Kids

My kids are great.  They are dealing with the death of their Dad in an amazing way.  They have all sat up at night and had a cry with me, they talk to each other and support each other and me.
But they all have my hubby's terrible sense of humor!
Last month I needed to order somethings from a Japanese catalogue.  But I can't read or write Japanese. So I asked David for some help, basically putting in my name and address and payment method.  He was having some problem with my name as the web page didn't recognise  the romanaji.  So being a clever lad he changed my name Jackie to kanji    　邪気   looks okay.....I couldn't understand what he was grinning about.  A few minuets later I got the confirmation email.  My email has a translation application on it,  most of the time it doesn't make sense but I can figure things out.    There was my name Ms. Evil Spirit...yep that is what the kanji that my son chose for me means ....evil spirit!!!!  Lets just say that I can move very fast when needed and gave him a good chase and a whooping when i caught him, which was easy has he was having a giggling fit!!!!

Congratualations Christopher

Christopher passed his high school exam.  I am so happy and relieved, it has been an awful stress the past few weeks.  Pushing him to study, that was always hubby's job, I was the kind parent.  We balanced each other, now I have to do both.  So I am glad that is over and done with.  Yesterday morning Christopher and Mikey went to the school to see if his number was posted.  Mikey called and said that Christopher had failed, my kids love to get me!!!  So starts a new adventure for Christopher!
To celebrate we went to the local mall, there is an Italian restaurant that I have always wanted to try, so we went there.  It was nice we had different pizzas, Christopher had pasta.  I stopped by the grocery store and got something simple and light for tonight, salad, soup and bread. And we got donuts to munch on, I'm hoping we can decide on a DVD to watch together!!
Tomorrow is back to the high school to see about uniforms, bags and books and all the other things that go with starting school.  That part I am not looking forward to as it costs an arm and a leg for all this stuff!!!!

Tired

I am very tired today.  Exhausted more like!
Friday was Christopher's graduation.  I think sitting in the cold gym for hours made me tired.
Saturday was shopping, not easy with no car.  The local supermarket is good but seems very expensive for some things.  Then from 1:30 to 9pm teaching.  Thankfully all my students are very nice and easy to teach.
Sunday I decided on a little adventure.  Hubby was our driver.  Since he died we haven't really been anywhere.  I am not big on going places, especially on Sunday, but I thought the kids would like
to get out a bit.  Also I haven't used public transport very much so I need to learn where the buses and trains run from and to!!  So Sunday morning we set off to Kurume.  By car it would take maybe half an hour.  But we had to walk to the train station, about 40 minutes, train 10 minutes and bus another 10 minutes. We went to the library, I wanted to walk around the park behind the library, but it rained.
The kids had a good day and I realised that we can do things without a car.  Not easy but doable.  We got obent on the way back and watched a DVD together.  I'm trying to be with the kids as much as possible, I realise how short life is.  We really don't when our number is up!!
I got to bed nice and early.  But was woken by the awful storm that raged from about 4am.  The wind was really strong and I got scared.  I came down for a drink but could hear a rattling from the back yard.  I thought that something had been blown down.  When I looked out I could see a white shape moving through the yard.  I realised that the dog had gotten free.  I managed to get her but had to get Christopher to put her back!!!  She is really big and strong, she also suffers from selective hearing, if she has something more interesting to do she ignores us!!

Christopher's Busy Week

This past week has been really busy for Christopher.  On Tuesday and Wednesday he had High School entrance tests.  He had to walk to the school, which took about half an hour.  Tuesday Mikey walked with him, just make sure he got there okay.  Actually it was more to reassure me than anything else, I worry way too much!!  Tuesday was lovely spring weather, just right to a walk.  Wednesday was rain, rain and more rain, then very strong wind, not good for walking in!!  Christopher said the test was okay, and some points easy. Does this mean he did okay or he missed a load of questions?  Again worrying!!!  We won't know until next week, March 19th, fingers crossed that he gets in!!!

Then today was his graduation.  Very long and rather boring.  I always feel that the joy is sucked out of these ceremony's!  I know that ending one period in your life is sad but at the same time there should be a feeling of hope and moving forward.  Maybe that is talked about in the speeches, most of which I missed.  I just shut off sometimes and stop listening.  After the main ceremony, in the freezing gym, we all went back to the homeroom.  There each student stood up and gave a little speech.  Christopher got every bodies attention by speaking in English, to me, first, then switching to Japanese.  Very smooth!! 
I'm glad that this is over and done with.  I've been so worried about everything, tests and graduation.  I have never had to deal with all these things by myself before.  I made Mikey come with me.  I wasn't sure that I could go through it without breaking down.  Mikey is very calm and helps me out.  It felt weird to sit there without hubby.  I guess it  will never feel right!!

