Two Weeks Left

Two weeks. Less, actually. That's all my family and I have left before we head back home to the States. I've said goodbye to three other friends that I met out here. One is home for the summer and I'll be gone before she gets back and the other two are back home for good, just a few weeks before me.

I've kind of been a mess. You meet some great people and you have some amazing experiences and then they're gone and you're gone and it's all over. It'll never be the same again. How precious each day is and the memories we accumulate with the ones we love.

So it's bittersweet. As it should be. The first six months were pretty rough but I got out of my box and met some great friends and did and saw and experienced some amazing things. Gabe had a great experience at school. He learned so much. It was all-day kindergarten so he really jumped in. He can read and write so much better...well, read period. He met some great friends. And he got an international experience. One we'd only hope to be able to let him experience again. Nowhere else at home will he be able to meet such a diverse group of kids.

Great food. Beautiful and exquisite nature. Japan will be missed. So without further adieu, I'll just share some photos of our travels and experiences this last week or so.

The ladies I'm going to miss :(

Gabe's last day of school :(

Blue tailed skink

Gorgeous sunset I encountered

I may have a few more posts up before I leave. But who knows. Lots of cleaning and getting rid of stuff this week. Then next week they pack us up and we run around in a hotel and getting deregistered at residents, turn in car, hand over apartment keys, etc. Then we fly back to the States. So if I have time, I'll try and get in one or two. But it's been sparse for a bit and it will probably be sparse until I can get back into my groove...like end of August when Gabe heads back to school.

Living and Reading in Japan (10)

This weekly meme has been inspired by Michelle at The True Book Addict and Lisa at Lit and Life--Life: It Goes On...but I wanted to tweak it a bit for myself since I am living in Japan for the next year (2014-2015).

I didn't get too many of these out my year here but with crummy internet and my time pulled elsewhere I just haven't gotten around to it. I only have a few weeks left in Japan. It's bittersweet. I'm excited to get back home but there are so many things I'll miss about Japan.

Source

Reading:

• Colonel Brandon's Diary by Amanda Grange
• The Swerve: How the World Became Modern by Stephen Greenblatt
• The Return of the King by J.R.R. Tolkien

Finished:

• Where the Flame Trees Bloom by Alma Flor Ada
• Space Chronicles: Facing the Ultimate Frontier by Neil deGrasse Tyson
• Wild: Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail by Cheryl Strayed

Looking Forward To:

My last few weeks in Japan. We're traveling up to Kyoto this weekend. Then it's an onsen and microbrewery the week after that. We're trying to take it all in while we can with our few weeks left!

Making:

Not much. I made my old standbys here in Japan last week for Gabe's Sports' Day...Pumpkin chocolate chip cookies. So yummy. I'm trying to get my food supplies down with only a few weeks left...It's usually quesadillas, sandwiches, stir fry, or yakisoba during the week. Weekends we head out for the local cuisine of okinomiyaki, ramen, sushi, and curries ;)

Listening To:

Dan Carlin's Hardcore History--Armageddon. It's all about the first world war.

Mistakes made and how it changed modern warfare. Fascinating and tragic.

The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss. I think this is the only way to read such a long book. The narration really brings me into this fascinating fantasy. Because I really don't know if I'd be able to actually read through this one on my own.

Watching:

Aquarius. The storytelling gets a bit sloggy when it comes to Charles Manson. I enjoy David Duchovny's character the most along with his interaction with the female street cop who has to deal with all the misogyny.

The Honourable Woman. Watch this now on Netflix if you haven't already. It's just such a smart and well-acted TV series. Go. Go watch it!

Things I Did This Week:

Fukuyama was the week before and this week was a little town called Hagi. Both incredible. Fukuyama has a little town where a few scenes of Wolverine were filmed a few years ago. We met one of the extras at a museum and he told us about his 3 seconds of fame in the movie. So of course we had to watch the movie that night and find him!

In Hagi we picked up some beautiful pottery and had some amazing views of both mountains and the ocean.

The Japanese yukata festival was this last weekend too. I went out with friends in my yukata. It's the summer version of the kimono. It's simpler and cooler with the hot weather. They're beautiful!

