Just Pictures....

First hairdresser haircut....... since hairclips last no more than two minutes and her "getting long" hair ends up filled with whatever she happens to be eating at the moment (mostly peanut butter), we thought it best to get a little trim while we keep working on keeping those clips in..

fooling around with Violette........

bear hugging.......
and yes, reading to Panda Bear.....

Chinese New Year

The Gardeners

Slowly they made their way through the exhibit, pointing, elbowing each other like little children in excitement as they reached a new specimen. Ignoring the “do not touch” signs, occasionally they would flick a branch, as if to give the tree a ‘high five” for being so perfect. Mostly older men huddled in twos and threes and each wearing a distinctively worn out hat, their youthful exuberance and camaraderie made them as interesting to observe as the Bonsai trees I had come to see.

At the 82nd Kokufu Bonsai Exhibition at the Metropolitan Art Museum, I gained a great appreciation of these tiny trees. 269 of the most exquisite examples of Bonsai were on view representing hundreds of years of care – yes, some of the trees were three and four hundred years old. At first, my friend Gill and I were overwhelmed by not just the sea of trees, but the crowd that was lined up to gape in wonderment at each creation. And these were creations – each limb carefully manipulated to form what might possibly be the most perfect position.

As we slowly made our way from one tree to another, the incredible detail was evident: #11 had the most amazing color; #31 was in full bloom; #66 looked like an entire forest. Even though it is the middle of winter here, there were trees representing each season; the barren branches of winter; beginning buds of spring; full bloom of summer and turning leaves of fall. In fact, #187 was filled with perfectly formed brown leaves just about to fall.

Some trees had dead limbs intertwined among the live branches; one had slabs of stone between the branches that sprouted out from the dirt that left us mystified at how such a thing could happen.

I would love to be able to show you pictures as my descriptions don’t do a single tree justice, but we followed the rules and didn’t take pictures.

Until.

We were walking on the second floor and an open passageway allowed us to see down on the first floor display; row after row of trees. Gill started it, pulling out her phone and snapping a picture. I figured since we weren’t taking a picture of a specific tree, it would be alright and pulled out my camera.



I took two pictures and as I was putting my camera away, saw the security people quickly gathering and almost silently talking into their security microphones. With visions of me locked away in a Japanese prison for my photographic crime, Gill and I, laughing at the obsurdity of it all, walked quickly but calmly through the rest of the exhibit, careful as one or another guard suddenly appeared to observe us. We both thought the “high fiving” the trees was much more of a crime and complained that we saw no security guards apprehending any of the gardeners, but such are the ways of Japan.

Afterwards, we went to a Bonsai market and were able to take as many pictures as we wanted.

Here are "The Gardeners" huddled over a specimen.
One of the trees in it's "Winter" stage....
One of the many selling trees on a very cold but sunny day.

This One's For You Gramps

Ariana and I both made visits to the dentist this week. You will be pleased to know that Ariana was very good during this first ever visit. After a bit of gentle prying, she opened her mouth for the dentist and sat quietly while she cleaned her teeth with vanilla flavored toothpaste and applied orange flavored floride treatment.

And she has no cavities !!!!,


I too was very good while undergoing a very, very thorough cleaning as I sat through the water jet spraying, the picking and a couple of other machines I had never experienced before. For over an hour I sat and listened to the dentist talk about plaque and age and the need to clean. He spouted statistics about the amount of bacteria (thousands, of which brushing, flossing and deep cleaning can only find 57%) in an adults mouth, where they hide and how, and how with this new laser technique, he can "torpedo" the bacteria in the "warfield" that are the pockets deep within my gums. Between the stats and the war talk, I realized why baba-san likes this particular dentist so much, but I have to admit it was the most painless and complete cleaning I ever got.



The offices couldn't have been more different. Ariana's dentist, who specializes in treating children, has a large and sunny office in Hiroo, a favorite ex-pat area. Walking in, the large reception area is inviting, with magazines and a beverage machine that makes everything from tea to cappucino for the adults and video games and puzzles for the children. Upstairs, there are about seven chairs in one big room with television screens mounted on the ceiling above each, so when your child is being treated, they are distracted by a cartoon. It worked. Ariana held on to the headphones with both hands and did not make a sound as the dentist did her work. When all done, Ariana got to pick out a little toy. She stood for what seemed like hours in front of the display of trucks, little toy figures, shiny bracelets and necklaces, finally choosing a plastic bubble filled crab.



I on the other hand was treated by an old school dentist, who has one room in a small office. As I leaned back into the chair, instead of a television screen with which to watch something, I had a view of a "Danger" sign, meant to remind everyone to wear goggles when being treated with the laser devise used for very deep cleaning.

Great.

Really reassuring.

But the good news was he gave me a gargle rinse that was an anesthetic, so all the cleaning and scraping didn't hurt a bit.

I sadly, received no toy when finished even though I didn't cry a bit.

