Category Archives: School

Personal Essay by Chase Kim Wright

February 23, 2013 By in Chase, School Tags: , , , 3 Comments
Write about an experience from which you learned something (150-200 words) and illustrate a scene from the experience.

essay

It was 7:30 am. The air was cold and the sun was bright. Today was the day I have been dreading. It was the 600 meter swim. All the new boys gathered at the dock. The only thing the couseler said, “This is the 600 meter swim. Good luck!” I was scared. I could see myself swimming and failing. When it was my turn, I jumped into the murky water and swam as hard as I could. Suddenly images from “Jaws” flashed through my mind. When I was half way to the island I felt like giving up. Out of the murkiness, I hear a voice. It was my counselor, Jack Rice sitting comfortably in his kayak yelling, “Don’t give up! Feel the power of the flamingo god!” The flamingo god was our cabin mascot. I don’t know why, but hearing these words motovated me to finish the challenge. As I crawled onto the dock, I felt I was on the top of the world. In the few moments I had to myself, I felt likd I could do it again. Thankfully, Jack quickly arrived and offered me a ride. As I sat in the boat, I thought, I could do anything I wanted.

essaypic

This, is Chase Kim Wright.

Until next time…

Ookii and in Charge!

February 19, 2013 By in Chase, Kathryn, Mini Schnauzer, Relocating, School Tags: , , , , 1 Comment

Me w/ Ookii & Maggie

Let me introduce you to our new baby: Ookii. She is our miniature schnauzer and all girl. Many tried to tell me how your second is so much more stressful than your first and they were right! She has been great overall, but when I do feel like I need a break, I just put her in the laundry room with a bowl of water and a chew toy (kind of like when Chase was a baby, sans bowl of water). Ookii means “Large” in Japanese and Ok Hui is a Korean girl’s name. “Win-Win” as the Chinese say. As soon as she arrived, I called the dog whisperer Anna and we have been having puppy training sessions. Anna is with Happy Healthy Pup. Housebreaking has its good days and bad days. Much like myself.

SPEAKING OF LARGE:

Growth Chart

Growth Chart

At the last possible moment, applications to private schools is finally complete. Since I last blogged, we received Chase’s SSAT scores and let’s just say they were not so great. Chase has actually misinterpreted the score report and believes he scored in the Top 29% when the exact opposite is true. After thinking about it, I decided to not burst his bubble. What’s the point? Plus, it will only end up crushing his academic confidence. It is what it is. I remember waiting in the hallway alongside other hopeful parents for our children to finish the test. It’s such a horrible feeling of doom and relief. I can’t even imagine what it must be like outside testing centers in countries like Japan, China, Korea, India when so much rests in the success of that child. As the results of Chase’s SSAT slowly sank into my mind, my heart sank even lower. Now, I have the child who “doesn’t do well on standardized tests”. Now, I have the child whose scores are ”on the very low end of acceptability”. Now, I must say things like, “I didn’t want to be at a school that didn’t look at the whole child.” It is what it is.

Last Saturday, I took Chase to Waffle House to finally satisfy my yen for… well, Waffle House. It made us both realize how much we missed walking together. Our walk had us pass Arlington Memorial Park cemetery and I found myself thinking about my mom. I remembered how she used to tell me, “You are my hopeliest daughter.” I laughed thinking about the obvious translation glitch but also because it made me so happy to remember the sentiment. I watched Chase run ahead of me, still in his bubble of innocence, and I whispered, “You are my hopeliest son.”

Until next time…

Trying To Do the Right Thing

January 29, 2013 By in Baseball, Chase, Cliff, Culture Shock, Daily Living, Family, Kathryn, Relocating, School, useful Tags: , , , , , , , , , 1 Comment
Getting my Yakult On!!!

Getting my Yakult On!!

It’s been about a month since we’ve been back. Things are just starting to feel “normal”. I say this after going to Buford Farmer’s Market today and practically having an orgasm after finding they have Yakult Yogurt! I must have put on some kind of show because a lady who was nearby asked me, “Is it that good?” and then picked up a case for herself.

