2011-12-20

Hexenhaus

Posted by Michi at 3:20 PM 0 comments
I and Kana joined a cooking class to make a Hexenhaus for Christmas which is made of cookies and sweets.  It took almost 3 hours to finish it.  Kana decorated most of them and I helped her to keep hold the cookies for icing.  It was not difficult and very cute than I thought, maybe I will try it by myself at home next year.  She enjoyed it and wanted to show her dad as soon as possible on her way home.  And now the sweets on the roof have gone already before Christmas as we ate them to consume until the end of the year that we are visiting to see my parents.

2011-11-29

753

Posted by Michi at 4:13 PM 0 comments
Kana had a 753 festival which is a traditional Japanese event to celebrate children's growth and pray for their future health and well-being, when they are 3-year-old girls, 5-year-old boys and 7-year-old girls.  This time is for 7 year old.  She was in Kimono, and we visited to a shrine to pray with her grandparents.  When she was 3, she was too small to wear Kimono and she cried a lot those days.  This time there was no cry of course.  In that respect, I felt she has grown up.  To see her in Kimono next time will be, when she is 20 year old.

2011-10-07

Tomita Farm at Furano in Hokkaido

Posted by Michi at 3:08 PM 0 comments

Summer holiday for my family was in Hokkaido in the middle of August.  We visited Furano where it's famous for lavender.  We had a lavender ice cream and a lavender juice but there were no lavender any more at Tomita farm in Furano.  It was too late to visit!  We should have got there by beginning of August.  Food in Hokkaido like seafood, curry soups and noodles were really nice!!

Fruit Tart

Posted by Michi at 2:45 PM 0 comments
This time of year is very pleasant after muggy hot summer.  I feel like doing something and starting something new.  It would be great to make cakes like a banana pound cake, a pumpkin pudding for Halloween and a tart cake.  I and my family love tart cakes but I don't feel like making the dough as it takes long procedure.  So I got mini base tarts from a supermarket and made custard cream by microwave that was really easier and quicker than I thought.  And final process which put custard and fruits on was Kana's role and she enjoyed it. This dessert was perfect to cook with a child.
Next week, I will make a pumpkin pudding for my sister putting up my home.

2011-09-30

Test at swimming school

Posted by Michi at 10:17 AM 0 comments
The last week in every month is the examination day of swimming school called Itoman to move up to the next grade.  Kana failed grade 21 again which she has tried same test last month.  To pass it, her body must be kept straight floating on the water, but she can't.  Her legs goes down. The comment on her report card was written that she needs to relax her legs. So how can I tell her how to do it?  That's not easy, I think...  Floating is the first step for swimming as you know.  It would take time for her and I must wait until then.
I hope she will success the third test next month.

2011-08-03

Long summer school holiday

Posted by Michi at 11:44 AM 0 comments
Kana is in a long summer school holiday over 1 month.  This is the first long vacation for her because I had job last year and then she was in a nursery that has no holiday except for weekends.
How can she spend such a long time at home?
I planed she goes to the kids club which is placed at school, to play with friends every morning as long as we don't have any plan to go. They provide various programs such as playing with water, craft and visiting elder people.
Besides, I arranged 1 dollar concert for pipe organ at Minatomirai hall, musical of "Lion King"  produced by Shiki theatre company and a film to go out with her. 


In a middle of August,  our family will travel to Hokkaido where it is the northernmost of island in Japan.  I hope it will be cooler than here.  We love travel a lot, so when we would like to go, we could go anywhere anytime at lower price until last year.  This year is not.  Ken's holiday affected by the great east japan earthquake has been fixed by his company.  School holiday is fixed.  There is no choice to have a travel during a peak season.

2011-07-20

Travel to Nasu

Posted by Michi at 11:18 AM 0 comments
Breakfast
We can not go to my home town Fukushima where my parents live in, and the nuclear power plants have exploded and been not quite safe yet, taking Kana on this long summer vacation .
If my parents don't visit us in Yokohama, they can't see their grandchild for time being.  So we arranged to be able to see each other in Nasu.  My parents were looking forward to seeing her and also Kana. 
It was great time that we visited Numappara-shitugen and Nasu garden outlet.  Nasu is famous for summer resort but it was very hot like Yokohama at the time.  Unluckily, a air condition at hotel Matsuya we stayed was out of service for 4 hours, and even after repairing it was weak.  All other rooms were full in that day and we got the price of hotel refunded.
A cheese cake bought at the cheese garden was full of rich taste and a cafe there called Shirasagi-tei which is modern interior and has nice view of verdant garden, was great to pop in on the way.

