Roppongi

I managed to get myself 90 minutes from our home to meet some girls for a drink at a New York style restaurant in Tokyo called "57". Roppongi is a part of Tokyo that has a rich night life. I was impressed with myself that I did not have any trouble getting there and back because I had to take 2 buses, 8 trains, and a taxi to do it all. There is an English publication printed in Japan for Ex-Pats called http://www.living-a-broad.com/, they have a monthly gathering. It was interesting to meet some new people and hear about why they are living Japan, and how their experience is going. I met some kindred spirits, and hope to see them again.

When I made my way home late that evening, I was surprised that the trains were shoulder to shoulder crowded. It was mainly business men just going home from work on a Thursday night. I am very concerned about their lack of sleep. I took pictures of two interesting signs I saw on the subway. The first one is an SOS button that should only be pushed if someone is dying because the train will come to a screeching halt. The other sign says "Your seat should only be as wide as your bottom, not the width of your spread legs." I find the illustration to be hilarious! I think the other public notice is good that reminds people that smoke grows wider than the human body.

Playdate with Xavier

Xavier and Hannah are in the Ladybug class at their school. She likes all the boys in her class, but has a special connection with Xavier. Maybe it is because he will be 4 on April 4th, and she will be 4 on April 11th. We had him over to our home for the first time, and they enjoyed every minute of it. In the Fall, they were caught kissing on the mouth at school. They now know that they are only allowed to kiss on the cheek.

Countdown to Nana's visit

One more of Hannah's grandmothers is coming to visit us in Japan! Hannah keeps asking when she will be here, so we made her a "time loop". Each loop represents a day, and each day as she pulls off another loop, she can see how many days are left until her Nana gets here. We are all excited!

Umbrella Condoms

Our monthly Date Night was this weekend, and we went to a great restaurant called LaBoheme. As well as the free kleenex's that are passed out in Japan, we like the plastic cover for your wet umbrella that is at most places you go. The atmosphere was wonderful, and the entire staff gave us greetings and salutations even though it was a packed out Saturday night crowd. I had snow crab and avocado salad with salmon and spinach pasta with cream sauce. It was divine! We strolled through China town after that. Shark for dinner anyone? I dragged Adam to Karaoke to sing duets with me. Some girls want "stuff", I want romance! Maybe I have been inspired by Glee too much these days. Adam had more fun than it looks like in this picture, we signed up for one hour, but ended up staying two! It helps that you can keep ordering beers by picking up the phone in your private room. The new Karaoke system rates your singing after each song. The highest we got was 76 out of 100 on the Sonny and Cher song "I got you Babe".

Meiji Shrine

Next to Yoyogi Park is the most popular Shrine in Japan. The Meiji Shrine was built for the Emperor and Empress that modernized Japan. We visited the garden area first which has a tea house, coy pond, iris garden, etc. There is a special spot where the spring water comes up in a barrel, and we stood in line a long time to get a picture of it. I think they consider it to be highest quality of water and also to be a spiritual power spot. The Shrine had gorgeous architecture.

Sunday with Grammy and Grampy

The best place to go on Sundays in Tokyo is Yoyogi Park. All the eccentric people come out to play. The guy offering free hugs is continuing a peace movement that the tour books talk about. We didn't get a hug, but he was happy for me to take his picture. The tightrope walker was amazing as he danced on the rope without falling. Hannah asked for a turn, and did well while holding my hand. The guy seemed thrilled that she was interested in trying it. The Power Rangers acted like they were after Hannah, and she quickly grabbed Adam's leg and didn't let go. Overall, she enjoyed the attention. We even got to experience "being in a bubble"! We also got to watch a mime, a storyteller, guys doing tricks on bikes, drummers, people flying kites, and the Rockabilly dancers. It started snowing while we were there, but melted before it hit the ground.