Just few hours before I dive into the Golden Week, can’t wait. It is a week of holiday, like Spring Break, in Japan. This year, April 29 is Green Day, May 3 is Constitution Day, May 4 National Day and May 5 is Children Day. The government/offices usually encourage the employee to take the two days sandwiched between holidays to make it straight nine days of holiday for employee well-being.

The traffic in and out town will be busy regardless the price of gasoline that reach to 142! yen per liter in our neighborhood. The airport will change into the scene like Gambir rail station a week before Idul Fitri, the statistic will count like around a hundred thousand passenger (or more) board the flight from Narita or Haneda. Hotel rate will raise 50% or more. Shinkansen are fully book. Shopping Mall will packed with people ready to spend their money. Many festival here and there. All the workaholic will be with their family. Many, because of the above, choose to stay home….like me.

This year Golden Week I decide to spend the quality time with my kids. Teach Raisa roller skate, practice her piano courses. Do a bit of gardening (doesn’t sound like me?), the annual Spring Clean (I succeed to select about 40% of kids’ old toys to get rid of last week), do some pages of Scrapbooking and try some new recipes. Wondering around the neighborhood, explore a bit more of the newly open IKEA that we briefly inspected some days ago. Perhaps a trip to Jiyugaoka, the corner of Tokyo that we love much. Several appointment of old friends visit line up too.

Now…does that sound too optimistic for a week that suppose to be a relax break?

Two of our dearest family friends are just left. Leave a deep mark of love and sweet memories, step forward for the next page of life.
Farewell, dear friends.
Wherever you are, you never go.

The Wahjudi’s
Deddy and Nelly are fabulous persons. World is so small that this couple who just greet us hello three years ago are actually have so many things in common or related to us. Deddy is the friend of my friend’s husband. We know many people that are friends to us. Nelly came from the same city where my parents live in Indonesia and later our parents become friends too. Fakhrell, the son, is the best friends for my girl. They are the same age. Fakheera, the girl, is my baby boy’s friends. Fakheera is my hubby sweet little girl as we were there from the first day she born.
This couple own a pair of golden heart. They are good people. Caring, patience and a perfect couple to give friendship a good name. Countless times when they help us caring the kids, caring the house in need and most of all, caring the hearts. We laugh, cry, eat, play, crazy, worry, work, lazy, everything together.
Did I mentioned that they are the smart people? Deddy and Nelly earned their PhD. here. An architect couples with their modern chic line of design.
Now they are back to dedicate their knowledge for the country, be the lecturer in the best university in Indonesia.
All the best for you, Nelly, Deddy, Fakhrell, Fakheera.

The d-day story: Believe it of not, like in a situation comedy movie, The Wahjudi’s just didn’t show up on time in the airport (after the night before arguing with us when hubby pushed them to stay at our place which is nearer to the airport to avoid traffic, etc instead in the brother house at far-end of Tokyo) and the airplane left them, in fact they showed up just five minutes before the take off schedule. They, at last, after efforts, boarded the airplane the next day after stay a night at our place.
They put us in almost heart attack situation waiting in the airport!

The Al-Haq’s
So much to say. The eight years of friendship living in Japan with Imran, Uzma and the kids Ibreez, Abeer and Saad leave too many memories. Friends from day-one.
All range of life happening together, all type of sad and happy memories. They were there from the day me and hubby were girlfriends and boyfriends. They are our wedding witness, they are in our wedding certificate. They were in every step of our life here, from living in a small cube house back in Kasukabe, until the recent days. From we were one, two, until now four.
They are kind and easy going people. You can be just so comfortable being yourself with them.
Uzma cooks the best curry in town. She is a caring and dedicating person, including caring the seventy-five years old father in law in daily basis in this hustles bustles life of Japan. Thumbs up for her.
Even the age differ not much, Imran is the senior/teacher in hubby university back in Pakistan. They know each other for over then a decade. They discuss everything. Imran is a great researcher move from lab to lab of reputable university and institution here in Japan. His research paper has been published in many reputable science publication worldwide.
Now that Canada open their door and offer residency for them, they take the chance and move there.

The d-day story: They stayed at ours the night before the d-day. Fortunately or unfortunately, hours before their flight schedule they just realized that they forgot to bring a very important document and need to take it at their place two hours drive away (one side). At the end, the document was successfully taken and leave only necessary time to check-in and keep on going without time for good-bye tears…

In response to my previous posting, a very dear friend, Nelly, contacted and encouraged me to make it to the concert. She kindly offered to care after Raisa and Ken. Hubby too, take action by calling ticket box offices to get the ticket just two days before the d. After long effort, he got a pair of tickets but the standing ones, cost 6500 each. Two types of ticket are sold, the standing and the seating. In reality at the show all were standing but the seating locate in a slope,  much easier to have the clear view of the stage. Cost 9000 yen. The good sign keep on coming. The ticket arrived home just in the morning of the d day, with the invoice of 6500yenX2, paid. What a nice surprise when I opened the envelope the tickets were actually the seating 9000yen ones!
 

