Photo potpourri

Lady E. is learning to play music. This year she is taking band and orchestra classes from two exuberant, excellent teachers.  In the space of several months she began to learn how to play the flute and violin. We saw a few concerts at her school.

Grampa K. also took in a performance a bit later in the spring.

I love motorcycles. That said, given my profession, I have grown quite fond of cars. In February the lease for my beloved Nissan Note came to an end. Known to my co-workers as “The Lustmobile” due to its decidedly unsexy qualities, I was sad to see it go. 

I wanted a pic to show my woe and got a wee bit creative (see left). Marina latched on to the idea and expressed her feelings (see right). She celebrates the happy drives we shared!

We haven’t done justice to the delights of Nashville and are still discovering new places. One was our visit to the Parthenon in Centennial Park. Built in 1897 as part of the Tennessee Centennial Exposition, it is a full-scale replica of the original Parthenon in Athens.

In April, right in the heart of downtown, Nashville holds its very own Cherry Blossom Festival. It’s a full day of traditional music, dance (& taiko drums), martial arts, plenty o’ Japanese food, roving cosplay types, the curious and Japan fans alike. 

Courtesy of Nashvilleguru.com

We have participated every year since we arrived in Music City. This year I visited the JET Program tent. That program, after all, was a major turning point in my life journey.

One major perk of living in Tennessee is that Grampa can visit more easily than other places we’ve lived. This particular visit featured a download of his recent trip to Nepal and Thailand. We did a lot of grandchild-focused stuff. I drank a lot of beer. Grampa drove an awful lot coming and going. We love having him here.

In May, we ventured out to the Tennessee Safari Park near Jackson, TN. It’s a drive-through safari, meaning you drive around the 5.5 miles of Safari roads in your own car and interact and feed animals as you putter along.

We bought plenty of feed buckets going in and arrived early enough in the morning that the animals (Zebras, antelope, buffalo, goats, ostriches, llama, and assorted other animals) were still hungry. They are accustomed to us humans, instinctively knowing the cars driving through the park have feed. There is no hesitation popping their heads into the car and gulping the grub. 

We all adapted to the animals’ behavior. They only wanted to eat the food. It was fun. Both Marina and Elena eventually stood up through the car's sunroof and enjoyed the view. 

Only this buffalo stood his ground, refusing to move despite our SUV in his face; we drove around. 

“Kiddovation” is Nissan USA’s version of “Bring Your Child to Work Day.” The event focuses on lighthearted games about innovation in cars and mobility with a kid-friendly twist. It gives a parent like me a chance to share my working world with the kids so they understand about my job. It was a great experience for me and them. 

Marina was interviewed for the company's internal communications video that captured the attending kids' impressions.