Pirate

Sad in Shibuya.



Arrr! Thar be no toys left after all this packing.

Packing

Alice's box cubby house.



It's actually quite easy to pack because all our stuff is only in two rooms. We still have about 13 boxes though. A lot of it is heavy coats, books and toys. I've been laying away the Japanese learning materials for my bookshelves at home; books, dvds and nintendo games. Stuff is so cheap at the second hand book stores that I feel obliged to acquire some.

Winding Down

Well, unless you haven't noticed I haven't really written anything here in a long time. Japan is kind of normal now, for me. In fact I've lived longer in this apartment than in my house in Botany. I've kind of forgotten anything but my daily Japanese routine. All my neighbour hood knowledge is about where to get cheap apples, which are the closest supermarkets, and the things I need to buy from the three of them because I can't find everything in one store. Indeed they are not very super.

We're heading back on December the 13th. The tickets are booked but it's getting iffy with the company, pay-wise and expense-wise, lately. They haven't managed to pay for our apartment for this month, for example. Luckily we won't be kicked out on the street because we have a cute, helpless daughter.

This blog was for any interested parties to peruse, but mainly so I can remember my trip in the future. I'll probably only post Japanese videos from now on, or a few pics here and there.

Ninja Cat

Just posting a bunch of videos that I didn't make or even upload is still blogging, I swear.

Nice Bek Pictures

This one looks like I own an expensive camera and have some photographic knowledge.



Alice took this one.

Just some pictures

A fish I made in boredom.



Alice tried to feed Elmo some biscuit.


We've taken the dummy away now, and she's been fine.



A huge stone in Tokyo Midtown.



She likes to be 'safe' with her toys and a blanket.

I keep putting off posting because I had some big ones to deal with, like Mt. Fuji, but it made me post nothing at all, so I'm trying to ease myself back in with some light posts.

Draw a Line

Alice is becoming a bit more ordered, at least with pencils and toys. Her game is to make a line.

Pollution

Today there was a pollution warning broadcast in Japanese and English from a loudspeaker somewhere outside our apartment just now. It was spoken in really slow, stilted English, but I think it said the warning was coming from some government office or other, and it was in effect. Of course not knowing what this entailed I didn't know what to do. I just shut the windows. However, I think it was Jerry Seinfeld who said "doesn't the air in your apartment come from the air outside your apartment?" The warning was in effect too long to hold my breath though.

Bubbles

Me using a noisy bubble gun on the balcony.

Snow

It snowed quite a bit last week, the first this year, but it's been relentlessly sunny (though cold) since then.

Annual Gift Man Lives on the Moon

We went to Ito-san's house for some pre-Christmas fried chicken and strawberry sponge cake. Alice got a big boot filled with lollies.

The dogs got into the spirit of Christmas, too.

On Christmas day we invited Nao, Atsuko and Ema over for a roast chicken and pudding lunch. And presents, of course.

Alice was rolling around on the floor and Ema wanted to get Alice to sit on her head for some reason. Hilarity ensued.

One of Alice's cool presents was a mini revolving sushi conveyor belt. And sushi. Oh and it's Hello, Kitty branded. Too much Japan is never enough.

Dad Meal

Another dad meal, pasta and strawberries.

Potty Training

Well, Alice has discovered poo. She can say poo, kind of, and she likes to see the poo in her nappies. So the time has come to get a potty, which we eventually found at Toys R Us in Sunshine city. We totally avoided buying any which had digital flushing noises, or some Japanese anime character shouting "masterful achievement!!" after every sitting.


Not sure what this thing is yet.

So versatile. Bek told me not to force her to sit down on the potty, as it's really bad if they come to fear it. However, after half an hour of her running around with it on her head we surmised that she was pretty okay with the whole idea. Now if only she would keep still for five seconds at a time.

Role Play

Alice is starting to personify her dolly and puppy lately. She thinks they need dummies too.

Purezento

Now, if only it were soundproof and I could get the lid taped shut.

Dancing

Mine

"You want this, don't you? The hate is swelling in you now. Take your weapon. Use it. I am unarmed. Strike me down with it. Give in to your anger."

"With each passing moment you make yourself more my servant. It is unavoidable. It is your destiny."

"You, like your father, are now mine."

Play Date

Last Saturday we had a play date with two of Rebekah's coworkers. They brought their kids over to our house to run around and scream.

We went to the Robot park and also Hinokicho park, which is behind Tokyo Midtown. Mostly we ran around in the apartment, though.

She gets a bit excitable even with the dummy in.

Monkey see, monkey do

Yes, I just called my daughter a monkey. You all are too.

"Dance, monkeys, dance."

The Bidet

Our apartment has a bidet. It's like a little bird bath for your genitals. Alice likes to perch on it when I go to the bathroom.