Our own tiny Elvis

Last night Jackson was standing with one hand on the sofa, flirting with Eric. We said, "Go get Daddy!" He would grin and just kick out his leg and shake it. It was hysterical! He just kept shaking his little leg out to the side and behind him, like he was kicking off some dirt. Priceless.

Cheerio - we miss you!

A sign we passed. Bobbin should be here. My own little Cheerio, gets her own pub with Scotch!

Design Festa!

Yesteraday we ventured to Tokyo Big Sight for the latest volume of Design Festa. Big Sight is a really cool convention center that looks somewhat like a U.F.O. - or maybe a couple of giant martini glasses??? Although this facility seemed very fancy shmancy, the air con was minimal to non-existent. We were toasty, but not in a let's cuddle way to be sure. We had to change trains a few times to get there, but had a much more fluid journey home.

The Design Festa Event was enormous and a bit overwhelming, but very cool and we were glad to have gone. There were over 3,000 exhibitors of all types of art (film, wall art, t-shirts, post cards, trinkets, items we didn't recognize...). We came home with a few well-chosen treasures and a hankering for our local Indian food, Siddique (see previous post re:Scary!). Jackson for sure was a big hit as we cruised the aisles of art. There were a few times when the repetitive photo ops were a bit ridiculous, but we obliged. More photos to come when uploaded.

Little Eric is finally napping, so I need to get some mouse work, I mean house work done. TTFN. (Yep, I really just said that... haha)

Shoes and Shrines, not related.

First things first - I bought more caramel corn. I knew you would be so relieved to know...

Thursday we went to the Chiyoda Ward Office to file some immigration paperwork. Jackson now has his little alien card - Kawaii! We took a long and brisk walk through the Imperial Palace Gardens to get there. Before we could walk home, we had to make an emergency stop into SunKus. My darling Puma Esperas had left darling little blisters across nearly every toe and up my heels... So much fun. The only option was some not so darling blue plaid house shoes! But oh the relief was instant. I looked like a bag lady on our walk home, but I was smilling!

After a stop back to the apartment, we went to the Meiji-Jingu Shrine in Harajuku. I had read that this is traditionally the first shrine for new babies to visit (before visiting other shrines), and that Thursdays was the day for this. Fortunately we did see one Japanese baby dressed in fancy clothing, carried by his mother in her fancy clothing (kimono).


We had a wonderful time. It wasn't very crowded, and Jackson received his regular attention and photo op requests. I love it here!

"Japanese Two Fingers"

Passing by a shoe stall, we found this happy shopkeeper shouting "buy shoes!" In his eye-catching get-up, we couldn't resist him! He of course did the Japanese Two Fingers Photo gesture!

Uh-oh... Scary.

There is a new Indian/Pakistani restaurant right around the corer from our flat, Siddique. It is delicious, super clean, really nice folks... But - every time we pass it I see the sign and think, "Oh my God, I found Osama..." Check it out! Doo doo doo doo... (scary music)

Pay me, but don't touch me.

A little tidbit about shopping in Japan. Any opportunity you have to pay for something, you will actually be giving your money to a small plastic tray with rubber feelers across the bottom. Then you slide the tray to the cashier, they take your money, make change, deposit your change on the tray (usually fanning it out a la Vegas), and return the tray to you. It is always very clear how much you are expected to pay, how much you did pay, and how much they are returning. If you reach out to hand them the money, they will slide the tray out for you, as if to say, "Please use this tray and not my hand". I don't know if this is to protect them from the old "I gave you a twenty" - "no, you gave me a ten" or if it some other issue. Either way, it isn't a problem, just a curiosity that seems a little redundant. But that's okay! ;)

By the way, although it used to be the case that credit cards were not accepted in Tokyo, they are taken in many places now. However, cash is still king. From the big bills down to the one yen coin. Oh that little coin... If you think the US penny is unnecessary, try the Japanese penny (currently 1 Japanese Yen = 0.008232 US Dollar ).

Got to go, time to shop!

