It has taken her 10 months from birth, and now Emma is walking about.
She managed to get a start on Rina in that area. Rina began taking her steps as soon as she hit 12 months.
Emma looks to be having more fun now that she can move about on her two feet, but still resorts to all fours if she wants to move about in a rush.
We managed to get-away for a quick visit to Shousenkyo Gorge, in Yamanashi Prefecture. An area that is:
considered Japan’s most beautiful gorge. It is part of the Chichibu-Tama-Kai National Park, which covers more than 1250 square kilometers of forested mountains, valleys and some rural towns in the prefectures of Yamanashi, Saitama, Nagano and Tokyo.
As usual it was good to get away from Tokyo for a short time and see somewhere else. Everyone seemed to enjoy the time away, though not the very very cool/cold autumn weather. It did help that the heater in the cabin we stayed in worked in a sporadic beat. It was on and off all the time… Rina enjoyed keeping us warm with her concert performances after dinner.
Apparently the day before we arrived there were fierce thunderstorms all around the area – causing a lot of problems. But what that did for us was clear the day of all the weekenders from eastern Japan. We were able to enjoy the autumnal color changes with gaggle of thousands, rather than the throngs of millions – well not quite like that but close enough.
We were able to fill a short three day trip to Hokkaido with some of the interesting sites of the North Island.
Leaving Fuji in the distance
After leaving the warm morning clouds of an early autumn Tokyo, we arrive in Memanbetsu to an overcast and quite cool mid-morning. Once we collected our bags, got the rent-a-car, it was off to the World Heritage Shiretoko area situated in the North East of the Island. It was great to be heading to see some mountains, though the weather was leaving a lot to be desired. The closer we got to the Shiretoko peninsula, the heavier the rain became. Not a good sign for the few days we had on Hokkaido. It was interesting to see the Hokkaido farm houses and the large open fields of green, just a little different from the Tokyo urbanscape.
After arriving srounf Shiretoko, the rain onslaught began. When ever we attempted to venture out of the car, the heavens opened up with an even fiercer downpour. The three days that we were to spend there were looking fairly glum.
Awaking to the sight of blue skies from the hotels fourth floor was a welcome relief. So after tucking into as many of the breakfast buffet croissants it was time to head off to Shiretoko. We went to the area around the Nature Center, grabbed some information and then headed off for a short 1.5km trek from the center to the coast. It was an easy walk along some well trodded path… though made a little challenging by the fact that we had Emma in the pram.
After passing group after group of senior citizens making their way back along the trail we arrived at the coast. It was great to see the place where the cliffs met the sea. We didn’t see any wildlife, but just after we leisurely arrived back at the nature center around two hours later the walking track was closed due to the sighting of a bear in the vicinity. It would have been good to see.
To Continue with Part II… later
Rina has really gotten into PhotoBooth with the computer. She has taken quite a few hundred pictures using PhotoBooth and we’ve put a few of them up here.
The pictures above were taken a few days ago. She’s really getting into it all.
The first signs of two small teeth are pushing through her lower gums and causing a lot of dribbling. It’s just the beginning, but it hasn’t stopped her making lots of little six month old noises and sounds at all hours of the day or day. Her particular favourite at the moment seems to be around 5:00am, much to the delight of both mum and dad. All signs of a healthy kid they have also heard.
She continues to keep it cute and keep everyone busy in her ever expanding little world.
Rina has developed in a very friendly little girl around the neighbourhood. She greets everyone she has met at least once with a very loud Ohayo gozaimasu (good morning). The catch is that she uses it at all hours of the day and night. She sees some man dressed in a security/safety style uniform and she’ll greet everyone of them. The ladies in the kimono shop nearby – she opens the shop door to greet them.
After missing the Golden Week crush, we made a short trip to Hakone admist the rain and the foothills of Fuji-san. The Golden Week break, one of the biggest breaks – which also means one of the most crowded breaks, where you can experience 40+km traffic jams getting out of Tokyo – the “Official National break” was full of sunshine and warm weather. We chose to go away the week after this period, to rain and cloudy weather. Though the crowds were none existant. Well except for the occasional school trip crowd.