Living and Reading in Japan (9)

This weekly meme has been inspired by Michelle at The True Book Addict and Lisa at Lit and Life--Life: It Goes On...but I wanted to tweak it a bit for myself since I am living in Japan for the next year (2014-2015).

I do these too far and in between. This is my 9th one since being in Japan....Shameful really. I just have a hard time focusing! Ha ha. My life. Hopefully this isn't my last.

Reading:

1. Inside Out by Maria V. Snyder
2. Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail by Cheryl Strayed
3. The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King by J.R.R. Tolkien
4. Space Chronicles by Neil deGrasse Tyson

Finished:

• All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr
• Even White Trash Zombies Get the Blues by Diana Rowland

Looking Forward To:

School being back in session. I love my dear son but it throws of my daily mojo especially when we're not off adventuring aka hubs off of work and we're vacationing...while he's out of school. We've done a few fun things but it's a whole week and a day...

Making:

I watched Chef with Jon Favreau the other night and it inspired me to make grilled cheese sandwiches with Gabe. Cheese is super duper expensive here in Japan so it was a worthy effort. The cheese was phenomenal. Gabe ate every last crumb and cheese.

I'm also planning on fried rice tonight. Made the perfect white and brown rice combo last night. It's a favorite in our house.

Listening to:

The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss. Quite a journey and I'm really enjoying it. It'll be a long listen, though, at over 27 hours....

Watching:

Nazi Hunters and Death in Paradise. The last episode of Nazi Hunters was on the children of the Aryan breeding program. Thousands of children were kidnapped from surrounding conquered countries like Russia, Ukraine, Poland. Many found out there fathers were high up in the SS and ordered thousands of deaths. It was a powerful and poignant piece.

Things I Did This Week:

Sunset Beach. A beautiful little island a couple hours a way from Hiroshima. We canoed, sunbathed, ate, and enjoyed the ocean.

The ramen was hot but he loves it!

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Living and Reading in Japan (3)

This weekly meme has been inspired by Michelle at The True Book Addict and Lisa at Lit and Life--Life: It Goes On...but I wanted to tweak it a bit for myself since I am living in Japan for the next 2 years (2014-2016).


I spent the last couple of weeks getting over a nasty sinus infection. I spent my days watching "Burn Notice" reruns! Doesn't get better than that...

Books I'm Reading:

1. Marriage, a History: How Love Conquered Marriage by Stephanie Coontz
2. Hollow City by Ransom Riggs
3. The Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolkien

Books Finished:

1. The Antidote: Happiness For People Who Can't Stand Positive Thinking by Oliver Burkeman

Looking Forward To:

I always look forward to the weekends. It's the only time we have to spend more time together and see Japan. This weekend entails hiking and who knows what else! The Fall colors come a little later here in Hiroshima. The weather is getting cooler but we have yet to see the full color spectrum. Everyone says the last week in October-the first week in November! Can't wait!

Making:

I plan on making pumpkin bread...we'll see how it turns out. And chicken noodle soup. I've been sick on and off since September. Just barely getting over a really crappy chest cold. Now Gabe is sick...sigh. Looking forward to trying some homemade goodness.

Watching:

Started "The Flash." Looks decent. We shall see as time goes on.

Also finished up "Burn Notice." I literally cried after it was done. I was thinking somebody should write the Mike and Fi memoirs. I want to know what they and Sam Axe are up to.

Since I've been sick a lot I've been watching YouTube channels a ton as well. John Oliver's Last Week Tonight is spot on and funny. Also John and Hank Greene's YouTube channels are fun and very informative.

Things I Did This Week in Japan:

Tofu Cuisine

I haven't felt well pretty much all September and half of October....but I did manage to eat at a traditional tofu place with my tutor Yasuko san. It was so interesting. The food was beautiful and our view was peaceful and calming. There is a large backyard garden with a waterfall. Koi swam peacefully in the pond. Our servers wore traditional kimonos. I had to remove my shoes while entering and put on slippers.

Yasuko san

Tofu is not my favorite but it was fascinating to see how it can be cooked so differently. My favorite dishes were the almond tofu dessert and the ginger tofu. It was a fascinating experience.

Last weekend we hit the beach again. I just stayed covered up in a chair while watching the waves roll in and hubby and son build a pit fort in the sand.