2011-07-19

Lily in my garden

Posted by Michi at 3:16 PM 0 comments

Lilies have blossomed in my garden this year too.  I got only 2 huge bulbs from somebody 2 years ago and they were planted without any expecting such tremendous wide opened flowers.
There are over 10 flowers on the stems. I picked up one of them to display it in my house before dieing.  The scent lasted all over for a few days.

2011-07-07

Gathering of clams

Posted by Michi at 2:36 PM 0 comments
Clamming season has come since spring, but we didn't have chance to get there for any reasons for recent few months.  Last weekend that was low tide around 11 A.M. was the best day to dig clams at Hakkeijima Marine park. It was not much sun lays at least before starting digging them, and then I didn't wear sunscreen well.  An hour later, Ken was enjoying windsurfing in the same beach where he comes every weekends for it, and I was digging clams with Kana who couldn't be there alone and feeling getting sunburned.
There were a lot of clams you can find them easily there, but most of all were tiny size and we had difficulty for long time in search of big clams that we can see at fish shops.
Hence, today's dinner soup was the clam miso soup!!  That was really delicious and we paid off in the end.

2011-07-04

Hot summer without air conditioner

Posted by Michi at 2:47 PM 0 comments
We can not use air conditioners this summer as much as we used it as ever for energy saving.  We are facing at shortage of electricity this summer, probably not only this summer though, because there are no nuclear power plants in Fukushima and the alternative energy to cover our life in this hot summer has not been ready yet and it would take long time.
I decided not to use my air conditioners as much as possible, then we went ahead to a shop to buy awnings that block sun's rays.  Most of all sold out already and we couldn't prepare some mounting hardware.  People think same things.  Anyway, only one awning was fixed up at East side of our house.  I hope we could spend cooler summer by this effect. 

2011-06-23

Painting

Posted by Michi at 4:07 PM 0 comments
Today is muggy and very strong windy day, sunny though.  Such a shiny day is important for any work as it is rainy season here.  So I decided to paint the deck that the paint has come off.  It was really tough work and I was exhausted. I struggled it for 2 hours and half until lunch time.  The paint in the can was still remaining but there was no motivation to do all work any more.  I think I need to get another kind of brush to paint narrow space smoothly until next work.
Anyway today's painting will be dry out quickly in a wind.

2011-06-17

Haneda Airport

Posted by Michi at 3:01 PM 0 comments
It's nice place to go to Haneda airport.  That's not far distance to drive and you can feel something exciting atmosphere.  Kana also loves to go there and have a lunch at the food court in terminal 2 which has many different kinds of designed chair, especially at the Indian restaurant to be able to eat naan.  We had curry lunch and had some rest by sitting Kana's favorite sofa that is fanciful but very cozy to sit down or lay down on it, small children might clamber onto the top of it like Kan did so.

2011-06-07

Le Soleil

Posted by Michi at 2:27 PM 0 comments
It was like nice early summer in the morning, rainy season though.  We visited "Soreiyu no Oka" which the south of France is used as a motif in Yokosuka.
The park is located on hill and along the sea. So it's always windy.  We were not wearing long sleave shirts to prevent strong wind.  You should take any cloths to put on with you, if you go there.
Kana had fun with sleighing on the lawn and tomato picking in the plastic greenhouse.  She picked 4 kinds of tomatos in a basket and the fee was only 170 yen based on the weight of them.  After that she ate one of them with nice smile. If we could go there 2 months erlyer, we could have enjoyed strawberry picking too.

2011-05-31

Disaster area Iwaki in Fukushima

Posted by Michi at 2:47 PM 0 comments

I got my home town Iwaki city last weekend to see my parents.  The house of my parents is fine, but sea side area where  it takes 20 minutes by car from their house has been damaged seriously by the terrible earthquake and the tsunami on March 11th, although over 2 months have passed.  It seems to take very long time to reconstruct all. And Fukushima has still big problem.  The problem of nuclear power plant is still ongoing.  It's annoying  matter for my parents.  When is that settled?

