The Crow

Jack saw this new sign in our park across the street today... The crows here are large and scary - and there are a lot of them. But maybe we should now be looking out for one in particular.

Update - but not really

We know people are wondering what is going on - when are we leaving Tokyo? Where are we going next? And the answer is...we don't know. But just to give you all something until we know more, Jack's 12 years with Northwest(Delta) is officially over on December 18th. Our apartment lease here will end December 31st. Do we have arrangements for packers to come and move us? No. Do we know where Jack's next job will be? No. Am I concerned for our future? No. Am I disappointed to be leaving Tokyo earlier than planned? Yes. Am I still going to enjoy Tokyo as much as I can until the day we leave? Yes.

Jack is working hard to see what's out there to try and keep us international, but obviously it is now November 6th and the end of December will be here quite quickly. We still have our house in Minneapolis, just not sure if there is a place for our kids at their former school. Hopefully in the next couple of weeks our future will become more clear. Stay tuned.

Tourist for a day

Today was yet another Japanese holiday. I've given up on trying to keep up on each celebration. I think someone told me the other day there are about 300 hundred of them. Many people in the expat community often have these days off. Jack usually has to work, but not today. The kids had school and we, for once, had the chance to tour the city for a few hours alone. I suggested that he come up with a plan for us. So he decided that we should head to the Park Hyatt in Shinjuku and have lunch on the 52nd floor at the New York Grill - the place 'Lost in Translation' was filmed. It was a perfectly clear day and we had a better view of Fuji-san today than we did when in Hakone. On our walk from the train station to the hotel. Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building - one of the many towering buildings in Shinjuku.

Playing tourist

View from the 52nd floor at the New York Grill - camera couldn't catch Fuji so well, but it was a great view.

The room/lounge from Lost in Translation

Our two hour lunch was wonderful although I can't say that I have ever dined in a place where the water ended up costing more than my glass of wine...

Trick or Treat - Take 2

We took to the streets of Nishi Azabu and Moto Azabu again this year with the masses of expats and Japanese. I've been told it's getting so popular there are a couple thousand people weaving their way in and out of these streets. It certainly felt like it at times. Plenty of places the kids stopped at had run out of candy. Other places reported that they went through hundreds and hundreds of pieces of candy. I can't find my way around this area when it's light out, much less dark. Thankfully a dad in our group lead the way and helped me find my kids when I couldn't. Jack missed out this year as he joined many Aussie fans for a big Rugby match between Australia and New Zealand. I was told concessions ran out of beer halfway through the match. Doesn't sound like an Aussie event to me.

So the kids ran from building to building with a few houses in between. I think I saw every person I have met since moving here along the route. But whenever I turned to say 'hi' and talk to someone I lost a kid. I was thrilled when both Nicholas and Connor said they had so much candy and thought that they were done.

My little Transformer - Bumblebee

So most of the loot looks familiar...
Then there are a few Japanese treats in there. Kate was willing to give them all a go. I assumed they would all have some sort of fish flavor hidden in them. The first one looks more like salmon bites than what I think it was supposed to be - taffy? I snagged everyone's mini Milky Ways instead.

The night before...

Jack and I have now been here long enough to know someone that was having a Halloween Party, just for adults - The McAvoys

Nat and I after a Tequila Shot and a jello shot - I think

Our good friends The Gatherers

Jack surrounded by Marlo and Sue

The Pirate and his Maiden, although people

preferred to call me a wench instead.

A Field Trip

I volunteered to join Nicholas's Grade 2 field trip to the Tama Zoo. I was in charge of 4 kids - nice ratio. Nicholas and Aliyu from Nigeria

Ellene from Australia and Anna from Japan


But what caught my eye were the Japanese school groups - decked out in full uniform head to toe.
No variation except the color of their hats

I love the set up for lunch - an upright backpack right in the middle of each plastic mat.

If only I could have walked around and snapped pictures of their little bento boxes while they were eating lunch.

Kit Kat

One of the unique Kit Kat flavors we came across...not too bad either, but I wouldn't agree that it tasted like Ginger Ale

Saipan

I think I have finally discovered the perfect family vacation. One must travel with one or two other families with children of similar ages and leave the husbands behind. Okay, I realize that isn't fair, much less a 'family' vacation, but this is the first time I think I might return home and NOT feel like I need a vacation from my vacation. Jack stuck around for a couple of days before he had to return to work, but he can't complain as he was surrounded by 3 wonderful women lounging by the beach, dining by candlelight and swinging the racket out on the court.

Saipan is beautiful however I am not posting any photos because they would be like any tropical vacation photo - palm trees, white sandy beaches, sunburned bodies and turquoise blue waters. A little slice of heaven. Unlike my partners in crime I prefer to keep the sand between my toes, staring out to sea while they prefer to lounge by the pool. Anything goes while the 9 kids are at Camp Hyatt.

