31 December 08

After much prevarication we decided to make a second attempt at buying a new PC, so we took ourselves off to Shinjuku. First stop was Takashimaya for lunch; we plumped for an Indian meal and were not disappointed. Emily ate all of her lunch, and then happily munched on spicy poppadums and garlic nan. She was very patient at the electronics store, but after an hour of waiting while Nick talked over the options with the sales guy, she naturally got upset. At least the stress was not in vain, as we managed to make a decision and order one.

At a nearby department store we stopped for a drink, but found the cafe a bit above what we'd envisaged, as it offered English-style afternoon tea (ie. sandwiches, selection of cakes, and tea served in bone china). Luckily we could order just a cake and a drink, but the size of my gateau was the biggest I've had so far in Japan. No problem - Emily was on hand to 'help'.

Back at the apartment Nick had his usual bath with her, but yelled out when she unexpectedly did a poo in the water, luckily just after he'd got out. It is the first time she's ever done that. I saved that cleaning up task for later in the evening, with the fortification of a couple of glasses of bubbly - what a great way to usher in the new year! For the first time since Emily arrived, we sat down together and watched a whole film. It felt like a real treat, though I kept thinking about all the things I should be doing with two free hours.

28 December 08

Aidan and Nick were both feeling a bit delicate after a late night out, but went out for a jog (Aidan is recovering from knee surgery, so it was very gentle). They stayed out over an hour and went to the local park and used the open-air gym equipment. They arrived home covered in more dry grass, and brought back two huge mikan (a type of orange) picked from a tree there.


It was a nice bright day so I suggested that we take the boat to Odaiba because Aidan hadn't been there before. I popped into the mall while they walked on along the waterfront, and managed to blitz three shops in half an hour, rejoining them with a small haul of sale items for Emily and me. After our stroll along the side of the bay we found that our usual little cafe was closed, so we took the monorail back to Shibaura and had a quick coffee and snack at Peacock coffee shop.


A run in the evening was my first for a couple of weeks. Though cold I had my best outing in ages, running fast (for me) and coping well with Yuureizaka hill. I'm surprised my performance isn't deteriorating more, given how infrequent my runs are.

27 December 08

Emily had a bad night again, and I was up three or four times.

We had another sunny day, but it was still really cold. We went to the Imperial Plaza, where Emily crawled on the now yellow and dry grass and watched the crows and seagulls. Japan's winter is so much drier than the UK, so the lawns seem to die back each year. We go home covered in grass that turns up all over the apartment for days. We are trying to get her to walk with only one hand held, as that forces her to have a more upright posture; with both she leans forward a lot.

We carried on to BIC Camera electronics store, to research a new PC. We need one that Nick can type Japanese on. Also, Emily bashed the keyboard so hard that the letter E came off, making typing very difficult.

On our way back home we met Nick's American mate, Aidan, in Tamachi and he came back to ours as he was staying with us overnight while on a trip here from Berkeley. I bought a New Year door charm so that we could enter into the spirit of the season like all our neighbours, and was taken with the white crane (a symbol of longevity, and also the name of the kung fu club we used to belong to). Unlike the glitzy Christmas decorations, these are very traditional, and usually made of rice straw, bamboo and paper.

Aidan and Nick went out in Azabu Juban for the evening, and though I knew he'd stopped being a vegetarian recently it was still surprising to hear that he'd eaten raw beef. No doubt he was emboldened by the many beers they drank.

26 December 08

Emily was very hot at times, and somewhat dopey and clingy, clearly fighting off a bad cold. As it happened, we had a hospital appointment lined up for the one year check up. It was stressful trying to sort out vaccination details while she was getting very upset sitting there in her nappy. I got the doctor to take her temperature and it was about 38.5, so not feverish but definitely high. Mind you, it was baking in there, which didn't help. Coming in from a vicious strong wind direct from Siberia it was welcome at first, but soon overpowering. Her measurements were encouraging: over 80cm puts her at the 99.9th centile for a one year old girl, and her 10.4kg weight was also fine, despite her continued picky eating.


Having cancelled our dinner reservation due to her illness, we then decided to go out as planned as we had no way of getting hold of Erna to postpone babysitting, and just hoped that Emily didn't wake up repeatedly like the previous evening. We didn't go far, trying the eel restaurant a few hundred feet from the apartment. It was good, if not plentiful, food, and the hot sake warmed our bones. The meal was all over within an hour, so we carried on up the road to try a tiny bar that Nick had spotted. It only had a few bar stools and couple of tables. Two customers were just leaving, so we were the only ones there. The lighting was very dim, but we made out the bar counter lined with many different bottles of beer: it was mainly lager beer, so we plumped for a can of Guinness each. A large TV in the corner was showing Premiership football, and the music was a good selection of UK Sixties (eg. Kinks). The bar owner told Nick he was a graphic designer who ran the bar as a hobby and didn't make a profit from it. Surprising, since the bill for two beers each and a handful of snacks we didn't even ask for was nearly 4,000 yen (£25). The guy seemed of indeterminate age - he was dressed straight out of Carnaby Street in a button-down shirt, cardigan and pork-pie hat, but had a young face. He and Nick chatted away, mainly about bands and football, while I sat more or less mute but perfectly happy to try to follow the gist with the few words I know. Anyway, we enjoyed our night out, and it won't break the bank if we don't repeat too regularly. We arrived home to find Erna zonked out on the sofa, having done the washing up and ironing first. She seemed a bit spaced out and reeled out into the freezing cold night with barely a word.

25 December 08

After an early Skype call to Adlington we had a mammoth present-opening session, with Emily predictably interested in the boxes and wrapping, not the contents.

Afterwards we headed over to Bettina's for our Christmas lunch with her, Steve and Tim, the Lutz family, and a Brazilian friend of hers who has a Japanese husband. It was a convivial affair, with everyone contributing to the festive feast. My part was a vegetarian tart and Christmas pud with rum sauce. Having eaten her boring chicken casserole Emily happily tucked into a smoked salmon tartlet and also liked sprouts and the pudding (without the boozy sauce, I hasten to add). Us parents took it in turns to supervise the three babies.

The funniest moment was when we caught Emily kissing Tim. We are not sure who instigated the snog, but everyone cracked up.

She looked very innocent afterwards, as if to say 'what are you all laughing at?'. We also got a laugh when we picked secret Santa gifts. Mine was an intriguing shape, and turned out to be a banana case, though of course there was much tittering.

We were home by 5.30, travelling back through rush hour and feeling odd that for most of the population it was just a fairly normal day. We made some Skype calls back home then had a late dinner, while watching Blackadder.

Emily had a terrible end to her Christmas Day, as she woke around 9.30 and thereafter every few minutes; she could not breath properly and felt hot. Eventually, I took her into bed with us, where she tossed and turned and cried out until 2.30. Then she suddenly seemed a lot happier and was pointing and babbling, so I took her back to her room where she slept until 6.

