We left for the airport at 6 AM on Wednesday - everyone did a good job getting up and the cab we had reserved arrived at 5:50 and rang the doorbell at 5:59 - gotta love those prompt Japanese folks! We had a 5 minute ride to the hotel to await the Friendly Airport Bus - the airport is about an hour outside of Tokyo. Once at the airport we checked in and headed for the Northwest Lounge. It was the kids first time there - they loved all of the snacks and Mac computers. We boarded a huge, new plane complete with personal movie players for everyone and we were off. I enjoyed watching Mamma Mia on the way, Sydney watched Peter Pan, and the boys watched Wall E. We arrived safely and as we landed, I looked at Chris and said, welcome to Kauai!
The airport was small and easy to move through - everything was very "island style" and Chris and I were quickly reliving our lives in Hawaii! The hotel sent a bus to get us and we were off - I was loving all of the palm trees, ginger plants, and just gazing at more green than buildings!
Once arriving at the hotel, we quickly checked in and headed to our rooms, our luggage was brought up and within 15 minutes of arrival, we were in the pool! It was beautiful and the kids were in heaven! That's pretty much the way it went for the rest of the trip... swim, eat, swim, go to the beach, swim, eat, hang out, play putt putt golf, watch the evening show, shower, sleep... then get up the next day and do it all over again - I don't think we've ever done a vacation like this with the kids and it was very nice. The weather was great - a few sun showers here and there but nothing that lasted over a few minutes...
A few highlights...
- the staff was amazingly nice and helpful - everyone from the front desk staff to housekeeping always smiled and made us feel genuinely welcome
- I went under the assumption that there was no shopping there - imagine how surprised I was to see that there was a Costco and an ABC store!! I came back with a suitcase full of cereal and another full of poptarts and granola bars
- there was even a Hard Rock cafe - we ended up eating there two nights - on the second night, we went with several other families - Chris was "nominated" as the one with the birthday and before I knew it, he was on stage singing! He sand Sweet Caroline and we all did our best to help out... video to follow...
- every night there was a show put on by the employees of the hotel - Sydney LOVED it... one night was hula - she jumped up and danced with them...
- I realized how fun it was to hold and use American money and speak English to everyone around me!
- we even found a movie theatre - went to see Madagascar 2 - LOVED it - can't decide if I was more excited about the movie or the milkduds and popcorn???!!!
- we saw an AMAZING sunset - photos to follow
- I realized how funny it is to be on the 5th floor of the hotel with the balcony door shut and hear people singing and know instantly that it was my husband!
- I got a Thai relaxation massage and Chris got to golf - we were both very happy campers!
- I was blessed that my children still would rather hang out with me at the pool and beach rather than run off with other kids
- We flew out on Monday morning at 5 AM - Sydney waltzed through the airport in her PJs and Nicholas decided never to even put on his... we were in a row of three and Chris graciously "allowed" me to sit with the kids - where I spent the next 3 hours being a human pillow for two tired little children...
- However, I realized that flying out in the dark, with two sleeping children, and being exhausted myself really helps reduce my flight anxiety greatly!
This was the first Thanksgiving where I wasn't with extended family and didn't eat turkey or get to go shopping on Black Friday - so it really doesn't seem like it happened at all. Chris and I ate steak that day and decided that we would have our own Thanksgiving when we came back - so come on over on Sunday if you didn't get enough turkey yet!
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
Monday, November 17, 2008
Sunday, November 16, 2008
Only in Tokyo Disney...
... can you not understand most of what's being said
... do you notice that you personally know all of the Americans also there because they are also expats
... will you see people getting ready for the 3:00 PM parade at 11:00 AM!
... will you see people standing in line for 130 minutes just to ride Pooh's Hunny Pots!
... or that the fast passes for Poohs Honey Pots run out before those at Space Mountain
... find that you will never lose your party because they tower over everyone else or are the only people who have blond hair!
... see that all rules of politeness are thrown away when it comes time to try and have your picture made with a character - think huge mob scene
... will you pay more for a hotel room than you have ever done before, only to find that the bed is so small you and your husband can't sleep on it together... thank goodness for the trundle!