Voting, Part 2

This is what I looked at most of yesterday, when I went not just to vote in the first ever Global Democratic Primary, but to volunteer as well. To say the Japanese media was curious was a bit of an understatement, as there were times when there was more of the media in the room than voters. They were photographing everything, from the ballets to Lauren's stuffed "Democratic Donkey" to the hand written sign outside that said "Voters, please note - the media are here - come on in anyway!"

While various media outlets came and went throughout the morning, there were always several huddled around waiting for a voter to walk in.

They would spot someone, usually the only Gaijin (foreigner) approaching the room and immediately start filming. The startled voter would register, get the ballet, walk to the back to vote and then return, only to be pounced upon by the hungry (but exceedingly polite) reporters. "Who did you vote for?", " why?", where are you from in America?", "did Hillary crying on TV affect you?", "why do you like Obama?", and on and on.


One reporter was keeping a tally of who people had voted for - red stickers for Hillary and blue for Barak (FYI - Barak was winning by a huge margin).
There was a mother and son there, the mother pratically breaking out in tears when we told her that her son could vote in the primary, as long as he would be 18 by election day. He got so nervous, he started sweating, and they were both deluged by the media after they had finished.

Around lunchtime, we started to see the effects of all the media attention, as people came by who had seen the story on the early news. We moved to a larger room to accomidate the voters who would be showing up after work and that is when I made my exit, as I had to pick Ariana up from school.

I was glad I got to participate in the event and I was looking forward to hanging out with my fellow dems this morning to watch the returns, but alas, the little one was sick (and I wasn't feeling too great myself) and stayed home from school. So, I watched care of Slingbox at home, feeling a little closer to the process.......and home.

Beans

Yesterday at school, Ariana and her school mates celebrated Setsubun, a festival usually held the day before the start of spring (in the lunar calendar). It is a fun festival for kids, because there are adults in scary masks and the kids get to throw roasted beans at them, shouting "Oni wa soto! Fuku wa uchi!" ("Devils out, happiness in").

In Japanese homes, people scatter the beans around their homes to rid them of any bad spirits. Afterwards you are supposed to pick up and eat the number of beans which corresponds to your age. We are not going to do this as between baba-san and myself, this would require eating too many beans and spoiling our appetite for dinner.

For your viewing pleasure, here is a video of Ariana singing during the celebration. Apparently she is the only one attempting the hand movements that go along with the song, lest you think she is having some sugar induced spasms.......

Voting, Part 1

Last night Baba-san and I went to the Democrats Abroad pizza party to discuss the upcoming election. For those unfamiliar with the organization, it is worldwide and gives a voice to Democrats who are living overseas. This year, for the first time ever, we are able to vote in the Global primary and will actually have the priveledge of sending delegates to the convention. Three people stood up and gave speeches on the three (now two) major candidates and why they are voting for them. What struck me was no matter who you are supporting, it is a wonderful year for us because we have several excellent people in the running. I do believe each of them, if elected, would be effective in solving some of the problems in the US and most important, would make great strides in restoring our image overseas.


What has saddened me greatly living here is how America is viewed by others. If I mention how I don't agree with it's policies, most often I hear "Oh really, so you don't like what is going on?" or more pointed "I'm so glad to hear you say that." Many people assume all Americans approve of the behavior of the few in power and that is very depressing.

There was a man, born in the Congo, who as an American citizen living in Tokyo right now, will be voting for the first time. It was thrilling to hear his passion for the process and his joy is having the opportunity to participate. Starting next Tuesday, we will be able to vote via the internet or in person at several polling place around Japan. Since Ariana is in school, I am going in person to vote, as well as help out at the location in Tokyo. I'll let you know how it turns out, but in the meantime, I thought I would provide you with a rather comical view of the election from a newspaper in China.

Enjoy!!


Headline Opinions 2008-01-05 13:28 from the Sinchew News:


Women, The Blacks, The Elderly

All the while leaders are always extraordinary. They are either having burly and strong body or convincing intelligence. Otherwise, these people are brave and remain calm when they face hardships. In the old days, some tribes elected their leaders by the number of prey they had successfully hunted. Those with the most were regarded as heroes, and normally they would become the leader of the tribe. There is a saying goes “the kingpin is the king”. No one is willing to be led by a weaker one. Therefore, the kingpins have always been leading the weak. However, not everyone can become a kingpin. The basic conditions of a kingpin are young (not old), strong and smart. Nevertheless, there are also other bias nowadays. For example, the differences between wearing trousers and wearing skirts, as
well as the differences between white and black. Therefore, most of the kingpins are men and the white. Women, the blacks and the elderly are often categorised as protected groups. If you have paid attention to the ongoing U.S. presidential elections 2008, you can find out that the major candidates of the two parties are the so-called “protected groups”.
Democratic Party's Hillary Rodham Clinton is the former first lady. She has a strong campaign team and reportedly she has the most election fund in history. However, she still has to rely on her husband to support her. She has even thrown in the line “ vote for Hillary and you will get Clinton as well”. Many people are optimistic that Hillary is going to become the first United States female president in the history even before she
announced her participation, but she only found out that the role of “woman” has too many stereotype restrictions. It is not easy to
beat other opponents.