23 December 08

As we had the morning free before our train home, Nick arranged to go and visit the Tateyama family, who are friends of his friend Alison, who introduced him to them when they were in Kyoto last month. He is an architect, and designed their lovely home, which is in a quiet street opposite a porn cinema. I was surprised by how raunchy the posters outside were, and could imagine difficult questions from inquisitive children, although with communal bathing the norm, perhaps they are a lot less self conscious about the naked body.

They have a five year old son, Eito, who at first seemed shy but soon opened up. He was very good with Emily, and didn't seem jealous of all the attention she got. He even played with her and gave her one of his old musical books.

We made our excuses and set off for Sanjo, where Starbucks seemed the best bet for a comfortable place to give Emily her lunch and a much-needed nap. We struck lucky and got a large squishy sofa, from which we could watch a fun run along the riverside outside with the participants drssed as Santa.

Running short of time, we walked back to the hotel via some pleasant streets around Gion, the old geisha district. Our load was too heavy to also walk to the station, so we took a taxi and arrived in good time for the service back to Tokyo. On board, Emily would not sleep again, and after a while she got very upset. We had to tak it in turns to play with her in the area between carriages. Again, we were blessed with excellent views of Fuji-san at sunset. It looks so alluring from the shinkansen that I am desperate to make the ascent, preferably in winter, though I am sure I am not physically capable (yet).

22 December 08

Emily's birthday dawned at last, and we put up a birthday banner and sang 'Happy Birthday' to mark the occasion. I thought about her birth a few times, but was surprised not to feel more emotional.

It was a colder day, so she got to wear the cute and cosy all-in-one from Mum as we set off for a trip to Arashiyama, set in the hills a short train ride out of town. From the station there we walked towards the wide, shallow river spanned by a long, low bridge. On the shore there had been some kind of winter festival that was being cleared away, with some attractive paper lanterns still standing.

First stop was a visit to some monkeys that live on a wooded hill overlooking the town. It was a short but steep walk up to a viewing area where about 100 of the grey monkeys hang around to get treats from visitors to the park. We could mingle freely with them, and they came to within touching distance, though we were too nervous to buy a bag of snacks to feed them. There were several groups of them picking parasites from each other, and we saw a couple of tiny babies clinging to their mothers' bellies. If only Emily would hold onto me like that, instead of the other way around, my arms wouldn't get so tired!

Down in the town we searched for an ideal lunch venue, ending up in a place that specialised in Buddhist (ie. vegetarian) fare. I've never seen tofu prepared and cooked in so many different ways. It was really tasty, and even Nick was satisfied, though he had been lusting after meat. We carried on up the touristy street lined with decent giftshops and eateries, to a bamboo wood that was eerie but pleasing to the eye. At the end was a shrine where we said a joint prayer for eternal togetherness (mumbo-jumbo, but Nick seems to genuinely believe some of it and always makes an offering and prays at shrines).

After a nap for Emily in the warmth of the tourist centre

we thought we'd better turn back for the city; daylight was already seeping from the sky. Back in Kyoto we walked back to the hotel down the riverside path, stopping to watch a huge flock of seagulls pass overhead. We picked up a little cake on the way, and put a candle on it for Emily's tea.

She seemed really keen to have a go at using the spoon, so we let her have a go at extracting some yogurt from the pot, with limited success. Despite her afternoon nap she got really upset again when we tried to bath her, getting so worked up I thought she'd be sick. Her poor face was blotchy and her eyes bright red. Having calmed her down, when it came time to put her down on the futon she was wide awake. I had to stay with her for more than half an hour and settle her to sleep, while Nick went on down for dinner. Our last meal was massive,with lots more crab, and a whole bream each. Nick regretted having pre-ordered extra beef. I ate most of my dinner, but couldn't say I particularly enjoyed it. I don't mind Japanese food, but three days of nothing but is too much for me.

21 December 08

Emily woke at 6am, so we saw the dawn, and there were lots of crows and black kites for her to get excited about. I've been meaning to mention toilet slippers for ages, and we had a prime example in our hotel room. I really don't like the idea of wearing footwear that someone else has used. This footwear is purely for slipping on as you enter the loo and should not pass the threshold of the toilet. There are other slippers provided for wearing in the room itself, though we never do. The idea is to keep the tatami mats pristine.

After a decent breakfast we walked north along the riverbank about a mile. We were not alone: joggers, cyclists and dog-walkers abounded. There was plenty of bird life to see - ducks, seagulls, cormorants, wagtails, egrets and herons.

Kyoto has its share of homeless, some of whom live under the bridges in very neat huts of plywood and thick plastic. One even had a padlock on the door. First stop was Starbucks, which occupies a prime position on the banks of the river. It was surprisingly quiet in there, so we were able to take soft seats facing the water. I was glad of the comfort and view, as Emily had a long nap on me.

From there we took a train to Kurama, passing up a valley on a service that stopped almost every minute for the few miles to our destination. We thought we'd better get some lunch first. There wasn't much choice on offer in the little village, so we plumped for noodles. The restaurant was a bit dingey and the owner almost malevolent. The noodles were not very plentiful for the price but the cured herring served in the noodle broth was quite nice, almost sweet. Thankfully, Emily ate all her packet meal without resistance. Back outside we found that it was raining lightly, and it had become quite gloomy. Across the road and up the hill was the Kurama Temple complex: a series of shrines, torii and buildings scattered over the hillside. It was rather steep, and we were both out of puff; Nick more so, as he was carrying Emily. The Honden (Main Hall) was attractive, with two stylised tigers guarding the steps. We were running out of time, so had to turn back at this point.

Back down on the road we continued up the valley half a mile to the onsen resort, the rain coming on harder now. Here there are both indoor and outdoor baths. Nick wanted me to try the latter (rotemburo) so he volunteered to look after Emily. The bath was quite busy, with lots of walkers soaking their tired legs. It was partly under cover, but I chose to sit out in the now torrential rain. I was on my own, with about ten ladies huddled at the other end under the shelter. The water was the perfect temperature for me, and I sat happily catching fat raindrops in my cupped hands for a while before dragging myself back out. It seemed that there would not be time for Nick to go in as well, but he had been several times before. He'd been having fun with Emily as she repeatedly climbed the stairs indoors.

We took advantage of the free minibus back to the station. The train carriage was very steamy and I wrote Emily's name on the window, which she tried to copy. Her fine motor skills seem to be really coming on, as she managed to place the cap back on the water bottle several times. Back at the hotel she ate well again, but got upset when we put her in the bath. Again, she went to sleep straight away, enabling us to get down to dinner in good time. Tonight's meal was not as challenging for me and I ate most of it. The greeney-grey crab-brain tofu got the better of me though. We tried a glass of rose umesh (plum liqueur) which was very tasty. Not so much to our taste, however, was the endlessly repeated jazz version of 'Let It Snow' that had, indeed, been played on a loop the night before as well.

After eating I tried the second bath. This one was brightly-lit and all done out in white tiles, with a large mural on one wall to comtemplate as I sat in the hot water. It was a spa bath, and had two big balls of herbs floating in it, though I couldn't really smell them. I decided that sitting in onsen baths on my own is no fun - better to sit and chat with a good friend. Perhaps I am just not comfortable enough with my own thoughts for long. In the room, we tiptoed past Emily to eat a naughty cake in the dark anteroom, by the light shining in from outside. We were happy to be on our futons by 10.45.

