Insects

 I hate insects, even the ones that are considered cute like butterflies and ladybirds. There is just something about them that make my skin crawl!  But the ones that makes me scream and run around like an idiot are cockroaches.  Not the small ones that I can squish but the massive Godzilla ones that come out in the summer.  Another reason that I don't like summer!  There's saying in Japan that if you see one there are 30 more hiding, waiting to come out.  I already saw one this week, crawling along the ceiling in the bathroom.  So are there 30 more waiting?  I had hoped that the cats would help but they only play with them, chasing and batting them around.  I'm trying to find something that I can put down to kill the cockroaches but most poisons would be bad for the cats.  I thought about putting poison down where the cats don't go but the cats seem to get everywhere!

Talking about cats I was ready to throttle them last night.  All night meowing, fighting and scratching at my door. At 3:30am I gave up, opened my door to see all the cats lined up in the corridor, they were hungry!  So I gave them food and it went very quiet!  We also solved the mystery of Hannah's clothes being covered in cat hair. I don't let the cats into the bedrooms because we all have allergies so we couldn't figure out why Hannah's clothes had cat hair on them, it was David, we have the photo to prove it!

David rubbing Steve on Hannah's clothes

Cats being cute!

Hannah is enjoying her course.  Until the end of May everything is online, which is easier for her, no getting up early. Part of what she is doing is remembering all the things she did in elementary school.  Today she had to do an art project like she did in 1st or 2nd grade.  She had to make a robot or monster from boxes or other household stuff.  This is what she made.

Hannah's monster

Too Early

 This year, so far, nature has been too early.

Cherry blossoms in March instead of April.  Azaleas in April instead of May.  And now the rainy season has started, 20 days earlier than usual.  The last time it was this early was in 1954.  I don't like the rainy season. As the name implies it rains a lot, but for me it's the humidity that drives me crazy.  Yesterday, after the rain had stopped the humidity was still 80%.  Everything feels damp.  I feel as if the life has been sucked out of me.  To help combat this I usually run my air conditioners on the dry mode but at the moment two of my air conditioner aren't working.  I wish they were a luxury that I didn't need but they aren't. Once the real heat starts I know it will be killing for me.  Better bite the dust and go shopping.

David had to go to the police station on Friday.  No, he's not in trouble but was a witness to an accident a few weeks ago.  Mikey and David were on the way to Kusano to clean out my mother in laws house (it's still not finished). On the way they stopped to pick up some coffee, it was 6am.  Just as they were getting there coffee there as an awful crash out side, when they looked they saw a car had run into something, the can was wrecked but the driver was okay. David called the police while Mikey helped the driver. Because David was the one who called the police he was asked to go in and give a written statement.  Apparently the driver was drunk and sleepy, had a tire blow out and lost control of the car.  For his effort David was given 3000 yen by the police, about 20 pounds.  I was very surprised by that!

And because my life isn't stressful enough the cat have to get in on the act.  Last night Alan, one of the black cats, was foaming at the mouth. I was so shocked, I managed to catch him and wipe the foam off.  He went on his way only to come back a few minutes later foaming at the mouth again.  David and Hannah grab Alan and found that he was covered in washing up liquid, he was licking to get it off and that was why he was foaming at the mouth.  David and I got him in bathroom and managed to wash off the dish soap.  Alan struggled to get free, soaking me and the bathroom floor.  But we got the soap off, Alan went off to sulk, he is still miserable today!  I have no idea how he got soap on himself,  one of the mysteries of cats!

Who's hiding in the towel?

It's Sam

Steve and Alan watching the lizards on the outside of the window.

Back to Work

 We took a weeks holiday, which was nice but we are now back to work.  I like my work, which is just as well as I don't see retirement in the future!  Teaching can be fun but it is tiring, especially teaching kids.

Also parts of Japan are in a state of emergency.  Unlike the lockdown in England there are no laws to impose the lockdown and no fines.  People are asked to stay home unless it is necessary.  Things that are considered necessary are food shopping, hospital visits and work, but working from home is encouraged.  Schools are open but universities have gone back on line.  The prefecture we live in is still okay.  It's not a main area and for the most part is countryside.  But Hannah's university has moved to fully online because the neighboring prefecture is in lockdown and a lot of students come from there!  It would help if the vaccines were being rolled out a bit faster.  But it seems to be taking a long time, plus a lot of people are refusing the vaccine.  This seems to be a thing in Japan.   I remember when David was a baby the government with drew the MMR vaccine and replaced it with 3 different shots.  The Japanese people didn't like the idea of a foreign vaccine.  I think the same thing is happening again, they want a Japanese developed vaccine, which could take ages! 

