This is the story when Raisa was five years old.
As nationwide here, a child should learn her/his first independent task around this age. Like, first stay home alone (hajimete no rusuban), first errand usually to buy something in a shop (hajimete no otsukai), etc.

As a family who consume at least two litter milk per day, milk shopping is our routine. I try not to stock more than four litter milk to ensure the freshness, buy milk almost every other day. So that night we think it is a good chance for Raisa to do her first errand. She did some transaction in the cashier before, but I always stand next to her. This time she got to do it all alone.
We went to the supermarket by car, but hubby, Ken and I just waited in the car at the parking lot. Raisa went down alone. I asked her to buy a box of one litter package milk, no instruction of the price, type of milk, whatsoever, to make it easy. As milk price per box range from 140-280yen, I gave her three one hundred yen coins. I told her to just give all the coin at the cashier. Don’t forget to take the change back and don’t forget to say thank you. I make sure she remember where the dairy product section is located and remember where our car is located. So off she went.

I was a bit anxious (yeah, I’m a mother) but I know she will make it, and I know how safe this country is.
After about ten minutes, she came back with a box of milk and a huge accomplishment smile on her face. Well-done.
She gave me back the change, some coins. It was 30 yen and a receipt. On the receipt it is written the price was 170 yen and she gave 300 yen to cashier and get 130 yen back. But on that 300 yen print, it is overstrode by line using a pen and next to it was a hand written of 200 yen.
I asked Raisa if she gave all the money to the cashier, she said yes. I asked her if she really hold the money tight and sure nothing was dropped on the way, she said yes.

So I and Raisa went to the cashier to ask. Where is the 100 yen?
Raisa still remember which cashier number she went. A young girl of high-school age was behind the machine.
I asked her why Raisa brought back only 30 yen, and why there is a handwritten 200 yen while Raisa gave her 300 yen as it is printed.
The girl was surprised and nervous. Obviously, she is a new part-time employee. Base on the conversation I understand that after she got the money, put it inthe machine drawer and key in the number, she just felt strange why would somebody buy something of 170 yen but give 300 yen. She was worry that actually the money she already put in only 200 yen, not 300. So she asked Raisa but Raisa was too excited with her first errand and just quiet. So she decided that she was mistakenly key in 300 instead of 200 and made the correction using her pen on the receipt.
She apologized and gave me back the 100. OK then.

When I came back to the car, hubby just came back from toilet and I told him the story. Hubby said he wanted to talk to the cashier again. It’s OK, we got the money back, I said. But he insist.
So we went back to the cashier and the girl again said the whole story. Hubby asked why would make her think Raisa gave only 200 specially in Japan where it is unwritten rule that anyone can give any amount of money they like in the transaction and get the change back, regardless the amount is sometime seem irrational (like give four 100 yen coin to buy a 50 yen candy). She apologized again. Then hubby said he wanted to see the store manager. Within minutes the store manager came. The whole story again.

The point is not about the hundred yen. But it is the trust, the system we should ensure, nationwide. Raisa is a weak customer. She didn’t say anything when the cashier did that. But first errand is not a new thing in Japan. It is everywhere, it is a system that everybody know and everybody should support to make it happen, smoothly. We should support those five years old children to have confident to do that as this is their base to go forward to many independent task. My hubby want to make sure the store get it.
I think the manager get it. He knows that for sure. This is his business. We got thousands sorry word and hundreds deep bow.
The girl, even she made mistake, I feel pity on her. She probably just a sixteen years old girl who was in her first week of first job to get some additional income after the school (which is also part of the system). She probably will get a pat on her shoulder after this.
Just a wrong happening at the wrong time.

Raisa was overwhelmed with the situation. She learnt that there was a mistake. But we ensured her, she did absolutely nothing wrong. She did a great job.

Last week she turned seven and did countless errand to help us. We are so proud of her.

I didn’t mind the UPS guy woke me up at 8:40 on Saturday morning (plus he is kinna cute in short pants, the uniform is so fresh like boyscount costume). He brought me the thing that really made my day.

Love it. Love it. Love it !
Thank God for e-bay. The big foot like me still can enjoy the pleasure of style in the country where size 40 (25cm) is the largest and only own by a giant women. While me, I’m 41 (26cm)… a giant’s giant.

