Not much going on today. The kids have gone with Baachan to some event at Aunty Mie's. I didn't want to go, I have too much work to do tidying up. How dull, but I'm sure, if I alternate the cleaning with the occasional email, blog, book or snack, I'll have a much more relaxing and productive day, and end up tonight with a yummy dinner and a clean living room.

So I will catch up on old blogs throughout the day. I have many, many photos to post! When I've done that, I should be able to add some words about what is going on in them.

BUBS. I have a bump, I can finally feel the uterus, it's around the level of my belly button. And I can feel little flips and kicks every now and then, both on my tummy and against various organs within.

Baby Words

Lena made me laugh today with her attempt to say 'disgusting' - 'skidusgy'. It reminded my I should write down my favorite baby words of theirs. She also said 'umbia', and it took me ages to figure that one out, until she finally showed me an umbrella. Also 'bwekawith' for 'breakfast'. And I'll never forget how she said - still says - 'What is the heck of that'

Amy said 'mopsh' for milk, another one that took a lot of figuring out. She also said 'onja' for orange juice, and 'meeshin' for medicine.

They are painting their faces like American Indians after watching Pocapontas yesterday. That's not a typo, it's how Lena says it, which I haven't corrected because it's too cute!

We have tons of balloons left over from the party. Today, Amy and Lena were playing with them when Lena knocked one in front of the computer where I am sitting updating my blog! She said, "Sorry Mum, the balloon wasn't concentrating"

Tuesday Catch-up

Phew! What a week! Three parties, two outings, two graduations and some work as well! Here is a brief precis -

- Monday, clearing out the living room
- Tuesday, Amy's graduation
- Wednesday, day trip to Space World amusement park with the kids for the 'kodomo-kai' (the group of children Amy and Lena walk to school with)
- Thursday, Lena's birthday
- Friday, Lena's graduation and a party for my night class in Buzen
- Saturday, work, cake decorating, and a party for my co-worker who is going to Tokyo
- Sunday, Lena's birthday party
- Monday, two classes, and a visit to the OB

Hello Baby

I had another appointment today, this time with a different doctor, a woman. I wonder how many they have there, I suppose if they are the only clinic in town, the OB ward at the public hospital has closed, then there must be at least three. She was okay, a little grumpy. The guy was nicer.

Since I have my Mother/Child health book, they did urine, weight and bp checks (kindly gave me a second one when the first was too high), as well as fundus and tummy circumference.

Finally, a tummy ultrasound. Did I mention that the other two were vaginal? And I see that they have fancy 3D u/s too. Which I know is just a rounded out version of the 2-dimensional u/s which itself is just an echo of a sound wave...it's so easy to believe it's photo, but it's not.

Anyway, he waved at me. Actually they can't tell if it's a boy or girl yet, maybe next time. Kanji asked me what I thought, and I said, "hmm, a boy", and he said "You thought Lena was a boy too" so obviously that means nothing at all! Heshe is 7cm long, with a 4cm head. I saw his straight spine as he tried to wriggle away. And his feet. I'm utterly convinced all these u/s are unecessary, maybe even risky, but they are damned hard to resist, and easy to enjoy!

I still didn't ask my questions. I need make a list so I remember things that I easily forget, because they are too obvious, like can Kanji come in with me? Exclusive breastfeeding, not only if everything is 'fine', because 'fine' will be according to their definition, for example, they might insist on supplementing if the baby has jaundice, or doesn't put on exactly xg after each feed, or anything! No episiotomy, and I know I won't be happy with 'we'll only do one if you need it' because I know they think 100% of first-time mothers 'need' one, so how can I trust their definition of 'need'? My problem is that I just know too much. I can't just go in and assume the doctor is doing nothing that isn't necessary.

Lena's Kindergarten Graduation

More songs and certificates, more tears!

It was held in the kindy classrooms, and Lena looked adorable in her pale check dress and pigtail plaits. It started with some very teary farewell speeches from the two foreign teachers, Rachel and Marcia, who are both leaving. They had some very sweet things to say about the children, and we were all left feeling sad and wistful, but knowing that they were not leaving because they didn't enjoy the children.








