a happy birthday

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In recent years my birthday has kind of sucked. Sadly, adult birthdays are often overlooked here in Japan. This year was a welcome change.

Although i had a busy day of work (4 lessons at school and one in the evening at the youth centre), i arranged to have dinner with my mates. We met at a restaurant run by my good mate Naga-chan and his lovely wife, Maki. (Naga-chan was kind enough to provide me with housing when i first moved to Tokushima).

When i first arrived i was surprised and amused to see Naga-chan wearing a shirt with ‘Milton’ written on it. What a weird coincidence; he had no idea that that was my nickname in Australia


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A group of ten or so of us enjoyed a delicious meal and drinks followed by a scrumptious cake generously provided by Naga-chan and Maki. Everyone it seemed got their fill, (some more than others perhaps).

Following dinner i ventured into the city with my good mates, Trevor and Chris. By happy chance there was some good music going down at the nightclub we went to. Chris was in fine form; providing additional entertainment for many in the club. It was a great night out.

Additionally, on Sunday Jodi cooked a delicious chocolate cake and arranged a little gathering with our friends who have children. Not only that she gave me a stylish camera case for my new camera (which she also gave me) and bought me some new gore-tex sneakers which will be ideal for hiking and exploring waterfalls. And if that wasn’t enough, my foreign friends chipped in and bought me an ipod shuffle. Talk about spoilt! I am blessed with such good friends!


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Tanjoubi = Birthday

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Oh Boy! How time flies! Reni is 6 now and will start school in April. Our little boy is not so little anymore.

To celebrate Reni’s day we went to the food court at the local shopping centre, Fuji Grand. Reni loves the ‘om-rice’ (rice covered with omelette) they have there.


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After dinner we returned to the apartment for celebrations and dessert. As has become custom, the birthday cake was adorned with a train from the Thomas the Tank Engine series whose number corresponds with the age. This year Reni being 6, Percy was on his cream sponge cake.

Although it was a very low-key affair, we all enjoyed Reni’s birthday. And the cake was delicious of course ;-)


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That’s entertainment.

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While Mum & Dad were here during the winter holidays we went to a couple of shows to entertain the boys and ourselves. We saw a circus show that is currently touring here and a Thomas the Tank Engine show at Asatamu Land, an educational fun park.

J-Foto.com Blog Photo BlogJ-Foto.com Blog Photo BlogBefore we went to the circus we asked Reni and Syd what animals there might be in the show. Reni thought there could be a zebra but we weren’t so sure. Imagine our surprise then when in one of the first acts of the show there was a clown with what appeared to be with a miniature zebra! The act was very convincing and entertaining. Finally at the end of the act the truth was revealed when the clown unzipped the zebra suit to allow a dog to step out.

J-Foto.com Blog Photo BlogJ-Foto.com Blog Photo BlogDogs were the only animals used in the show in fact. (It is no longer acceptable to keep animals locked up in cages for our enjoyment – too right!) Other acts included acrobatics, trampolining, juggling and more clowns. The big top was barely half full but performers and spectators alike clearly enjoyed themselves.

Although the Thomas the Tank Engine show at Asatamu Land was only brief, Syd and Reni certainly enjoyed it. Being so familiar with the series they were able to answer all of the questions presented to them by the actors. Following the show they were able to get a photo with Thomas too. While we were at the park we also played in the playground and the interactive science museum there. It was a fun day out for all.


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Welcoming the Tiger

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New Year’s Eve was extremely cold here in Tokushima – so cold in fact that none of us were prepared to venture outside to see in the new year. i didn’t even bother staying up until midnight and was fast asleep by the time we entered the new decade.

An event to be held in the main shopping arcade and on top of Mt Bizan, the mountain overlooking Tokushima, was widely advertised. The flyer said there would be DJs playing at the top of Bizan until sunrise. i thought i’d try to catch the last hour or so of the free music and watch the first sunrise of the year, thus i went to bed early.


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It was still dark when i set off but the sky was well lit by a full moon. It was so bright that i didn’t even need to use a light to make my way up the mountain. When i reached the summit all was quiet. Either the djs were playing in the arcade or they had all packed up and gone home because it was just too darn cold. Sunrise was still at least another hour away so i walked around and did some stretching to try and keep warm.