X

One more little Japanese observation you can't miss... Where I would say "no", or shake my head side to side, or wave my flat hand side to side (as in "to stand" in blackjack...), the Japanese cross their fingers or arms in an "x", like that's a big fat no! So if you want salmon sashimi, and they are out of salmon (unbelievable, I know, but it has happened to me - a LOT!), they give you the "X". Or, "Is it okay for me to drive my stroller through here?"- "X". It's pretty funny, I think! Viva La X.

Signed, X.

Charmed, I'm sure. ;)

Eric was describing phone etiquette, and I thought of the most important phone observation from a fashionista's view point... The CHARMS! Little surprises dangling from dongles on mobile phones. Yes, even some men have charms hanging from their mobile phones, and even other items like a key chain, wallet, briefcase, purse, etc. This form of flare is very refreshing. It is literally a small way to show some personality, to be an individual amongst all those black suits and dark hair, without going so far as the Harajuku Little-Bo-Peeps!

Well, I'm mad for these charms; especially the Hello Kitty "for sale only in Japan" variety! And I don't even have a mobile phone haha. My BlackBerry, which is only for use to PIN other BlackBerry's, doesn't have the important "hook" on which to attach said charms. So they are instead all over the diaper bag. The best thing about this decoration is the price - it's nice! For a couple of dollars US you can clutter your life to your hearts content with miniature figurines, or plastic replicas of just about anything. A shrine, a flower, a monkey - you name it. Even not so small stuffed animals will neighbor smaller charms all on one little phone. Fun! I will take a photo of my personal collection and post this weekend.

Keep on keepin' on- I know I am! Love, moi.

Twins?

This is Eric, with Japanese-Eric, our sushi chef at lunch in Ginza. They could totally be brothers. Well, international brothers... Hahaha

Aww, I love us!

I was just cruising through our pics, and saw this one of the family at dinner a few nights ago. I'm a bit shiny from the heat haha. We had delicious steamed crab, and sat next to a table of drunk Japanese Salarymen who kept giving Eric their sake. They said "Oh, US Navy har har har" - whatever that means! ;) You can see that Jackson is completely mesmerized by his new friends, and maybe is not too sure what all the ruckus is about! We need to teach him to say "Cheese". They took our photo and said "Say Cheeeeeese"and laughed, a lot.
So here's the pic:

I want my abc...

Yikes! My sister Lisa told me I could download the last few episodes/season finales of Grey's Anatomy, Bros/Sisters, etc. on abc.com. I just went there and it says "Only viewers within the United States can view these full-length episodes." SHAW! As if! Double Damn, as Lisa says... I'm so disappointed. I was okay with missing them, seeing as I get to LIVE IN JAPAN!! But then when I thought I had the opportunity to live here AND watch shows, well, I was a little excited! Oh well.

The BEST news is that the lovely building engineer, Nod-san, came to the apt. today and moved Jackson's furniture around. So not only do we have heaps of room (all things considered), but most importantly he is in his OWN room, with a darkening shade, and a door, and he can't hear us, and we can't hear his every move (but yes, of course we hear him cry for freedom!). It will be better; it will be okay. Yippe for Jackson-kun! Of course the whole type they were here they were flirting with "Jack-soon-koon"! Fun for everyone. Ahhh. He is asleep in his crib, in his room, and I am free to move about the cabin, I mean apartment and do what I do without waking him. Now this 500 square feet feels ENORMOUS. Happy girl, happy girl...

Okay, must get some micro chores done while he sleeps. Peace out.

Jackson-kun!

Adding -san to someone's last name, or first name of a friend, is the Japanese version of Mr./Ms./etc. With a young boy, you add -kun, a young girl, -chan. When we are out and people are admiring him and his big baby blues, we call him Jackson-kun, because they often think he might be a girl! It's the eye lashes i'm sure haha. So here is Jackson-kun with a little spontaneous friend at the festival.

Yakuza Craziness!

