Finally visiting the DAIEI close to Toritsu Daigaku, sharing a sugar-glazed doughnut with Bibu at Stabucks, missing the pony ride in Himonya park for a few minutes, attending a proper for-grown-ups-only housewarming party that our ex next door neighbours threw in their quite lovely new appartment in Roppongi, going for a long lunch in Nakameguro followed by walk to the park and some super delicious cheesecake and pancakes at Daikanyama with one of the mums from Bibu's school and his son.
In short, I ate a lot of sugary, evil things. But oh, so good....mmmmm!
Mr M away in the grey country (a.k.a. Belgium) since last Tuesday and back next Thursday. Doing it all on your own for 10 days in a row is hard, hard, hard. Again, my respect to single parents worldwide. It's now 19:30 and I am very tempted to jump under the duvet and call it a day, but it just feels wrong. Will hang on with chopsticks under my eyelids if necessary until.......mmmm, maybe 21:00 or something. Much, much better!
Ciao, bellos!
Sunday, 20 February 2011
Wednesday, 2 February 2011
Setsubun and Chinese New Year
It's also time for Setsubun here in Japan. For some strange reason, this bizarre chasing-demon-out celebration holds a special place in my heart. Maybe it's because it is all so..... magical and silly in a way. But also optimistic, full of new hope for the upcoming spring and new beginnings.
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| Roasted soya beans |
Another practice from recent years it to eat a "Ehoo-maki" or giant sushi-roll filled with shiitake mushroom, cucumber, eel and so on. For good luck, one must eat it facing the "happy direction" while keeping quiet. I asked my Japanese teacher yesterday about this "happy direction" and she mentioned it changes every year and this year it is "south-south-west", as determined by the monks of the main shinto shrine in Japan.
So today I went for a walk in Jiyugaoka and bought a couple of these Ehoo-makis for Bibu and for me (Mr M has an office get-together tonight so will miss on the Setsubun fun. My maki is a traditional one and for Bibu I got one filled with tonkatsu. not very setsubun-ish but he will definitely eat that one. Mr M has more or less figured out the "happy direction" from our dining room, so we will be facing it at dinner. Not too confident that we will achieve the "eating it while keeping quiet" bit, but hopefully that's not the crucial point, hehe.
Wednesday, 19 January 2011
Leaving tomorrow
Buenos Aires, that is. After a good five weeks living the grand life down in good old Baires, meeting up with friends and family and working my way through far too much carne, it's time to call it a day and go back to Tokyo.
After taking Mr M's parents to Ezeiza airport this morning, my dad and I came back home and I started work on the suitcase packing. Thank God I bought an extra bag and got the Uniqlo manly baby-bag. In the end I'll be checking in one big suitcase and two bags. Didn't feel like I bought too much stuff, but when is time to pack, all those bottles of shampoo and hair dye and cheese and quince paste make up for a lot of space and weight.
Packing is more or less done. Couple of things still, but I have tomorrow morning to take care of that. My head now is filled with dread. Dread at the "goodbyes" moment when my parents walk Bibu and I up to the entrance to migrations. I don't want to think about it, it will be HARD. It's always hard and you would have thought by now I should be a pro at saying "see you in four months". But no, it doesn't get better, and with Bibu on the equation, it just gets worse every time.
En fin........ it's part of the reality I live in, must put a brave face on and get on with it. Anyway, not looking forward to that AT ALL.
Also not looking forward to 36+ hours travelling with a two-and-7-months boy........... Why oh why must Tokyo be on the other side of the planet? Grrr......
Bon, I think it's time to go to sleep. I guess this will be my last sleep in a horizontal, comfortable position in the forthcoming 50 hours, so better make the best of it.
Over and out, back in a few days from the land of the salarymen and the OLs, the TOTO washlet and the green tea kit-kats.
After taking Mr M's parents to Ezeiza airport this morning, my dad and I came back home and I started work on the suitcase packing. Thank God I bought an extra bag and got the Uniqlo manly baby-bag. In the end I'll be checking in one big suitcase and two bags. Didn't feel like I bought too much stuff, but when is time to pack, all those bottles of shampoo and hair dye and cheese and quince paste make up for a lot of space and weight.
