12 May 08

The weather has turned quite cool, after the muggy heat of last week. Perhaps it's the influence of the typhoon that is moving north-east of Japan.

The price of some foods is totally exorbitant. I got a bag of risotto rice today for £9. I know that the worldwide price of rice is on the rise, but still. And guess what I managed to spill all over the floor when I was making the world's most expensive risotto? Nick will have to reign in his Marmite addiction, with the smallest jar being £4, and I may find it hard to keep regular, with dried prunes and apricots at a fiver a bag. On the other hand, I got a fillet of sea bass large enough for two for less than £2.50. Cheap as chips - actually, cheaper, because potatoes work out around 30p each. Oh, and if I wanted to, I could get frozen frog! We could always eat cheaply on fish, rice, tofu, seaweed and eggs and live to 110.

On the route to the supermarket there is a little house with a glass case on the wall outside. It has some little dolls inside and about once a month the display changes. Last month they were all wearing face masks, presumably to reflect the cedar pollen season. Now they are wearing samurai headresses; maybe a reference to Children's Day, when boys display miniature samurai outfits.

8 May 08

We were woken at 1.10am by a lot of creaking, and doors rattling. The quake went on for about five minutes. Just when we'd settled back down and dropped off again there was another of equal size, though it only lasted about a minute. Emily thankfully wasn't disturbed by either. We found out later that there was a series of magnitude 6+ earthquakes about 100 miles north east, off the coast.

6 May 08

Again, Emily managed to sleep until dawn. It was a superb day: azure skies and a breeze. Our train back wasn't until 2, so we packed up our things then walked down to the beach.

As on the previous days, it had been virtually taken over by surfers, with camper vans and jeeps on every verge. There must have been at least two hundred of them riding the waves, and it made it quite hard for a non-surfer to find a safe place to bathe. Maybe that's why there weren't any swimmers - until Nick went in, that is. Or maybe it was because the wind by the waters edge was actually very cool; it was enough to put me off going in, with the prospect of getting out and being covered in goosebumps. Mind you, I wasn't keen to go in anyway, with my postnatal flabby, pale body and only an unflattering maternity swimsuit to wear.

Emily didn't seem to appreciate being on the beach much, and the wind was blowing sand all over her, so we had to pick her up. She has such pale colouring, and it was a battle to keep her covered all over - Nick's Arsenal towel was quite useful for that.

It was soon time to go back to the guesthouse to collect our things. After the packed bus ride the day before we'd decided to err on the side of caution and book a cab. As ever, the driver wore white gloves, and the car seats were draped in the ubiquitous lace. Imagine that at home!

We were pleasantly surprised to find that our train back was a 'Super View' type, as you normally have to pay more for these. They have great big picture windows and spacious airline-style reclining seats. As before, we were on the wrong side of the carriage, and made a mental note to ask for seats on the ocean side of the train in future. Coming back through Yokohama, we caught a faint glimpse of Mount Fuji, sun glinting on its snowy slopes.

5 May 08

Childrens Day here in Japan, with gaily-coloured carp banners flying everywhere.

Emily was a little treasure and slept until 4.30am; woken, no doubt, by the chirruping of a bird in the tree outside the window (and the fact that the room was completely light thanks to the flimsy curtains). We noticed that she was holding her hands together for the first time. Come naptime, we managed to persuade her to go back down on the mattress just in time for breakfast, and she obligingly slept until we had just finished eating. While we ate, I was a bit worried as there was a giant hornet buzzing around outside and it seemed very close to the window I'd left open upstairs. They really are huge - much larger than those at home.

It was tempting to go to the nearby beach, but we decided to take the owners advice and do a little coast walk at Suzaki he'd suggested. This involved taking a bus into Shimoda and then another to the start of the walk. The first bus was absolutely crammed with passengers - dangerously so, I thought, hanging onto the strap as we slewed around corners. Given the small breakfast portions, we were glad to have a bit of a wait for the next bus and topped up with cake and a sandwich (mashed pumpkin - nicer than it sounds!) in town.

The route is 2.6km long and follows the cliffs and bays of the peninsula. It was a sticky, humid day, and where the path was among trees there were quite a few insects, so I wasn't convinced that I'd enjoy it, but after a while we broke out into the open and it was really pleasant. All along the way there was a variety of trees, shrubs and wild flowers, fragrant jasmine being particularly abundant. In Japan wisteria grows wild, and you see the light purple strands of flowers high up in the tree canopy.

We hardly saw a soul for two hours and appreciated the peace and tranquillity. There were a few butterflies among the vetch and smock blossom, and also lots of hairy caterpillars about. We had our picnic at a viewpoint from where we could see south to endless shapely hills completely clothed in trees, marching down to the sea. At the end of the walk we came across a rocky promontory that was seething with creepy cockroaches and landcrabs.

We'd timed our arrival at the return bus stop quite well, particularly as it began spotting with rain. Back in Shimoda we found another cafe and treated ourselves to yet more cake before taking a fourth bus back to Shirahama.

Again, Emily did us proud and went off to sleep on schedule. We dined in our yukata, as we were planning on a bath later (we'd booked the communal bath for later in the evening). I felt a bit odd going down to dinner in just a robe, but another couple did too, and it is quite customary to do so here, apparently. We were given another free glass of home-made liqueur, this time made with a local citrus fruit, natsu-mikan. I was horrified to discover that we were being 'treated' to half a crayfish each, served in its shell. I couldn't bear to scrape the flesh out with its beady eye on me, so I only managed to eat two mouthfuls, all the while feeling nauseous. I just can't reconcile myself to eating something with eight long, hairy legs, and as for the brain...yuck. Nick was a bit disappointed in me, but I couldn't continue, even to please him.

