Tokyo Journal

The belly busts out

2009-10-06T21:24:00.003+09:00

Just sneaking this in. Boy am I getting huge. Or, as Rich says, "Holy sh*t, what have we done?"

Shinkansen to Karuizawa

2009-09-08T21:22:00.009+09:00

This past Saturday, we rode the "Awesome" Asama Shinkansen to Karuizawa. This is one stop prior to Nagano, site of the 1998 Winter Olympics. It was great to get out of Tokyo and it's always a plus for Max to broaden his knowledge of the Shinkansen trains so he can then beg for the models for his "blue tracks".Here, Max and Rich pose in front of our train. In just 65 minutes, we traveled 90

Have you lost your marbles?

2009-09-08T21:15:00.003+09:00

This summer Nannu gave Max a gift of a marble maze construction toy. How else to explain it? You stack up the chutes and channels to make a run for the marbles. Well, we play with it every day. Rich wanted me to leave it in the US but I was convinced Max would pine for it.I like the following picture because it shows Rich covered in calamine lotion from bug bites likely from the notorious

Back to basics

2009-09-05T20:29:00.004+09:00

It's time to get back on the horse, so to speak and post something. We've been home (as in Tokyo) for 2 weeks now and are settling back into a routine. Max has a new preschool that he attends M-W-F from 8:30 - 2:00. He's adjusting fine and I am grateful to have some free time. What to do with that time remains the question. With no plans to continue my Japanese and Ikebana lessons I have to

Countdown 'til the States

2009-07-08T22:08:00.004+09:00

Just four more days till Max and I fly off to Newark to set foot on New Jersey soil/pavement. It's been a rough few weeks for me with school out for Max, the awful humid weather and Rich working 16 hour days. I am looking forward to being with family and catching up with friends. Whereas last year I was worried about reverse culture shock, this year I know that baring jet lag and living out of a

Coffee

2009-07-02T21:57:00.002+09:00

Late this morning, I made Max come with me to the Starbucks because I desperately needed a coffee. I have a headache, I told him, I need to get a coffee.Tonite, as he desperately tried to extend the bedtime routine which included tickling him as he lay in bed, I said, I can't play anymore, I have a headache.He fired back, You need to get a coffee at the coffee shop, Mommy.

First Major Train set-up

2009-06-21T11:31:00.002+09:00

Quick shot of the ever-evolving train set-up that has taken over Max's room. Rich was impressed that I constructed this.

Thailand Holiday

2009-06-18T21:28:00.020+09:00

We recently spent a week in Thailand on holiday. Rich had been working a lot and the break in Phuket, a resort island, and Bangkok was well needed. We first spent seven nights at a resort and had lots of relaxation time and going out to eat in the little towns that dot the shores around the island. Most of our time was spent by the pool, as the water was a bit rough - as attested by this wave

Happy Birthday Max

2009-06-03T20:34:00.014+09:00

We celebrated Max's third birthday last weekend. Saturday the 30th was a relatively quiet day with me and Max shopping and baking. (Rich spent most of the day in the office.) That evening we sang happy birthday over three cupcakes,with plans to have the big cake the next day. That evening I completed the birthday cake for the big party on Sunday and packed up all the decorations, paper plates

Miyajima Island

2009-05-14T21:33:00.014+09:00

As part of our trip south to Hiroshima, we spent a day at nearby Miyajima Island. Just a short 20 minute boat ride away from our hotel, we entered another world on this heavily touristed yet peaceful island.Miyajima is a sacred island and according to Fromers, no one is permitted to die or give birth there. There are no cemeteries or maternity wards. Also, one may not cut down trees. In any

From the mouth of babes

2009-05-14T21:14:00.004+09:00

I'm going to make an effort to start recording some of the stuff Max is saying these days. I know every parent must go through this and think their child is oh so clever but here I go. I thank god there are moments of humor because otherwise, I'd be pulling my hair out 100% of the time.After banging his knee while jumping on and off the sofa, he sat down in front of his Radiator Springs cars