I’m still not comfortable driving. I swear every other car is being driven by people on their phones talking or texting and it makes me so paranoid. I keep having to remind myself to STAY ON THE RIGHT! STAY ON THE RIGHT!!! And on top of all that,  I don’t know how Georgia code allows mailboxes to be placed so close to the roads. It’s life and death getting your mail here.

Oops!

Oops!

CHASE

The last couple of weeks it has been like DefCon 4 here at the house. We decided at the last minute to try to apply Chase to different middle school Fall 2013. This involved last-minute EVERYTHING. We are applying to 3 different schools. To be honest, I just couldn’t muster the energy to apply to any more than three. They are like college applications nowadays. So for each school, I have to fill out involved background information and write essays about our family and Chase in particular. We have to pay registrations fees to each school. I have to request transcripts and teacher evaluations for each school from all the schools Chase has attended. I also had to late-register Chase for the SSAT which is required by private schools in Atlanta for entry evaluation. His test date is February 2nd. And by the way, did I happen to mention he had Spring Baseball tryouts last Saturday? All the schools have called and we have scheduled the interviews. Why are we going through this madness when we are already at a school with an excellent reputation that he attended since he was 3 years old? As much as we love Holy Innocents’ Episcopal School and appreciate its loving and nurturing culture, things have changed, and Chase has changed.

Very shortly after Chase returned to school, a boy known for being the bully type came up to Chase in the playground and forced him and a friend to stop playing. This boy, then got in Chase’s face and said, “So what are you?!? Chinese or Japanese?”

Next incident: Same boy comes up to Chase at recess and says, “Hey Chase, since you’re so fat, I’ll bet you’re slow too. Wanna race?”

Today, Chase told me he was challenged by this boy to a tether ball game and after Chase won, the boy hit Chase with the ball bruising his arms.

He started school January 7th.

The bullying is horrible, but this boy was a bully before we moved and it is obvious he has suffered no consequences for it.

The other issue is homework. In Tokyo, we often had 3 or more hours of homework each night. Here, we have hardly any homework and much of the homework is extremely easy. It is very hard for me to sit by and watch while Chase re-calibrates his effort towards schoolwork. We practically had nightly exorcisms to get to the point when Chase could survive academically in Tokyo and now there are days when he has no homework because “there’s a test tomorrow”.

Unlike most Japanese, people in the South have opinions. Especially about things like private schools. I’ve heard enough good and bad stories about every school at this point, I feel like it’s God’s Will. Even if we end up staying at Holy Innocents’ Episcopal School, I will take it as a sign that it is just meant to be. The great thing about HIES is I know they will cater Chase’s program for his needs. Given the fact that Cliff doesn’t want Chase to go to Woodward Academy because it’s “in a terrible neighborhood” (and he doesn’t think Chase will get to play sports because of all the black students), and I don’t want Chase to go to Westminster because I want him to have a life, that only leaves Pace Academy. In case you are interested, tuition to these private schools: Woodward ($19,770), Westminster ($22,270), Pace Academy ($22,570). Applications have to be completed around March and early April is when decision letters will be mailed out.

Making the decision to explore other schools for 6th grade is heart-breaking for me. Chase has been at Holy Innocents’ since he was 3 years old. His best friend is there and we have great friends and memories of the school. I don’t know what is the right thing. All I know is I’m just trying to do the best thing and for some reason this felt like it needed to be done.

Until next time…

I’ll Stop Being Tiger Mom When You Quit Acting Like an Animal

June 5, 2012 By in Chase, Pearls of wisdom, School, Tokyo, Uncategorized Tags: , , , , , 2 Comments

The last few days have been tough mom days.

  1. Chase admitted to being bullied on the bus for half the school year
  2. Chase left his mobile phone in the washer
  3. Chase scored an F on his end of year math evaluation

Needless to say, besides trying to be the ultimate tour guide, cook gourmet meals, mourn, look cute and prepare for our summer stay in the US, these last few events seemed like, how do you say? “Straws on my camel’s back?” What the hell is that saying? I don’t know. You know what I mean.

