So I think this is going to be interesting to read back and see how our opinions may
change over time regarding our impressions of the people here.
What first strikes me is how as you are bustling about, walking, going on the subway, or on your way wherever, I am taken aback that most people to not give any eye contact. Jeff even mentioned it too,
that when he first began traveling here he was surprised by that.... but his theory is that because of the many people we all come in contact with here - it would be overwhelming over time to look at everyone. I think he has a point. Another thing that I have wondered, is the people that you do look at - why the seriousness?? - probably the culture.... I am now interested in reading all of the books I have on Japan, as well as anticipation for our cultural training coming up.
So I thought, should I smile - or not smile?? I made the decision, that even if I will feel sad from time to time that smiles may not be returned, I am going to smile anyway. (maybe it is one teny-tiny thing I can show God's love ?? )
In other situations, you receive a very different reception from the people. For instance when you are a patron at a store, the people are so delightful and considerate. It was interesting hearing the other parents talk today that they were all excited to return to Japan after summer break in their homelands, because of the "service" oriented nature of the culture. The parents mentioned that they feel spoiled here compared to the service they receive elsewhere. I am still not used to how attentive they are... if you are dining at a restaurant they are very aware of your needs, you almost feel like they are watching over you. That I need to adjust to, but you have to appreciate it:)
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
Missing You....
Between you and me I am really missing all of you back home.
I don't talk about it much, because I don't want the kids to think about that,
or think that I am sad - and potentially open that can of worms. And I also
don't want Jeff to worry about me. I can tell he has a pulse on my emotions,
and I am trying to be strong. Although I feel stronger, (so far) than I expected.
I do think about what I would be doing at home.... and miss life there too.
I try to just take one day at a time, and not think of the big picture. Jeff
tells me that it is like 4 "semesters", one now before the Holidays, one after before summer,
and then the same again next year. I truly don't want to wish this time away....
kind of like that same feeling you have when your kids are so small, and you just can't wait
for them to be able to do more, etc.... and that voice inside tells you to be in the moment.
That is what I am reminded of.
This feeling that I have from time to time, also takes me back to other times in my life when I was way out of that sweet comfort spot in life, like being a Freshman in college, the first month or so that I was a Chapter Consultant with AOII, and other "new" experiences throughout.......
It has been neat to reflect a bit of those times, and maybe what I learned along the way-
and that it is those times that make us the people we are ...... a bit philosophical- huh!
Anyway, I miss you all, and love when I have a chance to connect on FB, Skype, email, etc.
I get a lump in my throat when I think about it. I send you all hugs and look forward to the next
time I get to see you!
I don't talk about it much, because I don't want the kids to think about that,
or think that I am sad - and potentially open that can of worms. And I also
don't want Jeff to worry about me. I can tell he has a pulse on my emotions,
and I am trying to be strong. Although I feel stronger, (so far) than I expected.
I do think about what I would be doing at home.... and miss life there too.
I try to just take one day at a time, and not think of the big picture. Jeff
tells me that it is like 4 "semesters", one now before the Holidays, one after before summer,
and then the same again next year. I truly don't want to wish this time away....
kind of like that same feeling you have when your kids are so small, and you just can't wait
for them to be able to do more, etc.... and that voice inside tells you to be in the moment.
That is what I am reminded of.
This feeling that I have from time to time, also takes me back to other times in my life when I was way out of that sweet comfort spot in life, like being a Freshman in college, the first month or so that I was a Chapter Consultant with AOII, and other "new" experiences throughout.......
It has been neat to reflect a bit of those times, and maybe what I learned along the way-
and that it is those times that make us the people we are ...... a bit philosophical- huh!
Anyway, I miss you all, and love when I have a chance to connect on FB, Skype, email, etc.
I get a lump in my throat when I think about it. I send you all hugs and look forward to the next
time I get to see you!
Lovin' School
I must say I was a bit concerned that once we got here that I may feel that
we should have chosen the "American School" - ASIJ. Some of the contacts
that I had made prior to moving here were associated with that school.
However, so far we are really enjoying Tokyo International School.
