Halloween Party

It's been years since we've been to a good Halloween party, but last night we enjoyed one as a family. And what a funny family we were!

Stevie and I were supposed to go as the "Princess and the Frog", but then mid-week Stevie decided he wanted to be the princess so I got relegated to being the frog. It was definitely scarier this way!

Emmy was a fairy (my fairy godmother, since, according to her, boys need boy fairy godmothers); London was Dracula (he makes a good Dracula! We decided the fake teeth were an improvement to his own!); and Cannon was a Hydronoid Bakugan (he made his own costume and did a very nice job with it.)

I think Stevie's costume evolved into more of a "Queen" as the evening wore on...

A walk around the block

While walking around the neighborhood today with Emmy's class, I had the opportunity to witness some strange sights, maybe not strange to the Japanese, but not things we usually see walking around the block in America.

Like the man who was washing his car - with bottles of water!

Or the lady crouched at the side of the road smoking a cigarette with this "dog" sitting next to her.

Or this shop owner who, I am convinced, was not dressed up for Halloween. This was an everyday outfit!

Emmy's Storybook Parade

There is nothing cuter than a parade of 3 and 4 year olds dressed up in costume trailing down the street.  London's preschool used to have a parade around the neighborhood and now Emmy's did the same.  Except they don't call it "Halloween", but a "storybook parade".  You still see Cinderella and Snow White and Buzz Lightyear, but nothing "spooky".

So Emmy wanted to be Pinkalicious - a great new book that I recently got her about a little girl who loves pink and then eats so many pink cupcakes that she turns pink until she gets greedy (and disobedient) and eats one too many and turns red - horrors!  So the cure is to eat green foods.  It's a cute book and I jumped on the chance to dress my girl up girly.

Pinkalicious Emmy

They are so stinkin' cute as they walk hand in hand to the local Japanese businesses to collect candy. They even taught them how to ask for candy in Japanese... "Candy kudasai nan." Followed, of course, by arigato (thank you).

Isn't it cute, they paired the two winged characters together?

Cannon came along to help!

Halloween Happenings

I've gotten behind posting all the things that have been happening on our count down to Halloween!

Like making cookies with the kids...

Finally catching a picture of a real bat.  This is one of the fruit bats or "flying foxes" that we have here on Okinawa.  They're huge!  This guy was hanging out in the tree in the front yard.

To Cannon's homemade costume (Hydronoid, a bakugan)

Bid's Helo

Apparantly months ago, my dad, Grandpa Chris, promised London that while we were in China they would go shopping for London's birthday present.  Well, little minds may forget to brush their teeth or clean their room, but they don't forget promises of presents.  (As an aside, Grandpa minds do forget promises of presents, but they get quickly reminded by the little minds...)  So while in Beijing, we did visit a toy store, and despite 95% of toys being made in China, they were not any cheaper in China.  And then there was the issue of space and lugging this toy around China with us...  Anyways, while in Guilin airport, London and Emmy found a stand of remote controlled helicopters that just captivated London.  That was it, shopping trip over, the R/C helicopter was the choice!

So as soon as Grandpa returned to the States, he promptly kept his word and sent London a remote controlled helicopter - an Apache.  London was thrilled!

When the big day came to fly it, Stevie was on call, so with the patience not often seen in a seven-year-old, London waited for the following day to have the maiden voyage.  Stevie, being the bigger kid, tried to show London how to operate the helo - and promptly flew it straight into the side of a building. 

Lesson 1 - the 'copter is tough!  Stevie struggled with the thing for a while before giving up and letting London take the helm.  He and his brother quickly figured the thing out (with a little help from our neighbor who is a real helicopter pilot!  Not that they are taught on remote control crafts, as Don reminded me, but still his few words of advice seemed to go down well.)

Typhoon Chaba

Welcome to our world, Chaba!  We woke up this morning to TC-1 status, which means schools are closed, stores are closed, no more alcohol sales, and - of yeah - there is a big ol' storm bearing down on our tiny island.

4:00 PM - This little storm doesn't seem to be messing around.  Now up to a category 4 (winds of 131-150 mph) and passing 115 nautical miles off the coats of Okinawa.  That puts us in TCCOR-1E so everyone is mandated to be inside unless their job/life depends on it.  Weee!!!!