We went to Hakone. Just a few short hours drive from Tokyo, or a few short hours train ride. In the foothills of Mt Fuji and surrounding Lake Ashino. It was good to get away. A short visit to the Hakone Open Air museum was also unexpetently timed with a visit of the Emperors brother, and the head honcho of Fuji TV. Along with visits to the Little Prince museum, where Rina was fascinated by the bubble machine that they had out the front of the place producing an endless flow of bubbles into the air.
We also managed to see the Hakone Aquarium where they had an interesting collection of aquatic life, huge “live” Hokkaido crabs, sting rays, fish from the Amazon, penguins and seals, along with the occasional bird and other mammal.
It was good to get away from Tokyo for a few short days, now only if there was more of it.
The sping breeze and weather has blown in during the past few weeks. One day raining, one sunny, one raining, also being hot and cold all the time. It’s been good to see the cherry blossoms about the place, along with all the other flowers of spring.
Rina started a new school last week – she is already ruling the roost of sorts there. This time she is not the youngest, and with all her experience doesn’t need (or possibly want) to say goodbye to Mum or Dad once she is in the school gate. Rina finds her friends and she’s off.
Emma is getting bigger all the time, nearly the ripe old age of three months now. She’s also beginning to interact more with the surrounds – if you talk to her she will goo and gaa, particularly in the morning. She also loves to show off her smiling gums. Like in the footsteps of her big sister, Emma much prefers to be moving and be out of the house. SO Mum and Dad are kept busy with her and her very active big sister all the time.
Another little girl joined the family yesterday at around 3:20 in the afternoon.
She even has her own little information page “Emma & Everything“.
It could be thought that after nearly seven years in the Northern Hemisphere that the seasonal changes would be more normal – for want of a better word. BUT that is far from the case. Just a case in point… they are upside-down back-to-front. When one hears Bing Crosby singing White Christmas – and at this time of the year it is belting out of nearly all the stores sound systems at some point or another (just when I happen to be in the store). All I can think of is changing the lyrics of that song to:
I’m dreaming of a hot Christmas
With every Christmas light I see
…. I haven’t got past the first few words of the song, but I’m sure in an intoxicated kareoke performance they could be sung out of me
It just doesn’t work… sitting around at Christmas inside… without the fresh air to keep you company (the air is fresh, but crisp as well). The seasons are great… the changes are great. Yet the year end festive season doesn’t quite match.
Apparently the Tokyo Olympics of 1964 began on October 10 in order to avoid the Japanese stifling summer humidity. It has been touted by the Japanese media as Japan’s coming of age and being reaccepted as part of the global community, after the defeat of WWII.
October 10 is now a public holiday, and is called taiku no hi roughly translated to sports day. SO what happens now on this day, or around this day, is that all the schools have their particular sport festivals at this time. It is usually held on a Saturday or Sunday (weather permitting – as the tail end of the typhoon season can sometimes cause havoc).
Since Rina started at her pre-school recently, she was also involved in one of these days. We arrived at the sporting ground around 20 minutes before it was due to start – and were very late. It seemed like some people had camped out all morning, with their food and all… in order to get the best spot. Have to remember that one for next year. Every little event is turned into a huge deal here… and this was no exception.
There were well drilled performances for the parents by the different year groups… one with five and six year olds building their own nine person human pyramid. Running around with parachutes. The youngest class danced with their parents. There was also a tug-o-war competition between the parents of the different classes. Rina’s class lost their only outing. Everything was greeted to quite appropraite applause. Parents moved for the best photographic position.
This moves onto the next minor topic cameras… I’m sure that the Olympics, the World Cup Football final or any other major world sporting event has nothing on the ratio of cameras and video cameras that were at this event. BUT that’s something else.
Rina seemed to have a good day, though she was a little confused at times to what all the fuss was about. I think that she was glad to leave just before midday when the threatening rain finally materalised and opened up on the event. It was an interesting eye opener…. now to make sure we get the place next time.
Take care….