1,000 thoughts shared

We moved to Japan almost three years ago.  That in itself is insane to me.  Has it really been that long?

Before we boarded that plane, I decided to write a blog for several reasons.  

1. To document the adventure for my family.  What we did and what our life was like.  
2. For friends and family back home in the US.  Staying connected is very important to me.  Sometimes that is difficult for people, so sharing about my daily life has been nice.  
3. To share a different perspective and show a different side of Japan.  Before I moved here in 2002, I had no clue about life in Japan.  Sharing my family's adventures has educated people about much more than just the shiny guidebook photos and websites.  I've been able to give a glimpse behind the curtain.  
4. To disclose some really neat locales that are lesser known.  There is so much more to Tokyo than Shibuya Crossing and Meiji Shrine.

1,000 posts later, I am still living in Japan and I'm still writing about it.  When I moved here, I, honestly, didn't think I would be here almost 3 years later.  I was fully intending on spending two years here and then going right back.  But life kept going.  My husband really likes the company he works for.  My son loves his friends and school life.  And I am happy to be with my boys.  Although we all desire to go back, it is complicated, and we are happy here - for the most part.

There is still so much exploring and experiencing to be had in Japan for us.  We've barely left Tokyo, only having a couple excursions to Osaka, Nara, Kyoto, Atami, and Izu.  Oh, and an awesome trip to Mt. Fuji!  But we have yet to venture up to Hokkaido (the northern island) or down to Okinawa (known to many Americans because of its military base).

Even when we aren't traveling around, I am still constantly learning about how to live in Japan.  There are so many rules, I don't think I will ever know exactly how to behave or what to do.  I, as a westerner, will always be a foreigner here.  But it has been interesting learning everything I have.  And the process of learning has definitely transformed into some entertaining tales.

As we all know, life is never what you expect.  There are lots of curveballs and chaos beyond our control.  Covid has been... overwhelmingly life altering, to say the least.  We have hunkered down and focused on our nuclear family.  The three of us have bonded in new ways and learned to relax a bit (we've never been really good at staying home and not having a long list of things to do).  And, most noticeably, we've stayed home.  

At this juncture, I've decided to reduce my blog entries to once a week.  After 1,000 posts, I think it is time.  I will still keep my eye out for fun little factoids about living here, but will reduce my emotional vomiting posts.  And, hopefully, one day, I can write about galivanting all around this beautiful country once again.

Waiting for a thought to come

I'm sitting here thinking about what to write.  Life is pretty uneventful, making it difficult to think of interesting topics.  I could whine about the school being resistant to getting me a translator, but I'm sure we just need to request it from the right person.  I've already complained about the weather.  Although the beetles continue to fascinate, they aren't interesting enough to write about again.   

Truth of the matter is that with not leaving the house very much due to Covid, I'm not really experiencing Japan very much.  While my son is at school, I'm taking an online course.  I cook a lot of western food these days because I get beautiful produce delivered each week.  And I take my son to ballet each week.

How can I write about Japan, when I'm barely experiencing it?

Insert nametag here

My son has to wear a nametag at school.  As long as we stay in Japan, he will have to affix a nametag to his clothes while learning.  

I never once wore a nametag at school.  So, I think it is very odd.  Why can't they teachers just remember the kids names?

Since I don't want to poke new holes in my son's clothing on a daily basis, I bought some patches with little loops hanging from the bottom.  

Instead of poking holes, he can just put the pin through the loop each day.  Weird problem, easy solution.

Summer homework assignment

My husband and I attended the first (and only) PTA meeting so far this year.  It was not what I was expecting for a PTA meeting at all.  Instead it was a presentation by our son's teacher about school life.  We saw photos of kids in the classroom, eating lunch, and cleaning the school (no custodians in Japan).

The teacher talked a bit about how 2020 has been such a strange year and how it has changed the school experienced for our kids.  Lunch in the classroom is a silent event.  Music class encourages quiet voices and no breathing into the melodicas.  There is no physical contact in P.E.  There are even dividers in the library for reading time.  Although the kids are happy to be there, it is really weird for them.

We also received a list of our son's summer homework.  I found it a bit eye raising for first graders...

• Daily journal of joy, goals/chores, and sleep schedule
• Daily tracking of reading
• Math flash cards (a timed event)
• 10 Japanese worksheets
• 10 Math worksheet
• Practice melodica, plus handouts
• Complete a science project or craft, optional
• Review of previously learned materials
• Extra work - write a book review up to 800 characters

They have 3 weeks to complete all this work.  When they say summer break in Japan, they actually just mean work from home.  Good thing we can't go anywhere these days!  I had planned on letting him spend hours at the park, but who knows if we will have time for that.

