Tokyo with toddlers: Tokyo's Metropolitan Children Hall

It's been a while since my last children-related post, so here you go:

Yesterday there was no school at Bibu's daycare, so along with two other mums from his group, we headed to the Children's Castle in near Omotesando. We arrived and to our surprise the place only opens at 12:30 on weekdays, which is kind of odd for a kids place. In toddlerdom, middday equals lunch followed by long afternoon nap (also known as LAN), so waiting until the place opened was not really a very inviting option.

We asked the nice ladies at the counter where else we could go that would be open at 10:30 and they gave us a flyer of the "Tokyo Metropolitan Children's Hall" which was about 10 minutes' walk in nearby Shibuya (same street as the Tower Records shop)

So there we headed and I have to say it was a nice surprise. It's basically a 5 floor building completely devoted to Tokyoite kids (and their stressed parents) and it's completely free of charge. We headed to the toddlers free-play area, where there is a large wooden structure with slides and a low hanging bridge and plenty of toys for small girls and boys. The area was heavily staffed with minders who kept things tidy and did even speak a little English. Seeing as our brood were enjoying themselves so much at the toddler room, we didn't visit the other floors, but there is also a large library, a rooftop playground which opens during the summer months, and several arts and science areas.

Being a weekday, there was some people but not at all crowded, which was nice. I imagine on weekends it must be a bit more 'cosy', so to speak. The only minor drawback was that there was no cafeteria, only a pic-nic area where you can eat your bento and some vending machines.

All in all, a great morning out. Bibu and his pals were completely exhausted after all the playing and running around and the LAN went like a dream. :-)

A mighty decade

It's really incredible how it's almost 10 years after the millenium happened. Not only is a new year beginning, but a new decade. So a little decade-examining reflection is de rigueur. It has definitely been an important decade for me.

Year 2000 started with a bittersweet taste. After being unemployed for 9 months or so, a few days before the end of 1999 I started to work at a small French telecoms company's office in Buenos Aires. A week before that, my beloved great-aunt died of cancer and left a big hole in my heart. I still miss her and will do so til the end of my life.

Later in 2000 I moved for the first time on my own and I travelled a lot for work. I went to Rio, NY, Miami and Marseille, enjoying the sweet times of the telecom industry. I also reconnected with lost friends from high school.

In December 2001, a big economic and financial crisis hit Argentina and all hell broke loose. People's bank accounts were frozen and most people lost a lot of their savings. I didn't have much to lose, so my finances didn't suffer much. But I did lost the will to live in a country that would allow such things. A country that would smash your efforts and suffocate your dreams. I decided it was time to do something about it and my long-baked dream of living abroad started to become more tangible.

The ensuing crisis that hit the telecom industry speeded things along and, after desisting to move to Mexico to keep my job, in April 2002 I got my severance package and used the money to make my exit to Europe, where I landed in August 2002. I chose Antwerp, Belgium, as a starting point, because my good friend C. lived there and offered to live with her while I looked for a job. I met Mr M on the same day I landed in Belgium (although we only started dating a few months later) A few weeks later I landed a part-time job at a banking institution. On my free time I followed French and Nederlands courses and walked through Antwerp a lot. My friend C. moved out to live with her then-boyfriend (now husband) and I took over the lease of her appartment, a lovely attic in the heart of Antwerp.

I moved in with Mr M in Brussels in 2003, just in time to start a new job near the Zaventem airport. In 2004 we bought our lovely appartment and started working on home renovations, which we realised over the years: first the garden and a deck terrace, then de kitchen, then an extension, lately a brand new bathroom....

In 2005 we started trying for a baby and in May 2008 Bibu finally showed up, feeling our lives with a lot of new adventures. In June 2007 we got married in Brussels and in May last year we started our latest adventure: a couple of years living the expat life in Tokyo.

So, it's ten years from the 'millenium bug' thing and I've come a long way, baby.

Wonder what this new decade will bring. Adventure beckons!

Around the world in 80 blogs: TOKYO

Lovely everydaystranger has challenged her readers to write about the cities we all live in on the same day, thus provoking a sort of virtual mega travel bonanza. Today is the D day and, being a loyal reader to her blog for about three years now, here I am, reporting from the land of the rising sun which got lost in translation.



I have been living in Tokyo for just over five months. Hubby (Mr M), Bibu (my 18 month son) and myself moved here last June courtesy of Mr M's job, on a two-year international assignment. Home is Brussels, Belgium, where Mr M is from. I am from far-far away in the ass of the world, also known as Buenos Aires, Argentina, but have been living in Belgium for the last seven years.



Anyway, in these five months I've come to love this completely mesmerising city. When I first arrived I was expecting it all to look very futuristic and crazy and noisy with lots of neon and people posing for photos doing the "v" of victory. Well, Tokyo is that but so much more. Sure, you have the super crowded areas and Shinjuku station at 6pm will never be a favourite place. But it is also the cleanest city in the world, where you can buy your groceries 24hs/7 at the "conbini" (convenience stores), get hot coffee or tea from vending machines in the street and get a taxi with a white-globed chauffeur just for you.




