17 July 2009

What a change overnight! It was raining when we first got up, and stayed overcast the whole morning. I don't think it topped 27C all day.

After lunch we went to the pool at Meguro again, this time escorting Jill and Victoria, neither of whom had been before. I was amazed when we arrived to find that there was no-one else in the pool. Yesterday there must have been more than 30 children plus their mums. I soon found out why. After a morning without sunshine to warm it, the water was actually very cool; Emily and I both sucked in breath when we first got in, though we quickly acclimatised. It was great to have the pool just for the three of us. Jill and I took our little ones for a few goes down the slide; the rather stern lifeguard looked on and I thought that perhaps adults weren't supposed to use it as it ends in water only 50cm deep. Maybe he cut us some slack since no-one else was around. Soraya (15 months) amazed us by doing doggie paddle several times. Try as I might I couldn't get Emily to stay afloat and kick her legs. I wish I could get some pictures there, but don't want to take the camera into such a wet environment, and can't leave Emily unattended for long enough to take snaps anyway.

16 July 2009

After going stir crazy at home yesterday we had to go out, despite another scorching day. I nearly had a change of heart when we stepped out from the comfort of the aircon. It is such a shock to go from 26C to about 33C in one fell swoop. We shade-hopped for quarter of an hour to Appi jidokan in Azabu, where Emily had an hour's play before the usual trip to Nissin on the way home. At least I can buy frozen food there, because they give you a little bag of dry ice to put in with your shopping.


On the way back we passed yet another newly-opened dog parlour. Surely the area has reached saturation point? Admittedly there are an awful lot of pooches that need grooming though. When a new shop or restaurant opens here they always have huge flower arrangements outside - the big bouquets on a stand that you see in a church back home. This one had no fewer than five. It must have cost a packet, so I hope there are a lot of hirsute hounds queuing up to succumb to the clippers.

In the afternoon we went with Jo and Bettina to the public open-air pool in Meguro. It only cost 100 yen (60p) and was fantastic. I wish we had gone last summer (it is only open for about 10 weeks). Emily went absolutely mental let loose on so much water. I have been worried about her attitude to water, but her previous full-immersion experiences were mainly in deep water, sea or pool, whereas this wading pool was a maximum of 50cm so she could stay on her feet. She tore around, frequently falling over and submerging her face, but never got upset. She wore armbands, which I think helped a lot too when she did fall. In the shallow section she loved rolling over and over; at the end of the deep water there was a water slide, which she braved a few times. After an hour and a half of staying alert and following her every move I felt quite exhausted, but really pleased at how happy she was there. We will be frequent visitors, especially as we can be there in half an hour.

15 July 2009

Phew, what a scorcher, as they say. It was over 30C by the time Emily and I got up at seven. I just couldn't face going out, so cancelled a playdate with Victoria (I think she was secretly relieved) and decided to try staying in with the aircon for once. In any case, Emily has a cold and quite a chesty cough, so I didn't think we would be welcome at a jidokan. What a bad decision. We were both climbing the walls by the end of four hours. I did my best to engage her and we went through her whole toy box and book shelf, but it was a carton of old rubber bands and bag ties that captivated her for the longest time.

I had to rouse her early from her nap so that we could make our way to Hamamatsucho jidokan for a TMG meeting, as I was coordinator. There was a surprisingly good turnout of about 10, considering that a lot of expats have left for the summer. I did my best to make sure that I talked equally to everyone, though naturally I gravitated towards Jill and Jo. Helen, a British girl married to a Japanese guy, came along with two year old Kiki and her two month baby Isla. At one point she had to see to Kiki and I offered to hold Isla for her. I was amazed at how nice it felt to cradle the little thing, given that I am not at all a maternal sort of person. Emily looked quite worried but didn't make a fuss, other than cling to my leg for a bit. Further fuel to throw on the raging fire....but there are so many negatives to take into account too. Definitely a head versus heart debate. And why I am making my thoughts public I don't know, as I am the only person who can decide.

12 July 2009

We spent the day in Edogawa ward: the 'downtown' area of Tokyo in the Edo period. It was only half an hour from Mita, so we ought to have explored it before, but we only just read about it in the guide book. It was really hot, though luckily a strong breeze was blowing along the river corridor. There is a high manmade embankment along the river, set up as a cycling route, with many sports grounds sandwiched between. Waterskiers and jetskiers were tearing up and down the river, providing further entertainment.

A little walk along the path brought us to an iris garden, which apparently has around 50,000 plants, but it was very hot there and I was too worried about us burning to enjoy those blooms which were still out. As it was past her mealtime we sat Emily on a bench under a shelter to eat. She refused the jar of food I'd brought for her and was generally a bit out of sorts, not even wanting to walk much after an hour of travel. We sought sanctuary in a restaurant nearby; it was busy and all heads turned as we entered. I don't think there are many foreigners to be seen in this part of the city as it is off the beaten tourist track. We had some very acceptable cold noodles, though the tempura with noodles looked better. Emily was happy to join in now, and was eating quite well with a fork.