There were some songs, and the children got their certificates. I went up with Lena to get hers - as well as the certificate, she got a folder with photos and artwork from her year at kindy. I brought her last year's one to NZ, if anyone remembers...She also got a laminated ABC card set, that she drew the pictures for herself. Amy also got the same set, so now we have two.











Then they performed a little poem together, with each child saying one line. Lena said "I had so much fun, thank you very much". Then they all bowed.









We all trooped outside for a photo and final farewells, which took nearly as long as the ceremony! Lena's classes mothers had prepared several gifts - flowers from the children to the teachers, given separately by the children so they all gave one, and the teacher ended up with a bunch. A bead necklace made by one mother, a t-shirt printed with a photo of all the kids (a photo that was an incredibly pain to take as one kid after another broke down for one reason or another, Lena first because it was too bright), and cards prepared by me and signed by all the kids. More tears.

Happy 5th Birthday Lena!

My little baby is five years old today! And in an unprecedented move, I didn't take any photos today! Don't worry, there are going to be hundreds of photos over this week!

It was a kindy day for her, she couldn't miss kindy as it was her last day! Before she went to kindy she opened her present from Grandma - 'very wonderful and beautiful'. Amy was just as happy to see the two white ponies (Lena requested white ponies). They were ballerinas and sisters, so they were perfect for my two girls!

When she was at kindy Amy and I wrapped our presents to her. I gave her a ??? what to call it! It hangs off her bunk, like a kind of curtain, consisting of strips of felt with flat images of Stitch and his toy. I will get a photo sometime! Amy gave her hairclips and a necklace which promptly broke, and between us we gave her an Ariel (Disney princess) ring with an attached scarf.

Next we visited Daddy at work, where she got her No.1 best present - a radio-controlled car. A Nissan Pajero to be exact. She had coveted a radio-controlled car for sale at Jiichan's shop for some time, so she was thrilled, and thoroughly enjoyed playing with it.

Space World!

Space World

First of all, a link so it all makes sense to you. Space World is an amusement park with roller coasters and other rides and attractions. I went there years ago with Kanji and rode on the Titan and Venus. It has a space theme, so there are aliens, and a Nasa shop and a Star Wars shop with a life-size Jango Fett. I'm sure Peter would love it!

We met the Kodomo-Kai group at the station, and we all went there together, and got our tickets, but then inside, we separated and each person did their own thing. I was pleased about that, because with two small kids, we couldn't go on the roller coasters. Lena was just tall enough for some more exciting rides.

We started here at the Soft Egg bouncy thingy. The kids nearly wore themselves out here before we had even begun! Next we took a ride in the teacups, I ride I have coveted since childhood! It was major fun too! The best thing was that, unlike the big-kids rides, there was almost no waiting time at the kids' attractions! Next came the planes, trucks, carousel, and bus , the first ride that had a height check - Lena must be exacly 110cm at the moment, because she only just made it! Then we stopped briefly at the Space Jungle playground where the kids had a go at this vertical slide - you have to hold the bar at the top and go down with your hand above your head to stop you going down head-over-heels. If that sounds way too dangerous for the safety-paranoid Japanese, it was -they had playground assistants who climbed up with the kids and taught them how to do it properly!

We stopped for lunch, hot dog (I had a healthy salad pita bread roll, but coveted the hot dogs so much that I am going to cook them for dinner sometime!), and went to the Galaxy theater, which wasn't an iMax, and I had thought, but the kids have never been to the cinema before, so it was a big deal to them. It was a pretty cool short movie about a dinosaur world, visually stunning, but not the most impressive film I've seen. Then we went here , a maze and slides inside the volcano. They were tube slides, and very dark at first, so I had to go down first, braking on the way, with the kids behind me. They got some confidence after that and slid down happily over and over again.

We stopped after that for ice cream, then went to the Star Shaker, a virtual reality attraction with a movie screen and moving seats. And boy did they move! The movie was an Indiana-Jonesish adventure, basically with a lot of scenes of going down rushing rivers and waterfalls and once down the throat of a snake. That was the best fun so far, and Amy wanted to go round and get on again, but I vetoed it because my precious tum was getting a bit shaken up! Welcome to Space World junior!

