Dennis and Diapers

This year's Wife Carrying Contest will be overwhelmingly exiting: Dennis Rodman will be there. God knows who's wife he'll be carrying and in who's dress.

To be honest, I couldn't care less.

Here, on the other side of the globe, we have had another fantastic day at the Children's Hall. Vimme enjoyed himself and I had a priviledge to change there his kakka (poo poo in finnish) diapers - twice! Boy am I looking forward to that time when I don't have to do that anymore.

Another Rainy Monday

It's a rainy day, a rainy monday. I wonder if this is the beginning of the rain season. June is suppose to be rainy here in Japan and that'll be followed by a "heat'n'mould" season, which lasts for at least 2 months. I am looking forward to see how it is. Everyone says, it's hellish.

I managed to buy bag of bad filter coffee this time. It tastes like finnish gas station coffee: strong and bitter. At least that keeps me awake.

A Grateful Soon-to-be Ex-neighbour

Our downstairs neighbours are returning back home. They donated us all kinds of useful stuff they won't be dragging over the Pacific Ocean. Toy box was full off things we had been planning to buy for Vimme, like a soap bubble kit and a colouring book. Sometimes life works like this: you make an order and you get what you asked for without any effort - and even delivered to your door.

Nice, isn't it.

Sweat Drinkers

Both of these sportdrinks taste quite good.


Let's drink Sweat.

I am having a bad day. I wish I'd train kick boxing; I need to let all the steam out somehow. Housewife's choice will be: cleaning and ironing.

Early Mornings and Staring Kids

I get NEVER used to waking up before pigs start farting (a direct translantion of something people say in finnish when they mean early fresh morning hours, those moments when every decent person is still sleeping). This morning we got up 6 o'clock. My head is aching, fortunately coffee seems to help a little.

We met a friend with kids at a playground. She is Finnish and she is tall. Japanese kids came to look at her with their mouths open and mothers giggling nervous while taking their kids away from staring. I am not that exotic in kids' eyes at all. I blend in better than my Finnish friend.

Blend in...ha ha ha, that was funny!

Forgotten and Found

Today I got reminded of the five tibetan rites. I used to do them regularily for a while, then quit for a reason or another and forgot their existence. I might start doing them again. It's a very good basic exercise that doesn't take forever to do. Good for us mother ships.

My Own Version

When the inspiration hits, you can't do else but create.


Last Supper.

Something Is Finally Sprouting

I have planted different kinds of seeds on various occation during this spring. So far all my attempts have failed. I decided give one last chance for gardener in me and now little parsleys and dills are pushing their way up through the earth. Oh boy, oh boy, oh boy I'm happy.

We don't have a garden. I am having these moments on our balcony.

A Gallery Visit

We rode our bicycles to visit a gallery yesterday afternoon. The gallery was small and exhibition included photos of construction sites. The artist was there himself and seemed to be pleased to have over-seas visitors to see his works. He had been to Finland and in his portfolio were photos taken in Helsinki. I liked his work.

We found the gallery on The Non Profit Gallery list.

Vimme wasn't that keen on looking the exhibition. We took him out to a park afterwards to let the steam out.

This Is Not Where I Shop

In Shibuya there's a shop where you can buy the same out fit to your Barbie and yourself.

Why?


Barbie Clothes.

He Didn't Hear, Did He

Our vacuum cleaner blows dust on the floor instead of doing what it is suppose to do. Boy, did I say bad words quietly in my mind when I hoovered today. Ok, I sweared like a sailor, but: Vimme did not hear... I think. If he did we'll find out soon enough.

A Bookworm

The kid is "reading" out loud a book to himself. It makes me smile, and I have to confess that I have a tear of happiness in the corner of my eye when I watch him doing that. He likes books. I am looking forward to those days when I can start reading "real" books to him.

Though I always thought I would never be a mother to anyone, I bought kid's books. (My subconscious seemed to know better). Now I have a nice collection waiting for us when we return to Europe. Vimme will be old enough to listen to Astrid Lindgren's and Tove Jansson's books.

Mother Ship's New Hobby

I went to an Aikido training last night. The Aikido Club is actually for students only, but these friendly people let me train there with them on a condition: if I get injured during a training, I'll pay for the doctor myself. I guess it's the same payment situation if I hurt someone so bad, that they need a doctor. Somehow I don't see that coming: I'm 30+++++++ house wife and these people are well trained 20-/+ Japanese. If someone gets hurt - that's me. All the same - I am looking forward to learning Aikido.

A Finding

We found a children's book in finnish at a local libarary!!! Tokyo is full of surprises.

Mother Ship's Day Off

Yesterday I had a privilegde to do some hiking in Tanzawa. I walked there with a small group of people and had a lunch on the top of Oonoyama. It was very nice and relaxing, though my legs are really really sore now. I am grateful I didn't have to drag the pram and the kid with me. The kid stayed home with M.

Here's how yesterday's hills looked from inside and from ouside.


Trees.


Hills.

Extreme City Sports

First I rode my granny bicycle with Vimme on the back seat up and down hills for 8 km. Then I dragged him in his pram up and down hundreds of metro stairs. Now I feel like a truck had driven over me.

Self Portrait

I published this picture on my finnish blog already. I don't want you non-finn readers to be treated like you were lesser, so here's the Self Portrait.


Self Portrait.

Don't I look like Elvis?

Vimme's Favourite

We had a dinner guest last night - a finnish guy from M's department. It was nice to have a visitor and Vimme was absolutely mad about that guy. He wanted to sit next to him, climb to sit on his lap and just to look at him. Now he is talking about the guy all the time. It's rare that he is so friendly to others than family members.

Back to Filtering

I have started to drink filtered coffee again. I bought a packet of it, thought it was the instant one ( I can't read packet covers so I try to guess what's inside), and after a while I found a very small one-cup-filter and papers for it. It feels almost like coming back home after 5 months of drinking crap coffee.

Morning Moments

Now that I have a short hair again, I've had some Kosmo Kramer-moments in the morning when I first look into a mirror. I didn't see that coming.

This morning Vimme said "Happy Mother's Day" to me when I woke up (with my Kramer-hair). He said it in finnish of course. M had taught him to say that and I have to say - though I am such a tough chick otherwise (yeah right) - that it brought tears into my eyes. I am a mother. That fact still hard to comprehend.

The kid is the best.

Useless Products

Yesterday I saw mascara for babies on a shelf at a shop. Why would anyone like to buy that? I think socialworkers should patrol around that shelf and take the kid away from anyone who buys that product.

Pink

I managed to burn my skin at a BBQ party yesterday. I made an efford to stay in shadow: I carried an umbrella to have a shade. Still the tone of my skin is now pink. Crap!

In the next life I will have a very dark skin colour so that I don't have to worry about sun.

No Hippies

Now our family looks like we had a serious problem with lice and couldn't solve it any other way than getting rid of our hair.

Hair clipper works well.