Demons Out, Good Fortune In

On February 3rd, we had Setsubun at our apartment. What the heck is Setsubun? According to a book I have on Japanese traditions, it’s an informal ritual that happens the day before the start of spring in the lunisolar calendar (what that is, I’m not sure). On the Setsubun day, people across Japan crack open the doors of their apartments or houses and throw roasted beans out the door.






While they are doing this, they shout:
鬼は外! 福は内 [Oni wa soto, fuku wa uchi]
which roughly translates into “Demons Out! Good luck in.”
It’s a spiritual housecleaning of sorts.

That’s a universal idea, when you think about it—out with the nasty stuff that causes misfortune, in with the purifying fresh air/good stuff. It’s actually a lot of fun, particularly when kids are involved. Bring in the rugrats, and things invariably turn cute, as the following pics of Lady E. and her latest male love interest attest.

He’s wearing a little demon mask. Elena is clearly smitten.

hey
been trying to meet you
hey
must be a devil between us
“Hey” by the Pixies (Doolittle)

It’s still early in the New Year, but our luck has held out so far, when for a lot of people it hasn’t been so great with all the economic problems wreaking havoc around the globe. So I tossed an extra couple of beans in hopes of warding off the sneaky little job-stealing demons. Hopefully that’ll keep ‘em away, and me workin’!

Cheers for now.

Year Two: The Elena Supremacy

Lady E. celebrated her second birthday a couple weeks ago. Naomi and I put on a small shindig to mark the occasion. It was just the three of us, but it was truly a fun little party.

Times are tough, though, and few people have the luxury of frivolity and games, especially two-year olds who should be seriously considering their future.

On the event of her second full year with us, Elena has graduated from the training phase and now has to be able to justify her position within this organization. We love her, of course, but in this kind of economy, everyone has to pull his or her own weight and work more efficiently. Innovation, baby! Thus...

Here is Elena’s performance appraisal for year two of her career to date.
Attitude: A on good days; F on bad days
Judgment: B
Control of bowels: C
Articulation of ideas: A (when screaming: F)
Decisiveness: B+
Learning ability: A+
Temper: D-
Eating skills: C (Indecision in this area needs work.)
Farting: A+
Teamwork/social skills: B
Motor skills development: A
Overall character and lovability: A++

On a more fact-based note, once again I’d like to recap the prior year with a few photos and wisenheimer remarks.

January: actually at Miyajima in Dec 2008….because we didn’t have a good photo for January.

February: Still cold, but the Rising Daughter’s cuteness kept us happy and warm.
March: Still in the driver’s seat and working on mastering her plastic cutlery.
April:…in another driver’s seat at a kiddie arcade. (Weather warmer…free at last!).
May: Naomi and Elena coming down the chute at the Aquas Aquarium playground.
June: At the Miyajima Aquarium one last time before it closed for renovations.
July: A new fan in Uncle André (above) and Grandpa (below). Both photos from our visit to Ottawa.
August: At the Mazda Museum’s concept car exhibition.
September: Driving the car…it’s the other guy’s fault.
October: One last visit to the Tivoli Park in Okayama before it closed down. It was hilarious.
October: Swimming lessons…and not terribly happy about it right now.
November: Getting colder, but we still hit the park whenever we could.
December: Christmas Day. Everything in Japan is just a bit smaller than in Canada.

Annus Novus

- The Munchkin celebrates her second New Year; her parents frolic during three days o’ fun -

Very Short Quiz
The title says it all: a new year is upon us here in the fair city of Hiroshima. The Rising Family has been in high spirits and busy during this winter vacation. The onset of 2009 has seen us engaging in a slew of activities intended to: (pick the correct answer from (a), (b), (c), or (d).
(a) do our part for the local economy
(b) prevent our beloved daughter from getting bored and thus stir crazy
(c) avoid “all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy” syndrome
(d) allow us to drink every night with little concern for the next morning
Answer is: (d).
OK…maybe (b).

So what things do people in Japan do over the first few days of the New Year that might be of interest to my Canuck relatives and Yankee brethren? Using us as an example, it’s fair to say we had a fairly traditional launch to 2009. Some of the things we did included:

