Guess what we did?!?!

Seven Months Old!

Wow, what a fun and exciting 7 months it has been since Elise arrived. We're a tad bit tired, but feel so blessed to have such an energetic, curious, and sweet little girl. I guess being two pretty active parents has given us a child who enjoys being in constant motion as well - watch out world!

The Japanese ladies love her round little face and we are often greeted with oohs and aaahs as they say "kawaii" (cute) and proceed to ask how old she is, what her name is, etc... I pretty much recognize the phrases now and can respond with "Elise-chan" and the number for how old she is. (not too impressive, I know)

Elise loves both reading and eating books, but has not really taken to solid foods yet. She does love a good napkin and a piece of computer paper here and there, but she seems to think that fruits and vegetables taste like poison (of course, Josh agrees)!

Her vocabulary now consists of long strands of "da-da-da-da" along with other forms of cooing and babbling. She's just now starting to notice other babies and kids and seems excited to "interact" with them.

I thought for a little while that I wanted her to stay tiny forever, but it's turning out to be quite amazing to watch her take on the world with wide-eyed wonder!

Spring is on its way!

A recent batch of sunny and mild weekends has given us the opportunity to get out and enjoy some spring beauties! The plum blossoms are just beginning to burst open and their sweet fragrance fills the air with a delightfully refreshing aroma.

For weeks now I have been getting out our Yokosuka map to read about the best places to enjoy the flowers of spring. Mid-February was the first date noted for catching plum blossoms, so we headed out to the Taura Plum Grove to walk amongst a hillside grove of over 2,000 trees. (Josh is such a good sport!) We packed a lunch, found a lovely spot for a picnic, and followed a very vertical path up and through the flowering trees! It was beautiful!

Our next excursion took us to a walking path along Sagami Bay. (The opposite side of the Miura Peninsula from where we live.) It was a clear and cool day and we caught our best glimpses of Mt. Fuji to date. I must say, one of the things I enjoy most about Japan is how much the Japanese seem to enjoy and appreciate nature and the natural wonders around them. Half the fun of seeing Fuji tower above the bay and surrounding countryside was watching the locals be just as in awe of it as we were.

Cultural Exchanges...

Recently, I've had the chance to attend several unique events around the Yokosuka area. The first was a luncheon with a group of other Japanese and American military wives. The event was called the Tadodai Matsuri; Tadodai was the name of the home where the lunch was held (the former residence of the Commander in Chief of the Japanese Navy) and "Matsuri" means "festival" in Japanese. Matsuri are often held at a shrine or temple in conjunction with a national holiday.
Our "festival" was held on the first day of the lunar new year, although since 1873 Japan's main new year's celebration has followed the western tradition of celebrating on January 1st.

Our Japanese hosts decorated the house like a festival marketplace with street stalls of games and activities. We could play with old fashioned toys, go fishing for treats, make balloon figures and paper dolls, and shoot at prizes with a rubber band gun made from chopsticks as well as a bow and arrow. What fun! After the street stall games were over we watched a cooking demonstrations for yakisoba (a popular noodle dish) and then enjoyed a delicious lunch! The lunch included noodle dishes, miso soup, sushi, baked tofu and many other tasty treats. It was also followed by a wonderful spread of desserts. Oishii! We were so impressed with how much time and effort were put into the whole event, it was a lovely day and a great way to learn more about festival traditions. We will have a chance to return the favor by hosting a luau for the Japanese ladies this spring.

Next, I was invited to a Vietnamese New Year's party with my English student, Midori. There are currently 14 students from the Vietnamese military who are studying at Japan's National Defense Academy as part of a student exchange program. Midori is one of the host families, so she helped to organize the party. I must say, it was a bit overwhelming to be in a small house with 40 strangers who didn't have English as their first language...but Elise was my trusty side kick and we ended up really enjoying the evening. The students had prepared plate after plate of traditional Vietnamese foods. They had also put together a slide show to explain the foods and other new year's customs and traditions (It was presented in Japanese, so I didn't catch much!) A group of students performed a traditional Vietnamese song (more of a comedy act, really) and we ended the night with a game of BINGO (which I'm beginning to think is a very popular Japanese party game!)

Yesterday, I had the opportunity to attend another luncheon with a group of Japanese and American wives from the hospital. We had hosted the Japanese ladies this past fall and they offered to reciprocate the kindness with a luncheon and Japanese calligraphy lesson. Apparently, the art of calligraphy is taught to children in grade school and junior high, but very few people continue with it after that. I was amazed at the skill and technique that it took to make such beautiful writings.(My attempts looked like a kindergarten child's writing, or worse!) The Japanese teacher and other ladies were very gracious and patient with us, repeating the hand positioning and order of the brush strokes on many occasions. As you can see from the pictures, some of the calligraphy is done is orange/red. This color is traditionally reserved only for the sensei (teacher) and it is an honor to get to use this color of ink. I think I will be working in black and white for many many years to come!

Fuku wa uchi, Oni was soto

...or..."In with fortune, Out with evil."

According to the lunar calendar, the first day of spring is considered to be the 3rd or 4th day of the second month. Therefore, in Japan, today is a day known as Setsuban or Risshun which means "the coming of spring." It is a day to welcome in the cheer and color of spring, while ushering out the cold winter gloom. To welcome in the spring, it is customary for people to open their windows and doors and toss roasted soy beans into the air while saying "Fuku wa uchi, Oni was soto." Some believe that this would prevent evil ogres from entering one's house and allow good fortune to enter in. This event is also celebrated with parades and festivities held at shrines and temples around the country.

It is also said that on this day you should eat one soy bean for each year of your life so that you can enjoy a year of good health. Elise seemed to enjoy eating the ogre mask instead of the soy beans, so I'm not quite sure what that means for her, hmmm???