Elena’s world at nine (2)

Part two: things

What’s your average day like? Share some of your secrets!

I get up, usually in a foul mood. Just not a morning person. When we’re eating breakfast my friend F.-san calls up to three times about something or other. We walk to school, do a little exploring if the weather’s nice. My first and second period classes drive me crazy, but I recover a bit when we sometimes head outside to tend our class’s little vegetable garden. I’m usually home by mid-afternoon, craving and demanding a sugary snack. Then I hang with little sis and alternately terrorize or help mom. 

Who are you wearing these days?

Oh man I have these uber-funky jeans with vivid peacock stitching running down the leg; these jeans draw a few views from the competition on the playground. Mom and Dad have to convince me to try new clothes, and occasionally I indulge them on that. I’m very fond of this black long sleeve shirt with “Pretty Stars” embossed on it that flatters my hair color. And I got these fabulous Roller Shoes for Christmas; basically, athletic shoes with a small roller embedded in the shoes’ rubber soles that enables me to slide on pavement or down hills. Love that technology! Plus they are black and hot pink. Solid fashion, I think.

 

What’s your favorite food? You’re quite thin—any diet tips for our readers?

No brainer: fox udon soup, known as kitsune udon. No, it’s not made with fox meat, that’s just what it’s called. And “stinky senbei”, the salty rice cracker treat that smells like farts but tastes great. And I adore those fake teeth gummies that Grampa sends to us from the Loblaws Bulk Barn because he knows M. and I love them and cannot get them here in Japan.

What’s on your reading list lately?
I do like reading at night before we go to bed. These days, Magic Tree House is super-cool. I read it in Japanese and my Chinese character reading skills are coming along nicely, thank you very much. For English, we all like the SpongeBob Squarepants books. And the Disney storybook and songs compilation we got from Grampa. I know the plots of the Disney stuff Inside-Out. Get it?
And I am becoming interested in music. Like my Mom, I am more partial to the English music than Japanese pop, probably because that’s all we hear. I like Carly Ray Jepson’s work, and of course Pharrell Williams’ “Happy”, most stuff by Taylor Swift. I am oddly fascinated by one of Dad’s songs that I heard—Carole King’s “It’s Too Late.” He said I would understand the lyrics someday, so just enjoy the words for now.

Have a joke for us?
Nothing specific. In general, though, we laugh a lot, even when Marina and I are alone. For example, I will ask something to Marina, she replies with something nonsensical or silly, and I will stare at her, then blurt out “BWAAA Haaaa Haaaa HA!
We usually both burst out laughing. It’s very cutesy-girly but damn it’s funny.
That’s it.

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Elena’s world at nine (1)

In late 2015 we interviewed Marina on the state of her life, her worldview, and how she goes about her daily business. Equal airtime dictates we should do the same for her elder sibling, Elena. As a double-down, we’ve broken it into two parts.

 

Part one: thoughts

What makes you proud? Can you give us one fearless move you’ve made that establishes your mettle?
For me that means “ichiban ganbatte koto” [Things for which I worked the hardest to achieve.] That’s a softball question! So let me give you something you want to hear followed by a kicker. Hey, I know I am among the world’s worst in putting off doing my homework. But lately I am getting better and doing my homework faster and more accurately, with less psychological torment of my little sister as my stress release. That isn’t too shabby in my book. But honestly I am proudest that I could make myself eat an umeboshi [sour plum] in my school lunch once this year. I couldn’t make myself do it before, and haven’t done it again since.

Embarrassing habits?
Last week I was in this heated talk with a couple of girlfriends and I waited for them to finish speaking (good manners-ed.). When they finally finished and I’d forgotten what I wanted to say--just a teensy bit mortified about that. I’m no airhead so lapses like that bug me.
The other one is definitely my tendency to apply mental pressure on my little sister when I don’t want her to come with me to play at a friend’s house, or if I have a sh---y day and get cranky because of homework. On the plus side, lately there’s fewer body blows between the two of us, so that’s progress. And I sometimes eat my own boogers.

Three things that make you unique at school?
I’ve been to Canada, probably the only person in my school to do that. Definitely the only one whose dad is a Canuck. And, yeah, I can speak a little English and have memorized some pretty awful words that Daddy uses when he’s driving. I was in the school cheerleading team this year for sports day—the only one from my class. Maybe that’s why my family is always saying I am l-o-u-d.

Boys or girls—who is more fun to play with?
Girls, no question. They’re just easier to understand and get along with, most of the time. Sometimes we fight, though. On the other hand, I do get along OK with the boys but they aren’t a priority right now due to the majority of them having some really disgusting habits.

To be continued.

