Tests and Sports Festivals

Last week my second son, D, had his first tests at Junior High School. The week before he spent all of his free time studying. Poor boy was going to school with black rings under his eyes. Unfortually even with all that study his test scores were very low. He just doesn't know the kanji (chinese script that is used for writing here). All rather depressing .
Also both D and C have sports festivals over the next two weeks. D's is this
Sunday and C's the Sunday after. This means hours of practice, running and dancing outside in the heat. And it has been hot, tempretures in the mid 70F, about 27C and humid. I reallt struggle to understand the value of these sports festivals. Most kids complain about all the practice they have to do, they are so tired after. The elementary festival seems more like a chance for the parents to out do each other. The mothers compete to see who has prepared the best "Obento" or lunchbox. We live opposite the school so I don't bother, we just come back and eat here!
My 5 year old daughter lucked out yesterday when one the girls I teach gave her a load of toys. The girl is only 7 but she said that she didn't need these toys as they are for little kids, so what is she?

Junk

Japanese people seem to keep things way past there usefulness.
I was looking for some coffee cups at my MIL's house the other day.
That is always my first place to look if I need something. She lives
alone but has so much stuff. She could eat a full dinner everyday for
at least 2 months without doing any washing up and still have
plates, rice bowls and soup bowls leftover. She just keeps everything
"incase". Unfortually I tend to be the same. We have attracted mice, they come in from the fields. So today I tried to clean out one of our cupboards . In the back I found a word proccesor, which no longer works, two key boards from old computers and a box of books form when my oldest was in first grade, he has just started high school. So I am throwing out. They have to go, I need the space and I'm so tired of living in trash. But will I? I have a clear memory of looking at these things last year and resolving to throw them out, but they are still there. Why? Because I might need them one day!!!!

Japanese problems

I usually don't watch the news. Most of the Japanese goes over my head and I get very frustrated at only understanding half of what is going on.
This morning hubby had the news on, when a rather grisly story came on about a 17 year killing his mother. I wondered why all the fuss, unfortually this isn't the first time a child has killed. So I decided to check out the Japanese newspapers. It turns out that the kid turned up at a police station with his mothers head in his school bag. According to the police the boy said that he wanted to kill some one, anyone.
This news has left feeling sad and sick to my stomach. What are we doing to young people, what kind of future are we creating? Will anywhere be safe? This poor woman was visiting her sons apartment when he attacked her. I can understand feeling vulnerable when with strangers but we should feel safe with our own kids. I'm also wondering if this is yet another case of those closest to the kid not saying if anything was wrong with him. In Japan mental problems, even depression, are not talked about and outside help is seldom asked for.
Sad day.

Mothers Day

Yesterday was Mothers Day.
In most families it is a day to remember the work that Mothers do.
In my family I just work. Somehow the kids haven't got the idea of
Mom having a day off. When I say that I want a day off, everybody
seems to think that means me not working. What I would like
is a day where I don't do anything, no laundry, no cooking and
definitely no cleaning. So what did I do yesterday? I srubbed the bathroom out, cooked lunch and baked cookies. In the evening my 9 year old made me a card, and he helped his sister make one as well. That
was sweet. But Mothers Day was just another day for me.

Weather

I'm English and like most English people I enjoy talking about the
weather!
The weather in Japan can be very predictable, this time of year should
see us having warm days with the nights being at bit cooler. But the past few days have seen very extreme weather. In some areas the tempeture rose to 30C, in one city (couldn't catch where) it actually hit 32C. These are tempetures are what we expect in August. Of course it only lasted a couple of days. An awful storm managed to cool things down and keep me awake all night!
One of my students said that she thinks this summer will be very hot, which means lot of thunder storms and typhoons. Really not fun at all.

Celery

A friend gave me some celery yesterday. Five massive bunches of the
stuff. What am I should I do with it all? Today I threw together a soup
that had a load of celery in it and a salad with even more. Went to the
local store and bought a small tub of cottage cheese, cost me $2. But
I love celery and cottage cheese.
So my center piece on the kitchen table is two large containers of celery.
Kids will hate me before the week is out!!!!!

The end of a long weekend

Today is the last day of the Golden Week holiday.
This holiday is taken by most offices and factories
around Japan. People flock to destiantions both
at home and abroad. The news reports the tail backs
on the major highways and the long queues at airports
and train stations. Everybody is going somewhere.
But when they get there all they seem to do is stand in line.
I heard from one of my students who braved Kyoto one
Golden Week that she spent 3 hours waiting for the
toilet and even longer to get lunch!
So we don't do Golden Week. We stay home and relax.
Get some cleaning done, read a bit, watch DVDs and
just hang out together. It's a nice change from the
hetic pace that comes with school schedules. A nice
breathing space and a chance for the kids to get energy
to face the next couple of months at school.
Well had better go and see what my kids are up to as
they are rather quiet.