Raw fish for dinner

We decided to duck out for (another) conveyor belt sushi dinner.  We were having a break in the rain and I didn't feel like cooking.  Sushi is such an easy choice.  It is fast something everyone can agree upon.

Frankly, going to sushi for dinner is pretty normal for us.  

As we walked out of the restaurant, I had to stop in my tracks.  I immediately started laughing at this sight of the gatcha-gatcha machine they had near the door.

Whoever thought it would be a good idea to put a toy fish machine in a sushi restaurant entrance has a good sense of humor.  But the person who decided to put a fish toy that squeezes to reveal fish eggs is hilarious.

It was just something that made me chuckle today.  We all need those little things these days.

Ready for the next phase

The rain has been so intense that we can hear it at times through closed windows and over the air conditioner.  We have to run the air conditioner all the time as it is so humid.  We barely left the house this whole 4 day weekend.

In a few days, we will officially leave the rainy season and enter the summer season.  Also known as unbelievably hot and miserable season.  This year, the year of all crazy things, the rainy season is ending a few weeks later than usual.  

In order to save all my herbs, I cut them all this morning.  They have been beaten so much in the torrential downpours of the last few days.  I then proceeded to make 3 different batches of pesto that we will enjoy for quite some time.  

My family got in the action by helping to blanch almonds and remove herbs from stems, while I shredded parmesan and prepped the remaining ingredients.  A bit of herbs, a handful of nuts, some parmesan, and a clove or two of garlic.  Put everything into a food processer and pulse until combined.  Add in a glug of olive oil as it is running to create a beautiful sauce.

Even though we've been stuck inside, we're still having fun and getting stuff done that will help us in those hot summer days.  We're all ready for pasta summer salads and lots of roasted vegetables with pesto on top.

Eel for lunch

A popular food to welcome the summer is fresh water eel.  In fact there is a non-official holiday to celebrate this food.  We decided not to go out for eel on eel day because we didn't want to sit in a crowded restaurant.

Figuring that we would be safe from crowds after waiting a day or two, we walked to a local eel restaurant.  We've ridden past it many times, but never stopped in.  For some reason, we never think to eat eel on an average day.  Since we were not going to hop on a train and go to Kawagoe, like we have in the past, we decided to check out this new place.

Well, it turns out Kihara (key-ha-rah) isn't exactly new.  The restaurant is over 55 years old!  

We entered into the 16 seat restaurant and sat right down.  It was only us and the owners.  After ordering our food, the owners got right to work preparing our lunch.  Since it was a family owned restaurant, my husband asked if our son could watch.  They welcomed the audience.

He watched with focus as they gutted, grilled, steamed, and then grilled the eel again (this time with sauce).  Soon it was time to eat.

Our simple dishes of eel and rice were fantastic.  While sitting there, we all lamented that we hadn't gone to this restaurant before.  We are always looking to support family owned and operated restaurants, and this one fit the bill.  The food was excellent.  The owners were kind.  The décor was a bit dated, but it gave it a good feeling.

We haven't been out very much lately.  Between Covid and the rain, it has been hard to get out.  Going to Kihara was a wonderful time for us.  We'll be back again.  

Where are all the athletes

Today was supposed to be the Opening ceremonies of the 2020 Olympic games.  As we all know, they have been rescheduled, set to start in one year.  While countdown clocks may have been reset, the national holiday commemorating this special day was still held.

Known as Sports Day (Suportsu No Hi), the national holiday is typically held the second Monday of October.  However, this year, the government moved the holiday to coincide with the opening ceremony.  It is celebrated in Japan with sports festivals at schools, which are so much fun for everyone involved.  So far, we've participated in 2 of them (first year and second year of kindergarten), creating fun memories for our son.

While it is unfortunate that the games had to be rescheduled for Covid, we are thankful for this fun holiday.  Our family took a walk between rain showers and my boys went on a bike ride later in the day.  We look forward to hopefully being able to enjoy a sports festival, or undokai, at our son's elementary school in October.  Time will tell if that can happen or not.

Celebrating the sea

My son didn't go to school today.  Technically, he shouldn't be in school right now anyway.  Due to Covid, the summer break has been shortened from 6 weeks to 3.  But he didn't go because today is a national holiday known as Umi No Hi, or Marine Day.

