May/June update

By May, I'd say we'd finally settled into a routine here. Of course, everytime I think I have a new routine, it changes, and Lilybeth leaving was probably the biggest life-changing event since we got here. That being said, we'd finally finished most of the setting up house shopping and have all the basic cooking ingredients (it took months here).

The kids are fully engaged in school and their activities. Henry's taking violin at school 2 days a week and swimming 2 days a week. Rebecca's playing soccer 3 times a week and taking dance once a week. Allison's taking dance and gymnastics. The girls just had their first Chinese dance recital and I will post photos of that. They each have a nice group of friends.

At the same time, we realize that we are living in a community that is constantly changing. Allison's closest school friend, Ingrid, has already left to return to Norway for good. Allison was very sad about that. Henry also has some friends returning to their original communities.

I did find a new Chinese ayi who works for a friend 2 days per week and she cleans for me 4 days per week. It has really helped my Chinese!

Fortunately, we have pulled together a team of high school students from the compound to do babysitting in the afternoons and evenings so I can still go to meetings and we can keep our Saturday night date night. We plan to hire a Chinese au pair to start in August when we return. Jumble has been a good sport and has adjusted to spending a large portion of his days outside chasing the birds. And Eric's coworker's wife, Sarah, has generously hosted our kids on the last several Monday nights when Eric and I were both working.


Photo of the kids at Noah's birthday party: making pizza.

Allison excited for school.

The kids all participated in the "Elephant's Child" play at school. Here's Allison in her face paint. Unfortunately, I could not get any good photos during the play and all the kids were changed out of their costumes before I could get a photo.
Here's Allison's class leading the Chicken Dance at a school assembly. Allison's next to her teacher.

Lauren's May/June update

What I've been doing: I have continued to do yoga once per week at Y+ in the city and usually one day per week in the compound. I also usually attend step aerobics in the compound once per week and a circuit training class once per week with a great personal trainer who lives in the compound. Those classes are really fun and keep me in the loop with the neighborhood news. I have also been running inside the compound and along one street outside the compound, which is always interesting....

I have continued with flower arranging weekly and you can see more of my arrangements below:


I frequently use the motortrycle to bring them home.


I've continued with Chinese 2x per week, sometimes taking my tutor on field trips for immersion practice. I'm a little stymied by the fact that I have used up all my index cards and so have not been able to make new flash cards for the last several weeks. We cannot locate index cards anywhere in China. Funny!

I've been visiting the fabric market once per week for the last several weeks and now have an entire new wardrobe of t-shirts and have begun getting school clothes and dresses made for the girls. I've had great luck bringing their favorite clothes in (dresses, etc.) and getting copies that are slightly larger and in new materials. For Allison this has allowed her to wear her favorite pants (now copied in navy) to school. I've also gotten some skirts and jackets for myself and some shirts made for Eric. It's quite fun to be able to exercise some creativity on your clothing and get something that's exactly the fabric you want and fits perfectly!

I finally have about 5 friends and I am able to spend time with them as well.

More Kyoto

More gardens,


Shinto shrines,

and it's hard to see, but a full Shingon Buddhist service, with 40 chanting monks and a drum and fire ceremony! It was very cool.

Calligraphy Demonstration and Lesson

One of the highlights of our visit to Kyoto was a visit to the home and studio of Shotei Ibata, a famous calligraphy artist. He demonstrated his performance art. He has exhibited his works throughout the world for the past 40 years and received many awards, so this was a big treat.
He also gave the kids a calligraphy lesson

Kyoto

In Kyoto we visited lots of monasteries and gardens.


We had a Zen vegetarian lunch in one of the monasteries.

We had a private tea ceremony with a Buddhist monk.

Bullet train to Kyoto

Here we are with our guide getting ready to board the bullet train.


The train was very comfortable and we enjoyed eating bento boxes.

Pooped out after Disney

Eric couldn't resist this photo; so Japanese!

More Toky Disney Sea

More Tokyo: Tokyo Disney Sea

Cute photo of Henry and Allison in Tokyo.

The 5 Muhlheims had a great day at Tokyo Disney Sea. It's the second gate in Tokyo and is a very large amusement park with rides very different from any of the other Disney Parks. Check out the straps on the Disney subway.

The entire park is organized around a flaming volcano.

Sushi!!

We all had to agree; it was some of the best and freshest sushi we'd had. Even Allison enjoyed it!

More Tsujiki

Tsujiki Fish Market, Tokyo

We all agreed that the visit to the Tsujiki Fish Market in Tokyo was fascinating. "Tuna is the main event at Tsukiji, but everything from the sea—fresh fish, live fish, shrimp—is auctioned and sold here. " A large majority of the world's seafood passes through the Tsujiki market. "And so it is that our bluefin tuna from Gloucester, Massachusetts, flown from New York to Tokyo, where it is auctioned, bought, and cut into pieces of three hand widths at Tsukiji, is flown back to New York and delivered—three to nine days after it has left the sea—to a sushi chef there, or even in Boston. The average bluefin can yield more than 10,000 half-ounce pieces of sushi tuna from cuts that, like cuts of beef, vary in kind, quality, and price."





For a really good article about the Tsujiki Fish Market and the history of sushi, check out this article from Vanity Fair:
http://www.vanityfair.com/culture/features/2007/06/sushi200706