Basically, I've left the house this week only to get Gabe to and from the bus stop and to and from swimming.

He loves swimming!

Grateful For:

Cough drops and cough medicine and wonderful people who cook chicken noodle soup for me early in the morning. You are gratefully appreciated. Thank you!

Living and Reading in Japan (1)

This weekly meme has been inspired by Michelle at The True Book Addict and Lisa at Lit and Life--Life: It Goes On...but I wanted to tweak it a bit for myself since I am living in Japan for the next 2 years (2014-2016).


I'm rebooting....I haven't done my own meme for awhile. I thought it would be nice to spice it up and mix it in while living in Japan. Gabe is now in all-day Kindergarten at an International School. I now have more time to myself and I'm enjoying the freedom, though I do miss him during the day. I'm taking a couple of online classes. I have virtual and real stacks of books to read. I have a whole city to explore, a new language to study, and lots of blogging to do! I try to keep myself busy :)

Books I'm Reading:

1. Marriage, a History: How Love Conquered Marriage by Stephanie Coontz
2. Hollow City by Ransom Riggs
3. Obsidian by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Books Finished:

1. The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien.
2. Magic Under Glass by Jaclyn Dolamore.
3. Moonwalking with Einstein: The Art and Science of Remembering Everything by Joshua Foer.

Looking Forward To:

Cooler weather. Hiroshima is a very hot and humid city during the summer. Though, according to the locals, this has been a very cool summer here! Yikes! We seem to pick the hottest days to go out and see the sights, I guess....I hear autumn is so beautiful here. They have trees and trees and more trees. I cannot wait to see the fall colors surround me.

I always make pumpkin bread, chilis and soups, and mulled ciders and wines during the fall but this year will be a bit tougher. Japan does not carry all the items I'm used to. But I am going to find a way ;)

Watching:

I find ways to get my shows out here that I need...

I've been going through quite the culture shock so I reserve nights for my me time on watching whatever I want. I just finished Haven, An Idiot Abroad, and have a few episodes of Eureka left. I'm also halfway through the new season of Orange is the New Black.

American/English movies come out a lot later in Japan than the rest of the world. And the prices here are very expensive more than double what I'm used to in Utah. So needlesstosay, we do not make it out very often to the movies. But we did make it last week and we saw Malificent. Gabe was too scared so Archie took him out while I finished it. It was a lot better than I was expecting. I thought it was a great twist to the Disney version. I liked a lot better! We've been rewatching a lot of our own movies. Archie and I sit down to a movie at least two or three times a week together. We just finished the Harry Potter series and are now working on the Lord of the Rings trilogy!

Things I Did This Week in Japan:

I'd like to list off some of the amazing things I've seen or that we've done as a family here in Japan.

• Visited bunny island! They have a whole island dedicated to bunnies. They hop around and you can buy feed and veggies from the store before you get on the ferry. Gabe loved it!
• Went to my first meeting for the Hiroshima International Women's Club. It's a club for women from all over the world who live in and around Hiroshima. Everything is done in English. It was so great to meet a lot of different women and connect. I haven't been able to get out much during the summer with Gabe not being in school. So this was nice.

Ikebana arrangement!

• At the meeting we learned about the traditional art of flower arranging in Japan called ikebana. Beautiful and fun.
• I also had the opportunity to help clean up the mud from the landslides that happened here in Hiroshima a few weeks ago. The devastation is terrible and it is nice to give back and do what I can.

Grateful For:

The Japanese people. Everyone here is so nice. They try to make it as easy as possible on foreigners.

I'm also grateful for their easy public transportation. I don't think I'll drive much in Japan since it's just too scary. But I can get around really well on foot, bike, and public transportation.

So cute! He's such a ham in pictures!

Gabe started all-day kindergarten last week! Sad and great and happy and scared and sad, but mostly happy that he's enjoying it so far!

Japanese Word of the Week:

Ikasu いかす. I learned this in regards to ikebana, but can be used for all things we wish to see like this. It is "bringing out the full potential of the object whether it is material or human." I think it is a beautiful and profound word.

These Are the Days....

I'm trying to post more often but I forgot how long it takes to actually get pictures and words onto here!