This special day is to celebrate the ocean and all that it provides to this island country.  It is a new holiday, only becoming official in 1996.  Since it hasn't been around a long time, there are not many traditional ways to celebrate the holiday.

We chose to celebrate it by staying home and watching movies.  Actually, the weather dictated that more than anything else.  It poured and poured today, starting with a huge storm last night.  Despite not going to the sea, we did appreciate water today and everything it provides.  

Using the goods

Just 6 months ago, my friend and I made chickpea miso together.  It was a fun experiment as we both had never made it on our own before.  After resting in my closet under the stairs in the fermenting crock for those 6 months, it was time to take it out and try it.

As I pulled it out, removed the lid, and lifted the layer of salt (smashed onto the top of the miso with a few layers of plastic wrap standwiched between them to prevent air for hitting the miso), I prayed that I wouldn't find any mold.  Although technically you can scrape a small amount of mold off the miso and it is still fine, it doesn't mean anyone wants that to happen.

I was overjoyed to see that the miso was mold free and smelled amazing.  I took it out of the crock and put it into a jar that can be kept in the fridge to stop the fermenting process.  

Super happy to have successfully made miso, I decided to feature it in my family's dinner.  My Kasamatsu Farms order arrived today, which also inspired me to create a super delectable meal.  It was easy to decide that I would make miso ginger pork, string beans, and salad for dinner.  My boys would also enjoy a bowl of rice to round out the meal.

Everything came together seamlessly.  My son helped by whisking the miso sesame salad dressing as I measured out the ingredients.  I boiled the beans for only 1 and a half minutes (unfortunately the purple beans still lost most of their color, which is typical when you heat the beautiful dark colored beans).  The meat marinated in a bit of miso, honey, and freshly grated ginger while I was busy with the dressing, salad prep, and beans.  Then I simply pan fried the thin pork loin.  

Not only do I enjoy the process of making things, like miso, I also enjoy eating them!  It was such a wonderful dinner to enjoy after waiting 6 months to be able to try my miso.  I know it will bless my family's table again and again over the next year.

**********************

Miso Ginger Pork

2 tbsp miso

1 tbsp honey

1 tbsp grated fresh ginger

4-6 pork chops or thinly sliced pork loin

• Mix miso, honey, and ginger together in a bowl.  Taste to make sure balance is to your liking.
• Marinate pork for 15 minutes minimum.
• Sauté in skillet until cooked through or grill to desired doneness.

Miso Sesame Dressing

1 1/2 tbsp miso

2 tbsp rice vinegar

1 tbsp honey

1 tbsp grated fresh ginger

1 tbsp sesame oil

1 1/2 tsp lemon juice

1 tsp sesame seeds, toasted

• Whisk the miso and rice vinegar together until smooth.
• Mix remaining ingredients together, whisking to combine.

A special test at school

I feel like I should be used to being thrown for a loop by now.  But, it doesn't seem to matter how long I live here, there continues to be stuff that just surprises me.

Long ago the government figured out it was easiest to have kids tested for certain diseases and have basic medical check ups at school instead of going to a doctors office.  Thanks to universal healthcare for children, we don't pay anything for these doctor consultations.

While in kindergarten, my son brought home a parasite test.  Thankfully, he doesn't have to do that one again.  However, today the school gave my son supplies for a urine analysis to test his kidney function.  

He brought home a little tray and squeeze bottle, as well as a plastic bag and label.  

First thing in the morning he has to pee in the little cup.  Then either his dad or I have to squeeze a small amount of his urine into the bottle that already has the label affixed to it.  The bottle is then tied into the plastic bag.  Our son will then take the bottle back to school for analysis.

While I think it is nice that I don't have to pull my son out of school for basic healthcare checks, it is still eye brow raising that I have to send my son to school with a small bottle of his pee.

I'm just super grateful that they no longer require a piece of poop!  My husband had to do that when he was a kid!!!

After school care

The school offers kids and families after school care.  The program has the kids do their homework (staff is available if kids need help or have question), then kids can play until 5 pm.  Of course, the kids can go home earlier if they want.  We pay just ¥500 ($4.67) per year for this service.

Activities at the after school program, called Hiroba (he-ro-baa), can be indoor or outdoors.  Kids can play games, do crafts, and use the playground equipment.