Hiroshima

2009-05-05T22:21:00.011+09:00

How do you talk about visiting Hiroshima? How does it feel to be standing at "ground zero" of the first atomic bomb blast aimed at decimating a city and its inhabitants? It feels eerie and uncomfortable and unsettling - yet hopeful. Each blade of grass, sturdy tree and flower bed is like a miracle. A large prosperous city stands where there were ashes. Several rivers lead to a beautiful and

For Fans of Grandpa Joe

2009-05-05T21:15:00.008+09:00

Grandpa Joe has been with us now for over a week and has brought with him his typical relish for new experiences and zest for life in general. Here's a quick photo-montage of "Tokyo Joe" in action.Dropping Max off at SchoolOn the Beach after Strawberry Picking in the CountrysideOn the MonorailRacing Cars at Hakuhinkan Toy Store in GinzaPosing in front of Wako Department Store in Ginza (formerly

How far is China?

2009-04-20T21:15:00.004+09:00

One afternoon, after our helper Christy left for the day, Max asked me: Where's Christy?I told him: She went home.He responded: Where is her home?I said with some exasperation: I don't know. Far away.Max: Hmmmm... maybe China....crazy!

O-hanami

2009-04-18T16:09:00.007+09:00

Picnicking under the cherry blossoms is HUGE in Japan. It is a rite of Spring and Mom and Mark hit the peak of the season during their trip here in early April. Needless to say, we have lots of pictures of cherry blossoms...Here are a few shots of us or others, enjoying the scenery.Grammy and Max in Inokashira ParkPB & J 0-hanami styleI took this from our picnic site at Inokashira ParkFolks at

Kyoto

2009-04-18T15:30:00.014+09:00

Mom, Mark, Rich, Max and I visited Kyoto at the height of the cerry blossom season. Our last trip to Kyoto was amid glorious fall foliage. This time, we were lucky to hit the peak of spring. We hit the temples and shrines we didn't see in the fall - Nanzen-ji, Ginkaku-ji, Heian Shrine Gardens, Nijo-jo Castle and Ryoan-ji.We arrived on a glorious Friday and checked into our Ryokan (traditional

Safety-conscious Japan

2009-03-28T22:42:00.003+09:00

The Signand...the train

Hakone: Naked onsen pictures

2009-03-24T17:15:00.005+09:00

Ha ha. Just wanted to get your attention with a title. No naked pictures here, although we did partake of the hotel's onsen. Fed by natural hot springs, the onsen experience is perhaps more interesting than the trip we took itself to Hakone, about and hour and a half west and south of Tokyo and the site of a big volcanically created lake, steaming sulphur mountains, more soba than you'd ever want

Get up duck!; International Day at Preschool

2009-03-14T11:24:00.004+09:00

Blogger is not letting me upload video so please check out the newest Max video "Get up duck!" and "International Day at Preschool" accessible in the "moving pictures" sidebar.

Playgrounds and apple pie

2009-03-11T22:50:00.004+09:00

We spent last Saturday afternoon at a nearby park. It was Rich's first weekend off in three weeks and it was just nice to relax together. It was warm in the sun and Max had a blast with his friend Tamano. Afterwards we went to a coffee shop for apple pie. And it wasn't half bad!

Sticks and leaves

2009-02-28T22:28:00.005+09:00

After Daddy time in the morning, Rich headed off to work and Max and I got ourselves out of the house and down to the subway to catch a train to visit Max's friend Taiga (and my friend Sayuri). Max and Taiga have known each other almost a year now and it's a real pleasure to see them enjoy each other's company. After eating at a lovely cafe in their neighborhood, we walked to the local park to

How much is that sushi in the window?