We got back onto the path and walked northwards as Emily napped. Again I fretted, as she had a very red face because no wind was reaching her in the enclosed buggy. On the sport fields between us and the river some interesting sports were being played; we saw an all-women team frisbee game, played a bit like netball but with a disc. Next along was a lacrosse game in full swing. I thought that was just a game for English public schools.

Emily woke after only half an hour, as we paused for cold drinks while watching a ferry with about 30 on board being punted across to the other bank. We left the river and tried to find a park for her to play in. All we could come up with was the small garden of an old merchant's house where she loved the water feature and bamboo ('babboo') fence. Up the road we happened across a fine temple, Taishakuten, with beautiful wood carvings on the gates and interior buildings, and a pine whose incredibly long branches spread right across the front of the temple.

A large bronze urn with water gently splashing to the ground was naturally Emily's favourite. In one corner of the courtyard we were treated to a puppet show with dolls in old fashioned costume. The puppeteer used incredibly complicated moves with the strings to create a very life-like and comical effect.

My run in the evening was OK, considering the heat, which was tempered only by a light breeze. I wish there was scope for more than one a week as I really feel my lack of fitness more these days (especially when pushing a heavy stroller and Emily up some of the steep hills around here).

11 July 2009

My final Japanese class was harder than ever. I really felt that I was struggling, but then, I did miss five weeks. The other students' vocabulary seems much more extensive than mine, but the main difference is that they are not self-conscious about speaking in class. I don't want to say anything unless I am absolutely sure I have got it right. I think it is quite a British trait. We finished up with a small party, which was rather awkward at first. One of the students had brought a bottle of amazake (sweet, unfiltered sake), which was not at all nice, and is traditionally drunk in the winter not high summer, but perhaps the alcohol helped to break the ice a bit. I felt I should make small talk in Japanese with the teachers, but struggled to think of anything worth saying.

In the afternoon the three of us went to Tamagawadai. We let Emily have free rein in the large playground first

then carried on down the other side of the ridge to the banks of river Tama. There we found a wide grassy path next to the water, though there was no easy access to the river. Lots of sports were being practised in riverside fields, especially baseball. Emily was happy picking clover and pointing at trains crossing on a nearby bridge.

10 July 2009

For our morning playdate with Victoria and Soraya we decided to go back to the Nature Studies Centre again. The forecast had been for 31C, but it was somewhat cooler, with good cloud cover and a very vigorous wind. So strong indeed, that Victoria reported that their paddling pool had blown off their balcony overnight, giving me pause for thought about ours.

Although not as muddy there as the week before, we soon found that the mosquitos had moved in. We were all attacked repeatedly by the horrible bloodsuckers, and we cut our visit short as a result. The little park next door was a better option, and especially when we discovered that the water feature was now full, having been dry all year. Emily and Soraya wasted no time in getting soaked, but having lots of fun with a couple of Japanese boys who were there with their grandmothers.

After lunch nap I took Emily to the hospital for her 18 month check up. She came in at 12.3kg (75th centile) and 87cm (98th centile). The doctor had enough English for us to be able to talk through their questionnaire and be satified with Emily's progress. We spent an hour afterwards around Shiba Koen park, then on the way to the supermarket I came across a playground I hadn't seen before, down a side street. This one had lovely lush grass, swings and a sand pit, and a great piece of play equipment with several slides and chutes and a climbing wall. It's great to still be discovering new places after so long here.

9 July 2009

Emily woke at 4.45. Eventually I gave up trying to settle her and took her to bed with me. She was about to drop off at last when Nick's alarm went off at 5.40. After he went she did calm down and I managed to doze on and off until 7.45, but I felt terrible when I got up.

It was a very hot morning but I felt I ought to leave the sanctuary of the aircon behind and take Emily out. We went to the local playground but the sun was really strong and I was worried about her burning even with cream and a hat. We moved on to a second small playground behind the supermarket, which was shadier but had a higher mozzie count, then shopped and dashed home.

Emily picked at her lunch, perhapos becasue she was now very tired after her early stirring. I got her down in bed and ate mine, then showered and went off to bed myself. I woke after an hour and a half but felt so bad I wondered if I should have, a rare headache nagging at my temples.

Skip Kids seemed the last place to go with a bad head, but after a while I felt a lot better, despite the squeals of a handful of excitable kids. Emily was really lively and beaming her best grin a lot. I had a good chat with Jo and Bettina, which eventually turned to the usual subject on my mind these days. The discussion continued later over dinner, when Nick came home early (8pm!). I am really 50/50 on having another child, and we concluded that we will never be absolutely sure either way. But that is exactly the way we felt before we had Emily! I used to worry about material issues such as the stability of Nick's job and the size of our apartment, but my main concern has changed now: what if I had twins, or there was an abnormality? Entirely possible as the incidence of both increases with maternal age. And of course the idea of two children with no family around as support is scary too. So where does that leave us...?