... will you see that all rules of politeness and rule following are thrown out the window when Goofy comes out for a visit (there are no lines - just one big mob moving from spot to spot - you literally have to push your child in front of the creature in order to get a picture!)
... will you be absolutely amazed that there are no children getting their pictures made with Mickey - just the adults!
... will you see women in pumps and 3 inch high boots, tights, and down coats wandering around
... will you find that the main snack is popcorn and it comes in many different flavors (our favorite was chocolate and caramel). Everyone carries their little containers and gets refills for 500 yen (approx. $5) They also have black pepper and curry flavored... won't be trying those!
... will you be in a constant state of sensory overload as you again realize that things are just not the same here!!
... do you notice that you personally know all of the Americans also there because they are also expats
... will you see people getting ready for the 3:00 PM parade at 11:00 AM!
... will you see people standing in line for 130 minutes just to ride Pooh's Hunny Pots!
... or that the fast passes for Poohs Honey Pots run out before those at Space Mountain
... find that you will never lose your party because they tower over everyone else or are the only people who have blond hair!
... see that all rules of politeness are thrown away when it comes time to try and have your picture made with a character - think huge mob scene
... will you pay more for a hotel room than you have ever done before, only to find that the bed is so small you and your husband can't sleep on it together... thank goodness for the trundle!
... will you see that all rules of politeness and rule following are thrown out the window when Goofy comes out for a visit (there are no lines - just one big mob moving from spot to spot - you literally have to push your child in front of the creature in order to get a picture!)
... will you be absolutely amazed that there are no children getting their pictures made with Mickey - just the adults!
... will you see women in pumps and 3 inch high boots, tights, and down coats wandering around
... will you find that the main snack is popcorn and it comes in many different flavors (our favorite was chocolate and caramel). Everyone carries their little containers and gets refills for 500 yen (approx. $5) They also have black pepper and curry flavored... won't be trying those!
... will you be in a constant state of sensory overload as you again realize that things are just not the same here!!
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Tuesday Afternoon...
Saturday was fun - the ice bar is apparently owned by Absolute Vodka and everything centers around it - we had to wear HUGE coats with furry hoods which fortunately came with gloves! The drinks were made from the different types of Absolute and were served in - get this - imported glasses from Sweden which were solid ice!! Not sure how they get those over here without them melting! After about 30 minutes my feet were frozen and I was ready to go - believe it or not, I didn't bring my camera to this event - but Amy and Pattie had theirs so hopefully I can post one or two later.
Loved the Yakitori (i.e. things cooked on a stick) restaurant and can't wait to take the kids back - they will love it. Tried some saki for the first time - try a small sip - and decided that I won't be doing that again... ick -
Karaoke was fun as usual - I ended up coming home earlier than others - if I got home past 12:20 when the trains stop I would have to pay the helper an additional $50 for cab fare! OUCH - I didn't mind though, someone has to get up with Nicholas when he rises at 7!
On Sunday, soccer was cancelled so we planned to go to the Meiji Shrine (which is the biggest in Tokyo) - went outside and realized it was raining... so we opted for bowling instead. We found this alley in a hotel - 80 lanes - and everything at face value seems the same - hideous shoes, colorful balls, same scoring, and the wonderful use of bumper pads... however, when we picked up the ball we quickly discovered that things were not the same - the finger holes in the ball were too small! The one part of my body that I thought was not too big... oh well, my thumb kept getting stuck and Pattie ended up ripping off a few nails. The kids loved it - Sydney was so funny dancing as she waited the 3 minutes it took for the ball to roll down and reach the pins... The boys played two games to our one! After dinner at TGIFridays we headed home on the bus.
Yesterday I went out to Nicholas's school to meet with his reading teacher - I rode 3 trains and one taxi out and took 4 trains back. I could have used one less on each side, however, Chris taught me about the "special rapid" that doesn't stop at every station and gets you back quicker. So I switched to that one to save time.
Today report cards come out for both little ones and then tomorrow I will meet with Nicholas's teacher in the morning and Sydney's in the afternoon - fortunately, we will catch the school bus in the morning and won't have to worry about the train.
