Japan

I suppose this will be my final blog. Our internet gets cut off tomorrow and we will be busy packing and saying our goodbyes. What an incredible experience this has been. As I said tonight at dinner to our lovely group of friends, I never thought we would put down roots here. And after pulling up all of our roots in New Orleans it is certainly a bit hard to do it again. But we hope we can maintain the friendships we have made here and the connection with this warm and fascinating country.

I hear Carlos snoring away in his little room in our apartment. 600 square feet of fake wood floors and a thimble-sized kitchen that has been our home for six months. There are cranes and diggers outside building a new road about five feet from our window. There are still bugs and grumpy university housing people who make us a bit nuts. But we decorated it and bought toys and made it a cozy place to live and we will miss it too.

Carlos has gone from 16 months to a two year old. He is the most divine little creature with a sense of comic timing that makes us think he is probably an old soul. His eyes are still green and his hair is still blondish, but we were there when he arrived and we are 100% sure he is ours. We do not want to say goodbye to his school as we know it is one of a kind and would never exist in the states. Just today they made little halloween costumes and took the kids trick or treating in a neighboring building. Fifteen teeny witch hats on fourteen teeny Japanese kid and one chubby little white kid.


David was not exactly the first one off the plane when we landed. It took him a little while to adjust to the food and the fact that nobody spoke English. but he has loved it as much as I have and is equally pained to say farewell. I am so proud of everything he has accomplished here. His lectures were unbelievably well attended. He was asked to guest lecture 3 or 4 times outside of the university. And everyone he worked with seemed genuinely thrilled with his contribution.

Japan is a wonderful and complex place with a sprinkle of perversity and several dollops of corruption. Somehow it is a place that despite daily headlines of corporate and governmental graft has maintained its innocence and seems to lack any cynicism. When people have asked us the difference between our cultures, we have generally answered that Japanese are not paranoid and aggressive the way Americans are. They don't assume that everyone's intentions are bad and they don't act out in anticipation of those bad intentions. Most everyone loves children here and a gleeful shoeless Carlos running laps around the restaurant is more likely to elicit laughs and tickles from strangers than dirty looks or "can you keep your kid quiet" comments.

Thank you everyone for reading my blog. I know I tapered off in the end, but I hope you did enjoy what you read. I tried to just be me and not edit too much simply because my mom might be reading it. As you could probably tell, we had a truly wonderful time and are beyond grateful to our friends Neil and Adena Boris for hooking us up with the experience in the first place.

So, now we head to Albuquerque to see what is there. We certainly have more to give and share than we did six months ago. If we are lucky, we will find friends even half as wonderful as the ones we have here.

Happy Birthday, Choochie!

On Sunday, October 30th, 2005... at 8:29AM... a Chooch was born! The actual act of parenting... not so great. Carlos... priceless.

Here are some photos of his 2nd birthday party (many of you have already seen... sorry). Tomorrow morning we are getting up and going to our usual breakfast place for pancakes, huevos, or whatever he wants. We got him a big cargo plane for his birthday that he can load his little cars into.

One funny note. .. he likes to "make a cave" in the bed. This means that we throw the covers over him and ourselves and pretend we are in a dark cave. Then, if we are lucky, David will come "find" us. Really just a big hide and seek game with a fancy "cave" name. He usually does it with me and David is the one asking where we went and pretending to discover us. So, he just did it with David hiding and me looking for them. After one time like this, he starts trying to pick David up off of the bed and said "all done with daddy" and then "can mommy do it?"...
very funny

Cosmos Nursery - the Happiest Place on Earth

Carlos' little school is amazing and we are going to miss it so much. The teachers are wonderful and sweet. They hold the kids, sing songs, dance, run around, plant rice and then harvest it, learn about fish in the morning and then eat it for lunch. A few weeks ago they had a dental hygienist come in to teach everyone how to brush their teeth. The kids range from about 6 months to maybe 4 or 5 years old. Carlos is in a class with about 10 other little 2 year olds, but they do things with the big kids too.

The two main teachers for Carlos are Yuka and Emi... and he LOVES them. He talks about them constantly and gets really excited when he sees them. They love him too and get teary eyed when they talk about his last week (next week, ugh).

Somehow they take all of these teeny tiny kids on these long 40 minute walks. They all have their hats on and walk hand in hand. Carlos would never just hold our hands and walk. But, somehow he does it at school with a little friend.

Yesterday they had a picnic in the park and so we spied on them like paparazzi hidden in the bushes. Here are some of the photos. So sweet. Carlos is in the orange vest and then later in the yellow shirt.