Not only have we gotten to experience a bit of the Japanese culture so
far in living here, but we are also getting a taste of some other cultures as well,
through the school. The teachers are from all over the world as well as the children.
I also have gotten a taste of it from some of the Moms I have met.
Some of the countries represented include the UK, Australlia, New Zeeland,
Egypt, The Netherlands, Finland, China, Mexico, Singapore, Korea, Germany, etc.
The kids have all adjusted so far, and are making friends. They are really excited
to learn Japanese. Landen came home yesterday writing his name in one of the 3 alphabets.
And Kendall is constantly singing the ABC's. Right now while the weather is so hot, the kids gym period is spent doing swimming. It is an outdoor pool on the other side of their courtyard. This will be during the first 6 weeks of school.
The school wants to encourage the families to all get to know one another, and know how important
it is to establish relationships for the kids. Without knowing the other parents it makes it difficult to have playdates, etc. So with that in mind, the school plans coffees to give us the opportunity to mingle with the parents of the other children in your childs grade. So far this week, I have met the other 1st grade and 3rd grade parents. Kendall is so excited for me to meet some parents of the girls she has made friends with so she can start having them over... that will be tomorrow.
Another activity we are looking forward to is an all school picinic next Saturday. This will be great as Jeff can be involved too!
Today, we are currently having a playdate with the kids we were with last week. Their Mom has been so gracious to me, helping with so many things, and making us feel so welcome. It is music to my ears to have kids here playing & giggling together after living here for such a short time.
One other thing that the school has was a Parent Teacher conference already last Friday.... but rather than reviewing the progress of the child, it was the Parent's opportunity to tell the Teacher anything they would like to share about your child. It was also a chance to get a feel for the teachers personality and see their classroom, and desks, etc. It was ackward at first, and it was a long time slot of 25 minutes, but looking back I feel grateful for that time together with the teachers.
It has also been great to see the founder and owner of the school be so hands on at the school the last few days when I have been there, very active and involved in what was going on :)
I posted some additional pictures of the school on my Facebook page, and when I can figure it out on the blog I will add them here as well :)
we should have chosen the "American School" - ASIJ. Some of the contacts
that I had made prior to moving here were associated with that school.
However, so far we are really enjoying Tokyo International School.
Not only have we gotten to experience a bit of the Japanese culture so
far in living here, but we are also getting a taste of some other cultures as well,
through the school. The teachers are from all over the world as well as the children.
I also have gotten a taste of it from some of the Moms I have met.
Some of the countries represented include the UK, Australlia, New Zeeland,
Egypt, The Netherlands, Finland, China, Mexico, Singapore, Korea, Germany, etc.
The kids have all adjusted so far, and are making friends. They are really excited
to learn Japanese. Landen came home yesterday writing his name in one of the 3 alphabets.
And Kendall is constantly singing the ABC's. Right now while the weather is so hot, the kids gym period is spent doing swimming. It is an outdoor pool on the other side of their courtyard. This will be during the first 6 weeks of school.
The school wants to encourage the families to all get to know one another, and know how important
it is to establish relationships for the kids. Without knowing the other parents it makes it difficult to have playdates, etc. So with that in mind, the school plans coffees to give us the opportunity to mingle with the parents of the other children in your childs grade. So far this week, I have met the other 1st grade and 3rd grade parents. Kendall is so excited for me to meet some parents of the girls she has made friends with so she can start having them over... that will be tomorrow.
Another activity we are looking forward to is an all school picinic next Saturday. This will be great as Jeff can be involved too!
Today, we are currently having a playdate with the kids we were with last week. Their Mom has been so gracious to me, helping with so many things, and making us feel so welcome. It is music to my ears to have kids here playing & giggling together after living here for such a short time.
One other thing that the school has was a Parent Teacher conference already last Friday.... but rather than reviewing the progress of the child, it was the Parent's opportunity to tell the Teacher anything they would like to share about your child. It was also a chance to get a feel for the teachers personality and see their classroom, and desks, etc. It was ackward at first, and it was a long time slot of 25 minutes, but looking back I feel grateful for that time together with the teachers.