Oh my gosh - we went to the festival today, Kanja Matsuri, and it was AMAZING. It is one of the three largest in Tokyo, and we were very keen to check it out. We decided to go take it in from a distance and see how large the crowds were before diving in with Master Jackson. Baby comes first, of course!! Let me tell you there were a lot of people, but it was the most civilized crowd we have ever been a part of. Everyone was so polite - no pushing, no cutting across your path, no nastiness. There weren't any loud mouths or obnoxious drunks. This was no concert crowd! It was so pleasant and so cool. We felt so honoured to be witnessing this celebration! Although anyone in town can go, it just felt so special that we felt lucky to be involved. It was a celebration of the neighborhood, for the neighborhood. Little children were dressed in traditional clothing, and they were ADORABLE. They carried their own little portable shrines through the streets. There were larger shrines carried by larger people haha. And of course there were the much anticipted Yakuza, for which Eric was ECSTATIC to see. Check his blog!




(The photo is us in front of the parade, with two Yakuza and a portable shrine to the top right of my hat!) Oh so much to say, but I can't type much right now.

The pictures (we took 400 - not kidding you!) are great. Obviously we can't post all of them here, but we will choose some highlights and figure out a way to post more on Crunchy Grouper. I'll have to ask Eric all of the specifics, like the exact name of this festival, the Temple, town etc. I will revise and update tomorrow after our cleaning crew comes ;)

Hugs to all my Homies!

DYHIW

The latest installment of "Don't you hate it when...":

Don't you hate it when you check your hotmail and you get that little line "You have no new messages." Yuck. As if I needed to see it spelled out for me. I think I know when the same messages I've read are still the most recent messages. Sad little inbox...

Bobbin

Momma - your own little post:

I LOVE YOU!!!

And I found a very special little surprise treat for you - get excited!!! It's a good one! :)

LIT

Agh. I'm having a Lost In Translation moment - 2:34 am - can't sleep.

Maybe related to the fact that I had a little accident with the nice big stroller. A combination of small spaces, wide wheels, and poor depth perception (okay, judgement). Don't worry, it wasn't a topple-over kind of accident, (Jackson is just fine!). It was just an OH MY GOD I crushed the tire and am going to need a new one kind of accident. Which made for a very interesting cruise home... I'm in trouble.

We decided against the festival today and did a little shopping and sushi instead. It was a fun day (until my escalator fiasco). Just a little poking around Ginza and taking it all in. More later when my brain is awake.

I am really homesick, but this will be okay. "This is who we are, this is what we do." I miss my - everything. Going to try to sleep. Oh, but just got excellent news!! My pal Charlie MIGHT move to Japan for a while with her husband! This would be AWESOME! We LOVE Charlie! Charlie is my constant friend who visited us in Australia. She's super juicy! Hahaha.

Okay I have to try to go to bed. Jackson is sleeping like a little bunny all snuggled up with his beegee and his little bear. KAWAII!!!!

No time just now, Little Man is on the prowl - more later, lots to say! BIG BIG Festival this weekend, see "what's on, when" link to left... I HAVE to get some of my own music up in here! This Japanese radio is just not going to work...

Here he is, the Eighth of the Seven Gods...
Like that tongue action? haha

"?????"

Hello Kitty, and others :)

I should perhaps have mentioned the purpose of this blog, as if it isn't too obvious. Updating each of you one-sie two-sie is just not happening. I have a BlackBerry (aka BrackBelly) here, but it only works for pin to pin (BB to BB) - because I am not a perm resident, I can't have a sim card. Also, my laptop time has been rare due to my little climbing monkey and the lack of baby-safe enviro for him to roam about in. I have to keep not just an eye but a hand near him most of the time until we both figure out how to navigate these narrow quarters, our stuff and their stuff. The furniture etc is where it is because that's how it fits in here - and there are sharp corners just at his level. It really is like walking through a magic door into a fun house adjusted to scale just a bit smaller - i.e. the peep hole is at my armpit, and I am 5'5"(OKAY, 5'4.5"haha). My sister Jenn-Jenn would be very at home here; even the ironing board is small, and short, and darling just like Pezik. Not picking on the japanese, but I do have to sit on the bed to be at the appropriate level to iron.

Okay getting away from myself. The point is we would love to send out love-e-mails to each of our friends and family, and will try to - but in addition/or in case we can't , here you can find little updates about our life in the Mouse House (apt), Tokyo and hopefully out and about in Japan... Konichiwa! ;)

4:30 pm Thurs - I think - easy to lose track of days here...
Okay, SO... Little man is asleep - in his crib, phew. I haven't been blogging because the entire page showed "?????" for text - how do you change your language back to English when you can't read the options? I just clicked on a line of question marks to post and it happened to pull up the language selection - LUCK. SO, we're back in business. On to the update.

