It's Cinco De Mayo Day (May 5) in the states. In Japan, it's Children's Day (changed from Boy's Day in 1948). We celebrate it at our house by putting up koinobori (carp streamers). Carp are considered the most spirited of fish and because of its strength and determination to overcome all obstacles, it became the symbol of hope for boys to succeed in life.
We also eat kashiwa-mochi, which is a rice cake stuffed with sweet red bean paste and wrapped in an oak leaf. The oak tree is considered sacred, and because old leaves do not fall off until
new buds appear, they are a symbol of a continuous family line.
We also display the samurai dolls in armor. Since ancient times, the armor, helmet and sword of gogatsu-ningyo have symbolized the hope
of physically protecting boys.
The day ends by putting shobu, the Japanese iris that somewhat resembles a sword in shape, into the hot-bath. The word shobu, although written with different characters, implies striving for success. Shobu-yu is also said to have a medical effect. It was believed to purge human bodies of noxious vapors.
So happy Children's Day (and Cinco de Mayo)! It's a public holiday here. We enjoyed a nice day at the park. :)
Taiga wearing kabuto (samurai hat) that mommy made.
There's nothing like having family come visit! My older brother, Kevin, and his family just left for California. Our boys are just 3 years apart in age and it was fun watching them play together. Luckily young boys tend to like the same things (cars, trains and games), so they got along very well. This was also a vacation for us too. We got to stay at the Ritz-Carlton with my brother's family compliments of his hotel points. A beautiful sunset and view of Mt. Fuji could be seen from our 50th floor room. After dinner, I enjoyed a dip in the pool and jacuzzi all by myself. Nothing like Puttin' on the Ritz! We also enjoyed staying at Disneyland, Atami and Ginza. After all that fun, it's always hard to say goodbye. We miss them! Hopefully one day my younger brother and his family (4 kids!) will visit us too. :)
Unlike the Western Zodiac which is divided into 12 months, the Asian Zodiac is divided into 12 years. Each year is named after an animal: the rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, sheep, monkey, rooster, dog and boar. All Japanese people know the animals of the zodiac, so they can cunningly guess your age by asking you what animal you are. People whose zodiac sign is the same as the year's sign are called "toshi-otoko". So this is my year as I was born the year of the snake. I think being "toshi-otoko" brings good luck. 12 years ago, I met my wife when I was "toshi-otoko"! I wonder what lucky thing will happen to me this year? By the way, people born the year of the snake are said to be profound thinkers and have tremendous wisdom. They often have a good temper and are financially secure. OTOH, they can be vicious and vain. The next time the "Year of the Snake" rolls around, I will have completed 5 full cycles of the Chinese Zodiac. This is a very special birthday in Japan known as "kanreki".
On New Year's morning we joined the "Gantan Marathon". It's actually just a few kms. run around Odawara Castle. It's a nice healthy way to start off the new year. In Feb., Taiga turned two. Yes, those "terrible two's"! Just a couple more months and he'll reach those "terrific three's"! In the spring, we were back in CA. Seeing family and friends back home is always the highlight of my year.
This year some family and friends also visited us here in Odawara. My best friend/cousin Ken came just in time for a "cherry blossom party" (ohanami). Taiga's little buddy from Sacramento visited us. And my childhood friend (osananajimi), Cindy and her daughter, finally made it this summer. Aki and Taiga were lucky enough to join them on their trip to Kyoto. They could see Japan's most famous festival, the Gion Matsuri.
