Obon Holiday

 Next week is Obon Holiday.  It's the time of year for our ancestors to return home.  It's a Japanese Buddhist custom where the ancestors are honored.  It has become a time when people return to their hometowns.  It's not a national holiday but most places close for the 3 days, the exception is the retail and entertainment industries, it's a good time to make money.  Most trains, shinkansen, (bullet trains) and planes are packed.  Even though most people return home some take the chance to travel, Hawai and Guam are popular destinations.  

When the kids were young we would have lunch at my mother-in-law's.  I never really enjoyed it.  Sitting there for two or three hours, sometimes with no air conditioning, kids getting bored after eating and the constant expectations to help out made it an ordeal to be endured.  The first few years I offered to bring something from home to help out but that wasn't done!  Then I had to deal with Hisao's uncle, who I really liked, trying to get us to drink alcohol.  I don't like most alcohol, and Hisao was driving we would refuse but he would keep on and on.  Of course, the more he consumed the more he pushed!!

Now Obon is a nice holiday for me.  We close the school for about a week, most students go to visit their parents or grandparents, so there is no point in opening.  It gives me a break, time to gather steam for the next few months!

Hannah was playing with her phone the other day.  She has a filter app that she likes to use, here are some of her pictures.

No filter on this one

very different with a filter

Not sure what animal I am

Cute!!

Typhoon

 We got lucky, very lucky.  Typhoon six was very slow moving and powerful.  For over a week it was over Okinawa.  Power cuts, floods, downed trees, signs and traffic lights.  The typhoon then moved to southern Kyushyu.  They also got hit bad, local flooding and a lot of wind damage. It then moved up the west coast of Kyushu, by the time it was level with us it was a bit weaker.  We got a load of rain and a bit of wind.  I prepared, I always do when there is a possibility of a typhoon hitting.  Anything that could be blown away was bought inside, closed up the shutters and stocked up on bottled water and cup noodles (we have enough for a month).  Hannah's university changed her classes to online, just in case!!  The only good thing was that it felt a bit cooler for a couple of days, but so humid!!

Today I went shopping.  First time I've been out for over a week.  I wanted to get something for David's birthday next week.  I took Hannah to help me out!  We went to a clothes shop that caters to the whole family from babies to elderly style, also bedding, towels etc.  Hannah loves this store, she goes in for one thing and comes out with about 7 things!!  Even today she bought a dress, necklace and pair of shoes.  I got a few things for David.  One problem is that it still hot here and will be for the next couple of months but the store already has a lot of autumn clothes!!  The summer things were on sale so it was easy to get a good bargin but not much choice.

Just to make a change from cat photos here are some of the area I was shopping in this morning.

The pink store is the clothes store

Everywhere we can see mountains

FLYZ is a recycle store that I like to check out

This and That

 A few things have been happening the past couple of days!  Nothing major.

Christopher has gotten over Covid.  He was rather sick for four days.  Two days with a fever of 39.9C.  Even with strong medicine from the doctor, his fever was still too high.  Finally broke Thursday evening. He had an awful sore throat, he was living on tofu and jelly, he couldn't swallow anything else.  Saturday evening he came into the kitchen and asked if I wanted a good laugh.  He showed me his front teeth, he had lost a filling!  So this week he has to go to the dentist.  Poor kid, can't get a break!

We might get a typhoon this week, maybe Wednesday and Thursday.  This typhoon has been dancing over Okinawa for the past few days.  When it hit there it was very strong,  the winds bought down trees, traffic lights and massive signboards.  The forecast was for it to go along the Pacific Coast of Japan.  This morning however the forecast has changed and it's going along the coast of Kyushu.  We shouldn't be hit too hard but we really don't need a load more rain.  The heavy rain that we had at the beginning of July has loosened a lot of the soil, another load means the possibility of landslides will be very high!

It is still hot here.  Last week 3 or 4 days were up to 39C.  Today it's 33C and I don't feel it's that hot.  If it stays like this for the rest of the summer maybe I'll survive.  

Poor Hannah still has university.  From Saturday to Thursday this week.  During her lunch break, I send pictures of the cats, cheers her up.  She likes her course but getting there is hard in the heat.  On the days that he is free Mikey drives her there, about an hour each way.  If not she has to walk half an hour from the station and then back again. Her backpack is rather heavy and she feels very hot and sticky when she gets to the campus! Seeing the cats makes her happy.  These are some from the other day.

I was trying to get each cat

David asked what I was doing, I explained that I was sending cat photos to Hannah.  He said you can send one of me.  I told him that I didn't think it would cheer her up!!  He said I can be a cat and did a cat pose!