It has also been great to see the founder and owner of the school be so hands on at the school the last few days when I have been there, very active and involved in what was going on :)
I posted some additional pictures of the school on my Facebook page, and when I can figure it out on the blog I will add them here as well :)
Exploring.... and getting lost!
Being already outside of my comfort zone, I feel tempted to just stay in our new comfort zone,
of our apartment (especially with the heat), our neighborhood - where I know where to go, or back and forth to school - now that I feel comfortable there.... However, I have been making an effort to get out and explore a little bit each day.
One day last week, I decided to ride my bike for the first time. That was when I realized that I had brought the wrong bike to Tokyo. I had left my bike at home, so I would have it for the summer, and
thought my Mom's classic Schwinn would be fun, so I could add baskets, and bags. However, it does not have hand brakes. DANGER- DANGER! I love to ride bikes, especially on the wide open sidewalks and streets of Hudsonville, especially on the way to "What's The Scoop". Here, other the other hand, picture extremely narrow pathways, with people walking in all directions, others on bikes, children on scooters, strollers, you name it. So needless to say you need all the brakes you can get.... and a BELL!
I have now been riding Jeff's "boy" bike - so not only am I a hot mess but then I am hiking my leg up to mount the bike - pretty! I have my sights set on a new bike- Tokyo style w/ baskets, bells, and lots of brakes! (and a lil' battery if I can get it to go up all these hills!)
So after tackeling the dangerous bike ride, I still had about 40 minutes before the kids were going to be home, so I thought I would venture on the main roads, one which I was familiar- but the other not so much.... but I thought it would lead me to the kids bus stop. I walked, and walked and walked. I looked for the familar turn and it never came. It was 5 minutes before the bus was going to arrive and I had no idea where I was? The bad news was I had no cell phone - or MAP! The good news was I had some YEN.
I hailed a taxi and got to the bus stop in the nick of time. I felt as if I had given up- if I only had more time I would like to think I would have found my way back in the right direction :)
I guess it is one of those lessons in life, that even when we get lost we have learned something. Those
streets are now familiar to me, so I can check a couple more areas off my list!
of our apartment (especially with the heat), our neighborhood - where I know where to go, or back and forth to school - now that I feel comfortable there.... However, I have been making an effort to get out and explore a little bit each day.
One day last week, I decided to ride my bike for the first time. That was when I realized that I had brought the wrong bike to Tokyo. I had left my bike at home, so I would have it for the summer, and
thought my Mom's classic Schwinn would be fun, so I could add baskets, and bags. However, it does not have hand brakes. DANGER- DANGER! I love to ride bikes, especially on the wide open sidewalks and streets of Hudsonville, especially on the way to "What's The Scoop". Here, other the other hand, picture extremely narrow pathways, with people walking in all directions, others on bikes, children on scooters, strollers, you name it. So needless to say you need all the brakes you can get.... and a BELL!
I have now been riding Jeff's "boy" bike - so not only am I a hot mess but then I am hiking my leg up to mount the bike - pretty! I have my sights set on a new bike- Tokyo style w/ baskets, bells, and lots of brakes! (and a lil' battery if I can get it to go up all these hills!)
So after tackeling the dangerous bike ride, I still had about 40 minutes before the kids were going to be home, so I thought I would venture on the main roads, one which I was familiar- but the other not so much.... but I thought it would lead me to the kids bus stop. I walked, and walked and walked. I looked for the familar turn and it never came. It was 5 minutes before the bus was going to arrive and I had no idea where I was? The bad news was I had no cell phone - or MAP! The good news was I had some YEN.
I hailed a taxi and got to the bus stop in the nick of time. I felt as if I had given up- if I only had more time I would like to think I would have found my way back in the right direction :)
I guess it is one of those lessons in life, that even when we get lost we have learned something. Those
streets are now familiar to me, so I can check a couple more areas off my list!
Our Weekend Adventure....
I have actually been looking forward to having a chance to blog again....
so much has happened since last week. I am not sure where to start.
As you know we were really looking forward to making our "American" trip
to Costco, to stock up on some reasonably priced food, and IKEA for a few
things to make our place a home. All geared up, ready to go, we head down to
the car and the battery is dead. The last time we drove an interior light was left on! Bummer.