20 December 08

Emily was up early, which was good because we needed to finish packing for our Kyoto trip and get to Shinagawa. I really did my best not to flap, which stresses Nick out. The train journey wasn't bad; again, we were on the wrong side of the train for Fuji but saw the snow-capped peak through the opposite window, with a blue sky background. Emily obligingly napped, but only for half an hour, so after a while she got restless being confined to the seats despite the generosity of space on the shinkansen. Nick took her off to the passageway for a crawl and yet again I wished she could toddle as it would make such situations much easier (and reduce the number of times I have to wash her trousers and socks into the bargain).

We arrived in a Kyoto basking in warm sunshine; I'd forgotten that it is surrounded by hills, and it seemed so provincial compared to Tokyo (in a good way). We walked with our heavy load for about 20 minutes to our hotel. It was in a great location, close to the river and midway up the grid of streets. Central Kyoto is laid out on two main north-south roads cut with ten east-west streets, and the plan was based on X'ian (then Chang'an) in China. We were really pleased with Hotel Shuhoukaku, which is more a ryokan as it has communal baths and the cuisine is kaiseki-ryori (Japanese haute-cuisine). As it was too early to check in we fed Emily then left our bags. Nick had planned an afternoon visit to the Fushimi district, which was a short train ride south-east out of the city centre. I was amused and a little concerned to see some sort of religious icon mounted on the wall of the carriage.


From the station we strolled through a covered market. Emily attracted plenty of attention as we were off the beaten tourist track and the only foreigners. We ate at a restaurant with tatami, so that Emily could crawl on the mats; she was also climbing up onto the low tables to try to get the pots of toothpicks. At the end of the alley was the quaint teashop (by which I mean a shop that sells dry tea) run by the parents of Nick's friend Masahiko.


It was founded in 1872, just after Japan opened its doors to the rest of the world with the start of the Meiji period. It was very atmospheric, with old wooden drawers full of tea and artefacts related to the enjoyment and ritual of tea. They gave us a free cup of bitter, somehow smooth green tea, then we bought a small cone of green tea ice cream each. Emily indicated that she wanted some so I offered her a slurp; she made the funniest face, but despite grimacing she soon decided that she liked it and demanded more. Meanwhile, they had tracked down Masahiko on the phone (though a Saturday, like a lot of Japanese he was at work). Nick felt terrible for not mentioning that we'd be in Kyoto, but he lives quite a long way from the city, and we'd have had to change our plans in order to meet him and his family.


We carried on through the attractive narrow streets, past a famous sake brewery with its symbolic ball of cedar hanging outside. Nearby was an old inn, Teradaya, where there was a gunfight in 1867 that resulted in the death of Sakamoto, a politicial figure who helped shape the Meiji Restoration of the following year. We walked beside a small canal running through a residential area that Nick used to cycle along as a student

and came to a little temple, Chokenji, which is 300 years old.

An old chap sprang out of the bushes and addressed us in very good English, telling us all about the place then railroading us into buying a lucky amulet associated with the resident goddess, Benzaiten. The amulet has an image 'modelled after the female anatomy' (or, more innocently, a cowrie shell) on one side, and if you keep it with you it is supposed to give birth to good fortune!


We got a bit lost trying to find our way to the station, so the sun was already a fiery orange ball low in the sky as the train neared the centre of the city. As darkness fell we settled into our very nice Japanese room and admired the vibrant sky behind Kyoto Tower, which is apparently resembles a candle though I think it's more like a lighthouse. Emily hadn't slept for 7 hours but at first was very jolly. We'd worried that she would not get any walking practice while away, but she solved that problem by starting to push a legless chair around on the tatami.

After she'd eaten she had a small bump and was suddenly inconsolable; we put her in the tiny but deep bath but she was beside herself, so we quickly gave her the bottle and laid her down on the futon where she went out like the proverbial light. That enabled us to go down to the dining room in good time for our meal (as with most Japanese hotels and ryokan, latest serving time being 7pm). Crab featured very heavily, being integrated into most courses. The sashimi was cut too think for me, so I surreptitiously cooked it briefly on my miniature stove. There were all sorts of odd little seasonal delicacies, some unidentifiable - one looked for all the world like rabbit droppings on a stick.

After eating we had time to kill, so went down to the bar. For some reason it only opened at 10pm, though they said we were welcome to sit in there. Unfortunately the heating wasn't on yet and it was freezing. Later we tried out the baths. This was the best I've tried so far, the whole room lined with cypress wood and the bath also made of hinoki. The lighting was dim and the music (plinky-plonk shamizen) restful. There were even a pair of shallow mini-baths where you could lie down on a wooden bed, immersed, and what with the food, drink and warm water I found it very soporific. We were back to the room later than planned, but on our futons by 11pm.

19 December 08

I'd invited Bettina and Jo round for mince pies and mulled wine, and they had told me that they wanted to use the occasion to help celebrate Emily's birthday. I was not prepared for balloons, cake (decorated by Jo like Hello Kitty) and a joint gift of a big set of giant Lego. Of course, the babies kept squabbling over who got to push the baby walker; Emily is fiercely protective of her things when someone else is around, though often disinterested when alone. The Lego was a zoo set, with lots of animals as well as bricks. It has certainly come on a lot since my childhood.

She seemed very interested in the lit candle , though obviously unable to blow it out. It was very tasty, though rich.

We are very lucky to have such nice friends (both Emily and me) who go to so much trouble. Having Isy around was perhaps inspirational, as Emily took about 6 small steps. I was so amazed to see it, and got straight on the phone to tell Nick.

18 December 08

We are running out of space for all the lovely birthday/ Christmas parcels that have arrived for Emily.

After yesterday's poor weather it was bright again. We met Nick for lunch, where Emily spent most of the time chasing a pigeon that was pecking up lunch scraps in the little playground. For a change, I took Emily in the baby carrier. This week is the first time I have carried her since the start of the summer, as it was far too hot to have her pressed against me. It's fair to say that she is quite a heavy load these days.

Today she seems to be really trying to copy sounds I make, especially animal sounds like tiger(gar) and monkey (ooh ooh).

17 December 08

It was apparently the coldest day in Tokyo this year at just under 10C. It certainly felt chilly, and was also wet.


Silvia had invited us to go with her to Pokke - a newly-opened playplace only 10 minutes walk from home. I was very impressed with the bright, open-plan room. On the way in there was a little fish tank full of colourful tiny fish that Emily loved. It is better than other jidokan as there are comfy sofas for mums to watch their babies from, whereas we usually sit on the floor. A separate room for eating and drinking means we can take lunch there or grab a coffee to chat over. Emily loved it, and the staff were very good with her.

I told Jo am really jealous of Isy walking; she is 7 weeks younger than Emily and now walking unaided. But Emily did take another couple of tiny steps while we were there, though she spent most of the time pushing a little wooden chair around the floor. At the end of the afternoon they had a 10 minute sing-song in Japanese.