Cat pose?

When Hannah saw the photo she texted me saying it looks like David is having a fit!

A Bit of History

I'm still learning about this city.  We've lived here for 14 years but I know very little of the history.

The other week David went to the local shopping mall, in the parking lot he found a memorial dedicated to unknown soldiers that died during the Sengoku Period, literally the warring states period in the 15th century.  According to a plaque at the memorial a factory was built in the area where the shopping mall is now.  When they opened the factory they neglected the memorial, no prayers were offered for the unknown soldiers.  For a few years the factory was plagued with many accidents.  The factory owners decided to hold a memorial service for the soldiers, after the service the accidents stopped.  Maybe coincidence!  Christopher said that it was more likely that they finally learned how to run the factory without accidents!!

This is the plaque explaining the history

David said it's a nice little oasis in the middle of the parking lot.  Once the weather has cooled down I might go and see it for myself!

Miserable Summer

 The past few years every summer has been rather miserable.  This year, however, seems to be harder.  I think it's a combination of things, my health, age and having sick kids have all contributed to me feeling rather out of things.

I know that it isn't as hot here as in other parts of the world, but for me this too hot. It's 8:30 in the morning and already 30 degrees.  I've done a few jobs that needed doing but as always there is more to be done.  David has taken over cooking lunch, for which I am very grateful, I know I couldn't cook everyday!  My health is not good, my knee hurts again, I'm obese and have diabetes.  I'm tired all the time and have very little stamina.  I have lost some weight and I really hoped that would help, maybe a little bit but not as much as I had hoped.  The other day I was helping Mikey put things in the car, I was outside for about 10 minutes and felt awful, nausea and the begining of a headache.  When I came in I drank a load of water and sat infront of the fan for a while, felt much better.  I was suprised at how quickly I felt bad.  I use to be able to stay out for half an hour.  Is this part of getting old, if it is then I'm not looking forward to the next few years.  I am trying to use this time to do a few things.  I've spent time trying to organize lesson plans for the next few weeks, finding interesting worksheets for Halloween and Christmas.  Trying to study Japanese.  Also planning what to do with the other house, figuring out what I can change, what I can afford and what can wait.  I'm really looking forward to autumn, getting things done.  Time to make a 'to do' list.  I love crossing things off a list!

The cats have the right attitude, just sleep when it's hot!!  They race around at night and sleep most of the day!!!

Of Course

 Christopher has Covid!!

Poor lad!!!  He isn't very sick but has an awful sore throat.  All he has eaten is tofu, boiled eggs, jelly and peaches.  I'll make a smoothie later for him.  His fever is high, 39C but the medicine he got from the doctor should help.  My worry at the moment is Hannah.  She has tests all this week and next.  Also, she is overtired from the heat and working so much.  I hope she doesn't catch it!  I think because she is out of the house a lot she should be okay. I didn't think Christopher caught it from Mikey but I just checked and from exposure to symptoms is from 2 days to 2 weeks!! I always thought it was a shorter period!  I guess we are all exposed!  Looks like getting the alcohol out and cleaning everything!!!

Today is very hot, 36C at the moment, feels like 43C.  I'm sitting with a fan on me, helps a bit!  Poor cats are suffering but they won't stay in the rooms with air conditioning.  Most have taken over the stairs.

3rd stair down, death trap!!

View from the entrance

I'm hoping to post some recipes soon.  Still need to watch sugar and carbs but that is what I'm craving. Especially ice cream!  But need to stay away and eat more healthy foods!!  I just wish fruit was as cheap as ice cream!!! 

Christopher

 Looks like some kind of summer cold is making the rounds.

The other week Mikey got Covid, very mild and he recovered in 3 days!

Today it's Christopher's turn.  He was complaining of a sore throat earlier but he had been in the air conditioning so I thought it was just that!  He went to work but came back a few hours later.  Sore throat and 38C fever.  He's taken some medicine but the doctors are closed until tomorrow.  I really hope it's just a cold.  In Japan, there's a saying that only idiots catch a cold in summer!!!  Just saying!!!

Christopher and David

I hope I don't get sick.  Although I've been feeling a bit under the weather recently!  Not really a cold but just feeling blah.  I put it down to the heat and humidity!!

Also, there are a lot of summer festivals.  The past few years there haven't been so many or really scaled back because of the pandemic.  Last weekend was the festival here, Mikey got a place to sell cotton candy.  And there were fireworks.  Hannah took some photos, not great but you can see the fireworks.

There was a crow watching, can you see it?