The Boys Are Turning Japanese, I Really Think So

When it comes to food, Tommy has really taken a liking to many Japanese foods. He has tried most of the new foods we have put before him and he has liked most of them. He's always had some liking for Japanese food, especially fish. Here's a picture of Tommy eating steamed clams and loving every bite. Big brother looks on. Is it envy or concern?!

Both boys have really improved their use of chopsticks. And Tommy seems to be picking up a lot of Japanese mannerisms without realizing it. At times he bows almost automatically.

Michael had his second swimming test today and received black level 2, which is only a few steps away from being able to consider some type of swim team. He swam the length of the pool, 25 meters (82 feet), without stopping in order to achieve his latest rank.

Today we went to a clothing store to pick up Michael's PE outfit. All the kids are required to wear the PE uniform. He wasn't too sure about the hat, but we reassured him that all the other kids have to wear them, too. Total cost for the hat, shirt and shorts: $44.

Also today, we ordered Terry's official stamp. While westerners often can use a signature on documents here, it is often better to use a small wooden stamp for official signatures, like on bank documents, etc. Since Japanese use Chinese characters in their writing, the stamp comes from centuries ago when someone's stamp was their official permission. Terry has 2 stamps from his previous life here, but it was time for a new one. Too long of a story for this blog.

Yesterday we went to a department store and bought supplies to build a desk. The desks we have looked at are very small and very, very expensive. So, we decided to build our own. We purchased an unfinished pine board (1.5' X 5.9') for the top, $35. OK, it was all sealed in plastic, as most Japanese products are over-wrapped / over-sealed, and it was made from smaller pieces glued and planed flat. It's a nice, very smooth piece of wood. We purchased some 2 X 4's for legs. They were $2 for about 4 3/4'. They were very nice 2 X 4's, cut from the center of the tree, very few knots, dried, and much straighter than Lowes or Home Depot. We bought 1 pint of paint, $14!!! We bought 2 cheap brushes, $5 combined. We purchased some screws and small brackets, $5.

The store cut most of the lumber for us as they offer that service for free. We shoved all of it into Mio's father's car and were on our way. All total, the materials cost about $65-$70.

Once home, we built the desk and painted it. It looks great and it'll outlast an earthquake!