The show

We had the big show today. What a spectacle! I will post a bunch of the photos on the Shutterfly site. Here is a glimpse of it.

The kids did great, which means they survived and no one cried (although K&O insisted on wearing pink and grey long sleeved shirts under their itchy costumes, much to the teachers' dismay.
We had talked to them earlier about wearing white long sleeved shirts but the teachers worried that we would be upset that our girls wouldn't then look like the other girls. Ummm... I don't think WE are the ones worried they will look different!)

But there were some wonderful parts. When the kids in each class went around to intoduce themselves, you could hear Jack clearly state "Jack desu, ganbarimasu"--roughly, "I am Jack, let's do our best!" in Japanese. And the little girl in green next to him kept her hand clamped on his hand and dragged him cheerfully wherever he was supposed to go (we were especially impressed with her). And Kate loved the dancing -- she knew ALL the moves and had a big smile on her face almost the whole time.

There were less-than-thrilling moments, too. Jack was picking his nose for most of the 25 minutes he was on stage (in his defense, it has been VERY runny and he didn't have a kleenix!) and Olivia kept her back to the audience most of the time (the picture here shows her position pretty much the whole time she was on stage). Neither Kate nor Liv's hair stayed back (they had said not to wear pony tails, because of the crowns, I suppose) and so they did some of their dance holding their hair straight out in front of their faces.

But they did it. They were so proud when they came out of their classroom with little cardboard "medals" from their teachers around their necks. We are so proud of them. And I think ALL of us are glad it's over.

And what a production. The costumes were amazing, the setting and props incredible, the lighting and sound tracks were pretty sophisticated for kindergarten, the kids so good in their learning of the songs and stories... it was clearly a lot of work for the teachers and students. We continue to be impressed with the school.

Sick

Last December, after our doctor fit all three kids in on Christmas Eve morning for a variety of illnesses, I freaked out about this trip. How -- HOW -- could we go to a foreign country with three little kids who tend to get sick in winter (especially Jack, whose asthma is triggered by cold viruses) and what would happen if they had to go to the doctor in Japan?

I knew the care here would be excellent -- but the language challenges, the bureaucracy, the headache of reimbursement, and more importantly, the lack of personal relationship when dealing with the persons I care about the most, it all worried me.

Well, this clearly didn't stop us from coming on the trip, although the worry of sick kids has been lingering in my mind since we arrived. And we weathered the stitches incident well enough (and we keep remembering to put the anti-scarring tape on Katie most days)... but last night, I thought we had hit the moment that I had worried about a year ago.

All of us have been passing a cold back and forth, and the girls were mostly on the mend. John and I were showing early signs of the cold (which is not shocking as various kids had been coughing in our faces all night for several nights) and so, in a proactive but smelly move, we had been eating raw garlic on buttered toast to try to stave anything serious off. (It's the kind of thing you have to do together, or the one who doesn't wouldn't be able to stay with the one who does.)

And Jack had been fighting it off, which was good... but then had such a hard day yesterday. For those who don't know about his asthma -- it's not the kind that is triggered by cats or exercise or the usual things. Instead, whenever he gets a virus (especially a cold virus), it seems to settle in his lungs and cause days of coughing, coughing, coughing. So he is very healthy about 65 percent of the year -- and seems to get very sick in the winter. Two years ago, we ended up at emerg five times one winter because of his asthma (I thought that should merit a named chair in the waiting room). Last winter was better -- he had two bad flareups, but didn't need the middle of the night run to the hospital for extra medicine. We have been boosting his immune system in various ways (cod liver oil, vitamins, probiotics and lots and lots of fresh fruits and veggies -- although he won't try the garlic sandwiches) and it has seemed to get better as he has gotten older.

But last night he could not stop coughing. I had emailed Tomoko, whose son Taiki has asthma, to ask what hospital one would go to in the middle of the night if one needed to (apparently, only one of the hospitals is open at night). And I worried. I wanted to take Jack to see Dr. Steeves or the Lethbridge emergency room or somewhere familiar... His inhalers didn't seem to be doing much. He looked pathetic. He was getting near the "red" zone on his peak-flow meter, which measures air flow. He did better in a hot, steamy shower, but would start coughing whenever he got out.