Our son has been begging to go to Hiroba.  I've been resistant to let him for several reasons.  1) I don't think he needs to spend more time at school than he already is.  2) When it is raining, the kids are spending even more time inside in a large group.  3) I miss him!

Knowing that he is desperate to play with friends, I finally relented.  Today, he was allowed to stay after school and enjoy Hiroba.  

Previously, my husband filled out extra paperwork to get a card that would be used to check in and out of the program, notifying us when he entered and exited.  This notification system will make me a little less stressed because I will know he is at school and not just wandering the streets of Tokyo.

Shortly before 5, we were expecting an email, but instead my husband received a phone call.  The first day of Hiroba resulted in an injury.  Our son fell off the jungle gym.  My husband hopped on the bike and quickly rode over to retrieve our son.  By the time he arrived, our son was mad.  He wanted to keep playing.  

When he arrived back home, I got a full report.  First he did homework.  Then he played some games - both by himself and with friends.  Finally, they were playing outside when his hands slipped on the jungle gym and he went crashing down.  After brushing himself off, he went to exit the play structure and bonked his head once again.  It was not a proud moment.

He is looking forward to going again.  Hopefully next time it doesn't end in an injury.

It felt like a vacation

Late last night, my husband ran a quick errand to the video store.  The forecast said we were going to have the 21st straight day of rainfall and we were preparing to stay inside yet again.  I just finished reading the classic, James and the Giant Peach, to my son.  So, we were going to watch the movie.

But when we woke up, the sun was shining and the day was calling us outside.

I quickly did a load of laundry.  When the sun is out, you need to put everything out on the line.  Not only did the sheets get washed, the comforters and quilts were aired out as well.

As soon as our chores were done, we headed out for an adventure.  We rode our bikes over to Toshimaen, the classic little theme park.  Toshimaen is set to close at the end of August, making room for a Harry Potter theme park.  It is a bittersweet goodbye.

While the boys rode a couple ride (with vehicles wiped down between each rider and only every other seat filled), I wandered over the Giant Step to grab burgers for lunch.  We enjoyed a lovely outdoor lunch on the park premises before I headed off to do some shopping.

The boys returned in the late afternoon, just about the time I was ready to head out again.  This time we just hopped over to Hikarigaoka Park.  

I picked up food for a picnic while doing my shopping.  That way we could enjoy the rest of the day in the park.

My son received a slack line for his birthday.  A slack line is similar to a tightrope.  He has been eager to use it, but with the rain, it has mostly sat in the closet.  I've never seen one in Japan, and it proved to be quite the attention getter at the park.

By the time we returned home, we had spent the entire day outside.  It felt like a vacation after the last few months we've had.  Spending the day with my boys, outside, and feeling the sunshine, was incredibly rejuvenating.  Just what the doctor ordered.

Tako-yum!

My son has been dropping hints for weeks.  He wanted to eat takoyaki - little balls made from a flour dough with octopus (tako in Japanese) inside.  A popular food from Osaka, where my husband is originally from, we were always eager to eat it.  It has been really hot though, and the thought of sitting around a hot skillet at the table was not appealing in the least.  

Since today was chilly (I even had on long sleeves!), we decided it was now or not for another couple of months.  

I am now basking in takoyaki delirium, similar to a thanksgiving hangover.  It is a happy place to be.

To read more about takoyaki, click here.

Enough already

We've had 18 days straight of measurable rain in Tokyo.  Even for the rainy season, this is a lot.  

I'm used to rain and grey weather.  Coming from Seattle, it is just part of my blood.  But after spending much of the spring inside...  Ugh.  I'm just done.  

I'm not looking forward to the heat of Tokyo's summer weather, but I would appreciate a break from the teeter-totter we've been on.  Waffling between 21°C and 34°C (70°F/90°F) from one day to the next is really hard on the body.

Why can't we just find a comfortable 27°C or 28°C (80°/82°) and stay there?

Go or stay

The Japanese government is trying to promote traveling domestically.  The economy is hurting (just like it is all over the world), and they want to get people out and spending money.  However, the rates of Covid infections is on the rise - especially in Tokyo.  So, they want people to travel and spend, unless you are from Tokyo.  

We had 284 new cases today in Tokyo alone.  This is really discouraging.  I'm nervous for the upcoming summer season (if this rainy season ever ends, that is).  I am sure my family will be sticking close to some, reminiscent of the quarantine earlier this year.  This thought depresses me so much.  

I miss traveling around Japan and actually doing things.  I miss exploring with my family and expanding our horizons. 