1. Bus Bully

Luckily dad was here when Chase decided to finally admit the situation. Even retired, my father manages breakthroughs. Dad and I asked him why it took so long to tell us and Chase said he thought he could just handle it. God, it just breaks my heart and makes me feel so mad. I’ve never seen my dad get so angry either. He kept talking about using physical force and waving his fist around. For a man who is like “Korean Gandhi” I was in shock. I guess when you have 3 daughters, you don’t feel like you can give that kind of advice. It was also interesting to learn new things about my dad at this point in our lives, listening to him recount stories of his childhood bullies. Anyhow, we decided Chase should try to empower himself by writing an official letter to the school describing the situation and asking them “please help me put a stop to this, before I have to use my physical strength” Dad was making all kinds of suggestions for the letter, but it was starting to sound a little too Columbine, so we carefully edited just how “frustrated” Chase should sound. Next step, he would have a conversation with the principal. We also told Chase, when he got on the bus tomorrow, and when the bullies started verbally abusing him, he was to look them in the eye and say, “This stops TODAY.” The next day, everything went according to plan. The school was all over the situation and called each of the boys in for a conference. We were informed that everyone cracked under the pressure and 2 boys cried. Letters of apology were written to Chase and behaviour was documented. I don’t mind intervening in certain situations, but I am very concerned that Chase is turning into a wuss. He is always “victimized” and refuses to fight back. He has a fear of getting into trouble, which is fine, but it is crippling when you can’t even defend your honor to boys half your size. I hope once his testicles drop, maybe he’ll feel more reactive when someone insults him. Who knows.

2. Can you hear me now?

Ever since Chase was about 6 years old, and we discovered the joy of crayons left in a dryer; we made the rule: always empty pockets before putting clothes in the hamper. There were a few mishaps in the early years, but overall it has been pretty good. The other day, I put a load into the washer and went upstairs to do a little cardio. When I came downstairs, I could hear something thumping in the washer. Like a sneaker or dead body part. I waited to see if it would go away by itself, but it just kept going. Then I decided to investigate and put my face in front of the washer window and watched the cycle spinning round and round. I caught a glimpse of something silver and put my face even closer to the window. Then, suddenly, I saw it! Chase’s mobile phone smack on the window! The next thing I know, I’m seeing red and my mind is in a temporary state of paralysis. Of course I have to stop my front-loading washer, mid-cycle and retrieve the phone. I do an internet search (but my mind knows it’s hopeless) and take the phone apart and throw it into a sandwich bag full of rice. Thank God Chase wasn’t home, because I would probably be typing this blog from my jail cell after murdering my child. By the time he came home, I let him know what I found and that I would be pro-rating the cost of his phone from his allowance until it was paid for. He should not expect a replacement phone, and if he needed to call me, he would have to ask someone around him with a phone to call his mom. Then, I gave him the bag of rice and phone, and said he would have to continue carrying his “phone” with him to get into the habit.

3. The F-ing test

What can I say? I didn’t know whether to yell or cry so I did both. This was the year-end math evaluation for 4th grade students. I told Chase, “this test tells St. Mary’s, Holy Innocents, your teachers and parents what you learned in math and evidently, you didn’t learn anything!” Then I said, “You better start practicing baseball a lot more and working out because you are going to have to earn a living using your body because nobody hires people who make F’s for their brains!” Cliff and I were in Defcon 4. After a miserable evening of condemnation, I realized in bed that night that it really takes a village. I also realized that Chase’s failure was something we all had a hand in: His math teacher, Cliff and me. We dropped the ball. The next morning, I decided to go to school and talk with Chase’s teacher and see if paying these tuitions and being a private school parent I could do anything. Luckily, teacher seemed surprised as well and admitted to not being the best math student herself. She said she would be willing to give Chase (and a few other boys) a second opportunity to take the test. I was so relieved and grateful. That night, I informed Chase of this new development. We agreed we would cram and study all night. He went to bed bleary-eyed and distraught, but I knew all of this was an invaluable lesson: No pain, no gain.

The next morning, we got up early to go over a couple more things. Before he left, I told Chase I didn’t care how he scored on the re-test. I was proud that he sacrificed and studied hard. But I did say to try to at least pass.

