Water Bottles

People here sometimes surround their flower benches, fences and cars with these water bottles. I thought it was some sort of a magic trick to keep your property safe when the earth starts trembling. You know, Water element suffocates Fire element. But, reason to place water bottles everywhere is to keep cats away.

I was a bit dissapointed when I found that out.


Water bottles.

A Swedish Moment

I had a Swedish moment at a play ground today: all the other parents there were men! (In Sweden it is common that men take parent leave from their jobs, which I think is fantastic). What has happened to good old Japanese values? Isn't it anymore a woman's job to take care of children?

Seriously, I think it is great that fathers spend time with their kids as much as they can. Then we mothers can watch Soap Operas and drink sake all day long. Though I don't watch TV. And we don't have any sake right now.

Yamashiroya

Today I shopped. I went to Ueno to a huge toy store, Yamashiroya. I spent there a long time just looking around and I found some pretty strange objects.

Like these weapons.

Guns.

And this action figure.

Adolf.

And these Bitsu Bodies.

Bitsu Bodies.

Ok, this Alien was actually quite cute.

Alien.

I didn't buy any of these items.
I found some very nice, politically correct toddler toys to Vimme. Yes, Yamashiroya sold those too.

Ring, Ring

Thank you Skype for existing! It is just fantastic to be able to blah-blah-blah about nothing special with your friends on the other side of the globe without worrying how much it will cost.

Coelho's Stories

I can't help liking Paulo Coelho's books. I found 'The Pilgrimage' in english at a book shop next to O-okayama station.

Once I read critics that claimed all Coelho's stories to be the same - therefore nothing good. But isn't that the case with all the writers. They repeat the story they know, dressing it up to different out fits and people who like the original story, are happy to read new versions of it.

Mother Ship Gathering

Today we met some other Finnish mothers with toddlers in a park. It was fun. Vimme enjoyed the Finnish company and a younger girl kept on hugging him again and again and again. We had a nice picknic under plum trees. Weather was warm but windy and trees were full of white and pink flowers - not in the same tree though.

The picture here is taken few days ago when we had a walk with the kid on campus.


Vimme and a statue.

A Finnish Guest

We had a finnish guest last night. A friend sent her friend to meet us. I am very grateful: plus that I had a chance to talk finnish to others than Vimme and Markus, she was a very nice person. Vimme liked her too. And though I think that I am a very closed and unsocial person, I enjoy meeting new people. Reason for this ambivalence must be that my sun is in Leo and my ascendant is Cancer. Or that I have some sort of a minor mental disorder. Or that I don't know what I am writing about.

Trains and Subways

First time I saw Tokyo's Subway and Railroad Map I started to laugh hysterically and wondered if that would ever help to find my way (the subway map below is just a part of it). Now that I have used it for couple of months, it's perfectly comprehensible and for huge help.

Ok, I did get lost recently with the map in my hand, but that was only because I couldn't read our good old roman letters. It wasn't map's fault.




Trains and subways in Tokyo are exellent. Everything runs in time - always - and you never have to wait for the next train more than five minutes, if you happen to miss one.

Robert R

We watched "The Clearing" last night. It was an ok film, not bad but a bit boring. Acting was good.

Robert Redford's new looks was pretty scary. When did he let someone to operate his face?


Lifted eye lids.

I liked his hanging eye lids so much better.


Old looks.

To Die For

I must have been nine or ten. I was at my friend's who had a huge collection of BCR pictures on her walls. We were admiring those pictures when she told me with a very dramatic voice - you know how dramatic kids can sound - that if she could save any of band's boys' life by jumping off her window, she would do it without hesitation. Her room was on the second floor. She asked me if I'd do the same. I can't recall what I said. I liked the band. I just wasn't so passioned about it.


Bay City Rollers.

I wonder if she would still die for these guys.


Bay City Rollers?

Oimachi/Otemachi

Today I learned that Oimachi and Otemachi aren't the same station. There is about 10 kilometers of urban scenery between them. I was at the wrong station and it took me half an hour to realize it. I missed a meeting with two finns and visit to Tokyo Museum of Contemporary Art. Damn!

Holy Matrimonies

If you are looking for "committed, faith-filled, marriage-minded Catholic singles who are seeking to meet their future spouse for the serious commitment in Holy matrimony", this is where you find them. It makes me SO wish that I was single.

The Bed Was Shaking

Early this morning we had an earth quake again. We woke up to a shaking bed and we definitely didn't cause the shaking ourselves. Japan Today's web site tells the following about the dramatic catastrophe:

At a Seven-Eleven convenience store in Tsukuba, about 10 cans of beer toppled from a shelf and were damaged.

Seriously, I am glad that nothing more dramatic happened.

What Do You Do with Your Spare Time?

I thought I have got rid of my addiction to Tibia.

I didn't play for a while. I was so tired of the game after my oldest character died - again. But in Tibia you recover from your death. Though you'll be weaker than what you were at the moment of your death and stuff you carried with you will be gone.

I have created a new character and talked M to create one too. Now we can play together when Vimme sleeps. For some reason M doesn't like the game as I do.

