The trailer is slightly wobbly but seems safe and maneuvers fairly well. Twinks loves it and seems to feel a sense of adventure when we get to go out on it. Parents at his school have approached me about it and all say they think it's wonderful. One mother even told me her husband was so envious he took a picture of us on it and is determined to find one for him and his kids. When we arrive at school, Twain is always beaming a big smile. A few weekends ago (in August), we went out for a cruise to explore the neighborhood. We rode into the forest, over a bridge, stopped at a temple to look at the Nio Guards (who look like this), and learned rules of the road for safe biking.
Thursday, September 10, 2009
Bicycle Trailer
While back in California at Christmastime, I purchased a trailer bike mainly with the dream of biking together with Twinks to his school. Kikue reminded my that this was not practical because Midori is now going to the same school. So, our only chance to ride together is on weekends or when Midori is not going to school for illness or other reasons. Though we've had the trailer since January, we finally got our first chance to ride to school together in May, after the winter retreated back to Siberia and when Midori caught her first of many bugs at her school.
The trailer is slightly wobbly but seems safe and maneuvers fairly well. Twinks loves it and seems to feel a sense of adventure when we get to go out on it. Parents at his school have approached me about it and all say they think it's wonderful. One mother even told me her husband was so envious he took a picture of us on it and is determined to find one for him and his kids. When we arrive at school, Twain is always beaming a big smile. A few weekends ago (in August), we went out for a cruise to explore the neighborhood. We rode into the forest, over a bridge, stopped at a temple to look at the Nio Guards (who look like this), and learned rules of the road for safe biking.
The trailer is slightly wobbly but seems safe and maneuvers fairly well. Twinks loves it and seems to feel a sense of adventure when we get to go out on it. Parents at his school have approached me about it and all say they think it's wonderful. One mother even told me her husband was so envious he took a picture of us on it and is determined to find one for him and his kids. When we arrive at school, Twain is always beaming a big smile. A few weekends ago (in August), we went out for a cruise to explore the neighborhood. We rode into the forest, over a bridge, stopped at a temple to look at the Nio Guards (who look like this), and learned rules of the road for safe biking.
April Events
I'm way behind on my blog posts thanks to another busy summer translating. The summer was relatively cool this year. We used the dehumidifyer every night but only had to use the air conditioners once or twice during the daytime. Strange weather indeed. We didn't get the usual spectrum of nightflying bugs this year either. We some tiny mantis kids early on but had nary a visit from a large praying mantis. Twinks did find a kuwagata, stag beetle, which was kind of exciting.
At the start of the new school year in April, Kikue was sworn in as the Vice Chairperson of the Parent-Teachers Association. She's semi-in-charge of coordinating the summer o-bon festival, sports meet, Christmas party, graduation party, and other events for the kids during the upcoming school year.
A few weeks earlier, the very first graduating class that participated in my Friday morning Eigo de Asobou, Let's Have Fun in English, class. Without any English background and since the kids have no experience learning in a classroom-like way (and since I have no ESL training whatsoever), songs were the way to go. The kids learned classic kids songs like H0key-Pokey, Eensy Weensy Spider, If You're Happy and You Know It, and Jingle Bells. We also danced our way through new songs like Moon Moon Moon by Laurie Berkner, One Little Finger, and Open and Closed. They really caught on when the songs were joined with movement. B-I-N-G-O went down with a thud. Happy and You Know It caught fire when I improvised some funky footwork even when I switched the lyrics to more useful wash your hands, wash your face, wash your hair, brush your teeth. When there was movement involved, the kids were amazingly quick to catch on, especially when they reach the 5 to 6 year old range.
The kids all had fun and looked forward to the class each week. I hope it leaves the impression that English can be fun and they don't buy into the subconsciously communicated ideas that learning a foreign language is drudgery. I had a blast too and looked forward to each Friday. Good luck kids!
At the start of the new school year in April, Kikue was sworn in as the Vice Chairperson of the Parent-Teachers Association. She's semi-in-charge of coordinating the summer o-bon festival, sports meet, Christmas party, graduation party, and other events for the kids during the upcoming school year.
A few weeks earlier, the very first graduating class that participated in my Friday morning Eigo de Asobou, Let's Have Fun in English, class. Without any English background and since the kids have no experience learning in a classroom-like way (and since I have no ESL training whatsoever), songs were the way to go. The kids learned classic kids songs like H0key-Pokey, Eensy Weensy Spider, If You're Happy and You Know It, and Jingle Bells. We also danced our way through new songs like Moon Moon Moon by Laurie Berkner, One Little Finger, and Open and Closed. They really caught on when the songs were joined with movement. B-I-N-G-O went down with a thud. Happy and You Know It caught fire when I improvised some funky footwork even when I switched the lyrics to more useful wash your hands, wash your face, wash your hair, brush your teeth. When there was movement involved, the kids were amazingly quick to catch on, especially when they reach the 5 to 6 year old range.