We knew we would not be able to communicate without the language to get a "jump",
and our neighbor who we knew had a charger was out of town. We were all so sad, not sure what to do next we came back upstairs - but then decided to try to make lemonade out of lemons.
Another neighborhood close to ours we had heard was a great place to visit. So we walked to "Azabu Juban". It is a great downtown type district with shops, resaurants, local vendors with produce, coffee shops, etc. We of course were SO HOT that we grabbed a box of popsicles and
ate them thru town. We found a toystore that sold "Bey Blades" - this is a toy that all the boys Landen's age are into, so the trip was a huge success for Landen. We even bumped into a new friend while we were there. That is so amazing to me that is a city so huge, and with knowing just a handful
of people that would happen -seriously!
Sunday, we were really looking forward to brunch with some neighbors that had invited us to join them at The New Sanno Hotel - it is only accessible if you are associated with the military. It was a wonderful surprise when we went up to the lobby to meet them there were also two other families joining us as well. It was a huge group, with 11 kids from the 4 families. We had a great American & Japanese style brunch while we got to know our neighbors a bit. One family moved here right at the same time as we did- so we instantly have a lot in common and a bond of some kind. They are from Conneticut, (which is also now close to my heart because of Susanne :)
After brunch, we still felt the nudge to try to make our way on our shopping spree. We are trying to push ourselves to learn to drive. Getting a much later jump, leaving around 3:30.... to begin the very frusterating & stressful experience. Let us tell you about our GPS.... I guess we have a love/hate relationship. We could not get anywhere without it - however so far we have had a hard time getting somewhere even with it. It is a Japanese- made in China- trying to communicate in English GPS. It tells you to take a left "soon" -(what does that mean) even when there is only a bend in the road. You have to mark your starting point, and your end point, and for some reason, it doesn't have much memory, so it will constantly revert back to your starting point, so you begin to head where you just came from. It was an interesting ride!! Oh, and then, we decided to take city roads, rather than the highway, (trying to avoid tolls...... ) which we decided wasn't the best idea either. Just a side note, next time you are driving thru Chicago, think of this, and the tolls won't bother you too much. You pay about $5-7 dollars for every few miles you drive - it's insane!
But the shocker of it all was we arrived, and hadn't killed the kids yet (for more reasons than just driving on the wrong side of the road!- ha!). We first found IKEA. It was a mad dash, but quite similar to the location in Canton, only with VanAndel Area style parking for all the people. Then off to Costco...again, parking structure type parking, and a multi-level Costco. You and your cart go up escalators to go from floor to floor. Then had some similar items that we all love at Costco, even the lil' cafe. But still so many asian items. I was complaining a bit - and then Jeff reminded me we are in Japan!!! (I guess I forgot where I was for a bit- it felt so much like home)
On the way home, it went much smoother. We took the expressway- in spite of the tolls, and we all made it home safe, sound, and with a kitchen full of groceries. Our food rationing has subsided since the trip a bit :)+
so much has happened since last week. I am not sure where to start.
As you know we were really looking forward to making our "American" trip
to Costco, to stock up on some reasonably priced food, and IKEA for a few
things to make our place a home. All geared up, ready to go, we head down to
the car and the battery is dead. The last time we drove an interior light was left on! Bummer.
We knew we would not be able to communicate without the language to get a "jump",
and our neighbor who we knew had a charger was out of town. We were all so sad, not sure what to do next we came back upstairs - but then decided to try to make lemonade out of lemons.
Another neighborhood close to ours we had heard was a great place to visit. So we walked to "Azabu Juban". It is a great downtown type district with shops, resaurants, local vendors with produce, coffee shops, etc. We of course were SO HOT that we grabbed a box of popsicles and
ate them thru town. We found a toystore that sold "Bey Blades" - this is a toy that all the boys Landen's age are into, so the trip was a huge success for Landen. We even bumped into a new friend while we were there. That is so amazing to me that is a city so huge, and with knowing just a handful
of people that would happen -seriously!