Big smile on my face all the weekend long.

I didn’t mind the UPS guy woke me up at 8:40 on Saturday morning (plus he is kinna cute in short pants, the uniform is so fresh like boyscount costume). He brought me the thing that really made my day.

Love it. Love it. Love it !
Thank God for e-bay. The big foot like me still can enjoy the pleasure of style in the country where size 40 (25cm) is the largest and only own by a giant women. While me, I’m 41 (26cm)… a giant’s giant.

Big smile on my face all the weekend long.

I didn’t mind the UPS guy woke me up at 8:40 on Saturday morning (plus he is kinna cute in short pants, the uniform is so fresh like boyscount costume). He brought me the thing that really made my day.

Love it. Love it. Love it !
Thank God for e-bay. The big foot like me still can enjoy the pleasure of style in the country where size 40 (25cm) is the largest and only own by a giant women. While me, I’m 41 (26cm)… a giant’s giant.

Big smile on my face all the weekend long.

Another attempt to distract my self from the crazy corporate life.
My hubby said, the more I am stressed at the office, the more creative I am at home.
Last two years my bad office day was filled with many scrapbook project at home, this time with kitchen.
Earlier this week, for three continuos weekday night, each for one hour before I started some business teleconference, I put on my apron and chef hat.
After lots of browsing, the recipe chosen was Chocolate Crepe Cake, the one I fell in love at the first sight. It is all over the net since Martha Stewart introduced it earlier this year.
Beside the look is so tempting, this recipe can accommodate my situation: I don’t have an exclusive three hours time slot which usually needed for a cake project, instead, I can push my self to have an hour break when Raisa is in her homework and Ken playing the Lego blocks after dinner, before I start to work again at 10PM. The recipe not only allow me to make this cake in instalment, but it suggest me to give a break, like over night, between process. Perfect.
I don’t think this is a difficult recipe. Only it is a labor intensive work. It take time and patience, some repetition of work (which is totally fine for me as refreshment to my so not routine work). The look and the taste is a real paid-off.
Bellow is what I did. I rarely follow the recipe religiously, I twisted it to meet what ever material, equipment, rationalization I have. So the recipe bellow is the cake my style.

First day
I made the batter. Leave it overnight in the refrigerator.
The crepe will not resulted well if you don’t let it rest. At least two hours, but best is over night.

Crepe Batter
300 cc milk
3 eggs
1 tbs vanilla essence
75 gr sugar
150 gr flour (but you can add if you think the batter is too light)
75 gr cocoa powder
100 gr butter
75 gr dark chocolate (the higher % of chocolate is better)
salt

Melt the butter and chocolate, set a side. Mix all other, start with milk, egg, sugar and then flour and cocoa. Once they are blended, add the choco-butter mix. Strain the batter to ensure no bump. Put in container and cover. Refrigerate it for 24H.

Second day
I made the crepe in a 20cm diameter pan. Brush the pan with light butter before each crepe. Low to medium heat. The batter made 18 crepes (actually 19 but Raisa ate one). Be patient when make the crepe, wait till the edge a bit dry and you will be able to flip the crepe easily. Some recipe said sometime the first crepe might be sticky to the pan, but mine was not. I used the non-sticky Tefal pan. It is ok to make a slightly thicker crepe to make it easier in arrangement and not to let it tear. They went to container and refrigerated again.

Cream filling
2 eggs
150 gr sugar
500 cc milk
1 tbs vanilla essence (or you can change to other flavor. Rum, orange, anything match to chocolate. I had only vanilla at home)
60 gr corn starch
75 gr butter

Beat the egg set a side. Dissolve corn starch to 100cc milk, set aside. Bring all the rest ingredient to boil in a pan. Then pour the egg and lastly the corn strach.
It should me a bit thicker but not too thick as it will be thicker when cold. Store in refrigerator.

Third day
Take out the crepes and cream out of the refrigerator. Let it come to room temperature for about 30 min.
Then, build the crepe tower. One layer of crepe, spread the cream using spatula. One after another.
Once the tower done, prepare the chocolate glaze.

