AB Days back in Japan

After Barak (has taken the Leadership) Days back in Japan. I'll be here for three weeks this time.

Look, I love seeing these guys banging houses together in Japan. And you know- no nails-

I mean, they're really awesome- and it IS so scary actually...

Ok, I have to share some peculiarities between the U.S. and Japan.
Check out the way Americans park vs. Japanese! I think we use opposite sides of our brains being on opposite sides of the planet- is what I figure!

Oh, that's my purple Subaru backed into an American parking space up there.
(It's so cute- every time I back in parking with my Grandmom in California she gets SO unsettled!! I tease her and warn her to close her eyes while I'm doing it!)

There's my manager Hiromi posing for us up there.

Ok, now check out the deal with BUTTER! To my Japanese friends- this is one American custom, we can get our butter in 1/2 cup STICKS. Not only is it easier to use/serve, it's SO much easier to measure in cooking. That's TWO CUPS of butter there.

Japanese butter- that block is an even 200 grams. But in recipes usually a half a cup is called for, or one cup of butter 225 grams. So in Japan we have to get out a scale and weigh it out- or there are tiny marking for each Tablespoon.

Mind you, butter was not popular in Japan till after the War, in the '50's I guess. My Japanese mother -in-law used to use it as hand cream because she couldn't stomach it!

How about EGGS! I still have not figured out why Japanese have TEN eggs per pack! And the fridges in Japan- the egg holders are only for ten eggs!

Sometimes Japanese say dozen... "DOS", but I don't know for what things they do use that word for.

See, this is one thing I find "better", with a dozen eggs they can be broken apart and we can buy HALF a dozen instead.

Well, here's one of the best things in Japan. One of my kids!! It's SHEON- and you KNOW she didn't want me to take her photo in her work clothes- but she loves me and let me!!!

AB days in Santa Cruz, CA, USA

"AB" standing for "After Obama" has become President!

Oh, the light house is lit up, it was hard to get a good photo- if you click on the photo you can see it? This was in the morning a few days ago.

The popular surfer statue alone West Cliff drive, dons a hula skirt

Taka and Mr. Martinez "on the job" this one being at Grandmom's house, building a patio for her.

B.B. days

B.B.~Before Barack days in Santa Cruz

click on the photos and get a better look! MAYbe you can see a surfer out there

This is a big surfing competition going on. So, many people. But oftentimes on weekends there are this many watching and cruising, jogging, strolling by as well.

Look back up towards the other direction and you can almost see the apartments we will soon vacate!

Cheers to all YOUR endeavors from the New 2009 Year on!

Right now Taka and Zen are so cool talking about his geometry problems(homework)- in japanese of course. Taka's still got it. So cool

Today was another big day in another way.

I took Zen to get his eyes tested.
A couple of weeks ago I took Zen to start his driver's permit process at the DMV (Department of Vehicals).
One thing at the DMV was to check his eyes, and I was shocked at the number of mistakes he made reading off the wall behind the counter person.

Next Zen was asked to check in a machine, and the guy seemed to keep giving Zen more chances.

Zen never told me....
"It's not 'clear'" (what he sees).

Then I started wondering, when he missed three pointers in basketball games...was it because of his eyes?!

Our insurance doesn't cover this so we heard COSTCO was good.
I took Zen there today right after school.
The first woman-receptionist did a number of tests. Afterwards, I explained to her that Zen barely passed the DMV. She was so surprised- "He PASSED with THESE eyes?"

Yes.

Next the main man saw Zen to measure the extent of the badness-warpedness- oh, wait "blurriness"- sorry!

After Zen was off the measuring machines, and looked at the line of letters on the wall, he asked me "Did I just read THOSE?" Yes, he had. He couldn't see those letters without the machines. He looked amusedly surprised.

Lordy, that "bad"- huh! Wow.

Zen told the doctor that when he sits at the back of class he can't see well. I NEVER KNEW that either!!

Within 40 minutes, after the doctor saw Zen, and then Zen went back to the "nurse", and she spent 7-8 minutes showing Zen how to put in and take out the new contacts. He seemed to totally get it. And for $110.00, those forty minutes have changed Zen's vision of the world- really!

Zen walked out of COSTCO with contacts in, and Zen said- "I can see the leaves- [in detail!]!"

Life looks different- nice timing since we're moving to a place he's not sure he'll like.

It's one of my best days here in California for these days! Ah, the election of Obama is close in highness degree! But it is amazing what the love for kids can mean to you. Zen's feeling high recognizing the importance of being able to see with clarity- when it doesn't look like he let himself believe that that was important, is gorgeous to see!

What a trip I never "saw" that Zen, or Sheon or any of them couldn't "see" clearly!

Tonight Taka and I took a walk along the ocean under the starlit skies. Truly loving and appreciating it! Feeling a bit sad to be moving a little far from here. We;re moving from 2/3 to the next town, Capitola, near Grandmom's.

Honestly- living only half a block from the ocean brings thoughts about tsunami's, and memories of Titanic. A little scary at the thought of the powerful strength of this ocean right here, near our beds.

Moving to our new place, we expect, will be easy to get used to, and hopefully easy to settle in to.
Cheers to all YOUR endeavors from the New 2009 Year on!!

Mailboxes in America

I'm still trying to add a few more photos so come again, ya'hear!!!
The past months I've enjoyed seeing lots of neat mailboxes in the neighborhood, so I wanted to share photos of them
REMEMBER to click on the photos if you want to see close ups!
These ARE people's mailboxes!




In Japan the mail carriers don't take your mail from your mailbox. You have to drop it off at the post office yourself, or find a "public" mail box on the street.

Where these people have the shark mailbox, they also have a sign in the window says "THIS IS SHARKS TERRITORY" . They are talking about their favorite ice hockey team it sounds- the San Jose Sharks



For those who don't know this in Japan, in the U.S. you leave what you're mailing in your mailbox and raise the "flag" to alert the mail carrier to the mail in the box to be sent.'This was one of the best "flags" I've ever seen!!!



The kitty was so pretty here I had to get some nice portrait of her too.



Along this particul road most mailboxes are set in concrete containers.

New Year 2009

Here in Santa Cruz, Taka's cousin's family came to visit us!!
This is Yota and his younger son Luke.
Yota and Taka are the same age.

Yota's family lives over the hill in Los Gatos.
Yota's parents came from Tokyo, Japan for the New Years.
Uncle Tsuruta, he's a great cameraman, maybe he'll send us some of his photos too! I didn't take many photos, but this was when we went out on the Santa Cruz Wharf. Cold but fun!!