We woke up to delicious smells wafting up from the kitchen. Our host is so kindly preparing a hearty breakfast for us!
Dh liked the idea of suspended the tea or coffee sachet this way.
She was still preparing MORE food for us when she had laid out so much already. The kids were so spoilt. There was milk and cereal, toast with butter and jam, hams and cheeses, muffins, all kinds of juices, yoghurt, milk... She was still frying eggs.
And then she served up a fruit platter. We love the strawberries!
This is the room where she teaches her groups of students. She teaches mainly English now, although she can coach in Japanese as well. She also holds classes of abacus and mental arithmetic.
When we were about to leave, Dh tried to pay her 4000yen, the agreed price for staying at her place. She charges 1000yen per person per night (that's US$10 only!), but she wouldn't accept our payment, saying that we can be her host when she visits Singapore next time.
She took a cab with us to the train station and sent us all the way up to the platform. I am not sure if she had to pay to go in! If she did, she really bent over backwards to be nice to us! After we got on the train, we were still waving hard to each other. Quite a dramatic farewell.
Later on in the train, Dh asked whether it was because we got to know each other much better when we had the long midnight chat that she decided she cannot accept payment from "good friends"? Cos she said she really enjoyed chatting with us on so many topics, and it is rare that she has such great company in her house.
Dh sounded so proud of himself for being a great conversationalist, so I agreed with him... haha.
Oh, at the airport, I visited the toilet and saw this in all the cubicles. A baby/ toddler holder.
What a great idea. I remember the times I was shopping at Jurong Point and IMM and had ds2 in a sling. (he was still a baby then) Whenever I was alone with both boys and had to go to the toilet, I always had a lot of trouble. ds1 would wait for me outside while I struggled hard to bend my knees so I could pee into the bowl properly yet not tip ds2 out from the sling.
If he was asleep or not struggling, it was manageable. But if he was not, and was crying, it was very tough. I remember as I was queuing to use the toilet once, a Malay lady behind me offered to carry ds2 for me while I used the toilet. She was so kind, so I at once handed ds2 to her and went to do it quickly. She waited till I washed my hands and then passed ds2 back to me.
Later my mom said I should not pass my baby over to others. Said it's dangerous, what if they disappear with ds2? I guess I could tell from the lady's eyes? If someone has kind sincere eyes, and is a fellow mom, somehow, we can tell?
But yup, in a foreign country, I wouldn't, because I am not familiar with the place or the language. I was in Singapore then, and that lady looked as kind as the nurse who hugged me in the operating theatre when I was having the epidural for the C-section of ds1, that's why I did... At that time, I hadn't wanted a C-section. I was scared, and I didn't want the epidural, and I was all alone... I was teary and she asked me to hug her while I had the big needle go into my spine, so I did. She said it would not hurt if I hugged her tight and I did hug her real tight!
Anyway.... so if there were more of such toilets in Singapore, it would be great!!
On the plane... Our food is always packaged so nicely. The rice came wrapped in pretty paper and string. Eating rice was like opening a gift. :-) They gave ds2 a cup with a lid so there won't be spills. Thoughtful.
The soba and sushi and dessert.
When we reached home, I unpacked all my purchases. Here are some socks I bought from Shingyogoku on the 1st day in Kyoto.
The gifts the kids received on the flight back. They chose different things from the flight there. This time, ds2 chose the poker cards while ds1 chose the little stuffed airplane keychain. It moves as well, good toy for a toddler.
We bought these Jap sweets from the airport because we had loose change and were looking to use it up. :-)
It was an assortment of something like mochi? Very yummy. My fav was the strawberry one.
At the Tianjin airport, while waiting to collect our luggage, the Tianjin police were using a sniff dog to check all the baggage on the baggage claim conveyor belt. The dog was so systematic and thorough and concentrated so well on his job... How do they train them??
Pity training kids is not that easy...
rainbows every day, do not worry for the morrow ____________________________________________________________
about us ;
-{dear-hubby}- dh
-{dear-son}-ds1 T
-{dear-son}-ds2 J
-{dear-daughter}-dd E
singapore/utah/tianjin
Church of Christ
parenting/education/biology/travel/music
She was still preparing MORE food for us when she had laid out so much already. The kids were so spoilt. There was milk and cereal, toast with butter and jam, hams and cheeses, muffins, all kinds of juices, yoghurt, milk... She was still frying eggs.
When we reached home, I unpacked all my purchases. Here are some socks I bought from Shingyogoku on the 1st day in Kyoto.
The gifts the kids received on the flight back. They chose different things from the flight there. This time, ds2 chose the poker cards while ds1 chose the little stuffed airplane keychain. It moves as well, good toy for a toddler.