As daylight neared some trucks arrived carrying groups of taiko drummers. A crowd gradually began to form. Witnessing the first sunrise of the new year, known as hatsu-hi-no-de, is a popular tradition in Japan.J-Foto.com Blog Photo BlogJ-Foto.com Blog Photo BlogJ-Foto.com Blog Photo Blog

 

 

 

From the summit of Bizan we were treated to a spectacular sunrise as the sun rose above the low lying clouds over the Pacific. With the first light the drummers, clad only in light cotton clothing, began beating their drums energetically. Despite the cold it was a good way to welcome the new year.

Later on in the day following lunch we decided we’d try another Japanese New Year tradition, hatsu-mo-de, the first visit of the year to a shrine or sometimes temple (to pray for a prosperous and trouble-free year). Unfortunately it seemed that most people in Tokushima had the same thought as us. The traffic jam leading towards Oasa Jinja, Tokushima’s largest shrine was so long and slow that we soon gave up our plan and decided to just do some sightseeing at Dochu, an interesting formation of sandstone pillars further west of the shrine.

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Even along the narrow back roads there was much traffic headed towards the shrine. At times it seemed like it would be impossible to progress any further. Eventually when it seemed we were in the clear we were forced to make another detour because a car had broken down in the middle of the road. By the time we reached the pillars it was nearing dark and the threat of snow was imminent.

After checking out the pillars we retreated to the warmth of the nearby hotel and got some hot udon noodles to warm ourselves up. While we were eating we were visited by an audacious stray cat. It was very vocal and obviously starving as it was prepared to climb onto the table to get at the food despite our presence. We dubbed our new found feline friend the boomerang cat – every time i hurled it from the table it would immediately return to scavenge some more. Perhaps i was a little harsh on the poor pussy but it was quite entertaining!


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Shinkansen Trip to Fukuoka

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J-Foto.com Blog Photo BlogJ-Foto.com Blog Photo BlogYou know how it is – boys like planes, trains & automobiles. In the case of Reni & Syd it certainly is true. Of the three, trains are their favourite, in large part due to their love of Thomas the Tank Engine.

J-Foto.com Blog Photo BlogJ-Foto.com Blog Photo BlogWhile Mum & Dad were here we decided to take a ride on one of Japan’s bullet trains, the Shinkansen. Reni had ridden on one briefly before with me from Kyoto to Osaka and back but Syd had yet to experience a ride. Naturally both boys were excited at the prospect. Syd kept asking, “Are we going on the Shinkansen today?”

J-Foto.com Blog Photo BlogJ-Foto.com Blog Photo BlogOn December 28 Mum & Dad & ‘the boys’ & i set off for the city of Fukuoka on the neighbouring island of Kyushu. There are no shinkansens on Shikoku so first we had to take two regular trains to Okayama on the main island of Honshu before we could ride the bullet train.

J-Foto.com Blog Photo BlogJ-Foto.com Blog Photo BlogRiding on a shinkansen is quite expensive. To save some money Mum & Dad bought Japan Rail passes; limited period discount passes available for tourists coming to Japan. Unfortunately being ineligible to use a pass i had to pay full price but lucky me got it paid for as a Christmas present from Mum & Dad. Reni & Syd rode for free under the condition that they would sit on our laps if all seats were taken. Fortunately there were plenty of seats free so we had a smooth, comfortable journey to Hakata, Fukuoka’s main station.

J-Foto.com Blog Photo BlogJ-Foto.com Blog Photo BlogWe were hungry after the 5-hour or so journey so we found a restaurant to get a late lunch. The waitress who served us was very kind and did her best to communicate with us in English (even though it wasn’t really necessary). After our meal Syd got up from the table to have a look around. As he was exploring he happened to knock over a bowl of chopped spring onion on one of the tables. Reni very kindly and promptly did his best to clean it up before a waitress came over. This waitress was not nearly as kind as the one who served us. She scowled at the boys and refused to accept my apology. Maybe she was having a bad day, or life?

