Starting rice from seed - Part 2

After growing our rice for just 20 days, it was time for the next step.  We carefully scooped up the individual sprouts, careful not to damage the roots.  My son was super enthusiastic to help because it meant that he got to get his hands super muddy.

We picked out the tallest and thickest shoots to bundle in groups of five shoots to replant.  I always find it painful to toss aside the little ones, but I had to be strong.  We had no problem picking out 15 beautiful shoots.

Once all three bundles of five shoots were replanted, we covered the soil in a few inches of water.  It is my job to make sure there is always standing water in the container does not reach the top of the soil until the rice is fully grown.  Luckily the rainy season is on its way.

More masks - summer edition

With my son starting school on Monday, he will have to wear a mask everyday.  This isn't just my requirement.  The school is also requiring kids and staff to wear masks at all times.

He already has a lot of homemade masks, but he gets really hot wearing them in the warm and humid weather.  So, I decided to make him some thin masks.  

I took apart the Abe-masks to use both the elastic and gauze.  For the front of the masks, I used really thin fabric.

Hopefully the two layers (one layer of cotton, one of gauze) will allow him to release more heat from his body so he doesn't get overheated as the temperatures continue to rise.  But it will still capture his spit, reducing the chance of transmitting Covid-19.

If he still gets overheated, I saw somewhere that people were sewing little pockets inside masks to put tiny ice packs.  I'll take things one step at a time, but I wouldn't be opposed to trying this method as well.

He reads

As we enjoyed my son's last weekday at home for a while, we worked together to complete all his homeschooling work.  After wrapping up his Japanese, PE, Math, Life Skills, and Art, all he had left to do was read a book.  He was itching to play, so I told him he could play outside for a bit while I planted a couple more tomatoes.

While we were outside, a couple of the neighbor kids came out eager to watch him catch bugs with his new bug catching net.  They happily ran up and down the courtyard looking for butterflies and only catching potato bugs.

After a bit, I reminded him that he needed to read.  He disappeared for a couple minutes and showed back up with a book in hand.  I was fine with him reading outside.  So, I didn't say anything and just let him be.

Soon I could hear him reading aloud.  I looked up to find him reading aloud to the neighbor kids.

My heart just filled with mushy feelings to see him reading to these two little sweethearts.  Homeschooling has not been all sunshine and rainbows, but it has been pretty wonderful and rewarding way to bond with my son.  Luckily he has a lot of work to do in the English department that he won't be getting at school.  That responsibility will still be on my plate.

In need of a hug

What I wouldn't do for a hug right now.  Not just any hug, but a hug from certain individuals.  Everyone hugs differently and we come to rely on certain hugs from certain people to bring us joy, give us comfort, and connect us with the other person.

Don't get me wrong - my husband and son are doing their best in the hug department.  I love getting hugs from both of them.  Those two fill my love cup regularly.  I'm missing hugs from my loved ones in the US.

Since moving to Japan, I've gone back to the US every six months or so.  At this point, I have not been back for six months, but it feels like so much longer!  The US is feeling even further away than normal because I don't know when I will be able to go back for a visit.

For the past two months, Japan has required all foreign residents to get special permission to re-enter from the Justice Ministry.  While this seems like a simple hurdle, the fact of the matter is that the Justice Ministry is not releasing what is and is not a valid reason for travel outside Japan.  And they aren't planning on letting people know the rules any time soon.  

This means I am free to leave at any time, but I can't come back!  Since our livelihood and home are currently in Japan, this makes for a lot of stress.  What if I need to go see a sick or hurt family member?  Or worse?  NHK just ran a story about a man being denied a re-entry permit to attend his mother's funeral (click here for the article).  At what point will it be okay to travel and can I guarantee I will be allowed back in?

I keep having dreams about getting to immigration at the airport.  They let my husband and son through and then block me from entering - sending me screaming back to the US without my family.  It is an excruciating way to wake up.  

As Japan reopens following the end of the state of emergency, we see walls being removed and people able to leave the confines of their homes.  But for me, the walls just moved a little bit.  They are still very much there.  The walls have an exit, but no way to return.

No matter how much I want to see and hug my friends and family, it isn't going to happen any time soon.  And it crushes me to know this.

