Lessons Learned in Tokyo

(shot of Tokyo Tower from my camera phone)

For work, I was asked to spend two weeks in Tokyo helping out our team in Japan. I had never been to Japan and it was a neat opportunity to experience such a unique culture. Tokyo is an awesome city and a little overwhelming. There is not one central downtown area to explore but several different areas that without some help from locals would be very difficult to navigate. Here are a few things that I learned during my trip.

1) PUT MY KIDS IN VOICE LESSONS.

For those of you that don't know, Jessica and I don't share the talent of voice. Jessica has a really talented singing voice while I on the other hand am atrocious. I can get by singing hymns in church because I can mirror people around me but if you ask me to sing on my own, watch out.

Karaoke, as many of you know, is huge in Japan. After a staff dinner, about 20 people went to a Karaoke bar. I knew what to expect because while I was in Shanghai a few co-workers took me to me to a Karaoke bar. In Shanghai, there were only a few people and I had fun with it. This time around, I did everything I could to not sing. Unfortunately, I was forced into singing. After frantically thinking of a band I had been recently listening to, I chose a song by 'Owl City'. Needless to say, it was an embarrassing experience. I hope my kids get Jessica's singing genes and not mine. If they don't, hopefully voice lessons will prevent an experience like the one I had to go through.

2) SUSHI WILL NEVER BE THE SAME

I love sushi and I don't think sushi here in the states will ever be the same now that I have experienced the sushi in Japan. The fish just melts in your mouth. An intern spent 6 months in Chicago and I told her about a few sushi places we frequent. When I asked her what she thought of them she just shrugged. Maybe there is a little pride involved but I don't think the Japanese believe we can truly replicate the sushi cuisine.

3) ALWAYS CHECK THE PRICE

I went to a sushi bar in a nearby hotel and no one could speak English very well. They gave me an a la carte menu but there were no prices. I asked a guy how much and he just nodded so I was like, oh well I'll just go with it. I ordered about 8-10 pieces of sashimi and the bill ended up being $100. When I walked out I thought it was $10 and realized that there was no way it was only $10. I was off by a zero.

4) IF YOU WANT TO EXPERIENCE GROUNDHOG DAY...

The winters in Tokyo are pretty mild in comparison to Chicago. Every day was literally the same: clear, sunny, and 50 degrees. Walking to work literally felt like Groundhog Day. It didn't hurt that I had the same breakfast every day as well.

5) AMAZING FOOD

Maybe it was just because I got taken to a variety of restaurants but the food there was fantastic. I had Kobe beef for the first time. Apparently they feed the cows beer and have them move as little as possible. It sounds kind of cruel but it was some of the best meat I have ever had.

The one unique experience was in a hole in the wall joint in an alley. I had seared chicken, chicken liver, chicken tail, and some other crazy things. I asked the guys I went with three times if I was going to be ok to eat the half raw chicken--I just went with it. I tell everyone that I am very boring when it comes to drinks but I will eat anything. Sometimes this is a little risky.

5) BIDETS ARE A LITTLE WEIRD (in case you don't read Japanese they have images to help you out)

Not much more to say. The heated toilet seats are nice though.

6) IT'S A SMALL WORLD

I had the opportunity to have dinner with my father-in-law's mission companion and his wife who had just moved to Tokyo. Nice to be able to know a friend of a friend on the other side of the world.

I attended an English ward while I was there. It was nice because the chapel is connected to the Tokyo temple which was great to see. One of my favorite things about traveling is going to church in different parts of the world. It is great that wherever you go there is something you can always count on to be the same

7) DON'T GO ON A RIVERBOAT CRUISE

Some co-workers suggested I go on a bus tour of the city. One of the options was a bus and river tour and I was like, "Sweet! 2 for 1". The bus part was pretty cool to see so many different parts of the city. The river part wasn't so cool. They stuck a bunch of people on the boat and drove us up the river. There was no, "on your left you will see...and now up to your right". There were just a bunch of silent people hanging out on a boat. A little weird...right?

Japan is a great country. The people are so nice! Big thanks to my brother-in-law who taught me a few Japanese phrases before I left. The people I worked with were very impressed. I am glad that I got to experience such a great culture.

sugar and spice and everything nice

that's what little girls are made of.

p.s. i am shocked. i totally thought this baby was a boy!

polka dot cheesecake and other things of note

i am dreaming of this
i need to throw a dessert party so i'll have an excuse to make it.

nate has been in japan for two weeks on business. i thought after two months of being apart late last year it would be no big deal, but i still don't like it. he comes home tomorrow, and then we can finally have that gender ultrasound i've been waiting for...

i got my first rude pregnancy comment at nordstrom of all places last weekend. an events worker was giving me a free facial, trying to sell me $120 anti-aging cream (ironic). i love skin care, but not that much. he asked me if i was excited to be pregnant, then asked my age. uhhh, it was planned buddy. and i'm not 18. "oh wow," he said. "i totally thought you were a teen mom." no i will not buy your anti-aging cream, smoker-breath. who needs to get rid of wrinkles at 18 anyway?

coldest

6 am -3°F Feels Like -22°F

9 am -3°F Feels Like -20°F

12 pm 7°F Feels Like -6°F

3 pm 10°F Feels Like 0°F

6 pm 9°F Feels Like 0°F

9 pm 11°F Feels Like 1°F

this is tomorrow's weather. you know how in paris, everyone evacuates the city in august and goes on vacances? yeah, no one should have to be in chicago in january. everyone should evacuate to an island near the equator for the month. the weatherman pleasantly told me that when i'm headed to work tomorrow morning, it will feel like a nice, chilly -22 degrees.

sick day?

