New Conference

Today I plunged into my first ever round of Parent Student Teacher conferences as Teacher. 

Phew. 

Thankful that I'm a co-teacher, therefore conferencing as a team.

Thankful that the first three went well. 

Thankful that I'm getting to bed a teeny bit early. I'll need stamina for seven meetings tomorrow!

Thankful that I decided NOT to buy the pictured snack at lunchtime:

New Non-Negative No

http://splitshire.com/starry-night/

Barely edited musings about saying NO

I am NO good at, the saying of NO

Because NO is just so, you know, negative

And I don't want to be that but I'm finding out what most of you already KNOW

Which is, an utter lack of NO is a little too much yes, sometimes becoming yes to things I don't want, which is then actually and in fact a negative, that is NO

Following my mathematical equation?

Though I am the person who wants to do all the things and be in all the places but

crushes me to admit

I can't

If you wonder what this about, I'll give an example that is true:

(Recently I read something similar somewhere, I apologize to that person, I am not trying to steal what you said, what you said was just so universal)

Say yes to subbing, good, helps out the sub organizer and 

the teacher who has to be absent, Helps my wallet

But means NO to picking up my daughter from school (must arrange for someone else to do it, not bad but it's not me there for her) and NOt much time for the doing of house things....

All you people who are skilled at doing NO gracefully, advise me, please

New Game

No one is paying me to say this. 

A friend is here on business, from Manhattan, and she brought a present for the kids. It's a dice game called Tenzi. 

It kept Koji, his two friends, and Izumi busy with non-screens activity for 15 minutes today. And if/when the prospect of speed-rolling 10 dice until they all show the same number loses its lustre, there are other games we can play with 40 dice!

I'm calling this game a win, and I'm so thankful to my thoughtful friend, S.!

New Angle

Here's what happens when you ask your young daughters and then a random acquaintance to document your time with a long-lost classmate. 

We loved seeing our high school friend for the first time in 10 years? or so. 

It didn't have to be this way. Ironically, for all the years of our marriage, until we moved here, we were just a five/six hour drive from one another. At times, when Aogu was working for his former company and had work gatherings in Indy, we were less than an hour away. But somehow, for some reason (babies?!) we weren't able to get together, until she came here after 11 years' absence. 

Well. What remains is, we got to spend time together yesterday, and we promised to do it again next year. 

By the way, we may be hiring for the position of "photographer".....

Funny Faces Friday

New TBT

Super convenient of someone somewhere to make up this thing called TBT. I bet it was some mom feeling squashed by her week but not wanting to give up her streak of posting to Instagram every day? 

Or maybe I'm projecting. 

I learned about projecting in Psych 101 at Biola and I've been calling it what it is ever since. 

On to the photos: 

Zoo Birthday Party

Yesterday Izumi's lovely friend M-chan invited us to celebrate her birthday at the Inokashira Park Zoo. Lovely day!!

This is where I let pictures speak loudly. I'll be back with words at some point!

New and Old Too: Kindy Sports Day

There are certain Australian phrases I think Americans should adopt. For example, "kindy" for "kindergarten". Americans are forever shortening each other's names to one syllable, right? That's why I grew up as "Jame" and "James". And when things can't be shortened into one syllable, acronyze them! (Is acronyze a verb meaning, "to make into an acronym"? Because it should be.)

Anyway, yesterday was Misaki's Kindy Sports Day!

New Language

First things first: the very happiest of birthdays to the best mom ever, mine! 

I love you, Mom!

Wish I could give you a present: 

Speaking of moms, lately my mother-in-law has been studying French. I've been to Paris once and I had a wonderful time, but it was thanks to my friend's friend, a native speaker. French is wonderful and beautiful, yet full of vowels and nasal inflections my face isn't trained for. So I admire her efforts. Though today is not my mother-in-law's birthday, but my mom's, because the latter is an ocean away (sniff!!) and the former needs encouragement, my daughters and I presented this: 

Tres bien, no? (Is that French or Spanish, struggling with the facts) 

Bonne Nuit!

