Katsuura

Here is the university chalet where we stayed while vacationing in Katsuura. After the first hour of checking in, Minori was already calling it "Minori's house." Please click on it to view the larger image.


The thoughtful students brought all kinds of crafts - play-doh, kid-size jello, foam and paper airplanes, etc - to keep Minori entertained.



They even took care of all our meals! No cooking for me for a good three days!



Riddle: "How many adults does it take to retrieve a paper airplane?"

Katsuura

Minori had the best time at the beach. She still hasn't conquered the fear of the lapping waves yet but she is getting closer to the sea.

Bottom left 2 pictures: M enjoying the sea with a couple of daddy's students.

Enter these gates...

Katsuura is a little beach town on the Chiba peninsular and our latest favorite place! We were there about a month ago over a nice long weekend with daddy's seminar students. The university-owned "cottage" felt like Phuket, or even the Maldives maybe, but definitely not Japan! It was our perfect summer get-away without actually leaving the country!

More pictures to come!

Summer is here!

After the awful couple of weeks of rain, summer is finally here! So much to do, so little time. Here are brief captions of what we've been up to so far...

A trip to the Ampanman museum in Yokohama. Ampanman is Japanese for "red bean bun man" a cartoon character loved by the kids here, Minori included. Only in Japan, you can make food a superhero.




Hanging out at Toys r Us, among other fascinating stores, with Aunty Grace and baby Yuta.



Digging into chawan mushi at a sushi restaurant, where we brought Aunty Boon Mei when she came to visit.



Having fun with Aunty Boon Mei who wandered into Tokyo to visit us while on her business trip to Nagoya! Thank you, Aunty Boon Mei!



Minori debuts in her cheongsam, a gift from Uncle Steve the past Chinese New Year when it was still too big for her, while trying out Peking duck buffet at a chinese restaurant in one of the hotels next to our apartment...



... and then checks in at the Mickey store right across the restaurant.



A trip to Ikea to check out the toddler beds.



Bogeying with a bunch of beads like it's Mardi Gras!

Summer is for partying!