I mentioned to John that we might need to take him in. Then John thought of the one thing we hadn't tried that we used to do when he had croup as a baby. He bundled him up, and took him outside (luckily, the snow hasn't melted so it was nice and cold). And the coughing stopped. It started up again when they came in, but it wasn't as bad. I took him into the bedroom and opened the window, and was able to get him to breathe through his nose (kind of a yoga breathing), that seemed to help, too. Anytime he started to cough, I would remind him to breathe through his nose and it would stop. We snuggled for a while, with Jack breathing in the cold winter air through his nose, and he was able to fall asleep. At last.

And he woke up this morning with just a handful of coughs and a TON of energy. I think we made it through the worst (at least I hope so!).

I still worry that it will slide back down into the dangerous territory, and I hope we can make it home without needing to figure out the weird workings of nighttime hospitals in Sapporo, but we made it through what was one of my few real fears about coming here -- getting through a bad night of asthma without our familiar comforts and treatments at hand.

And as for John and me -- we are holding the cold at bay -- so maybe those garlic sandwiches are working.

First big snow

Well, `they` were right when they said it would snow later in the week. We woke up to about six inches of heavy, wet, wonderful snow.

At least the kids think it`s wonderful. Last night, I did a quick bike ride to the store, wearing many, many layers and smelling the snow that was to come, for a few staples. And I realized just how hard these trips will be when the snow falls. (Five people can eat a LOT of food.)

Until this point, I had felt pretty virtuous about not having a car while we are here -- isn`t it healthier for us, better for the environment, allowing us to eat the freshest of produce, blah blah blah -- but last night I came home and grumbled about owning a perfectly good minivan that is just going to waste in a garage, and would it be too much to ask that we could somehow teleport it over here, just for the grocery trips? Well, for that and for taking the kids to school (if I`m being honest).

This morning, it took us almost three times as long to start getting enough clothes on to get the kids to school. And for kids who have STRONG opinions about which coats and sweaters and scarves and mittens are itchy, and which need to go in what order, well, it is an exercise that would (and did) drive even the most patient person crazy.

Of course, the stroller wouldn`t go in so much heavy snow. And we were already late enough that walking was out of the question. And so John suggested we just pull the kids in the sleds.

I was not sure, but it turned out to be a perfect decision (and illustrates one of many reasons why I love my husband -- his ability to make grumpy events fun, or at least interesting). We got there on time, the kids had a blast, and while no other Japanese parents were seen pulling their kids to school in sleds (it seemed those who walked just left early enough), it worked out. Jack pulled the kids`backpacks home in the single sled, and the girls rode in the double.

The better perspective doesn`t mean I won`t be happy if it melts enough to do a big grocery trip this weekend (although John said we could just pull the groceries home)... and now that we are home, I can admit that it does look pretty.

Trip to Otaru to see the sea

We had a great little trip on Monday about 30 minutes away to the "small seaside" town of Otaru on the Japan sea. It was less small town and more "good-sized city," but the waterfront was beautiful and we understood why all the guidebooks called it charming. We walked along a brick path that parallels the canal through town, and admired the old warehouses that have been converted into glass studios and restaurants.

The glass blowing is actually linked to the town's fishing industry, as apparently they used to make glass bouys there... and when the fishing industry declined, they decided to make art instead.

Jack took the pictures below of the(very expensive) glass at the train station (you can see the reflection of his blue coat in the one of the Christmas tree), and you can also see my new (men's?) shoes that felt great on the trip. What do you think? Don't they look like men's shoes (granted, VERY cool, hipster big-city men's shoes...).


At the very end, I have added some pictures of Katie and Livie dancing (Liv in green leotard).

We don't have much else planned this week besides school and work -- the kids are getting excited for the big show on Sunday. Our friend Shinya (the former UofL student who is from Sapporo and had dinner at our house soon after we arrived) will come down this weekend and see the show! Now that's a good friend...

At least it goes both ways...

We had Tomoko, Taiki (Jack's classmate), and Keita (Tomoko's 3yo son) for brunch today. Tomoko is the friend who worked in Banff and knows quite a bit of English. She also loves maple syrup (she said she arrived back from her year in Canada weighing quite a bit more than when she left because of maple syrup -- so much so that her mom didn't recognize her at the airport). So we had French toast, eggs and asparagus, bacon, and fruit salad. Tomoko loved it. Taiki liked the French toast. And Keita would not eat a bite.

Keita finally agreed to a persimmon (the one fruit I didn't put in the fruit salad) and I was more than happy to prepare something extra for him.

At least other kids don't like "new" food. Whew.

In other news -- I have been meaning to answer questions that friends of Jack, Kate and Livie have asked. I thought others (kids or adults) might be interested in the answers, too.