I was so anxious all day, and Cliff kept emailing and texting me if I had heard anything. I finally decided I would meet Chase after school to show him my support and take him out for ice cream. When I got to the school, I saw Chase sitting with some friends.

  • Chase: What are you doing here mom?
  • Me: I thought I would take my best boy out for ice cream.
  • Chase: That’s nice.
  • Me: So… How’d you do?…
  • Chase: (looking sheepish) I made an A.
  • Me: (Tears in my eyes) I knew you could do it. (hugs)

I went back to the classroom and met up with his math teacher. She confirmed what he said and let me know she would combine the 2 scores and he would end up having a B-.

Was I interfering with the natural order of the universe? Was I being overprotective? Yes. No one knows what a jungle it is out there better than a tiger mom. Do I ascribe to everything the “Tiger Mom” stands for? Absolutely not. But, sometimes we need to do what we can to help our cubs survive.

Until next time…

Ja Mata

June 1, 2012 By in Dad, Daily Living, Girlfriends, Living in Tokyo, School Tags: , , , , 2 Comments

May 24th 2012 was the day Dad’s flight was scheduled to leave Tokyo. That morning, I opened my eyes and felt a blanket of sadness pull up over my head. I don’t know if all parents are like this, or if it’s a psychiatrist thing, or an old thing, but dad just acted like he did every morning. I on the other hand walked around with a trembling bottom lip and tears on my lower lids, intermittently looking at him and saying, “where did the time go?!?”  Later that morning, walking through the bedroom, I found Lita (my latest helper) crying. Evidently Dad reminded her of her dad.

  • Me: Lita, what’s wrong? handing a box of tissues to her
  • Lita: I’m just sad thinking about my father who died maam
  • Me: (shocked) What?!? Oh! I am so sorry! When did he die?
  • Lita: 17 years ago.
  • Me: silence
  • Lita: sniffling
  • Me: Lita! My mom died LAST MONTH! I am on the verge of a nervous breakdown. You need to get your shit together or go home! I can’t take it today
  • Lita: Yes maam. I’m so sorry.
  • Me: walking out of the room

Was I harsh? I don’t care. Since mom died, I feel like stuff just comes out of my mouth. Maybe I’m channeling my mom. She was a lot like that.

At the airport, Dad and I had a good “Korean Drama” moment. The Japanese are so stoic.  As I was standing there hugging, crying and kissing Dad, there was an older Japanese dad saying good-bye to his adult daughter who was leaving to fly off somewhere. I don’t know how they do it. I am tearing up just blogging about it now. Most people know sayonara means good-bye. Ja mata is less formal and means see you soon. With my mom’s death, suddenly good-byes seem so final. I hate good-byes. I think that’s why I just leave. I probably got that from my mom too.

MAY IN TOKYO

Whether you live in the United States or Japan, end of school year activities abound in May.  There are lots of opportunities to volunteer at school. In the expat community, everyone will always ask, “So when are you leaving?” “Where are you going?” because all the foreigners (women and children primarily) will leave to travel or visit home. The question gets asked repeatedly because we can’t keep everyone’s dates straight and it’s something to talk about. There are lots of last-minute lunches and dinners before the mass exodus. I wonder what Tokyo is like without all the foreign wives lunching and shopping during the day. Even Tokyo American Club shifts into “Summer Hours” and many activities are cancelled. I have visions of tumbleweeds rolling through Roppongi Dori. There is a side of me that would like to stay to just enjoy the quiet, but then I am reminded of the heat, the sweat-soaked clothing, and showering 4 times a day and I think… 2 months with my sister is a good idea.

Lunch at Alexandra’s

Today I was invited to lunch at Alexandra’s. She calls herself friend, but honestly she feels more like a bossy sister. I love it. It was so nice to share some girl time. It makes me miss all my regular lunches with my girls in Atlanta, Denver, Charleston…. Laughing and talking today was the first time since mom died that I felt close to normal. I hope to see them again.

TIMELINE:

May 24th Dad returns to America

May 25th-27th Feel sorry for myself

May 27th Brian from Denver visits!