I want to stamp my feet like a young child and scream "Covid go away and don't come back!  Leave us alone!!!"  I'm sure I am not alone in this sentiment.

Cooking healthy food

I'm not going very many places these days.  With my son in school, and Covid on the rise again, I just don't get out much.  So, I am extra grateful on Wednesdays when my produce order from Kasamatsu Farms arrives at my door step.

Since my husband prefers to cook most Japanese recipes in our house (I play with them too much, in his opinion), I just whip up whatever comes to mind - which usually isn't Japanese food.  As long as I serve rice on a fairly consistent basis, he doesn't complain that we don't eat enough Japanese food.

I was super excited to enjoy the green beans from our produce box.  I made a stir fry for dinner focused on the tender-crisp bean.  I balanced out the beans with thinly sliced pork, red bell pepper, and maitake mushrooms.  I cooked everything with a bit of salt and freshly grated ginger, then tossed on a sauce of soy sauce, rice vinegar, and mirin right at the end.  I garnished it with some chopped peanuts for a bit of crunch.  It was fast, easy, and delicious.

My son had his eyes on the blueberries.  We don't have fresh berries very often because organic berries are really hard to find.  After eating over a cup of them for his afternoon snack (along with a handful of mixed nuts), we got busy making a blueberry buckle.  The recipe we used (from America's Test Kitchen) whips up the batter in the food processor.  So, I measured everything out, and he combined it by hitting the pulse button repeatedly.  He also cracked the eggs into the batter, which is always one of his favorite jobs.  Once we poured the batter into the buttered pan, he dropped the berries on top.  

If I'm not going anywhere, at least I can whip up delicious meals with beautiful produce.  Nothing beats fresh fruit and vegetables!

********************************

Green bean and pork stir fry

2 tablespoons soy sauce 

1 tablespoon rice vinegar 

1 teaspoon mirin (or sugar)

1 pound green beans, trimmed and cut crosswise into 2- inch pieces 

4 teaspoons vegetable oil 

2 tablespoons minced, peeled peeled fresh ginger 

1/2 pound thinly sliced pork

2 pkgs maitake mushrooms

1 red bell pepper, cut into thin strips 

1/3 cup dry-roasted peanuts, chopped 

Cooked rice, for serving (optional)

1. In a small bowl, mix soy sauce, vinegar, and sugar; set sauce aside. 
2. Cook green beans in a medium pot of boiling salted water until crisp-tender, about 4 minutes. Drain; set aside. 
3. Heat 1 teaspoon oil in a large skillet over medium-high. Add half the ginger and pork; cook, stirring, until pork is no longer pink. Transfer to a plate. Repeat, cooking remaining ginger and pork in another teaspoon oil; transfer to plate. 
4. Add remaining teaspoon oil to the skillet. Add mushrooms; cook until tender and slightly browned.  
5. Add beans and bell pepper; cook until peppers are tender, about 2 minutes. 
6. Add pork mixture and reserved sauce. Cook, stirring, until pork is coated, about 1 minute. 
7. Top with peanuts.
8. Serve immediately, over rice, if desired. 

A night off

The rains continue.  Tonight I shall hibernate and take the evening off.

More bug hunts

My son is loving all the neat beetles living in Hikarigaoka Park.  He and his dad have created a special daddy/son tradition going on bug hunts.  Recently, they joined a group of dads and kids to seek out beetles after dark.

From 8 to 10 pm they shone flashlights on trees and tried to net beetles and avoid the cockroaches.  

This time they were lucky and found another type of kuwagata, or stag beetle climbing on the trunk of a tree.

My son brought it home, happy to be able to view it for a short while.  The bugs certainly are very interesting here.  I would say it is because I didn't grow up with them.  However, beetles seem to be a national obsession for Japanese children.  

He has invested his own money into a cage in order to observe it.  It is quite interesting.  Something that I never thought I would be willing to allow these guys in my house, but they really are interesting to watch.

The beetles I can handle.  But I draw the line at the cockroaches he is now talking incessantly about...

Pleasure of the peach

My husband was watching tv last night when our beloved Ringo appeared on the screen.  While I typically get annoyed by Japanese television (they like to have panels of people watch other people eat things - a lot!), I was excited to see Ringo on the screen.  

We haven't been in months, so we all drooled and pined for their delicious apple custard pies.  But they weren't featuring the shop for their apple hand-pies.  They were on tv for another reason.  Well, another flavor, actually.

