Maya and Classmate Lauren at Inokashira Park
Hanna's 4 year old preschool class went on an all day field trip to the Children's Castle. I was assigned 4 very good little four year olds, so the day was quite enjoyable. The kiddos got to go to a Samba presentation, where they got to listen/dance to a Samba "band", then play and try out all the instruments, then make their own "shakers". The kids all had a really good time. The afternoon consisted of free play in the Children's castle, which completely wore Hanna down- she was near meltdown on our way home!
Hanna and her friend Tessa
ASIJ's Winterfest was this past weekend, December 4th. I had signed up for the Kimono booth, not really knowing exactly what that entailed, just knowing we would be paying to get a family photo taken in Kimono's. We arrived 45 minutes early to find a Tokyo Japanese Beauty school ready and waiting to do our hair and makeup (well, the girls and I...Scott didn't get his done!). To the girls, it was like playing professional dress up- they loved it! From the hair and makeup area, we were taken to a "dressing" area, where they got the girls and I in our Kimono's (let me tell you, this is a PROCESS!! Kimono's have to be put on a certain way, in a certain direction, and pulled SUPER tight- it took quite a long time!). Scott had to put on a Samurai outfit on, and because he is so big, they had to improvise to make his fit his tall body (not many if any Japanese are as big as Scott is, which I am sure doesn't come as any big surprise!). We had a really nice family picture taken, and are excited to get it from the photographer! Maya also had to sell Sugar Cookies for a Girl Scout fundraiser. On Thursday, the 2nd, I volunteered to go help the Girl Scouts (all troups, K-5) decorate and frost 2000 sugar cookies. I will tell you, it was the most organized Chaos I have ever seen- those troup leaders and mom's who have done it in the past had their game on- so well organized and thought out. We completely frosted (which included making the frosting, putting it in bowls, actually frosting and sprinkling), dried, packaged and bagged 2000 cookies between 3 and 5pm- it was simply amazing and more fun that I thought it was going to be. After the selling, the kids played on the playground, ate at the international food booths, played in the games and bouncy houses and had a great time seeing all their friends from school.
Last night, Sunday, the 5th, Scott and I went to a music concert at the Tokyo Main Dining Hall in Shibuya with Dan and Yumiko. Scott works with Tony, one of the guys in the band, and he invited us to come see him play. We didn't exactly know what we signed up for- Tony (who is Japanese) said it was a dinner performance, and that there would be three stages with three different types of music. We thought it would be fairly informal, and we could listen to some music and sneak out whenever we felt like it. It turned out to be "snacks" not dinner, so we didn't end up eating until close to 10pm...not good after a few Japanese beers! It also turned out that there was only ONE stage, and each band played a 50 minute set....we immediately started planning how we were going to escape- we don't usually go out and about until 10pm on a Sunday night! We both had quite low expectations for the evening, but it turned out to be a really fun night, with interesting entertainment, a funny older Japanese man busting a move for part of the concert, another Japanese man in the band singing in English (or I thought that was what it was...it seems like a mix of English and Japanese! I'm feering so Ronery, I could die! It is very difficult for Japanese to say their L's, so they come out as r's), and just an overall funny night. I am not sure when I have laughed that hard since we moved here, so it was very nice...the night started out with a Flamenco band (and dancers..at this point, Scott, Dan, Yumiko and I were all trying to plan our escape!), moved on to a Japanese "Dixieland" band...not sure how much of a want for Dixie music there is in Japan, but they band was pretty damn good..minus the singing part- that was just funny- but hey- I can't speak a lick of Japanese, so I give credit to any Japanese who speaks any type of English!), and ended with Christmas songs...which were equally as entertaining, as some were in Japanese, some were in English and some were in both! The entire place (minus Scott, Yumiko, Dan and I) was up dancing and doing a Christmas "Conga" line through the entire facility! During the entire last 1/2 of the show, there was an older Japanese man up dancing in the back- I am talking suit coat flying, hip thrusting dancing...to DIXIE music. Completely Funny..I feel sometimes that we live in Bizzaro world...but, how many of our friends will ever be able to say they saw Dixie music, Flamenco music and dancers, and Japanese/English Christmas carols in Tokyo?? I am betting not too many!! Fun was had by all!
Oh yeah...and Scott and I - the ONLY non-Japanese people in the place!
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