The Trip, pt. 2

Things I Learned While In Hokkaido

1) Going to a ski resort in Japan when you don't ski, are not Japanese, don't speak the language and have an Asian child is a uniquely bizarre and challenging experience. We were stared at. A lot. From adults, sly glances and conversation. From children, obvious double takes as they tried to figure out what was going on. As I couldn't understand their words, it became a game as each day brought more looks. I would mentally give out awards for the sliest, the most obvious, the funniest. It was fun.

2) Be careful what button you push on the television remote. While sitting with Jed, he pushed one and porno appeared on the screen. Thankfully, the specific body parts were blurred (I imagine until you actually put in your order for the show), but it did cause a bit of embarrassment on both our parts, until we realized how funny it was - then we both just laughed. Later, when we told Arny about it, he commented how it was probably the only channel where we could all understand what we were seeing, since the seven stations we got were all in Japanese.

3) Japanese toilets - the adventures continue. Never let a small and curious child near the buttons when you are sitting on one.

4) Fondue - be careful. Do not put the fork used in the hot oil pot anywhere near your mouth. Yes, the blister has finally gone away.

5) Singing animal figures are big in Japan. I was forced by my child to watch the singing dogs as they performed such American standards as "Happy Days are Here Again", "Sitting on Top of the World" and "Dixie". While quite frightening, it wasn't as much as the musical group in "Oktoberfest", one of the themed restaurants we ate in, where the "waitress" character sang while accompanied by various animals all dressed in German mountaineer outfits.

6) Japanese toy cell phones are far more advanced than American made ones, with many more features and sounds and therefore, that much more annoying. The entire tram car exited repeating the phrase "moshi moshi genki" as they had heard it over and over and OVER AND OVER during the 4 minute ride. Thank you Ariana!!

7) Neither a two and a half year old nor her mother like being told one must get off the carousel and walk all the way around in order to ride it again. Actually, we were not told because we don't speak Japanese. Instead, the carousel operator ran and got a sign as big as a cue card with the words spelled out in English.

8) When a two and half year old says her brother's name, it sounds like "Dead".

9) Japanese people like to sit around watching musical fountains. There was one where the water was synchronized to the music. There were many chairs set up in front of it and people would sit and watch the sprays go up and down in time to the music.

10) Listening to your child squeal with glee while riding the gondola up the mountain is worth every stare, every sign, every burn and every frightening life size singing animal..

Our Trip

This is Hokkaido..it was the first snow we had seen all winter and there was definitely a lot to be seen...it was also the opportunity for Ariana to experience a lot of firsts....
first time on snow - she was not thrilled.....
first time being chauffeured around by her big brother - this she loved...


first time in a sled - she got the hang of it and her initial dislike of snow turned into love......

especially when it came to the eating of said snow.. ..

first time in pigtails. Her hair is finally long enough for at least some of it to be put up and she found this extremely funny. After I was done, she would ask to be picked up so she could look at herself in the mirror....

Oh yes, and the first time on skis, thanks to baba. In ski boots two sizes too big, she was fearful at first, but then began to like it and as he took her up and down the small hill, kept asking for more.

I'll write more in the next few days about the trip, but I thought you would be anxious to see the little snow bunny....

Hokkaido

We are here.
There is snow.
It is beautiful.
However, internet access is extremely limited so this may be my only post until we get back. I am sitting in the lobby while Arny and Jed eat breakfast because SOMEONE WAS UP AT 5:45AM, POINTING TO THE TV AND SAYING, NO, MAKE THAT - SCREAMING, "WIGGLES" (THANKS A LOT AUNTIE M!!! - as a side note, is there a 12 step program for Wiggles addiction??). In my attempt not to wake the others, I played the damn "Wiggles" and then took her down to breakfast about 7am.

Have a great week all!!

Ariana's got a boyfriend...

......a handsome fellow named Yuto. They had their second date, chaperoned of course, last night at a dinner party given by my friend Judith. It was very cute, seeing these two play and flirt together. At first, Yuto was trying really hard to impress her, but she was playing hard to get. But then, she started flirting with him and they were running around having loads of fun with Yuto's older sister Ashton and Judith's niece Emily.

She is usually very quiet around other kids, preferring to play by herself, but last night, she was laughing and running around with the gang, enjoying many rounds of "ring around the rosy". Perhaps it was the party atmosphere, perhaps the fact that the girls were older - whatever it was though, it was a most lovely sight!!

Two Years Ago Today...

........when it was dark, they bundled her up in a pink and orange sweater, with a two toned blue hat firmly on her head and carried her to the social welfare institute, where they left her on the steps in a box with a bottle and a bag of formula. They attached a note with the day and time of her birth. They left, perhaps looking back again and again as the box got smaller and smaller until it was no longer in sight.

Are they thinking about her today? Are they wondering where she is? Do they have any idea what they are missing?

Perhaps they do.

Springtime in Tokyo

lots of people standing around taking pictures of blooming trees....
a picture I took as I stood around taking pictures of blooming trees....
this has nothing to do with spring, other than the fact it was a spring day, I just think she has the cutest butt...

Good Times...

This morning, after the breakfast of yogurt and cereal and juice and more yogurt and toast with peanut butter, she started dancing. She turned on the panda, which plays "Celebrate" and danced. Now, mind you, her dancing reminds me of Elaine on "Seinfeld" - jerky, stiff and uncoordinated, but I have to say with Ariana doing it, it just looked adorable. She kept playing the song (over and over and over and OVER AND OVER) until baba walked in and started dancing with her. They were both laughing and dancing and it was just the most wonderful way to start the day.

Japanese Health Care, Part 2

This time it was my turn. Waking up on Thursday morning with a shooting pain in my right eye, probably caused by the fact that I have been falling asleep without taking my contact lens (I only wear one, in my right eye) out, I knew something was wrong and that I needed help.

I thought I would pay a visit to my local emergency room and that is what I did, with sleeping baby in tow. Arriving about 7:30am, I was told that there was no opthamologist on call and to go to the clinic area, which didn't open until 8:30am. This is the thing about Japanese emergency rooms - you must call before to see if the specialist you need is there and if not, you need to call around to see which hospital has that specialist on call.

I waited, watching as the woman behind the counter arrived and starting preparing her desk for the day. Taking a sterile wipe, she cleaned her entire desk off, moving then to the counter where patients filled out forms to clean that desk as well. In addition to pens, there were reading glasses in a little container to be used if needed - a nice touch.

At 8:30 I went up to her and explained my problem. The woman had me sit down and left for a few minutes, returning to tell me the opthamology department was very busy and I would have to wait 2 or 3 hours to see a doctor. Being with a 2 year old, I asked if I could leave and come back later. She said no, that's not the way it worked - I had to stay in the hospital. I again explained (very, very nicely) that I didn't want to disturb the other patients with a 2 year old screaming child and it would be really helpful if I could leave and come back. She left me for a few minutes and returned, saying she had discussed this with the powers that be and that I could in fact leave and come back, after first bringing my paperwork to the opthamology department. I was thrilled, not only to be able to leave, but also at having gotten them to bend the rules, which in Japan is almost impossible.

We went back home, hung out for awhile and returned at 11 am for an eye exam, a wait, a 10 minute visit with the eye doctor, a prescription, a bill for 1260 yen (about $12, which included two different kinds of eye drops). After it was all over, it was 12:40pm.

While the wait is long, I have waited in some doctor's offices in the states for that long and at least at the end of this wait..
I was done.
Finished.
No need to fight with insurance companies, no lab bills arriving in the mail, no trips to the pharmacy.

I think I like this.