Making Friends

Children can make friends easily and almost anywhere - in Japan, in America and in Canada. Give them a playground, give them lots of space and they will find their means to communicate and play and cooperate and create. It's great! And mommies are making friends too:)

Linvilla Orchards

Sarah in Her Ballet Class

I am sitting here in my apartment in Toronto, overlooking the harbor and CN tower and waiting for David, CC and their kiddos and Auntie Ching to arrive from the airport. It's a special early Christmas reunion for the family and a mega surprise for the kids. So as I wait, I dabble with some post processing. 

Can't wait to see the kiddos faces - should be anytime soon.

Our Navy Seal with A Great Sense of Style

Since the beginning of this year, Sarah has put together her own outfits and I must say, she has a great sense of style. 

But what fascinates me even more is what her Daddy calls the "Navy Seal" quality. This gal has a great memory and she can really react fast in desperate situations. 

At Linvilla Orchards, she could negotiate mazes fast and well. Once Sarah heads towards a path and it meets a dead end, she is able to register that route in her mind and avoid it later. So, Sarah heads out of the maze first, ahead of the rest of the family. 

Just today, we were searching for her fave box of cereal and I was heading over to some far away aisle looking for it. Sarah shouted, "Mommy, it's over here beside your green tea". This amazed me because last week, I was at the supermarket with her to buy my green tea and we passed those cereal boxes but never bought any of them. And she remembered. She has repeated this memory prowess so many other times.

Sarah is my trusty partner when we do our chores or shop for groceries because I can be such a scatter brain and I need her to remind me where I left my things. Because she observes where I place my things and she remembers and she reminds me.

Her ability to react in desperate situations has also 'saved' her. Last week, I was in the pool with Sarah and Sammy. As Sammy climbed precariously into the adult pool [with his float on], I kept my eye right on him in case he missed a step. Unknown to me, Sarah had dived into the adult pool. Unknown to both of us, she had removed her float. Suddenly, I heard, "Mommy! Mommy! Mommy!" I turned my head swiftly to see a panic stricken Sarah. But amazingly, she wasn't sinking, she was treading water and pushing her hands frantically and she was actually swimming in the adult pool. But not for long, before I caught her. When we reached the end of the pool, we were both flabbergasted. Gasping between her breath, she said "Mommy, I had no idea I jumped into the pool without my float!" I didn't know!" 

I was speechless. Thankful for God's protection but speechless. I could only hug her and know that because it was Sarah, all is well. 

That's Sarah, and I think she inherited her Navy Seal stuff from Daddy, definitely not from me. 

Our Curious George with A Great Sense of Humor

As I was focussing my camera on the monkey bar rings to try to capture an artistic shot, an unmistakable cackle shot into my right ear. Ignoring it, I continued to try to get my camera to focus on the ring amidst the noisy leafy background. The loud cackle rang again. This time, I swung my camera towards the cackle generator and this is what I got - *Sammy*. 

"Mommy" *cackle cackle cackle cackle* "Why are you taking a picture of that ring?" *cackle cackle cackle* "That's so silly" *cackle cackle cackle*

This is my son with a good dose of humor [definitely inherited from me]. 

He cackles at all my jokes and songs. The last song I came up with, which was just yesterday at the sand beach facing beautiful Lake Ontario, gave him the cackles

"We are building a castle for the King and the Queen

We are building a castle so the enemy won't come in

We are building a castle so that everybody

Can live happily ever after"

It ain't take a poet or a musician to know that it is an awfully slapstick song. Sarah rolled her eyes at me and Sammy just cackled and cackled and cackled. 

But for the 90% of the time he is not cackling, he is raising my hair and temper:) 

One day, we were all tired from a whole day out at Dufferin and all of us were resting our feet when Sarah and Sammy spotted a photo booth. They love to play in a photo booth - I figure it is the curtains and the small box that they like - a feeling of being in a little house or castle. They entertain themselves sufficiently independently on their own in a photo booth. A few minutes later, I decided to look up and from the corner of my eye, I saw something swinging. To my muted horror *because I was really tired*, our dear Sammy has decided grab hold the edge of the black curtain and wrap his entire body around it, and started swinging back and forth. Imagine a little boy swinging in and out of the photo booth. Sigh, because I really wanted to sit down. Sigh, because I didn't want to expend any more energy scolding him. Sigh...with a stern warning, he was kinda caught and made to stand by our side. 

But I have to admit, as Dan and I recalled Sammy's antics as we lay down to rest that night, we had stitches just laughing over his antics. 

That's our curious george - always getting into some sort of trouble of some sort - with a distinct cackle. 