Then we are heading to TOKYO DISNEY on Thursday and Friday! So excited about that one!! It will be decorated for Christmas and hopefully will be a bit warmed than it is today! It's in the 50s now but the weather is calling for 65 or so by then - hope so!
Loved the Yakitori (i.e. things cooked on a stick) restaurant and can't wait to take the kids back - they will love it. Tried some saki for the first time - try a small sip - and decided that I won't be doing that again... ick -
Karaoke was fun as usual - I ended up coming home earlier than others - if I got home past 12:20 when the trains stop I would have to pay the helper an additional $50 for cab fare! OUCH - I didn't mind though, someone has to get up with Nicholas when he rises at 7!
On Sunday, soccer was cancelled so we planned to go to the Meiji Shrine (which is the biggest in Tokyo) - went outside and realized it was raining... so we opted for bowling instead. We found this alley in a hotel - 80 lanes - and everything at face value seems the same - hideous shoes, colorful balls, same scoring, and the wonderful use of bumper pads... however, when we picked up the ball we quickly discovered that things were not the same - the finger holes in the ball were too small! The one part of my body that I thought was not too big... oh well, my thumb kept getting stuck and Pattie ended up ripping off a few nails. The kids loved it - Sydney was so funny dancing as she waited the 3 minutes it took for the ball to roll down and reach the pins... The boys played two games to our one! After dinner at TGIFridays we headed home on the bus.
Yesterday I went out to Nicholas's school to meet with his reading teacher - I rode 3 trains and one taxi out and took 4 trains back. I could have used one less on each side, however, Chris taught me about the "special rapid" that doesn't stop at every station and gets you back quicker. So I switched to that one to save time.
Today report cards come out for both little ones and then tomorrow I will meet with Nicholas's teacher in the morning and Sydney's in the afternoon - fortunately, we will catch the school bus in the morning and won't have to worry about the train.
Then we are heading to TOKYO DISNEY on Thursday and Friday! So excited about that one!! It will be decorated for Christmas and hopefully will be a bit warmed than it is today! It's in the 50s now but the weather is calling for 65 or so by then - hope so!
Saturday, November 8, 2008
Weekly Review
Not much to report for the week... I finally got the pictures from Halloween posted - for some reason I kept losing the slide show before I could save it... but I finally prevailed! Hope you enjoy...
Last Saturday night was Corning Ladies Night out... Chris stayed with the little guys while I went out. It was pretty fun - We went to a place called Abbey Road which is a bar where they have Beatles cover bands - it was amazing how these Japanese men could sound so much like the Beatles! After that, we went for dinner at a Pizza Place and before I knew it we were at a karaoke place! Now this place was a true Japanese style - there are at least 7 floors with little rooms equipped with leather couches, microphones, and books of music... you just typed in the number and the song came on with words on the big TV - it was wild... and I didn't get home until 3 AM! Honestly, I don't think I stayed out that late when I was in college! But now I truly understand what they mean by this area of Tokyo being an area that never sleeps! There were just as many people out at 2:30 AM as there are at 2:30 PM!
The next morning Chris asked me what I said and I told him all of them! Barry Manilow, Diana Ross, Mariah Carey, and Frank Sinatra - hilarious and I spent another Sunday trying to recuperate my voice!
Not much went on this week - Monday the kids were off for Japanese culture day - we celebrated by bowling and grilling out... :) I had two Japanese classes and can now tell you my phone number in Japanese and almost understand numbers when i go to the grocery store...
Pattie has had an interesting week, she and her family went on an little excursion on Sunday and before they knew it they apparently got on the wrong train and ended up going way out the way... on a special holiday train that doesn't stop!!! She called us and pulled out my Tokyo train map - attempting to help - as if I could! A Japanese man took pity on them and showed them how to make their way back home - they had expected to be home around 3 but made it back around 7! On Friday though she redeemed herself and got her Japanese drivers license! Most people don't pass on their first try - in fact, of the 15 people in her group, only 5 passed!
It's now Saturday night and we are getting ready to go out on a date - This is 2 dates in less than 3 weeks - not sure what to do with myself! We are starting off at an "ice bar" which is literally a place made completely of ice and then off to eat Yakitori (that means food on a stick!) and, yes, since I spoke so highly of my adventure last weekend... we shall finish up the evening doing some karaoke!