2011-05-27

Cafe at Enoshima beach

Posted by Michi at 5:46 PM 0 comments
We visited Tsujido kaihin park to ride bicycles that we can rent many type of bicycles for free.  Only Kana has her own bicycle.  She was eager to ride a bicycle with three of us as we don't have our own bike for all.  That's nice place to practice riding a bike and have time for family cycling. 
After enjoying the cycling,  we popped in "Santo Cafe" in front of Shin Enoshima aqua musium.  They provide nice and cozy separated space. We ordered a pot of coffee not a cup and a strawberry tarte and a chocolate cake.  My favorite was the strawberry cake that was not much whipped cream and was spread with enough strawberry.

2011-05-20

Minakami hot spring

Posted by Michi at 2:30 PM 0 comments

We stayed Minakami hot spring for a night a week ago last Friday, after Kana came back from school.  Minakami is in Gunma where it took over 3 hours by car from Yokohama through Kanetsu highway.  There is a heavy traffic jam on Kanetsu highway on weekends,  so we could avoid it and obtained a price of Matsunoi hotel at the lower price.  The special pricing plan included dinner and breakfast.  The dinner was beautiful traditional Japanese and delicious.  Our family were full up and satisfied with it.  The picture is the dinner we had for one person.

2011-05-19

Swimming school

Posted by Michi at 9:11 AM 0 comments
Yesterday was the first day for Kana to go to the swimming school and she enjoyed it very much.  There were first time trial lessons for free last month and Kana did them with joy. Since then, somehow she didn't say she would like to join it.  I convinced her that how it's important to be able to swim and she must swim at her school.  The other day, suddenly she answered "Yes".  I hurried to sign up for it before changing her mind.

2011-05-18

Panda

Posted by Michi at 9:54 AM 0 comments
We visited Ueno zoo during golden week to see pandas called Riri and Shinshin because Kana loves pandas very much.  There was a very long queue to see them and it took almost an hour although we enter the zoo around 4 o'clock.  When we were in front of them, we couldn't stop to see them and take photos of them.  I glanced at them and clicked the shutter quickly.  I hope to see them a little bit longer next time.

2011-05-17

My Birthday party

Posted by Michi at 9:51 AM 0 comments

My birthday party was held at a french restaurant "Escale" that is small but sophisticated in Hotel Monterey Ginza.  The best things are the price and quality.  The special full course dinner costed only 4000 yen.  You can feel the excellent atmosphere and are served high level staff services.  Ginza is the most expensive area in Japan so I'm convinced it's perfect french restaurant you can't find just anywhere.  They put the message on the plate of dessert for my birthday.

2011-05-16

Lunch at Tennocho

Posted by Michi at 4:45 PM 0 comments
I had curry lunch at Everest Kitchen at Tennocho with a friend of mine.  Our kids used to be same nursery and we hadn't not enough time to chat for long time as they went to other school.
We talked about their school life and the difference and son on.  The curry was good taste and low price (700 yen) and served with a drink and salad.  I would like to come again this restaurant with Kana who loves naan really.

2011-04-19

Cherry-blossom viewing

Posted by Michi at 3:34 PM 0 comments
Spring is the time for cherry-blossom viewing in Japan.  It is late blooming this year more than 7 days.  Japanese people enjoy that they drink and eat with their family or friends.  We visited Negishi shinrin park in Yokohama having lunch box Kana made.  The day was really perfect weekend it was sunny and almost no winds and cherry-blossom was full bloom.

2011-04-15

Fukushima nuclear power plant

Posted by Michi at 3:14 PM 0 comments
My home town is Iwaki in Fukushima where there are the nuclear power plants.  My parents and my sister live there and it's 40 km from the plants. When the plants damaged on March 11, they were not forced to stay at home and to evacuate from their area by Japanese government but cars of Iwaki city council had been running with announcement to people to stay at home. At that time, water had stopped and foods in supermarkets had been shortage for the earthquake.  There were no public transport that railways and highways were seriously damaged, and petrol ran out at all over the city. Many people wanted to use their cars to get water and foods and to leave their home but they couldn't.  Anyway when they need water and foods, they had to go out , and at the same time they were frightened by nuclear radiation.
On March 16 midnight, my family finally evacuated from Iwaki city.  They were not sure, if they had enough petrol to reach my home in Yokohama. But luckily, they were able to arrive here...
Now life line like water, foods and petrol in Iwaki have recovered but still many aftershocks and nuclear problems has continued.