Sunday, we were really looking forward to brunch with some neighbors that had invited us to join them at The New Sanno Hotel - it is only accessible if you are associated with the military. It was a wonderful surprise when we went up to the lobby to meet them there were also two other families joining us as well. It was a huge group, with 11 kids from the 4 families. We had a great American & Japanese style brunch while we got to know our neighbors a bit. One family moved here right at the same time as we did- so we instantly have a lot in common and a bond of some kind. They are from Conneticut, (which is also now close to my heart because of Susanne :)
After brunch, we still felt the nudge to try to make our way on our shopping spree. We are trying to push ourselves to learn to drive. Getting a much later jump, leaving around 3:30.... to begin the very frusterating & stressful experience. Let us tell you about our GPS.... I guess we have a love/hate relationship. We could not get anywhere without it - however so far we have had a hard time getting somewhere even with it. It is a Japanese- made in China- trying to communicate in English GPS. It tells you to take a left "soon" -(what does that mean) even when there is only a bend in the road. You have to mark your starting point, and your end point, and for some reason, it doesn't have much memory, so it will constantly revert back to your starting point, so you begin to head where you just came from. It was an interesting ride!! Oh, and then, we decided to take city roads, rather than the highway, (trying to avoid tolls...... ) which we decided wasn't the best idea either. Just a side note, next time you are driving thru Chicago, think of this, and the tolls won't bother you too much. You pay about $5-7 dollars for every few miles you drive - it's insane!
But the shocker of it all was we arrived, and hadn't killed the kids yet (for more reasons than just driving on the wrong side of the road!- ha!). We first found IKEA. It was a mad dash, but quite similar to the location in Canton, only with VanAndel Area style parking for all the people. Then off to Costco...again, parking structure type parking, and a multi-level Costco. You and your cart go up escalators to go from floor to floor. Then had some similar items that we all love at Costco, even the lil' cafe. But still so many asian items. I was complaining a bit - and then Jeff reminded me we are in Japan!!! (I guess I forgot where I was for a bit- it felt so much like home)
On the way home, it went much smoother. We took the expressway- in spite of the tolls, and we all made it home safe, sound, and with a kitchen full of groceries. Our food rationing has subsided since the trip a bit :)+
Thursday, August 26, 2010
Our Place
We really our enjoying our new space. It is probably close to half the size of what we have at home, but for Japanese standards we have a great place. It is on the 2nd floor in our building, which is built into a hillside creating 3 sides of yard around our apartment. There are trees all around, which we love to look out at. The main reason we picked this spot is it will be great for Leila to be able to have some yard.... and room for the kids as well. Our neighborhood is also fun, and we are very close to a large beautiful park.
We have four bedrooms, the girls are sharing a room with bunk beds, to create a guest room (hint hint)/office for Jeff for his calls back to the US. It is all one level which is a fun change to our various levels back home. The kids love to ride their scooters in the hallway, and Kendall and Landen have become "Rip-stickers" since we have been here. We have also met some of our neighbors who are really friendly and nice :)
We have four bedrooms, the girls are sharing a room with bunk beds, to create a guest room (hint hint)/office for Jeff for his calls back to the US. It is all one level which is a fun change to our various levels back home. The kids love to ride their scooters in the hallway, and Kendall and Landen have become "Rip-stickers" since we have been here. We have also met some of our neighbors who are really friendly and nice :)
Driving Here.....
So, we are fortunate to have a car here. Jeff's company had a car to use for customer visits, and after
changing locations of their office, the car was not needed, and thus given to us during our stay here.
It is a smaller SUV, just right for our family getting around. The steering wheel however is on the right side,
vs. the left which we are used to. They also drive on the opposite side of the road. And speaking of the roads, they are extremely narrow with many walkers, bikers, etc. also making very fast tracks through the streets.
We took our first adventure last Saturday to see if we could find the route to a friends house we were visiting that night. We had planned on walking to their house, due to parking being limited, but just thought that would be a good exercise for us to practice. In that short trip..... not only was it extremely stressful, but we also got lost.
It seems many streets look the same, with very tall buildings. We also came accross a festival where the streets
were closed off and police were directing traffic. Oh, and did I mention the arrow on the GPS was in the other direction as well. The whole experience left me feeling like we live in opposite world.