2009-02-28T22:21:00.005+09:00

Hi everyone. Max here. Just wanted to show you my new haircut. Here I am on my way to visit my friend Taiga in Musashi-Koyama. It's not far from my house. Just 15 minutes on the subway. Check out the sushi in the window. Not that I would eat it. I don't eat anything new these days. I don't even eat my old favorites like pasta and cheese. I'll take some m'n'ms anytime, however. Just please

Miscellaneous

2009-02-24T21:33:00.003+09:00

It's about time for a new post. Let's see, what can I say.... Well, we have a new billboard outside. The spiderwoman is finally gone and replaced by a ghostly and very pale blond woman in a very low cut top. I haven't been practicing the guitar. : -( I've been researching preschools since we heard that Max's school is closing in June. This is sad. It's such a sweet place. I may as well be

Guitar lessons

2009-02-19T21:08:00.005+09:00

I bought a guitar last weekend and had a lesson on Wednesday. It was a trial lesson. The teacher is Japanese but his English is pretty good. I have to decide if I'll commit to 5 lessons with this guy and then see how that goes. Since I have totally boring taste, I'll probably be working on some folk tunes a la Simon and Garfunkel although the teacher has suggested some Bob Marley and seems to

Max milestones

2009-02-18T22:06:00.005+09:00

I think I'll take a cue from Kelly (giving you a plug there, girlfriend) and start doing a better job recording some Max milestones. And I'll try to be more disciplined about making entries more regularly. To be honest, the start of this year has been pretty miserable for me. I've been sick a good deal of January and February, Rich was sick and Max has had recurrent colds. So we've been home

Dinner conversation

2009-02-18T21:52:00.004+09:00

Heather: Max, sit down in your chair on your bum or your knees.Max: (coyly) I like you.Heather: Please sit down, Max.Max: (leaning out of his chair and attempting to nuzzle me with his head) I love you.Heather: Max, you need to sit down and have one more bite of spaghetti.Max: You're cute.Has this sort of conversation happened to anyone else out there? When you start to scold your child

New videos posted

2009-02-10T18:34:00.001+09:00

Check out some new videos. Just click on the images along the right side of the blog.

Grammy's sweater vest

2009-02-03T21:21:00.003+09:00

This is Max in the sweater vest Grammy knitted for him. It has a long train track on the other side and you can make out the railroad crossing sign. He is seen here eating cookies and playing with a fave toys of late - the red-eyed tree frog and his many cousins.

Karaoke

2009-01-26T22:55:00.004+09:00

This is what happens when we go out with a large group of Americans.

Mochi-making

2009-01-23T23:46:00.003+09:00

It's a New Year's tradition to make/partake of mochi. Here in Tokyo, our building sponsored a demonstration of traditional mochi-making in which soaked white rice is pounded into a solid and sticky substance. The mochi dough is then rolled or shaped into bite sized portions and can be put in soup or more often is used as the base for a sweet, sticky desert. It can be dusted with sweet

My cookie dough boy

2009-01-22T22:22:00.003+09:00

He LOVES chocolate chip cookie dough. (The underpants, however, were not such a success as he managed to pee in his closet within the hour.)PS - The bed thing is, however, working out.

Sumo

2009-01-22T22:14:00.003+09:00

We enjoyed an afternoon of Sumo. I have spared you the obese grotesquerie and given you an elegant snapshot. See the slideshow feed from Flickr on the right for the full monty.

Yokohama Chinatown

2009-01-13T21:20:00.006+09:00

This past Sunday we ventured out to Yokohama, a city of 3.6 million people that is a "suburb" of Tokyo. It was a quick train ride and then a nice walk to the harbor. Max fell asleep in the stroller, something he doesn't do much anymore. Rich took some nice photos and I meditated a bit.Then we headed into Chinatown for lunch and steamed buns. Check out this crazy bun steamer. And the crazy

New Bed

2009-01-06T16:08:00.004+09:00

We made the switch. Out with the crib, in with the bed. All to very little fanfare, actually. So far no problem sleeping in and staying in the bed. (That will soon change, I imagine, as Max realizes that he doesn't need me to take him out of bed.) For now, the delusion persists. Next up: Getting serious about the toilet training thing.

Reading is fundamental

2009-01-05T16:28:00.002+09:00

Take your pick. National Enquirer (gift from Allison) or Cars sticker book.

Christmas in Saipan

2009-01-02T16:41:00.015+09:00

Heather, Rich and Max spent Christmas in Saipan, part of the Northern Marianas chain of islands. Our trip would combine some good old-fashioned R&R and a dose of history with intentions to visit the World War II memorials commemorating the Battle of Saipan. For more on the battle, visit http://www.u-s-history.com/pages/h1770.htmlIt took about 3 and a half hours to fly from Tokyo to Guam. When

Cookie Decorating

2008-12-16T09:51:00.004+09:00

Max chooses the Gingerbread man Kate decorates while Max eats Some of the creations. Max's detritus. A bite out of each cookie.