New International Relations

This afternoon there was a special program for the 5th graders at Koji's school, which includes Koji. 

The group that put on the event didn't have enough people from other countries, so they asked me to join. 

It was a flashback to those good old JET Programme days, where I became a complete expert at flashing pictures of myself, my parents, Oregon and my hobbies. 

Fortunately, there was much more on the docket than my blathering. The lady wearing a yellow dress in the above photo is second generation Japanese-Paraguayan. The dress she has on is crocheted by hand and took more than a year to make. In my ignorance of Paraguay, I assumed Spanish is the main language. I wasn't completely mistaken. According to Wikipedia, 

"The Republic of Paraguay is a mostly bilingual country, where both Spanish, an Indo-European language, and Guaraní, an indigenous language of the Tupian family, have official status.^[1]"

This lady counted to 10 in Guarani, and the sound of it was compelling. Compared to English and Japanese, it sounded so..... Foreign. 

Here's a list of the numbers 1-10 in Guarani:

http://www.native-languages.org/numbers/guarani_numbers.htm

I have more to say but I'll have to add it later, Friday night is overcoming me~~

New (to me) Day for Memory of Loss

Yesterday was Pregancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Day. 

We still miss them. 

The one we hoped to welcome in April 2005. 

July 2005. 

May 2008. 

October 2011. 

Koji was our first baby and we had no incidents with him (other than unplanned C-section, which is its own source of grief).

Then, our first (lost) baby was 10 weeks old. Though we hadn't as much time to imagine life with her (I don't know, just choosing to think of this one as a girl), in some ways this was our most terrible loss. It opened up a dark box full of the knowledge-not just a suspicion but a definite knowing-that babies die, not every pregnancy comes to fruition. Utterly unwillingly, we joined the Miscarriage Club. Please don't think me crass. It's just, after this experience, I was astounded to find so many others who had also lost their baby, and I didn't feel quite so alone. 

Second baby was 16-17 weeks old. He was given to us so soon after his sister was taken, I hardly knew how to feel. I confess though I believe God, I sustained myself with logic: "we just lost one so this one will be fine, he has to be". Or not. 

Thank God, then we had Izumi. Fountain (of Life), how could we name her otherwise when we were so relieved she was Alive?

Our third baby was 20 weeks old. I've mentioned her here before. Her name is Ai, which means Love in Japanese. 

Then we were given Misaki, which means a Heart in Bloom. Her life seemed to signal a spring, the end of the winter we had been in since Ai. 

But then,  our fourth baby was 15 weeks old. He was "born" in Rome, so we'll always feel a connection deeper and stronger and sadder than might have been forged on a different 10th anniversary trip. Perhaps because the memory of him is stronger, perhaps because I so wanted a brother for Koji (though again, I don't actually know for sure he was), when I think of them all I now, I long for them but my heart longs for him particularly. 

Life is full of loss, and God brings life from all kinds of death over and over and over again, praise Him. But these, I cannot explain or leave, I just carry them with me and pray their memory will encourage me to treasure my living children more? 

I tend to be about fun (see ENFP and Enneagram Type 7) so I don't approach this place often, but I think it's important so I'm talking about it here. 

Have you lost a pregnancy or a baby? If you are willing, please tell me about your experience.  

New Potterheads

Since the beginning of September, Koji and I have read (and listened to audio tapes and by that, I mean cassette tapes, remember those?) through

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone 

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets 

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban 

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

After finishing each book, his (our) reward is renting and watching the corresponding movie. We watched HP and the Goblet of Fire yesterday. 

So naturally, today we read two chapters of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. This one will likely be a little tougher (on my throat) and take a little longer, since we don't have a good source for the audio version. Really wish we did! I might be just a little obsessed ...... Addicted..... ?!!

By the way, this is not my first time through HP..... Have you ever read this series?

New Shoes Soup

Every weekend the kids bring home their school shoes to be washed. 

For awhile, it was a Friday night activity, because otherwise the shoes wouldn't get dry in time for Monday morning. 