We have our next outing planned for Saturday. Needless to say Jeff has been playing around with the GPS a lot.
We think we have the arrow going in the "right" direction now, and are hopeful we will arrive at our destination without a head-on collision, or any other fender-bender. Wish us luck!
I do hope I can also learn to drive at somepoint, as it would be helpful in getting around more easily with the kids. Fortunately there are many places within walking distance to our apartment, the park, shopping, restaurants, coffee shops, an international library, etc. But so much is also in neighborhoods that we here about but are not quite sure how to get there. One thing that I also just learned is many of the Moms ride their bikes to the kids school. Here, Jeff had me practicing on the Subway, and it is about a 20-30 minute process, walking and riding the train to get there..... come to find out it is only like a 10 minute bike ride. I am meeting a Mom by the baseball field near our home next week to follow her to school so I can learn the route. I am thrilled about that.
We'll keep you "posted"!!
changing locations of their office, the car was not needed, and thus given to us during our stay here.
It is a smaller SUV, just right for our family getting around. The steering wheel however is on the right side,
vs. the left which we are used to. They also drive on the opposite side of the road. And speaking of the roads, they are extremely narrow with many walkers, bikers, etc. also making very fast tracks through the streets.
We took our first adventure last Saturday to see if we could find the route to a friends house we were visiting that night. We had planned on walking to their house, due to parking being limited, but just thought that would be a good exercise for us to practice. In that short trip..... not only was it extremely stressful, but we also got lost.
It seems many streets look the same, with very tall buildings. We also came accross a festival where the streets
were closed off and police were directing traffic. Oh, and did I mention the arrow on the GPS was in the other direction as well. The whole experience left me feeling like we live in opposite world.
We have our next outing planned for Saturday. Needless to say Jeff has been playing around with the GPS a lot.
We think we have the arrow going in the "right" direction now, and are hopeful we will arrive at our destination without a head-on collision, or any other fender-bender. Wish us luck!
I do hope I can also learn to drive at somepoint, as it would be helpful in getting around more easily with the kids. Fortunately there are many places within walking distance to our apartment, the park, shopping, restaurants, coffee shops, an international library, etc. But so much is also in neighborhoods that we here about but are not quite sure how to get there. One thing that I also just learned is many of the Moms ride their bikes to the kids school. Here, Jeff had me practicing on the Subway, and it is about a 20-30 minute process, walking and riding the train to get there..... come to find out it is only like a 10 minute bike ride. I am meeting a Mom by the baseball field near our home next week to follow her to school so I can learn the route. I am thrilled about that.
We'll keep you "posted"!!
A bit about everyday life.....
It is SO HOT here - sometimes with the temperature and humidity it feels like it is in the 100's.
And with all the walking you do, you are generally feeling like a hot mess. The Japanese however
seem used to the heat for the most part, and they are always dressed to the hilt. Even with the walking
we do, most women are in high heels. Many are still wearing long pants/ & shirts... I don't know how they
do it. Also, most women carry umbrellas, even though I have not seen rain since we have been here.
I believe it is to protect their skin from the sun.
Being on an island, it is the ideal weather here that you would want say in Hawaii, however, it is minus the resort pool, beach and ocean. Once I can figure out the vacation lifestyle here, I think I will be able to manage the heat much more gracefully!!
The grocery stores are a big adventure also. We have an international market in the neighborhood, which makes it a little more user friendly for the engligh speaking folks, however we are not the only target market....there are people living close by from all over the world, so we are still only finding some labels we are familiar with I would say maybe 15-20% of the time..... And the prices are enough to make you choke. Some examples : cake mix for about $8, a hand soap dispenser, Method brand that you would find at Target back home, here is was $9.... produce is crazy! Meat is very expensive. A large back of tortilla chips, like you would find at Costco, was $13. Yikes. So we have found a more local Japanese market where the prices are a bit better, but then if it is in packaging you are not sure what you are buying. You come home, and have a major taste testing adventure!