2011-03-09

After-school lesson

Posted by Michi at 3:05 PM 0 comments
Many kids in the nursery where Kana goes tend to go after-school lessons like swimming, piano, dance.  I suggested her if she would like to do it like other her friends, but the answer was asways "No" with the reason "Is mammy close to me...?".
She likes to learn addition and Chinese character (Kanji) at home by workbooks published by Kumon company for long time.  But the other day, it was so difficult for her that it confused her brain.  The level of the workbooks had reached high level for her to study by herself without any support.  Then I suggested her to go to Kumon that when I was young, I experienced for almost 7 years and Ken as well for some years. Unexpectedly the great answer returned and she said she wanted to study not only arithmetic but also Japanese.
I was not supposed she would go Kumon such early point, but it is good time to start the after-school lesson as she interested in learning.
Yesterday was the day to go to Kumon for the first time.  She was a little nervous but kept concentrating and the teacher praised her good work.  On the way home she seemed to be satisfied with the work and enjoy it!!

2011-03-03

Hakone - Fujiya Hotel

Posted by Michi at 3:35 PM 0 comments
Fujiya hotel my mom had requested for long time and we stayed luxuriously is in Miyanoshita where it takes 30 mins by Hakone Tozan train going through fabulous vista and switchbacking some times.  It is constructed by 4 buildings built in the different age, and many famous people such as the current emperor and empress and Charlie Chaplin and Helen Keller stayed in this historical hotel.
We participated the tour that the hotel organize it to show some part of area of the building and to introduce their history. And then, Kana enjoyed swimming at the pool with her grandfather.

Our stay plan included breakfast at the main dining "The Fujiya" I was awaiting for having it in the classic and graceful atmosphere I had never been. We were able to chose from American breakfast, and French toast accompanied by hand made strawberry jam was really delicious.
After having breakfast, We headed out to see Mt. Fuji that is one more main event for my mom who had not seen it every time when she came to Hakone.  We went back and forth around Motohakone by bus to find a nice view spot, then finally we found out nothing is better than Ashino lake in Hakone to see Mt. Fuji.

2011-02-28

Lunch at Shinagawa

Posted by Michi at 3:58 PM 0 comments
I was supposed to enter Chelsea College of Art & Design to study interior design in London almost 10 year ago.  That was given up to work for a IT company. Those days, I was looking for either possible way study or job at the same time, I was thinking if I gained a work permission, I would take the chance.
The college arranged pre-English course for foreign students. Most of students in the course were teenagers so I made friends with some people in their 20s.  We used to have lunch to chat and share our worries with, and have home parties at each flat and house.  It was definitely precious time for me to spend with such people but I just have gotten in touch with them only by new year card once a year ever since I came back to Japan.
A few weeks ago, I could contact to one of the friend by Facebook!! We used a message function of facebook to tell how we have been doing and to make a plan for a lunch out.
The friends who hasn't seen for 10 years came along at Shinagawa.  I was wondering I could recognize them but they have not changed at all.  Only the differences were 2 little girls there with their mothers who is me and one of my friends.
While children were playing, we talked and talked each other about our recent life.  One of them who is attractive and has full of energy has succeeded as a interior designer and spent busy life happily.
I was influenced by her and on my way home I was thinking how I should make the rest of my life.  I will be 40 years 1 month later....

2011-02-24

Hakone - Yumoto Fujiya Hotel

Posted by Michi at 12:15 PM 0 comments
 

We spent a great time at Hakone last week that my parents gave it as a present for Kana who will go to school from April .
We took JR Tokaido line From Yokohama to Odawara and then changed it to Hakone Tozan Tetsudo line in Odawara.  An hour and a half travel to Hakone Yumoto is not too bad to have a fun in a train, actually my daughter was enjoying it with her grandfather.  I had made a reservation for lunch buffet at Yumoto Fujiya Hotel located just in front of Hakone Yumoto station as we supposed to arrive around lunch time.  It costs 2500 yen per each, but our group of 4 people were discounted to 2200 yen with a coupon of GOURNAVI (English, Japanese).  It was absolutely delicious from appetizers to desserts and better than I had expected.  My stomach was full utterly and then definitely my dinner of that night was skipped.