The rules of having fun

Japan loves stability, hierarchy and public order. I’ve observed a tendency among Japanese to believe that the country’s vaunted social order and love of punctuality are qualities embedded in the Nipponese DNA. It isn’t--it’s learned behavior, environmental conditioning, social engineering--call it what you will. Wherever you go, there are signs or instructions which tell people what is OK to do and what isn’t. Sometimes there’s noise pollution, too, in the form of public broadcasts. Nothing nefarious--it’s all done with the public good and general safety in mind, but there’s a bit of a Nanny State complex going on here. For example:

“When stepping onto the escalator, please take care. Please ride the escalator with your hand on the rail. Do not do XXX and XXX.”

“The train is coming to a stop. Please be sure hold the hand strap.”

I don’t hear those kinds of announcements piped into the public airspace in too many other countries. Especially so politely. If it were Canada, it would have to be something like:

“C’mon, buddy, keep off the grass.” 

“Hang on. Or you’ll fall over. Your responsibility if you’re dumb about it.” 

“If you destroy public property, that gives us an excuse to raise your taxes again.”
Come to think of it, the Japanese aren’t too far from the “peace, order and good government” mantra that Canadians flock to. 

So….
Recently we went to the Yamato Yutori Park in Atsugi, near Yokohama. The park was created in 2014 by Yamato City after the US Navy and Japan’s Maritime Self-Defense Forces released some land next to the NAF Atsugi runway where Navy fighters/cargo planes and MSDF sub-hunters are stationed. The park itself is an amazing piece of work. Immaculate grounds. Thoughtful design with safety in mind, but not boring. Pleasant and amusing things to do for families with toddlers through to pre-teens. Several ballparks and soccer pitches for tournaments. We really appreciate this park and have been visiting it regularly. 

So what’s the point of this post? One of the park’s play areas features huge white jumping pillow mounds that are kept inflated with compressed air so the kids can jump, roll, and generally go berserk. Many of the parks that have these jumping pillows try to keep elementary school age “big kids” in separated from the pre-school kids, who get their own space. 

Order is paramount. You must sign in at least once with name and age. And, at Yamato Yutori park, well-intentioned retirees in bright, distinctive jackets patrol the area and scold any kids who dare to do headstands, backflips, or body rolls on the jumping pillow/fluffy domes. So it’s policed merriment.

I just dig the way rules are hammered into kids’ heads by soft, fuzzy, cute characters. Case in point, Yutori no Mori Park’s Rules of Fun below (all translations mine).

And we’ll have fun, fun, fun ‘till the geezers take our funning away.

Elena’s icy bloody Sunday

January 10th…a day that began with delight but ended bloody. Sound ominous? Let me explain.

Scuttle skating at Kodomo no Kuni Rink
My wife and I had decided we would take the girls out skating this year. Like having a “real” Christmas, I was resolute to provide them some Canadian content by strapping on the blades. So, off we went to Kid’s Country (Kodomo no Kuni) which has an outdoor rink during winter. As mental prep, I told them that I first put on skates at two years old and played ice hockey until junior high school. This left them visibly unimpressed.

Changing tactics, I said if they didn’t moan and complain about the skates, and gave it a real try, we’d “think about” a sugary celebration after the skating was done. That got their positive attention. To my surprise, Elena had remembered some of her previous ice adventures, and took to the idea immediately. Marina was a real gamer and didn’t complain too much once we adjusted the skates to her feet. It was her skating debut.

I coached them all a bit even though I felt my own lack of ice time would affect my authority should I dump it on the ice. Luckily for me, there were about 5,000 people crammed onto the regulation rink’s space, so there was no way to fall over. It was like a mosh pit at a Rage Against The Machine concert.

And yet we managed to have a wonderful afternoon in the sun; it was about ten degrees Celsius out, yet the ice was firm, with Zambonis periodically prowling the surface, thus just a little bit of Canada was magically transferred to Yokohama for the afternoon. The Rising Family™ had some good old-fashioned fun. No budding Kristi Yamaguchis in this lot, though.

Tenacious tooth tale
Lady E. lost a few teeth over the past few years and she currently sports a gap between her two upper front tusks that would make Vanessa Paradis proud. We are taking metal countermeasures for that; namely, braces. But her remaining baby teeth keep popping out—she’s at that stage.

After a wonderful day of skating and then dinner at Kappa Sushi, the kids went to bed. Soon afterward, Elena came out of her bedroom and said that her latest wobbly tooth was hurting. She demonstrated with a probe, visibly in pain. I said she had to choose whether she wanted to wait or to take matters into her own hands. To my surprise, she chose the latter.

She was sniffling and quite agitated, so I knew was time to shift into Dad Mode. She wanted help, and my mission was to take her mind off the pain. So we used ice cubes to numb the gums, and I started in with distracting chatter. Gave her a toothpick and showed my boyhood technique to push and prod, twist and pull the errant tooth, then lift it up by its exposed bottom edge, and gently rip the remaining roots to pull it out. It’s painful. Almost as painful to watch your child in pain.