There is a Costco here, YIPPIE, in a neighboring city. I think it is only like 15 miles away, but in Tokyo traffic, I heard could take almost an hour to get there..... so we are planning a trip there this weekend in the car.... (another post!) We also hope to hit IKEA as they are both in the same place.
And with all the walking you do, you are generally feeling like a hot mess. The Japanese however
seem used to the heat for the most part, and they are always dressed to the hilt. Even with the walking
we do, most women are in high heels. Many are still wearing long pants/ & shirts... I don't know how they
do it. Also, most women carry umbrellas, even though I have not seen rain since we have been here.
I believe it is to protect their skin from the sun.
Being on an island, it is the ideal weather here that you would want say in Hawaii, however, it is minus the resort pool, beach and ocean. Once I can figure out the vacation lifestyle here, I think I will be able to manage the heat much more gracefully!!
The grocery stores are a big adventure also. We have an international market in the neighborhood, which makes it a little more user friendly for the engligh speaking folks, however we are not the only target market....there are people living close by from all over the world, so we are still only finding some labels we are familiar with I would say maybe 15-20% of the time..... And the prices are enough to make you choke. Some examples : cake mix for about $8, a hand soap dispenser, Method brand that you would find at Target back home, here is was $9.... produce is crazy! Meat is very expensive. A large back of tortilla chips, like you would find at Costco, was $13. Yikes. So we have found a more local Japanese market where the prices are a bit better, but then if it is in packaging you are not sure what you are buying. You come home, and have a major taste testing adventure!
There is a Costco here, YIPPIE, in a neighboring city. I think it is only like 15 miles away, but in Tokyo traffic, I heard could take almost an hour to get there..... so we are planning a trip there this weekend in the car.... (another post!) We also hope to hit IKEA as they are both in the same place.
The School Year Begins
The kids started school on Monday August 23rd. They were all very eager and excited
to start something new. They all looked so cute in their uniforms, and we headed out
to meet the bus. The bus stop is only about a 5 minute walk, up from our apartment, on
the closet busy road. The bus is very round and yellow, I think Danielle termed it the
Yellow Submarine! Their is a driver and also an adult attendant that comes out and
gathers up the children. The windows are very large which is nice for seeing the kids
inside as the load onto the bus. They are the last stop on the way to school, and the
first drop off on the way home, which makes it only about a 10 minute ride for them.
The kids have enjoying meeting some new friends at school, and like their unique names,
and then try to remember where everyone is from. The teachers and staff at the school
are also from all over the world. Kendall said it is hard when there is spelling tests, because
with her teachers accent it is hard to know exactly what word she is asking for!
We will have a parent -teacher conference already this Friday. It is designed for the parents
to tell the teacher everything they need to know about each child. We have 25 minutes
with each teacher.... seems like a very long time to me.... considering the conferences we
have back home where we cover a lot of information in a 10-15 minute slot. We'll see how it goes!
There was an assembly the first day of school, which I also attended where some announcements were made
for the new students, as well as singing the school song. It was neat to see everyone together in the gym.
Next week the PSA will be hosting coffees for the parents and they are seperated into grade levels.
It gives us a chance to meet the other parents of the children in the same grade level as yours.
The kids have also started swimming this week for their gym time. This will go on for the first 6 weeks of school. The pool is outside so they need to do this while the weather is still nice.
The school also offers "Clubs" after school which are a variety of activities and sports. The only bummer is there is a cap number, and it is on a first come/first serve basis so we have our finger crossed the kids get into the activities they are interested in.
So far, we are pleased with the school, the location, the size, and the attitudes of our kids when they come home from school :)
to start something new. They all looked so cute in their uniforms, and we headed out
to meet the bus. The bus stop is only about a 5 minute walk, up from our apartment, on
the closet busy road. The bus is very round and yellow, I think Danielle termed it the
Yellow Submarine! Their is a driver and also an adult attendant that comes out and
gathers up the children. The windows are very large which is nice for seeing the kids
inside as the load onto the bus. They are the last stop on the way to school, and the
first drop off on the way home, which makes it only about a 10 minute ride for them.