- Waking up at Naomi’s folks’ house in the countryside of Hiroshima prefecture after a rare snowfall. We spent New Year’s Eve with Naomi parents and grandmother, and went back to our apartment in the city on January 1 after her uncle's family came to eat sukiyaki with us.
- Collecting our New Year’s greeting cards sent by family, friends and work-related acquaintances. The idea is similar to the Western custom of sending Christmas cards. We enjoy designing and sending out our New Year's postcards; it’s a tradition that is ever popular despite the Internet. People usually send them well in advance so that the post office can deliver them on January 1. The idea originated decades ago as a simple way to let people know you were still around or, if you had moved, your new address. The cards usually have a personal or family photo, a happy new year personalized greeting, and something featuring the animal of the Japanese Zodiac for the particular year, i.e. 2009 = Year of the Ox. (The Japanese Zodiac is derived from the ancient Chinese concept of a 12-year cycle, each year named after an animal which represents 12 different personalities which that year might exhibit. Words like dependable, methodical, tenacious and modest are used to describe the Year of the Ox. Regardless if there is anything to this Asian tradition, there is only room to improve after 2008, so let’s hope 2009 will be a bullish year!)
Here is the Rising Daughter family version of the New Year’s greeting we sent to our friends.
And here is the less family-friendly version I sent to my close friends who ‘get’ the joke. Hopefully, so will you. - Giving the mighty Laputa its annual wash and cleaning (ablution?) before we headed out to the Toshogu Shrine situated on a hill very close to Hiroshima station. And yes, it wasn't that cold here in the city. No snow so far this year...Yee-hah!This hill, called Futabayama, is very close to our neighborhood, and there are about seven shrines aligned along its sides which have all been there for hundreds of years. Heading to the shrine for the first time in the New Year is called hatsumode, and people usually go to the shrines to pray for good fortune for the year ahead. Japanese people tend to visit a Shinto shrine or Buddhist temple on the first, second or third day of January because those are those days most people are on vacation from work. At the shrines, you can also buy omamori, which are amulets for good fortune, safe driving, good health etc.
Here we see the Rising Daughter and Naomi at the Toshogu Shrine on January 2. Pretty long line. Crowded as expected, but the weather was great.
- Taking off for a hot spring at a new mall in a Hiroshima suburb. Yep, a modern shopping plaza that has a hot spring...imagine a public bath next to a Sears and you get the picture. And it was a pretty good onsen, too. Naomi tells me that Lady E. generally likes the hot springs (a big, warm pool from her point of view?) but during our visit she apparently was not very happy and almost bolted outside of the ladies’ changing area buck-naked and wailing. Now that would have made an impression.

- We closed off the holidays on January 3 with some fish and chips at a favored Irish pub called Molly Malone’s. Admittedly, this is not a Japanese tradition. But we love their food. We followed this fine meal with another trip through the 'Dreamination' illumination festival on Peace Boulevard that I mentioned in a prior post. http://risingdaughter.blogspot.com/2008/12/rising-excitement.html


So there it is, loyal readers, the highlights of our start to 2009.
All the best to you and yours this year.

Kentucky Fried Christmas Eve

Bet you didn’t know that Kentucky Fried Chicken is a very popular choice for Christmas Eve dinner in Japan.

"Why not give it a try?" I thought, in my continuing quest to explore the interesting cultural twists of my host country. I discovered that the information found on other blogs is true: unless you reserve your Christmas KFC far in advance, you can’t buy it for dinner on December 24 or on Christmas Day. The outlets are just too busy!When I checked this out a local KFC outlet about a week ago, the reservation sheet was completely filled in for a week prior to, and after, Christmas Eve. Lady E. likes chicken, and I am still very curious about the ways Japanese people modify foreign products or traditions to meet local needs, but this rush just to eat yucky tucky is pushing the envelope for me. So we’ll settle for a home cooked meal on Christmas Eve instead.

Background: From what I’ve learned, KFC began operations in Japan in 1970. A life size replica of Colonel Sanders is placed in front of almost all KFC outlets in Japan (see below). But why is KFC so popular on Christmas Eve?

Apparently, the lack of turkey in Japan, and the general lack of ovens big enough to cook the birds in peoples' homes even if they could be purchased, forced a switch to chicken as an alternative. Savvy marketers caught on to these market factors, and since the 1970s Christmas chicken has been intensively marketed as an American-style yuletide dinner.

Just as the same Christmas Eve has become a highly significant date night for young Japanese people on a par with Valentine’s Day (as opposed to spending it with family, which is what new year’s eve is for) the cultural significance of food and fun on Christmas Eve and Christmas itself is markedly different than in North America.

Maybe I’ll try easing sushi and ramen on Christmas Eve when we eventually live somewhere else besides Japan. Nonetheless, a very Merry Christmas from Lady E. and her crew, to you.

Rising Excitement

The holidays are approaching and the Rising Daughter is old enough now to recognize that there is something going on; i.e. that old bearded Caucasian fellow in the red suit is everywhere. For Christmas 2008 Naomi and I have been more proactive than in years past when there was just the two of us. Our shopping and wrapping are already done, yet we are still heading to the local malls on weekends with our progeny to sample the Christmas-inspired enthusiasm in the air. I hesitate to use the word ‘spirit’ here…not out of ill will, but simply because the holiday season can get whacky in Japan. Not having the Christian religious underpinnings of the West, Christmas is mostly about having fun, romance (for singles and not-so-singles) and about giving gifts. And if you accept this secular version of Christmas for what it is – and it took me a few years to do that – then you can enjoy a marvelous Nippon-style ‘Kurisumasu’ and add in your own spiritual element as you see fit.