June 3rd Brian returns to Colorado

June 12th Chase & I return to US

June 26th Chase goes to Camp Kieve (25 days sleep away camp)

Until next time…

School Daze & Trying to Get to China

April 8, 2012 By in Chase, China, Cliff, Culture Shock, Daily Living, Japan, Japanese Excursions, Kathryn, Living in Tokyo, School, Tokyo, Transportation, useful, Weather Tags: , , , , , Leave a comment

SCHOOL CLOSING

In the States, I have experienced or known of unexpected school cancellations due to snow, ice, hurricane, and violence. Last week, I experienced my first school closing due to High Winds. Because so many students in Japan commute by trains, if the winds are too intense, much like a ski lift, the trains have to stop running. It does seem ironic that Tokyo can survive earthquakes, but if the winds get too high they worry about trains flying off their tracks. Truth be told, I have never experienced winds as crazy fierce as those in a Tokyo typhoon.  Oh well, Chase got an unexpected half-day and because my cooking lesson wasn’t canceled, he ended up meeting Cliff for lunch and spending the rest of the afternoon being “home-schooled”.

HITTING THE WALL: CHINESE VISA

My second attempt for a visa was again unsuccessful. My first attempt happened to coincide with the Chinese holiday Qingming Day, or Tomb Sweeping day. It’s hard to believe anyone can make a living with all the holidays. Remember, call first before you go anywhere.

On my second try, I thought I would take pictures depicting the waiting line as it grew. We live very close to the Embassy so I get to see it regularly. I never expected to actually be a part of it. I decided to get in line at 8:15am even though it opens at 9:00am:

8:15 am

My spot is marked by the pink backpack. There was actually a family of 4 in front of me when I assumed my position.

8:35am looked like this:

8:35am

When I went across the street to take this picture, the police officer chastised me for jay-walking. I had to walk to the crossways every time.

As 9:00am arrived, some Chinese embassy officials popped out of the building and set up a table ala airport security-style with baskets for “metal objects”.

8:55am

It was so funny watching people get dropped off in front of the Embassy and watching the realization on their faces that they had to walk another block to get in line. Once the doors opened, we rushed in and you have to go to the 3rd floor and go from window to window. They checked my papers. I didn’t have a photocopy of my (and Chase’s) passport and alien card so I had to get in line for the photocopy machine (luckily I was early so I didn’t have to wait for that) but then I had to get back in line at window 1. You basically go to Window 1 for a ticket to get to Window 2. When my turn came up, I went to Window 2, and she said I needed my hotel reservation and plane tickets. With that, she quickly  handed me a copy of the application procedures along with all my papers and shut the window. It was all very Wizard of Oz, Dorothy-San style. As soon as I left, I of course called Cliff to thank him for wasting 2 hours of my life. Will let you know how much further I get on the “yellow-brick road”.

THE GRADUATE… years later

Last night, we finally rendezvoused with Andrew. He’s so cute and very “fresh” (vampire term). Cliff met him at the station, and Chase and I met them at our favorite soba restaurant in Azabu Juban. I don’t know if it’s a sign of maturity or maternity, but as Chase and Andrew sat next to each other, I couldn’t help wondering what Chase would end up being like when he goes to college. How would he act if he was traveling overseas on his own? Andrew got on Chase’s good list as soon as he realized they could talk about video games and DragonBall. Andrew got on my good list as he talked about his interest in Japan and his desire to explore the city. He’s our first visitor and it is so nice to see the city through “new eyes” as only a visitor can bring.

HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL

Joseph & the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat

So the countdown is on. Friday the 13th is opening night. I’m not going to say it’s Glee, but it’s definitely a show. I do have my favorite numbers and my favorite cast members. It’s been an interesting experience and I have enjoyed working with some of the kids. I have also made some interesting observations about people who choose to work in high school settings. Not being faculty and being more of an outsider, it has been a revelation on many levels to work with the kids and adults. If it sounds like I keep talking around something, it’s probably because I wish I could say more, but I have to  wait until we’re out of the country to spill my guts.