Japan's most famous Onsen

Between Naoshima and Hiroshima we took the train down to Dogo Onsen, a hot springs that has hosted everyone from street vendors to royalty. It was the real deal. This old wood Japanese building with many different rooms to soak in. I went alone and David took Carlos.

I went into the ladies side and there were like 50-60 naked Japanese women of all ages in there. As I have mentioned before, the scrubbing before you bathe is INSANE. I think the scrubbing is as important to them as the bath. They scrub down, then soak and then get out and scrub again. But it isn't just scrubbing. They each squat on a plastic stool and lather their entire bodies and hair, they have special brushes and brush between each toe, behind their ears, scrub their hair. It is horrid. It was way too much for me to witness. Some women sit next to the hotsprings pool and scrub up and then dump the hot springs water on themselves to rinse off. I really don't even have words to describe the scene except to have you picture 60 naked Japanese women in a steaming hot tiled room with a pool in the middle and they are all covered in soap and water and polishing themselves like dirty silver. Ick-o-rama. I lasted about 10 minutes.

David took Carlos and the long bus he held on for dear life to. They just made it through the shower part and David didn't even get to soak.

Anyway... here are some funny photos of us and Carlos in his little robe. Poor bunny had to go to the ER last night because he fell on a metal door hinge and lacerated his forehead. We are hoping he doesn't have to get stitches. We are so so tired.

Haircut

We took Carlos to get a haircut... and he attracted a crowd outside the window. So funny! He is in his little car getting his hair cut and we look back and there are like 10 people looking and taking photos of him with their cell cameras!

We are preparing for his big 2nd birthday party on Sunday. Tacos for 20! I just went to the 100 yen store and went wild... so hopefully we can decorate the apartment in some way that approximates a Mexican party.

Funny things that have come out of his mouth.

1. I had no idea!! (very sing songy)

2. NO SHIT! NO SHIT! Said slowly and with disbelief as if he just heard some juicy gossip.

3. I personally belive, that US Americans... (he has memorized the first part of the Miss South Carolina disasterous speech about how people don't have maps.

4. Domo Arigato Mr. Roboto (to the taxi driver after we said Arigato).

5. Nice Haircup! (said to David when he asked Carlos if he liked his haircut).

Have a great weekend!

Old Mitchpayo Had a Farm - Eey Aye Eey Aye Oh!

As our time here winds down, we have to tell you about one of the major reasons we have had a ball here.... Glen, Tina, Mya and Kai. Glen Mitchell, Tina Magpayo and their two kids Mya (3) and Kai (2) are the nicest, funniest, kindest, best people in the world. We cannot believe how lucky we are to have met them. Their kids are obscenely cute and funny and smart and we think that both of our families should get married and live happily ever after.

We karaoke with them, we eat with them, we cocktail with them, etc. Everything we know about Japan (true or not) Glen taught us. Need to know what kind of mushroom grows in Hokkaido? Ask Glen! Looking for the store that sells whale and large blocks of cheddar? Ask Glen! Oh wait, I am looking for some plastic shrimp... hmmm.... Glen? I want to grow a plant in my closet... Glen? Glen knows EVERYTHING.

Tina is the master of the kitchen. Despite working all day long at Boeing (wearing a hard hat, nonetheless) she comes home to two unemployed grownups, one moderately employed grownup, and three hungry children and feeds us all the yummiest foods: curry rice, meatball subs, any kind of comfort food you can imagine.

They took us to sumo, they introduced us to the Brazilian chicken place, they let David sing Air Supply without laughing too hard at him, they took care of David and Carlos when I had to go back to the states... the list goes on and on.

Anyway... we are really going to miss them and are so grateful to have met them. Wahhh!!!

Hiroshima - by David

Part of our recent trip included a visit to the southern city of Hiroshima. While I anticipated it would be an emotional experience, I ended up reacting to the sites more powerfully than I thought I would.

Upon our arrival, we took the trolley car from our hotel and got off at the "A-Bomb Dome" stop. Almost immediately after getting off the trolley, we saw the dome pictured above.

I was quickly brought to tears because I have seen black and white images of this building in history books many times. I just couldn't believe I was standing there, personally bearing witness to one of the most horrific events in human history.

The plaque in front of the dome explains that the atomic bomb was dropped on August 6, 1945, and detonated at 8:15am. Interestingly, because the detonation occurred at approximately 1,500 feet directly above this building, the things at "ground zero" sustained the least amount of damage.

Estimates say that about 140,000 people perished immediately. Thousands died later from the after effects. And, as many know, another bomb was dropped over Nagasaki three days later on August 9, 1945, and another 80,000 people lost their lives.