6:00 PM - Went next door to take the cat for a playdate and talk to my bud Kelly (ie. the cat and I were going stir crazy) when I noticed the fantastic light outside.  Kelly and I hunched against the wind and rain to capture these shots (these are original - no retouching)...

Somewhere over the rainbow

I always knew we lived somewhere over the rainbow...

Our view this morning.

English Lessons

I've made several posts since living here about the funny way the Japanese translate English in their signs, menus, etc.  I'm fairly convinced (especially after having traveled in other Asian countries who seem to be able to translate English just fine) that the Japanese do this on purpose.  I mean this is 2010 - we do have spell check!  I think it's their national way of "stickin' it to us".


And then yesterday as I was driving home after dropping the kids at school; I was listening to a story on NPR about how some Japanese companies are now mandating that their employees learn English and exclusively use it in all business dealings.  The story was really interesting, but the most amusing part was this clip they played from an actual Japanese TV series that ran in the early 90's.




Which lead me to look up on YouTube other videos.  This one had me rolling so hard I was crying!

China - Final Thoughts Part II

More all Chinese photos...

This old man wouldn't let me take his photo so I had to sneak one - doesn't he look like what you think of China?

The family van, Chinese style!  A bike with a cart with mom and child perched on the edge!

These were similar to the tuk-tuks in Thailand

A typical Chinese street scene.  Bikes, people and merchants everywhere.

I think he had plastic bottles in there...

The Chairman Mao watch that my Dad and Stevie haggled for in Tianamen Square.  His hand waves!

Roasted potato anyone?  Yes, that's a barrel on the back of a bike that roasts potatoes! 
Talk about being in the hot seat!

This lady fussed at me after taking her picture.  For how much they liked to take my kids' pictures, they didn't want their own taken.  I would have loved to have bought one of those baskets, not the fruit, just the basket!

Another typical street scene.

These were Stevie's favorite trucks.  I think Jed Clampit needs one of these!

Caught this guy going down the highway.  That's a scooter attached to the front pulling the trailer bed.  Hope he doesn't have to brake suddenly!

This motorcycle/tractor vehicle was passing us in the twisty mountain roads near the Hanging Temple. 
Do you think it's homemade?

Grammie liked this one. The sign says it all.



It's hard to tell, but those green awnings are all poor farmers trying to sell their pomegranates - on the side of the highway!  There were acres and acres of pomegranate trees outside of Xi'an.




Across that decripit lot is a lady with a sewing machine under an umbrella.  Wow, is all I can say...



While visiting the jade factory, we were distracted by the music and excitement next door.  Turns out it was the opening of a new restaurant, which required dragon dancers, women in sparkly evening dresses, lots of speeches by local officials and the firecrackers.

OK, this is hard to see, but the little boy has a crack in his pants for, how shall I say, easy pottying?  Yes, they just crouched down and ta-da! No potty, no messing with pulling down pants.  Stevie called it the "poop chute".  You're lucky I'm not treating you to any other potty shots - they were disgusting!

You often saw groups of men sitting around playing games.

These people are drying rice by spreading it out on a parking lot and letting the sun dry it.  Here's a hint, always wash your rice before cooking it!

So Japan isn't the only country with funny signs!

Who knew?  Wal-Mart in China!  It was right across the street from our hotel in Xi'an.  Didn't have enough time to go in to see what a Chinese Wal-Mart looked like!

China - Final Thoughts Part I

As I was perusing through my photos I realized that there were lots of photos that I hadn't included on my blog posts up to now because they didn't exactly fit in with the itinerary of the day.  I'll call these photos "All Things Chinese" like...

Mommy and me potties in the Hong Kong airport.

Rare Kentucky bourbon, also in the Hong Kong airport.

Yes, they are really washing their laundry in the river.

Stevie's face sums up how we felt when we were trying to communicate with the Chinese!

A family on a moped - note the kid on Mom's lap behind the balloon!

Mopeds, mopeds, mopeds...

One of the hotel toiletries (for sale)

A fish food dispensor in Taipai

Garbage collector in Tiannamen Square

What do I say about this?

Can there be a cheesier t-shirt?  I had to buy one!

Joe tourist - I mean Grammie and Grandpa!

High heel shoes while walking through the Forbidden City?  Must have been a Japanese tourist.

Random Chinese guy having his picture taken with Emmy.

Selling lychees from the back of his bike.