* How do you make friends when you don't speak the same language? Luckily, playing is a kind of universal language, and so almost all of it can be done without speaking. Whether it's throwing a ball around, building with Lego, running around outside, or coloring, it seems all three kids have been able to communicate without speaking much, and all three have made good friends.

We have made sure that Jack watches Pokemon each Thursday night at 7 p.m., as all of the kids in his class watch it and try to talk to him in English about it. All three also know enough words to be able to say thank you, sorry, hello, good morning, and goodbye (and a few others each weeks) in Japanese. But it's amazing to see how easily you can be friends without talking.

* Why is everyone wearing the same bathrobe in some of those pictures? What are traditional Japanese baths? You can read more about onsen (public bathing facilities and inns around hot springs) and yukata (casual kimono worn at the onsen) here and here. We went to onsen at Lake Toya and at Jozankei. These trips, and the baths and swimming pools, have been one of the things we have enjoyed most during our time in Japan.

After you arrive at these big hotels, you find in your room yukata and flip flops for you to wear to the baths. They even had little ones for the kids. If you are just going swimming (and to the waterslide), you wear a swimsuit under your yukata and in the pools. But if you are going to sit in the hot tubs and warm waters, you do not wear a suit at all. Men and older boys go to one side, and woman, older girls, and younger boys and girls go to another.

First you scrub clean, and then you sit in the tubs. Some of them are REALLY hot, some are REALLY cold, some have bamboo or rocks on the floor, some have waves or jets... it's pretty great. After the first few seconds, it doesn't seem odd to be naked at all. Everyone else is, and no else seems to notice, so quickly, we stopped caring, too (in the interest of full disclosure, I should tell you Jack, Katie and Livie had NO issues walking around naked).

* Do they have Thanksgiving, Halloween, Christmas or New Year's? Japanese holidays are pretty different from the ones we celebrate in Canada and the U.S. The biggest holiday of the year is New Year's. People eat special food, send postcards, and give money to children. Many visit a Shinto shrine (like the one we went to for the 7-5-3 festival) after midnight on Jan. 1 or sometime during the day.

There have been a lot of fall holidays but not the ones we are used to celebrating. There has been "Respect for the Aged" day and Autumnal Equinox in September, Health and Sports Day in October, Culture Day and Labor Thanksgiving Day (an occasion for praising labor, celebrating production and giving one another thanks. Prior to the establishment of this holiday, November 23rd was celebrated as an imperial harvest festival called Niiname-sai) in November, and the Emperor's birthday on December 23 (the day we leave).

But because of so much interaction between Japan and the west, there were decorations for Halloween, and apparently there will be Christmas decorations as well.

That's it for now -- time to get these kids to bed. We are hoping to make a little day trip tomorrow to a fishing village. The weather is supposed to turn snowy later in the week, so it might be our last outdoor trip for a while.

Shichi-Go-San (7-5-3) festival

We had a great day with Yukie (the HGU prof who had us for sushi at her house and took us to Mt Moiwa soon after we arrived) today. It is Nov. 15 here, which is the day that Shichi-Go-San (7-5-3) festivals are held at Shinto shrines all around Japan.

According to this website, this is one of the most important festivals for Japanese children and one of three major celebrations in their life. Girls of age three and seven and boys of age five (though in some families three year old boys also) are celebrated on Shichi-go-san.

The website explains that on Shichi-go-san the children dress up in special clothes, including kimono for girls and the pants that samurais wear for boys. They often have professional photographs taken in the morning and then their families take them to a Shinto shrine to give thanks for their health and pray for their continued good health, growth and a happy future free of sickness and misfortune.

The Shinto priest at the shrine performs a purification ceremony and then children are given shitose-ame (thousand year candy) that is colored red and white (the colors of luck and celebration), in long bags decorated with turtles and cranes. These are all symbols of longevity in Japan.

Well, we had three year old girls (and a six year old boy who remembered being five). And while we didn't rent the elaborate kimono, we did decide to go to the biggest Shinto shrine in Hokkaido to watch other Japanese families take part in this ceremony.

So we arrived and purified our hands and mouth, and then went into the shrine. We gave thanks for our health and prayed for continued good health, growth and a happy future for our own little ones. We took pictures of kids in kimono (asking some for permission, and taking others from a respectful distance) and found our own kids the target of photographers again as well (it is starting to drive them crazy, truth be told). And we marvelled at the mild and long fall (unusual, Yukie said) and the vivid colors of the leaves and bushes.