Packing is more or less done. Couple of things still, but I have tomorrow morning to take care of that. My head now is filled with dread. Dread at the "goodbyes" moment when my parents walk Bibu and I up to the entrance to migrations. I don't want to think about it, it will be HARD. It's always hard and you would have thought by now I should be a pro at saying "see you in four months". But no, it doesn't get better, and with Bibu on the equation, it just gets worse every time.
En fin........ it's part of the reality I live in, must put a brave face on and get on with it. Anyway, not looking forward to that AT ALL.
Also not looking forward to 36+ hours travelling with a two-and-7-months boy........... Why oh why must Tokyo be on the other side of the planet? Grrr......
Bon, I think it's time to go to sleep. I guess this will be my last sleep in a horizontal, comfortable position in the forthcoming 50 hours, so better make the best of it.
Over and out, back in a few days from the land of the salarymen and the OLs, the TOTO washlet and the green tea kit-kats.
Monday, 17 January 2011
Online happiness is...
Still living the summer life in Buenos Aires. Cannot say I miss anything about Tokyo, except Mr M, who had to go back a few days ago as someone has to work and bring home the bacon in the Detoured household. Bibu and I are coming back in a couple of days........not looking forward to the trip back home at all. But well, until teletransportation is developed, will have to brave the gazillion hour flights up to the land of the rising sun.
In the meantime, these are the blogs that manage to put a smile on my face every time. Pure visual bliss:
http://www.designspongeonline.com/
http://www.desiretoinspire.net/
http://emmas.blogg.se/
http://www.thecoolhunter.net/
Alert: these blogs will make you want to redecorate. You have been warned!
In the meantime, these are the blogs that manage to put a smile on my face every time. Pure visual bliss:
http://www.designspongeonline.com/
http://www.desiretoinspire.net/
http://emmas.blogg.se/
http://www.thecoolhunter.net/
Alert: these blogs will make you want to redecorate. You have been warned!
Sunday, 9 January 2011
2011 starts on the 10th
So, new year, new life, right? Except for me the proverbial 2011 penny only dropped today.
People, we're in 2011.
Welcome you all and buckle up. The pages are blank (much like this blog, in a fashion), possibilitties are endless, many forks lay ahead in the road....
Love it.
Me, I've been in Buenos Aires for three weeks now. It seems, and actually is, a long time, but it feels like they passed in a blur now. First week: first meetings with friends and family and the cheerful pandemonium that is Christmas. Second week: trip to Chile and Mendoza with Mr M, Bibu, Mr M's parents and mine. Loved it all and had great weather. Towards the end Bibu got a bit "lack-of-any-kind-of-rutine" crazy, but well, it's to be expected with so much going on, so much attention on him and the fact that everything happens later here in Argentina. Third week: more get togethers with friends and family and Mr M going back to Tokyo yesterday (someone has to work in the Detoured household, after all) He should be arriving in a few hours. Missing him already....snifff.
Anyway, since we're already on the 10thg day of this new year, I thought it's high time I polished up my resolutions for the year. Every year they are a slightly re-incarnation of the previous one, but I just love making them, so here it goes:
NEW YEAR RESOLUTIONS v.2011
People, we're in 2011.
Welcome you all and buckle up. The pages are blank (much like this blog, in a fashion), possibilitties are endless, many forks lay ahead in the road....
Love it.
Me, I've been in Buenos Aires for three weeks now. It seems, and actually is, a long time, but it feels like they passed in a blur now. First week: first meetings with friends and family and the cheerful pandemonium that is Christmas. Second week: trip to Chile and Mendoza with Mr M, Bibu, Mr M's parents and mine. Loved it all and had great weather. Towards the end Bibu got a bit "lack-of-any-kind-of-rutine" crazy, but well, it's to be expected with so much going on, so much attention on him and the fact that everything happens later here in Argentina. Third week: more get togethers with friends and family and Mr M going back to Tokyo yesterday (someone has to work in the Detoured household, after all) He should be arriving in a few hours. Missing him already....snifff.
