3 November 2010

Today was one of two national holidays this month, this one being Culture Day, so Nick had the day off. He still needed to study though, so I took Emily to Onarimon playground on the bus, which leaves from the end of our road and conveniently stops right opposite the park entrance. It was very sunny and we were soon stripping off layers down to T-shirts. Emily quickly exhausted all the play equipment and was then content to collect leaves ad nauseum. A man had been collecting gin-nan (ginkgo nuts) and after washing off the smelly outer flesh had hundreds of the nuts laid out to dry in the sun.

Back at home, Emily took herself off to the loo on her own several times: another little step towards independence.

After a Japanese lunch of kitsune udon (an unintentional nod towards the special day), we went to Kyu Shiba Rikyu, getting Emily to walk all the way to Tamachi station. The park was really busy but the crowds gradually thinned as the sun worked down the sky. Emily had great fun collecting even more leaves and pretending a small pine tree was her house.

We had Japanese dinner as well: tasty and fairly cheap yellowtail tuna and daikon (giant white radish) cooked in the holy trinity of sake, mirin and soy sauce, plus ginger. Actually it was rather good so I should make it more often. Heavy saucepan usage though - the washing up took an age.

Given the opportunity of Nick being home in the evening for once, I forced myself out for an additional run after Emily had gone to bed, though I kept it to 35 minutes and skipped the second long hill past the Kuwait embassy.