We celebrated Aki's nieces birthdays at Disneyland. Aki's brother, Uncle Yasu, is 6'2 inches (188cm) so we always tell Taiga if he eats his veggies and drinks his milk he'll grow up to be big like him. :)
Taiga continues to entertain us. He loves singing to himself, telling jokes and then saying, "That's a funny one huh" and just loves loves talking. We call him our little "chatterbox"! He also loves riding his bicycle, riding trains, swimming, running and eating ice cream and snacks. He goes to daycare twice/week and "Baba" (grandma) babysits him once a week. He loves going out and meeting people. He'll wave and say "hi everyone" or "konnichiwa" to anyone. He speaks English with daddy and nihongo with mommy and can switch back and forth effortlessly. We were amazed how he just naturally knows which language to use. Inside the house, it's all Thomas the train or Cars! Daddy's favorite inside activities are "Hide & Seek" (kakurenbo) or wrestling with him. He started potty-training a few months ago but sad to say there has been almost zero progress. On Christmas Eve, he left out cookies and milk for Santa and was happy that Santa came and left him a present. :)
Aki was busy this year taking care of our family and school. She goes to the gym when she can find some free time. This year she's also really improved her ukulele playing. Her group even had a couple of performances. I'm still teaching part-time at university (pic. at lunch with Tokai colleagues) and full-time at our school. Thank goodness I love my work/students. I still love playing basketball. I'm the number one bench-warmer but don't mind. Actually playing one quarter a game is quite enough for me! It's just fun to be part of a team and playing with a bunch of good guys. I tried getting into jogging this year but can't seem to get past 10K or one hour of running. I go to the gym (4B) once a week. I can see my friends and exercise at the same time. :)
Watching Taiga grow and spending a lot of quality family time has made 2012 a very good year! Only a few days until the new year. Much happiness and good health to you all in 2013!
Summer lovin' happened so fast!" Summer flew by and tomorrow it's back to using the alarm clock (5:30am) for one of my university jobs! I know I can't complain. I didn't use the alarm clock for 2 weeks; Taiga was our alarm clock! Luckily he sleeps in until 7-8am. This summer we stayed pretty local, no long nor far trips. My friend Cindy and her daughter from back home visited and brought some CA to us though. We had so much fun with them! I made it to the beach a few times too. My tan wasn't half-bad this summer. It also helped taking Taiga to the swimming pool. He loves the water. When I was his age, my mom took me and my brothers to swim lessons. So what can you teach a 2yo?! I learned the "old school" way. Coach just threw us in the water and it was literally "sink or swim"! :) My mom said she felt so sorry for us but honestly, I don't remember a thing and have always loved the water too! "Summer days driftin' away, to uh-oh those summer nights" (lyrics from the song "Summer Nights"). This was one of the hit songs in Grease. It was my favorite movie when I was just 13 (summer of 1978). :)
Maybe Disneyland isn't "The Happiest Place on Earth" as it markets itself to be. However, it makes millions of people happy each year. The Magic Kingdom in Orlando is the most popular followed by Disneyland Park in Anaheim with Tokyo Disneyland a close 3rd with over 13 million visitors each year. Tokyo Disneyland (opened 1983) and DisneySea (opened 2001) are the only Disney parks not owned by Walt Disney Co.
Growing up in California (home of the first Disneyland which opened in 1955), my family would drive down south (about 6 hours) to Orange County for a summer holiday which always included Disneyland (and Knott's Berry Farm). I can even remember using tickets for the rides back then. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:DisneyTicketBook_wbelf.jpg This stopped in 1982.
Anyway, I have many fond memories of going to Disneyland as a child and as an adult. No one likes queueing in long lines or paying exorbitant prices for food/souvenirs, but I do think it's worth it, at least once every year or two.
Here are some pics. when we went with Aki's brother and his family. We got to see Captain EO starring Michael Jackson. The last time I saw it was in the late 80's. Bottom pic. is Taiga with his favorite character, Lightning McQueen of Cars. We (he) can't wait to go to Cars Land the next time we visit home (summer of 2013)! :)
This spring was the 10th California tour I've taken with students. I love showing all the beautiful sights we have in Northern California. San Francisco is always one of the students' and my favorites. We usually choose another two places from: Yosemite, Napa Valley, Monterey, Lake Tahoe
Seeing the smiles on their faces as they ride the cable car, look at Yosemite Falls, see the ocean view from 17-Mile Drive or take a cruise on Lake Tahoe makes me so happy.