Anyway, since we're already on the 10thg day of this new year, I thought it's high time I polished up my resolutions for the year. Every year they are a slightly re-incarnation of the previous one, but I just love making them, so here it goes:
NEW YEAR RESOLUTIONS v.2011
- Lose those 5 kilos once and for all
- Relax a bit more and worry only when it's actually called for (and know the difference)
- Get Belgian driving license (deja-vu all around)
- Infuse this blog with a breath of life (a.k.a write more often)
- Focus, focus, focus (hocus pokus focus)
- Family-related resolution (not forpublic consumption)
- Work-related resolution (ditto)
Cheerio!
Sunday, 21 November 2010
To Sint or not to Sint?
We're almost in December, last month of the year, month of Christmas and New Year Eve (and my birthday, yay!) Being the international family that we are, it's also the month for Sinterklaas.
Sinterklaas is celebrated mostly in Flemish and Ducth areas of influence. Which is an elegant way of saying part of northeast France and also Surinam . Anyway, this chap Sinterklaas, or Saint Nicolas, or Sint , is clearly the "inspiration" for the Santa Claus figure, they bear an uncanny resemblance, bar the stuffy fur-trimmed suit that Santa Claus wears courtesy of some people in advertising.
I won't bother you with all the details of the Sint's figure (you have Wikipedia for that) Main difference is that the Belgo/Dutch "Sint" comes either on the eve of the 5th December or the morning on the 6th (for the Dutch is on the 5th, for the Belgians on the 6th). When I first arrive in Belgium and heard about Sinterklaas, my first thought was this coming on the 6th of December and then the coming 'again' of Santa Claus on the 24th was a bit of an overload of presents and downright confusing for kids. Turns out, the two are not equally celebrated, with the Sint amply kicking Santa's red derriere in the popularity polls in Belgium and Nederlands. Children in Belgium tend to get the most important present through the Sint and then something a bit more restrained on Christmas Eve. Also, to my knowledge, the Sinterklaas celebration is a nuclear family only business (mum, dad and children at home) while Christmas is really the getting together of the extended family thing.
Anyway, this whole explanation comes because I am wondering, besides getting Bibu the toy yellow excavator of his dreams as a present from the Sint, if we should do the whole bells and whistles proper celebration and ask him to put his shoes out and leave food for Sint's horse the eve of the 5th, as most kids do in Belgium, or not. I never really believed in Santa Claus, but I did believe in the Three Kings that come in January (oh, I've forgotten about those) and I guess this is all part of his culture, and he has two sets of celebrations to benefit from. It's just that it bothers me quite a lot that Christmas everywhere in the world tends to be only about presents and bearded fat men in ridiculous red suits and zilch about the birth of Jesus and all that. Not that I am the most religious person in the world, far from it, but I wonder what would most kids say if asked what do we actually celebrate in Christmas..........
Monday, 15 November 2010
You know I'm back, I'm back, I'm really, really back! (and baking)
And, another month (and a bit) has run by........swoooooosh!
I will not bother you with the not blogging in ages situation, as I usually do, ha. Instead, look!
Yes, I've been baking! Not that I have been busy baking this beauty for a month, though. In case you are wondering, it's a ham, cheese and onion (and cherry tomato) tart, done completely from scratch, dough (or should I say pie pastry?) included. Thing is, you cannot get a decent ready made pie crust here in Tokyo, not even at the nearby overpaid expats' supermarket. All I've found in the past is some puff pastry squares that are just too delicate and disintegrate at first glance. The dough recipe comes from an Argentinian cooking book that my brother and sister in law gave me last time I was there. It's full of staple homely and old fashioned recipes, and I love it.