16 December 08

Emily woke in the night, and again at 6. I could not get her to go back to sleep, so gave up hope of returning to bed and got her up. I'm not sure what is making her more wakeful these days. I don't think it's hunger, as she isn't exactly enthusiastic when I give her breakfast. The new morning regime is still not producing better results. I will try reducing her bedtime bottle a bit to see if it makes her appetite for breakfast improve.


In the chilly but sunny afternoon we went a short way to the home of a mum I don't know well. She was at the night out last month, and I've bumped into her a few times at KSpace, where she invited us to join a playdate at her place. She's British, and seems pleasant; her little girl, Charlize, is a month or so older than Emily. There were quite a few mums I knew from TMG, so I didn't feel at all awkward. Their apartment was huge, with lots of nice antique Asian furniture. Charlize had so many lovely toys, and no fewer than three baby walkers, so Emily got plenty of exercise. In the baby's bedroom she had a little playground with a slide and swing!

15 December 08

Emily stood unsupported lots of times today, and when we got home after KSpace she amazed me by taking two little steps on her own. Of course I know it's likely she may not do it again for days, but it was really exciting as I wasn't expecting it for some time.

14 December 08

We got the weekend the wrong way round. As it was cold and wet in the morning it would have been better to shop today and be outside yesterday.

I popped out to the local hairdresser for a hair cut while Nick fed and played with Emily. There are small but noticeable differences to a saloon visit at home. When your hair is washed they cover your face with a cloth. Not sure if it is to protect your make-up from splashes or should I be worried that I have bad breath? After being seated a blanket was laid on my knees, though goodness knows it was hot as Hades in there. At home, conversation usually tails off when the hairdresser asks me if I've seen the latest Pop Idol/X Factor/Strictly and I say that I only really watch current affairs and documentaries. Still, not being able to communicate at all is very frustrating and being tended to in silence for an hour is uncomfortable. After the cut I was given a brief but vigorous shoulder massage by a young man.

We went to Midtown afterwards - first time there for me, though it is not much further than Roppongi Hills. It is a skyscraper, with shops and restaurants on the first few floors. We had a decent curry lunch, and Emily was very cheerful, playing with spoons and straws and drinking copious amounts of mango juice. There is no children's play area, unfortunately, but we let her crawl around the spacious hallways, and there is a large marble carving with a hollow in one side which she liked sitting in.

We were a bit taken aback when a little English boy of three gave her a kiss after his mother urged him to be gentle with her! After a quick coffee we walked to Roppongi Hills so Emily could get out and play for a while in the family room there. Leaving for home, the blue and white lights on the trees in Keyakizaka suddenly came on just as we were walking down, giving rise to lots of oohs and aahs from the many people strolling there.

13 December 08

I don't like to ask Nick to spend his weekends shopping, but really wanted to get a Christmas tree, so we headed over to Shinjuku where I'd seen lots in Tokyu Hands. There were hordes of people in Times Square, just like at home in the lead up to the big day. I found it extremely stressful, even though we'd wisely brought Emily in the carrier to avoid long waits for the lifts. The long queues put us off buying some of the other things I'd hoped to sort out while we were there. We took Emily to the children's floor so she could play with the sample toys; there's nowhere else for her to get out of the baby carrier and stretch her legs. The babycare lounge was manic and full of screaming babies, so not surprisingly she didn't feel like taking a nap.

However, we did manage to get a nice tree before we left; artificial but very realistic. We got some flashing lights for it, for Emily's amusement, as she loves to see them twinkle. Their Christmas stock was running down and being replaced by New Year decorations, so all I could get otherwise was a few baubles and a piece of tinsel. Of course, I put the tree up as soon as we got home. Emily was not as interested as I'd hoped, but I like it! It has to stay out on the balcony, away from probing fingers.

12 December 08

As it was sunny again, we popped out for lunch with Nick. It has been some time since I gave Emily her lunch out, and it proved to be a bad idea as she hardly ate any of it, being distracted by other children playing and wanting to crawl around. Feeling fed up, I changed my plan to walk over to Roppongi Hills and set off for home. On the way I dropped in at Sharon's as I had a birthday gift for Taylor, but unfortunately she was out and he was asleep so we couldn't stay (I had been hoping she could play there for a while, to break the walk home). I was about to go home when I decided to call in to check out the jidokan at end of our road. It is not very good in terms of quality of toys and general condition, but at least it's somewhere close at hand to take Emily for a change of scene now and again, and the staff were really effusive with her.

11 December 08

With trepidation, I instigated a change to Emily's routine. She normally has a breast feed as soon as she wakes, and then breakfast an hour later. However, I have been worried at how little she eats (half a Weetabix and a few slices of banana), so I decided to give her solids first and then top up with milk. Eventually I have to get her to take her milk from a beaker, but though this is recommended by one year old I can't see it happening for some time yet. I also thought I would start using the high chair tray as she likes to help herself to finger food. Well, Plan B wasn't very successful as she hardly ate any more food than usual, and the subsequent milk feed was definitely less than before. That left me worried about her calcium intake - never particularly high as it was. I resolved to keep up the new regime for a while though, before re-thinking. She quite liked using the tray though. It seems that banana makes excellent hair gel.

Later I took her to the Hamamatsucho jidokan, where she spent most of the time tearing up and down swapping from one walker to another, or playing in the ball pit.

10 December 08

Emily threw most of her breakfast and lunch on the floor. I had resolved to keep my cool, but could not stop myself from swearing at her. In the end, I got her out of the highchair and turned my back on her while I finished my breakfast. I couldn't trust myself to speak to her for some time.


It was supposed to rain, but was very sunny all day and warmed up considerably to about 18C. I was in short sleeves while walking as I had broken into a sweat in my coat. Jo, Bettina and I made an impromptu decision to go over to Odaiba. Jo went ahead and Bettina and I were to follow on the boat. However, after waiting at an empty quay for a while we were told that it wasn't running due to maintenance. There was no notice up about it at all, annoyingly. We had to take the Yurikamome monorail instead.

We met Jo and Isy and went up to a big play area upstairs in the mall that I didn't know about. There was plenty of space for the babies to crawl around, though few toys. They did have some hula hoops, and we adults all had a go without success. We must have looked quite a sight wiggling around with arms waving aloft and cracking up. Emily did some more walking, but she is still lagging behind Isy, who took a few small steps on her own. She is only just 10 months. Emily didn't take a nap again, but amazingly ate all of her tea and played happily in bath with no tears at all.

9 December 08

We went to meet Nick for our now regular Tuesday lunch date. The food at the macrobiotic cafe was fabulous but very pricey. We sat outside, though it was chilly, and Emily crawled around the chairs. Nick got her to walk about 15 steps holdinghis hands, and later she walked a couple of times with me at home. She was also pushing the baby walker all around the apartment, having now learned how to change direction. She has no patience at all though - if it gets stuck she gets upset straight away and sits down.