Chocolate Glaze
150 cc heavy cream
1 tbs vegetable oil
200 gr dark chocolate

Boil the cream and oil, add the chocolate keep on stir until all chocolate melted. Take out from heat, leave it for 5 minute before use.

Gently pour the glaze over the crepe cake. Let the chocolate flow to the side. Add the glaze to the side using spoon when necessary. I place a cooking paper under the cake so the mess of the dripping chocolate can be easily taken away without risking the cake.

Caramelized nut
Any type of nut (almond, macadamia, hazelnut, your choice)
30cc water
150 gr sugar

Melt the sugar with water, bring to boil. Keep on stirring until it getting thicker and color turn to brownish. Turn the heat once color change. Becareful, from brownish to overcook (dark brown) is pretty fast, so don’t be late to turn the heat off. Prick the nut to a stick (tooth pick/skewer), deep in the sugar, let the excess drip down until dry. Place paper on your kitchen floor. The dried sugar is not easy to clean.
You need to do all this process quickly as the sugar hardened so quick. Once dry, remove the stick and cut the sugar to your choice of length.
Garnish the caramel nut over the cake.

This cake keeps in the refrigerator for 4 days.

Every time my mood off, I head to the Gym. Most of the time I feel much better after the routine work-out. It is proven, physical activity correlate positively to my feeling. Situation at the office has been really stress me out lately, I know I got to do something. I can’t change much at the work, but I have many different aspect of life.
The 1,5kg extra deposit by Mama the super chef two month ago haven’t give any sign to go away, not even after a month of fasting.
Price of gasoline reached the record high in Japan last week. It is a crazy 136 yen/liter at the cheapest station, in the mid town it even somewhere around the 150s.
Fall is in full swing, perfect temperature and that crispy cool air in the morning.
We got this tradition at home to buy each other Lebaran present, so I got to choose mine and he will pay.
All of this plus my increase concern to be a more responsible citizen of mother earth, use less carbon generated energy, go green.

So last weekend, I got my new bicycle.
A beautiful yellow six gear, with a child seat on the back. (Picture will be posted later)

Today was the third day I paddle to and from the office.
It took 15 minutes from home to Day Care to drop Ken and another 10 minutes to office.
It’s been over five years since my last regular ride so I still need to adjust my self to be able to paddle safely plus with 15kg boy with his oversized helmet sit on my back kept on singing and moving much as he is so excited with the new ride (he cried so bad when I left him on the first day, he thought I was so selfish to go enjoy bicycle riding by myself and leave him at Day Care) and front basket heavy with my laptop, Ken’s bag and my bag.
The fresh air against my face, the smooth glide between the trees (I choose the park short cut route), all give me a fresh feeling, perfect to start the day.
At evening, all that bundled of work complication in my head seems released… gone with the wind….

I was sitting on my dressing table this morning. Applying the routine make-up, facing the mirror, my mind was somewhere else. I feel it like a burden to go to work. Things has been running even tougher at the office. Hubby keep on saying it is great to get a bigger responsibility, a promotion. But deep in me, I know it is not what I aim in my life, actually.
While the new strict boss keep on piling new task for my new job, my old job’s successor hasn’t showed up yet from China or perhaps India. Double job, plus the new role is so demanding, require lots of Japanese language skill (and thick culture) and dealing with top executives of the company, whom many of them is not so approachable.
Tomorrow will be Eid day and no way I can take a day-off in this situation. I tried to bake some Lebaran cookies last night in the middle of my teleconferences, desperate attempt to give some flavor to welcome the big day, even in this crazy work responsibility. What a sad sad sad….

Suddenly Ken my boy, laugh and giggle loudly. It broke my self-pity mind journey. Ken was sleeping in my bed behind me. Every morning at six he moves from his room to my room to sleep and cuddle with us until I left the bed. He remain sleeping on my bed.
I checked on him, perhaps he has awaken. But, no. He still sound asleep. I stared at his face. Then he smile and giggles again. He must see a beautiful happy dream that made him laugh that loud.  What a stunning scene. His peaceful innocent face, filled with smile and giggle, playing with angels in his dream. Beautiful.
Warm feeling flow all over my heart. What a happiness. What a blessing to have this in my very own room.
Suddenly all the trouble of life just gone… (at least for that while).
How great the power is. If He want to send you a happiness, big or small, then it can happen anywhere, anytime.
And, it is like a tap on my shoulder saying,
"Girl, focus on the blessing, not the trouble…."