But 11 months ago at a city street festival, Izumi won this shoe dryer: 

Shoes dry in an hour or so, instead of over a whole day and half the night. 

However, time saving devices can be enabling for procrastinators. 

That's why you find me frantically scrubbing shoes at 10:53 pm.... 

On the end of a three day weekend, no less! 

As they say in Mexico, buenos noches, amigos!

New Restaurant

There's a TV show we like called  Cambrian Palace. 

It's an interview show and the interviewees are successful business people (mostly men, unfortunately). Recently they featured the founder and president of an inexpensive ramen and gyoza restaurant chain, Hidakaya.  I had been there before and wasn't that impressed. It seemed like typical, cheap, but at-least-by-the-station greasy fare. 

There we are, with a bunch of huge gyoza growing out of the side of my head. 

Anyway, I might be a sucker for marketing? The old guy president of Hidakaya was very compelling in his appearance on Cambrian Palace. Though he owns this multi-million yen restaurant chain, he rides the train everywhere rather than hiring a car. He also talked about his employees being his greatest asset. 

So when the girls suggested we go there today, I was OK with it! 

New Pencils

Just for kicks, perhaps also for a check, I proctored the SAT today. 

Photo of pencils, taken with iPhone 5C in my kitchen after I wasted 20 minutes googling
"free stock photo of pencils" and couldn't figure out how to load one for free
Stunning, isn't it?

Maybe it's just in my blood, proctoring. 

After all, Proctor, Oklahoma is named after my maternal grandma's family. For real. 

My first proctoring experience was last year shortly after we had arrived here. I was asked to proctor some AP tests. I tried it and found I quite enjoyed it, for several reasons: 

Initially, I confess I liked it for the free wifi access in the test room (when we didn't have any internet access at home, the horror!). 

Then, I liked it for the feeling of accomplishment the students emanated when tests were over. 

Also, I liked the structure built into the tests, 35 minutes for this section and 40 minutes for that, now you can take a 10 minute break but come back on time! etc. If you are a person who excels at creating structure for your life on your own, then you may be baffled right now. Try to understand all the shiny things luring me and my attention, all day every day, pulling me from my good intentions and utterly destroying any ability I may have to make a schedule and stick to it. Not for every minute every day, of course, but some amount of externally imposed structure is a wonderful gift for me. Following?

So, this time I was asked to proctor the SAT. I agreed very casually and so was in for a shock this morning when I walked in and felt a different sort of atmosphere. So serious. So monitored. Well, I don't actually want to say much about it, because it was so monitored I am probably not supposed to talk about it.....

The pencils were the thing! The instructions went on and on about please use a 2B pencil and if you don't then your mother might slip on a banana peel and crack her head open, I mean, you might get a big fat zero on this here test. 

Except. This is Japan, and some of the students seemed to have flown in from other Asian countries (!) for the test, in other words, we are not in the United States and 2B pencils are not a thing. So the poor students were so anxious, what if I have a pencil that says HB?! on it, OH NOOOOOOOO

Fortunately, what the SAT higher-ups are really trying to say, I think, is that they don't want students using mechanical pencils (conveniently called "sharp pencils" here, just to make things crystal clear). Also, the lovely lady who is a pro at giving these tests and drafted me for proctoring....without even KNOWING how it's in my blood, what?!.... is prepared for just these moments of alarm. She had assembled a mass quantity of impeccably sharpened 2B pencils, just for a moment like this. 

Palpable relief, people, I mean, PHEW. 

We passed around big handfuls of proper pencils and the crisis was averted. And forty some relieved students are resting peacefully tonight. I hope. 

Wan an~~

New Chocolate but Only this Once

For no particular reason....

No, for a very good reason whose name is "Friday," today I brought out this chocolate from Jess. 

She designed the wrapper. The contents are almost as good as her design. I might be a little bit partial to my friend. 

It was delicious and best of all, I left some for tomorrow, too.

Thanks, Jess~~

That's all I got today, folks, see what I said up top about Friday! 