The kids all had fun and looked forward to the class each week. I hope it leaves the impression that English can be fun and they don't buy into the subconsciously communicated ideas that learning a foreign language is drudgery. I had a blast too and looked forward to each Friday. Good luck kids!
Saturday, July 11, 2009
Busy Kikue
Kikue has been very busy lately with some new requests for magazine articles and illustrations, her position as vice-chairman of the Parent-Teacher's Association and their planning of this year's Natsu Matsuri, summer festival. She's also been having to spend many of her days with Maya, who is picking up every germ she can find at school — which is typical for the first year or so.
In her spare time, she went to a class on making children's clothes from, well, scraps. Then she came home and DID IT! With her virgin sewing machine, she put together some easy-to-slap-on stretchy pants for Maya made from old T-shirts.
She also joined the local Baigo 4-Chome Indiaca team for a long, hot day of fun. Everyone said she did great for a beginner, and she talked about joining the local team.
We didn't know until Kikue went to her first practice. It's volleyball played with an Indiaca, of course. There's no Wikipedia entry for it, so it must be one of the world's mysteries.
In her spare time, she went to a class on making children's clothes from, well, scraps. Then she came home and DID IT! With her virgin sewing machine, she put together some easy-to-slap-on stretchy pants for Maya made from old T-shirts.
She also joined the local Baigo 4-Chome Indiaca team for a long, hot day of fun. Everyone said she did great for a beginner, and she talked about joining the local team.What's an Indiaca?
We didn't know until Kikue went to her first practice. It's volleyball played with an Indiaca, of course. There's no Wikipedia entry for it, so it must be one of the world's mysteries.
Friday, June 26, 2009
Magazine Article: How to Have Fun Raising Bilingual Kids
Kikue's book about the joys, trials, insights, and experiences trying to raise a bilingual child in Japan has made her the go-to person for magazine articles, book illustrations, and interviews about raising international, bilingual children.
Etsuraku Bairingaru Kosodate
The Joys of Raising Bilingual Kids
We are often, often asked to compare the customs and methods in Japan with those in the United States to which we humbly respond, "but, um, we've never raised kids in the United States and, um, Steve didn't pay attention to those sorts of things when he was there, but we would guess that..."
The latest article featuring our pithy but off-the-cuff insights was "How to Have Fun Raising Bilingual Kids" in the April 2009 edition of Befa magazine.
Etsuraku Bairingaru Kosodate The Joys of Raising Bilingual Kids
We are often, often asked to compare the customs and methods in Japan with those in the United States to which we humbly respond, "but, um, we've never raised kids in the United States and, um, Steve didn't pay attention to those sorts of things when he was there, but we would guess that..."
The latest article featuring our pithy but off-the-cuff insights was "How to Have Fun Raising Bilingual Kids" in the April 2009 edition of Befa magazine.
Thursday, June 25, 2009
Plum Blossom Festivals
After a long, cold winter, the plum blossoms finally opened to remind us that all is not lost, spring is just around the corner. In fact, the plum blossoms are quite literally just around the corner from our house.
Legend has it that the city name comes from a plum tree planted by Taira no Masakado (d. 940), a warrior hero of Edo who proclaimed himself emperor of the Musashino Plain. The plums on the tree never ripened but just remained green on the tree. The tree, or a descendant, survives at a temple in the middle of town. The phenomenon led to the place names for the city, Ome, literally green plum, as well as our little town, Baigo, plum village.
Nowadays, our area is famous for its umeboshi, pickled plums. The ume (pronounced ooh-mé) are actually half-way between apricots and plums and are not quite sweet enough to really enjoy the ripened fruit. Most actually fall to the ground when they are still green, so they don't make it that far anyway. When they start falling is just the right time to scoop them up to make umeshu, plum wine, while the plums that stick on the branches long enough to blush a little red are perfect for umeboshi.
A plum festival is held every year in March. Visitors throng the Plum Park and hiking trails, and the adjoining villages bring out the floats to parade the local tutelary deities around the communities. The local gods, here manifest as a shi-shi lion, take on invading demons, the white fox in red kimono, and scare them away with displays of strength and stern warnings not to bother the village mortals. Here's the battle, accompanied by flute and drums.
This year's show.
