Kaiten Sushi

This photo represents a first for a couple of reasons:

1. Miki & Sam's first experience in a sushi restaurant

2. The photo was taken with my new cell phone

Just a test to see how the photo quality would translate to the blog.  

Furniture cometh

Over the weekend we acquired a very nice sofa, cupboard/shelving unit and dining room table. All second-hand and either free or very inexpensive.  The sofa and cupboard came from a family whom I`ve known for a couple of years now.  He teaches at the university here and just last year he and his wife and 5 year old daughter moved within walking distance of our apartment.  Great news for Miki (a playmate!) and for Ericka (a fellow foodie who speaks English!).  It`s been a win-win weekend. 

However, in light of these "new" home accessories, Ericka and I were just commenting on how short-lived our "detoxifying" move from Canada and the downsize has really been.  

Zzzzzz...

Miki at the hotel in Tokyo, the morning after our arrival.  It took her only about 4 days to adjust to the time shift, but oh how they were a trying 4 days!  

Narita

The 8 hour flight from Vancouver to Tokyo went surprisingly well.  Granted we didn't sleep much, but Miki was well-behaved and the airline stewards paid special attention to all infants on board which made it easy on Ericka and the other moms.  

After exiting customs we hopped on a bus (they call it an Airport Limousine) for what was honestly the hardest part of the journey.  It was a 3 hour ride into Tokyo (at rush hour!) and Miki was delirious and crabby.  

Here's the only photo I managed to take that day, in front of the Tokyo airport waiting for the bus to arrive. 

A 10x10 Life

Perhaps I should catch up with old news before I delve into the current.   Ericka and I both wrote down our interpretations of the final month before our return to Tokyo.  What follows is hers first, then mine.

ERICKA:  Hmm…what should I say in 100 words?

We had 7 min. to spare before catching our ferry.  But let’s back up…

It started about a month ago.  List-making, phone calls to change billing addresses, taxes, closing of accounts, the ads for home furnishings for sale, the car for sale on Used Nanaimo.  It seemed too early to get rid of the couch and the car… To put things in storage.  Travis and I worked full-time for a month prior to categorize, sort thru, weed out, donate, sell, pleadingly give, send, store and pack all that wasn’t nailed down.  The biggest highlights and also the scariest were selling our trustworthy Subaru and with one week left to go, renting our house.  But stop for a moment.  We couldn’t neglect our children.  We had to play, love, feed, bathe, teach, sleep and drive Miki to school.  Hurry back and pack some more!

 

Our dear friend Hayley did round 1 in the kitchen, packing pottery, dishes, etc…, not entirely convincing me to get rid of Miki’s beloved popsicle molds.  It took at least 4 more “once overs” to get the kitchen alone bare.  Appliances, drawers, clean the oven, spices (who needs over 50 different bags and jars of spices?!), fridge, freezers, cans, ugghh! 

We started in earnest about 4 nights before our departure date.  By that I mean ‘late nights’:  12:30, 1:30, 2:30 and 3:30am!  Thank heavens Sam’s second tooth didn’t keep her up and she actually stayed down (by herself) at 8:30pm.  Her way of helping us out. 

Everyone was so helpful; Neil, Kxx, Art, Hayley, Patrick, Anthony, Veronica and Ms. Lima.  All the last minute service men who came to do rental-home touch ups.  Our friends became carpenters, baby-sitters, packers, storage unit movers, support, venting outlets and idea-producers.  Thanks, for every bit helped.  Without all that we may not have had those 7 minutes to spare.  Time enough for Papa to get one last tea…