Ringo is currently selling peach custard pies!!!  My head wanted to explode from excitement.  Oh, how heavenly that sounded!

We didn't have any plans, so it didn't take much consideration.  After a morning spent cleaning the house, we hopped on our bikes and headed to Ikebukuro.  

Luckily, Ringo no longer has a limit of 4 hand-pies, so we were able to buy some for our neighbors as a special treat.

It was afternoon by the time we got home, but we decided we needed to wait until after dinner for the peach delicacies.  The wait was torturous!

As soon as dinner was wrapped up, we unwrapped our peach custard pies and dug right in.  And it was totally worth the 18 km (12 mile) bike ride, enduring the heat (32°C/89°F), and mustering the required patience.  The pies had robust peach flavor from both the fruit and the custard.  

Sometimes life requires a bit of a treat, even if you have to work for it.  

Saturday school - elementary style

As my husband, son, and I sat at the breakfast table, my husband said "this brings back memories."  He was thinking about every Saturday morning as a kid, when he went off to school.  While I grew up knowing that only kids that got caught doing bad things had to attend school on Saturday, it has always been different in Japan.  School in this country has historically been 6 days a week.  Nowadays, Saturday is school is limited to once a month.

We took our son to kindergarten once a month on Saturdays for the past two years.  Those days were all fun.  Games, singing, and playing together were the focus of each of these class times.  All of them also included a parent.  

Today was the first Saturday school for his elementary school.  The day was pretty much like any other day at school.  Typically Saturday school is a way for parents to observe their kids in the classroom.  Due to Covid, parents were not able to tag along with their child.

So, our son went to school.  He attended Japanese, math, and art class.  The only difference was that he came home before lunchtime instead of enjoying school a meal with his classmates.

While I can't stop thinking Saturday school is a horrible idea and a form of punishment for kids, it is the way things are done here.  And, frankly, my son is thrilled to go to school even if it is on the weekend.  He looks forward to learning and being with other kids.  So, who am I to keep him home on Saturdays just because it doesn't fit my idea of fun.  

We made sure to have fun the rest of the day by going to the park as a family and enjoyed a late night bug hunt.  

I cancelled it

My son and I were supposed to go to the dentist today.  But I just couldn't bring myself to go.  Teeth are very important.  We love our dentist.  But Covid is on the rise again.  243 new cases in Tokyo alone today.  I know this doesn't compare to the numbers in many US states, but it still scares me.

I hope I feel comfortable rescheduling soon, because teeth-care is very important.  But, today, I just couldn't make myself take my son on a train.  

Toy cake

Recently we indulged in mini cakes from Cozy Corner Bakery.  Each month they have a little set of cakes with a special theme (like this summer set we enjoyed last year).

This month the cakes feature the Toy Story movie series.  As a big fan, my son was eager to eat these cakes.  

Each one was decorated in honor of one of the characters (left to right, bottom to top): Bo Peep, Woody, Ducky & Bunny, Mr. & Mrs. Potato Head, Buttercup, Rex, Alien space ship, Buzz Lightyear, and Slinky.

It was a fun little cake break that we enjoyed with our neighbors during a socially distanced catch-up while we stayed in our own little gardens, and chatted over the wall between rain showers.

The sound of music

My son came home from school full of joy.  He opened the door and announced his arrival.  "I have it!  I got to bring it home!"

I rushed to the door to greet him with hugs (which I do everyday regardless of his entrance).  He held in his hands a light blue case.  Inside was the prize of many first graders in Japan - a "kenban harmonica" or Melodica.  Kids here learn to play the little piano attached to a mouthpiece that they have to blow through.

After washing his hands and putting his water bottle in the kitchen, he broke open the new instrument.  Then he played and played and played.  

He played so long, I wished it came with ear plugs.  I'm sure once he learns a song or two it will improve, but until then... wish me luck.

Bugging out

One of the things my son loves most about living here is the bugs.  They are so interesting for him to observe and learn about.

He recently acquired two new bugs - a praying mantis he found near our house and a rhinoceros beetle that was gifted to him.  

Today was a very exciting day on the bug front.  

We discovered the praying mantis has molted.  It is something that isn't seen every day.  My son was so excited, he ran to show the neighbor kids.  They were equally impressed.

In the evening, my son went to the rhinoceros beetle's cage and shouted for my husband and I to come immediately.  He was thrilled to see the beetle eating the sweet, high protein jelly that is the beetle's food.  They are nocturnal creatures, so it was very fun for him to see so much action during daylight hours.  