As her discomfort grew, so did her determination to get it over with. I was proud of her fortitude. I shifted into Barack Obama mode:

Me: “You can do it, E-chan. Say ‘I can do it.”
She repeated “I can do it” several times with genuine conviction. And she eventually pried the tooth out. I was – am – extremely proud of the toughness and guts she showed me.

We packed her gums with Kleenex to stem the bleeding, and she went back to bed, looking slightly satisfied. This ended one rather special Sunday for the Rising Family.

All I am wondering now is when will Elena finally put the tooth under her pillow for the Tooth Fairy to come?

200th post: without you, I’m nothing

I’d like to revisit the raison d’etre for this blog, which I described right at its birth in February 2007: “This blog is written mostly for my family and close friends in Canada and the US to keep them up to date and bridge the distance”…and so it remains.

The fact is that I also write this blog for myself as a sort of time capsule of the development and life events of the Rising Daughters, and some of the challenges they sometimes face. The words will preserve the reality of rearing rugrats -- the joys and occasional adversity – so they will not fade into memory over time. I love my family very much.  If this chronicle can somehow capture the pride I feel about the way my daughters are blossoming into fine young people to those of you reading it – even just a handful of amigos and relatives – then I am more than satisfied.

When will the Rising Daughters® blog end? I do not know. There will come a time to say sayonara, but I don’t see that on the event horizon just yet. I still enjoy writin’ ‘em, so I hope you still enjoy reading the posts. It’s that simple, and as long as good vibe keeps going, why stop?

But I will never forget that, as the old saying goes, “without you I am nothing."

2015: Picture perfect

I will inaugurate this new year by looking back at 2015. Trolling through the many photos taken last year – and in prior years --  I thought how fortunate I am to be able to show readers how flawless my family is, that is to say:
- The Rising Daughters, from their entry into the world onward, have been little angels who remain well behaved at all times (to this day).
- As sisters, they are courteous to each other and strive every day to become perfect young adults.
- Nobody in this family ever gets exhausted, cranky or sick.
- Our children do not become unreasonable, inconsolable or uncontrollable. They don’t ruin rare moments during precious holidays or trips outside the home.
- As family scribe and photographer, I never ask for too many photos. And if you look at the accumulated trove of photos, it seems I have lots of free time and no job.
- Our familial relations are always without acrimony or difficulties.
- Parenting is easy.

You get the “big picture” right? The Rising Family is spotless, without conventional everyday problems or irrational behavior. Of course we are! The images in this blog always tell the real story…

With tongue firmly removed from cheek, allow me to add a bit of color to the photos that follow to offer some true semblance of what transpired in the year 2015. It was, overall, a good year for the Rising Family.

January means Hello KittyLand, officially known as Sanrio Pureland. As has become a tradition, we celebrate Elena’s birthday with Hello Kitty. We are assaulted by color and sound, and keep coming back for more.

We fight the February blues with ersatz Hawaiian warmth at the Hawaiians Spa, in Iwaki Prefecture north of Tokyo.

March: We visited LEGOLAND Discovery Center in the Odaiba area of Tokyo. It was quite the organized tour o’ fun. Here, I’ve captured E. & M. before they got into a squabble over the last few “takoyaki” fried octopus balls after a day in the hallowed LEGOLAND.

Tokyo Disneyland in April to celebrate a birthday. T-shirts come out. I need write nothing else, no?

Japan’s social order astounds me even after living here 19 years. My amateur sociological musings aside, the oldest daughter reminded me what genuine enthusiasm is. Here she is part of the cheering squad at her school’s sports day.

July: Marina had more fun at her school’s summer festival this year than last. Perhaps because she is a sophomore?

August = trip to Hiroshima, Miyajima fireworks (outstanding) and Shimonoseki was hot, happy and mostly hilarious. An unforgettable family vacation!

A fan’s late September last view of the ballpark this season. Hiroshima Carp versus the Yokohama DeNA BayStars. One last whiff of the grass. In the MLB, the Blue Jays gave me some serious joy, albeit half a world away.

Heavy workload in October forced pre-sunrise train departures on my commute. I just like this picture.

Getting away from it all by going under. Under pressure to have fun at 50 feet with Mikhail Parronovich, dive buddy extraordinaire.

Staycation over the holidays. Cheating a bit here (it is technically January), but we went to Tokyo Tower on New Year’s day. It did not disappoint.

Hello, 2016. Full speed ahead!

Fleeting Season’s Greeting

Christmas Day here on this side of the world. Merry Christmas to all our friends and family.

My girls start early every day. Especially Christmas Day.

Elena had a half-day at school, so we waited to open our gifts. Marina and I spent the morning outside playing a zany “chase game” with her variable rules, and basking in the sun. It was unseasonably warm, which was most welcome.

Elena made it home in record time. No loitering. We had a great Skype call with Canada Grampa, then ripped into the gifts. But Lady E. and M. showed great patience and laughed a lot between the punches.

Not much more to say except we are grateful for the day.
Peace, joy and a Joyeux Noel to all.