It has been wicked busy trying to get settled and acclimated, and crowding in different necessary adventures in the limited time Eric is free to go with (a must due to a complicated combo of tiny spaces, steep stairs and a stroller full of Little-Eric... Many places we need to go I simply can not or should not try on my own with my micro companion) .

Most errands we need to run are going to be much easier the longer we are here. As in a mop - where to find one, what to pay, how to get there, deciphering the packaging and language... Baby wipes is a great example. When everything is written in Kanji (Japanese characters), it is nearly impossible to know what you are buying - is it for baby? Is it antibacterial, scented, for bum or face, is it quality or economy, is it worth 800 Yen? I should point out that even deodorant is sold as a wipe - I guess you rub the deo-wipe under your arms, etc for fragrance? Not sure - will buy and reveal to you at a later time. Jackson and I were in a pharmacy - size of a US Dining room table (wait - what's that? hahaha) and I asked the pharmacist (a senior man with happy eyes wearing his face mask - for his protection or mine, we don't know...) - well, I showed him the box of wipes in my hand with the Winnie the Pooh and said "Baby?" - He did the funniest little dance with his hand "fake-wiping" his tush, arms, face, etc. S0, I get it, you can use these for babies on their entire body - but does that mean they are just moist wipes? Do they have soap included and you add water? Because they have those as well. I know, I know, trivial. This is just an example of our adventures.

The happy pharmacist was so friendly and the wipes were about US$4 so I decided just to accept his charades and purchase. I'm so glad I did, as he then produced a wonderful origami mobile of sorts to present to Jackson, who was as thrilled as I was! SO NICE. That is typical of our outings - really nice folks and really interactive encounters, usually with one of us gesturing to various body parts or acting out different maneuvers. It is involved and it isn't always the end result we initially went for, but we walk away and smile and I say (sometimes aloud) - "Oh my God we LIVE here!!" - it is AMAZING.

More on our extensive observations of life in Tokyo in a moment. (Or depending on the length of this little nap for Jax, maybe next time - there will be many observations to be sure!! As I speak he is occasionally making that Maggie from the Simpsons sucking noise on his cheater...)

First let me say that I/we have taken photos of different local curiosities - mostly cultural differences of the economic kind - like the "ear cleaning sticks" I discovered at the am/pm. (convenience store - am/pm, SunKus, 7-11, etc are everywhere, often one next to the other - and in the vicinity of such the neighboring vending machines do not, in fact, usually carry beer - damn! haha But often enough you will pass one of the many machines, usually clustered in pairs or trios, and spy some lagers... And other beverages that I'm not too sure about... But only beverages, no mnm machines - damn again!). When I upload more oddity pics I will post some here, so get ready for that...

Our most recent coup was our last outing (the only one today) about two hrs ago. We were in Hanamasa, our local grocery. It's the size of a US 7-11 and described as a wholesale market, which I gather means no baby food, personal care items etc, but definitely not a bulk store. A package of eggs is 6 eggs (and refriedgerated, though rare), a loaf of bread is about 10 slices - still Japanese-small. We went out for bread, eggs, butter and stumbled on Maple Syrup - I *hope* that's what it is. Voila, we can have French Toast! Anywho, amidst all the tofu, various fish parts, misc dried foods, or parts of food haha, I saw a stack of plastic tubs containing CARAMEL CORN from Illinois! Tempted to buy all they had, I knew I should try one first. No room for extras in our apartment, especially if they aren't tasty! I have since opened the caramel corn and eaten half - will for sure get more!! (Again, this was a Japanese size container). Lucky for me Hanamasa is only about 25 MaryMegan-strides from our building. I checked the date, good through Nov 2007 - so if I can figure out where to store some, I will buy more. I mean, who knows if they will ever carry them again. Maybe always, maybe never. I can't chance it. It's that good. It is that delicious, or indulgent, or rare - or HOME. Maybe at "home" I wouldn't have even ever bought a tub of caramel corn (not this small anyway hahaha - oh Lisa and the Popcorn Factory...), but I'm all over it now. Funny what will make your day when in a foreign environment. Now if only I could find deodorant in a solid, not a spray, not a wipe, just a stick. The little things.