Both bugs can be found in the park on a fairly frequently basis.  We just can't seem to get enough of watching them!

Flooded

When my husband was a kid (40 some odd years ago), there were not horrendous floods each and every rainy season (of which there are two every year here).  But since moving here, we have witnessed catastrophic flood after catastrophic flood.  

Tonight's news was an hour and 45 minutes, with only 5 minutes dedicated to Covid-19.  So much devastation. It is heartbreaking.  

Most of the damage is in the southwestern part of the country.  The news reported 44 people have died.  

This country is really having a tough time right now.

Re-elected

Tokyo hit the polls today to vote for the governor race.  There were 23 candidates in this election, a record number of people vying for the position.

My husband took our son to the local polling station.  I'm so used to using mail-in ballots, it is still interesting for me to have him "go" and vote.  But I actually think it is a great thing for our son to see and learn.  

We had the television on at 8 pm, when the polling stations officially closed.  Within seconds, the incumbent, Governor Koike, came on screen to accept the results of her re-election.  

I was surprised since the voting is not done electronically.  It is with paper and pen.  But the results were announced based on the exit polls, of which she received 60% of the vote.

I am guessing it will be confirmed in a day or two after the official ballots are actually counted and registered.

New set of wheels

After two and a half years, it was time for an upgrade.  My son refuses to stop growing (I ask him to do so on a regular basis).  We've moved his seat up and up until there wasn't any more post left.

Once it stopped raining this morning, we headed to a local bike shop to pick out a bigger set of wheels.  

The whole process didn't take long at all.  He tried a couple styles and narrowed his choices right away.  After a quick think, he selected one that reminded him of the Hayabusa shinkansen because of the similar colors.

The staff grabbed the bike and made sure it was in perfect working order (attached petals, adjusted the seat, tightened a few bolts...) while my husband filled out all the paperwork.

Bikes here are not just a fun activity.  They are a way of life.  There is no way we would be able to live without a car if it were not for our bikes.  And since we haven't been on a train in three months, it has been our only mode of transportation beyond our own feet.

He had to ride the bike home from the store, which soon turned into a family ride through the park.  He was thrilled to see how much easier it was for him to get up hills and that he could keep up with us with a lot less effort.

Not only is a new bike lots of fun, it's also very useful.  

The uniform has power

Lunchtime in elementary school is a very big deal.  Kids in Japan do not bring their own lunch to school.  Pretty much everyone eats the lunch provided by the school. (I'm sure some kids with severe allergies bring their own lunches.  But those are the exception, not the rule.)

Unlike American schools, Japanese kids eat in their classroom.  Each week a group of kids are on "kitchen duty".  These kids are in charge of picking up the meal from the kitchen, serving it, and returning all the dirty dishes back to the kitchen.

Typically, while the selected few report to the kitchen to pick up the meal, the remaining students reconfigure the classroom for meal time.  Classrooms are often changed to have everyone sitting in a large circle, which helps with chatting.  Due to Covid, students currently sit in rows and are not allowed to chat while they eat.

At my son's school, the food is cooked on site using fresh produce.  It doesn't arrive in frozen packets only to be heated and served.  I had a question about the milk they serve the kids, and I received the answer from the school nutritionist.  I found that to be really impressive.

My son has been looking forward to kitchen duty since he started eating lunch at school.  I think the highlight for him is wearing the uniform.  Each kid gets to wear a jacket and hat when they are on kitchen duty.  They also wear a mask, but that is standard these days regardless of kitchen duty.  When explaining this to me, my son enthusiastically informed me that at the end of the week he got to bring home the uniform so I could wash it. Lucky me!

Within minutes of returning from school today, he put on the uniform to model it for me.  Although I am biased, I did think it was rather cute.

I'm glad that my son enjoys his school lunch experience.  I'm even more glad that it appears to be 1000% more healthy than what I ate as a kid.

Come back already

I find it to be the strangest thing that elementary school students come back at different times every day.  As their schedule differs from day to day, so does the time they come home.

As a mom who impatiently waits at home for her newly minted first grader to return, the different schedules really annoy me.  

Once home, he has about 15-20 minutes of homework each night.  It is typically writing characters, simple math, or reading.  I point blank asked the teacher, and he told me that as a first grader my son should never have more than 1 hour of homework.  I personally think that is way too much!  But I guess we'll cross that bridge when we come to it.

