8 June 08

We had to go to Asakusa to book our train tickets to Nikko next Sunday, so decided to make a day of it and see Sensoji temple and have lunch out as well.

After Nick sorted out the tickets, we dived into a restaurant for tempura. Mine was very good: the lightest, crisp batter and not at all oily. The ginger shoot was particularly nice. Emily was charming the elderly serving women with lots of smiles.

This is a major draw on the tourist circuit, so the whole approach to the temple was packed. The entrance to the complex is through Kaminarimon (thunder god gate), with its giant lantern hanging beneath.

Beyond is souvenir-hunter's delight, Nakamisedori, a network of stalls selling fans, kinomo, kitsch trinkets and Japanese snacks. I bought a rather nice cotton kimono; the design was cherry blossom, peony and cranes. Not at all my usual minimalist style, but ideal for wearing around the flat.

Before the temple is a large treasure gate, Hozomon, decorated with a pair of giant rope sandals.

We were rather intrigued to find a statue of a group of pigeons. Surely must be the only place to immortalise those flying rats in bronze. The real-life specimens foraging nearby looked just as mangey as those infesting every city in the world and certainly not worth celebrating.

Before going home we made a great discovery in a side street called Cafe Rest Czun. It billed itself as a travellers' cafe and was very laid back with mismatched secondhand chairs and tables and a huge squishy sofa; not at all Japanese. Emily went crazy when we started drinking our iced water and entertained everyone by supping happily from the glass. She was being very appealing with lots of smiles and chuckles.

When we got home we heard about a stabbing in Akihabara, only a few kilometres from where we'd been. Six people were killed and many injured. Apparently it was a yakusa (gangster) who said he was 'tired of the world'. As Nick said, if he really was, why not top himself instead of causing mayhem like that?

I managed a half hour run before dinner, though it was hellishly humid out there.

7 June 08

Finally Nick got to see Emily roll over, and also enjoyed her gurgling laughter as I tickled her.

Once we'd done a few vital chores, we set off to Shinjuku. As always it was heaving with shoppers. We joined the throng heading for Times Square (actually not a square at all, but a large building housing a couple of giant department stores). It was lunchtime, so we went up to the top to check out the three levels of restaurants. On the 13th floor we found a fantastic roof garden.

I was absolutely bowled over by it, and we were really lucky to be able to get a table on the decking bordering it. We ate at a creperie that specialised in Breton galettes, and best of all it sold cidre bouche from the Rance valley!

The beds were stocked with beautiful trees and shrubs and had quite a European feel. From the edge there were fabulous views over the city, and the huge tree-filled green space of Shinjuku Gyoen was laid out close by.

After lunch we spent quite a while in a great outdoor-gear shop called L-Breath and treated ourselves to some sport sandals each, which we've both been desperate for.

On the way back home, Emily was drinking from the cap of a water bottle. She was really excited. Recently she is so interested in everything we eat and drink and wants to join in, so we've decided to start her on solids on her half birthday.

6 June 08

A beautiful, if hot, day. The social whirl continues: Emily and I had a lunch invite to Bettina's. It's great to be meeting so many mums and babies but quite wearing, though I know that sounds ungrateful.

When we left the station at Yoyogi Uehara I spotted Jo, the Aussie I met at the Arisugawa event last week. She and I navigated through the quiet pleasant streets to the flat. The area had quite a village feel to it, and was mainly given over to houses no more than three storeys high. Bettina and Steve have a nice ground floor flat with a good-size deck outside. We found that Tracy and Lottie were already there. Lottie didn't look any the worse for her viral infection and seemed bigger than Emily, if anything.

The babies were all good as gold while we had our pot-luck lunch. Emily rolled over a couple of times again. Tracy had made a divine Brie and fig salad, and Bettina a quiche, so I vowed to widen my repertoire. Tracy had to leave quite early, but Jo and I stayed and the three of us walked back to Harajuku station through Yoyogi park. Emily became upset, and I was worried that she was dehydrated, so gave her a few sips of water in the cap of a water bottle. She seemed happier after that, so I think in the really hot weather I need to give her some more often. It turned out that Jo lives really near to us, on the other side of the tracks at Tamachi, so we can meet up regularly.

