Konnichiwa!
Life has been good. Interesting at times. With children there is no better word.
As I was cooking dinner the other evening, I looked up to see Caden running through the kitchen with chopsticks in the corners of his mouth resembling a walrus. I told him to remove the chopsticks, to never walk around with them in his mouth, it was dangerous, blah, blah, blah. He removed them from his mouth just as I had asked, only to relocate them to his ears. This time I was a bit more forceful. I told him to remove them and place them on the counter. He did. About 20 minutes later Nathan sat down at the counter and asked why the stuff on Caden's chopsticks that looked like ear wax. Yes, always interesting.
Nathan is still liking school. He is very diligent about getting his homework done as soon as he gets home from school. (His motivation? He can't play his PS2 until the homework is done). He is enjoying learning Photoshop once a week after school. And, he is still Kung Fu-ing once a week as well. His Sifu (Kung Fu instructor) told us just last night that Nathan is really focused and is excited about learning. Good to know.
Caden is doing well, other than the chopstick incident. He is excited about turning three and using the big boy potty! Woohoo! For a week we were successful at getting him to use the potty every time we would change his pull up, but that interest has waned a bit. Hopefully things will click soon. He's been wearing pull ups for quite some time now. Not because of toilet training, only because they don't make diapers here big enough to fit him. No one believes me when I tell them he is only two.
Darin signed us up for substitutes for the monthly CAT Euchre group. We were called to sub for the first game last weekend. Bad idea. I've never played before. I tried, but didn't do so well. It didn't help that I was paired up one round with the CAT bucho (Japanese word for big boss; Portuguese word for pig fat). Before that night I was warned whatever I do, not to sit across from him because he is such an intense player. Well, that is exactly what happened. He tried to help me, but things didn't go so well. Darin, however, is still employed so I guess it could have been worse.
Actually, my week did get worse. I took my first driving test. It was a NIGHTMARE!!! I failed try number one. Not at all uncommon. People do pass on their first try, but it's rare. That's why you are allowed six tries. Yes, six. I think the average is probably 3 or 4.
It is an unbelievable experience. You have to be there by 10am to check in, watch a a video (all in Japanese, by the way), and wait. Then you eat lunch and wait some more. You are allowed to walk the course a few times at 11:50, but don't start the actual driving until about 1pm. Yes, THREE HOURS of nonsense before even being allowed to even set foot in the car. If you fail you are allowed to leave right away. If you pass, you have to wait until all the drivers are done and your license is processed, which usually puts your departure time about 4pm. That is an ENTIRE day of one's life that is spent at a drivers license facility. It doesn't matter if you are on try number one or try number 6, it is all the same wait.
I thought I was all ready and mentally prepared until I realized I was driving first. That psyched me out a little, but I was keeping it together until they informed me the birkenstock sandals I was wearing were not allowed. Yep. I knew high heeled shoes and elevated shoes were no-nos, but wasn't aware sandals were as well. Not to worry, they provided me with a pair of previously worn (how many times, I don't want to know) nasty Chuck Taylor sneakers (black canvas with the rubber toe) one size too big. Yes. Very classy! Since those were too big, they generously offered me another pair...a size too small. I went with the larger pair. They felt like clown shoes. It was ridiculous. Not as ridiculous as them approaching me as I was on my way out to the car to tell me that if I didn't want to wear the shoes I could just go barefoot. How was that option more acceptable!?! WHY COULDN'T I JUST WEAR MY OWN SHOES!!!!!!!! Insanity. Complete insanity.
It was pretty much down hill from there, with one exception. I made it through the hardest part of the test, the "S" and "L" curves. They are both very narrow. The "L" curve is just that, a 90 degree turn left and right. You aren't allowed to touch the curb with the tire and can only back up three times before receiving an automatic failure. I made it. I only had to back up twice and didn't touch anything. Frankly, I'm not sure I want to drive here any more than they want to give me a license. My next test is scheduled for Oct. 15. I'm not nervous any more, just irritated. Gives a whole other meaning to "road rage".
And even more maddening is this little nugget...another woman in our building not only had to drive the course barefoot (because of her footwear) but did at least three things during the driving test that should have been an automatic failure. She passed on the first try! Again, insanity!
Last evening we and some friends (with the kids) got take out from a little (they are all little here) restaurant and sat out by the river eating our authentic Japanese food. No fish, just stir fried vegetables, fried rice, and fried chicken (not like Grandma used to make, but still very good). What struck me most was that the only utensils we had available were chopsticks. Not one of the five kids complained. No one had a problem consuming their food. Caden did have assistance. A year ago five containers of take out and chopsticks would have raised some concern especially with the kids. Guess when we don't give chopsticks a second thought means we have fully adapted to our host country. Can't say that about everything. Still not comfortable with the squat toilets.
This week is Silver Week. What is it you may wonder? (Yea, I didn't know either.) So I did some research and this is what I found thanks to Wikipedia...
Silver week is a string of consecutive holidays (following a weekend) this particular September...Respect for the Aged Day, Autumn Equinox and the day in between these two holidays. According to Japanese law, the day between two public holidays automatically becomes a holiday. Sounds good, but neither CA nor CAT observe all three days. Caden's preschool, however, does. Nathan has Monday off. Darin has Monday and Tuesday off. Caden has Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday off. Crazy.