New Lunar with Grainy Photos

Koji's teacher sent home a sheet yesterday saying the lunar eclipse would be ON at 7:55 pm. So at 7:38 we trooped out for a moon-watching stroll. Witness the below spectacular iPhone photo evidence. 

Stunning, isn't it? My photos are horrid but the moon was amazingly beautiful! Too bad a peaceful walk with three kids who should be in bed is an oxymoron. Peace sheesh. 

See that teeny bright dot in the middle of the photo? Absolutely stunning! Did you know if you missed this one, you may have another chance next year? Look at this page to see the schedule. The next one in about a year from now will not be visible from Japan so I truly am glad we went out walking last night. Really. Truly. Let me leave you with these better words: 

Psalm 8 English Standard Version (ESV)

O Lord, our Lord,

    how majestic is your name in all the earth!

You have set your glory above the heavens.

2 

    Out of the mouth of babies and infants,

you have established strength because of your foes,

    to still the enemy and the avenger.

3 

When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers,

    the moon and the stars, which you have set in place,

4 

what is man that you are mindful of him,

    and the son of man that you care for him?

5 

Yet you have made him a little lower than the heavenly beings[b]

    and crowned him with glory and honor.

6 

You have given him dominion over the works of your hands;

    you have put all things under his feet,

7 

all sheep and oxen,

    and also the beasts of the field,

8 

the birds of the heavens, and the fish of the sea,

    whatever passes along the paths of the seas.

9 

O Lord, our Lord,

    how majestic is your name in all the earth!

from Bible Gateway

WIWW--New Mirror

With gratitude to the friend who expressed interest in my thoughts and feelings, here's a warning: 

They may not come out much today!

Because after a very long hiatus *drumroll*

What I Wore Wednesday is back!

No more oval mirror. Yes, I miss it, and feel a little silly that I do. No more iPhone 3. Don't miss that.... 

This mirror, it must seem somewhat familiar, in this sense: it's from IKEA (excluding oval mirror, which was somehow a possession of Aogu's from his bachelor days, most of our furnishings have come from there). And, as was usual with oval mirror, this one needs to be cleaned. 

Anyway, on to the clothes. Now that I'm a kindergarten teacher, I would love to dress like Cassie Stephens. Not a joke! I just found her blog recently but in a short time I've become a big fan! 

Alas, there are four others in the house who need to wear clothes too. So I will be spunky or overly matchy or brightly colored, maybe not as much as Cassie, but at least as much as that perpetually towering laundry pile will let me. 

Here I have a burgundy? maroon? tunic (hate that word) like dress from the local second hand store with a long enduring knit cardigan from Uniqlo and a tulle skirt from Target. Socks I bought here, but you knew that, right?

Best picture here, thanks to this cute photobomber! 

It's unfortunate I didn't get a proper shot of my shirt because it says FLY TO THE BIG BLUE SKY IN HOPE or some such gibberish. Safety pin skirt from Target via my old faithful supplier, Salvation Army on Dempster in Niles.

Hoodie (hate that word too, it's a wonder I can talk about clothes at all) recently from Uniqlo, dress and skirt are old but peep top socks are newer and locally procured. 

Japanese chrysanthemum print trousers (that's right, don't care for that other word either, don't you know "pants" means underwear in the UK?!) from the beloved SA, long Tshirt from here and hoodie (*shudder*) from Target. On this day, my students kindly informed me that they don't like my glasses! 

"Local" outfit: dress from Titcaca, a fair trade store, leggings from Uniqlo and shirt from Seiyu, which is owned by WalMart....

Flower tunic (ugh, I better get over it or think of a new word) for F day in kindergarten, (leopard? cheetah? What's the difference) skirt, pretty sure from SA, knit cardigan from GU. Getting the cardi for 790 yen doesn't seem like such a great bargain now that it's falling apart after just a few wears. 

Can't think of if or when I've ever worn a vest before, this one was a gift from my MIL and ended up working out well over this dress from "SeiMart" or "WalYu" (what should I call WalMart owned Seiyu?). 

Zzzxxx, sorry to be abrupt but I have to hit the hay (literally, we have a tatami bed). 

Buenos noches!