Next we went into the Space Dome for the Mission to Mars, another VR attraction, where after a briefing, you walk down Star-Trek-like corridors to a space shuttle in front of HUGE screen, then go for a VR spaceship ride from Mars to Earth. Or vice versa, I wasn't really sure what was going on! It was fun though. Then a giant blow-up space-ship slide, which I got to go on because kids under 7 needed an adult to accompany them.

We had just enough time at the end to go to the 4D theater, which was dumb, pretty much a let-down for the last event of the day. The 3D part was fun - watching the kids reach out to try to touch the things that came out at them. But the 4D stuff consisted of a blast of air at our heads, getting whacked on the ankles with a little rubber strip coming out from the chair, and then at the very end, the chairs moving back a little.

We finished up in the shops, where I bought a space blanket, a dinosour egg (which has now hatched, the girls called her 'Puppy', made a cage for her, and fed her soggy cornflakes) a wooden dinosaur to construct (unfinished), and some astronaut freeze-dried food.

Kindergarten Graduation

Amy's career in kindergarten came to an end with a flourish and a fuss at the 101st Hokubu Kindergarten Graduation Ceremony.

Somber suits, formal speeches and lots of tears. They take this really seriously! Japan's motto seems to be, 'If it's worth doing, it's worth doing well', and they do it, whatever it is, to the utmost best of their ability. The children filed into the hall wearing their usual kindergarten pinafore/jacket with a special pink ribbon rosette to mark the occasion. In groups of four or five, they walked onto the tiny stage in the little kindy hall, and onto a box where they said their name and what they want to be when they grow up. Amy apparently wants to be a cake-shop owner, along with her best buddy Chisaki. Later she told me that was only if her 'boyfriend' Yuji was in the same shop. He wants to be a doctor. I'm sure someone coached him on that answer. Two more honest kids declared they wanted to be supermarket cashiers. One ballerina, a couple of superheros, tons of cake shops owners!

The four then posed for snapshots, and sat down. When they were all finished, it was time to receive their graduation certificates, a real adult-looking one. They called out a big 'HAI' when their name was called, took it in both hands, then bowed. Parents were asked to wait at the side, where they would take the certificate, and hear a message from their child. Amy told me 'Thank you for the omelet'. That's one of her favorite dishes that I put into her lunch box several times a week. I told her I was proud of her, and gave her a kiss and a hug.

Then came the speeches. The principal of the kindy and attached primary school was a bore. The next guy, god knows who, was much better, the kids actually heard what he said as he made an effort to speak directly to them in a manner they understood. Last was a lady who stayed behind the desk rather than go to the lecturn like the Principal or in front of the kids like the second guy.

Next, they sang a song about what they did that year, and the sniffing started. They finished off with a song about becoming a primary school kid, and then the kindergarten song. The children gave the teachers flowers, then the proceedings officially ended, and the guests and grandparents escaped, while we parents had to stay for a budget meeting. More final last words and tears and interminable one-more-things and we finally got away.

The kids were in their classroom, listening to what looked like a rather overwrought final words from their teacher. A lot of them were bawling, and Amy was red-eyed too, although she told me later on that she was just crying because other people were, and that made her cry. Apart from that she was as happy as can be, a box of beans bouncing around the room, posing for photos. Now worries!

She got, as well as the certificate, a memory book, school photo, and gifts including two note pads, colour pencils, plain pencils, a cup with a picture she drew, a DVD of the play she did with the High School last year, and some mochi (pounded rice cakes).

Left to right: With Ms Kakuta, with Rie, her teacher, and with her Mum and Dad

Kanji's 'Event'

We spent a long day at a campsite by a dam doing stuff. Kanji is a member of 'Young Enterprise Group' a business/social/charity group kind of like Lions. They put on an event for kids with loads of activites, guests from the International University in Beppu, mochi-making and curry for lunch.

We walked around the lake in the morning, stopping to answer quizzes and riddles and score points at activities. Amy and Lena bascially didn't get any of them, and I would have had trouble too if I wasn't walking around with K's friend and his kids. Even so, I provided two of the answers by searching on the internet on my phone!