"….and nowadays people never ask the way." He said again.

"Way? What do you mean by that?"

"When you will go somewhere toward an address. You will have the address key-in to your mobile phone and get the exact location thru the GPS service. Or check the map in the place web on your mobile, or your car navigation system,  or at least, you will print out the map of the place you get from the web. You never ask people anymore."

He is right. It is the common view around the JR and subway station, people concentrating on their mobile phone’s map or reading on the print-out map from the web.

"Next time you go somewhere, go thirty minutes earlier. Bring only the address. From the station, ask people. Talk to people. Interact."

I will do (when I have some allowance of extra thirty minutes).

"This Net Cafe people is really a matter now. The number is increasing."

Said Z-san a very senior colleague at a coffee break conversation yesterday. Z-san always has deep concern on the culture matter which according him, Japan culture has been deteriorating so much in the last thirty years. This conversation is not the first time. As a comer, this conversation is always of my interest.
He was talking about Net Cafe Generation, a generation in Japan, twenty to thirty years old of age people, high school or college graduate who has no interest to continue the study to higher degree. They don’t want to work full time to avoid long time commitment and responsibility. What they do is work part time in Mc Donald, stores etc, earn some money (which is good enough here even from part time job), enough to buy food, gadget like i-pod, cell phone and latest portable DS, and pay the rent of a cube in Net Cafe. In Japan most of the Net Cafe open for 24/7, provide good rest room, coffee bar, comfy couch in front of a desktop, in a one by two meter square box. These people has no permanent place to live, no address, every night they will rent  a cube in Net Cafe for hours, to browse and sleep.

" It really a shame. The world has the image that Japanese is hard worker, full of dedication. But you know, they are only small group of people. Bad people is everywhere. I think this is the price of the modern society in this kind of modern country." Said I try to cheer him a bit.

" It is increasing, Dian. And you know what… I somewhat feel guilty about that."

" Why? Your kids are doing great."
I know his two kids, one graduated from Waseda University and work in a reputable MNC. The other is still studying in Tokyo Tech University, another top league academy.

" I believe the birth of this Net Cafe generation is the result of my generation. We are the Baby Boomers, worked like dogs. Leave home at six, came back after midnight. Everyday. No father has enough time for the kids. And even my kids are fine, but I was part of the system where unintentionally created the situation that everyone has to ride the wave. If you don’t do the round-a-clock work, you will not have a good position. Everyone do that. It was very important to show everyone you leave the office late time. Get promotion. But we didn’t think the broader effect. Years after that."

" I see. But you know it is everywhere now. Not only in Japan. In all country people work like dog. Everybody is busy. I know my friends in other countries do too."

" I hope those younger countries learn from our lesson. Nowadays you see how younger generation glued to the screen. Internet all the time. People less patient. At my young time 30-40 years ago, people tend to do things with deep thinking, not in hurry. It took time, but good quality. We wait for result. Communication thru post mail, we use hand writing. Write, don’t type.  That is good, you know, there is study about it. Nowadays people less patient. If you send a mail and no reply within twelve hours, you already send your follow-up. Take this lesson, apply that to your life."

" Got it."

I can tell I was the only non-Japanese because:

• I was the only woman sat crossing my leg while the others sit straight with hand rest on  thigh (or desk) specially when meeting the boss.
• I was the only one had bottled water while others have bottled ocha/green tea.
• I was the only one not able to have that "sleep in the room but aware of everything discussed in the meeting". How did they do that?
• I was the first one raised my hand in the Q&A session.
• I was the one took the front seat while others took the middle (not the back as the presenter will ask the back most to move to front most).
• I was the one longing for Roman character or at least Katakana while others longing for kanji at the presentation pack.
• I was the only one kept checking my watch; please dear time, run fast, more than an hour of Japanese speech is too much for my brain.
• I was the only one kept checking my watch waiting the digit turn to 4:28 because it is time I can put a candy to my mouth, Aftar time.