Jill and Geraldine came round with their babies (both 4 months older than Emily) for a seasonal British gathering over mince pies and mulled wine. We had a nice couple of hours, though Emily and Sophia were fighting over the walker half of the time, leading to a few tears. Geraldine's year in Japan will soon be over: they fly home for good in only 10 weeks' time. I have been getting to know her quite well lately, so it's a shame to lose one of my inner social circle.

8 December 08

Emily was awake at 5.45 and sobbed for more than an hour, leaving copious snail-trails all over her face and hair and my clothes. I'm not quite sure what it was, though she started recovering after a little burp. She was absolutely fine for the rest of the day.

At KSpace the class was much reduced; presumably some people have already gone home for Christmas holidays. It was much better with a smaller number anyway. Emily was the most actively-involved baby, clapping and shaking maracas when prompted, and smiling at the teachers a lot.

Before tea, she managed to get hold of a satsuma and ripped it apart, then ate most of it, including the skin.

Perhaps she was just telling me she was hungry? Lately she has been quite naughty, throwing most of her finger food on the floor while looking at me and smiling, or nonchalantly dropping it over the side of the chair when she thinks I'm not looking. She also drops her toys (or socks!) when we are out with the buggy. Let's hope it's a short-lived phase.

7 December 08

Emily woke a few times in night, and was up for good at 5.50, so I got to see the dawn for the first time in ages. We could see lots of crows out of the window, and it was a very bright and clear day again, though extremely chilly. From the front of their apartment they can see Mount Ontake on a clear day like this.


When Yukiji-san put out plates of sausages for breakfast I had to come clean, so we shared my snags around and I filled up on egg and toast. As always, with Emily, it took a lot longer to get out than we expected, but by noon we were emerging from the subway outside Nagoya town hall.



We strolled along a path lined with flame-coloured maples to the gates of Nagoya castle. This is a reconstruction, but very attractive, the curving roof topped with a pair of lucky golden grampus (fish-like mythical creatures). This reminded us that Arsene Wenger used to manage the local football team, Grampus 8, and Gary Lineker also played for them at one point.


The grounds were nice, most trees now bare except the vibrant maples, interspersed with some shapely pines. We were surprised to see a few deer grazing in the bottom of the empty moat. We walked around to the back of the castle then took Emily out of the back-carrier to stretch her legs. She seemed quite happy to sit on the grass and pick up leaves and lumps of soil, now and again pointing heavenwards as a crow or aeroplane passed overhead. Nick managed to get her to take about 8 small steps holding his hands, which is more than she'll do for me.


As our train departure time neared, we set off across town to track down a recommended restaurant the Andos had looked up. Nagoya is famed for its eels, so we all had hitsumabushi, which is eel in a savoury marinade, served on a wooden bowl of rice. The traditional way to eat it was to put some in another bowl, add spring onion and wasabi, then pour on hot green tea to make a sort of soup of it. Very tasty it was too. Eel is extremely fatty but delicious.

Now we made our way to the main railway station, where we made our goodbyes over a quick coffee. They genuinely seemed to enjoy Emily's company; she had certainly been very smiley and jolly all day. We're not sure if they wanted kids and couldn't have them, or had made a conscious decision not to. They are mid-40s, so probably no chance of it now. Fukuchan gets plenty of affection instead.

For once we found that we were on the correct side of the shinkansen to see Mount Fuji, and as it was such a crystal clear day we were not disappointed. Almost straight away after leaving Nagoya we spotted it in the distance, and saw it on and off for well over an hour. It looked sublime lit by the setting sun - true alpenglow.

I yearn to climb it, and would relish the chance to make a winter ascent with crampons, though I'm sure I am not fit enough right now.

Emily was being very cute on the train. Nick's camera phone is fuzzy, but you can make out her gappy teeth.

6 December 08

We went to Nagoya to visit the Andos, old friends from Nick's days at Mitsubishi in London. We were on the wrong side of train, but it was very clear so we had good glimpses of Fuji through the opposite window. Emily had been up at 6.15, so was very tired and slept most of the hour and a half Shinkansen journey. There was a bitterly cold wind on arrival, much colder than Tokyo. We made our way to the Ando's apartment on the packed, stultifyingly hot subway.


Emily was soon chasing Fukuchan, their pretty, long-haired cat - a very timorous beastie at the best of times. She retreated, hissing and growling. Instead, Emily decided to play with the cat's toys. After a while we went out locally to a little cafe for lunch. Having told them how good she was, Emily was playing up and dropping her finger food onto the floor, so she had to have some of my omu-rice (omlette stuffed with rice) and chocolate cake, otherwise there would not have been enough food for her.


We spent the rest of the afternoon at their place. There was lots of stuff around for Emily to systematically destroy! Not at all childproof. After Emily had obligingly gone to sleep on the futon in the spare room we had dinner. Nick had forgotten to mention I don't eat meat, so Yukiji-san had prepared a big nabe (stew) with chicken and pork, and a platter of chicken wings. I managed to avoid eating any, and there was just about enough sushi to fill me up. We were both very weary and turned in at 10.30. We found that Emily was taking up a whole futon so we had to share the other one.

5 December 08

We were experiencing withdrawal effects from our favourite playplace in Hamamatsucho, so I took Emily there in the afternoon. Momo and Mikele joined us there too, and Jill was there with Sophia as well. Emily was a lot more confident with walking this time and took a shine to the steam train baby walker that choo-choos as it moves.

She spent a lot of time throwing herself into the ball pit as well.

While we were there I was surprised to hear the low growl of thunder, though I knew it was forecast to rain a bit.

4 December 08

As we hadn't seen Lottie for weeks I'd arranged to go to the Embassy, and Bettina and Tim came along too. Tracy's cat wasn't quite as pleased to see us, and spent most of the time dodging Emily as she crawled after it babbling delightedly. She gave a demonstration of stair-climbing to her young friends, whizzing up the steep steps in double-quick time.

3 December 08

After a brief pause the sunny weather is back. Nick and I got lunch from an amazing wholefood cafe near his office: no meat, dairy, eggs. It was extremely tasty and very filling fare. Emily played at the playground, in the shadow of a fantastic ginkgo tree fully 60+ feet high and ablaze with pure gold leaves (didn't have the camera with me, regrettably).

After returning home for lunch , play and a nap, we went to KSpace for the second time this week. This was a 'make-up' class for the one we missed last week, and was for smaller babies ('wrigglers', as the class name calls them). Emily was by far the oldest and most mobile; most of the others were under 6 months, and one was only 9 weeks old. She was lording it over them, taking up position on top of the big drum in the middle. When we go to the crawlers class she is a lot less bold; must be the 'big fish in a small pond' effect.

At home before tea she surprised me by standing up behind her baby walker and pushing it across the room. This is the first time she's done it at home, and completely unprompted.

2 December 08

I felt a bit tired as yet again Emily woke in the night with her teeth; this time it took from about 1.45 to 2.30 to settle her. She woke at 6 as Nick left, but somehow it got to 7.15 before I had to get up, so she must have drifted off again.