There were students from Sweden, Estonia, Uzbekistan, Indonesia, Mongolia, and China as well as Japan. They set up some games in the afternoon, and Amy enjoyed learning some foreign words, although it didn't look like it, she was acting so shy! So we learned Uzbek and Indonesian for 'Hello', 'My name is...', and 'Goodbye': 'Salom' 'Mineng Ismam...' and 'Hayr' and 'Salamat Siang' ?? I forgot and 'Dadah'. She also liked the Chilean pipes live music.

By far the best thing was the woodwork shop. Just a glue gun and piles of pre-cut wood. I think It was addictive! I think I'll buy a glue gun and stick together random piles of stuff from the house and garden. Oh, Amy and Lena loved it too. Here are some samples of our work:

Bowling

Universal Studios! No, some mums couldnt' come.

African Safari! No, too cold.

Bowling. Boring. Those words are pronounced the same here. Isn't that enough of a hint?

But we ended up going bowling for Lena's end-of-year kindy event. It crossed no-one's mind to book, and the place was crowded, so I had a moment's hope as the possibility was discussed that we might not be able to fit it. But a slot was found, only we had to wait 30 minutes! The children were perfectly happy. Next to the incredibly noisy lanes was an even noisier game centre, with slot machines and video games and a hockey game. They didn't even need money, like kids everywhere they thought they were someone affecting the sample display on the screen. And they were quite content to invent their own version of hockey with no pucks, just slamming the round puck-hitting handles down the table to each other.

So the wait was pleasant for them. We mums discussed Lena's party, where to have lunch, what to wear to the graduation, and I lingered over a cup of hot chocolate (I'm still off coffee). With typical Japanese efficiency, everyone had to finish and start at the same time, and everyone had to wait for the last people to finish the last game. Fortunately those people were in 'our' lane, which minimized the frustration of waiting for no-one to finish nothing. Then we had to wait for the clean-up.

Finally we got to play! Or rather, the kids did, which was fine by me. They picked up the basics very quickly, and their various methods of getting the ball to go down the lane were adorable - much more fun than boring bowling usually is! (There were guards up along the gutters that the balls bounced off, otherwise every child would have had a gutter ball every single time!)

Then Lena blew us all away by being really good at it, a born natural! I don't even know how she lifted that ball, let alone let it fly down the lane. It bounced off the gutter guards, so she would have been stuffed without them, but she had a way of putting a spin on that ball that sent it crashing into the leftover balls nearly every time! She ended up with a score of 69, and would have won if it was not for one child's older brother, aged 8 or 9 who had clearly done it before. She beat Amy, who got 50, and the other kids, who got between 33 and 55. Everyone kept asking if she had done this before, but no, this is her first time, I responded, dumbfounded. I assured them this talent was not from me - last time I played, my score was around 40, so was Kanji's - we had to combine our scores to get anywhere near the other players!

She was so proud of herself. She reacted at first with a poker-faced shyness typical of her, looking almost upset, and definitely in disbelief. But as she went on she got more confident, and finished each bowl with a balletic flourish, raising her hands above her head in a very delicate way, then slipping to the floor on her knees to watch the ball go down the lane (they bowled so slowly, it took some time for ball to get to the pins). I was so happy for her - she had had quite a breakdown a few weeks earlier, when she just couldn't draw as nicely as Amy. Everyone is always commenting on Amy's drawing ability, and Lena, like most little girls her age, loves to draw and color, and it was hard for her to always be in her sister's shadow. I think we're all happy she found something she can do better!

I should add that Amy had a wonderful time too, and wants to return for her birthday. I was proud of her too, because she didn't mind in the least that Lena was better than her, in fact she was very proud of her champion sister, and cheered her on.

From left: Keito, Yuto, Kyosuke and his Mum behind him, Koshi's Mum and Koshi, with Kyosuke's sister Sachi in front, Keito's brother Yuju, Amy, Lena and Maia

We went swimming today! If that sounds mad, fair enough, but it was an indoor pool/onsen complex in Yufuin, a hot springs resort village in the mountains near here. I want to live there. The landscape around there is spectacular, almost like Canterbury with the big bare hills, but volanic like the North Island. It's right on the expressway, so it's no further time-wise from Fukuoka, and a lot closer to Oita. In fact, it's only half an hour's drive to the huge shopping centre at Waseda, which has English magazines and books, and two international food stores, with cheddar cheese and weetbix! And Yufuin itself is full of interesting shops and gorgeous onsens. Now, I just have to think of a reason to move there...

