So far we are fine. Though swine flu cases are all around us for the last five weeks, our family is saved and sound. Over fifty kids infected in Raisa’s school. Over ten kids in Ken’s Day Care. If previously the school policy was to close the school for a week if more than five cases is found, now it changed. Only the class with infected kids will closed. Otherwise the school will be closed for months as it just cases followed by cases.
The next door family at our apartment building was suffered too two weeks ago. Mrs I and the daughter were down with the flu. Two smaller boys took a refugee at grandma’s house. It’s dilemma between serving the neighbors in tough time vs keeping my kids from the virus. But we did call and offered. Hubby has no worry whatsoever about this pandemic.
Three minutes regime of washing hands become routine at home. Again and again and again. Though mask is suggested, only Raisa can bear that when go outside. Healthy food and lots of drinks.

Talking about health, my this year medical check-up result just arrived yesterday. It’s a yellow light.
Weight, BMI, Cholesstroll, rho GTP under scrutiny. I have to admit that this year I’ve been loose. Food and exercise. Lot’s of thing to be blame, but nothing should be blame. It’s only me.
So no more excuse, back to pedal to work from this season.
Have to.

In the documentation note in the midst of my literacy incapability this several months, I should mentioned the big boy’s progress.
Aside from refusing any help for daily activities, my five years old Ken who used to be a bit quiet boy, start to talk much this year. Not only about the past and present, he step in the future territory.

Some to quote:
” When I will be six years old, I don’t want to do any homework.”
” When I will be seven years old, I don’t want to go to elementary school.”
” When I will be ten years old, will I be a father? ”

other:
“I want to go to Tanzania. But if can’t, let’s go to Kidzania.”

Summer may not as hot as usual this year. But is surely eat up my mood and creativity to write. Natsubate.

Reason to smile:

It’s been animal fever at home. Kids just crazy about anything related to the animal. Two months ago we brought kids to Fuji Safari Zoo, last month we went to Chiba City Zoo and this month they made us promise to bring them to Ueno Zoo and another promise for Yokohama zoo next month. When going out shopping, stop at pet shop is the big moment of the day . On the TV, they want Animals Planet. It’s kinna cool, I think. Instead of crazy for any futuristic and imaginary  hero, mother nature conquers.

Having many pet shop and zoo facilities around in the city, I think we kind of lucky.
Wait, did I say “lucky”? On a second thought, I take that back. Because from animal-exposure point of view, what I’m about to write bellow is what I call lucky.

My father used to work in an oil company which office and housing camp located in the middle of Sumatra island, Indonesia. Tropical forest was a stone-throw away from our home, school and play ground. There are numbers of encounters to forest’s fellow, but let me highlight some of my personal experiences.

One day, when my big sist opened our clothes cupboard at home, she was stunned when a one meter length green snake welcomed her. We ended up calling the pest control department of the oil company who came in 911 speed and took control from there. This department is one of the important emergency line together with the ambulance/fire engine and security.

We had a big mango tree at the right yard of our home. My mother always not happy because we always loose the competition to  harvest the long awaited fruit. Our competitor: a group of wild monkeys who love to play around on the tree early morning and have their mangos breakfast.

Some of the member(or I suspect the king) of the monkey group have really no hesitation to human being. I was in high school age when I was chased, yes, chased = the monkey  ran after me tried to grab (I was in the bicycle) near my friend house. I was scared to death, but my friend succeed to scared the monkey away by threw some stone toward the naughty ape.

My geologist father often had to go on field trip to some oil rig in the middle of deep jungle. On his way, he often spot some wild animal we usually see only in TV or zoo. Sometime he brought home some unique gift for us, the children. Once he brought us a turtle who were slowly  crossed the street when his car came. Another time, he brought us this moisten bundle of soil-ball-like. Later he explained to us that is how the elephant’s poop look (and smell and feel) like.

Though I didn’t see that in real, but I saw at the front page of our camp community newspaper, the news and photo of a tiger whose sitting on top of the air conditioner unit outside of a neighborhood building. It said, it’s been a cold rainy season that the king of the juggle found the comfort of warmth sitting on the unit.

So tell me, who is lucky?

