lifeblood of all Japanese homes, has its own department.  Seriously.  I stood there in amazement as I looked at all the contraptions to cook rice.  Nothing else.  Just rice.  There they were - over 80 of them to choose from!  My husband and I have debated the necessity of rice over the years.  Don't get me wrong, I'm not opposed to eating rice.  I just don't crave it like he does.  While I reach for chocolate after a bad day, he reaches for a bowl of rice.  It is just something that we will never see eye to eye on.  We've always had a nice rice cooker, as (we joke) it was part of our marriage contract.  Now, he's ready for a really fancy one.  I am not in agreement.  However, I am also of the opinion that if this is what makes him happy, I will not stand in his way.  Unless of course he decides he wants the ¥138,240 ($1,229) model.  That is, frankly, insane.  (Luckily he doesn't, so we avoid this conversation.)

You'd think we were done, but there is more.  Picking out an electric tea kettle is quick and painless.  For people who drink as much tea as we do, the only thing that mattered was speed.  We quickly found a model that boils a cup of water in 45 seconds.  Sold!

Stove is next!  I'm surprised to see that there is only 1 aisle of stovetops to choose from (opposed to the whole 5 aisles of rice cookers!).  So making a decision there isn't that tough.  The only options we had were brand, 2 burners for the fish broiler or 1, and button ignition or dial for the burners.  There were a few built in models that had lots of choices including induction cooktops instead of gas, but we can't have a built in.  So, we picked 1 burner for the fish broiler since I don't think I'll be using it that often, which cut the price in half and continued on our way.

After the stoves came light fixtures.  However, we were getting really tired by this point, so we headed up to the 8th floor for lunch.  We found a Korean place and enjoyed bee bim bap, naengmyeon, and a lot of yummy sides.  Just what we needed to recharge our batteries.

Back to light fixtures, and after asking a few questions, we found the lights we wanted in all the sizes we needed.

We then paid for our couple items (tea kettle and vacuum) and ordered our lights.  The rest would have to wait for more measurements or when we're ready for the big purchasing day.  When we paid for our stuff, they asked if we wanted a handle on our vacuum box.  Since we were taking the train, we said yes and they quickly slapped three straps, plus a handle, on the box.

On our way home, we wandered through more of the Roppongi Art Walk and enjoyed some pieces that we didn't see last night. 

Once we got home, we were all a little out of steam.  As I was making chicken and vegetable soup for dinner, the door bell rang.  This was a bit strange because we weren't expecting anyone.  It was the postman (on a SUNDAY evening!) delivering a package.  Oh, my goodness!  What a wonderful surprise!  We delighted in opening the care package filled with happiness and good tidings.  It was the most wonderful way to end the weekend.  This was our first piece of mail from home (besides an envelope with bills that we had a friend forward to us) and it made us all feel so happy.  My son actually started jumping up and down when he saw a drawing in the box from his friend, as well as other goodies. 

***I'm not trying to shame anyone about the lack of mail.  In today's society, mailed correspondence is few and far between.  But when you live so far from home, a taste of it (via soup and package contents) is so revitalizing and wonderful.***

Now we start the countdown to our upcoming move to our new home - 6 days until we get the keys and 11 days until we are totally out of temporary housing.  Luckily we have picked out most of our furniture and appliances - which takes a big load off our shoulders - and we have treats from home to help us get through the waiting.