School bell is ringing

We received the official email from the school today.  Kids will return on Monday.

Each class will be broken in half, with half of the kids assigned to go first thing in the morning for two hours.  The other half will go to school for the same amount of time later in the day.  Schedules will change each week for at least four weeks.

I have so many questions!  With the kids only attending for two hours a day, what will the day consist of?

Since our homeschooling currently takes about two hours to complete, I can't imagine they would be able to cover the same amount of work in a classroom.  So that begs the question, will we still be doing supplemental homeschooling?

And, most importantly, will they clean the classrooms in between?  Japanese schools are well-known for having students clean the schools.  With Covid-19 still a concern, how will they make sure the classrooms are satisfactorily cleaned?  Will adults help or simply monitor (like I've seen in the past)?

Of course, I have mixed feelings about sending my child to school.  I'm sure this internal conflict is much more that the normal concerns and worries.  And I'm not sure anyone can fully calm my mind right now.  There are just so many unknowns.

Humidity is here!

While the rainy season isn't due to hit for another couple of weeks, it is already humid in Tokyo.  It is so humid, we had to turn on the air conditioner today and my son has already been bitten by a couple mosquitos!  Have mercy.  I am not ready for the heat with humidity as it is excruciating for me.  Of all the things I love about Japan, summer is not one of them.

Lifting of the state of emergency

My son and I got to spend some time at the park today.  We sat in a semi-wooded area that had almost no other people in the area.  It was a nice little break after spending the morning doing his homeschooling.

Afterwards, we walked to the store to pick up some allspice, which I needed for dinner.  As we walked home from the store, we passed by some budding hydrangeas.  The flowers made me smile, as I have always loved hydrangeas.  They are plentiful around here, making the season even better.

After coming home and eating dinner, it was time to watch the news.  The government officially announced the end of the state of emergency in the entire nation.  On the one hand it is a huge relief.  On the other hand, I wonder if we are really ready.  

I saw a report today by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government that showed the number of Covid-19 tests that were administered each day since the end of January.  With over 17,000 tests On April 3, 551 people were tested.  

Will the numbers stay down?  When will the next wave of infections surface and how quickly will the government respond when that happens?  There are so many questions racing through my mind.

At this point, my family will probably stick close to what we have been doing for the last month and a half (well, longer than that) for a while longer.  I know there will be a rush to get out and see and do.  We don't need to be part of that rush.

The white stuff

When I was a kid there were only four kinds of milk - nonfat, 1%, 2%, and whole.  If you wanted to get fancy, you could buy goat milk or soy milk, but that was about it.  

Over the years, milk has gotten fancier.  There is lactose free milk, vitamin fortified milk, and the list goes on.

It shouldn't surprise me that it is the same here in Japan.  Milk isn't just milk.  This recently came to my attention when a friend commented that she asked her husband to bring home milk so she could make yogurt.  Instead of bringing milk, he brought her "milk beverage" and her yogurt was an epic failure.

We don't drink milk.  In fact, we rarely have it in the house.  But I do make copious quantities of yogurt.  When I first started to make my own yogurt, my husband found organic milk for me to use.  Although I can only find it at one store in town, I dutifully buy that particular milk.

So, when she told me about the "milk beverage" I had to ask for a definition.  It turns out you can buy: 

• whole milk (gyunu), 
• lowfat milk (teishibounyu), 
• nonfat milk (mushibounyu),
• processed milk (kakonyu) meaning other ingredients such as butter or cream have been added to the milk, and
• milk beverage (nyuinryo) that have other non-dairy ingredients added to the milk

Processed milk (with cows), milk beverage, whole milk (orange)

This is another product that may seem easy to decipher, but you might not be buying what you wanted if you don't know the nitty gritty!

Many of the milk beverages are fortified milk, with calcium and iron added to it.  This sounds fine, just don't cook with it (for example, a cream sauce or yogurt) because it will not come out like you think it will!

If you really want to get whole milk, there is a trick.  On the top of whole milk cartons, there is a notch.  This is actually for visually impaired people to be able to quickly and easily determine if the milk is whole or not.  But I think it is useful for people who can't read Japanese labels!