Max Meets Santa

2008-12-11T21:14:00.004+09:00

Max's annual Holiday Pageant happened during Carrie's visit so she was privy to his first on-stage performance. I was very nervous for him since his Halloween sing-along was a disaster. He typically does not follow along with songs or group activities are hit or miss. He doesn't like costumes, especially wearing things on his head. Plus, I thought he might have a meltdown. But surprise

Cookie Monster

2008-12-11T20:55:00.003+09:00

Max has distinguished himself as a true Puglisi descendant. We made cookies this week and he, in the Puglisi tradition, could not stop eating the cookie dough. This is cheering news, given his penchant for picky eating. Thanks for the recipe, Mom. It was for Dee's Spice Cookies, a favorite since the 70's. Subsequently, and since it's Christmas time, I made gingerbread and cut-out sugar

Blast you, Facebook

2008-12-05T16:20:00.003+09:00

The whole Facebook thing has really been detrimental to my blog. And I apologize to anyone who has visited lately to find no updates. So much has happened in the past month. We took a trip to Kyoto; My sister came to visit for a week; Max had his end-of-school-year Christmas Pageant; we celebrated Thanksgiving with a potluck party with some of Rich's colleagues. It's now December 5th. It was

Max Portraits

2008-11-11T22:15:00.006+09:00

November 8, 2008

Night shots

2008-11-11T21:59:00.004+09:00

Just a quick entry here to show some photos Rich took of the neighborhood. One side of our apartment looks out onto a tree-lined street with each tree strung with blue and white lights. It's really magical. He tried a few shots with the upshot being that we must buy a tripod to get better pictures. On our way to an Indian restaurant that we go to occasionally, he took some evening shots of

FIRE!!!!

2008-11-07T21:11:00.003+09:00

Shortly after dinner Friday evening we heard fire trucks passing in front of our building. This is a normal occurance as the fire station is a bit around the corner and our street is one of their main routes to get out of the area. I (Rich) picked up Max so that we could look out the window and see them pass. This time they took a side street and went down past the back of

Halloween II: School Parade

2008-11-06T18:39:00.008+09:00

On October 31st, Max's school held a Halloween parade in which the kids walked about a block to a neighboring Japanese (vs. International) preschool to show off costumes and sing songs. Mickey Max refused to wear his ears and gloves, still he was recognized by the students. He also refused to participate in the sing-along and was more interested in the toys he spied.A few kids had meltdowns

Halloween I

2008-10-29T21:57:00.007+09:00

It's been a full week of Halloween fun here in Tokyo. We started things off with a parade on Saturday the 25th. I was amazed at the turn-out at the arena in Roppongi Hills. Mobs of people were there. And from what I understand, Halloween is a relatively newly adopted holiday in Japan. I had been working for a while on putting together a Mickey costume for Max as he loves Mickey and Donald

Lining up the cars

2008-10-20T15:10:00.006+09:00

It's already October 20th and Tokyo is in pre-Halloween gear. This Saturday we'll go to a parade near our house and Max will also have a parade at school. Life has settled into a predictable rhythm with school, swimming and play dates for Max and me transporting Max to and fro, taking Japanese lessons, going to the gym (very occasionally), thinking about how I really need to expand my cooking

Recycling rocks

2008-10-13T16:28:00.004+09:00

New rules for recycling were posted earlier this month. The best thing is that a ton of stuff can now be recycled. The only downside is that it will require a hell of a lot more rinsing moving forward. (Bring on the peanut butter jars!) But maybe that will provide more of an incentive for me to scout out products with less packaging. Irony of ironies. While Japan is pretty good about

