Every time I take the bicycle to the kindergarten to drop off or pick up my son, we stop by the biggish pond on our way. There are a lot of lotus growing there, and hiding among them are carp fish. We park the bike by the fence, and each time there are carps coming […]
Here comes the alphabet rain, said my son one day when we were playing. It was raining outside and we had just finished a board game where you roll the dice and go around looking for letters that you need to create the words you have on the game tile in front of you. The
A big patch of rain passed by and left behind 15 degrees lower temperatures. Suddenly, I found myself turning off the air conditioner, finding the long sleeved pajamas from my son, and having cold feet in the literal sense for the first time in many many months. Of course, with a rapid change in weather
The final day of our recent trip to Oita prefecture in Kyushu, I got the chance to go and experience what I have come to really love in Japan – nature, culture, religion blended in beauty and harmony. The history of buddhism and shintoism in this particular corner of Japan is so interesting, I had
One thing I love about Japan are the many public holidays that are scattered around the year. That there is very little proper vacation I am not so fond of however, so when there was a chance in September to have a long weekend, we thought it was a good idea to do a little
Even though it has been a very hot summer, we have been trying to do a lot of fun’s things during this year’s summer holiday. Since 35 degrees and sun is not well suited for outdoor play in the park, we have explored fun activities appropriate for a hot summer. Thus we have visited the
When typhoon number 10 of this year, or Shanshan as it is called, approached Kyushu the other day, the anticipated trajectory would put us close to its path and as the typhoon grew in strength, businesses and the city government prepared for its arrival. And so did we. Many shops and medical clinics contacted its
Every now and then, my son and I try our hand on cooking something new. Japanese gyoza dumplings are a favorite of my son’s. We normally buy frozen vegetable and minced meat gyoza at the grocery store. They are pre-made so we only need to fry them, but there is something about making things from
What do you want to do today, we asked our son last Sunday. It is summer holiday and we thought we were going to do something special, a little family excursion to our son’s liking. He did not hesitate – I want to go to Fukuoka tower, he said. Fukuoka Tower is located by the
Giving gifts to say thank you is a seasonal thing in Japan, new year season and summer being the two periods where most of the gift-giving occur. Companies can send customers gifts, patients can send a gift to for example a doctor or dentist who has been particularly helpful to them, friends and relatives can
After rain. Comes more rain – that is how I have experienced summer so far this year. Sure, there have been a few days or hours of sun in between the persistent showers, but the last month has really given us a lot of precipitation. And nature has loved it – the grass is growing visibly day
It is adorable to see how love and nursing instincts express themselves in the behavior of a little toddler. While we have ample opportunities to experience everyday love, the additional feelings that come out when mom or dad is feeling under the weather are so cute in the way they show up. Not long ago