A big cover up

Our Abe-masks have finally arrived.  Over a month and a half ago on April 1, Prime Minister Abe committed to sending 2 cloth masks to every household in Japan.  Knowing that many households have more than 2 people in them, there were a lot of jokes about how they would be distributed between the family members.

We didn't think much about the masks, other than wondering when they would arrive.

As time went on, we heard even more jokes about the size of them (fit a kid, but not an adult).  We were curious, but there was no sight of them.

Finally, they arrived today.  I checked the mailbox and there they were.  I think my husband was a bit disappointed I found them because he's mentioned their lack of arrival more than once.

I have to agree with the teasing.  They are comically small.

Avoid the "3 C's" - Closed spaces, Crowded places, and Close conversations.

Washing instructions and notes for daily life.

A note explaining the masks.

But I actually don't want to use the mask.  Stores, even online ones, have been out of thin elastic for weeks and weeks.  I am going to utilize the mask elastic for my own homemade masks.  So, they won't be going to waste.  They just won't be used for what they were intended for.

Coronavirus through a child’s eyes...

I saw this going around Facebook and thought I would ask my son about Covid-19.  These are his answers.  He is currently 6 years old.

1. What is Covid-19?
It’s a virus that looks like a crown. And if you get it you would cough and sneeze. That makes your breathing very hard. Hard to breathe.

2. How many days have we been home?
Aaaaaaa lot! It feels like 1,000, but it’s actually not.

3. Do you want to go back to school?
Which school?  I want to see my new friends and I do want to go to my new school.

4. Who is the first person you are going to hug when this is over?
Shin-kun. If I could I would do Kako-Chan.

5. Where is the first place you want to go?
US. Africa. And … ask me again later.

6. What do you think we can do to get rid of the Coronavirus?
Keep washing hands. 10 times a day. More vitamins. D!  Vitamin D the most!  But it’s really hard to get because you wear a jacket, you wear a mask...

7. Are mom and dad good teachers?
(Laughing)  Ummm… Very good teachers. 1,051% I can say they are good teachers.

8. How did the coronavirus start?
I don’t know. How did it???

9. If you had to wear protective clothing what would it be?
Mask, hat, jacket that won’t warm up, pants is what I would wear for protective clothing.

10. Are you enjoying being home?
Nods head yes. Yes I am enjoying. We can play games like we did yesterday. We could make stuff. I could do anything but not something that allows a park and play equipment and something else.

11. What is your favorite thing about staying home everyday?
I can be with my family.

12. What is your least favorite thing about staying home everyday?
I can’t be with my friends. Also I miss being at the park. Wearing a mask!

13. Is there anything else you’d like to say about coronavirus?
Bad coronavirus. I want to fling it into outer space. Coronavirus needs to move around. It doesn’t like to stay still. If we sent it there, it would be gone. That’s just a guess.
I’m very sad because our friends and us are getting further and further from each other. Coronavirus is bad.

Enjoying the little ones

I have always loved dill pickles.  It is something that I miss very much in Japan.  I can get jars of them at Costco (which I do), but I don't think I've ever seen them in any other stores here.  I've seen gherkins and cornichon and several Russian varieties, but never dill.  This also upsets my son, who got his vinegar obsession from me.  I've never met another kid who loves sour as much as my child!

While at a small grocery store (I still won't let my son go to the crowded big grocery stores, but I've relented on the smaller stores with much smaller clientele), my son asked for quail eggs.  "What do you want to do with the quail eggs?" I asked.  He replied "pickle them!"

When I was a kid, my stepmom introduced me to pickled eggs.  Simply hard-boil some eggs and drop them into the leftover pickle juice.  Let them marinate for a few days and then enjoy!  These eggs, in my opinion, are delicious right out of the jar, or to make egg salad or tuna sandwiches.

I've tried several recipes over the years (marinating them in pickled beet juice makes beautiful pink eggs), but I keep coming back to simple dill brine.

Since pickle juice is in such short supply here (will I ever get back to Costco???), I decided to make some myself.  I happened to have a small container of dill seed from my pea patch (community garden) that I had saved.  Using a recipe from foodinjars.com, my son mixed up the brine himself.  Then we just boiled the quail eggs, peeled them, and dropped them into the brine.