The tickets sold out. Tokyo Dome with its 55,000 persons capacity was full. So hubby and me joined those crowed. We went by train to avoid car parking problem. I was prepared. I was in my comfortable clothes, shoes and left my digital SLR camera home despite a big wish to shot the show and interesting surrounding. Who want to take a risk bringing the expensive gadget when you are going to attend a rock concert with tens of thousands others. I want to be able to freely jump!
We reached the dome at 2:30PM while the concert start at five. The door start to be opened at 3:30 but we didn’t see long line. Enough time, we stuffed some energy by grabbing sandwiches at Subway. 4:15 we head to gate twenty. Five minutes queue for security check. No push, no rush.
I personally think, for the event this big, the security check supposed to be more strict. The officer just quickly take a glance on what I have in the bag. No metal check. To enter any hotel/mall in Jakarta is much much tough that this. 
The only items listed as not allowed are: can and PET bottled. The committee provides giant paper cups so you can pour you drink into if want to bring inside.
By  4:25 I already sit nice and easy at my seat. Despite the size of the dome, the system is good enough for people to be able to get their place easily and again, no push, no rush.
Having enough time before the show, I ‘preach’ the history of Bon Jovi to hubby who is actually not a fan (he just go for me….sweet,huh?). Talking from the 1983’s Bon Jovi until the recent "Have a Nice Day" album.

Looking around, I can see that all type of people were there. From the teenagers until the 70 something old ladies/men. The thing impressed me, there were a lot of people who went to the concert individually. Like near me was a lady in her 60s, alone! I always thought that a concert, specially the rock, except the classic, is an event to be enjoyed with a group of friends. Jump, sing, dance, crazy all together. But this is not the case in Japan. I went to Bon Jovi concert 13 years ago back in Jakarta, with eight of us. I think it supposed to be like that in Jakarta, because the audience were ‘a little bit’ wild, push each other, crowed…so you need a gang to protect each other. In Japan, the rock concert is still a polite event. No single body was taken by the medical team due to crowed, dehydration what so ever!
Did I tell you that those in the standing place were also very much in controlled? In the standing place, you were given a folding chair (so people don’t sit on the floor) and a space like 50X50cm. Everybody just typical polite and in controlled Japanese who remain in their space. No matter how they jump and dance, they will not disturb the next guy. Same case with those in the seating place, all in controlled, except me perhaps.

At 5:05 the super lighting system start to play. Everybody start to stand and clap and scream. 5:10 Jon Bon Jovi open the show by a sudden appearance in a small circle stall in the middle of the crowd, 100m away from the stage. He start with the perfect choice: Last Man Standing. By the end of the song he walked to the stage and start to warm up the audience with the hard beat of his old time hit You Give Love a Bad Name followed by the one from the new album: Complicated.
What I always know, Bon Jovi is a quiet band. Means, in their show they usually not talk much. Just sing and sing. But not this time. Jon was talking much. A lot of jokes (even not all the non-english bystander got them). He talked a bit of some song background. Peace message and even flirting! In one part he pointed to the girls and said, "You come to my room after the show" resulted the girls to scream like crazy. The show was much more interactive bringing all the audience to sing and respond to him. He look more mature compare to the last show I went (of course, 13 years!!).

His stamina and vocal quality is undoubtable. Proven by singing straight 27 songs without break, except the two minutes he took to change his jacket to the shirt before the encore. Richie Sambora is still the best guitarist in the world. Not only playing his ‘baby’ he also take some part of the song solo.
All the past time hits plus eight of the twelve songs from his Have a Nice day album. I am his satisfied customer. "Satisfied Customer" this is how Jon addressed the fans several time in the show.

I’ll be There For You and Bed of Roses was composed in acoustic duet with Sambora. But to tell you the truth, I like the original version better, because the acoustic sounds too much sorrow. It is like the sound of a very sad heart. Also, they changed some tone a bit too much away from the original.

Some spiritual tend song like Radio Save My Life Tonight and Bells of Freedoms also, didn’t get that much respond from the audience. When Jon asked people to say "Amen" at the end of the song, people just don’t get it. Maybe because Japanese don’t pray or at least don’t say amen.

My hubby and me curious how the audience, and we mean all of the fifty thousands plus people have some special hand-dance for each song. It seems like it is somewhat arranged by the fans club like in the chorus of a song, you raise your hand this way. In the intro of B song, you waive your hand that way. It is so interesting. I wonder if there is any site with detail explanation of this. A little bit out of topic, this is common in Japan. Like when watching some baseball game, we learnt the fans also has this special hand dance different for each baseball player.