Hiroshima Castle

I still need to take time to take some sunny day shots of our apartment. It doesn't get a ton of great natural light but I'll do my best when it gets sunnier. Hopefully this weekend and when the place is a bit cleaner ;) I really like it, though. It'll do for us over the next 2 years!

I am enjoying having so many things really close. Lots of shopping district, restaurants, and the grocery stores are all within walking distance or a short bike ride or hop on the train station, which is literally right outside our apartment door. We have McDonald's across the street too ;) A family pool is two train stops away and it's pretty nice. The Hiroshima Castle and Temple is within walking distance and if I ever decide I want to run, they even have a jogging trail! The YMCA is also very close and it offers lots of stuff for Gabe to do like swimming lessons, dance, sports, etc. I can even sign up for the gym if I desire.... And a really nice liquor store is literally next door! They have a children's museum close by which is free except for the planetarium. The library is right next door to that. And any street car or other train lines are all within another train ride away. Oh, I can't forget the Costco! Lifesaver! It doesn't have everything I'm used to but it still has plenty.

Everyone is also so nice and helpful. Lots of restaurants have English menus and most of the menus come with bright colorful pictures so even if they don't have an English one I can just point and say please! No tipping is expected. I feel bad not doing it but it's how they roll here so I'm enjoying it.

Also everything is small and adorable. I found a little cocktail shaker that holds 4 oz maybe. It's just adorable.



The hard stuff so far. Driving! It's on the left side. All the signs are in Kanji with a bit of English or hiragana/katakana. The roads are smaller. The signal and the windshield wipers on the opposite side. Plus there are people and bicyclists everywhere! We all share the road to some degree and it's quite scary. I fear I'll maim some poor elderly woman or some punk kid on a bike going to fast! Yikes.

Bicycling is also scary. I got one of their big bikes with a basket and a seat for Gabe on the back. They are big and heavy and durable. I've never been much of a biker in the States so trying to figure this out is pretty daunting. They are very very talented bicyclists here. Weaving in and out of traffic and pedestrians is what they do.



Also everything is in kanji. It's frustrating to not be able to read things. My brain hurts after five minutes at the grocery store. It'll take time but it's daunting in the beginning.

I find I'm missing bread. They do have bread here but it's only white bread and it comes in blocks which they slice into 3, 4, 5, or six slices. And they are pretty big slices. I found one that had ten once but I haven't found it again. So we head to the store pretty often to pick up bread. They do have bakeries but they are usually filled with pastries which are good but something I shouldn't have everyday! So flour, sugar, etc are all high-priced commodities. Specialty bake shops carry the things I need but I haven't been to one yet. Also our "ovens" are really microwaves with ovens too. I miss my large oven. But I love their gas stoves and pans! I can't forget the rice cooker! So amazing. We will be bringing one home with us for sure :)

Green Tea Cake! Yum!

So it's harder to figure out what to cook for the family. I usually to crock pots and breads and pasta and all that American stuff...here it's doable but a lot more expensive. I have no idea how to cook Japanese style and it looks like lots of prep. So we do what we can. But curry is everywhere and it's good and quick and easy so we've had that a few nights.

I really want to learn how to make okonomiyaki! I've written about it before but it's heavenly. It's fairly simple ingredients but looks like it'll take some practice before it'll come out all right!

Shabu shabu is also delcious! You boil your meats and veggies in special sauces right at your table. Gabe loves the meats so it's a good one to go to. Ramen is amazing here. Katsu. Curry. I still need to find a good sushi place. I want to eat out every night but we can't afford that but we do make it out at least once on the weekends and try new things.

Shukkein Garden! Beautiful place.

There's more to write but I'll end here....I'm a little lonely missing my kitties and my friends and family and English...ha ha! It's culture shock. I'm in it but trying to deal with it and know it'll last for a bit longer and may even get worse before it gets better. I keep my chin up and know it'll get better as I meet more people and get new friends, figure out how to drive and bike my way around, and get a bit better at Japanese, which all takes time :)

Hiroshima Peace Memorial and Other Fun Times

The weekend came and went too fast, but we did manage to visit the Atomic Dome/Hiroshima Peace Memorial. I wanted to stay there a lot longer but when you have a 5-year-old with no attention span who's still adjusting to life on the other side of the world...well, you know.