I learned long ago the easiest way to peel your quail eggs.  After cooling them in an ice bath, put them in a dry bowl or pan (I typically us the pot I boiled the eggs in).  Shake them to crack the shells all over.  Then pinch the bottom where the air pocket is and the peel will come right off.  My son loves doing this!

Quail eggs are incredibly popular in Japan.  They can be found at most grocery stores.  Besides using them in sushi, the tiny eggs are also popular marinated, fried, and hardboiled (in bento boxes).  We like them so much we had a small flock of quail in the US for a while.  At 2 years old, my son thought the tiny eggs were just his size.  He loved collecting them even more than the chicken eggs.

We can't have quail here (rules of our housing), but at least these eggs are super easy to find in Japan.  And we have no problems making our own brine.  The hardest part of the whole process is waiting a few days for them to really soak up the flavors.

Is the end near

There are talks about removing the state of emergency.  The Japanese government has already removed the edict for 39 of the 47 prefectures.  They say they might remove it for even more prefectures as early as tomorrow.

Using a simple calculation of how many new cases are diagnosed in the past week (less than .5 new cases per 100,000 people), government officials determine if the area is out of immediate danger.

Tokyo is not yet being considered for lifting the state of emergency, along with 2 other prefectures, as our numbers are still too high.

In addition to new cases, government officials are also monitoring capacity to provide medical services and how tracking systems are working (called polymerase chain reaction tests).  I wonder if these will be used to reinstate the orders, if needed.

I am hopeful that we are turning the corner.  But I am also afraid to be hopeful.  My son asks daily if Covid 19 is getting "bigger" or not.  I tell him what I know - the numbers are getting smaller, but we still need to be careful and do our best to not spread germs.

Study more, study harder

Over the past week, we have implemented official homeschooling in our home.  Using the materials and schedule the school sent home has given us direction and something to accomplish.

We start each day with a Japanese lesson and school life discussion, guided by my husband before he starts his work.  I then take over for math, physical education, crafting, and music.  I also listen to my son read a book (he can choose if it is in English or Japanese) and we do a short English lesson.

It doesn't take very long, because the work takes less than 15 minutes for each subject.

When people ask my son what he is doing these days, he exclaims how much he loves homeschooling.  I think he has missed the routine of school.  Although we had a schedule, it wasn't the same as knowing his teacher assigned the work.  Work from sensei is much more enticing than work assigned from mom!

So far, so good regarding homeschooling.  Who knows when kids in Japan will return to school.  But it feels like things are under control now that we've received guidance from the school.

Playing old school

Being at home so much has allowed us to delve into some of the more traditional Japanese children's games.  My son's latest obsession is kendama (ken-dah-ma).

The name "kendama" translates to "sword ball".  This is rather fitting since the toy consists of two wooden parts - a ball and a cross-shaped "sword" - connected by a 16-inch (40 centimeter) string.  The wooden ball has a small hole in one side.  There are cups on three tips of the sword and one spike.  The three cups are different sizes.

The game is played by tossing the ball and attempting to catch it in the various cups or the spike.  Although it sounds easy, it isn't.  It takes a lot of practice to develop any skills, let alone to be able to do fun tricks.

Although many Japanese people claim kendama is from Japan, it actually originated in either France, Greece, or China and came to Japan in the middle of the Edo period (reports vary between 1777 and 1778).  However, the modern version is quite different from the two ended (no cross-section) toy that arrived in Japan so many years ago.

It was first played with as a drinking game (drop the ball and you have to take another drink), but transitioned into a children's toy.  It was actually mentioned in a 1876 educational report by the Ministry of Education that kendamas were being played with in the public school system.  Popularity of the toy has grown ever since and can still be found in schools all over the country.

We've always had a kendama in our house.  My husband can do some tricks that he learned long ago, impressing myself and our son.

Now our son wants to practice constantly.  We don't mind at all because it strengthens hand-eye coordination, balance, and reflexes, as well as entertains him.

Splish Splash

We needed to run to Shimachu (a home improvement store) today to buy a bin for my worms, as well as a couple other things.  Since the weather was nice, everyone wanted to go.  We hopped on our bikes and rode through the park to the store.  It was noon and the park was packed.  The store had a lot of customers, but it wasn't too bad.