The show closed after two hours and fifty minutes. Jon Bon Jovi, Richie Sambora, Tico Torres, David Bryan, and Hugh McDonald (playing the bass) did a great job. Great music supported by perfect sound system, lighting and three giant screens airing the clip of the song.
Tokyo Dome was rocking hot despite the chilly weather outside.
In this world of many pop-rock band up in the market, I am convinced Bon Jovi is still have a very strong position. Their fans range cover all ages, all national, all gender. Proven that last year they just sold their 100 millions copy in the market. That is a lot.

Ok, I think this is getting longer. Like what Jon said in his speech in Oxford University Graduation day 2001, I hope this story is like a girl dress: Long enough to cover the subject, but short enough to keep it interesting.

Photo:
Yes they are really from the show. The last two was taken by the photographers who take the shot with their long lenses, print it and sell it outside the dome.
The others using my cellphone camera.

"You really should go" said Yuko in our lunch today.

"I know, I really want to go but I have many consideration" I replied.

"If you really like Bon Jovi that much, you really should go. I’ll help you to get the ticket, gonna tough just three days before the concert of his caliber"

"Well, that is something but I feel so selfish if I go"

"Come one, look, you work very hard everyday office and home and this treat is not some ordinary day. You know what make Japanese people stay young?"

"Their diet"

"Yes that is one, but more than that because they always do what they wanna do. Old ladies crazy of Bae Yong Jun and in lines for hours to get the glimpse of him at airport, old man start to learn salsa at his 60s, just do what you really wanna do"

"Well, I do most of the thing that I wanna do but this time I feel so selfish if I go. Ken is still not recovering from his cold. I’m going to have some night out with colleagues later half of this month. Hubby stand-in for me dozen times… and soon I have to leave them couple of days  to Hongkong for Stella’s wedding"

"You will feel sorry"

"I feel a bit sad but not sorry"

"Bon Jovi is your guy"

"Well, he tours frequent enough. I’ll be there next time"

Raisa is the blue hat girl now. In her Hoekkoen (Day Care Center) the student groups in age range differentiate the color of their uniform hat. Last year Raisa was yellow hat girl. Yesterday was the first day in the academic year in Japan, including in Hoekkoen which run by the government and has curriculum. Raisa goes to Bara Gumi (Rose Class). In her class, she has 25 friends in age range 3-5 yo.
Ken is no longer a baby. He graduated the zero years old class and now join the new class called Tampopo Gumi (Sunflower Class). With him, 19 others 1-2 years old toddler. The two years old wear no uniform hat.

Time flies, Raisa is a senior now. I remember five years ago this time of the year, I was very nervous to leave Raisa who was six month old then to the hand of the teacher in the very same hoekkoen. The continuos battle in my heart between my feeling as mother and the responsibility at work. Everyday 9-6, it is not a short time. But I am not alone. The whole nation is with me. This is the living style here.

The teacher are those who graduate in children education in university plus some extra helper, usually the ladies in their 50s. The Hoekkoen has the speed access to pediatrician, very nice curriculum to train children to be discipline and creative and annually audit by the government. I should not be worry too much, but hey, we are talking about my children here (beside my hubby said ‘worry’ is my middle name).
Raisa grows to be an easy to adapt, friendly, easy to share and Japanese language fluent girl. She never feel hesitate to talk to new person.
I am lucky that my both kids go to the same Hoekkoen so the big sist can have a look to the little bro at anytime during the day.

The Hoekkoen is just a stone-trow away distance from my office (two minutes drive to be precise). So when Raisa was still in breast-feed, everyday I went there every lunch break to nourish her. It is not easy to get the admission to the hoekkoen of your choice. We were lucky. Six month before the entrance you have to apply to City Office. Mostly you compete with many others to get the place, if you unfortunate you get to admit to private nursery which I don’t prefer as they have their own curriculum and I can say, more materialistic and less nature-dirty, sand, climbing, running play, but more high tech,TV(a big no-no for me) and clean room play. Due to the breast-feeding reason, I got the admission as the government support the breast-feeding policy. So they want to make it easy for me to access my baby in the lunch time.

The drawback is in this tender age, children is easy target of the germ. One by one the children catch cold/flu and it is very easy to spread. What do you expect from them, sharing the toys of course the saliva!
So I have to mentally ready and reserve some of my holiday allowance for the sick leave of children.
And unlike in many other countries, all above don’t come for free. Every month I got to pay around 550USD for Ken and 300USD for Raisa. That including food but in reality almost everyday I have to pack the lunchbox to replace their pork menu.

Anime credit: from Totoro.org