We went with a friend who lives about two hours from Nakatsu, who has two kids around the same age as Amy and Lena. We arrived at 11am, swam, then ate a picnic lunch in the relaxation room. Then we swam again, and finished off in the onsen. We were done by 3pm, enough time to visit the shopping mall and get some mags before heading home.

After that tiring case of Fridayitis, I slept 12 hours! Or rather, I slept nine, then, deciding 6:30 was ridiculously early to wake up on a Saturday, I deliberately went back to sleep. It wasn't easy - the kids were awake and chatty. Amy wanted to know how they know the shapes of the countries on the map above her bed. Trying to limit my answer to as few syllbles as possible so as not to wake myself up, I told her they measured it. "From a rocket?" she asked. "No, from ships and by walking across it". That was enough for today it seems, as she went quiet after that. A previous morning her contemplation of the map brought forth the question, "Where do all the countries get their names?". And Lena wanted to know why, when it was all so small on the map, did it take so long to get there in a plane! Something only a frequent-flying five-year would ask.

I finally convinced them to go away. They went to have breakfast, which they can get themelves. Judging by the bowls they left, they had potions instead. When I found them making potions last week, I said they had better eat them, because they were wasting food. To my surprise, they did. The most popular potion so far is yogurt and parmesan cheese. Just imagine the sick smell of parmesan with the natural sourness of unsweetened yogurt! What a treat! I might try it once my morning sickness fades. There must be something to it. Or maybe it's just because they are used to eating natto (fermented, ie rotten, soy beans) which are even smellier.

Phew

I'm so tired today! All I did was go to work, and that was not exactly taxing - mostly reading my book as they had final exams today. I decided it was a case of Fridayitis.

I am losing weight again, just like when I was pregnant with Lena. I have totally lost interest in food. I feel fine not having eaten - and gross just after eating, so I tend to put it off and off and off! I didn't eat anything until 1pm today. Now it's 5:30, and I might cook some toasted sandwiches later on. The kids are watching Cars right now, and they had a bowl of rice at 4:30 so they won't be bugging me for a while.

I'm not having any really strong cravings or aversions - the whole idea of eating anything is so off-putting that I wait until I am starving, then fix onto the most appetizing thing I can think of, and have that. Often, that's the only time I can eat it - I never want to see it again after that. Yaki-niku, all pork, crumbed chicken, McDonalds, spag-bol and anything fatty have joined the list of 'yuck'. I am slowly but surely going through every dish I know of.

Fotunately there are a few things that remain edible - bananas and other fruit, yogurt, cereal and milk, muesli and stewed apple, eggs, beans, vegetables - not a bad diet, really! And most of all, Marmite on toast. Just last night I scraped the very very last dregs out of the jar. Maria has promised me some more, sent with my maternity clothes purchase from Pumpkin Patch. I check my visa account every day to see if she's been to the PO yet!

We also went to the city office today to pick up my Mother/Child Handbook. You have to register your pregnancy with the city office, and you get a few coupons for discounted health checks. Pregnancy and normal birth are not covered by National Health here, although complications are. The lady just called back and saw that she had forgotten to give me one more coupon, something to do with being 36 when the baby is born. Looks like I am eligible for another test, although I did not understand her, so I don't know what for!

Cute things update

Lena "Your voice is nice. I never said that before"
Mum "Whose voice?"
Lena "Yours"
Mum "Thank you darling, you've got a nice voice too"
Lena "Yeah, I'm a little kid so I've got a cute voice"

Another one from Lena:
Does anyone remember the scene from Monsters Inc in Harry Hausen's, where Sully uses gibberish to alert Mike to the Boo in the bag, saying "ooklay in the agbay". Lena's version "ooklay in the oogleybag" Remember who googly-bear is? That seems to have gotten mixed up in it somehow!