Besides the baking, I have finally acted upon my desire to say "adios" to Nearby Posh Gym, and have resorted to do some exercise at home with a DVD and use the bicycle as much as I can. The bicycle bit is going great, I have even gotten over my fear of carrying Bibu in the child seat for fear of falling and I am doing the school run in two wheels, iuhoooooo! The DVD part is patchy, to say the least and if I can manage two times a week is an achievement. At this rate, my plans to shed 5 kilos before I arrive in Buenos Aires next month will continue to remain wishful thinking. Oh, well.....
Talking about the BA trip this year, still need to do lots of organising bits and pieces, such as securing a couple of domestic trips for my parents in law, who will come with us for the first time. We're already made the arrangements for a trip to the wine regions of Chile and Mendoza with them and my parents, so at least we will escape the oven that is BA in the summer for a few days. Also, looking forward to seeing my brother and sister in law and other friends and family over there. It' been long, over a year now, and I miss them.
Bibu is growing at a demented speed. Not only is he growing very tall, but also his talking skills and overall transition from baby to little boy are incredible. He's very very funny and a sweet boy most of the time. The rest, he is, well, a two-and-a-half little gremlin. Not different from most other children that age, I guess. He's still not entirely into toilet training, but he has promised he will use the toilet at his grandma's house in BA. At least the floors are easy to clean over there.....hehehe. He continues to be fascinated by dinosaurs, monsters, spiders, cars, trains, construction trucks and excavators. And singing, and dancing, and wanting his mamma to dance with him on impromptu dances in the living room. Really looking forward to taking him in BA. Will have a great time.
Right. TTFN or 'ta-ta for now', as Tigger would say. I am hoping my next post will be before we go to BA. let's cross fingers!
LAST MINUTE: in case you were wondering, Belgium still has no government. It does have lots of flooding at the moment
I will not bother you with the not blogging in ages situation, as I usually do, ha. Instead, look!
Yes, I've been baking! Not that I have been busy baking this beauty for a month, though. In case you are wondering, it's a ham, cheese and onion (and cherry tomato) tart, done completely from scratch, dough (or should I say pie pastry?) included. Thing is, you cannot get a decent ready made pie crust here in Tokyo, not even at the nearby overpaid expats' supermarket. All I've found in the past is some puff pastry squares that are just too delicate and disintegrate at first glance. The dough recipe comes from an Argentinian cooking book that my brother and sister in law gave me last time I was there. It's full of staple homely and old fashioned recipes, and I love it.
Besides the baking, I have finally acted upon my desire to say "adios" to Nearby Posh Gym, and have resorted to do some exercise at home with a DVD and use the bicycle as much as I can. The bicycle bit is going great, I have even gotten over my fear of carrying Bibu in the child seat for fear of falling and I am doing the school run in two wheels, iuhoooooo! The DVD part is patchy, to say the least and if I can manage two times a week is an achievement. At this rate, my plans to shed 5 kilos before I arrive in Buenos Aires next month will continue to remain wishful thinking. Oh, well.....
Talking about the BA trip this year, still need to do lots of organising bits and pieces, such as securing a couple of domestic trips for my parents in law, who will come with us for the first time. We're already made the arrangements for a trip to the wine regions of Chile and Mendoza with them and my parents, so at least we will escape the oven that is BA in the summer for a few days. Also, looking forward to seeing my brother and sister in law and other friends and family over there. It' been long, over a year now, and I miss them.
Bibu is growing at a demented speed. Not only is he growing very tall, but also his talking skills and overall transition from baby to little boy are incredible. He's very very funny and a sweet boy most of the time. The rest, he is, well, a two-and-a-half little gremlin. Not different from most other children that age, I guess. He's still not entirely into toilet training, but he has promised he will use the toilet at his grandma's house in BA. At least the floors are easy to clean over there.....hehehe. He continues to be fascinated by dinosaurs, monsters, spiders, cars, trains, construction trucks and excavators. And singing, and dancing, and wanting his mamma to dance with him on impromptu dances in the living room. Really looking forward to taking him in BA. Will have a great time.
Right. TTFN or 'ta-ta for now', as Tigger would say. I am hoping my next post will be before we go to BA. let's cross fingers!
LAST MINUTE: in case you were wondering, Belgium still has no government. It does have lots of flooding at the moment
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