J-Foto.com Blog Photo BlogJ-Foto.com Blog Photo BlogTo get to our hotel without having to lug our baggage we decided to take a taxi. The name of our hotel, “Elbis”, could be a problem for English speakers. The pronunciation doesn’t resemble the spelling at all, being pronounced something like ‘LB’. In fact our taxi driver was not even familiar with the hotel but a fellow driver kindly gave him the directions.

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The hotel was comfortable, clean, quiet and very cheap. For two twin rooms for two nights with breakfast included it only cost 30000 yen – definitely a bargain. Next door to the hotel was a restaurant with a good variety of dishes to choose from. We ended up eating here on both nights of our trip. (On the second night we tried to eat ramen noodles at a yatai stall but everywhere was full and the high stools are not really user-friendly for small children anyhow.)

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On our first full day in Fukuoka we ventured to Spaceworld, an amusement park 45 minutes by train from the city. It was a chilly, overcast weekday so there were very few people there when we arrived. The park had plenty to see and do for both adults and children. Naturally our day was focused more towards the children’s rides and sights so Reni and Syd could enjoy themselves as much as possible. Unfortunately, the staff were not exactly of the same mindset and were more concerned about sticking to the rules even when they could have been bent a little. To give an example – they refused to let Syd ride on a tiny merry-go-round because he was not 3 years old. To get him onto some of the other rides i tried to convince Syd to tell the staff he was 3 but he was just too honest and couldn’t do it.

J-Foto.com Blog Photo BlogJ-Foto.com Blog Photo BlogPerhaps the day might have been more pleasant for Dad if the park staff had insisted that he not ride the roller-coaster. i thought i’d be riding it alone but Dad decided he’d come along too. The ride was exhilarating to say the least. The loop was radical enough but it was the multitude of fast corners and direction changes that were the hardest to endure. After the ride Dad wasn’t feeling so flash; he even passed up lunch – a very rare occurrence for him (with the healthy appetite). If he’d taken the park’s advice, he could have got stuck into the beers!

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On our last day in Fukuoka i had hoped for us to go to Uminonaka Aquarium but there really wasn’t enough time so we reverted to a contingency plan to visit the Fukuoka Tower. After putting our baggage into lockers at Hakata Station we took the bus to the tower. After checking out the extensive views from the viewing floor we enjoyed some cake and ice cream for morning tea.

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The ride back on the shinkansen passed without incident. So too the train ride across the Seto Inland Sea to Takamatsu. When we arrived there we had a bit of time between trains so i purchased some donuts for the final leg of our journey. While we were sitting in the train waiting for it to depart i was surprised when Reni declined my offer of a donut. I was even more surprised when he suddenly vomitted all over himself and me. That cleared out the carriage quickl smart. Fortunately there was enough time for us to get cleaned up and changed and still get the train. A bit of sickness aside, the trip was a great success enjoyed by all.

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Christmas 09

Two years ago we were fortunate enough to have Mum & Dad & Bec visiting for New Year’s Eve. Last year (a few weeks ago) we were lucky once more; this time Mum & Dad were here for Christmas and New Year.

After Mum & Dad arrived in Tokushima on December 23 we started our Christmas festivities that night at a public event held at a park in Naruto, the next city north of Tokushima. My futsal (5-a-side soccer) team-mate, Dave, kindly advised me about the event.


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The park was decoratively lit with Christmas lights, there were vendors selling a variety of food and drinks and free entertainment was provided. Although there were not many people in attendence and the weather was chilly, the event had a warm, friendly, family atmosphere about it. Everyone, adults included, received a stocking full of gifts, kindly provided by the local government.

Before continuing, i should mention that Christmas doesn’t really have a lot of emphasis here in Japan. It’s primarily a time for retailers to take advantage of. Christmas Day is not even a public holiday here so Yoko had to work on the day.


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After opening gifts from Santa, the boys and i spent most of Christmas morning opening the multitude of presents that Mum & Dad had heroically lugged all the way from Australia. We received many wonderful presents. Thanks to everybody for their generosity!

From around mid-day we attended a Christmas Party for members of the Tokushima foreign community at Dave’s Mexican restaurant, Sombrero’s, in Naruto. It was a big pot-luck party with many delicious dishes and two mouth-watering roast chickens. In typical Christmas fashion, there was more than enough food to go around.


