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.