Another highlight is the BBQ at my parents' house in Morada. My dad barbecues tri tip steaks, chicken and salmon. All my relatives bring over a dish to share (my cousin Ann makes the best fried chicken!) and we order some Angelinas raviolis. Oh yeah and my mom makes Jell-O and rice! After eating, we usually go in the backyard and play. This trip back was the first time to meet the new family dog, Denbo. Growing up (in the same house), we always had a pet dog. Denbo is German Shepherd #5.
With the yen so strong now (about 80 yen equals one dollar), it made everything seem very cheap. For example, a big tub of Jelly Bellies (one of my favorite candies) is only about 1000 yen at Costco. It's double the price (over $20) at Costco Japan. The Jelly Belly factory is less than an hour's drive from my parents' house. On a tour a few years ago we stopped there on the way to a Napa winery. Another cool thing is that there's an Abercrombie & Fitch outlet store in the Great Mall that we stop at on the way home from San Francisco Airport.
We also did something different this tour. We saw a professional ice hockey game; we watched the Stockton Thunder win their last home game. I wasn't and still am not a real fan but did find the game very entertaining. The action was so fast and furious and right in front of our eyes. We all left with an appreciation of what they do on the ice. My next pro game will be an NHL (San Jose Sharks) one I hope. Other good news (or maybe not), Krispy Kreme reopened in Stockton! I have to go into Tokyo and wait in line if I want a Krispy Kreme fix here in Japan. I had them 3 times while I was back. Consequently, I gained 5 lbs. :)
After the tour, we got to spend a lot of quality time with family. We went to Lake Tahoe for skiing/snowboarding/gambling and eating with my brother Kevin and his family, my cousin and my parents. We played tennis with my brother Lance and his family, my cousin and my parents - amazingly my dad can still play pretty well. Taiga had so much fun playing with all his cousins and of course grandpa and grandma! :)
Thank you students for joining our tours. Our school's next CA tour will be in August 2013. Summer is my favorite season in CA. Every day is sunshine and blue skies. Won't you join?
This year in Feb. Taiga turned one. Raising this happy and healthy boy has been the best thing that could have ever happened to us. He didn't start walking until almost 14 months but has been quick with his tongue. It's interesting how he's learning to put together 2-word phrases. He knows the word "no" (one of his most used words!) and he knows the word "more". Today when I asked if he wanted more milk, he answered "no more". He also even blurted out a 3-word phrase, "one more please". For me, this is such a fun and interesting time to watch him learn and play with words. Some say when you're raising a bilingual child, the development is slower as they have 2 languages to input/output. Taiga just loves to talk (jabber), so maybe it won't affect him. He's also forming quite a personality. He loves to entertain us and make us laugh. :) Click this to see Taiga "GO"!
In March, we met my parents in Hawaii. Taiga only gets to meet his CA grandparents once a year. This was also just a couple of weeks after 3/11, so the time away and being together with family made it that much more special.
In June, Aki turned 40. I still tell her that she looks like she's in her 30's (and that we both look the same age, JK!). We celebrated her birthday at the Shangri La hotel in Tokyo. It was our first ever stay at a 5-Star hotel and I would love to make it an annual event.
Summertime was nice. We live just a couple minute's walk from the sea. There's a rocky beach and there's a swimming pool that's only open from mid-July til the end of August. Japanese summers are miserably hot and humid so this was a welcome relief for us. It's still free for Taiga to enter and just a few dollars for adults.
Party! Party! Party! This year's parties were a blast. I'm really lucky to have such good friends and students. (pictured are CEH summer party at Shalamer, Halloween party at Shalamer & CEH x-mas party at Ohashi)
Note: I've posted each and every month for the past 5 years. From next year, I'll only post sporadically. Please come back and check. Have the best "Year of the Dragon" in 2012!
I did something I almost never do but think I could really enjoy; I went hiking. A student of mine and her husband led our class and my family up Mt. Kintoki in nearby Hakone National Park. It was a beautiful clear day and the views of Mt. Fuji were magnificent. Mt. Kintoki is just 1213 meters (3980 feet) high. It's only an hour's hike from the car-park to the top. From the top, the views of Fuji-san, the Pacific Ocean and Hakone are stunning.