TRAVIS:　The packing process of a home of 7 years occupied by a family of 4 was grueling to say the least. In the 2 weeks leading up to our departure Ericka and I had to sort, organize and pack our belongings into a 10x10 storage unit.  Luckily, we managed to sell off the bigger items (beds, couch, dining table) but a large majority had to be boxed, labled and stored for future use.  I did occasionally have help from friends and neighbors however the bulk of the work fell to me.  With 2 children these tasks were made all the more difficult and unfortunately access to the storage unit was limited to 7am - 9pm.  It proved especially difficult to keep enough daily-use items handy while at the same time trying to reduce those deemed non-essential.  On the night before our departure I was packing until 3:30am, slept for 2 hours and then woke again to deliver the last load to the storage unit at 7am and then catch a 10am ferry to Vancouver.  We needed to leave our home at 9:30am to get a place in line and in fact at 9:30 exactly that day I was locking the door to the house and jumping into a very crowded rental van.  We did not have 1 minute to spare.

In light of it all, I learned this: every family should be required to move every 3-5 years simply to reduce their "stuff".  It's quite a sobering way to realize just how much we as humans acquire over a period of time.  Embarassing really.  Thoughts of Ghandi frequently came to mind thru it all.  

Anyway, here are a few photos of the house as it became more echo-prone and the box our North American selves now resides in.   

We`re here!

We made it safely to Tokyo last Thursday.  All is well but I have not found the time to update with any news or photos.  Please be patient.  I still need to arrange for an internet connection in our new apartment.  

The girls are doing fine.  Miki loves the Japanese bath and Sam is happily taking it all in.  Ericka is fine but we are both feeling a bit overwhelmed, as was expected.  

Thanks to everyone for their well-wishes.  

Stay tuned for photos and updates in the coming month.  

bye for now...

Sunny Goodbye

Nana, Aunt Heather and cousins Evann & Sully departed safely for Seattle yesterday. Miki and I drove them all down to Victoria for a 5pm sailing on the Victoria Clipper. We had a few hours to spend and so visited the Beacon Hill Park and Petting Zoo. The sun was out (it's always nice in Victoria) and while the tots played in the park I scooted back into town for a delicious take out lunch from Noodle Box.

After lunch we showed Evann & Sully the petting zoo. It didn't last too long as it was prime napping hour. We drove back into town for a tea and a beer and then it was check-in time.

We said a happy goodbye and waved them out of Victoria harbour.

Not sure when we'll all see each other again but at the very least this most recent visit left us all with many happy memories.

Thanks again for coming, I know it wasn't easy...bon voyage!

Sam I am

Cousins

Nana, Aunt Heather and cousins Evann and Sully visit Cedar, British Columbia. 3.1-3.4.09

The Juice

It was rainy today and we managed to get all 3 cousins to a 9am Strong Start program at a local primary school. Had lunch on a paper-covered table complete with crayons, markers and stickers. All wee ones, pardon Miki, took a nap. She did have some "down time" but in the end we allowed her some quality time with Nana & Sam.

Visa papers came today. And so did Sam's Certificate of Live Birth. Yeah.

A potential renter (and previous acquaintance) visited our home this afternoon and all went well. Nana, Aunt Heather & I took Evann, Sully & Miki down to Daisy Hill Meadows to see the miniature ponies, goats and peacocks.

Straight home (a tic!) for bath and pizza. We all sat down to watch Peter Pan before their bedtime but the tuckered 3 only lasted a half hour.

It's 9:30pm now; only Ericka, Sam and I are awake. Good night.

The Juice? Hilarious sugar fixing episode during a game of hide & seek. You had to be there.

Nana, Aunt & Cousins

They are here and made it safely from Philly, via San Francisco, Seattle and finally a ferry north thru the Juan De Fuca Straight. Miki and I met them in Victoria and drove them back to our house on March 1st. Since that day I haven't had a 30-minute block of time free to look after this blog.

It's been very memorable so far (tired tantrum, bumpy road "spit up", tic!) and absolutely enjoyable. I've realized after 48 hours living with 4 other people that I do honestly enjoy that slightly chaotic, noisy, energetic bubbling of many lives coexisting as a family.

Here are some photos - taken at various stages - of those previous 48 hours.