Until next time…

 

 

St. Mary’s International School 4th Grade Ski Trip 2012

March 10, 2012 By in Chase, Daily Living, Japanese Excursions, Kathryn, Pearls of wisdom, School, Tokyo, useful Tags: , , , , , 2 Comments

My Three’s Company Moment:

  • Boy: Hey Chase! I finally figured out how to get it up!
  • Chase: That’s great! I told you it was all in the wrist.
  • Boy: Yeah, I just had to move it up and down faster.
  • Chase: Feels good when you get it the first time…

Chase teaching a classmate how to use a yo-yo.

So I survived the 4 days and 3 nights of 17 boys. The snow wasn’t as bad as I had expected given the temperatures were very temperate and we had rain. Chase is now a confident parallel skier. I’m so proud of him. Instead of going into gory detail about the trip, I took a bunch of pictures and hope you all won’t mind an image-heavy blog this time. I do want to mention something I feel like I learned on my 3rd day of skiing.

Ski Day 3

Beautiful weather. Views are spectacular. The instructor wants to take some of the more adventuresome boys through the woods in the powder.

As I started out, I soon realized that my bearings were different in the powdery and unpredictable woods. I found myself falling a lot. So much so that one tumble felt like it just rolled into another tumble. Then, I found I was second guessing myself and feeling unsure on the groomed runs. It was like I could see every little ice chip, divot, and groove where I could potentially snag my ski and kill myself. A voice inside my head re-told a horrible story I had just heard about another family whose child had become paralyzed during their last vacation after they wanted to go for 1 last dive. By the time lunch rolled around, I was feeling like maybe I should stay back at the lodge and sit the afternoon out instead of returning to the slope. It was at this point,  I had my epiphany. I could either give up and stay home or I could make myself get back on the slopes and beat the voices in my head. Life is like this. This is what separates the pros from the amateurs. This is what defines character. I went back out for the afternoon and despite feeling tired and sore, I stuck it out. I felt good about my decision. I kept thinking to myself, this is where it all starts. The downward slide into ”Old Town”. I needed to nip it in the bud. Did those voices go away? No. But they weren’t nearly as loud either.

Enjoy:

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Until next time…

Ups & Downs & Ups

September 28, 2011 By in Chase, Cliff, Daily Living, Girlfriends, Japan, Japanese Excursions, Kathryn, Living in Tokyo, School, Tokyo, Uncategorized Tags: , , 3 Comments

Yesterday was Chase’s first day at school in his complete school ensemble:

First Day of Full Uniform

I see pictures of him like this and I swear he takes my breath away. I had an argument with Cliff this morning and I am going to throw him under the bus a little bit. From the beginning, No one would ever describe Chase as a “wispy” child. He has been referred to as Buddha Baby, Big Tiny, Gentle Giant, Bam Bam, etc…. Cliff has always been very concerned about his weight, but I for one have never worried because the doctors have all projected that he will end up somewhere in the 6’3-6’5 height. Anyhow, last night over dinner, Chase asked me if I thought he was “chunky”. At this point I must contain my inner Mamma Bear and just ask him why and if someone is teasing him. So he admits that some of the boys have said something, but that his tennis coach also called him chunky and “even Dad calls me chunky.” I don’t believe that Cliff would call Chase that to his face, but I do believe people can let you know how they are thinking by other forms of communication, like, say, questioning your food choices, portion size, seconds, you get the picture. It really bothers me that Chase would feel insecure about his body at a time when he is still a growing boy. For the first time, when I told him I thought he was perfect and that he would need his flesh for the growth spurt, he told me I was just saying it because I was his mom. I feel so sad about this but I really don’t know what else I can do other than support him and tell him how beautiful I think he is.

Anyhow, I wanted to follow up to the bad news about that 3rd grader at St. Mary’s who died unexpectedly. I found out that His mom killed him. I might have mentioned that despite being one of the safest street cities in the world, Tokyo does have a high rate of parent/child murder as well as child/parent murder. The details are too macabre to go into, but needless to say, now, when I get mad and I tell Chase, “I’m so angry I could choke you!” he starts running. It is all so surreal and hard to believe, and yet it happened. Chase’s friend Shebab was able to recite a poem for his best friend.

Back to happier news.