Two Sundays in Kichijoji

2008-10-09T14:13:00.007+09:00

One of our favorite new places to hang out is Kichijoji. Special thanks to Tazuko and Keiichi for inviting us out to lunch with them in this happening neighborhood. Here we all our outside the Village Vanguard Diner. Tazuko and Keiichi were craving burgers so they chose the place. You would think from the signage visible in the photo that we were in the States. Elsewhere in Kichijoji this is

Odaiba

2008-10-03T22:57:00.005+09:00

What can one really say about a mass of sand and silt poured into Tokyo Bay to form a new community of high rises and shopping malls. That's Odaiba. We went a couple weekends ago. The train ride takes you over the Rainbow Bridge and it was a spectacular warm day. Max and I explored the beach (man-made). (We found a dead crab.) We passed by the rent-a-dog place that had a line out the door and

For the love of cows and other phrases

2008-10-03T22:52:00.009+09:00

Friday, October 3, 2008"Milk come hole over there." Does this qualify as a sentence? Or is it just a sign of Max's intense love affair with cow milk. This series of words was uttered with excitement on Friday. He leaped up from his 8th cup of milk of the day and ran to his table of farm animals, grabbed the cow, darted back to me and pointed to the udder and uttered his pronouncement. I am so

New beginnings

2008-09-22T22:30:00.004+09:00

If you didn't notice, I changed my profile picture to reveal my new haircut. Monisha chopped off quite a bit and while I am still getting used to it, it is a great feeling to be liberated from long hair. I don't think I've had hair this short since elementary school. This is the back of my head - over there to the right. We also tried to darken my color a bit but it didn't go as dark as we had

Jellies, Eels and Rays

2008-09-19T16:18:00.005+09:00

Here's just a random post, reflective of the randomness of weekend life. Here in Roppongi Hills, in the - for lack of a better word - mall part of the complex, there is an aquarium set up. This is meant to entice you to the larger exhibit at the top of the Mori Tower. Rich has been playing with his new camera, a Canon EOS 40D that weights about a million pounds. He took a bunch of shots of the

Weekend in Nikko

2008-09-18T15:49:00.016+09:00

Been meaning to write about our outing last weekend to Nikko. Only two hours by train from Tokyo, Nikko felt worlds away from the city life and the crowded skyline of Tokyo. I, for once, took initiative to make a get away plan for the weekend. Rich suggested Nikko and I mentioned this to my friend Fumie and lo and behold she was game for coming with us. Not only would we enjoy a weekend in the

Stop whining already

2008-09-09T21:25:00.003+09:00

Now that I got those gripes down on virtual paper for all to see, I'm ready, I think to move on. Not much is happening. We are easing into a routine that includes three mornings a week at pre-school for Max and one morning where we go to a swimming lesson and have lunch out afterwards with his little pals and their mums. I'll be having Japanese lessons twice a week for an hour. Rich and I

Mt. Fuji Expedition

2008-09-07T15:16:00.010+09:00

Please enjoy this (long) guest blog entry from Rich.------------------------------------------------------------Sunrise from Fuji-sanOn the evening of Sunday, July 27th eight coworkers met at Shinjuku station to begin their trip up Mount Fuji (Fuji-san). After paying 40,000 JPY for eight bus tickets (in cash, of course, because it is Japan), the organizer (me) doled out the tickets and off we

The novelty has worn off

2008-09-04T22:38:00.003+09:00

With school starting for Max this week and Rich back into the swing of things at work, life is returning to normal. And that's just it. Normal. The novelty of the first six months is gone. The excitement of the surroundings, the vast expanse of lights and sprawl that is Tokyo, the fascinating language and mysterious culture, my growing international community of friends, and general climate of

Spiderwoman, cicadas and homeopathy

2008-08-31T21:08:00.006+09:00

We are back and the first week has been melancholy for me. Outside our window, the Three Ladies billboard has been replaced by a defiant woman in black superimposed over ghostly tree branches and what look like spiderwebs to me. I can't help but feel that this gives our return an ominous cast. We call her Spiderwoman.Jet lag has been alternatively not too bad and then suffering through

Soba anyone?