And from Amy:
The girls were playing an imaginary game with their toys. They all decided to go to New Zealand. One toy asked "What's New Zealand?". Amy's answer, partially recalled from St J's a year ago: "It's a fish. A really big fish with people living on it"

Kindy Concert

Amy's year-end Kindergarten Concert was today, called 'Minna Nakayoshi Happyokai' which means 'Everybody Be Kind Concert'.

First up was Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, a simplified mini-play. Amy, and a friend, was the wicked queen.

Then came a song she was not in, then a display of physical skills - Amy was up first on the skipping rope, then came 'hand-balls' (like hacky-sacks), spinning tops, hula hoops, boucing balls and a few others.

Then came the Parental Involvement. See Thursday.

After toilet time, there was a dance, then Amy did a ribbon dance. Then came another play, and finally two songs!

It was about three hours long in total, with lots of costumed made from paper and rubbish bags. Amy had a marvellous time. She said they hadn't practiced much, so she was a bit nervous, but she was so proud of herself for doing so well! She loved it!

Update

Hello again!

Big News: New Baby!

I am 8 weeks pregnant, which is already a staggering 3 months in the Japanese way of counting! I found out two weeks ago, but I was so busy with work, the convention and Chris and Deb's visit that it had to wait. I finally went to the doctor on Tuesday, where I got an ultrasound confirmation. There was no doubting I was pregnant, what with the morning sickness, tiredness and sore breasts, but it's nice to see the peanut with it's huge beating heart. I will visit that doctor again in two weeks for the full panoply of tests, and another ultrasound where he will divine my actual due date by the wizardry of science. Seems counting forty days doesn't cut it anymore. When he said on Tuesday that the baby was 'about' seven weeks old, and would be born around Septemeber 25 I was happy with that. In fact, I was quite impressed when he empahsised that that date was an estimate. People these days are so hung up on due dates, despite absolutely no evidence that they are at all accurate! But no, he just hadn't pulled out all the technological stops yet.

Acutally, he was very nice, and made efforts to speak English - conversational not just medical, which was nice. But I've seen upstairs in that hospital, they have a central nursery, so I will have some pointed questions for him next time. I will search for a midwife's clinic anyway, but in the meantime, I will ask him if I can room in 24/7 (and it will be 7!), avoid an episiotomy, breastfeed exclusively, etc...

I have to go as Lena is whining about toe nails and splinters. Not that she will let me touch them...

I'm pretty sure it's Thursday today, although I spent all day yesterday convinced it was Tuesday. I even confidently told Amy it was Tuesday! Kanji finally convinced me over dinner by showing me his phone, and I stared in disbelief for a few seconds before accepting the inevitable. How bizarre! I have never been SO convinved it was the wrong day. Usually you are not sure, it could be either, but I was certain!

Now I remember. We spend the 1st at home, and then went to Youme Town to go shopping on Tuesday. The kids got a 'fukubukuro' (a lucky bag containing surprise goods, always worth mroe than the price you pay, but not always what you would have chosen youself). They used thier 'otoshidama', money given to children by parents, grandparents, and uncles and aunts. For 3000yen each, they got a cloth jacket, shirt, t-shirt, skirt and pants.

That evening Kanji went out with his wrestling club buddies (just watching, not actually doing wrestling), and I stayed home, and watched Castaway and had a chuhai to trim down the excess of shotchu we have in the house. Yes, really, I was just being efficient. Shotchu is like a stronger version of sake, about 25%, and in a chuhai, it's mixed with tonic or soda and lime or some other juice flavor.

On the THIRD then, we went to Jusco, and the kids got another fukubukuro, this one containing stationery items. They also bought a surprise egg, two items each at the 100yen shop, and a kids' magazine each. I got a clothing fukubukuro, the first time I've seen one in teh extra-large sizes I need to buy here. For 5000yen, I got a jacket, cardigan, two tops, a belt and a necklace. I also bought an incence one for 1000 - I might send that stuff to Maria to sell! And another one which I have not opened yet.