For all you Mormon bloggers out there...

A friend sent this to me (Nate)--pretty interesting read...

http://mobile.salon.com/mwt/feature/2011/01/15/feminist_obsessed_with_mormon_blogs/index.html

hit me with it

i know i need to start thinking about baby gear, so today i meandered through land of nod to just look. i still feel overwhelmed. so, hit me with it...
what is your favorite stroller/car seat/baby carrier/etc.?
even if i don't know you, or i kind of know you, or i really know you, i want to hear your opinion. please :)

the rest of home

i don't want to forget the things we did in seattle over christmas break too. the school i teach at is nontraditional and does not have a long winter break like the rest of the public school world. i maxed out my vacation days at work to be able to stay for two weeks in seattle/whistler. it was bliss!

the tree.
i've been thinking about christmas decor. i love themed, color coordinated trees, but there is something really cool about each ornament having a story behind it. my parents' tree is full of random, unique ornaments that all have a story, plus a mexican star on top. i don't think i could have a christmas tree any other way.


why i love seattle

dad and aspen looking at santa clause through the macy's windows in downtown seattle


traditional trip downtown to ride the holiday carousel

snoqualmie falls with my dad

nate grew a beard and i look like a marshmallow, but we looooove vacation.

sea to sky

one of my favorite parts of the drive from seattle to whistler is the sea to sky highway going up into the mountains, right along the ocean. we stopped for a breather on the way home at the perfect late afternoon time. i so could live here.

a glimpse of the baby bump

gorgeous british columbia

steph

and we also wanted to see the new vancouver canada temple, so we took a little detour...

christmas in whistler

we conveniently forgot our camera in our rush to get to the airport, but it arrived yesterday from seattle (thanks mom!). we spent christmas with my family this year in whistler, british columbia. whistler is like my second home - i grew up going there every year, but we'd never gone for christmas before.

it snowed 7 feet in 7 days! annndd...i didn't get to ski even a little bit. i had been so excited to show nate my favorite runs, and where the best powder is, and how good the steak sandwiches at crystal hut are, but obviously, i am really happy and grateful to be pregnant. i was forbidden by my doctor to even think about skiing, so instead i imagined how good that powder was. it killed me to watch the boys + my sister walk out with all their gear in the morning, and it killed me even more to not hit the hot tub with them after a long day in ski boots. but i'd do anything for this little baby of ours.

instead, we had girl's day every day! my poor mom came down with mono a few weeks before christmas and spent most of whistler in bed, and my SIL wasn't feeling too hot either. my niece, aspen, was our main form of entertainment, plus playing in the snow, walking around with aspen in her sled, reading harry potter 7 again, and watching movies. it was so relaxing!

my cute, sick mom

aspen was so nice to the snowman. she even gave him hugs and kisses

gingerbread house contest...

steph was clearly the winner with her crushed-candy-cane-snow lined roof

christmas morning was a little different. we definitely missed chandler, who is serving a mission in toronto, but it was amazing talking to him on the phone.

are you kidding me?! she is the cutest. we were/are all obsessed with her. everyone should have christmas with a two year-old. she calls nate "jungle (uncle) nate"

the preggo/sickie girls rode the gondola up the mountain to meet the boys + steph for lunch. snowy, snowy day.

we played many games of greed. one of the punishments was to eat a slice of butter smothered in guacamole and chocolate sauce. sooo glad i didn't lose that one.


this was such a memorable christmas. i absolutely loved being with my family and being back in one of my favorite places of all time.

pregnancy commentary

i told my class of twenty 3-5 year-olds that i had a baby in my tummy. i explained that i couldn't hop, jump, and run like i normally do with them. we talked about it in circle time for like 20 minutes. they were enamored.

M: so don't you have to push the baby out down by your legs? (how does he know so much?!!)
N: no, silly. the doctor takes it out!

L: but why can't you come back after you have the baby?
me: well, babies need a lot of care when they are so little
L: please? we could build you a crib?

M: but, did you know babies cry a lot?

E: are you gonna get this big (arms out)?! are you gonna get fat?
oh child, it's happening.

today, the next day, the kids stared at me with a puzzled look. "but ms. lawler, you said you were having a baby. where is it?" if only it took a day, right?

2010 in numbers

7
the number of countries we were in together
{canada, netherlands, england, france, thailand, singapore, and america}

6
the number of times i could barely get out of bed to go to work because it was so bitter cold outside
{looking back, it wasn't so bad}

5
the number of sporting events nate dragged me to we went to
{i don't see the magic of dodger dogs, but i do love a good seventh inning chocolate malt}

4
the number of times we went to the movies
{netflix + sweats = as good as the theater}

3
the number of days nate went snowboarding
{oh mountains! we miss you}

2
the number of times we made it to california
{sun without humidity is a beautiful thing}

1
the number of children arriving on june 5, 2011
{incredibly excited and so happy not to be sick anymore}

2010 was quite the year, but we have a lot of change ahead of us
happy new year!