I am happy to report that halfway into our vacation there have been no trips to the emergency room, although I may have been better off saving this post until the end of the week. I am seriously considering deleting this and waiting until we return to Tokyo. Connor is sleeping too close to the edge of the bed - close enough to fall out and clip his head on the bedside table...

Hakone

We had to see Hakone before we left Japan as it is a must for anyone staying here for a significant period of time. Hakone is a hot spring town spanning across the collapsed remains of a huge volcano that was active 3 or 4 thousand years ago. The result? Many fun attractions including some interesting hot spring amusement as well as views of Mount Fuji. Because of our enormous family we couldn't get 1 Western style room, but we could get 1 Japanese style room. Upon entering our room the kids were quite confused. "Uh, Mom, where are the beds?" Ah, yes, the beds - "Why they are in the closet!" The Japanese style room is made of Tatami mats and we had futons for sleeping. The argument was not about which bed to sleep in, but where on the floor would they sleep. Five foutons filled the floor.

A wonderful place to visit is the Hakone Open Air Museum which was our first stop.





Just about everything is outside. Modern sculptures and creations from artists all over the world that allow the kids to run, climb, play and best of all - make noise!


They kids are all in there.

Run Connor Run!

This reminded me of the Chicago Millennium Park Bean - but smaller, and a ball, and suspended.



Woods of Net - Fantastic.

We couldn't get in there -but the kids could. They climbed in and out of those holes.

Such a happy place - although I will admit I heard our kids enthusiasm above everyone else's.

There was a mini Picasso museum. I took the kids through here in about 2 minutes. It was a quiet place with no touching.

The Symphonic Sculpture. Connor preferred not to climb the steps and stayed at ground level.

Connor found this sculpture on the map and couldn't wait to see it. He was then slightly disappointed and declared it was a woman with big boobs.

One of my favorites was the bronze sculpture face down in the grass off to the side.

Curved space

More climbing through these honeycomb spacelike spheres

We took a cable car up a mountain and transferred to a ropeway that carried us across the remains of a volcano filled with sulfurous steam vents. We did this twice in hopes to get a good view of Mount Fuji. There were no views on day one. Day two was a bit better.

Kate not enjoying the smelly air.

Well, we saw it. Off in the distance, not the clearest view, but it's there.

From the ropeway we took a boat across Lake Ashi.

Connor is there playing pirate between the bars.

For the kids, the highlight was Yunessun, something like a hot spring theme park. Before heading there we had to put on our special robes and lovely vinyl slippers.

Loving the outfits.

Yunessun is comprised of various hot springs inside and out. The first was a coffee bath. They actually put coffee into the hot spring. It smelled like coffee, but I can't say that it tasted like it. It was chilly outside, so it felt great.

The waterfall

The wine bath - red. The sign reads 'Do not drink' We missed the 'pouring of the wine' into the bath.

It looks like we have all been drinking from the hot spring.

The paths to each bath wind in and around the beautiful grounds.

The tea bath

Jack in the Green Tea bath

The rock bath

The sake bath - I didn't see a sign that said not to drink out of this bath.

There was a hot spring for everyone.

Nicholas headed down the slide into the warm bath

We missed out on the bath with fish that eat the dead skin off of your feet. That bath had a typical Japanese line that would have kept us there all morning. I think I'll just get a pedicure instead.

More tiny things...

I enjoyed the size of the restaurant orders, the tiny strips of paper lined up next to the grill. A closer look

And there was Jack's sake that the waiter poured until it pooled in the saucer below. We pondered whether or not he was supposed to consume the extra and how. We chose to ask the waiter, who of course spoke very little English. So Jack attempted conversing with the waiter using his charades of 'Do I sip it from the saucer?' No, the waiter laughed and motioned to pour the extra back into the cup. I am so glad we asked.

Typhoon Melor

It's Thursday and all the kids are home again, not because of flu or other illness, but because of the typhoon that passed over Japan last night and early today. We had snow days in Minneapolis, and now we face typhoon days in Tokyo. There was as much chatter about the impending storm as there usually is about a snow storm back home. The embassy sent out a letter warning people to have passports in hand, earthquake emergency kits available and contacts abroad.

I must admit that I am a little disappointed. Sure there was a lot of rain and large gusts of wind, but if I didn't know there was a typhoon in the neighborhood I would have just thought it to be a very windy and rainy day. Now there are beautiful clear blue skies (it's only 12:55PM), something we haven't seen for a while because of a string of rainy days. I had hoped to see more 'weather'. I kept checking the weather report thinking, 'That's it? That's all we are going to get?' It's not that I wanted anything bad to happen, just something more to convince me that cancelling school was in everyone's best interest. How about a late start?????