As we wandered about, we found everything on our list, as well as a couple other things that we decided we needed as well.  One of those items was a huge plastic tub for our son to use as a pool in our yard.  Since the yard is covered in rocks, he can't use a typical swimming pool out there.  We haven't had one in the past because we've always gone out to splash in fountains and streams around town.

My son has always loved playing in water.  When he was little, all we had to say was "o furo?" (bath in Japanese) and he would go running for the bathroom.  Not much has changed these last few years.  We've had him in swimming lessons, but those have been cancelled for months and who know how long it will be before they reconvene.

Thank goodness my son rode his own bike to Shimachu.  I perched the pool on the child seat affixed to the back of my bike for the ride home.  It is always entertaining to see how much we can balance on our bikes in order to get random things back to our house.

As we traveled back through the park, there were even more people there than the hour before.  Park officials were announcing over the loud speaker that there were too many people in the park and were asking people to leave.  I think the announcements fell on deaf ears, because no one was packing up to go.  Reports of new infections has been really low for the past couple days (under 10 for the past 3 days), so I think people are being really complacent and ignoring the warnings to stay vigilant.  We biked right through and headed home without stopping.

Before we even walked through the door, our son was planning his water fun.  It took a four buckets to fill the tub (no faucet or hose outside, so we have to haul water to the yard using a bucket - even to water plants).  He had a ball, splashing about and just being a kid.

I have a feeling this tub will be used again and again this summer, as he tries to cope with the suffocating heat of Tokyo and I try to figure out when it is okay to venture out into public.

Rainy day

The weather is giving us a run for our money.  Yesterday, it was sunny and 82°F/28°C.  Today was rainy, windy, and only 69°F/21°C.  Tomorrow will spring right back to sunny and 80°F/27°C.  It is enough to make a person feel unbalanced.

But life in general is really unbalanced right now.  Everything is going up and down and feels out of control.

The best thing about rain is the emptiness.  The majority of people stay home.  Being from the Northwest of the US, I have no qualms about getting my feet and shoulders wet.  So, I love walking in the rain and feeling the peace of my surroundings.  Even the grocery stores are less crowded because everyone watches their weather app and they know if they wait for just an hour the rain will be gone.  But me, I'm out there.  Enjoying the solitude.

The rainy season will be here sooner rather than later.  This year, even more than usual, I am looking forward to the arrival of the rain.

Fresh pages

I've been wanting something positive to read.  I have been trying to read "The Handmaid's Tale" by Margaret Atwood, but a story about a woman trapped in a world that she doesn't want any part of and yearns with all her being to be back to "normal" isn't my idea of a good story right now.

I tend to read pretty depressing books.  I'm fascinated with personal, historical stories, both fiction and non-fiction.  Stories of survival and overcoming adversity fill my shelves.  I also read a lot of "how to" books that allow me to learn new skills or dream of creating.

Oh, how I miss the library!  I might have a limited time to read the book, which can be tricky when one has a young child.  But the Hikarigaoka library has a huge selection of English books for adults and kids!  But, alas, they are closed until who knows when.

I didn't have a certain title in mind, just something that might make me laugh a bit and is a good story.  Instead of turning to Amazon (or another online vendor), I biked over to the used bookstore Book Off.  I've always had great success there finding random titles in English.  It has the best selection around.  If other shops even have English titles, the section is usually only a single shelf.

With my mask firmly in place, I sprayed my hands with sanitizer and walked into the store.  I went right to the English section and found a bunch of Japanese books.  Having no idea where they would move the section to, I walked up and down two other aisles, looking for English text on the bindings.

Not finding what I was looking for, I asked an employee for help.  Where were all the English books?  She informed me, they no longer sell English books (except textbooks to prepare for English exams) at that location.  But she could not tell me which locations still sold English books.

I was immediately frustrated beyond belief.  While I did not take it out on her, I wanted to scream.  There is something so soothing about perusing a bookshelf, imagining the stories I could dive into, worlds I could discover.  Searching online just doesn't do it for me!  It doesn't have the same satisfaction.  It isn't even about new versus used, it is about the experience of finding a book on a shelf that intrigues me enough to take it home with me.