Finally, on August 15, 1945, the Japanese surrendered to the Allies and WWII was over.

To this day, the newspapers in Japan still run editorials about the bombings almost weekly. The debate about how justified the U.S. was in using such weapons remains heated. One side claims that it was completely unethical. The other side points to the fact that both the Axis and Allied powers in WWII had been bombing cities for years, killing tens of thousands of civilians time and time again. In fact, Tokyo was firebombed almost five months before the atomic bombings (on the night of March 9, 1945) and this killed almost 100,000 people without the use of nuclear weapons!

Regardless of whether these events were justified, it is important to note that the museums in Hiroshima point out that Japan had been a warring nation for over a decade before the bombings, and that no events occur in a vacuum.

Hiroshima, as well as most of Japan, seems to find the notion of world peace to be crucial to its identity. We have seen it in the people, their concern for the environment, and the way they treat other human beings. God bless 'em.

Naoshima

What a great vacation. Naoshima was 500 times more than we ever expected. The island was serene, the hotel was stunning, and the art and architecture were both just breathtaking. Everywhere you turned there was a surprise. The art was all very contemporary and participatory... and also very accessible. I don't know much about contemporary art and usually find it hard to understand and get into, but this was not the case.

Outside of the hotel (which was on the beach), several pieces dotted the coast. A giant yellow and black pumpkin, a pier to nowhere, boats sawed in half... all very cool and in a beautiful setting.

But then there were two museums... one on a hilltop and one underground. The architect was Tadao Ando this famous Japanese architect. He built this wild museum underground and then used natural light to light it. Of course, you were supposed to be quiet and there was Carlos screaming in every echoing hall he could find. One room had these stairs you walked up into another white room with bright light at the end. You could only walk so far, but were bathed in light such that you could not tell where walls were, etc. When you turned around the opening through which you entered glowed orange and the room from which you entered disappeared. It was done by this artist James Turrell

Here is one by Walter de Maria.












They didn't allow photos inside the museum, so I had to pilfer that one.

Then there were these art houses. They took traditional houses and gave them to these contemporary artists to design. James Turrell did one where you go in and sit in total blackness for five to ten minutes until your eyes adjust to this BARELY perceptible light. When you start to see the light you get up and walk around and try to put your hand through it. Before you see the light you think you are going crazy. Your eyes are open and can see nothing, but somehow the whole experience is terrifying. If you had to run you wouldn't know where to go.

Another house was hollowed out on the inside and painted wildly with a giant white statue of liberty inside.

The art was all amazing and impossible to describe. It was like each piece was a surprise present to open. The art was the island, the architecture and the pieces themselves.

Oh... The hotel. We stayed one night (courtesy of my parents for David's birthday) at the most exquisite Benesse house. This was our balcony.


















The second night (courtesy of us) we stayed at a 36 dollar per person per night with macaroni and mayonnaise breakfast included) at these mongolian yurts on the beach. The location was great and if you have the mindset that you are camping in a Japanese-style KOA you are in heaven. If you remember that a mere 500 yards away is the Benesse House with no mosquitos, spiders, outhouses, or charges to shower... it is a bit of a bummer.
In the morning we decided against he macaroni breakfast and went back to Benesse house for the beautiful brunch buffet. Unshowered and covered in mosquito bites, we felt like homeless hobos trying to steal bread from the trash of the Four Seasons Hotel.

The yurts:

Funny Carlos and a trip for Art

Carlos is so, so funny. We went to a shoe store the other day and he and David were climbing the stairs and I hear him shout at the top of his lungs...."Jenny! I'm going upstairs!" I am glad I have graduated to Jenny... for awhile I was Jimmy. David was Dabid. Dabid and Jimmy. Then, this morning he got up and walked into our room (after I got him out of his crib) and said, "Democrats" three times as if it meant something particular.

He dances and says he is "tap dancing" and speaks in complete sentences - like when he crouches in the corner of the apartment and says "I wike dis fawm" (I like this farm, we have no idea what he is talking about). Before he eats he puts his little hands together and says "Itedakemas" - a buddhist Japanese saying for "thank you for everything I have". He learned it at school... but immediately after he says it, he starts singing "Happy birthday" and inserts whatever he is eating as the subject of the Happy Birthday song... so, yesterday we had red chile tacos for dinner that I made and he said, "Happy birthday to you (pause for effect) spicy chicken. Happy birthday to you, tortilla." He is a total and complete kook. Every day we are doubled over with laughter listening to what comes out of his mouth.