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There were quite a few young children at the party. Santa dropped in to say hello to them and give each child a small gift. Santa happened to be a toned triathlete with a raucous Aussie accent – immediately recognized by Reni as our mate, Aaron. Syd was less accepting of Santa, refusing to venture forward to receive his present from him. While the kids played together with their new toys in the small playground behind Sombrero’s, the parents drank, nibbled and chatted. A good time was had by all.


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Shichi-go-san (7-5-3)

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Last month we went to Oasa Shrine, the largest Shinto shrine in Tokushima, for ‘Shichi-go-san’ (7,5,3); a custom to pray for the health and happiness of children correspondingly aged.

Many people treat shichi-go-san as a formal occassion and dress accordingly. Fathers wear suits, mothers kimonos and children either formal western attire or traditional Japanese costume, depending on the whims of their parents. This time we bypassed the formalities and the crowds, attending the shrine in casual dress late in the afternoon.


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The ceremony didn’t take long as there were few names for the priest to include in his prayers. Before leaving the boys were given a colourful bag containing candy and fairy floss – more than enough sugar to awaken them from the solemn ceremony.

* We didn’t entirely bypass the formality of the ocassion. Instead of dressing for the shrine, we dressed for a photo shoot at a local studio. Here are our little samurais looking regal. ;-)


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The ducks swam, the swine flu…

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A couple of weeks ago Syd came down with a fever and runny nose. I took the day off work to take him to the doctor’s to check if he’d contracted the dreaded ’swine flu’. After informing the clinic staff of Syd’s symptoms we were hurriedly rushed out of the waiting room and into an empty room. It was as if Syd might have the plague.

J-Foto.com Blog Photo BlogJ-Foto.com Blog Photo BlogEventually a doctor came and looked at Syd. After checking his heartbeat, eyes and throat he asked me to hold Syd. He then took a stick about 10cm long and jabbed it up Syd’s nose. And that is how you check for swine flu. Needless to say Syd was rather distraught from this most unpleasant experience. Poor little guy!

Anyhow the test proved negative. “Nothing to worry about,” said the doc. “It’s just a cold.” He proceeded to prescribe a load of drugs and sent us on our way.

Despite the medicine, Syd’s temperature continued to fluctuate. A few days later Reni became sick too. He also got a fever and vomitted. This time Yoko took the boys to the doctor. Once again they were tested. This time the result came back positive.

J-Foto.com Blog Photo BlogJ-Foto.com Blog Photo BlogBoth boys were prescribed Tamiflu along with some other medicine to alleviate their symptoms. (All of this came completely free, i should add.) Being contagious, the boys had to stay home for the remainder of the week.

With all the hype surrounding ‘the swine’ H1N1, anyone could be excused for thinking the boys were in a potentially life-threatening condition. Not so. They did sleep a little more in the daytime than they usually would when at home, but besides that they were relatively unaffected. Sure Syd had a runny nose and Reni had a cough but they ate and played at home like they would on any other day.

J-Foto.com Blog Photo BlogJ-Foto.com Blog Photo BlogReni had recovered enough by the start of last week to return to his kindergarten. The swine had spread by this stage; about one-third of the kids were absent because of it. As a preventive measure the kindergarten was closed for the rest of the week.

Following a public holiday on the Tuesday i took yet another day off work to mind Reni. It seemed kind of pointless to send Syd off to daycare when i could spend time with him so he, Reni and i spent the day together.

Since it was a warm, sunny day i decided it would be nice to venture outside. We went to an onsen hot spring out in the mountains. There was a park and a lake nearby to enjoy too.

We had a great time climbing and ‘riding’ in a space shuttle at the park and checking out the ducks in the lake before soaking in the hot spring baths. After bathing we enjoyed a picnic lunch and a kick of the soccer ball before returning home through the mountains, arriving in time to pick up Yoko from work.


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Ensoku = Excursion

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And excursion = fun! A nice change from in the classroom, last Friday i went on an excursion with some of my grade 5 & 6 students to the neighbouring island, Awaji-shima.