TMG held a Christmas party at the jidokan in Hamamatsucho; a bit early, but a lot of people are returning home soon for the festive season, lucky things. Emily was on good form, with rosy cheeks, lots of smiling, and crawling around after the toddlers. She even ate her lunch, albeit a selection of finger foods. I had to follow her round the room spooning yogurt into her mouth, as she would not sit any longer. There was a short book reading, some songs adapted for Christmas, and even making Christmas cards. Emily just chewed the crayons and sucked the stick-on paper cutouts.


After we'd cleared the room I took her downstairs to the main play area where we go regularly. Though she was tired by now she perked up straight away, crawling straight over to cuddle up to the giant teddy. I was really pleased that while we were there she walked behind the baby walker toys several times, some without my instigation.



I was about to go to bed when Emily started crying again. She seemed to be in pain though she wasn't running a temperature, and I was considering whether to administer a little Calpol. However, as soon as we came out into the light of the hallway she stopped crying and began pointing at things, so it was clearly not as bad as all that. This time she settled back into bed fairly easily.

30 November 08

Seems strange not having Nick around this weekend, though I am used to being on my own most days really. Again it was a nice day, but unfortunately I couldn't take Emily to a park as I had to do a bit of urgent shopping. I decided to go to Roppongi Hills again, though we'd been only the week before. It would have been an even better day to go up the tower and get some great views, but I'm sure there will be other clear days this winter.

Sunday is the busiest say there, the place buzzing with affluent (or is that the wrong vowel?) expats and seriously-loaded Japanese. I saw one couple whose long-haired dog had dreadlocks and beads. A westerner drove by with a large Xmas tree in the front seat of his topless convertible.

Emily was very patient as I shopped, and was rewarded with a visit to the little family rest/play room they have there, where she was enchanted by a helium balloon that someone had left there. We were late leaving for home, so were able to look at all the Christmas lights that came on after dark.

29 November 08

I had been egging Nick on for ages to have a weekend away with friends, and the ideal opportunity arose with Ali being in the country for him to join her in Kyoto and re-live their time there. So, after a couple of hours with me and Emily he set off for the two hour shinkansen journey. Before he left he was able to see her tentative attempts at walking: unprompted by me the day before, she had pushed the kitchen stool across the floor a few feet. It looks awfully like a Zimmer-frame! This time she did it more confidently and several times. A small step (excuse the pun) but significant.

After lunch we set out in the warm sunshine to the jidokan at Hamamatsucho. We spent a couple of hours there, being on our own at first but gradually joined by more babies and their mums. To keep up the progress I stood her up behind a wooden walker, and was so pleased when she walked the length of the 40'+ room. She was smiling too, so I think she knew she had done something amazing. I wished I could have got a photo, but was too occupied hovering behind her in case it ran away from her and she fell.

28 November 08

We spent the afternoon at Geraldine's for an early Christmas party. She had a tree with lights, which Emily was transfixed by at first, and also a tunnel that she liked crawling through.

Us mums entered the spirit with mince pies and a glass of sparkling wine (just to be sociable, you understand). Emily joined the other, older babies in climbing the stairs several times. She was really speedy, considering she doesn't get the chance to practise very often.

As dusk fell, we trooped outside to see the Christmas lights in the enclave that they live in, which were lovely to see. I think I am going to start liking the festive season again, seeing it through Emily's eyes.

27 November 08

We hadn't seen Bettina and Jo for a couple of weeks, so were glad to catch up with them at Shibaura jidokan for two hours in the afternoon. It was grey, damp and cold outside but very warm indoors, giving Emily rosy cheeks. Bettina has gone native: she was wearing a face mask, as she has a cold, and had on socks with seperate toes.

The jidokan periodically holds measuring sessions so we took the opportunity to have the babies weighed and measured. The little ones looked adorable crawling around in just their nappies. Emily was too heavy for the first set of scales, the second set putting her at 10.4kg. That confirms what my aching back has been telling me! She is 77cm long now.

Yet again she would not take an afternoon nap, but made it through 7 hours awake without getting too upset. Nick came home relatively early as there was no London call, and just made it in time to see her in her PJs before she went down for the night. When she heard the front door open and Nick call out to her, her eyes sprang open and she grinned broadly.

26 November 08

Emily loves the new wall clock I bought for the lounge, and every time I say 'tick tock' she looks straight at it, smiles and points.

We went for our weekly lunch date with Nick, and though the shade temperature was cold it was almost balmy in the sunshine. Emily had fun and liked watching the other, older kids playing there.

After taking her back home for her lunch, we visited the little local park before my daily shopping (I have gone from pre-planning about four days' meals at a time to shopping by the day, only deciding that morning what I am making. I hate being so disorganised!).

I got her a pair of pyjamas recently and as it was so chilly in her room I put her in them for the first time. She looked so sweet in them; it made me feel a bit gooey. Lately I find that I really want to tiptoe back into her room in the evening as I miss her. Strange, since during the day I look forward to her nap so I can have a bit of time to myself.

25 November 08

The latest thing to get Emily laughing is when I say 'Golly gosh'. It cracks her up for some reason.

With reluctance, I forced myself to go to Shinjuku in the afternoon as I needed a few things and that is the only shopping area I know at all well. I didn't want to take Emily somewhere where I knew there was no scope for crawling and playing, but figured one day wouldn't hurt. Though it had rained the day before, the ground looked quite dry, so I decided to take her to Shinjuku Gyoen first for a crawl on the grass. My plan was thwarted though, as the park was closed (normally closes on Mondays but if a public holiday it closes Tuesday instead). I really must remember this closure policy before I set out anywhere.

I managed to get most of the things I went for, but Emily did get a bit fretful towards the end. She was temporarily cheered up by all the Christmas trees for sale in Tokyu Hands. After years of being a bit of a humbug around the festive season, I find my enthusiasm renewed now we have her to remind us of the more delightful aspects. I think I'll get a tree and put it out on the balcony (a one-year-old and a decorated tree do not mix well, methinks).

23 November 08

Ali had invited us to join her for late lunch in Marunouchi with her friends Goro and Nami. Luckily for me they both spoke excellent English, and had married this year after meeting each other when living in London. Nick was pleased to be able to discuss football, though Goro is unfortunately a Chelsea fan.

We went into one of the many high-rise buildings in the area and picked a floor to eat at (in Tokyo, every drab office block is home to restaurants on each floor). We certainly struck it lucky when we chose Bangkok Kitchen. It had very smart decor and lots of Thai dishes to salivate over. As we were the only customers, it being past 3pm by now, we were able to put Emily down on the floor to crawl around. While I was playing with her the maitre d' came over and held out his hands to take her; I was a bit taken aback, but handed her over. He disappeared round the corner of the bar with her and I expected to hear her wail, but there was only the odd chuckle. It was a novelty for Nick and me to be able to eat at the same time. My steamed fish with spicy lime sauce was superb - it came with plenty of chili, and also slivers of raw garlic, which had our eyes tearing. When I went to find Emily and relieve her impromptu babysitters, she actually cried when I took her!