Anyway some pictures from today

The program

Christopher's class entering

the song that made me cry

Christopher giving his little speech

With his homeroom teacher  Mrs Ueno

With a class mate

Japanese teacher who has helped Christopher a lot

Me and Christopher

Another class mate

ALT teacher from Germany, teaching English

Headteacher

And Goodbye to Tosu Junior High School

March 11th 2011 two years on

There are some dates that people remember.  I have heard people say they remember exactly what they were doing when President Kennedy was assassinated.  For younger people Princess Diana's death, the 9.11 terror attacks and the bombing of the underground in London remain in our collective memories.  But for the Japanese and those living in Japan March 11th is synonymous with tragedy.  It was the day that the world changed forever for thousands of people.
I remember watching the images on TV, for days the news media ran the same images of water flooding areas, of houses, buildings, boats, cars, railways being sweeped away.  Of lives destroyed.  It seemed impossible that destruction on such a vast scale could happen. I think that mankind has become arrogrant in our belief that we can tame nature, that with our computers and machines we can bend the natural world to our will.  This disaters taught me that we are very small and rather weak when Mother Nature roars!

As the aftermath of the disaster became known I felt deeply saddened for all the people who suffered through it.  Where we live in Kyushu earthquakes are few and far between,  I could never imagine the shock that those people went through.  This year because of my own loss I feel more grieved than before.  Loosing my husband so suddenly was ( and still is) an awful shock.  I miss him everyday.  But I am lucky in that nothing else really changed in my life.  My kids are okay and give me strength through their determination to keep going.  My house is still standing, the city I live in is still there, the schools and stores unchanged.  Life around me goes on, even if I wish everything would stand still because it seems unreal that nobody else feels what I feel.  So I wonder and admire those that survived that most awful of days.  Those people lost everything, the people they loved, their pets, their homes and businesses.  Everything just gone!!  But they keep going, they are rebuilding.  Not just the structures for living but rebuilding lives and creating new memories.  Those people of the Tohuku Region are real heros!

March

So here is March!!  I honestly don't know where time goes to.  How did we get to the third month of 2013 already? 
Last week the dog got sick.  She was  coughing like crazy.  I thought about taking her to the vets but put it off.  Vets are really expensive and money is tight at the moment.  After 4 days she was fine.  She is a yard dog but has place right outside the dinning room window.  I gave her an old mat to sleep on, but she buried it instead, silly dog!!
This week has been busy at Hannah's school.  On Wednesday each year did a little skit as a goodbye to the 6th graders!!  Each year sang a song and a little play.  Very sweet.  Hannah had to stand up and say about 4 lines.  She did very well.  I am so happy, when she started at this school she wouldn't even say her name, she has come a long way.
On Thursday the school had special guests.  The Miss Universe, who use to go to the school and Peter Yarrow, of Peter, Paul and Mary fame.  Mikey went to see them, all parents were invited, I wanted to go but got hit by bad allergies!!  Mikey knows how to position himself to meet people.  So he got to speak to Peter!!!  Good for Mikey.
I am hoping to update more often, I do think about it but thinking and doing don't always match up.

What a week

The past few months have been tough.  But I manage to get things done, kind of.
This past week has been really tough, all because of David.  He is a great kid and since
hubby died he has taken on the role of errand runner.  I can't drive or ride a bicycle. So
once or twice a week David jumps on his bike and goes to the stores that are too far for me to
walk to, basically the drug store that sells cheap milk and bread.  He has become so
responsible for this that most of the time he goes without me having to ask.  But not this week.
This week he tore a ligament in his leg, not the first time but the way he did it was rather funny.
He stood up.  That is not a typo!!  He was kneeling on the floor went to stand up but twisted his
foot under him.  Poor boy had to suffer all Monday because it was a holiday, we went to
the doctor, by taxi, on Tuesday where he got x-rayed and I had a good laugh while the doctor
poked at his foot and asked if it hurt.

The Foot, the swelling has gone down now

This is what David is doing, playing shogi, Japanese chess, on the computer
 

So I have  to do all the errands that David does.  Talk about tired!!

Turning 20 in Japan is a big thing, at 20 kids become adults.  The schools in  Japan have an event when the kids are in the fourth grade, aged 10.  They are half way to becoming adults.  Last week was Hannah's class.  Each child had written what they remembered from the last ten years and their hopes and dreams for the future.  Hannah read hers first.  She wants to be a teacher.  It was an open lesson, so I went and I cried.  First one without hubby kind of hard!!   But Hannah did very well, she spoke in a clear voice, very different to the shy girl who wouldn't even say her name when she
started at the school two years ago!!  I am very proud of her.

Hannah reading her speech, she should of taken her mask off

 

And last week we had snow, looked nice while it lasted.  All of one hour!!!!

Out on the road

Side of the house

I rhink that is all for now.  I know I should update more often but I never seem to have time, I will try!!!