A "Sort of" Sayonara...so really "Ja Mata"

"Ja mata" means see you later.  Very appropriate today, as this will be my last post from Tokyo until next fall. We are heading back to Atlanta in about 2 weeks for our summer break.

It will be sad leaving our Tokyo friends and activities, especially those moving away, having reached the end of their Tokyo assignments this month.  Also, we sort of dread our upcoming dependence on cars, but are really looking forward to seeing our American friends and family!!

This post covers a huge variety of "gotta show you" items:

This is from a recent dinner in Hiroo.  My beauty, JE, is showing you the standard menu style here.
We can't read labels so well when they mix Kanji characters in with the Hiragana and Katakana alphabets, so we just order by pointing at pictures....and hope for the best.

The sign below is not a typo.  It is how they SAY it for us, so it is how they WRITE it for us...

With this I can drink while I repair sheet rock...I am all about multi-tasking.

Subway sign politely asking businessmen not to pass out in the trains

The next sign is hanging in our favorite pizza place...I know it isn't Japanese...I just like it.

Dashing out the door at 6:55am to catch the school bus

JE heading out for the school dance

A recent dinner party in our home

Grant's Wrestling Team...G is first row, 5th from left

Grant with Coe and Skye on the class ski trip

Jane and her cute school friends, Olivia and Olivia!!!

Next is my favorite flower shop, and another reminder of the respect citizens of this city have for other people's property.  When the owner closes her flower shop at night, she simply turns off the lights and leaves all her plants just as you see them here.  She KNOWS they will be there the next day...not taken, not damaged, not bothered!!  Just amazing!!!

Flower Shop in Hiroo

In my last post, I showed you pictures from our recent trip to Singapore.  However, since I was FUSSED at for only showing sights from the roof of our hotel, I am adding more for you today.

But first, just a couple of photos to remind you of WHY I spent so much time on the roof...

I just loved this place!!!!

Breathtaking!!!

Okaaaaay...I will move on.  There really is a lot more to see in Singapore!!!

Gardens By the Bay is a definite must see in Singapore, with the "Super Trees", the Flower Dome and the Cloud Dome.  I have added links to all of these that give vivid detail to the attractions.

Aerial view of the Super Trees (foreground) in Singapore's Gardens by the Bay.  On the left is part of the Cloud Dome. The boats are in the Marina Channel which leads to the Straits of Singapore.

Gardens By the Bay

At the top of the tallest (50 meters) Super Tree is a restaurant called IndoChine.

Singapore Cloud Dome and Flower Dome

Inside the Singapore Flower Dome

Inside Singapore's Cloud Dome

At night, we wandered the length of Singapore's historic Boat Quay searching for the perfect dinner.

A fun experience, but meals in Singapore can be even more expensive than Tokyo, so BE PREPARED! Also, do not be fooled by the frantic beckoning shouts of "pitchmen" yelling "Free Drinks" as you pass by each restaurant. Nothing is really "free" so choose carefully!!

A view of the beautiful Boat Quay and of the Singapore business district skyline.  Each restaurant has an indoor seating area and kitchen on the right, with dockside porch-style seating across the walkway on the left.

The Singapore Boat Quay, lined with dozens of restaurants representing nearly every cuisine on the planet!

Giant fish tanks allow you to "preview" menu options at the Boat Quay seafood restaurants

A tank of enormous King (or Stone) Crabs

A massive King Crab, daring me to choose him for dinner.

After looking at every restaurant on the Quay, I chose...SAHARA!

I highly recommend Sahara's Lamb and Chicken Kebobs.

I also recommend The Pelican, a cool dockside Seafood Bar with buckets of  7 ice-cold beers at $35....a real deal in Singapore!!

During dinner, we enjoyed a fabulous musical laser/water show courtesy of the Marina Bay Sands Hotel

Back to my home-away-from-home...  Some of you have asked WHERE I work at my new job.