Now I don't know where to turn to.  The other Book Off near me has never had more than 20 English titles at a time, usually less.  I'm not willing to get on a train.  It is too high risk for me.  I guess that leaves me with ordering online.  But what?  What will I get?

Will I ever finish "The Handmaid's Tale"?  Will I ever know what happens to Offred?  Who knows.  But before that can happen, I need a good laugh and an escape into a more positive world.

Fresh air

Ever since our little incident with our neighbor, my son hasn't wanted to play outside.  He comes up with all sorts of excuses.  But today, I wasn't hearing any of it.  We are expecting a big rain storm to come though on Saturday, so we need to get as much vitamin D before staying inside all day (yet again).

After he finished his schoolwork, I grabbed a thermos of water and some snacks and we headed to the park.  It has been forever since we spent the afternoon at the park.

We found a quiet patch of grass and laid a mat down to sit on.  My son found a decaying tree stump to investigate.  I relaxed and enjoyed the breeze.

The two of us played a bit, read "Ramona and her Mother", and talked about all sorts of things.  It was such a wonderful afternoon.  Just what he needed to reignite his love for the outdoors.

I'm so glad I was able to take him out and let him just play and be a kid for a while.  It is what all kids need right now - a little dose of their normal.  And for us that is playing outside.

More work on the forest

Besides school work, I'm running out of new activities to do in our home.  We are spending almost no time outside right now.  It can be tedious at times.

So, when my son is resistant to any of my suggestions, we work on the forest.  Today, we painted with sponges.  He was delighted.

He gets such a kick out of art projects.  I just have to have all the supplies ready!  Luckily, the art teacher has various activities for the kids as part of the school curriculum.  Today, my son cut along a squiggly line on a worksheet.  He was so impressed with himself.  And it was something that I would never think to have him do.

Back to school for a minute

My son went to school today - for ten minutes.  We received an email last week letting us know that he (and a parent, if desired) needed to come to school today any time between 9 am and 10 am to drop off homework and pick up new materials.

We had received a small packet of Japanese writing exercises and fun with numbers worksheets when we attended his welcome ceremony, but had not received any new work since.  I've been doing lots of English and math, plus a bit of Japanese, art, and science with him each day.  However, I didn't have a plan of any kind.  It was just whatever I could find or think up on my own.

Upon entering the school, we were directed upstairs to his classroom.  Since we didn't arrive right at 9 am, his classroom had cleared out of the first round of students (which was intentional).  He washed his hands at a sink in the hallway and then used alcohol spray before entering the room and finding his desk.  Then he listed to a very short welcome speech by his sensei (teacher).

I loved peeking through the open door at him sitting at attention in his desk.  He is so eager for elementary school to officially start for him.  When the sensei asked a question, my son spoke clearly and projected so everyone could hear.  My mushy heart just melts because I think it is adorable to see him being such a big boy.

The school sent home a huge packet of work, including a schedule for the kids to adhere to.  I'm thankful for the direction, even if it means trying to follow someone else's agenda.  For 2 and a half hours each day, we will follow a schedule that will introduce my son to his textbooks and doing various activities related to school.  The person or people who put everything together obviously worked hard and were very thorough.

So tonight, my husband and I have homework!  My husband will translate the schedule while I make sure I understand everything that needs to be accomplished.  Wish us luck as we embark on this new adventure - officially homeschooling!

Starting rice from seed

My husband and son received a small packet of rice "seed" (meaning totally unprocessed) from a shrine.  It came with instructions in how to grow it in a bucket.  We had to purchase the bucket and three types of soil.  Always looking for new things to try, we decided to try to grow some rice.  We're entering into this knowing that we won't be growing any measurable quantity of it.  It is more just a fun experiment to show our son all the stages that this vital crop goes through in order to get to the table.

We started with two steps - soaking the rice until it sprouted and drying out the soil.  Both of these steps were perfect for including our son.  He loved checking on the rice for hints of change.  Of course, mixing the soil (6 scoops of black soil, 3 scoops of medium grain soil, and 1 of small grain soil) was even more exciting.

A couple days later, when the rice was ready, we turned the dirt into mud.  Getting to mix the water with the dirt was what many kids dreams are made of, so my son was super keen to stir it all together.  He needed a bit of help towards the end because it is rather thick!

