Sorry

No post tonight... With Covid number going crazy, we're not doing much of anything right now. Hopefully, I will have something interesting to report next week.

Summer has officially begun

Just as the rainy season was coming to an end last week, the cicadas began to sign the song of summer. To many Japanese people, the constant chirping is the sound of summer.

Right behind the cicadas came the start of summer vacation from school. It is a short six week break, but includes a good portion of homework to keep kids on their toes. My second grader is taking the workload in stride, tackling a little bit of it each day and thinking hard about what to do for his summer project. Last year he did a study of rhinoceros beetles. This year he is going to do an art project.

The bugs and beetles are out in full force in the park, encouraging the annual tradition of nighttime bug hunts. We have a new rule that our son can bring home a beetle from the park to observe, but must return it no later than one week later. So far, this has been a great compromise.

The heat has hit full force, with temps above 34°C (91°F) almost every day for the past week. I'm trying to get out in the morning and spend the afternoons indoors, but sometimes I barely get my potted plants in the yard watered.

And, tonight, the Olympics officially began. We stayed at home to watch the opening ceremony on television. It is weird knowing that this huge event is happening in my backyard (the Olympic Village is only 18 km/11 mi from my house), yet we are so distanced from the whole affair. For me, this Olympics will be the same as all the others as far as my only connection to it being via television. Long ago I thought we would go to one or two of the smaller events, but that is definitely not going to happen. I just hope that everyone is as safe as possible (although I've already read about 71 confirmed Covid cases associated with the games...).

While I have dreams of road trips, camping, and simply taking my son out into nature, I am coming to the realization that it just isn't going to happen this summer. When I told my friend this earlier today, she laughed and said "so you're wanting to give him an American summer?" I hadn't realized it, but her remark was right on the money. I'm just thankful that my son adores Japanese summers filled with bugs, fireworks, and finding a multitude of ways to beat the heat - especially with cold treats like shaved ice.

A stitch in time

After writing about feeling stressed, I got a message from my mom. She suggested that I do a sewing project to occupy myself. I considered her advice and settled on doing a traditional Japanese hand-sewing project, called sashiko.

Sashiko, a traditional Japanese embroidery style, dates back to the Edo period. It was originally used to make stronger workwear, weaving several layers of cloth together, but has evolved into decorative stitching used on clothes, quilts, and crafts. The most popular patterns are fish scales, diamonds, mountains, bamboo, persimmon leaves, arrows, pampas grass, shippo-tsunagi (geometric design that encompasses four eclipsis and a single circle) and interlocking geometric shapes.

I was surprised to learn that there typically aren't knots in sashiko. When starting a new thread, you sew a few stitches backwards and then go in the opposite direction. It is amazing how well it holds without tying off the threads.

I bought several sashiko kits at a fabric store to make handkerchiefs. Most Japanese people carry handkerchiefs since paper towels are rarely offered in public restrooms. So, these would be handy to have.

I quickly got busy stitching away.

Left: goldfish
Right: fundo

Left: dragonflies
Right: rabbits

shippo-tsunagi or seven treasures

It was a nice distraction from the chaos of Covid. I'd turn on an audiobook and stitch away, losing myself in the rhythm of moving the needle.

It was the perfect suggestion.

A waiting game

I’m feeling stressed. As time goes by, it is compounding and not reducing. The anxiety of Covid is unrelenting and continues to mount.

Tokyo’s numbers are on the rise, yet again. The government declared the 4th state of emergency for the prefecture since the pandemic first gripped the area on Wednesday. With almost 900 new cases reported yesterday, I find myself retreating into my home once again.

I thought that I would relax a bit after receiving my vaccine voucher, which I did last week. But it has only drawn out the anxiety. After more than 3 hours of working both online and on the phone, my husband was able to secure an appointment for me to get my first jab on August 12 - a month an a half after receiving my voucher.

He’s tried so many different options, but the earliest he could get me in was at a immunization clinic. Most private doctor offices were either out of appointments or we had to already be a client. I’m so thankful for his efforts, as everything I received was in Japanese and I would have struggled to understand how to do it myself.

We heard on the news that no one can make an appointment after August 23, as they are running out of vaccines and have not been able to secure more. This leaves millions and millions of people out of luck across Japan, without any hope to grasp onto in the near future. This tidbit of information makes me want to scream!

While this weighs on many, the government is still planning to proceed with the Olympics. While I understand that a lot of time and money has gone into planning and building this event, I cannot understand how they are going to orchestrate the games without endangering people’s lives. It makes no sense to me. I only hope that my fears are unfounded and we don’t have the same ramifications as I’ve heard about in other countries.

I am so thankful, my husband’s company will have an immunization clinic for employees that allows him to get a vaccine a whole month earlier than me. Although it means he will have to ride the train and go into the office (for the first time since late February last year), we felt it was the best option.

Normally, when I am this stressed out, I curl up with a good book or relax with a funny movie. But it feels like I have exhausted those options over the past year and a half. I am maxed out of patience and need a different stress reliever.

Safety patrol

My son's school has asked for volunteers for "Safety Patrol". They need parents to come and keep tabs on who enters the school, making sure that they need to be there.

It is a strange concept for me because in the US, the schools I attended hired people to do this. But here, it is different.

While I am so excited that I have found a way to volunteer at my son's school (I've actually been told I would be "too much trouble" by the current PTA president and discouraged from volunteering), but it is also weird for me. Why would they ask parents to do this? I just think a professional would be a better choice. But, it isn't how it is done here.

On the positive side, I am thrilled to be able to spend three hours in the company of a friend (we volunteer in pairs and my friend and I have signed up together). Plus, we are rewarded for our volunteering with lunch. My friend told me that many parents volunteer for the safety committee specifically to eat the school lunch

While the school lunch was more delicious than any school lunch I ever had in the US (my son's school has an onsite kitchen and they only use fresh fruit and vegetables), the real highlight for me was when my son stopped by to say hi on his way out to recess.

It was nice to ensure my son's school was safe. It felt good to volunteer and do my part is supporting the community.