Yukie bought the kids some thousand year candy, which they loved, and I got them some cotton candy as well (which they loved too) and little Chinese horoscope charms (Jack is a horse and Katie and Livie are roosters) as a memento of the day. We meandered back through the park, the kids eating peanut butter sandwiches and running, and Livie taking a hard fall that we didn't fully appreciate until the blood started seeping through her tights (oops! And I have to admit that we were both relieved it wasn't Katie...)



We ended up at a sushi shop, where we met Yukie's husband and ordered lunch to go. The shop and chef are quite famous and award-winning, we learned. Apparently there is the take-out section, where we were, the ordinary restaurant, where Yukie has been once, and the "fancy" restaurant, where sitting down costs you $200!

We then went back to the Ueno's home for lunch. The kids did a miserable job eating the delicious sushi (Yukie had gotten them a cooked, kid-friendly version with egg) and didn't even really try the soup Yukie made, which is always a little frustrating. But we felt less worried when later Kai, Yukie's now 18-year-old daughter, told us that when she and her mom spent a semester in Lethbridge (I think she was in 2nd or 3rd grade), she insisted on ONLY Japanese food the whole time she was there.

We were wiped out when we got home -- and very happy with the great day. We had tacos for dinner (probably NOT the traditional, post-Shichi-Go-San festival fare), but the kids devoured their dinner and now are happily watching new WordGirl episodes on Youtube. What a weird and wonderful life we are leading.

When the shoe doesn't fit...

One of the saddest, hardest, more difficult parts of being in Japan for me is being surrounded by THE most beautiful shoes I have ever seen and not being able to wear any of them. Size nines (25.5 in Japan) are almost non-existent. For a while, I thought you simply couldn't find them in the entire country (as I had dragged the kids through countless shoe sections looking but never asking, because, well, that would involve talking), but then John asked for me one day and it turns out in every department store, hidden off in a corner far away from the beautiful shoes, they have a section marked "L", for size 25 and 25.5.

These are utterly sensible shoes (a polite way of saying ugly shoes) and the selection is, to be blunt, pathetic. Every time I looked at the beautiful shoes on the feet of every woman on the subway, at the kids' school, at the grocery store, I felt more and more like Cinderella's ugly stepsisters trying to cram my feet into the petite glass slipper. The only fact that has kept me from becoming truly desperate is that all of these shoes (hideous or gorgeous) start at about $160. So even if I wore a more dainty 23, it's not like I would be buying many anyway.

But then... this week the kids had two extra costume-fitting, performance practice days for the big show on Nov. 23, and so in addition to FINALLY getting some work done, John and I had a chance to do some shopping. We went to a place called POLE TOWN (a Pole in Pole Town!) on the way to a store we had heard about that carries large sized shoes... and (of course), it has closed down. Disappointed but undaunted, we set off for Daimaru, the fancy department store where Jack had, um, left his mark, as we had read in an English language newsletter that they were having a huge sale on shoes and handbags.

We arrived to the 7th floor to find ALL of the beautiful shoes, the $160-$250 shoes, on sale for $31.50! Hundreds of shoes, probably last season's styles but who cares! There *had* to be a pair here, John and I agreed. Briefly distracted by the handbags (either $31.50 or $52.50!), John pulled me over to the "L" section. Well, that might be giving it too much credit... I should say the "L" shelves. Yes, of the hundreds (or thousands) of beautiful shoes, less than two dozen were size 25 or 25.5. And most were very, very ugly.

I tried some on. I felt sensible. These are not what Japanese shoes look like. Where is the interesting detail, the lovely flair and fine lines and funky heels? Apparently, those things stop at 24.5. But then from the bottom shelf, John pulled out a pair of slip on flats... kind of like loafers. They have great details, nice lacing/ties on the side, and they were comfortable, and they were on sale -- and upon examining them further when we brought them home, I am pretty sure they are men's shoes! But I got them anyway, and love my Japanese (men's) shoes, and not surprisingly, they look great with my Japanese boyfriend jeans!

And here are a few other random photos of the week.








Katie falling asleep after a bath while watching a soccer match with John.







The girls getting their costumes on. You can see in the top of the picture to tops for the princesses and some spacesuits. Katie has on her pink skirt, and Livie is getting dressed, still wearing her brown pants.










Liv washing her hands and spitting before starting the school day.












Two boys greeting Katie and walking with her to the bathroom.












All of us walking to school (John taking the photo on the go.)


















Out for Mexican food, which, of course, the kids love.