In order to break through these limitations, the shrewd Hillary has recently been changing her image to meet the electorates' expectations of a female leader. Sometimes she is a filial daughter. Sometimes she is a loving mother. Sometimes she is a patriot who defend the United States. Sometimes she is the one who exposed the scandal of China's tainted food products. Some people have insulted her as “a woman with thousands face”.

Her opponent, Barack Obama doesn't have much advantages either. He is a half-black. Therefore, he can only gain support from his compatriots such as famous host Oprah Winfrey and actor Will Smith.

As for the Republican Party, the favored former Vietnam war hero John McCain is 71 years old this year. If were to win the election at the end of this year, he will be 72 years old and become the oldest president in the history of the United States. He would break the 1980 record where Reagan became president at the age of 69 years old. However, many people are worried if the old McCain can endure the four-year presidential term.

The United States is the world superpower, with the elected country leader is also the world leader. Perhaps it will be a disappointment if the president turns out to be a woman, a black or an elderly, but it will also full of historical meaning. However, would the result affect the image and status of the United States as the world superpower?

The weakness of women, the poverty of the blacks and the frailty of the elderly are our deep-rooted impression of disadvantaged "They hope to rewrite the history and witness the birth of a female president, a
black president or an elderly president."

These are the reasons the support rate of each candidate are so close to each other prior to the opening of Iowa primaries. Many
Americans are struggling. They hope to rewrite the history and witness the birth of a female president, a black president or an
elderly president. However, at the same time, they question if a female president, a black president or an elderly president could
really represent the United States as well as lead the country and the world.

(By CHUA SZE CHIH/ Translated by LEE MEI NYEE/
Sin Chew Daily)
( The opinions expressed by the writer do not necessarily reflect those of MySinchew )

It's Snowing

Yes, finally, after one and a half winters spent in Tokyo, it is finally snowing. It may not stick, but it sure is a happy sight!!!


Actually, it seems it is sticking and Ariana was having a fine time contemplating both the snow and her foot prints as we walked to school this morning. By the time we got there, we were both covered in snow and very happy - what a fun way to start the day!!!

Sorry I haven't been writing, but my hands have been otherwise occupied holding a steaming mug of tea in order to stay warm. It is freezing here. And by here, I mean in our apartment. For a country that is known for wacky inventions, you would think they could do something mundane, like build a well insulated home, but no..... so here I sit, shoulders hunched, drinking lots and lots of tea.

The good news is I have come to truly appreciate the heated toilet seat, as that seems to be the warmest place in the house. It's too bad there is a breeze coming through the bathroom that makes, well, how do I put this..............at least there is one warm body part.

There are parts of the apartment you could swear were really outside. Anywhere within 5 feet of a window is actually breezy. The bedrooms are freezing because the front door, no matter what we do to it, spews out freezing cold air and any room past it is the recipient of all that cold air. We tried caulking, but it did no good. We bought a couple of space heaters, thinking we could use those instead of the regular heat that comes from the ceiling and goes right out the windows and doors, but now we use them both, adding to an already outrageous electric bill - yes, the heating is electric.

There is an entire industry here based on products to keep warm - slippers, shawls, heaters, heated carpets, foot warmers, heaters of all shapes and sizes as most people have the same problem as we do.

One of my favorite products is the little foot warmers you get in the drug store - there are two kinds; ones that stick to your socks and others that slip into your shoes. As you step on them, they warm up and keep warm for several hours. I have taken to wearing them in the house as they seem to make the difference between "nice" wifey san and evil "I'm cold and therefore in a bad mood" wifey san.

I was just in what used to be Jed's room and it was 10 degrees Celsius, which translates into 50 degrees Fahrenheit. No wonder he decided to spend his senior year back in the warmth of Maryland.

The coffee mugs must be put in the microwave in the morning so the coffee stays hot - the good news is that the champagne glasses are always chilled, but it is really too cold for champagne. The butter, left out on the counter to keep soft, is not; rather it is hard as a rock.

And this is how we watch tv:

Bali, here we come!!!!!!!

A New Year....

Well, Ariana is back at school, baba san is back at a regular work day, and I am back to, well, whatever it is that fills my few hours to myself.

New Years was a lot of fun, despite the trip to the emergency room early in the day. EVERYTHING IS FINE!!! Ariana hadn't been feeling well in the belly and since everything, including doctor's offices are closed from December 30 - January 4th, we made a visit to the Red Cross Hospital in Hiroo, the next town over. We got her checked out, got some medicine and were back home in a couple of hours.
Our party went on as planned, but Ariana spent most of it in my arms, as when she is not feeling well, she wants to be held. That was fine with me. Everybody brought a dish and since we have a very international group of friends, we had everything from Gravlax to Casadias.

New Year's Day we went to a festival in Meguro, another town close by, and watched some taiko drumming. They had a little arcade and after handing over 300 yen, Ariana picked a number and had a choice of a tiara or a set of cars - my little girl, just like her mother, went for the cars.

We went back later in the week with some friends and she spent most of the time in the ball pit and racing these little motorized cars. Mmmmmm, I see a theme here.........