2008-07-10T16:09:00.006+09:00

In two days, Max and I leave for the States. I'm feeling bittersweet about heading home - excited to see family but sad to leave Rich and take away his favorite playmate. We've been visiting different Tokyo neighborhoods on the weekends and last Sunday we went to Asakusa and the oldest shrine in Tokyo. The heat was close to oppressive. Here, Rich and Max sample some holy water. (It was just

Spaghetti boys

2008-07-02T15:13:00.005+09:00

Miracle of miracles, Max totally dove into a plate of spaghetti and (veggie) meatballs the other night. I have to give credit to Rich who has the patience and special touch to get Max eat. Speaking of Rich and Max...they are definitely growing closer and are developing their own routines together. Mornings are their time together when Max helps Rich make coffee and helps him get dressed.

Max's Last Day of School

2008-06-29T16:59:00.005+09:00

The end of the school year is here already. I haven't ever posted any pictures of Max at school so here are a few taken the last day. He has been attending an international pre-school two mornings a week since April. Max has three other children in his class and two teachers and Max really loves it. I have to tear him away when I pick him up.....So I signed him up for a full week of summer

The View

2008-06-29T16:42:00.007+09:00

We have two small balconies that look to the northwest. On a clear day (rare) we can see Mount Fuji. On most days, we see Tokyo sprawling out as far as the eye can see. Max is especiallyfond of watching the traffic 10 floors below us. Rich is especially fond of the "three ladies", a larger than life billboard of three blondes in pink tights. Looming outside we also see the 43 storey Mori

Bali

2008-06-17T10:29:00.007+09:00

We had a great trip to Bali, flying out of Tokyo on June 7th direct to Denpasar. Max was very excited to be going on a "jet" and repeated the word over and over throughout the preparation and duration of our trip. We stayed at the Westin Resort in Nusa Dua for five nights and then took a car up to Ubud, where I had visited Carrie 11 years ago. God, that made me feel old. The Balinese are so

Max is 2!

2008-06-05T14:39:00.009+09:00

Well, the big two year milestone has come and gone. We had a great time celebrating Max's second birthday here in Tokyo with our new friends. While we missed our friends and family from the States, we felt close to them since many called and sent gifts and cards. Official birthday celebrations began at school on the 29th. I made, decorated and brought in cupcakes, recalling that my own Mom had

Hakuhinkan Toy Park

2008-05-28T16:25:00.006+09:00

Toy stores. Max and I went to one of the bigger ones here in Tokyo on Tuesday. I was shopping for a train set for him and lucked out because lo and behold, the 4th floor of Hakuhinkan had a huge Brio display and set-up. Brio is one of theolder companies (Swedish) that makes the wooden train tracks that you piece together like a puzzle. The small trains attach together like magnets. I opted

The Office

2008-05-25T16:27:00.012+09:00

When: Saturday, May 24, 11:45 AMWhere: PwC Tokyo officeWhy: Family Day Work. It is one of the words that Max says and uses. As Rich walks out the door in the morning, Max will sometimes say "work". So it is fitting that we finally got to visit the mysterious destination that draws Daddy away the cozy confines of home. So we did the commute together on Saturday morning, taking

The home stretch

2008-05-23T15:39:00.002+09:00

Max has been sick since last weekend and was diagnosed with strep throat on Tuesday. It's Friday afternoon as I write and I am hoping that the both of us have turned a corner and are on our way to feeling good again. It's been seven straight nights of painfully interrupted sleep for all of us. Rich has been on the sofa bed since Sunday as Max has ended up in bed with me. Thus I have been

Bornelund

2008-05-21T17:38:00.004+09:00

This German/Dutch sounding toy store is actually Japanese. Founded in 1981, its president is a Japanese woman now in her early 60s. This is the kind of store where lots of stuff is made of wood and much of it is imported from Europe and Scandinavia. You can buy adorable wooden food replicas, wooden puzzles, cars, trains and bikes, lots of beading and weaving, and you can spend hundreds of

Oops, he found the birthday present

2008-05-15T16:17:00.003+09:00

So I was making dinner and Max was playing in his room (or so I thought). Anyhow, suddenly I realized it was way too quiet so I went down the hall to check out what the boy was up to. Not to be found in his own room, I poked my head in my bedroom and there he was on my bed with bits of wrapping paper surrounding him engrossed in his lovely birthday gifts from Aunt Allison, Uncle Don and Colin.

