Random Tokyo

This past two weeks have been busy with lots of random, various things going on. I took a tour of the Imperial Palace here in Tokyo with a few friends. The grounds were absolutely amazing, yet, I didn't see the Imperial Palace at all!! I did get to see where the Emperor and his family greet the people on his birthday and during the New Year's holiday, saw some neat landscaping, meeting rooms, and was told about a rice patty that the Emperor plants himself...but no actual Imperial Palace. I guess I can't complain though, as the tour was free, and I did get to listen to some Australian women through an English navigation, give me the history on everything I did see while I was there!

Last Friday, Maya's Entire first grade went on a field trip to the Tama Zoo. I am finding that most fun things to do here in Tokyo are pretty cheap- this zoo cost me 600 Yen (about $8) total to get into- all kids are free! This Zoo was beautiful- we had a great, warm sunny day, and the grounds and animals were fantastic. At Maya's school, each year focuses on a continent. 1st grade focuses on Australia, 2nd grade on Africa, etc. And during the second half of the year, everything is focused on that continent- all the songs they sing in Music are about Australia, all the art projects revolve around Australia in some way, the books they read (whether it be the book or the author) are about Australia, etc. It is really cool---so when we did our field trip, we focused on the Australian animal section of the zoo. We did get to see the rest of it, but that is where we spent the most time. They also do reports where they have to research animals and write a book about them. It is a really neat way to engage the kids, and Maya has been loving it. I also took Hanna out of school, so she could enjoy the zoo trip with us- what a fun day!!

This week we also went to the ASIJ Spring Musical- Thoroughly Modern Milly. Scott had the day off (Japanese Holiday), so we all got to go. I will say, the amount of talent here at this school is phenomenal! The musical was fantastic- and what made it even better was that three of the girls' babysitters were in it, so it made it even more interesting to them!

On Saturday night, our friends, Lyndon and Mary Oliver, invited us over for a dinner party. Lyndon is from India, and his mom was in town, and cooking authentic Indian cuisine. I have only been to an Indian restaurant one time, so I wasn't sure what we were going to eat (or if I and the girls would like it!). I am happy to say, the food was incredible!! We liked everything- and there was a lot of food. We also had a chance to meet a few new couples, and thoroughly enjoyed the evening.

Sunday, Maya had her first Church participation day- it was the Crowning of Mary, and her First grade class at St. Francis Chapel Center got to participate in the mass. She was a part of the collection- passed the baskets to the rows in one section, and she was VERY nervous, as well as the crowing of Mary. She actually left the class during mass, walked over to where Scott and I were sitting and started BAWLING!! She did not want to do it, and wanted to leave and go home. Unfortunately, she is one kid who builds things up in her head, and it gets to the point where she almost gets physically sick thinking about it. For those of you who know her as the talkative,outgoing, somewhat crazy kid, she is completely different when it comes to doing anything in the public eye. I let her sit with us for a little bit, and then told her she made a commitment, and had to do what she said she was going to do. I think that is the hardest part as a parent- making your kids do something, even when you see the fear in their eyes, knowing it is best for them (like chasing Maya after she ran off the bus during the second week of school here in Japan, and putting her back on it while she cried her eyes out!!). She ended up doing just fine, and was completely OK after it was over. The anticipation kills her!

On our way home from Church today, we had a little unplanned adventure. We decided we wanted to have hamburgers tonite, and there are only two places that you can get Hamburger buns here in Tokyo- Nissen Deli and National Azabu grocery store. Our church is in Roppongi, and both of these stores are in the general area, so they shouldn't have taken very long to get to by car. I thought I had entered them both into our Navigation system correctly, so I go and select Nissen from the menu and we leave, thinking we are on our way to the deli. Our Navi system drives us in this crazy loop- including getting us on the toll road (which it then proceeds to say "you have arrived at your destination"...as we are driving on the highway, high above the ground, with no exits!! Neither of us was sure what destination it thought we were arriving at!). We did two loops, with no Nissen in site, and decide that we are just going to go to National, as we had an idea of the general area that it was in. We punched that into the Navi, and as we are driving it says "in 500 meters, take your second left"...now, I don't know about you, but what the hell does that mean? There was one left turn that we could see...so, we didn't know what to do (and mind you, we are driving in crazy, busy Tokyo!). So, Scott goes thru that light thinking there might be another place to turn, and unfortunately for us, there was not, and the light was only a left turn light, not a go straight light! So, this policeman JUMPS out in front of our car and, blowing his whistle quite loudly, and waving his hands frantically, forces us to pull over. We had NO idea what was happening...and the policeman spoke very limited English. We managed to figure out he wanted to see Scott's license (international) and then asks for his U.S. license as well (thank god Scott had it). He spent 10 minutes trying to ask us questions and explain to us what we did wrong...and then, let us go!! Yahoo....however, we decided to just head home instead of driving around being lost and blowing red lights (we never got our burger buns- so all you people who easily drive to Meijer or the D&W on a whim to get those last few items for dinner- be GRATEFUL!!) What should have been a short, easy trip to the grocery store turned into a 47 minute drive around Tokyo, which include Toll ways, driving the same loop multiple times, blowing a red light and getting pulled over by the walking policeman (where else in the world does that happen!!??), and two kids with motion sickness! UGH!!! :)

On a funnier note...Hanna, our 4 year old, has turned into a little liar. She has been doing random things, and then looking Scott and I right in the eye and claiming to have no idea about anything. And, unfortunately for us, she is REALLY good at it (yet too young to realize that we know a lot more than she does!). I went into her room the other night before bed, only to see the Stain Stick cap off the stain stick. She was in the bathroom, which is right across the hall from her room, and I called out and asked her what the cap was doing off the stain stick...she proceeds to tell me she has no idea, and doesn't know what or how it happened. I then turn around, and ALL OVER her closet doors, was stain stick- she drew all over the things with the stain stick!!! So, I ask her again, and she comes in, looks at the doors as says "well, I have NO idea how that happened. I am telling the truth Mama, I do not know"...I say "OK Hanna, I know you wouldn't lie to me" and she says "I know- I wouldn't" and runs off!! Not only that, but over the past few days, I have found stain stick on EVERYTHING!! Her dresser, her bed, her garbage can....uugghhh!

This week is Golden Week (something like a Spring Break in Japan). It is a national holiday week, and all professional businesses are closed, and the Japanese come out to have fun in droves. Scott had Thursday off, and then has M-W off this week, Hanna has the same, and Maya had Friday off as well as this Monday...so this week we should see Scott more than we have in the past three months- we are all really looking forward to it!