Yesterday, after I saw Chase off to school in the uniform, I met with my girlfriend Nghi and we biked our way to Tsukiji Market. It was really such a high point of being here. As I biked through the city, early in the morning and walked around the market with my new friend in tow, I realized this is what relocating is all about. This whole moment was so uniquely Tokyo and I was wallowing in the moment.

I couldn't resist

I ended up buying some Salmon and Tuna and believe it or not, I got them at less than US prices! Today I plan to cook the salmon. I just finished skinning and deboning the fillets and I have to tell you, I am not sure it was worth it. I either need to get better at cleaning fish, or I need to just buy the fish at the market already sushi-fied.

After the market, I had to race across town to meet with Adonica for our Japanese Vegan cooking class. The teacher is Hema Parekh (author of “The Asian Vegan Kitchen”). The lesson was enlightening and the dishes were so delicious I know you carnivores out there will not believe how satisfying it was. I am going to cook a version of the eggplant marinade tonight and tomorrow I am planning on making the bamboo rice and stir fried carrots & burdock. I’ll wait here while you get up to get a towel for your drooling lips….

Back?

Today, I am actually trying the grocery delivery service from Nissin Store. I felt so inspired by the cooking lesson, so I went to the grocery to get ingredients and stock my pantry and just wasn’t in the mood to do the Tide 300 so for 600 Yen ($7.84) they will deliver my groceries to my door at my designated time. I asked for after 5:30pm today so we’ll soon find out.

Until next time…

School Daze

September 24, 2011 By in Chase, Cliff, Daily Living, Family, Japan, Kathryn, Living in Tokyo, School Tags: , Leave a comment

Last night we had lovely dinner with one of our neighbors from Atlanta. Unexpectedly, he emailed me and let me know he was “in town” and had a little time before he was off to his next destination. Chuck’s daughter Elizabeth was Chase’s babysitter in Atlanta and Chase and I really adored her. She was one of those kids who managed to escape the trappings of living with successful parents and having a nice home and ya-ya. She is such a lovely young lady and is one of the very few kids from Atlanta that ended up getting accepted to Vanderbilt University. Anyhow, her father Chuck is one of these brilliant scientist/entrepreneurs and as we spoke in-depth about his work, it was almost like discovering your neighbor Clark Kent was Superman all this time! We spoke non-stop the whole evening and it reminded me a lot of the first dinner you have with adults only after you’ve had a baby. I didn’t realize how homesick I was until I actually made contact with someone from my old hood. All in all, it was very fun and looks like he’ll be back in the future.

Cliff made it back safely from the States. The Typhoon ended up delaying him for a day but he weathered it. He swears he doesn’t have jet-lag, but every time I turn around he is nodding off on the couch. Having lived in Charleston, SC where hurricanes abound, I thought it was a pretty cool storm. It wasn’t until the next day that I realized from local Japanese that the Typhoon was really severe. In fact, schools shut down early and trains and subways were stopped. A lot of Chase’s classmates ended up having to return to spend the evening at school.

Chase is doing great. Found an awesome tennis teacher. She nicknamed him “Grandpa” because he’s so slow on the court. I like her a LOT! He was having a tough time getting into the math class, but he seems to be improving. The interesting thing is he really enjoys Japanese and according to him he is the best student in Level 1. Chase’s other milestone last week was coming home by himself by the subway. The school is getting ready to hold a funeral for a student who died there last week. It is really unbelievable because the kid was only in the 3rd grade. His dad is from England and his mom is Japanese. They won’t say how he died. It is so sad. We knew about it first because Chase’s best friend Shabab was really close to Oliver (the boy who died). Sorry for the sad note, but I felt like it was something that really troubled me. I know in the States at Chase’s old school, everyone knows when tragedy hits and we all rally to support the family. Here it is so different. I don’t know if one way is better or not. I hope I never have to find out.