2011-02-18

Pillowcase

Posted by Michi at 1:04 PM 0 comments
Kana had not used a pillow until a few month ago.  While she is sleeping in her bed,  she keeps rolling over from the side to the other side and from top to bottom.  She is always not the same place in her bed and doesn't seem like to put her head on a pillow.  Every early morning she gets into my bed and falls asleep again deeply with touching my soft and cozy velvet pillow that is her favorite.  Ever since she was a baby, she loves soft and smooth cloth like velvet.  I thought if I put her pillow made of velvet on her bed, she could fall asleep in her own bed nicely and could keep staying at the same place.
I bought a velvet plain pillow case and made a some stitch and ironed on the flowers which I got them at 100 yen shop called Daiso.
Kana will have a lovely dream with her soft toy dog on her pillow tonight too......

2011-02-16

New Light

Posted by Michi at 11:09 AM 0 comments
A new light in our living room was installed in my house.  It is designed by EGLO in Austria which won the best design award.  4 halogen lights with wattage of 40 were included but in this age of energy saving we must use LED lights instead.  We bought them which are 6 watt LED and throw off the same as exsisting light of 60 watt astonishingly.
Then even as all lights in our house are still usable Ken has been changed to LED lights very eagerly.

2011-02-15

School bag

Posted by Michi at 12:01 PM 0 comments
Ken's company gave Kana a school bag last week which is a traditional school bag called "Randoseru" and carried on the back.  She is looking forward to going to school from April and feels like to carry the bag on her back again and again at home.  When I was younger, the colours of the bags were only red and black.  Nowadays, there are wide range of colours like brown, blue and strawberry pink she has.  They are very sturdy so his company will correct them for reuse in developing countries 6 years later.

2011-02-14

Full up

Posted by Michi at 2:08 PM 0 comments
We had holiday lunch at a stake restaurant called "Ken<URL:http://www.steak-ken.com(Japanese)>" that the same name as my husband, and really were full up to the throat.
If you order any main dish such as a beef stake, a chicken stake and a hamburg stake, you can eat salad, soup, fruits and beef curry as much as you want.  Also a coupon on the internet provide you free ice cream in many flavors.  This restaurant gives you really good quality and cost performance. Ice cream is royal warrant in Belgium that is really delicious, and beef in the curry and the soup is stewed well and perfectly tender.  We are satisfied with these food and the cost only about 1000 yen!!  Kids under 7 are all free of charge except for a main dish.  Kana can't finish a main dish completely so I can share my plate anyway.

2011-02-12

Snowing

Posted by Michi at 11:12 AM 0 comments
 
It's snowing!!  All houses are covered with snow slightly and Kana is excited to have play with snow.  Unfortunately that's not much enough to construct snow mans for Kana.
We are relived that there is no snow on paving and we don't need to clear up it.  It's ready to go out by my car today, but we still need full attention. 

2011-02-10

Girls' day festival

Posted by Michi at 11:40 AM 0 comments
March 3rd is Girls' festival day called "Hina Matsuri" that wishes are expressed for the future happiness of girls.
Kana's Dolls that they were my own dolls originally have been displayed.  There are enough time to have fun until March 3rd.  The "Hina" dolls must be put away as soon as you celebrate the day, otherwise you can not get married!!  Her dolls are many on a shelf with 4 row that actually Ken struggled to made with cardboard as the original case was glass and bulky to keep for a year.
Nowadays, only a prince and a  princess are displayed. They only need tiny space to put in a small house, sadly it's in tune with the times.

2011-02-08

Hawaii - Kahala Mall

Posted by Michi at 6:04 PM 0 comments
After bathing in the sea at Waikiki beach, we had shopping time at Kahala Mall not Ala Moana Center where we often popped in last time. 
There are many nice shops such as Whole Foods Market in the mall.  I just wondered that why vegetables  are piled up on a shelf at Whole Foods Market.  Looks good and a cool shot, but lower vegetables must be pushed and go off.

2011-02-07

Hawaii

Posted by Michi at 10:25 PM 0 comments

I stayed in Hawaii for holiday with my family last week.
At this time of year, it's rainy period.  It was fortune that we had only shower once and a lot of sunshine there.  It was not too hot to be outside. There was nice breeze and I felt a little bit cold without a long sleeve shirt blouse at morning and night.

2011-02-05

Tanen

Posted by Michi at 11:00 PM 0 comments
I ate "Tanen" that was bought at China town in Yokohama for dessert after dinner.
I've never know it until I found it in a shop there. It's like Japanese "Shiratama" with sesame inside.
It's really good taste!!

2011-02-04

This is it!

Posted by Michi at 4:05 PM 0 comments
I was wondering for years what blog is!!
So I just decided to start blog as a part of my exercise for English.
 

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