Put simply, in this very Confucian of nations there is absolutely no effort made to coat the commercial nature of Christmas in a veneer of spirituality. The marketing onslaught begins in early November and reaches a crescendo right now. And Japanese people are superb gift givers. It is one of the currencies of this culture. And Christmas is one of the great foreign imported traditions that keep the gifts a-flowin’. Which brings us back to Lady E. and Christmas shopping…

Whenever it has been too chilly to go to the playground (no snow here, back bacon eaters!) we head indoors. Lately Elena has been running amok in the stores, babbling contentedly to herself at times and absorbing the sights and sounds around her. Her wonder and excitement owing to the colors and music of Christmastime is truly infectious. I can almost see the varied images and information physically entering her brain and being processed. It’s more than a little incredible to experience all this with her. Discussing this blog with my uncle Pat last July, he gently reminded me that a few billion people have gone though the complete parenting experience before me. My rational side is fully aware of this, and yet each time the Rising Daughter reaches another stage in her young life I feel as though it is the most amazing, unique thing on the planet and therefore EVERYONE should know. Thus, my desire to impart to you the excitement and wonder of watching her being able to really participate in the Christmas joyride this year.

Besides, I suppose that Lady E.’s healthy and happy development as a little person is the gift that I am most grateful for this Christmas season. And I hope a similar cheerful state finds each and every one you faithful readers of this blog—all six of you. Heh heh.
Here’s a video of Lady E. from last weekend:







Let’s Illuminate!
Hiroshima City also brightens up the holidays by sponsoring a festival of outdoor displays which illuminate the Peace Boulevard, one of the main streets in downtown Hiroshima. It’s a popular spot for families to drive or walk around in the evenings prior to the new year holidays. From late November through early January, the grassy areas along the boulevard’s sides are opened up to companies and organizations to show their temporary holiday-inspired tributes, the outlines of which are decorated with strings of colored lights. This year’s “Hiroshima Dreamination” has a series of very imaginative and colorful exhibits—a huge altar, a merry-go-round, animals, a sleigh, arcing shooting stars, among others, some of which also which use the stationary trees and bushes. The entire illumination festival probably involves millions of lights adorning the displays and it certainly catches one’s attention.
We went to have a look last weekend. You can see (courtesy of chisa1084 on Flickr) the replica of the Hiroshima A-Bomb Dome.

Two shots of us follow. Unfortunately, a cold drizzle forced us to leave the Christmas lights celebration before we could see all the exhibits, but this did not, err…dampen our enthusiasm for the holidays at all.

The Return of Pumpkinhead

One of my favorite nicknames for Elena is ‘Pumpkinhead’, because she had such a comparatively large melon when she was born. I know that’s not unusual with babies, but the moniker stuck.

I have two pictures now of my beautiful, beloved Pumpkinhead, and you can see how much she has changed in a matter of 12 months.


And just because I can….below is one of my favorite recent pictures of my brother, Steve-o.
Good luck on your exams and an early-but-happy birthday, my brotha!

Lady E. Loves the Liquid Life

We took Elena to the beach a few times this past summer. As soon as she saw the sea, she would make a beeline for the water and -- not realizing that she couldn’t float – quickly face plant into the sandy shallows. It was HILARIOUS. But it also made us realize that it might be a good idea to start her toddler swimming lessons.

Naomi and I both love the ocean and water in general: swimming, snorkeling, scuba diving and camping near the coastline or riverside, as much as we can. Given these predilections, we decided a few months ago that Elena should try baby-oriented swimming lessons to see if she really enjoyed the water. We thought it would also be a fun way for us to interact with her in the liquid realm while the weather is cold.

To find the right venue, we asked a number of our friends and co-workers which pool in Hiroshima offered the best lessons for our needs. We eventually found a fine swimming pool with a very reasonable fee and great access where we could take lessons about twice a week. Naomi and I each take her once a week, usually for about an hour in the section that is reserved specifically for the kiddie lessons. To our great delight, she has literally taken to the water very naturally.

I’ll describe a few things about the baby swimming lessons. First, the instructors are nice, i.e. very patient, and they give us good advice, like:
- always smile and show how fun being in the water can be.
- make sure to keep a good, reassuring grip on the child, with Elena’s face close to your own and maintaining eye contact.
- swish her around gently, she ain’t a navy reserve diver yet.
- blow bubbles in the water and cackle maniacally. This is just for all the Japanese mommies in the same class, pure entertainment…but it also shows the rising daughter she can’t inhale water and she has to exhale.

(This pic is not Elena—it is ‘borrowed’ from her swimming school’s homepage because I don’t have an underwater camera!)

There are many more tips, but you get the drift. The idea is to get the baby comfortable in the wa-wa, then worry later on down the line about actual swimming.

We are still at the stage where she is happy simply clinging to my arm, being guided through the pool’s many distractions (water slides, sinking rings, and hairy daddies), chasing the multicolored floating balls, and jumping off the side of the pool on her own while I wait with outstretched arms. She only recently became comfortable enough to be able to step off into the deeper parts without touching bottom…mentally a great leap. That’s pure faith in action.
And another marvelous thing is that the blowing bubbles exercise we practice every week at the pool is something she enjoys doing in the bathtub at home. Just like Dad!

Who enjoys the swimming lessons more…Elena or me? I will take the Fifth Amendment on that one. All I know is that we’re both worn-out and happy at the end of the lesson. And I am relishing our rising daughter’s introduction to the life aquatic.