We have been visited a few times by a few cats, I have no idea if they are strays, they seem cared for.  Of course Hannah puts food out for them.  I think she would take them all in if I let her but I don't have money for the vets and bringing in other cats I would want them checked for diseases!

Visitors!

And this happened.

David dropped his watch on his dinner!

Golden Week

 The beginning of May has 3 consecutive national holidays, together they are called Golden Week. Before coronavirus hit this would of been one of the busiest holiday times.  Most people don't take holidays even if it is in their contract.  To help out the tourist industry the government has made a lot of national holidays.  Almost every month will have at least one day holiday.  So banks, post offices, city halls, etc are closed, most offices close and of course schools are closed.  Because of the sudden increase in coronavirus cases in Tokyo, Osaka and Hyogo most people will have opted to stay home this year.  I've never gone anywhere on Golden Week as the lines for everything are just crazy.  I have thought of going back to the UK but the prices are almost 3 times more than usual!

So Golden Week this year started with Hannah's birthday.  19 years old. She got spoilt, as always.  I gave her a necklace and ordered a printer for her.  The boys got her games and books.  And of course we had a lovely dinner courtesy of David, three kinds of fired chicken and sashimi!

The rest of the holiday is being dedicated to cleaning.  I need to do as much as possible this month because I know that after June and the rainy season it will be too hot and humid to do more than the basics.  I really don't like summer here!

Hannah's cake, tasted better than it looks

David's creation, ginger pork on a bed of lettuce with tomato and 

avocado!

Fluffy sulking

Lion King?

April

 April happened but I didn't take time to write!  Some days go by in blur.  I get up, blink and it's time for bed.

Most of the past month has been about helping Hannah settle into university life.  She had her entrance ceremony at the beginning of the month.  These ceremonies are usually long affairs with families attending to congratulate the new students.  But this year because of covid 19 it was totally scaled back.  No families allowed, just the new students and staff. The whole thing took just half an hour, before they would go on for two or three hours.

Hannah in her suit for entrance ceremony

The banner saying the university name

The theater where the ceremony was held

The next day classes started.  First was orientation, greeting the teachers and other students.  Then down to work.  At the moment she only has face to face classes twice a week.  One is music and piano, the other is Japanese.  All other classes are done online.  I think this is better for Hannah, she has to get use to using the train and a long walk to the campus.  

On the way to the campus she passes this cute park!

Hannah has also started a little part time job at a local cram school.  At the moment it is just two evenings a week.  As she gets use to it she can get more hours.

I really don't know how parents coped before cell phones.  I ask Hannah to call me when she gets to campus, until she does I'm unfocused and worried.  

Besides trying to do spring cleaning, which is never finished I haven't really done anything this month.  We are stilling cleaning out my mother in laws house.  There is just so much stuff.  A lot of things like the electronics we don't know what to do with them.  I'm hoping it can get finished soon as it is driving me crazy!

Cherry Blossoms

 Yesterday Hannah and I walked to the little park on the next block.  The cherry blossoms were in full bloom but with rain and high winds forecast I thought it best to go and see them.  This year is very early.  My image of cherry blossoms is to do with the entrance ceremonies that start at the beginning of April.  From kindergarten up to university there are ceremonies to welcome the new students.   It's a chance to dress up and the cherry blossoms make a nice back drop for photos.

Managed to get a few photos of the park.  It's a nice little space, we use to run Lucky over there.

Very little park but always clean

David keeps putting ties on the cats.  They hate it but it's fun!

Frodo

Steve

Spring

 I'm amazed at how quickly things change. Last week was dull, cloudy and rather cold. No flowers out, the ground was bare, no color anywhere.  The past couple of days things have bloomed,  cherry blossoms are out, 10 days earlier than last year.  There is a calendar that shows the best time to see the cherry blossoms in each area of Japan. Traditionally people would have picnic under the cherry blossoms, in the famous parks and riversides people put down picnic sheets to reserve a spot.  But because of covid 19 these picnics have been banned again.  I don't really enjoy the picnics, it is still rather chilly, especially when the wind picks up.  Also seems to be an excuse for people to get drunk.  

A few photos 

Today I made a massive bowl of pasta salad.  Nice for a change!

As much as I'm enjoying spring I'm also suffering from hay fever.  This year seems to be really bad.  I'm drugged up with meds, they make me sleepy and give me headaches.