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..