With a toddler in the house, time really flies. Walking to the bus stop in the morning, enjoying the spring blossom, I feel like the day two years ago when I wrote a post about magnolias, must have been just yesterday. I always look forward to this time of the year. Soft warm air, no […]
I have more and more come to feel that an important part of life is noticing and appreciating the small things. Like the hug from my wife in the morning. Or the smile from the driver of the car we let by. The beautiful magnolia tree that has just started to bloom. Or the joy
It was six months ago that I last wrote about our bedtime dino-storytelling, and it has continued since then, every night. The dino-cast has expanded slightly, but after New Year there has been a dramatic change in the direction this never-ending story is heading and I thought that was worth a few words. When I
Moving to Japan has in many ways been like experiencing youth again. I have had a whole new unknown world to discover and explore and I feel like I am still very much in the beginning of this discovery process. One particular area that has been like a treasure trove for me has been the
When I was younger I was quite proficient in the French language. I read a lot and studied both in Sweden and France. I was passionate about the language and the culture and could have imagined myself living in France one day. Then other things happened and French came to occupy a smaller and smaller
Last Friday it was time for 発表会, happyoukai – the kindergarten’s annual on-stage presentation. Every February the children sing and perform plays on a big stage in a cultural center, and parents and relatives come to see their children perform. For our son this was the third happyoukai, and we were so happy to see
Coming home to Japan after an extended period in Sweden, I always look forward to the aerial view of Tokyo and Mount Fuji. Just like last year, we had the good fortune to get wonderful views of the cityscape below, and just like last year I struggled with the blue toned windows and strong backlight
Having covered the main events of our busy busy autumn, it is time for a little snow and winter, this time from Sweden. We spent the winter holidays in Sweden with my parents. Coming “home” is always a happy thing for me, and for my son as well coming to Sweden has become “coming home”.
Before moving on to write about our snowy winter adventures, I wanted to share a photo taken from the airplane flying far north on its way towards Denmark. It was the first time I saw auroras, northern lights, from an airplane and the first time ever for my wife and son – a really happy
Since our son turned 5 we have been practicing riding a bicycle. We found a second hand bicycle that looked like the right size for a toddler, and it included a bag with support wheels. But having heard that those could slow down the learning process or actually make it more difficult, I decided to
神待祭, Kamimachi Matsuri meaning waiting for kami festival, is an event held at our local shrine late every year. It is a festival to, with a bonfire, welcome the kami, god, who is said to return home from Izumo that night. We have never participated before, but since our son is growing up and had
One of the things we like about our kindergarten is that our son gets to experience all kinds of activities. This year there has been soccer, potato digging, art exhibition visit, a visit to the rescue and emergency center. And just before the winter holidays he got to go ice skating for the first time.