The dome before the bomb circa 1930

It's one of the few buildings still standing from the atomic bomb. It took a few years for Japan to decide they wanted to turn it into a memorial. So many wanted the reminder gone.

It's a jarring sight. One you can't soon forget. To stand there and contemplate that only a few decades ago the destructive force of the atomic bomb ripped this city apart and the people within. Horrifying but one that's stands as a reminder for peace.

I'll definitely find times to come here by myself to truly contemplate what this means.

What the sign said about the dome.

We headed around the rest of the park and found other statues and memorials for peace.








We then found the bell for peace. We each rang it. And Gabe did so very loudly!

Then we found the Jizo statue that still has the atomic shadow created from the blast.












Japan loves origami and they create some pretty amazing art out of it. All of these pictures are of tiny origami cranes made into beautiful works of art, all for peace.

This is just a taste of their amazing vending machines that you can find on every corner! You need water! Boom. Coffee? hot or cold? juice, soda...some even have beer.

Gabe got pretty bored and tired after an hour or so but he was a trooper and kept at it!

The rest of the day we spent at the Aeon Mall. It has a really nice dollar store, Toys R Us, a big grocery store with other department store type things on other floors, and good food. We ventured on the trains. Archie knows a lot of Japanese and is getting better as time goes on. So he can ask for train tickets and order our food. I'm not there yet, but look forward to the day when I can.

Sunday was a relaxing day of bill paying and paper work and puzzles, TV watching, okonomiyaki! and just chilling.

We should be getting into our apartment on Friday. And hopefully our resident visas will come through within the next couple of weeks so we can get cell phones and other things.

The next big daring adventure will be to learn to drive on the left side of the road. Archie tried it from work with his boss who's been driving here for awhile and with Gabe and me from his boss's house to our hotel. It was pretty nerve-racking!

We are all looking forward to our own space and routine again! We've been going a bit crazy living out of suitcases and in hotels.

Bon Voyage, Utah and Home-finding Trip

I'm pretty sure we're leaving this Saturday, June 7th but we still don't have visas in-hand yet so you never know....but our tickets have been bought!

May 12-15th I headed down to Vegas with two of my besties and we hit the town hard...well, not too hard. I'm getting old ;)

This pic encapsulates our awesome adventure. This one was taken at Coyote Ugly where Brittney got up onstage and danced her patootie off!

After all that fun it was time for Archie and me to head off to Japan for our home-finding trip. It was fast and furious and stressful and fun.

Hiroshima is really an amazing city and I only saw a little bit of it. Jet lag was pretty tough. I woke up at 4 am almost every morning. So it made for some long days. 

Japan is 15 hours ahead of Utah so that made for some interestingly timed phone conversations with my mom, who was watching Gabe for that week! The flight was really long and it never was night. We kept up with the sun the whole time. That was so fascinating. The International Dateline is in the Pacific Ocean and it heads east. So Japan is a lot further ahead than say England even though the flight time is comparable! Just crazy. And we lost a day. So we left Sunday in Utah and arrived Monday night in Japan.

Tuesday was our home-finding trip with Paul, a Japanese-Canadian! He was fantastic work with. He told us everything he could think of on Japanese culture and getting around Hiroshima! We ate Japanese ramen and it was the most delicious ramen ever. I should have taken a pic but I was too jet-lagged to think straight and I know I'll have more opportunities in the future. It also rained all day, so Paul even bought us each an umbrella so we could stay dry.

Wednesday was a trip to Gabe's school to meet the principal and take a tour of the school. We're excited! I think Gabe will really enjoy it. Then it was off to pick our apartment after we had narrowed our search to 2 apartments. We chose the one with two stories. It was the biggest apartment Paul had shown and it's close to Archie's boss and his family that are also from Utah working for Micron out in Japan like us. The subway is two seconds away as well. So it just worked out nicely for us.

Here are a few photos of our new place! We have some lighter furniture to help brighten the darker floors and cabinets. It should be nice. A little cozy but comfy.

Here are a couple of photos of Gabe's school.

The wheel has a bunch of different areas where the kids talk about how they fit in or didn't fit in each day or week. Some are risk-taker, caring, reflective. The older kids help out the younger ones with planting and gardening!

This post is getting a bit long so I'll add another post on the rest of our home-finding trip soon.