5 June 08

A very sticky day. We went over to Geraldine's place in Komazawa Daigaku. She's the one I met last week who also had her baby, Gaby, back in the UK and came out here in March. Coincidentally, they were living in Newcastle and working just along the road from me at the Nissan works in Sunderland. Gaby is about 9 months old. She has very plump thighs but is a strikingly attractive little girl.

It was quite a faff getting there as I had to carry the buggy down three separate double flights of steps at Shibuya station, in the process getting a nasty bruise on my bicep. When we got to her local station, she had made a mistake in her directions and I headed off the opposite way for a while before I realised the error. Their house is quite Scandinavian in apearance, being made of clapperboard and painted bright green. It's really nice and spacious with four bedrooms and an open-plan first floor, and has lovely hardwood flooring. The joys of an expat package and two salaries.

Already there was Heather with her 9-month-old Charlotte (also very cute), who we also met at Arisugawa last week. Later a Dutch girl (Elske - sp?) came too with her little boy Joep. Emily should have been tired and hungry but was so excited by the company and all the toys that I couldn't get her to settle at all. While we were there she rolled over several times again, and was most taken with Gaby's playgym. By the time we left it had come on to rain steadily, though it was still very warm. The rainy season proper is due to start soon, and will be a bit depressing as there won't be any chance of picnics and visits to parks for a month or so.

Later in the evening the cloud lifted and the air felt nice and fresh. I rarely venture out of the flat after dark, so always forget what an impressive view we have from the north-facing front, though the attached picture doesn't really do it justice.

4 June 08

So yesterday wasn't a fluke; Emily rolled from her back to her front (not the other way yet though) several times today, and I saw her do it twice. She was mighty pleased with herself, so she knew that she had done something clever.

If she's got hiccups, she thinks it's hilarious if I copy her, and laughs fit to bust. She's still waking between 5am and 6am, but I am used to it now, and at least it means that Nick can see her briefly before he heads out of the door. Anyway, judging by comments from other mothers I think I've got it pretty good, getting 6 hours+ guaranteed sleep a night, and four hours every evening to boot. I'm quite looking forward to starting her on solids now, after being nervous about it at first. The other day she had a suck of a banana and seemed very interested.

Sharon and Taylor came around in the afternoon for tea. We had a nice couple of hours, and even talked about non-baby related things!

3 June 08

Nothing much to report today, as it was very dreary and wet, EXCEPT Emily rolled over! She was lying under the playgym and I turned my back for a minute. When I looked again she had changed from being on her back to being on her tummy. I think she may have used the toucan to pull herself over, but who cares? I'm under no illusions, though: it will probably be another week or two before she does it again, but it's a start.

1 June 08

Emily spent her first night in her own room, and it all went fine. She clearly realised she wasn't in the usual place as she had a good look round while I was feeding her, but it didn't seem to faze her and she slept normally. In fact, Nick and I woke before her. Looking at the big gap in the corner of our room I did have the odd feeling that she had just been a dream, and I was really looking forward to going in to see her and get the first smile of the day. Nick was the same even though it was his day off and a chance for a lie-in.

After lunch we walked over to Sharon and Ryan's pad for a BBQ. Luckily, the weather played ball as it was fine and clear with a light breeze. Mind you, the barbecue was set up on their balcony and we ate inside anyway. Also present were Sam and Mario with a sleepy Ami, and Philippa and Michael with Indi(go), who was crawling all over the place and even standing up with help - not bad for less than 8 months. Taylor was quite grizzly and spent a lot of the time crying or sleeping. In contrast, after a few tears on arrival, Emily was really bright and happy, with lots of smiles and delightful giggles. She's been babbling a lot the last two days, having stopped blowing raspberries to concentrate on forming proper sounds. She was watching Indi intently as she sat and crawled, so I hope it rubs off. Being around slightly older babies seems the best way to bring them on, so I shall have to make every effort to go to meetings like the one we attended this week. Mind you, trying to maintain a social life feels very tiring at times.