This is where I work teaching English...sometimes we sit inside, but thanks to the gorgeous weather lately, quite often now on the fabulous outdoor patio overlooking the city.  My thanks in this blog to staff members Antonio, Minjee, and David for their perfect hospitality!!!

OUR BEST and WORST of TOKYO...

What will we miss this summer???

We love being able to walk or ride on safe, clean public transportation to all of our grocery, clothing, school and business destinations.  The independence of our young children in such a safe environment has been life-changing.

Beautiful neighborhood shopping

Immaculately clean and beautiful streets!  Someone will sweep up those cherry blossom petals within the hour.

A big BEST OF TOKYO for me...MY KIDS

Both of my "Japanese" kids are learning the language, and have mastered the transportation, navigation, shopping and cultural expectations in this new world we threw them into one year ago.

I am absolutely blown away by their adaptation and embrace of what we now call home.

I am thrilled to share in this amazing cultural experience with my children.  They see our country from a distance, and are learning first hand how others see us and why.  They are proud of who they are and enjoying the chance to show that stereotypes aren't always true.  They are learning lessons in respect from their peers instead of from my lectures...man-oh-man am I impressed by these kids!!

Grant with some of his Tokyo pals

Grant...running across finish line in first place in the 400 Meter Sprint!

Grant and his Relay Team, after winning 1st Place in the 4x400

Grant and friends, twins Mark and Ryan

Jane and some of her 5th grade classmates

         

Another BEST for me would definitely be the fun I have with my onigiri team.

With Liz, my Australian friend, showing our onigiri ready to be put into individual boxes.

With Vesna (Australia) and Ana (Russia) scooping rice from giant vats to shape into perfect onigiri stuffed with pickled plums.

Anna, Vesna and Ana showing off freshly made onigiri ready for boxes.

And of course, the fabulous dinners we have enjoyed with friends all around Tokyo...

 Enjoying an evening at the W Cellar Grill with Liz, my Victor!, Paul (Liz's husband), and Jen.

With Jen at the W Cellar Grill in Omotesando

                                         GRANT'S BEST

Grant's vote for Best of Tokyo...the heated seat of the Toto toilets (and the other interactive features that entertain him).
Found in hotels, airports, and restaurants everywhere!  We all fight over the two "smart Totos" we have in our Tokyo home, and hope to exchange the other two "boring-Totos" we have here very soon!

                                           JANE'S WORST

Toilets seem to be a sudden theme here...Jane's vote for Worst of Tokyo is the "Squat."

The "Squat Toilets" of Tokyo are prevalent outside the not very large "expat zone."

We hate them.   We won't use them.  "Nuff said."

JE's vote for Worst of Tokyo

THE SKIPPER'S WORST

Dad (or the Skipper...we have been lost and stranded like Gilligan's Island castaways more than a few times) gave his vote for WORST...having to sit naked in the onsen (hot springs) with his business colleagues and clients.

Sharing a relaxing soak in an onsen is standard tradition for Japanese men after a day of golf.  A full description of the onsen experience is on this link.  There are lots of rituals and rules, and without Japanese language skills, it can be quite intimidating.  

Suffice it to say, the Skipper is physically incapable of squatting, so just trying to land his, shall we say, American-sized naked rear on the tiny 10-inch high stool in the cleansing area was a comedy to the Japanese businessmen.  These are the same men he was trying to impress the day before in a conference room....the men he needs to close his next big business deal with.  So he aims his hiney for the target, goes into a squat/fall, and sends the stool flying across the room.  

The rest of the men sit naked on the little stools to lather with soap and then rinse under little showers mounted 2 feet off the floor.  Then they walk outside to the onsen, holding only a shred of a cloth the size of a small potholder.  The Japanese put the cloth on their heads while they soak so it will be dry when they need it later.  The Skipper walked with the group, nervously shifting his tiny cloth around his lower body, from front to back, in what looked like a bad version of the macarena.  

In Tokyo, the Skipper's golf outings have mysteriously dropped from every weekend to once a month....hmmmm.

 What we can't wait to do...

Hug our loved ones and spend a fun summer at home !

Kampai!!!!