We thought we had better give her an opportunity to play before we set off home, so Nick and I took her round the corner to the Imperial Plaza so she could crawl on the grass under the pines. While we were there a lady came past with a very active little dog, and Emily was so excited she took off in hot pursuit. Another couple came by and I spotted that they had a white rabbit in their holdall. Wonder if it was wearing a coat, like most of the pooches we saw. Of course there were also loads of crows above us, providing endless entertainment. The sun fell quickly, and the temperature dropped significantly; feeling rather chilly we dived into Hibiya station and took the Mita line home.

22 November 08

Nick and I got a bit of a lie-in as Emily didn't wake until 7.45. Poor Ali had a disturbed night - she said it wasn't being on a futon that did it, but I'm sure it contributed.

Our guest set off late morning to the lecture that her father was speaking at. It was a bright but cold day, so after lunch Nick and I decided to go to Roppongi Hills and take in the views from the observation deck at Mori Tower. It was my first time up on the 52nd floor there, and I was knicked out by the 360 panorama visible from there. We picked a good time to go, as there were no queues and we stayed long enough to see the city by day and after dark. It was spacious and there were several places for Emily to crawl around without fear of trampling. We were able to identify all the places around town that I have been to, and just as the sun set we finally saw the top of Fuji-san appearing from the swathe of cloud it had been hiding behind, as we enjoyed some delicious smoothies. My only regret was that the camera was out of juice so I couldn't record any of it. Nick put Emily right up against the glass with that massive drop below, and I could not look as she put her hands up and stared straight down!

Emerging from the express lift we found that hundreds of people were waiting to go up. Outside the Christmas lights had come on and it was such a lovely spectacle. Emily loved it, as did I.

21 November 08

Nick's good friend Ali arrived in Tokyo today, here mainly on business and to attend a syposium at which her father is speaking (he is an eminent professor in Japanese-Sino relations, I believe). After she'd settled in - she is staying with us for a few days - I walked with her to Mita as she had arranged to meet her parents there. Unfortunately she hadn't realised that Mita station has 10 exits. I offered to help find them, and hurried up the road to check some of the further afield exits. I spotted a slightly-elderly western man who seemed to be searching for someone, and rushed across the road to accost him. He must have been a bit taken aback to be addressed by a strange woman with a pram asking if he was Alison's dad. Glad to bring them together, I carried on with Emily to the Shibaura jidokan, where she happily played for an hour or so. She spent most of the time sucking on giant Lego bricks; I will get her a set, as I really liked assembling abstract objects while she chewed!

Later, as I was preparing dinner, Ali and I talked. I wasn't all that surprised that she didn't want a drink as she was very jetlagged, but out of the blue she admitted that she was in the early stages of pregnancy. She hadn't intended to mention it as she was only about 8 weeks on; perhaps being around Emily, who really likes her, loosened her tongue. Lucky she told me, as dinner was a bit of a no-go for those in a delicate condition - swordfish, followed by tiramisu made with raw eggs and booze. Nick and I are pleased as punch for her and Roddy, and keeping everything crossed that it progresses well.

20 November 08

Jean had invited some of us to her place in Osaki for a playdate. Unfortunately Jo cried off on the day as Isy was coming down with something, so I met Silvia at Tamachi and we made our way to Osaki station, where we met Jean and Momo. It had become much colder overnight, so I had Emily tucked away in the cosy-toes buggy attachment. She was not impressed with wearing a hat but amazingly it was still on when we got there.

Jean's apartment was not much larger than ours, but nicely appointed. As she is always smartly dressed I was not surprised to find that it looked like a show-flat, despite having Valerie and her many toys to accommodate. I'm not sure I could cope with a white carpet though. Emily was enjoying herself for a while, but then got tearful; however, an attempt to get her to nap failed. She found it amusing to try to bite my breast - I hope she quickly grows out of experimenting with her new teeth! We played some more and then I thought I had better get her home. For the second time this week she missed her second nap but seemed none the worse for it, eating all her tea and playing happily in the bath, though she was zonked halfway through her bottle.

19 November 08

Emily now has one and a half teeth on the top, and I found that there was one just coming through on the bottom. It's hard to find out as she doesn't like me putting my fingers in her mouth.


Though markedly chillier, it was extremely clear and sunny. Nick said he had great views from Izumi Garden Tower to Fuji-san and the mountains that way. I'd arranged to escort Silvia to her first TMG meeting, which was being held at Shirokanedai Children's Hall. I hadn't been aware of its existence, and as it is only 20 minutes from home I was keen to check it out. Silvia was hesitant about trying to get there on her own, so I offered to meet her at Tamachi and go with her, instead of walking there. I know she's only been here two months, but she really needs to be more adventurous; I find her rather wet, to be honest. She said that she never takes Reiko anywhere other than the Shibaura jidokan, which is a shame.



The Childrens' Hall was a bit shabby and grubby, to my surprise, given that it is located in one of the most salubrious neighbourhoods in Tokyo. Emily seemed happy enough though, so it goes on the list of indoor play-places for wet days. It is really close to the nice little park there too, so we can combine the two into an afternoon's entertainment.

18 November 08

We had a lunch date with Nick, and as it was very sunny and warm for November we went to the little play area outside, near his office. Emily crawled around getting grubby, and tried to climb up the slide a few times. We saw a praying mantis on the ground and had to make sure that she didn't try to grab it.

After Nick returned to work I took Emily to Shiba Koen park, stopping briefly to admire a Christmas tree beneath Tokyo Tower and some turning leaves at Zojoji temple.

At the park she got excited because there were lots of little dogs scampering around and plenty of her favourites, crows, flapping overhead.

We finished up at Hamamatsucho jidokan, where I was surprised to see Momo, Jean and some of their friends. Also, I had called Jill and she came along too. After an hour's fun, Emily would not nap, perhaps because she had been so stimulated. Though she was a bit upset on the walk home, amazingly she ate all her tea, had fun in the bath, and drank all her milk, before flaking out for more than 12 hours.

Nick so often tells me that the brown stuff is about to hit the fan, that I said he must feel like he's working at a sewage farm!

17 November 08

Monday, so it was KSpace class. The 2pm start was better than last week's 4pm, as Emily was less tired. I was a bit embarrassed, because whenever one of the men there spoke to her or even to someone else she screwed up her face and started crying. As it was three men taking the class, I had to try to distract her to prevent her from getting upset. Strange that she doesn't seem to do it with Japanese men, but they don't tend to have deep voices like Nick's.

She is still babbling like crazy; hard to believe she hasn't said a real word yet.

16 November 08

I was relieved to wake feeling only slightly hungover. It was a grey day and likely to rain, so we needed somewhere indoors to go. We hit upon the idea of going to the aquarium in Shinagawa-ku. It took us less than an hour to get there, even though we had to make a couple of detours to and from stations due to the Tokyo Womens Marathon, which was being held along the highway past Tamachi and on towards Yokohama.

