It`s the spring holiday!!! yey!

On 27 and 28th, we had a trip to Awajishima island with our family friends.

It`s in between the main island(Honsyu) and Shikoku island and is connected

by a long suspension bridge on both ends.

We took the train to Kobe and from there we were picked up by friends and

crossed the bridge by the car. I somehow thought this place to be really small and rural, mountains and shrines and stuff, not expecting to go through motorways! But think

aboutit, it`s just off the main island a few minutes on the bridge!!

On this trip, we went to a couple of attractions and one of them is called "England`s Hill".

The sheme is England with a rose garden, horse riding, sheeps, pyo friuts and veg and a walk around the lake....... sounds good doesn`t it?

Well, what the kids thought looked like England out of anything there were those horrible white plastic chair and table sets!!! lol!

to be fair, we didn`t see the rose garden or go for walk.... but we spent more time watching koala and emu! (which was in a corner of around the world)

Here a few photos of the trip:

Viz looking out of train window. There are rows of high buildings.

having a breakfast at the hotel. It was rice, miso-soup, grilled fish, seaweed paste etc.

yes, grilled fish from morning!

This is the room we stayed... tatami mat and sliding paper doors.

Huney is dancing with joy!

Having a lunch - Udon noodle with Tempura! love it!

at the England`s Hill. the Union Jack and a Koala next to each other....why koala? (flower picture)

This is how it looks around here!

and the other side of the house

This is Takatsuki city in Osaka prefecture.

About 15 minutes on a train to the big city Osaka and Kyoto.

My parents apartment is on 7th floor, we can have a very good view here,

especially in eary morning we can watch the beautiful sunrise!

of course that is if you can be up that early, but amasingly I have been up

that early many mornings!

Buildings are all different looking, so it doesn`t look pretty like the rows of

brick houses in England.

and this picture was taken a couple days ago.

It looks very misty......

but it`s actually the sand from the dessert in China(and around that area)!

don`t want to go out there without a mask and goggles!

Viz (my youngest) is down with a cold. He`s not too bad, but we are stuck in the house today.













Last wednesday was the last day for Viz to go to pre-school. It was a big cleaning day!






Here in Japan, kids clean the school everyday. They normally have a rota and do it during their lunch break, and at the end of every term, the whole school does it thoroughly. Do English kids do that in school too? They don`t , do they? clean the place, clean your spirits too! very important!!













anyway, here is Viz cleaning hard!





there were few kids getting stuck, their legs going on the spot. quite funny to watch!

another of Viz cleaning tables.





He looked huge in the class!

Weekend!!

It`s the long waited weekend!!
Last Monday, my eldest (Hunny) started school. She was really nervous, no,more than nervous, actually scared.
I went to the school with her to head master`s office, met her class teacher there. she explained what`s what briefly, and then took Hunny to her class. I said bye to her there and left the building... I really wanted to peek through the window, but resisted the temptation， knowing　that　me peeking into 　　her　class with　my forehead stuck to the window would embarass her!!
I went back to school at 3:30 to pick her up. Last lesson finishes 3:30 but after that, teacher has to give childrens letters, notes etc. so kids actually leave just before 4 . While waiting, I was quite nervous to see her face as I just worried so much　about what kind of day she had, if she had enjoyed　it　at all. But when she came out through the door she had a kind of shy smile on her face followed by few girls fussing around her! She wanted go home with them so in the end I went home on my own.
from next morning, girls`s been coming around to fetch her and they walk back home together. I was prepaired to do school run for first couple of weeks, but it wasn`t needed (….glad or sad…. I`m not sure…)

and my youngest Viz is starting school in April and he is going there as freshman with all the other children. meanwhile I`m taking him to pre-school for couple hours in the morning. He`s not that keen about pre-school, but good to get used to the enviroment before startｉｎｇ school and also give him something to do while Hunny is in school.

On Saturday we went to the aquａrium. No school, no homework, and we　went somewhere ｔｈｅ kids 　actually　wanted to go. It was like things　had gone back to normal!