The kids are now watching Hannah Montana... pretty cute watching my 4 year old sing and dance to the Best of Both Worlds!
Last Saturday night was Corning Ladies Night out... Chris stayed with the little guys while I went out. It was pretty fun - We went to a place called Abbey Road which is a bar where they have Beatles cover bands - it was amazing how these Japanese men could sound so much like the Beatles! After that, we went for dinner at a Pizza Place and before I knew it we were at a karaoke place! Now this place was a true Japanese style - there are at least 7 floors with little rooms equipped with leather couches, microphones, and books of music... you just typed in the number and the song came on with words on the big TV - it was wild... and I didn't get home until 3 AM! Honestly, I don't think I stayed out that late when I was in college! But now I truly understand what they mean by this area of Tokyo being an area that never sleeps! There were just as many people out at 2:30 AM as there are at 2:30 PM!
The next morning Chris asked me what I said and I told him all of them! Barry Manilow, Diana Ross, Mariah Carey, and Frank Sinatra - hilarious and I spent another Sunday trying to recuperate my voice!
Not much went on this week - Monday the kids were off for Japanese culture day - we celebrated by bowling and grilling out... :) I had two Japanese classes and can now tell you my phone number in Japanese and almost understand numbers when i go to the grocery store...
Pattie has had an interesting week, she and her family went on an little excursion on Sunday and before they knew it they apparently got on the wrong train and ended up going way out the way... on a special holiday train that doesn't stop!!! She called us and pulled out my Tokyo train map - attempting to help - as if I could! A Japanese man took pity on them and showed them how to make their way back home - they had expected to be home around 3 but made it back around 7! On Friday though she redeemed herself and got her Japanese drivers license! Most people don't pass on their first try - in fact, of the 15 people in her group, only 5 passed!
It's now Saturday night and we are getting ready to go out on a date - This is 2 dates in less than 3 weeks - not sure what to do with myself! We are starting off at an "ice bar" which is literally a place made completely of ice and then off to eat Yakitori (that means food on a stick!) and, yes, since I spoke so highly of my adventure last weekend... we shall finish up the evening doing some karaoke!
The kids are now watching Hannah Montana... pretty cute watching my 4 year old sing and dance to the Best of Both Worlds!
Saturday, November 1, 2008
Halloween in Tokyo...
I honestly can't believe that I had to come half way around the globe to experience such a fun Halloween! The day started with Sydney and I catching a ride out to Nicholas's school in Chofu for festivities out there. They had a Halloween parade followed by a carnival and class party - The weather was perfect and the kids had a great time! The costumes there were pretty funny - my favorite was the Dixie Chicks... Sydney did her best to keep up with the parade and loved being able to walk like a princess in her Belle dress...
After school we came home and started getting ready for trick or treating - I had been warned that our apartment complex was "the place to be" for trick or treaters so I really wasn't sure what to expect. My neighbor, Amy, rented out the party room and set it up for several families to eat dinner and gather before going out. Trick or treating was scheduled to start at 5:30, but by 5:15, there were people already gathering and looking in the windows wondering where everyone was...
Patti took the kids up and down the street and I handed out candy - I have NEVER seen so many trick or treaters! It seemed every expat family plus hundreds of Japanese children came through - The Japanese children were SOOOOOOOO sweet and polite - they knew two phrases, trick or treat (which sounded like "tlick or tleato") and thank you... Several of them bowed as they took the candy but they waited ever so patiently and just smiled. There were many witches and Minnie Mouses.
They kept coming for 2 hours solid - we just went through the candy - we had one huge stash from everyone and just had to keep refilling the bowls. But it was pretty fun... I'll post some pictures next.
In the end, the kids were exhausted after the full day - but apparently not the Daddies! Chris and Steve went out to explore and returned about 4:30 AM! Chris said that with it being Halloween, it was almost like a "freak show" with all of the people dressed up - he said he saw several "chamber maids!" Guess it must have been like the bad train wreck that you just had to watch to see what would happen next!
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