 
(I think it is a great story to tell/to be red by my grand children and generations after one day. Hope at that time, they still get the chance to have some animal exposure)

My husband quite surprised to see how I re-act to the news of the departed King of Pop. He said, he didn’t know the  wife is among the huge fans.
Well, to be honest, though I love lots of his songs, specially they filled my high school and university’s days, I rarely listen or even talk about MJ for the last decade. He was just store in the back side of my memory drawer. Blame to the 14 years absence of production. Am not into his personal life and gossip saga.
But when he’s gone, I started to browse his music again. And to my wonder, listen to his super creative beat, unbelievable fluid dance, once again I fall in love. I discover many of his music which didn’t make to Top 40, but they are all superb.
Then it led me to browse more and more of his interview, stories, etc. In all, I would say, what a kindhearted, talented, blessed yet pitiful man. The world can’t just leave him alone.

Yesterday, I bought his music again. We went to nearby beach listened to his upbeat Billie Jean at maximum volume at our car’s stereo, tried to moonwalk and danced to celebrate the best entertainer of all time.

Thank you for the beautiful music you brought to the planet, Michael.

Alright, it may not special for most of the people.
Specially for those of green-thumbs out there.
Or those who live surrounded by the blessed of fertile soil, space and green.

But for me, whose so far even cactus can’t bear me.
In this metropolitan city.
The first ever cooporative tomato trees (they are two in a pot) really make my days, weeks, and so far month.
Please tomato tree, don’t you die on me.

My object of affection everyday when I back from work… ofcourse beside my kids. But my kids love them too.

Yesterday we went to a charity program to collect fund to help the refugee who forced to leave their home due to the fight between Pakistan army and the Taliban in the Swat valley region.
1.8 million children, women and men are forced to flee. They walked and walked, hundred of kilometers left all of their life back, searching for safety in several refugee champs. It is the biggest movement in Pakistan history after the country was formed in 1947. The number of refugee is so overwhelming that the current aid provided from multiple sources are far from enough. See more here.

Prior to the speeches, we were walking around the room looking at pictures of those innocent children faces affected by the conflict. For sure, I can see Raisa deep stared to the posters resulted in deep compassion.
After the long speeches, it was time to collect the money from some hundred audiences seated in the Foreign Correspondence Club room where the program was held. When the lady behind the microphone ask for anybody who like to contribute, Raisa was the first person walked to front of the room, drained what ever money she had in her Sanrio’s Cinnamon purse. It was 1003 yen, a sum of money she collected in months from multiple token from me or hubby when she did something good.

Dozens of adult audience followed her afterward with bigger yen.
If you want to follow, see the fact about the situation and how you can help in UNHCR pagehere, or google for many other alternative pocket which collect the donation.

They Are Here

Two weeks ago, just before Golden Week, the company I worked for distributed to each and every employee 50 pieces of surgical face mask with BFE (Bacterial Filtration Efficiency) over 99%. We the employee have to have the mask handy and in case the company instruct us to do so, we should wear the mask in anticipation of the swine flu pandemic.
It is now confirmed in Japan that the virus is having their party in Osaka, Hyogo and Kobe area. So far 96 cases confirmed, up to 1000 is predicted. Many schools closed for at least a week, and government advise all school in those prefectures to do the same.
Many company instruct their employee to wear the mask at work, specially the public facing job.

Here we are in some hundreds kilometers away, waiting for our time.

Wash your hand routinely, avoid touching your nose/mouth area, wear mask, avoid public space as much as you can, eat healthy.

April 26, 2009. Raisa played: Menuet BWV.14 by J.S.Bach at Mihama Bunka Concert Hall. She did it perfectly.

For the super amateur me, appreciating the mega-work of well-known photographer is one of my big interest. The collections of National Geographic pictures have been no doubt are among the world’s best. So I’ve been eyeing for: Through The Lens, National Geograpic Greatest Photographs for a while. A collection of 250 very best images in a century span of time, taken by the world master photographers. But looking cost over 4000 yen when hit the bookstore in Japan, has put me on hold. Too expensive. Buying in Amazon or book store abroad is not a good option due the super heavy, 500 pages,  oversized, thick glossy papers, hard cover that weight so much (I think it’s over 3kgs). International shipping cost will boost the total price.
Yesterday, I was almost fainted for the pleasantly surprise, to see the wondrous book in my neighborhood’s small book store (which usually sell only Japanese titles). It was plastic wrapped and brand new, stood on the shelf with 500 yen price tag. 5-0-0 pretty yen! I made sure twice to the shop keeper that they put the correct pricing. They said, yes, they are on special foreign book campaign for three days. Well, that is like 80% discount!

We went to the shop to let Raisa utilize her book coupon. She got a present of 1000 yen value of book coupon which can be used in any book store all over Japan. So the girl chose her book. When she saw me had my choice on my hand with super happy smile on my face and listened to my story on how much I like the book and the deal was too good to be true, she said that the book will be on her. She chose one pocket book for her that cost 650 yen. She paid her and mine using the coupon with additional 150 yen cash taken from her saving money.

