Archive for March, 2007

Reunited

Published
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matt
on March 29, 2007
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So here I am in Kyoto again. Back with Yoko and Reni and our soon to be born but as yet unnamed second boy. Back with Yoko’s folks and her brother too, enjoying their amazing hospitality.

It’s only been a week and a half since I was back here but it seems like much longer than that. I guess there are two reasons for that. The first and most obvious reason is I missed Yoko and Reni. The apartment almost felt too big without them!

The second reason is that I’ve traveled quite a few kilometres since I was last here. Last weekend I went down south to Kochi with my mate, En-chan. The weather sucked on the first day however we were lucky enough to catch up with my mates Shun and Toshi in the evening. Shun very kindly let us crash at his place for the night so we managed to keep dry.

The next day was fine and the waves were good. We had a great day in the water. I attempted photography from my board using the waterproof housing and disposable camera Yoko gave me for my birthday. It was fun but timing the shot was not easy. It will be interesting to see the photos. In the afternoon we caught up with another mate, Bruce who runs an English school and surfing school down there. Once again we were treated to ‘local’ Kochi hospitality. Bruce cooked us a delicious curry dinner, let us stay the night and lent us surfboards the next morning.

On to baby talk. The big day is not far away now. Yoko will have a caesarian section on Tuesday, April 3rd. She went to the doctor today for a final check before the birth. The doctor’s assessment- big! (One look at Yoko and you could guess that!) According to his estimates the little guy already weighs 3200 grams.


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On my own.

Published
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matt
on March 16, 2007
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I’ve been on my own at home for almost 2 weeks now. Why? You may wonder. No, Yoko and I haven’t separated, we’re just temporarily apart.
Jika ni kaeru (back to the family home) 
It is custom here in Japan for an expecting mother to return to her parent’s place prior to the birth. This custom may sound a bit strange, but it does have its benefits. First of all it gives the expecting mother time to relax and bond a little with her family. Of course it is important for her to be feeling relaxed and stress-free to have the best possibility of a smooth delivery. It’s also vital to be on good terms with her parents as she will need their advice and support once the child has been born.
Tanshin (alone, but not single!)
There are also benefits from the expecting father’s point of view too. It can ease his work burden around the house, (though there are still some Japanese men who believe that housework is women’s work only), and give him a temporary sense of freedom. Last weekend I appreciated that feeling- I hiked most of Saturday and surfed most of Sunday!
Nevertheless being away from the ones you love most does have its downside. Inevitably a feeling of loneliness develops. That’s why this weekend I’m heading up to Kyoto -to be with Reni and Yoko again. 

This week’s cute kid is ….

Published
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matt
on March 6, 2007
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Recently while Yoko and Reni were at a local park a man approached them. Fortunately he was a nice man. He was a cameraman in fact. He asked Yoko if he could film Reni for a local cable tv program. Yoko agreed to it.

They arranged to meet at the park a few weeks later for the filming. Reni took along his favourite Thomas the Tank Engine suitcase full of all his toys. To make his entrance he pulled the case along to the park.

Once he got to the park though Reni soon forgot about his case. He went and played energetically on the ladders, slides and swings while the cameraman did his best to keep up. Like the professional that he is, he did a good job. (Actualy he interviewed and filmed me a few years back when I first started my job with the Kitajima Town Council.)

The commentary to accompany the footage introduced Reni and told how his mother is Japanese and his father is Australian. They also mentioned how much Reni loves Thomas and knows the names of so many of Thomas’ friends and that he goes to music class and likes to dance.

Reni made a great screen debut as this week’s cute kid. Of course to me though he is every week’s cute kid!


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Sayonara Sombreros

Published
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matt
on March 1, 2007
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Sunday night saw the end of an era in Tokushima. It was the last night of business for the small Mexican restaurant known as Sombreros. Run by the ever-smiling David Flores, Sombreros had become a focal point for the foreign community of Tokushima. People would often meet here first before heading out for a night on the town. Located close to the central bus and train stations, it also served as a convenient meeting point during the day also.

The main reason for heading to Sombreros besides the company, was the food. David, who is of Mexican-American heritage knows how to cook authentic Mexican cuisine. If you like it hot, he’ll give it to you! David realizes however that his tolerance of chillies is greater than most people’s so he didn’t spice it up too much. David’s quesadillas, tacos, nachos, burritos (washed down with a cool Corona) will be sadly missed.

Thank you David for your ever-present smile, your delicious cooking and your generous hospitality! Good luck in the future with your new school enterprise.