The chopping block

2008-05-12T22:57:00.007+09:00

For those of you who have marveled at Max's ever-metamorphasizing head of hair, I have news for you. We had it chopped. While utterly adorable, I was starting to get embarrassed by the shagginess (please see photos in previous posts). Dear friend Monisha (who has earned herself the title Auntie Mons) came over to wield her scissors. Max was a champ and with Elmo in hand and a Little People DVD

The boy loves trains

2008-05-08T22:04:00.006+09:00

The arrival of a subway train gives Max so much joy that Rich was determined to photograph him experiencing this glorious moment. Whether underground or above, old-fashioned or bullet train, they all excite him. Max will spend 10 minutes lying on the floor with his cheek to the carpet moving his "choo-choos" back and forth along the 20 inches of track that we have. (We'll be purchasing more

Maplewoodians Unite!

2008-05-08T21:28:00.006+09:00

So on Monday of Golden Week, we finally got to meet the other Maplewood family (that we know of) living in Japan - the Kasdans - quite famous for their own blog. Mike, Ilena and their kids Jacob and Lauren are living in Kobe for a year and packing a ton of adventure into their 12 months here. They good-naturedly schlepped to Roppongi Hills and we had a fantastic morning together. We

2008-05-02T22:03:00.003+09:00

I just had to post this picture of Max and Rich at the Shinagawa Aquarium. Can you see the resemblance? We went two weekends ago and Max, as expected, really loved the fish. There is a giant glass tunnel that you can walk through and see the fish swimming around and above you which was a lot of fun. Rich and I agreed that the dolphin show was a bit lacking in drama and degree of difficulty.

Max and Taiga

2008-05-02T21:21:00.007+09:00

Here are a few pictures of Max and his friend Taiga from two recent outings. With Rich away in New York for a week, we made ourselves very busy and went out with Taiga and Mom Sayuri on three occasions. First, Skip Kids Cafe which has the big ball pit and play kitchens. It's a place where kids can play with the staff and parents can sit back and actually finish a cup of coffee. And then the

Ikebana anyone?

2008-04-23T16:06:00.003+09:00

Hi everyone. Boy, I have been pathetic in my posting lately. My "giant buddha" post is still in draft form so I thought I'd show you all my latest ikebana masterpiece.I've taken three classes so far and each time the teacher practically redoes the whole thing but I am getting there. I am only doing the most elementary of forms. This is elementary form style B. These creations are studies of

The Big Buddha

2008-04-16T15:58:00.007+09:00

Last weekend we took a trip to Kamakura to visit the big Buddha. Max was a champ riding the subway and showed signs of becoming a true straphanger or as Rich likes to put it "a future salaryman". Kamakura is important historically for the Japanese. The first shogunate was established in Kamakura in 1192 and lasted until 1333. More interesting to me is that the Buddha was cast in 1252.

How to eat a peanut butter and jelly sandwich

2008-04-07T15:17:00.003+09:00

We've cautiously introduced peanut butter into Max's diet and have had some luck. No allergic reactions (big relief) and he appears to like it. Woo-hoo, a protein source! Big thanks to Rich's colleague Meeta for supplying us with more jars of PB. Here's Max with his first peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Please note, there might have been more PB on the face, hands, clothes, plate and

Aqua City, Toys R Us, Kid sized bathrooms

2008-04-04T16:23:00.006+09:00

Max and I paid our first visit to a Japanese shopping mall this week. We got a lift from friend Blanka who has her Japanese driver's license. Blanka picked us up at our building and it was a struggle to try to get Max's car seat into the car. There wasn't any latch system so we had to weave the seatbelt through the back of his carseat. It was hardly attached at all but what are you gonna do?

