I am always amazed by the temples I find on my bike rides. They are everywhere.
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I am constantly amazed at the products the Japanese come up with. Yesterday Michelle and I went to the BIG 100 yen store in Funabashi. I often see things there that make me laugh. Michelle was looking for some of the felt pads to put on the legs of your furniture so it won’t scratch the floor. They had the felt pads, but we found something we just couldn’t resist…CHAIR SOCKS! They are little socks you put on the legs of your chairs so they don’t scrape across the floor.
They look like little Mary Janes and remind me of the cute baby socks from Trumpette only for chairs. I bought them because they are so funny and really don’t intend to put them on my chairs. In fact, they wouldn’t even fit on my chairs.
Today after our trip to the 6 story 100 yen store (Japanese dollar store), Michelle and I stopped at Nishin. It’s the other international store. I was excited to see these great looking hamburger buns.
It sounds crazy to get excited about hamburger buns, but I haven’t seen hamburger buns that look like this since leaving the US almost 10 years ago. The buns I normally buy are very small and always dry. I bought them and decided to make sloppy joes. As I was making them I wondered what the Italians who make my expensive tomato paste in a tube would think about an American using it to make Sloppy Joes.
I don’t take many photos of my park in the summer. It is shady, but I just don’t enjoy it as much when everything is just hot and green.
Arisugawa summer
In Kingwood, Texas one of the greenbelt trails goes right along the shore of Lake Houston. When I lived there an ancient Magnolia tree grew so close to the shore that I thought it was going to fall in. The trails association saved it when they decided to put in a bulkhead to prevent erosion. I gave that tree a name and every time I skated or biked past I would say, “Hi Maggie.” Kristina told me recently that Maggie is gone. So sad. I love trees and my favorite here in Japan is in my favorite park.
This old gingko tree is in the park right across from the Tokyo Metropolitan library. I think it was included in a post earlier this year about spring. This tree has a massive trunk. My arms won’t reach around it.
I like the unusual shape of the gingko leaves. They remind me of tiny fans.
I haven’t named this tree, yet. I’m still working on it.
When we moved to Tokyo we chose to live where we do because we wanted to lived close to the Tokyo Temple. As I have said before it is a five minute walk from my house and I can see the Angel Moroni from my living room window. My neighborhood also happens to be home to many foreign embassies and thus home to many foreigners. It is not unusual to see both Starbuck’s and Segafredo packed with expats sipping their coffee and chatting with friends.
I have already been away twice this summer. In June, I returned just as school got out and many of my friends were still here (most of my friends have children in school). This morning when I went to get groceries it was much different than it was two weeks ago. First of all, I only passed 3 people on my way there and it was after 10 am. Remember, this is a metropolitan area of 25 million and I pass 3 people at 10am??? The car park was relatively empty. No bikes in the bike lot. Three of the four check stands were open, rare on a week day, but no one was in line. The clerks were making themselves busy arranging plastic bags and breaking up the dry ice they pack groceries in.
National Azabu Supermarket
So where are the people in my neighborhood? They are everywhere but here…One friend is posting on Facebook from Martha’s Vineyard, some are living in their other houses that they keep in the US. Some are shifting their families between grandparents and aunts and uncles, spending as much time with everyone as possible to try and make up for living halfway around the world for 9 months of the year. Others are ferrying their children between sports, music and other camps. For the most part the men are only with their families part of the time. No one takes eight weeks of vacation at one time.
It is a crazy life expats lead. I think we like to think it’s a bit glamorous while at the same time trying to convince everyone that it’s not a big deal.I have tried to convince friends in the US that my life is not so amazing and that I just do the things they do only I have to travel further to do them. My son-in-law laughed when we explained the trips we have coming up before the end of this year, possibly 4 to the US. I have already been in January, April and June (funeral, wedding, birth of a new baby and help with a move). In many ways I do the things everyone else my age does. However, I also went to Cambodia and India this year. I really need to stop trying to convince myself that my life is not crazy. It is my life and it is crazy!
Back to my neighborhood…I kind of like the ghost town feel. Summer in Hiro-o is quiet. Well…I guess I need to get packing for my next trip 🙂 !
We arrived back in Tokyo this afternoon to temperatures in the 90’s and high humidity. Mushi atsui des means it’s hot and humid. Our apartment is finally cooling off with all the a/c units on. I’m off to the konbini (convenience store) on the corner for milk and juice. Groceries will have to wait until tomorrow.
Konbini
Today was our last day in Perth. We went to church and spent the rest of the day together hanging out. Maddie and I played some games, Papa played Legos with Izzie and Ally and Luke cooked. Finally at 9:15pm Ally and Maddie drove us to the airport to catch our flight to Tokyo via Hong Kong.
Swinging
Swinging, too
Yikes
Ally really hates it when the humidity and rain cause her hair to frizz, so she doesn’t like this picture. I do!
Chubby Hair
Perth and the parts of Western Australia that we saw are beautiful. We loved our time there. Thanks Luke, Ally Maddie and Izzie for letting us come!
Best Friends
This morning we woke up and after breakfast drove to the lighthouse. We took a hike and got rained on, but saw a fabulous rainbow and had a great time.
Luke, Maddie, Ally, Isabelle and Rick
The girls and I
After the hike we drove north towards Perth and stopped at Mandurah. My mom and Art served their mission there in the mid-eighties and I have often wondered what it was like. Allyson had looked up the address of the church and so we stopped by.
Mandurah Chapel
We drove around and discovered a marina area that is beautiful and brand new. We had lunch at Cicerello’s, they claim to have the best fish and chips in Western Australia.
After lunch we walked around and took some photos of the girls at some interesting sculptures created just for that purpose.
Framed
Izzie
Maddie
Spinning her Peppa Pig umbrella
It rained during the night and continued to rain on and off throughout the day. We headed towards the town of Margaret River and made several stops before arriving there. The first stop was at the chocolate factory. We sampled a lot, the girls ate ice cream and we bought goodies to take home. The next stop was a cheese factory where we made more purchases (cheese and crackers for dinner). Next, we visited a olive oil factory and I bought a bottle of olive oil to take home with me. We made our way to a vineyard and walked around. It was a beautiful location. We did make it to Margaret River and walked around the town a bit before it started raining again.
Wallwalking
Luke and Ally
Maddie and the vineyard
Ally and Maddie
Isabelle relaxing after with her ipod after a long day