We spent another couple of hours in pleasant conversation, before heading downstairs. As with all baths in Japan, we had to shower thoroughly first, as the same bathwater is used by successive bathers. It was at just about the right temperature: hot but not scalding. All the same, I had to get out after only ten minutes. A shame, as we don't get the chance to bath together any more. At 10, we went back to the room and woke our little cherub.

4 May 08

With much trepidation, I prepared for our trip to Shimoda. Emily had not been feeding well for a day or two, so I was pretty stressed about that, and I was also concerned about how she would sleep for the two nights away. So all in all, with my usual optimism I was expecting a disaster, with Nick and me returning frazzled and bleary-eyed.

The train trip took about two and a half hours, the latter half of the journey hugging the scenic coast. Typically our seats were not on the side with a view, but luckily the people opposite got off before us, so we could shift across and look out at the ocean. I enjoy train travel here: I tried to imagine the conductors in the UK wearing white gloves and bowing as they left each carriage! The buffet trolley was about the same though - a meagre selection, and overpriced.

At Shimoda we took a bus for the short ride about three miles to Shirahama, where we were staying at Pension Sakuraya. It was quite awkward getting the buggy and various bags aboard, but we eschewed paying for a taxi and went backpacker-style. From the bus stop it was a five minute walk up a 1-in-3 hill to the guesthouse. We had to wait ages to check in as a group of women got there first. One was an obnoxious American who proclaimed loudly that she'd rather eat natto than drink miso soup (very hard to believe as natto is fermented soya beans and reeks, while miso is pretty bland). Our room was western-style - ie. beds rather than futons on the floor - with a pre-formed ensuite unit that you'd struggle to swing a mouse in. It was really windy and the building shook with the strong gusts.

Emily hadn't slept all day, apart from a brief nap on the train, so we weren't sure how she'd behave. It was already past her usual bedtime so I gave her a cursory bath and feed then put her down (literally, as she was lying on a mattress on the floor between our twin beds). We switched on the monitor and sneaked out, convinced that we'd be right back, especially as the curtains were so thin and pale that the room was still very light whereas she is used to a darkened room.

The dining room was down about four flights of stairs, with great views across the wooded valley. Though the portions were a bit small for my appetite, the home-cooked meal was excellent, especially the locally-caught kinmedai (red-scaled fish a bit like bream). We were given a free glass of home-made plum liqueur (umeshu), which was delicious. The owner seemed happy to take time to chat, and had quite good English. He was very interested in the fact that there are different words for some things in American, and I explained using pants/trousers as an example.

It was only 7pm by the time we finished eating, so we had hours to kill before we could go back to the room. As there was no lounge, we stayed at the table; the other few diners soon left and we had the place to ourselves. It was really unusual for us to have so much time to ourselves, and we rather enjoyed chatting for a couple of hours. It was almost like being back at the start of our relationship again. When we are at home there is always some chore to do after dinner and we rarely even sit down on the sofa together. Eventually it was time to go back up and wake Emily, who hadn't stirred for four hours, bless her.

3 May 08

I can't express how depressing it is to be 41 today. I still feel like drinking more beer than is good for me and moshing at gigs, but feel resigned to being sensible. I know I could still do that stuff, but can't bear the idea of the pitying looks of those around me.

However it's more to do with becoming a mother, I suppose. There are rewards though...

2 May 08

Another lunch invite: this time at Tracy's. We would have convened in a park again but the weather had turned cloudy, though it was extremely warm and therefore muggy.

The journey there involved two changes of train, and initially I'd thought I would walk quite a way, so that I only had to take the familiar Yamanote line. However, I was determined to make some progress in learning how to use the transport system, so I decided that it was about time to take a deep breath and get on with it. The first transition went fine. At Yoyogi Uehara, I asked a member of platform staff which train I should get, as I could see that there were some express services that wouldn't stop at all stations. As directed, I boarded the second train, only to see my destination station flash past a minute later. Grrr. At the next stop I had to carry the buggy up and over to the opposite platform, leaving me drenched in sweat.

As suspected, Tracy and James' pad was very plush. It seems that embassy staff are allowed accommodation of the same size that they had at home. In Tokyo that gets you something rather nice. Can't imagine why they want to move back onto the embassy compound as it was a lovely neighbourhood - very quiet and no high-rises.

I was first to arrive, followed soon after by Bettina, Steve and baby Tim and later by Sam and Mario (who I hadn't met before) with their 6-week old boy Ami. It was a shame that Nick wasn't there to make a full set of fathers. Everyone had brought a contribution to lunch and we all tucked in, punctuated by breaking off to feed our babies as and when required. Lottie was as bonny as ever, apparently weighing the same as Emily now despite being 8 weeks younger. Our little chicky entertained everyone with her antics, lifting up her dress can-can style and gurgling a fair bit. They all proclaimed her smile to be lovely.

The sky was very overcast as we left, and I thought I heard the odd rumble of thunder. I was adventurous again for the return trip, taking another new route back. It isn't really all that hard, only difficult when manoeuvering the pram up and down. Though it is not permitted, I have had to become a bit of a rule-breaker and use escalators where a lift is not available. What else do they expect you to do? I am capable of carrying the pram with Emily inside, but don't see why I should.