So far, my son is enjoying school.  Although he does report it is "a bit boring."  Due to Covid-19, there are rules set in place that really limit the kids.  For example, during music class, the kids have to stay in their seats, wear masks, and sing softly, so to not spit too much.  I'm sure rules, such as this, make school more boring.

The whole family is continuing to adjust to elementary school life.  I'm sure as we get used to the new schedule, it will seem like old hat.  But it just takes some time.

I prefer kale

Some girls and guys like to receive bouquets of flowers to brighten their day.  While this brings a huge smile to my face, what really fills my heart with joy is a box full of organic vegetables.

Last week, I was scanning through Facebook and happened to notice a friend recommendation.  I don't typically pay any attention to these, but randomly decided to click on the link purely based on my other friends that person was friends with.  The person was posting about their farm, which offers a delivery service.  Immediately intrigued, I went to their website.  Kasamatsu Farms specialize in organic produce, which they deliver to the Kanto region (Tokyo is in the Kanto region).  

I immediately texted my husband - even though he was working upstairs in our bedroom.  "I HAVE to try this place!" I informed him.  He quickly replied with "I wish they offered a CSA!"  (CSA is community supported agriculture, usually defined as a crop share agreement.)

We placed our order over the weekend, when their "store" is open.  Since then, I have been (im)patiently waiting.  I didn't know what to expect.  Would the produce be wrapped in layers and layers of plastic packaging?  Would it be ample portions or tiny bites?  You just don't know until it actually shows up.

I was on a Facetime call when the doorbell rang this morning.  My friend delighted in seeing me shriek and race for the door.  After providing my hanko (name stamp), the delivery man gave me a nice sized box.

With my friend watching, I opened up the box and started digging inside, revealing all my treasures.  The first think I noticed was the newspaper everything was wrapped in.  There were only 2 pieces of plastic inside, wrapping our arugula and dill, very tender items that do better with a bit more protection.  My heart danced as I revealed our treasure of carrots, arugula, purple potatoes, dino kale, zucchini, and dill.  There was also a special gift of beets!

Everything looked so fresh, like I had pulled it from my own garden.  Even the greens, like the carrot tops, beet greens, dill, and arugula, were at peak perfection.  My heart soared!

Back in the states I ordered produce from farms to balance out what I grew at home.  But I have struggled finding the same thing in Japan.  If they deliver, it isn't organic.  It might be out there, but my husband hasn't found it.

After wrapping up my Facetime call, I joyfully made carrot top pesto, pickled beets (which I can't wait to add hard boiled eggs to in a couple days), and sautéed beet greens with breadcrumbs.  I wanted to use the most fragile items first.

By the time my son got home from school, I was wrapping up my time in the kitchen.  He excitedly perused the vegetable drawer, exclaiming over the huge bouquet of kale (he gets just as excited about vegetables as I do).  My favorite was when he opened the bag of dill, inhaled deeply, and said "momma, lets make pickles" in a hypnotic voice.

Dinner featured the sautéed beet greens with breadcrumbs with a garnish of carrot top pesto, which were promptly gobbled up.  The baked chicken and side of Israeli couscous with lentils was also good, but the real star was the greens.

I feel elated in a way that I haven't felt in a long time.  Not just from the delivery, but also from the amazing food I created in the kitchen using such beautiful ingredients.  Kasamatsu Farms has a new customer.  I can't wait to see what else they offer over the seasons.

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Carrot top pesto

1 clove garlic

1/4 cup macadamia nuts (or blanched almonds)
1 1/2 cups carrot top/leaves, removed from the stem

1/2 cup fresh basil leaves

1/4 cup grated parmesan

1/2 cup olive oil

1. Place garlic and nuts in the food processor.  Pulse until coarse.
2. Add carrot tops, basil, and parmesan.  Process until coarse.
3. Slowly pour in olive oil while food processor is running.  
4. Season with salt and pepper.

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Sautéed beet greens with breadcrumbs

2 tbsp. olive oil

3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

1 lb beet greens, thinly sliced

1/2 cup panko bread crumbs

1 tbsp. pesto

1. Put oil and garlic in cold pan.  Heat to medium heat, stirring often until garlic starts to brown.
2. Add beet greens and stir until wilted.  Don't put the lid on it, otherwise you will retain too much moisture.
3. Stir in panko, continuing to cook for 3 minutes.
4. Turn off the heat.  Add the pesto and stir in.