Welcome to our world!: September 2006

Home sweet home

We love our new place. There is a mini zoo and park right next to our apartment where daddy and M go every day for walks. The llama, ponies, sheep, wallabies and people who work there recognize M by now. It's like having our own farm, only better because we don't have to feed and clean the animals!

Right in the same place, there is also a building that features a little indoor animal reserve for guinea pigs, hamsters, beetles, etc., a roller blading area and a toddler play area. Outdoors, besides the mini zoo, you can ride ponies, play in the playground, learn fundamental traffic rules by riding on these cute vehicles around a traffic rules course marked with traffic lights and zebra crossings, and or climb a massive wooden bridge (currently M's favourite part of the park because she's obsessed with climbing stairs). All of this without having to pay a yen! Isn't Japan one of the nicest places in the world to live?!

Girl in blue

Blur photo taken from my mobile phone of M hanging out at Daiei (japanese supermarket and department store chain).

Costume for halloween?

M received a little sparkly skirt from por por a few weeks ago. We pulled it up into a dress for these photos. Won't it make a nice halloween costume!

Swallows in action

A couple of weeks ago, a brilliant little swallow built its nest on a wall in the middle of the cluster of shopping malls near the Shin Urayasu station, and laid its eggs right in it. This was unusual because at this time of the year, swallows would usually have started their exodus to Malaysia to escape the upcoming winter. The mall owner stuck an umbrella beneath the nest to catch it in case it fell. Since an umbrella sticking out of a wall is quite hard to miss even in eccentric Tokyo, these baby swallows and their mother became instant celebrities. Passer-bys took photographs with their mobile phones and professional cameras. Children excitedly cheered the birds on.

This is one sight we'll never see in Malaysia. When Paul, our Malaysian friend, an SIA pilot, stopped over Japan, I pointed out the swallows' nest to him. He made a remark about how much birds' nest soup it'll make and how much that will cost. 'Nuff said.

Back at last!

Our last post was ages ago. Since then, we've moved to a new apartment, gone to Shikinejima (one of a series of islands off Tokyo), had M dance for her grandparents in Aichi, experienced impetigo, gotten a new job... In other words, we took a summer vacation from blogging :D

M's first ever experience with sand n sea in Shikinejima...