"A Golden Boy"
Long, long ago,in a mountain called 'Mt.Ashigara' there lived a young boy called 'Kintaro(Golden Boy)' and his mother. His father had been a samurai,a warrior in the Capital but he was caught and killed in a battle.His mother,who ran away from the enemy,brought Kintaro into the deep mountain."I must make my son a brave samurai like my husband at all cost." said she to herself.The two hid and lived in a cave. She picked up the fruits or nuts or berries for his food instead of good meals.Though she had been very beautiful,now she lost her beauty. Her beautiful clothes became dirty and worn out, but she loved him and fed him well.Soon he grew up to a high spirit lad. Everyday he played sumo wrestling with many animals living in the mountain. He threw away one animal after another. "Dear Bear, it's your turn. Come on!" He wrestled with the huge bear, which was no less strong than he was. After a long match, he defeated the bear.After the wrestling, he ran in the forest with animals. He was taught how to climb trees by a monkey, how to run in the woods by a deer.One of his friends was a big carp living in a river, which was saved by him when it jumped on the bank.He sat astride the carp and enjoyed going up the steep fall of the river. When it was raining, he spent all day with animals in a cave. He gave foods to rats, squirrels, foxes, badgers, monkeys, rabbits, bears and so on. He was very popular among them. Looking at her son, his mother prayed for God, "May he be a brave samurai!"Several years had passed, and spring came. One day,he went on an expedition to the next mountain with animals.He sat on a big bear, with his hatchet on his shoulder, accompanied by a rat, a squirrel, a monkey, a rabbit, a raccoon, a fox, a boar, and a deer. They really enjoyed the expedition.
Reaching a cliff, they found a wide river flowing at a great speed below them. "It is so fast we can't cross the river." said Kintaro."I'll push a big tree and make a bridge of it" said the bear, and pushed it in vain.The boar bumped against the big tree, whose leaves shook a little."Ok, I'll try." said Kintaro, and stood in front of the tree.He pushed and pushed it. To their surprise, the tree leaned and fell down between two cliffs with a big noise.Everyone jumped with joy. Then somebody spoke to them from behind. "What a powerful boy you are!"There were a samurai and his followers standing."My name is MINAMOTO-NO-YORIMITSU. Why don't you be my follower?""Can I be a samurai?" asked Kintaro with a surprise."I'm sure you'll be one of my brave followers." said the samurai.He returned to the cave where his mother lived and said to her; "I'll be one of the brave samurais in Japan like my father."Tears of joy ran down her face, though it was sad to part with him. When he left the mountain, the animals as well as his mother saw him off with sorrowful faces."Thank you for your friendship. I'll never forget you. I love you,Mom. I am sure I will return home in the future." said Kintaro, waving his hands again and again.A few years later he became an excellent samurai named 'SAKATA-NO-KINTOKI’. In the Capital,he was chosen one of the famous four trusted followers of his master and got rid of demons living in the mountain called 'Mt. O-O-E.’He invited his mother in the Capital and lived together happily ever after.
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Taiga continues to entertain us. He loves singing to himself, telling jokes and then saying, "That's a funny one huh" and just loves loves talking. We call him our little "chatterbox"! He also loves riding his bicycle, riding trains, swimming, running and eating ice cream and snacks. He goes to daycare twice/week and "Baba" (grandma) babysits him once a week. He loves going out and meeting people. He'll wave and say "hi everyone" or "konnichiwa" to anyone. He speaks English with daddy and nihongo with mommy and can switch back and forth effortlessly. We were amazed how he just naturally knows which language to use. Inside the house, it's all Thomas the train or Cars! Daddy's favorite inside activities are "Hide & Seek" (kakurenbo) or wrestling with him. He started potty-training a few months ago but sad to say there has been almost zero progress. On Christmas Eve, he left out cookies and milk for Santa and was happy that Santa came and left him a present. :)
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