Do pre-middle aged women have something better to do with their spare time than playing on-line games with teens? Ok, to sleep, of course, is another option.

My Court Card

Queen of Swords.

You can get a free tarot reading on Lotus Tarot's site. And you can find out what your Court Card is. Mine is Queen of Swords. It means that:

Element: Air

Personality:
outspoken, direct, charismatic, blunt, instinctive, easily bored, subject to wandering

Most suitable vocations:
athlete, politician, teacher, instructor, philosopher, inventor, musician

Hard to choose if I want to become an athlete or a politician.

Oh, almost forgot: Happy Valentine's Day.

Moustache

Now all you friends of moustaches (I know one!) can have hours and hours of fun guessing which one of these guys is wearing fake moustache or are they natural born hair-lips.


Fake or real?

Visit to A Museum

We went to Tokyo National Museum today. It was fun to see - yes, I think museums are fun. There was this fine wooden sculpture from 13th century and many well preserved and beautiful works on paper - and paper I like.


Minamoto Yoritomo.

Their special exhibition was good too. They showed sculptures and paintings from Doshodaiji Temple.

Swedish specialities

You can even buy Anna's ginger breads here. No reason to return to Sweden! Though, I haven't found any Kalles Kaviar tubes yet.


Annas pepparkakor.

Stitch Removal

Vimme's stitches got removed today. He watched straight into doctor's eyes without blinking or saying anything, while the doctor cut the stitches.

He is so cool!

Good that someone is, because I'm not. I am a hysterical and weepy mama. I wonder if I would have been shocked as a teen, if I've known my future. And if I've known how much I like my life the way it is now.

Day's trip to Kamakura

Today we were on JSPS's trip to Kamakura. (M's scolarship comes from JSPS). It was fun to be a tourist for a while and it was very nice to see this bronze statue of Amita-Buddha. We saw Tsurugaoka Hachimangu Shrine and Hase Temple too.


Buddha and the boys.

An Earthquake

We experienced our first earthquake today. It was a tame one. It made glass doors of a cupboard tinkle and felt like a train would have been passing by in high speed. We didn't do anything but poited out to each others that: "An earthquake". Soon it was over.

Cloudy Monday

Monday morning. Cloudy. Cold.

We received the gas bill and decided to start using the electric water kettle instead of the whistling one we've used until now. I had a good excuse to use gas instead of electricity - no nuclear power is needed. Now it seems I will have to give up these idealistic ways.

The water kettle's intructions are only in Japanese. M figured out how it works. I have no patience for such things. Everything has to work NOW.

Next challenge will be to find out how the rice cooker works.

Caged Sand

Sandboxes here at playgrounds are often surrouded by a cage. First I thought it was awful and ugly. My first thought was that people leave their kids there alone and mind their own businesses while unhappy children are in a zoo cage. Now I think it's good that cages exist. It's the best way to keep cat and dog shit away from the sand. And there would be plenty. I have seen boxes without a fence.

I still think cages are ugly. You can see one far left on the back ground in this picture where Mr. Muddy about to do his duties. Splash, splash, splash.


A Research on Mud.

What's Hanging from Your Phone?

Today I was at Tokyu Hands in Shibuya. I am not a great shopper, but there I have spent hours. They sell everything between earth and sky.

For example, they have a 10 meter shelf full of hand set(is that what a cell phone/mobile phone is called now a days?) accessories. I didn't know what they are before I moved here. Everyone seems to have them. Even full grown up well dressed middle-aged men and women. I don't have anything hanging from my phone - yet.

I'm not a Nerd

I thought that I am a nerd, but I'm not. I made a test that proved it.



I can't resist tests. If I see one I just have to do it.

The little scarface is having a nap. Once he wakes up we go to the clinic to show the wound. That's what we are supposed to do every day until stitches will be removed.

Another Wound

Did I say I was scared on monday? Well, today I got shocked: Vimme fell down stairs and hit his forehead on asphalt. Thankgod he had his hat on, other wise the wound would have been even deeper.

Vimme has 4 stitches on his forehead now. He is fine.

I have practically no natural strength to cope with such incidents. I too start crying immediately and panic. I guess I should go to a first aid course.

It's Cold

I had no idea I would freeze this much in Japan. And I do come from the land of the ice and snow from the midnight sun where the hot springs blow.
...sorry, I got a little carried away there. There aren't really any hot springs blowing in Finland.
Anyway, I am sitting indoors, two thick wollen sweaters on me and air conditioners blowing warm air at me and still I'm cold. I am looking forward to summer. I really am.

Accident

Vimme fell off a squirrel statue yesterday at a play ground close by. He hit his jaw on a concrete bench next to statue. It must have hurt a lot. He bled from his mouth and cried and cried and cried. Boy, was I scared.

I took him quickly home and on the way his mouth stopped bleeding. No teeth were broken and he seemed content again after a while. Now he looks like he has been in a fight.

That incidence reminded me that I must find out what to do in a case of an emergency! I will write down emergency numbers on my cell phone. I'll be prepared.