Moving to Australia was an adventure of a different sort. First, everything was still written in English, which is a huge help. Second, Australia is so Western, it was more like different part of America with a cool accent. Andmost importantly, we didn't have our newest travel mate, Jackson!



As for getting settled, pretty much everything is put away and organized. Somethings reorganized as we live here a bit and I realize that this cupboard or that one are not convenient for the 8 million (sarcasm) Pampers I brought. Why didn't I pack wipes? haha. Really glad I brought the Pampers though. Also, really glad I brought Eric HAAAAAAAAAAAAHAHAHA.

Speaking of our little "Salaryman"- He went in later today, about 9:30, as Jackson was up a lot last night and we didn't get much rest on our concrete mattress (again, not really concrete, but if you rest too long on your side, you may bruise your hip...) Eric is good. Doing well. Looking good! haha. I'll let him type his own section. <> But let me just say jackson and I are very proud of him, and missing him A LOT as we adjust to days with out him. REALLY missing Dixie, and missing Eric when he is at work. But I guess it is a good thing - because if he worked from home here - we would be, uh, we wouldn't be doing well. We would be tripping all over each other, and not in the spontaneous romantic way!

Hmm, still have some time. Shall I describe our cleaning service? Your silence says "Yes, do tell..."Alrighty then. Mondays and Thursdays (Ah ha! It IS Thursday!) we have our maid service - usually a woman and a man, somedays just a woman, not always the same one, one of I think two women. Either way, all of the cleaning staff are, let's say, senior citizens. Anyway, I always think to myself, "Self, I don't need them today"- I mean, it is about 500 sq ft of space, how dirty can Jackson and I make it in a few days? Everything must be picked up and taken care of because there isn't room for a mess, and it wouldn't be safe for my little curtain-climber. But after the cleaners leave I'm like "wow - looks pretty damn good!" The Japanese are VERY tidy. Let me say, I keep expecting her to whip out a mop, and every time she cleans the floor on her HANDS AND KNEES (one wet rag, one dry, very Karate-Kid wax on wax off style), I think - woe. I feel like I should tell her, "No no no, get up, I'll do that!"- but in about 5 seconds she's finished. This after she has separated all of our trash (which I pre-sort into paper, plastic, diapers, trash) piece by piece, and her criteria for sorting I can not figure out. I know burnable trash vs not burnable, but really, she'll have about 6 bags... She changes linens, and just pretty much shuffles around, with the very often side bar with Jackson for a little "Kawaii"and a leg squeeze (yes for some reason all the Japanese women that want to admire my young shadow choose to squeeze his little squishy calves... No cheek pinching, just leg grabbing hahaha). She bows, I bow, she bows again, we keep bowing and saying Arigato as she shuffles backward out the door. I would bake her something but, oh yeah, my oven is MICRO. Let's just not even say I have one. That would be easier than trying to see what I could actually cook in that small small small space. I will find some MaryMegan sort of way to appreciate her help!

Okee dokee, if you haven't snuck away yet, feel free to go now, as I am going to sneak away myself and get some laundry done (that's a whole other post...) - see you my friends, Sayonara!

xooxox
ps/ Okay WOW - we are in sync, as if on cue he stirs and says "MAMAMAMAAAA"Adios!!

Wow - so my internet was not showing English, just little ? and boxes - but Ericsan fixed it, so now, internet permitting, we will blog again :) But for now, we must sleep - Oyasuminasai!!

WOW

Okay a quick update before my laptop dies - yes we moved to Japan and forgot my power cord! Yikes! Not to worry, Eric will bring me one from the office. :)
jackson is napping - phew. Little bugger is all about being on the prowl, and until we locate a BabiesRUs to baby proof this mouse house, I have to keep a constant eye on his mobile self! So this is my little window to communicate.
ARGH this darn laptop just erased my post. ARGH!!

Kon Nichiwa!

We made it!