Saturday 3 October 2009

Toast

In early October I showed Hannah how to make toast and butter it. So we now do this together some days as part of our morning routine.


This is one of our earliest tries. Hannah takes the bread from its package and puts it in the toaster.









As you can see, Hannah likes to try things herself rather than being shown what to do.







Thursday 1 October 2009

October

Hannah fishing in the bath.


One of the unwritten rules in Japan is that every home should have koi carp if possible. We bought this mechanical one at Asakusa.


We went to an interesting event on 2-Oct. The neighboring ward Minato-ku has a school / arts centre which stages arts events for toddlers. Throughout the day different musical or dance events are held for toddlers and their parents.




No thankyou. For a while Hannah's favourite word was "dame!" (no good!). So we have encouraged her to say "no thank you" instead.



From October the weather has been wintery at times. Beauterful sunny but cold days intersperced with rainy days. This is Hannah with her coat and umbrella.




This is an unusual sight. Mount Fuji in the late afternoon taken from the window of my office in Akasaha.

The weather was especially clear because of a storm? (8-Oct-09)



Hannah took this photo of us.

Wednesday 30 September 2009

Sunday 27 September 2009

September


One wekend we went to Aksakusa, and visited the small amusement park there for the first time. One of the rides is to be pulled high up into the arir on a sort of 'mobile'. You can see the pagoda of Asakusa shrine in the background.


The amusement park is fun for all ages.


Then we wnet for a beer at a famous old pub.

Hannah took this picture of Rika.


Hannah now lokes wearing her sunglasses and putting them on herself to get the right 'look'


Sometimes in the weekend I take Hannah to the park to give Rika some time off. Hannah loves playing with small stones, so she really enjoys









We had a brioef visit from Ya-chan and Makoji-chan.





Trying to encourage Hannah to copy the dance along to her favourate video.




Shopping at Takeshimiya


I was amazed how well Hannah handled this puppet.


Rika made Hannah a new desk in the living-room.

Manners

We have been having campaign to teach Hannah manners.



It been quite successful. Hannah's favourte phrase has changed from "dame!" (no good!) to "No, thank-you!"


Yoyogi Hachi-man Matsuri

The mikoshi for most of the other chomes are adult sized and much heavier so it takes lots of people and teamwork to carry them around. So its a good boinding experience for the neighbours.

In the afternoon we went down to watch about 5 miokoshi converge at Yoyogi Hachiman shopping street, and then went up to the shrine.


Lookin down Yoyohi Hachiman shopping street.








In Yamate-dori outside Yoyogi Hachiman shrine. Yamate-dori is a major road but traffic had to stop for the shrines.




Traditional festival attire.


At Hachiman shrine. A mihoshi being presented to the shrine to be blessed by the shinto priest. In the ground o fthe shrine were lots of stalls selling differnet kind of food.



Yyogi Go-Chome Mikoshi

For the Yoyogi Hachi-Man Shrine Matsuri (Festival), each 'chome' (neighborhood) in the area has its own celebrations which then converge on the main shrine.



Most 'chome' have a 'mikoshi' (portable shrine) and a 'taiko' (drum), which are carried/towed around the neighborhood as a sort of blessing. Our 'chome' has a mikoshi and drum for the children which formed a nice procession. "Washoi boom-boom-boom, Washoi"!


The mikoshi and drum were taken around the neighbourhood 3 times over the long weekend. We attenmded twice. This is Rika, Hanna and friends in front of the mikoshi.


This is our neigbour Minami-chan, who lives upstairs and is always very nice to Hannah. When we come home in the weekend Hannah often calls out 'Minami-chan!'.


Hannah helping to pull the Taiko (drum) along.


As we go round the neighborhood we had lots of rest breaks for refreshments. Here drink and ice-cream.





A chance to catch up with the neighbours. This is Hannah and Ao-chan, Minami-chan's sister.





Having a break with dad.