Once properly mixed, he dropped the sprouted rice with at least a 1 inch space between each grain.  Then he poked each one down so it disappeared under the mud (about a 1/4 inch).

Now the waiting game begins.  This is normal for gardening of any kind.  The anticipation.  The wonder if we will be successful.  The hope.  It is all there.

Mother's Day surprise

While I did receive flowers from my husband on Mother's Day, that wasn't the big surprise.  They weren't even the typical Japanese Mother's Day flowers of red carnations.  Instead they were my beloved gerbera daisies and roses.

I also wasn't surprised when my son tried to not let me come downstairs in the morning, but later ran to get me saying "momma, come quick!"  My boys are rock stars when it comes to making me breakfast on the weekends.  Today they went all out and made a traditional Japanese breakfast of fish, tamagoyaki, miso soup, and rice, along with matcha tea.

What was surprising was when they left me for a couple hours in the afternoon and returned with worms!  What???  Well, these are special composting worms known as red wigglers.  Their poop is known in the gardening world as the gold level of compost.

I have bemoaned not having a worm bin here, so my husband and son thought I would be happy to receive a package of red wigglers as a gift.  They had to visit two fishing shops (which I doubt there are many of in Tokyo) to secure the worms.  Some people "raise them" not for gardening, but for fishing because they multiply quickly and are easy to manage.

I couldn't be more thrilled with receiving this thoughtful gift!

I had some coconut core bricks from gardening that I was able to hydrate and build them a bed inside a plastic bin we had on hand.  We tucked some celery leaves and an apple core into the bedding and tucked the worms in for some excellent dining.  Now all we do it wait for them to eat more of our kitchen waste and turn it into amazing plant food.

I doubt that I will be sharing this new venture with many of my Japanese friends.  They already think I am weird because I had chickens and ducks in the US without being a farmer.

This was definitely a memorable Mother's Day!  One that I will be able to reflect upon for a very long time.

*****************
If you are interested in vermicomposting, I learned everything from the book "Worms Eat my Garbage" by Joanne Olszewski and Mary Arlene Appelhof.  It is an amazing resource!

A kind offering

While on a bike ride with my husband and son, we passed by a bean shop.  I love these stores, filled with all sorts of bulk beans.

Since we are really trying to support local shops these days, we decided to stop and buy some beans.  It also helped that we didn't need to actually enter the store.  We just stood at the door and told the owner what we wanted.

Unfortunately he was almost out of chickpeas.  Instead of telling me tough luck, he kindly gave me what he did have (about a 1/2 cup) for free.  This always impresses me, as I would like to think that is how I would run a business if I had one.

The man was overjoyed to sell us some of his goods.  As we wrapped up the transaction, he took two disposable masks from a package and put them into a plastic bag.  He handed it over and told me "presento, presento!"

I was so taken aback by his kindness.  Masks are still in high demand and low supply, so to give them away to his customers was extremely generous.  It is little actions like these that keep my faith in humanity.

Sign of the past

My husband likes to watch Nerima Hotline, a television show about Nerima.  He's learned lots of things about our area.  It has given us tips about great restaurants, cultural events, and things to go see.  Even though it is a bit cheesy, it is also interesting.

He recently found old shows on YouTube.  One of those episodes talked about the history of Hikarigaoka Park.  We did not know it was an American military housing complex for over 20 years after World War II!  When we first moved here, we were told the promenade was originally an airport runway called Nerimasu Airfield.  But we didn't know anything beyond that.

The show had lots of photographs of the area, which we found to be very interesting.  Known as Grant Heights, the area was a "town within a town."  When it was given back to the Japanese government in 1973, the name changed to Hikarigaoka and the park was created.  It turns out that there is only one sign remaining of the park's days as a base - and it really is a sign.

After watching the show (which my husband translated for me), we decided to seek out the sign.  There is a gated area in the park where an old building once stood.  The "no parking" sign is almost hidden near the fence, facing out toward the park.  The English letters are almost illegible, but it still displays a bit of local history.

I was so happy to learn something new about our neighborhood.  There's always new-to-me factoids to acquire.