Until next time…

Lunch

September 15, 2011 By in Culture Shock, Girlfriends, Japan, Japanese Excursions, Kathryn, Living in Tokyo, School, Tokyo Tags: , , 1 Comment

Just to give you a little history, there was a time in my life when I was one of those crazy workout chicks who demonized lunch and chose to eat protein bar  on a VERY regular basis. Then, I decided life was too short to live my life like a hamster eating meal supplements. As soon as I started doing lunch with girlfriends I must say the quality of my life took a wonderful turn for the better. Luckily our lunches were pretty regular and I am a true believer that rituals are integral to creating deep and meaningful bonds to the people in your life.

My POD for today is a picture we took today at hopefully the first of many lunches:

Our first lunch was at a French restaurant called Milieu. They served a delicious set menu. The Japanese have many restaurants where especially for lunch a set menu can be very affordable and fulfilling. Today we could choose between a main course of 1)Sardines with Pasta or 2) Chicken with roast vegetable. With your main course you get a delicious salad, bread, a small cup of carrot soup, a little serving of Tiramisu, and after meal drink. 1200 yen total =$15.66 and don’t forget NO TIPPING. It was delicious and we decided that whoever could make Thursday lunch would be there. As I get to know these women, I cannot help but reminisce about my friends from cities past and of course most recently Atlanta. As outspoken and opinionated as I sense everyone is, I also know we are still at that “getting-to-know” one another stage. I can’t even tell you how often I remember sitting over meals with my girlfriends and discussing without censorship: men, surgery, gossip, personal hygiene and a plethora of other embarrassing topics only to find ourselves screaming or face-cramping. I have decided that it is futile to find replacements and what I need to do is enjoy the process and appreciate each moment and relationship as it develops. I think I have a good start. Tomorrow, Nghi and Angela and I will go on a Kimono and Obi shopping tour. Should be interesting.

Yesterday I had my first houseguest. Her name is Okhui and she is a lovely lady I met during my last trip here to take Chase to school interviews. She is in the process of leaving Japan (Her exodus is Dec 30th). So she is trying to get organized and sell whatever she can to avoid lugging it around the world and having a sayoonara sale where people need to invade her home. I really enjoy her because she is the sort of person I want to emulate. You ever meet people and just say “she/he’s so classy” and find yourself just admiring them? She happens to be Korean too and has offered to drive me to Koreatown next week.

Cliff Stories:

1) I needed to buy Cliff some shampoo the other day because I realized the only shampoo in the shower was mine which meant he was using my precious formulas and when it comes to my personal beauty products, well let’s just say I’m like a crack addict and I don’t like sharing. So I went to the Aveda salon up the street thinking I would get him that “Blue Malva” shampoo that is good for white hair. Well, I got to the store and tried to explain I wanted to buy shampoo for white hair and the dude at the store was just dumbfounded. I don’t think he even thought having white hair would be something anyone would want to keep. Then he thought he understood and showed me a bottle of shampoo that was white colored, and I said no. Then I finally showed him a picture of the “Silver Fox” in my phone and the lightbulb finally turned on and he informed me that there was no shampoo for white hair people. I guess that’s a downside to living in Asia. Some products just don’t have a market.

2) The Japanese sometimes get criticized for believing that they are the superior race. I’m not here to agree or disagree. I do think being here is making Cliff weirdly racist. The weird thing is he is breaking it down. For example, the other day he was talking about some partner in the Seoul office and after he got off the phone, he says “I can’t believe that guy… he wants blah blah blah… that guy is so Korean…” So I’m just looking at him thinking what the f**k? Did he just say that? I don’t know, I just told him he needed to be careful and just because he had an Asian wife, it didn’t give him license to going around calling people “his ninja”.

The last “lost in translation” moment came yesterday at Chase’s school tea. I walked in and “registered at the front table” and sat down for the program. While we were wrapping things up and I was chatting with some other moms, a lady came over with a sheet of paper and kept bowing and saying thank you in Japanese and saying “homu roomu momu”. I swear, my brain had like a mini stroke when I realized I freaking signed up to be room mom! Shit! I swear that paper didn’t have anything written on it except for the different rooms and I thought they were just trying to keep a tally of who showed up!

PS: here are some pictures of what I see when I grocery shop at Nissin. This is there to help inform shoppers who are concerned about where products are coming from relative to radiation sites.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Until next time…

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