Tokyo can also be a suprisingly quiet city. Strolling around Daikanyama or Shirokanedai on a lazy Saturday afternoon, you wonder where all the people is gone (to Shinjuku, probably) It's also a very easy city to cycle around. OK, easy in terms of traffic, but not so easy in the sense that Tokyo is a very hilly place. Great workout for the legs, though!



The language is an issue, of course. My first trips to the supermarket where a sort of lottery where I would shop by deduction and by imaginative label drawing interpretation. I can only say 'good morning/ afternoon" and "thank you" so instead I do a lot of idiot smiling, but well, in January I'll start following lessons, so at least I can expand a bit my repertoire.



In short, Tokyo has definitely surpassed my expectations. In these few months I've become used to living here. Quality of life is very good and the weather is really nice. Only major drawback are indeed the earthquakes, which are very much a part of everyday life. So far we've experienced a couple of minor ones, the ones you feel like you live over a busy train station. They lasted for about 20 seconds, but they left quite an impression on me. People dont' seem to be much bothered by them, but for me, they are definitely NOT on my list of "Tokyo's Favourite Things".




Anyway, must go now, got a trillion things to do this week, as on Friday we're heading to Brussels for three weeks, for the Xmas holidays. I'm definitely looking forward to seeing our friends and the Belgian family. Hope you enjoyed this little tour around Tokyo.

Hitting the five month mark

So we've been officially in Tokyo for five months now. I know, it's not so much, just over half a pregnancy, almost the trial period for a new job, but longer than most holidays. It seems both a long time and only a quarter of our scheduled time here.

Most expats would tell you that "the first six months are the hardest" and I will not be original on this and will completely agree. It's not just the getting settled, finding your way around the neighbourhood, meeting some new people, finding a school for your kids, figuring out the public transport system, dealing with a language you have absolutely no clue about.... It's that and much more. Namely a change of lifestyle so big that it gets a long time to get used to.

For me, besides all these things, it was mainly the switch between being a working person and being a full time stay at home mum and housewife. It's hard work, harder than I thought. Bibu goes three mornings a week to daycare and that's when I get to choose how I spend my time. The rest, is really not for me to decide. I know that running after a one-and-a-half dynamic kid is supposed to be like this. But it's tough. Add to that the wish to keep the apartment at least superficially clean and tidy and have food available to eat at the right times and that is a whole lot of work.

I am naturally very undisciplined and my attention span is very short. I am doing one thing and leave it unfinished to start doing something else that caught my eye and which I feel must be done NOW. Put Bibu in the picture and it's not surprise at the end of the day I feel like a mad chicken with its head half chopped off.

Eeuww.... what a metaphore ....

Anyway, in five months we have achieved a lot also, namely:

- Bibu (and us) love his daycare. It was recommended to me by our neighbours who have a kid about Bibu's age. I'm really-really happy with it.

- Finally managed to apply for Japanese lessons. I start in January right after we're back from BXLs.

- We've done quite a lot of sightseeing in and around Tokyo. I feel I know my way around the city and I definitely like it.

- I'm biking everywhere. I am not a sports person, so committing to weekly swimming sessions was a short lived gig. Biking, however is something I would happily do every day. I live the feeling and the fact you arrive fast everywhere.

- Finally dared to leave Bibu with a babysitter for a couple of hours while Mr M and I went to have a lovely dinner. It all went well and the lady is super sweet. Should do that again, it was worth every Yen.

- Went once to Argentina with Bibu (all 32 hours worth of trip) and we both survived. Seeing my family so happy to see Bibu (and myself) made all the sleep deprivation worth.

- Made a few acquaintances, which is no mean feat. I still miss my friends from my 'normal life' in Belgium, but I will see them in a few days. In any case, it's nice to meet new people.

- Bibu's best friends are a Japanese little boy and a Brazilian-Dutch little boy from daycare. Their mums are also very cool. We've been to an aquarium together with the kids and it was a very fun day. Bibu loves to hold onto a framed photo of the three we took there.

And on that note, and seeing that it is time for Bibu to wake up from his morning nap, I leave you for now. I promise I'll be writing a bit more often in the future (Bibu allowing) See ya!

My love of magazines

Now, on a totally unrelated post (I am queen of the tangent, you have been warned), last weekend I started what I would call a 'magazine purge' -that is, getting rid of a number of old issues of my beloved titles-, and I realised I might have a problem.

Hello, my name is Detoured and I am addicted to magazines.

In the meagre 5 months that I have been living here, I've amassed the grand quantity of 25 magazines. All the 'Reds', 'Livingetc' and 'EasyLiving' from August onwards, a couple of 'Real Homes', 'Delicious' and 'inStyle' plus 10 copies of a variety of Japanese glossies which of course I cannot read, but really, who cares? They're so beautiful.

