When I visited Japan almost three years ago, I couchsurfed with a family in Tokyo, and a six-year-old walked me through making model food with a candy kit.
Earthquake Alert
After our phones alerted us to this earthquake (elsewhere, and we didn’t feel it at all), we had a discussion about earthquakes, which led to yet another discussion about death.
Do people die in this country? -Theo
Yes, people die in this country. People die in all countries. -Me
Will I die someday? -Theo
Yes, someday. Probably not for a long time. -Me
I don’t want to die. -Theo
I hear that you don’t want to die. Most people don’t want to die. -Me
I don’t want to die. -Theo
(Very brief pause)
Can we have lunch now? -Theo
(Theo, post-discussion, counting mochi to determine if we have the correct number for our lunch-time soup.)
Cherry Blossoms
We deliberately timed our stay in Kyoto to coincide with cherry blossom season. The blossoms themselves are lovely, but at least as enjoyable as the flowers is watching other people appreciate them. Strolling and looking at trees (or picnicking underneath them) seems to be an activity in itself, and almost everyone stops to pose for photos, sometimes dressed in traditional Japanese clothes.
A Kyoto Cooking Class – With A Preschooler
As I’ve written before, this is a month without external childcare, which means less time to explore solo. I still really wanted to take a cooking class in Kyoto, so I decided to bring Theo to the bento box class at Cooking Sun. (Their registration form let me add a child under five for free so I took them at their word that preschoolers were okay.)
Continue reading “A Kyoto Cooking Class – With A Preschooler”
Buying Rice
Theo and I walked to the local rice shop, only to find it closed. (Boo.)
Luckily, in front of the rice shop we found a rice vending machine. (Yay!)
Staying Warm In Japan
It’s starting to warm up now, but when we first arrived in Japan, it was pretty chilly! Luckily, our house-for-a-month is full of interesting devices to keep us warm.
Kyoto By Bicycle And By (The) Water
Saturday was warm and sunny, so we started the day with lunch by the river and then rented some bicycles for further explorations. Kyoto is an amazing city for bicycling:
- There are several dedicated bicycle and pedestrian lanes, including the long, gorgeous ones that run by the river.
- Elsewhere, it’s easy to navigate the city on the many small lanes with little vehicle traffic. These lanes tend to be a visually fascinating mix of residences, small shops, and restaurants, so it’s where I’d want to be riding even if I weren’t avoiding cars.
- When the two options above fail: on larger streets without bicycle lanes, it’s generally acceptable to ride on the sidewalk. (This is nice as a bicyclist, but sometimes harrowing as a pedestrian attempting to herd a bouncy four-year-old. No crashes yet!)
- There are tons of other bicyclists in the city, and car drivers seem practiced at looking for bicycles.
We rented bikes from this shop and were very happy: two reasonable bicycles and a child seat for less than 13 USD for a day.
The Garden
Our hosts moved this lizard from their house to the garden, where Theo and I were playing. The lizard was very still, probably hoping that we would go away. Theo declared that he was going to watch until it moved.
Pagoda Of Tō-ji
Tō-ji is a Buddhist temple that was built in 796. It’s grounds include a five-story wooden pagoda that is often used as a symbol of Kyoto.
Tea Ceremony
Our host Momoko has a friend in the neighborhood who performs tea ceremonies and was kind enough to host us. Tea ceremonies are pretty extensively documented, and I’m not an expert by any means, so I will mostly just relay our experiences.
The ceremony was held in a tea house, a separate, smaller structure from the main house, with a view of the garden.