It didn’t take us long (45mins or so) to reach the first destination of the day, Awaji Bokujo (Awaji Farm). After getting off the bus we were ushered into a large hall to make butter, manually. The task proved to be quite tiring on the arms; we were each given a small container to shake for a good 5 minutes to turn the cream inside into a butter ball. Upon completion we were given crackers to enjoy the spoils of our efforts.


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After our morning snack we were escorted out the back to meet the providers of the cream; two mammoth cows. After a brief talk and explanation we were all given the opportunity to milk the cows. It appeared relativey simple however technique was required. The kids seemed intimidated by the size of the cows (understandably) but once I’d made an effort to pat one of them, they did likewise.

Following the milking we returned to the bus and on to our next destination, the Nojima Fault Line. This fault line is the scar of the Hanshin Earthquake which struck the port city of Kobe in Western Japan in 1995, killing over 6000 people.


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Besides the actual fault line, there was an extensive display explaining earthquake phenomena and maps showing the plethora of fault lines that run through the Japanese islands. The display was conveniently presented in English too. Unfortunately when we arrived it was nearing midday and all the students (and myself)could think about was lunch so they whizzed through the exhibition in record time.

Once we’d viewed the exhibition we enjoyed our ‘bento’ (lunchbox) picnic lunch on the expansive grounds besides the main exhibition hall. The weather was absolutely perfect for the occasion; a warm, sunny, autumn day. Once the kids had eaten they ran around and played for a while before boarding the bus and returning to school. A very pleasant, accident-free excursion was enjoyed by all.


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Sports Days

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Last month was school sports day for Reni and I since the kindergarten he attends is attached to one of the schools that i work at. School sports day is a big deal here. The kids have to practice intensively in the weeks leading up to the big day when all their parents (and often grandparents too) come to watch.

After the opening ceremony’s marching and speeches and the stretching warm-up Reni competed in the very first event of the day, the ‘dash’ for the kindergarten kids. After a slow start he managed to come in a respectable third out of a field of six. I should also add that he was carrying an injury; a few days prior he took a spill jumping from a rope ladder and grazed his knee quite badly. The knee clearly was sore but Reni participated really well, with a smile on his face the entire time.


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Later in the morning Reni also participated in a choreographed dance with the other kids from his kindergarten. Dressed in green, red, blue and yellow tunics and headbands they danced, jumped and turned while waving batons in the air. Once again Reni was a very keen participant and clearly enjoyed himself. It was wonderful to see.

Syd also competed in an event on the day. He and i had to run a short distance in order for him to receive a snack present. At first Syd was very reluctant to partipate but once he realized there was food on offer he soon changed his mind.


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Before the day was over Reni got to participate in one last event, this time with Yoko’s dad. I would have participated myself but i had to go to the sports festivals at the other schools that i work at. It’s clear from the photos that both Reni and ‘g-chan’ enjoyed themselves.

After the big day a number of teachers remarked to me how cute Reni is. That’s fine but i really appreciated the comments that noted how well he had participated. I really felt proud when the music teacher commented to me how well he had danced in time with the music. Good job, Reni!


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This Saturday gone was sports day for Syd’s daycare centre. Naturally the scale of this event was somewhat smaller than the school sports day but it was just as much fun to see Syd compete as it was Reni.

The events were held indoors at the nearby primary school’s gym. Syd was quite nervous at first and didn’t want us to leave his side. Unfortunately his class didn’t have many events to participate in as the kids are still too small to do much with. Nevertheless he and i had fun together in a little race/game. We ran together in a hula-hoop to a set of cards. Syd then chose one card to decide how we would run together from there to the finish line. There was a choice of koala (piggy-back), monkey (carry in front), rabbit (jump together) or penguin (the child stands on the parents’ feet). We got the penguin card. Syd was still keen to use the hula-hoop though so it took some persuasion and time for us to finish the event.


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Reni and Syd also got to compete in a basketball type game where the kids had to throw ball-sized bean sacks into a hoop/goal. I also got to compete in a tug-of-war competition with the other parents. Our team managed to win our first heat after a marathon duel but we were no match for our opponents in the final. Once again, a fun day was had by all.




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