And here I think this is where the problem lies. Besides actually reading said magazines, although 'flicking' is more appropriate in most cases, I put my hand in my heart and admit that in the end, I buy them just because they are beautiful. The main culprit is photography, I think. Gorgeous shoots populate these magazines. Lovely colours, stylish styling, if that doesn't sound too bad. They feature beautiful clothes and make up and furniture and dishes, but what I like the most is the way they are photographed. Yes, I do read some of the articles but they are not the reason I buy the magazines, at least not the main reason.

I've studied communications in university and have always worked in communication-related things, so the notion that an image attracts our attention faster is not new to me. In my case, I have to say that it is not just any image. It has to inspire (and transpire) beauty. Well, my concept of beauty at least.

I often say to Mr M, as he humours me whenever he sees yet another pile of glossies that have somehow made their way into our home, that magazines are my therapy. Some people go to shrinks, I buy glossies. They give me a high and take me to pretty-land. There are few things that are more appealing to me than sitting down with some coffee or tea and a pile of mags to flick around while wrapped in a duvet with some soft music in the background. Each lovely photo and amorously laid out page is pure happiness. Each shiny page complete and beautiful fantasy.

My love of magazines goes back to prehistoric times, when I used to buy comic strips when I was too young to even be able to read them. But it's only in recent years, that this addiction has really blossomed. So much so that I find it very hard to actually bring myself to throw away some when the time comes to make space for new ones. These 'purges' are painful, I tell you.

This last purge I mentioned earlier ended up with maybe five issues sent to magazine heaven and about 10 used to raise the head of Bibu's cot, so his snotty nose (no metaphor here) can drain better during the night. So a bit of recycling, really.

And on that note....

A bicycle and a girl in Tokyo

Very much in the spirit of starting to do some physical activity to get rid of 'le tummy', this morning I went for a ride. I went up to Meguro station, which is about 15' from our place (I know, but you have to start small, underpromise and overdeliver, yada-yada-yada) So I went into the Atré and did a 'tour de reconaissance' with a stop or two along the way (UNIQLO for socks and a couple of their new high tech t-shirts) and the supermarket for tonight's dinner.

Parking did prove to be a bit tricky. By sheer chance I arrived a few minutues before 10am, which is when the store opens. This meant that the ridiculously small bicycle parking lot - we're talking 10 bikes max- was completely empty. So no problem there. When I left, the story was rather different and although I managed to take out my bike, I also managed to knock down one of the neighbouring ones. They were in one of these bike rack things which are supposed to keep them erect but still. I tried to put this other bike back upright but no chance, if you dont' bother to put it correctly into the slot, then sorry. So I left it like that (bad-bad expat wife! he-he)

In Tokyo most bike-riders ride on the footpath. This is is somewhat tricky as in some places said footpaths are very narrow. This means there is no absent-minded riding in Tokyo. Your eyes need to be on the ball all the time. Riding on the street is not something you see a lot, only the kamikaze couriers do it. Anyway, all this paying attention to the traffic and pedestrians will surely be handy for when I start practising again for my drivin license in BXL.

So, all in all, the first biking outing was a success. More to come.

PS, Read this today. I think the guy is a character and as I dont' live in London cannot really say if he's any good as Mayor. But you gotta love a guy who insists on cycling to work just to prove a point.

And another month almost flew by in total silence

Blog silence, that is. My God, I am really crap at this blogging thing. It's seems I've blincked and a month has gone by and NADA from my side. It's not that I have nothing to write about. In fact, quite the contrary, I have too much to blog about in this wonderful land of far-far away, but I just cannot seem to achieve much of the old "putting it on paper" or, in this case, on the keyboard.

Anyway, September is a big month as in 1) is the bday of Mr M; 2) is the bday of my Dad and my brother; 3) I am going with Bibu to good old Argentina (also known as the 'antipodes' around here) for a couple of weeks. I am very much looking forward to spending some time with my family and my antipodean friends. I am not looking forward too much on the 32 hour (yes, you read correctly, 32 hour) trip to get there. Oh, and did I mention that it will be just me and Bibu travelling? Mr M will stay and save his holidays for our trip back home to BXL at the end of the year (also, the flight ticket? Not very cheap)

So in a week's time, Bibu and I will be travelling to Buenos Aires via London (I have some miles in BA and with this trip they will go 'o-hoooo! Buba-buba-buba!!!') Taking into account that Bibu has inherited Mr M's restlessness (in Argentina, we say people like him 'have an ant in their ass') and my stubbornness (is that a word?) I am foreseeing a veeery pleaseant and quiet trip.......hehehe...........

To palliate the 7 hours we have to spend at Heathrow, I've booked ourselves into the Yotel, which is a sort of pod hotel where you can spend from 4 hours to a whole night. We're arriving into Terminal 5 and the pod is on T4, so hopefully we'll get there without much ado.

So, where was I? Ah, yes, I entitled this post in reference to how I dont' write enough in this blog and now I am going through a tangent again. Aw, well, that's me. Lady Tangent (doesn't sound as cool as Lady Ga-Ga, but hey, give it time)

And on that note....