The kids have enjoying meeting some new friends at school, and like their unique names,
and then try to remember where everyone is from. The teachers and staff at the school
are also from all over the world. Kendall said it is hard when there is spelling tests, because
with her teachers accent it is hard to know exactly what word she is asking for!
We will have a parent -teacher conference already this Friday. It is designed for the parents
to tell the teacher everything they need to know about each child. We have 25 minutes
with each teacher.... seems like a very long time to me.... considering the conferences we
have back home where we cover a lot of information in a 10-15 minute slot. We'll see how it goes!
There was an assembly the first day of school, which I also attended where some announcements were made
for the new students, as well as singing the school song. It was neat to see everyone together in the gym.
Next week the PSA will be hosting coffees for the parents and they are seperated into grade levels.
It gives us a chance to meet the other parents of the children in the same grade level as yours.
The kids have also started swimming this week for their gym time. This will go on for the first 6 weeks of school. The pool is outside so they need to do this while the weather is still nice.
The school also offers "Clubs" after school which are a variety of activities and sports. The only bummer is there is a cap number, and it is on a first come/first serve basis so we have our finger crossed the kids get into the activities they are interested in.
Our Adventure Begins
Hey Everyone, Welcome to our blog.... The Pipers BIG Adventure.
We have been now in Tokyo for just over a week.
For some of you faithful Facebook Friends, many of what you
will read in these first posts will be info you may have already seen...
but for our non-FB friends and family, we just wanted to start at the top :)
So, we headed out on August 15th on a plane for the long trip with the kids.
They did amazing and thanks to all the goodies so many of you provided for
them they had plenty to keep them entertained. The flight went very smoothly
and we were all able to get some sleep. We arrived and it was Monday evening
already Tokyo time. That was when the jet-lag and time adjustment began.
We had several nights when we were all in the kitchen making breakfast in
the middle of the night. By the weekend, we were all pretty well on track.
Jeff was able to be off with us on Tuesday and Friday of that first week.
On Tuesday the kids took their first subway ride to the city ward, (like city hall).
We had to apply for our alien cards. They enjoyed the subway, and were troopers
enduring the crazy heat, as well as so much walking.
Friday Jeff joined us for the New Family Orientation at the School.... more posts
on the school to come :)
We have been now in Tokyo for just over a week.
For some of you faithful Facebook Friends, many of what you
will read in these first posts will be info you may have already seen...
but for our non-FB friends and family, we just wanted to start at the top :)
So, we headed out on August 15th on a plane for the long trip with the kids.
They did amazing and thanks to all the goodies so many of you provided for
them they had plenty to keep them entertained. The flight went very smoothly
and we were all able to get some sleep. We arrived and it was Monday evening
already Tokyo time. That was when the jet-lag and time adjustment began.
We had several nights when we were all in the kitchen making breakfast in
the middle of the night. By the weekend, we were all pretty well on track.
Jeff was able to be off with us on Tuesday and Friday of that first week.
On Tuesday the kids took their first subway ride to the city ward, (like city hall).
We had to apply for our alien cards. They enjoyed the subway, and were troopers
enduring the crazy heat, as well as so much walking.
Friday Jeff joined us for the New Family Orientation at the School.... more posts
on the school to come :)
Okay, so I am off.....
So my new post is in English, but all of the rest of the goodies on my page, are still in Japanese, so I am unsure
how to get pictures loaded, etc. Stay tuned - I guess - I hold out hope for getting this set up properly.
how to get pictures loaded, etc. Stay tuned - I guess - I hold out hope for getting this set up properly.
Getting This Blog Set Up
Yikes, so many requests for this blog.... but not sure of my skills thus far.
I have been trying to figure this out for a couple of days, and it continues
to come up in Japanese. I have hit the translate buttom numerous times,
and it will convert, but then always revert back to Japanese. And now
I cannot even get the translate button to appear as it was! Yikes, I sure
hope to get this figured out!
I have been trying to figure this out for a couple of days, and it continues
to come up in Japanese. I have hit the translate buttom numerous times,
and it will convert, but then always revert back to Japanese. And now
I cannot even get the translate button to appear as it was! Yikes, I sure
hope to get this figured out!
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