Sakura

2008-04-04T15:46:00.009+09:00

Last weekend was probably the peak of Cherry Blossom season here in Tokyo. The weather was a bit overcast on Sunday but Max, Rich and I ventured out to the Nakameguro neighborhood to see the cherry blossoms along the river. Well the river turned out to be more of a canal. Still, it was lovely and fun to be amidst the many Japanese visitors snapping pictures of the blossoms. On Saturday, we

What's up with that and other random comments

2008-03-24T21:54:00.008+09:00

Max and I went out to lunch the other day here in Roppongi Hills. He behaved really well and actually ate some of his toasted ham and cheese sandwich. The bill was 2400 yen, including 600 yen for a glass of iced tea. With the dollar plummeting this equates to 6 dollars for a glass of iced tea. What's up with that? There's a heck of a lot of tea in this country. I just don't get it.Rich

Getting Settled

2008-03-24T21:29:00.007+09:00

Easter Sunday was a relaxing, warm sunny day here in Tokyo. We didn't venture out much over the weekend but spent time getting the apartment organized and hanging some artwork. We're so grateful to have our stuff finally. The sea shipment arrived on Thursday. It was actually a holiday here in Japan (vernal equinox) and Rich had the day off so we toiled with the movers unpacking as quickly as

Max blows off steam

2008-03-24T08:39:00.001+09:00

Easter Sunday. Max cavorts around the house..

2008-03-23T23:06:00.001+09:00

Soccer Max

2008-03-13T21:57:00.002+09:00

Mr. Soccer takes over the playground. I think he may have some talent.

Gym-max-tics

2008-03-13T21:38:00.003+09:00

Have a look at an average evening here in Tokyo

Max montage

2008-03-05T21:21:00.010+09:00

This will be a random post, something to assuage my guilt for not writing more. I'm at a loss for themes so here's a rundown of what's been happening.1) Max started talking. This is a pretty big deal. We've been waiting and waiting and now words are starting to come out. Standards such as ball, down, dog (he actually does a pretty damn good downward dog) and others like tiger, bee, baby and "

How did I get here?

2008-02-19T16:09:00.007+09:00

We are set to move to our new apartment in Roppongi Hills this coming weekend, barring any issues with Rich's visa. In the days since our arrival, I have visited this enormous complex several times to stop by our mostly empty apartment and marvel at where I have landed. (We'll be in the tower in the foreground)When we tell Japanese that we will be living in Roppongi Hills, we mostly get

Eat more greens

2008-02-12T15:53:00.002+09:00

I have found heaven in Azabu Juban. It's a place called Eat More Greens. Rich actually found it. Since we've been together, he has developed vegetarian radar and always has his eye out for places that will accommodate me. This past weekend, we headed there for lunch and to my delight, Max chowed down on the black rice with black soybeans. I am now on a mission to recreate this dish. I

Thank goodness for Starbucks

2008-02-12T15:12:00.001+09:00

I am embarrassed to admit that I've found a haven in Starbucks. I was not a regular back in the States. In fact I don't drink much coffee at all. But here, Starbucks supplies two important things to me: 1) the Azuki Scone and 2) napkins. Let me explain. The Azuki Scone is one of the few things that Max will eat. And those of you who know Max, know that he is a picky eater. Since we've been in

Searching for Playgrounds

2008-02-08T15:42:00.001+09:00

So far, Max and I have checked out two playgrounds. We came across our first one by accident yesterday on a leisurely stroll in the Akasaka area. I peered up a narrow side street and saw a set of stone steps that led to the archway of a shrine. With nothing better to do, I rolled Max up the side street and parked the stroller at the foot of the steps. I unclipped Max and we set up the

Day one: Highlights

2008-02-07T15:21:00.000+09:00

I'll mention that the white glove service continued as we checked into our temporary corporate apartment in Akasaka. The person at the front desk nearly outdid himself welcoming us and helping us with our bags and getting us settled into our apartment. I was beginning to like this strange new country...We passed our first evening in the apartment figuring out the heating system - eachroom has a

Departure remembered

2008-02-07T14:21:00.000+09:00

Yes, it has taken me until today - our 2nd full day here in Tokyo - to sit down and post my first entry. Our final days in the U.S., spent packing up our home in Maplewood and saying goodbye to friends and family, were choked with the sadness of mourning. As our belongings were boxed and loaded - bound for two years of lonely storage, my sense of rootedness vanished. There is a reason they are