I was the happiest creature in the universe.

A conversation between me and hubby on an afternoon drive:

“Imagine, Hon.  I think, one day say 50 years from now, police dept don’t have to put camera to caught the over-speeder. Nowadays, many car using ETC for stop-less toll road payment, that device sends and catches signal from and to the car, right? So with the more and more promotion and discount of the ETC facility nowadays, more and more people install the device in their car. One day it will be an standard feature in every car. And what the police dept need to do is using satellite to track all down the signal movement. They can just type a query to pull the data of movement over 100km/hour for a particular road, and voila! all car move faster than that will be listed. Then, using their computer tech, they will directly apply the fine, and suddenly in the over-speeding car, your ETC machine will said: “You are being charged 70,000 yen for over-speed at X road at Y time.” Paper-less, easier for police, easier for the over-speeder that they don’t have to go to bank to pay the fine.”

“Hm, nice idea. I think it won’t take 50 years. Not even 15 years.”

Perhaps it’s a hibernation, perhaps I was bitten bye Tsetse fly, or perhaps, laziness and losing the mood of writing is nowadays symptom of pollen allergy. What ever it is, I was not up into writing for the couple of months. My family and closed friends started to ask me for the tardiness and now I got to stick to my objective of blogging: journaling the life for family and friends distance away, and life documentation for my kids.
Let’s go with general update of us.

Me.
The pollen allergy somewhat has much decreasing. This year hasn’t been that bad. Though I feel quite fit with my body with the comeback of regular gym visit, I feel disturb with the deterioration of my left ear hearing. I got to go to ENT, seriously. Since my last pregnancy, this hasn’t back to where it was before.
At work, with the pressure of the economy, the effect trickle down until almost everybody’s desk, including mine. Fortunately, not financially. In addition to my current responsibility, I got a big assignment of notorious difficult project which run for the next 12 month. It will be hell of year. But like everyone said, in that tough working condition, feel blessed that you still have one.
At social side, lots of new friends in the last couple of months. Home and office. It’s so refreshing but has been made weekend busier than ever.

Him.
The world has been hitting his business down, crawling at the lower side, he try to survive.
But I’m blessed to married a sober man, who handle the down time wisely. His spirit & energy remain high.Keep on fighting. That is the most important.
His energy high enough that lately he started lots of physical activities too. Last weekend, he did sets of billiard and Ping-Pong games with a friend at our basement. The following day he joined a small tennis competition. Day after that, he was up and down tried his best stand move forward on the skate on the ice ring. This morning, soreness all over muscles and joins.

Raisa.
Today is her first day as third grader at Nishinoya Elementary school. I said many times before but let me say it again, time does fly. My baby is now at the last year of her first half of Elementary years.
Unlike before when she spent after school hours at a places called Kodomo Room belong to the school, this year, due to the number of new first grader and capacity, Raisa as the bigger kid can’t get the admission to the room. That means, she got to be on her own after school hours. She is big and ready really, but as a mommy, I still concern.
Two days ago, she was at the top of the world when we bought her, the first cell phone in her life. Though personally I’m not fond of digital for kids, but this is the need of the situation.
For weeks, our home has been filled with J.S.Bach’s Menuet BWV 14. From broken ones, till much smoother version cause Raisa has been practicing and practicing her number for her piano recital end of this month.

Ken.
After a complete 14 months of perfect health, nor disturbance like cold & fever whatsoever, Ken got his cold the last ten days. We’re so lucky though he was down with fever, cough and stuffy nose, his appetite remain, and most of all, his mood at most of the time was good. Though he became a bit clingy, I kinna enjoy it as at his healthy days, the active boys rarely stay still in my hugs for more than three seconds.
Ken has started his first Quran reading lesson, following his sister who does that every Friday evening.
Being the youngest, Ken is source of affection. I, hubby and Raisa, always there to spoiled him, one after another. We know this is not good as it can make him soft, but we can’t help when seeing his cute face.

No. It is not Prada, Fendi or Salvatore Feragamo, that make a hand bag so special.
It is a hand bag, made by mother, with her own hand.
Cut by cut, stroke by stroke, every single stich done with patience, with love.
In series of months.
The silk material, was her mother kimono some decades ago.
She wants to keep the beautiful material, more than that, the memory.
I was the lucky one, to have it for me.

Thank you, Aa-chan for the beautiful bag.
For the love.

How to make it

The tool to make the bag