So, tomorrow we are going on a trip I have been dying to go on. First, to this art island called Naoshima. We have to take a train 2.5 hours south, then a subway for another 40 minutes, then a 20 minute ferry to get there... but it looks incredible. Staying one night at a super fancy hotel and then one night in these mongolian yurts on the beach. then we are going to Matsuyama to stay at the Dogo onsen, which is Japan's oldest hot spring bath. Apparently it is quite a trip with lots of naked people of all ages running around. Finally, we are headed to Hiroshima.

We will be back on the 15th... then the countdown to home begins.

Our house in New Orleans is supposed to close on the 11th... so let us pray!

Sorry!!! I'm back!

So, Shimashimaland is our favorite place in all of Nagoya. It is the kids play area we talked about in an earlier blog. They have these shows like 5-6 times a day that, at first, Carlos ignored. Now he loves them. The shows are very Japanese in that the main girl is like a happy robot and all of the dance moves are robotic as well. And the high voice... women with microphones all talk that way... on TV, the aquarium, the recorded voice in the elevator, etc. The helium voice.

As you can see in the videos, Carlos tries to get as close to the stage as possible. He often tries to climb up, but the "bouncers" stop him. All of the Japanese kids and their parents sit quietly five feet back... and there is Carlos... right up front.

Here are two videos...

Calendar Season

Being the insanely organized, timely group that the Japanese generally are, it comes as no surprise that there is a season when all of the calenders come out and it is a BIG DEAL. The calendars are everywhere and there are thousands to choose from. I, who can barely wear a watch, bought a bunch of calendars at Tokyu Hands this weekend just because they were so cool. We got an Astro Boy calendar for Carlos. (see above)

And I got this great "sentence of the day" calendar for our friends Glen and Tina who live here and are trying to learn Japanese. The calendar gives the sentence in English and then Japanese. The sentences are brilliant...

"My stomach is growling" (5/25/08)

"You look pale" (6/26/08)

"These pants are a little tight" (6/27/08)

"Alcohol is a social lubricant" (10/18/08)

"She looks better in real life" (10/30/08)

"Your cheeks are twitching" 4/23/08)

and my personal favorite...

"You look ten years younger in this photo" (1/2/09) Umm... maybe best not to learn that one, Takumi-san.

Flavor of the Week

New Fanta out!! Very exciting. And what is it? It is a mystery... Yes. It is Fanta Mystery Soda. Leave it to the master marketers here in Japan to come up with the ultimate "must purchase" item. And given that they sell drinks like milk soda or black vinegar and squash, you know the consumers are buying with an open mouth, if you will.

Now there are fruits on the label next to all of the big question marks, so I guess it is not octopus soda or tofu soda. Let's try some.

I've just twisted the plastic lid open and got a nice 'spppt" out of the carbonation. Excellent. Smells melony... I'll let it breathe for a minute. Still smells kind of melony. Maybe a hint of peach. Not too sweet. I think it is peach soda. I don't think it is a multi-fruit soda. I am going to go with peach. That is my final answer.

Let's see what David has to say. David seems to be a bit cranky. First he took a sip and then said, "I don't know." Then I pressed him saying... "baby, it is for the blog... come on." Then he tried again and said "Stale Ginger Ale". We are going to leave him alone to download some 90's rock.

There is also another kit-kat flavor out... Carmel. It is excellent. It has carmely flavored chocolate on the outside. Delicious.

Anamaria's Visit

Anamaria, Carlos' wonderful caretaker from 2 months to 17 months came to visit. She is a 63 year old woman from Mexico who grew up getting her water out of a well in the town of Merida. She raised three kids on her own and worked as a seamstress for twenty years in New Orleans before Katrina. After Katrina, she came to work for us and pretty much taught us everything about babies and Carlos. She understood him way before we did calling him a "bandido" at about four months of age - a description that still fits him quite well.

As we could never pay the hourly wage that we feel in gratitude, we thought we would use our miles to bring her here for a visit and take her to see a few things. Taking a Mexican grandmother of 6 around Japan was very fun and funny. First of all, she turned everything into a tortilla...somehow whatever we were eating turned into something she could scoop into something else to eat. Also cute, was when she was done she stacked all of the plates. When I took a nap one day she cleaned the entire (500 sq feet) apartment - despite me telling her that she was a guest.

She arrived on a Wednesday and Carlos was about as big of an a-hole to her as a two year old can be. He wanted NOTHING to do with her. He pretended she did not exist. If she spoke he yelled at her. It was not pretty. Slowly... after a few days.. he warmed up and all was well. We figured out that if we left them alone for a bit he would stop his nonsense. Sure enough, they played and had a great tme.

Here are some photos of her trip...click here. There are way too many too look at... sorry