The kids are itching to do something today. Amy specifically requested a place where I can video her and then show Daddy the video. I am thinking we might get rugged up and play in a park, then go to an onsen, and finish up with a hot chocolate at a cafe. I'll let you know! Right now, I am going to have some tea and toast, and open that last fukubukuro!

New Year

For the last several years we have been to a party on New Year's Eve, with friends, eating fugu and Hokkaido crab and other treats. For various reasons we didn't go this year, and instead spent New Year's Eve with Baachan. This is more usual for Japan, where New Year's is a family event. Kanji was working, I was still feeling tired from my small illness, I felt sorry for Baachan spending New Year's Eve alone and Kanji decided the fugu cost too much!

It was a very quiet night. Baachan's usual mode of being is to feed people, so that's what she did. We started with sashimi and 'yaki-niku', or fried steak - very expensive wagyu, very pink, marbled steak that is highly valued in Japan. Amy and Lena love sashimi (raw fish), but they were not fond of the kingfish Baachan served. They will only eat tuna. But they loved the steak. When Jiichan finished work after 7pm, we ate a 'nabe' together. 'Nabe' just means 'pot' and also refers to a cuisine where meat and various vegetables are cooked together in a pot, then the pot is placed in the centre of the table and the diners take out pieces of food and put them in their individual serving dish - a small bowl with dipping sauce made from soy sauce and some kind of citrus juice.

We had kingfish (Baachan had ordered a whole fish to be cut into various cuts for sashimi and stews), Chinese cabbage, Japanese spring onions and mochi, pounded rice cakes, which are a traditional New Year food. The rice is pounded in a large bowl (see ) and broken into pieces and moulded into rounds of various sizes. The smallest are used for food, and boiled in the soup. They take on the flavor of the soup, and are quite nice, but VERY sticky. In fact, every year a bunch of people die from choking on them! http://mdn.mainichi-msn.co.jp/national/news/20070102p2a00m0na016000c.html

Every year we have this little stand off, where Baachan is keen to share the tradition with them, and I suggest they are too young. Luckily Jiichan is a very cautious man, and worries about the choking too, so it was us two who cooperated on the scissor-chopping - then secretly sighed with relief when they declared they didn't like it! All the more for us.

Then the waiting begins. There is a special TV show on New Year's Eve that I think everyone in the country watches. It's called the Red and White Song Contest. The Red Women's team and the White Men's team compete in singing. All the top singers appear. It starts at 7:20, and ends at 11:55, just in time to watch the new year being rung in at some famous temple, where they ring the bell 108 times.

Amy was waiting for Ayumi Hamazaki, Japan's No.1 Pop princess, who always wears a fabulous costume. I was waiting for Angela Aki, the daughter of a member of my foreign wives' club. The kids went to bed at about 9, but Amy woke up with a tummy ache and decided to sit up for a while. No Ayumi, but I got to see Angela, and we all saw the now infamous 'oppai' (boobs) dance, where the dancers for a hip-hop singer stripped off their costumes to reveal a stocking-bodysuit with painted-on breasts, only it was not immediately obvious that they were fake! Topless women sometimes appear on late-night TV, but this really took the cake! It was me who first discerned that they were painted - the underbust line was too strong, and then I caught sight of wrinkled stocking-fabric. It was neck-wrist-ankle, and super-tight, so it was really hard to see. I ressured Baachan, who was in a state of shock, I think, just in time for them to whip off their bikini bottoms to reveal vaguely phallic plastic fruit stuck to their loins. I have since heard that NHK has offered an apology to the stunned viewers. http://www.stuff.co.nz/3915829a12.html

Boxing Day

The traditional most boring day of the year - or as I have discovered, for Mums, the most relaxing! Both Kanji and I are now sick, me very mildly, him with a bit of a fever, so we spent most of the day lounging on the folded-out sofa-bed in various configurations, with the kids playing hard with all their new toys and watching DVDs. We also watched last year's Christmas, which was a bit more energetic than we managed this year!

I also spent the day opening my books - remember Miss Happiness and Miss Flower? I found it at Alibris and ordered it. Nostaliga swept over me as I opened it - it's an first edition, so it has the look and feel of an old book, with all the original illustrations. I recalled all of them as I turned the pages. So, this was my first image of Japan.