Friday, August 22, 2008

Other Westerners?!? To Market To Market

I find it so interesting to walk down the street or be in a shop and gravitate towards those who look like me. There is almost this look of desperation to connect with another westerner. If I hear someone speaking English, I quickly turn to have a look at them. Crazy. I feel like I should say something to them, but I don't.

I literally ran out of the apt. tonight to go to the market as soon as Jack walked in the door. The kids were all home today, the first of many days off. I was done being mom, I actually was done about 3 hours before Jack came home. Anyway, I love going to the markets and this was my first time out alone! I wasn't sure how late it stayed open when I got there, there was some announcement over the loudspeaker and I doubt it was about today's specials, so I tried to hurry in case it was closing. It was still great to check it out without kid's in tow. There were 4 floors, all very small with different categories on each. I was looking for some ground beef, but nothing was in English and although I thought I found it I was too much of a wimp to buy it and so I passed. Next was the milk - all Japanese characters, the only giveaway was the cow. The other milk I have purchased was at an international grocery store and it has some English labels, but not this one -so I will pour it into Nicholas's Japanese Cocoa Crispies tomorrow morning and hope he doesn't spit it out. I was thrilled to buy a bottle of wine there as well. I realized that I have not had a drink since the plane ride over here - that's almost a week now. What have I been thinking? I do pass out quite early from sheer exhaustion - with the exception of tonight. It is interesting that I get a second wind when all other bodies are asleep...

Tomorrow is Connor's 4th birthday. Thank god he is easily entertained with a sign and a paper hat! I found a bakery, Kyles Good Finds, that will deliver his cake tomorrow with Lightning McQueen for a mere 8800 Yen (88 US dollars). And this is the small sheet cake. So the cake is pretty much his party because now we can't afford anything else.

5 comments:

Unknown said...

Love reading this-- almost feel like I'm seeing what you're seeing but know that I'm not. How come kids are out of school so often? Do they have a kids club program for those days? What do working parents do? Sounds like you have that "twilight zone" feeling that you have when you have baby number 1 and the first time you venture out alone post baby-- it seems surreal. The whole-- I've been to Target a million times but suddenly its different going to Target because OMG! I just had a baby!!! Know what I mean?

ssmurray said...

Brigitte, I love reading your blog!!! Can just imagine being in the store just guessing, guessing. Aren't there some cheat sheets you can print out? You know, just the basics. But it is more exciting to just figure it out as you go. How are the kids doing?

Trixie120 said...

Happy birthday Connor!

Brigitte said...

Gretchen - you nailed it, I totally thought that that is what it felt like - turning me out into this foreign land alone holding on for dear life! Very surreal.

Unknown said...

Hi, Brigitte, Jack, Kate, Nick and Connor. Thanks for sharing your new adventures with us, Brigitte. Sounds like you are adapting quite well to your new home. Happy Birthday, Connor. We'll send a gift once we get your address. Meanwhile, let's set up a time to webcam via skype...Natasha will love to see her cousins abroad. Cannot wait to visit you all in the coming year. We love and miss you.
Kathleen, Bob, Natasha and Oliver