The 2008 show
Legend has it that the city name comes from a plum tree planted by Taira no Masakado (d. 940), a warrior hero of Edo who proclaimed himself emperor of the Musashino Plain. The plums on the tree never ripened but just remained green on the tree. The tree, or a descendant, survives at a temple in the middle of town. The phenomenon led to the place names for the city, Ome, literally green plum, as well as our little town, Baigo, plum village.Nowadays, our area is famous for its umeboshi, pickled plums. The ume (pronounced ooh-mé) are actually half-way between apricots and plums and are not quite sweet enough to really enjoy the ripened fruit. Most actually fall to the ground when they are still green, so they don't make it that far anyway. When they start falling is just the right time to scoop them up to make umeshu, plum wine, while the plums that stick on the branches long enough to blush a little red are perfect for umeboshi.
A plum festival is held every year in March. Visitors throng the Plum Park and hiking trails, and the adjoining villages bring out the floats to parade the local tutelary deities around the communities. The local gods, here manifest as a shi-shi lion, take on invading demons, the white fox in red kimono, and scare them away with displays of strength and stern warnings not to bother the village mortals. Here's the battle, accompanied by flute and drums.
The Yushima Tenmangu Shrine in downtown Tokyo has also been a famous plum-viewing spot for the Edoites (now Tokyoites) for centuries. My shamisen group has played at the Yushima Tenjin festival each year for about the last 10 years.
This year's show.
The 2008 showMonday, June 15, 2009
Chindon-ya — Dreams Really Do Come True
The annual Ome City Festival last November held a chindon-ya contest. Chindon-ya groups from across Tokyo and the greater Kanto region packed up their drums, shamisen, clarinets, umbrellas, wild outfits, wigs and makeup for a roving music jam on the streets around the train station.
In one of its silliest entries, the Kenkyusha Japanese-English Dictionary translates chindon-ya (チンドン屋) as a "ding-dong party" and "a band of musical sandwich men". Chin and don are the sounds made by the high-pitched gong (chin-chika-chin) and small or large drums (don-don-don). Shops employed them to advertise the opening of new stores or to promote special events. Their mixes of brightly colored kimono and clown-ish western wear, shamisen and western instruments (clarinets, saxophones) and drums are all designed to draw attention to them and their sandwich boards advertising the sponsor shop. Wikipedia says chindon-ya are now rare in Japan, but they can often be encountered in Asakusa, the shitamachi (downtown) heart of Tokyo. And, naturally, in Ome in November.
It was really fun to see them parading in pairs or teams of three along the streets and when the all came together for a big group finale.
The best part of the day, for me, was my chance to give it a try. I have been dreaming of doing a stint as a chindon-ya ever since my first encounter in Asakusa twenty years ago. In fact, the lady in the top picture, Wakame-san, is an old friend of a friend of a forgotten friend that I once knew. She didn't remember me, but I could never forget the first chindon-ya I'd ever met.
チンドン屋 ステ吉
Chindon-ya Sutekichi
Hit the two drums with the left drumstick while rattling out a high-paced high-pitched chika-chin chika-chin with the right hand. Here's a video of some chindon-ya at work in what looks like Asakusa. (Wakame-san is in the red kimono).
Twinks loved them too, and I convinced him we could try being chindon-ya for Halloween. (Little does he suspect that it could turn out to be a career...) We hope they'll be back next year.
In one of its silliest entries, the Kenkyusha Japanese-English Dictionary translates chindon-ya (チンドン屋) as a "ding-dong party" and "a band of musical sandwich men". Chin and don are the sounds made by the high-pitched gong (chin-chika-chin) and small or large drums (don-don-don). Shops employed them to advertise the opening of new stores or to promote special events. Their mixes of brightly colored kimono and clown-ish western wear, shamisen and western instruments (clarinets, saxophones) and drums are all designed to draw attention to them and their sandwich boards advertising the sponsor shop. Wikipedia says chindon-ya are now rare in Japan, but they can often be encountered in Asakusa, the shitamachi (downtown) heart of Tokyo. And, naturally, in Ome in November.
It was really fun to see them parading in pairs or teams of three along the streets and when the all came together for a big group finale.The best part of the day, for me, was my chance to give it a try. I have been dreaming of doing a stint as a chindon-ya ever since my first encounter in Asakusa twenty years ago. In fact, the lady in the top picture, Wakame-san, is an old friend of a friend of a forgotten friend that I once knew. She didn't remember me, but I could never forget the first chindon-ya I'd ever met.
チンドン屋 ステ吉Chindon-ya Sutekichi
Hit the two drums with the left drumstick while rattling out a high-paced high-pitched chika-chin chika-chin with the right hand. Here's a video of some chindon-ya at work in what looks like Asakusa. (Wakame-san is in the red kimono).
Twinks loved them too, and I convinced him we could try being chindon-ya for Halloween. (Little does he suspect that it could turn out to be a career...) We hope they'll be back next year.
California 2008
Pics from our Christmas visit.
Kikue
Kikue
Kikue on the Polar Express
Brothers on the Polar Express
Kikue
Kikue
Kikue on the Polar Express
Brothers on the Polar Express
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