My Fave Food in Japan - Updating in the Process

As I write this entry, its interesting to see what made it to my list. I think it was food for the much needed occasion. I love authentic Japanese food - for its taste, for the integrity of the ingredients and its preparation - for everything [despite the radiation scare]. 

N/B Huiling, this entry is specially for u as you travel to Tokyo:)

Kyo Hayashiya Japanese Tea Sweets

I was on a lookout for a genuine green tea dessert shop. In my mind, I had envisage a bowl of cold, light mochi like green tea dessert. So, I was literally  'Over the Moon' to stumble upon Kyo Hayashiya. There are several branches of Kyo Hayashiya and I frequented the one at Lumine which was connected to Shinjuku station. It was definitely my fave Green Tea dessert shop in Tokyo. It is a tiny branch that seats 6 persons the most. And the seats all face the wall [like almost every little tiny eatery in Japan]. 

On my first outing there, it was interesting to note that almost everyone indulging in their little green tea desserts there were women. For two reasons, most women were free during the afternoons and women love green tea. But of course, men are not excluded from this green tea indulgence.

On a hot afternoon, sitting there alone, and enjoying my green tea dessert was nice. Real nice. 

Tokyo Disneyland Ice Lolly

I never could imagine that I would spend 300 Yen on this pure ice lolly without blinking an eyelid. But I did and not just one - but 4 - one for Sarah, one for Sammy, one for Rubi and one for me. And we loved it! Because after spending hours in Tokyo Disneyland in the sweltering heat, this was indeed a life saver and a relief. Our ice lolly break allowed us to rest our tired feet, stare blankly into the sky and people watch. Largely for mommy and rubi to stone awhile:) before we headed out to conquer Disneyland again. For the record, we left our hotel at 8:30 am and only reached back home at 11 pm. And the kids were still not tired!! 

Yayoiken

This makes it to our family's fave comfort food joint. Hassle free, easy and freshly cooked food. Yayoiken is a typical Japanese joint and this was just round the corner from where we live. Ordering from a vending machine, getting the ticket and handing it to the staff behind the counter is the modus operandi. I like it this way - where cooks don't handle money and they don't have to wait tables but just concentrate on doing their trade right and good.

Hina Sushi Buffet

This was a really delicious sushi buffet [slightly on the steep side] and I thought the ingredients used were really fresh. Great place to enjoy good sushi. But then again, you can eat good sushi almost in any little shop in Japan.

Osaka: Okonomiyaki 

Tried a few Osaka pancake when we headed to Osaka. These pancakes with some sake were really good. Nothing much like what we are served in Singapore - these were huge, delicious and perpetually kept hot as they were served on huge hot plates built into the tables. 

Menya Muashi

The famous flagship ramen shop in Tokyo was surprisingly near to where we live and tucked in an obscure lane. I guess no trip to Japan is complete without trying their ramen. This was a huge bowl at 1000 Yen and I think we burst ourselves at the seams trying to finish our bowls. Sarah and Sammy did well to share a bowl but I think when they were done, there was still half a bowl left:)

Karuizawa: A Summer Time BBQ

We headed to Karuizawa over one weekend and the owners at the inn prepared a BBQ dinner with the yummiest marbled beef and lots of local vegetables. 

Lastly, the best we did almost everyday in Japan was to stuff ourselves with Kyoto grapes, peaches, nectarines and champagne grapes. Those were the best desserts ever. 

Updating of Three Countries

It's going to be between Japan - America - Canada - Japan. I think I can never organize these entries anymore:) So I thought I better give a prelude before swinging all around for our updates.

Linvilla Orchards

We were one of the last to leave the Orchard - simply because we were the only tourists among the sea of locals and we didn't have a car. Thankfully, our hired taxi was reliable and came to pick us up.

We are really city bumpkins:) The acres of land filled with apple bushes and pumpkin patch were jaw dropping for us. Once we entered the orchards, all our senses were tickled. The sight of kids and parents carting off wagons of apples, the sound of music and laughter coming from the playground and many competitions that were held that day - hula hoop, pie eating etc, the smell of deep fried churros and pizza was enough to make Sarah and Sammy sprint across the undulating land towards everything:)

It was a good day, a fantastic day in fact! And the icing on the cake - was the obscure row of raspberry bushes which we stumbled upon. Even though it was 'savaged' by pickers perhaps a few weeks ago, we had so much fun, stooping and nibbling at whatever was left. And like Sammy and Sarah pointed out accurately, "Mommy, we are like Sal! Blueberries for Sal!" 

I am sure Linvilla Orchards is a money spinning farm that is perhaps too commercial for its own good - but well, for city bumpkins like us - we lapped it all up.

For the Record

I Love Washington DC!

And my inspirational fave - the National Portrait Gallery !!
[and to think we only spent less than half an hour there. We will definitely be back]