The aquarium was a popular destination on a dreary Sunday, so on entering we found it awash with children. Emily was captivated with the accessible tanks, and loved the tunnel that allowed us to walk among huge rays and turtles. The miniature coral reef was teeming with gorgeously-coloured tropical fish.

With some reservations, we went to see the sealion show. Though it was amazing what they could train the animals to do, I came away feeling a bit sad. They had them balancing balls on their noses and playing hula-hoop. One of them even balanced on one flipper. Emily was just as excited by all the kiddies there as the display itself.

We were ravenous, so went to the on-site restaurant, which looked better than it was. The menu was poor and the food even more so. Nick's arrived within 2 minute of ordering, so was clearly not freshly-cooked. We had a bit of a falling-out as Emily resisted going off for a nap and I got a bit strung out. After making peace, we re-entered the aquarium and went along for the dolphin show. Again, their stunts were incredible, but it seemed so demeaning. We left via the penguins and then the seal enclosure, both of which had Emily kicking her legs.

15 November 08

TMG had organised a mums' night out, an opportunity which I leapt at. I was a bit surprised to hear that it was to be from 6 until 10pm, but since I found it so hard to stay up last time I went out it was probably a good idea. This meant that I had to leave Emily's whole evening routine to Nick; he has done most of it before, but not the whole thing on his own.

So off I went to Shibuya at the appointed hour. Leaving the station I found it to be heaving with shoppers and early revellers. The famous Hachiko Square, the multiple zebra crossing that a lot of people will have seen on Japan footage, was one mass of bodies when the lights went green. I have lived in Central London and travelled at rush hour there often, but nothing prepares you for this experience.

Arriving at the restaurant I met Stephanie, who had organised the evening; the remainder of the party turned up soon after and we were soon ordering cocktails. I took a chance and ordered one called 'Kamikaze'; thankfully it was just to my liking: vodka-based with lime. Whether it was due to the drink or my inate clumsiness, as I was passing a dish across the table I sent a carafe of sangria flying over Cindy and Steph. Luckily for me they were both wearing black, but I was still mortified. The food was fairly good - a range of dishes from right across Asia. The only thing that marred the occasion was that the people at the next table were all smoking.

We didn't stay long though, as we were due at a karaoke venue at eight. Another couple of ladies joined us there, and we were shown to our private room, which was very comfortable, with squidgy banquettes and plenty of space for us 8. We wasted no time in punching in the numbers for the tracks we fancied singing, and ordering more drinks. As we had chosen an unlimited drinks package I felt it necessary to order an umeshu (plum liqueur) on the rocks about every ten minutes, to make sure I got good value from the deal.

I was disappointed to find that I still haven't regained the lower tones that I used to be able to reach before I got pregnant. To be honest, you find yourself screeching the lyrics most of the time, especially as the booze took effect! The disappointing thing was that as so many tracks were being selected, hardly any of the ones I chose came up. My choice of 'Summer Nights' from Grease was very popular with all though.

All too soon our two hours was up, and we all wished we could stay longer. Unfortunately it was not possible to extend and we had to leave. We all vowed to do it again soon. Steph and Maia had to go home, but the rest of us weren't ready to go yet. We wandered around Shibuya trying to find a drinking hole, eventually ducking into a basement bar that was advertising 'Live & Drinks'. I really thought we would find ourselves in a strip joint but actually it was a live music venue. It was fairly quiet in there as the musicians had packed up, so we could have a bit of a natter. Strangely the place closed at 11.30 though. We decided we had better call it a night at that point and made our way home. I felt perfectly safe to take the train and walk back from Tamachi, thereby saving a big cab fare. When I got back I found that Nick was still up, watching football highlights!

14 November 08

I am starting to regret offering my services as a mentor to new TMG members. As well as wanting to 'give something back' I was hoping to maybe make some new friends (although I don't really need any more, to be truthful). After one postponement on her part, I made my way to the house of my next mentoree (is that a word?), in Higashi Gotanda. She was alright, but we didn't exactly gel. I took a couple of cakes from the patisserie and she didn't even thank me. She is new to Tokyo, but seems to have settled in just as well as I have, so I am not sure why she requested a mentor. She has already got a circle of mums that she meets regularly. We did have one thing in common - she works for Barclays Capital, though we didn't cross over as I left after 5 years in 2002, and she only started in 2003.

Trying not to be green with envy, but their house was great. It was in a lovely neighbourhood and it had two huge, beautifully-furnished reception rooms and 4 bedrooms. I need to meet some mums who are in a similar position to me (ie. not here on a generous expat package). As their 9-week old baby is not on the move, it was not baby-proofed, so I spent the whole time trying to stop Emily from wrecking the joint. Her husband, an Aussie (she is Singaporean), arrived home unexpectedly early, and I felt like a spare part. Emily had been perfectly happy in this strange place, but as soon as he put in an appearance she burst into tears. Perhaps it was disappointment when she realised it wasn't her Daddy. We were on the point of leaving anyway. Having gone upstairs to change, he returned as we were leaving,and she promptly started crying again!

12 November 08

On a damp and decidedly chilly afternoon, I took Emily to play at the jidokan in Hamamatsucho. This is definitely our favourite: it has a huge range of toys and books and Emily has a whale of a time there. She got very rosy cheeks, rushing around and crawling after toddlers (to their annoyance!). There is a giant white teddy and a huge panda there, and she kept going over to them and laying down in their lap, which was incredibly sweet. They have a great walker, a wooden steam train that choo-choos as the wheels power a bellows. I stood her behind it and she took four little steps before dropping to the safety of the floor. A group of mums came in with some similar-aged babies and she was by far the most confident and sociable. She is quite happy to be away from me as long as she can look round every now and then and check I am still there.

One of the mothers had a sweatshirt on with a good example of Japlish - it said 'multitude sentry'. Just what is that supposed to mean?

Though I always rail against it at home, it is quite nice to see some Christmas decorations going up in the shops and malls here. No doubt the desperate retailers in the UK have long since put theirs up. I'm glad we will be able to decorate at home a bit, though not until after the 22nd, of course.

10 November 08

Our first anniversary, and some gorgeous flowers arrived in the morning - nicer than my bouquet last year!

Unfortunately Emily was not going to make it a pleasant day for me. It was the first of our series of mother and baby classes at KSpace. I'd had reservations about the timing (4-4.45), and my pessimism was well-founded. Though she was tired, she would not go to sleep on the way. It is only a 25 minute walk, and I allowed an hour to ensure that she went off and napped for half an hour. I got very stressed out and admit I shouted and swore at her, making her cry, poor mite. As a consequence she was too weary to enjoy the class and only smiled once, unlike last time. We are switching to the 2pm class and I hope that will improve her participation and enjoyment.


To my shame as a wife, our anniversary meal was a pitiful pasta bake and a bought dessert. Perhaps I could have managed something more special if we hadn't been away, or is it the top of a slippery slope?


Will my brain ever return to pre-pregnancy sharpness (such as it was)? My words come out all wrong . Today I said to Emily 'let's wash our teeth'. I often come out with a word that is related, but not quite correct. I blame it on the hormones.