Just forgot to tell you!

Forgot to tell you. I moved to the town by the beach this april. I hardly had taken this kind of clear photo with Mt.Fuji by the shore.
This day the sky was so clear and special, it was the day the national observatory announced the ending of reany season . The air is cleaner than the place where
we used to stay and seems like the pace here is a little slower to breathe well to me. Oh,yes! especially good for Ellen since she has asthma.

Kidzania Tokyo

This week I took my daughter for Kidzania Tokyo to join my friends from Hong Kong.
My daughter E really had fun there. She tried a flight attendant(this reminds me of Jetblue guy to me, though!), pizza cook and several other jobs. This time is the second time for us to go there, but this time we didn't lined up for a long time( last time we lined up for more than 2hrs for a job and ended up experience for only two jobs for USD 80!). The difference is they organize well and prepared the booking card to fill in and kids can try less popular jobs while waiting for popular jobs like flight attendant. As for me, half day session is enough but my friends from Hong Kong spent whole day there. Kids never get tired when they have fun time.
On the way back home, I asked my daughter E what was the best event of that day.
She answered that she played with Cherry(from Hong Kong) in a restaurant while having supper.Now E wants to learn English to talk to Cherry. What a good experience!

Chill out!

Yesterday I had an exam of Maternity nursing. But the results I know before the paper return, it was not good. Even multiple choice, there are so many misspelling and wrong word usage which the teacher meant to be right. None of our class said it was satisfactory. Anyway, so far I really haven't had any time for myself. This morning my shoulder hurts,my face swollen and didn't have feeling of having good sleep. So I decided to go for Aerobics class. I haven't exercese for last three month, simply no time like other nursing students. What a nice feeling after sweating a lot with music! The music played in the class was my favorite and my time's music. Olivia Newtonjohon etc. I was even singing and dancing. As a Japanese I look like a crazy woman. But I really don't care. I was in the studio for myself to feel good, besides the music was so loud and others could'nt hear me. Well, but my hip joints hurt and I often slow down the movement. I really did not admit my cells are aging. But...face the reality!

My new neighbor

A week ago, new neighbour moved in to the room next to mine. My daughter E was so excited because the neighbor have two young boys. She was dying to play with but so far we did not match the timing. Today we have great present which you now see in the picture. The neighbor's husband is a pastry chef who is teaching bakers. We got three flavors of rusk or sweetend melba toasts(caramel, milk and bitter chocolate) and Chocholate bread(picture) and some pastries. When my neighbor came, it was almost 8 o'clock and E supposed to get ready for bed but instead tasting bits and pieces. It was irresistable even for the adults. I never had such a wonderful bread and pastries. I once in the service industry and tried first class food and hotel meals but I was surprised for the bread I got tonight. In my area, it is pretty famous for tough competition among cake shops and bakeries. I hope the neighbor will success on the business and I think he will!

PRK operation

I had PRK(Photorefractive Keratectomy)opearation two weeks ago. My vision is regaining and every morning I wake up I have wonderful feeling of no glasses. I had been thinking of having the operation for quite sometimes. Since I was in an airline, I suffered from dry eyes, pain, infection, and migrain. So far I have no headache or migrain since the operation. I still have problem seeing near but it has been getting day by day. I have no regret to have the operation. Using contact lense for more than 20 years, I know I am not able to fit for contacts anymore and my dry eyes get worse for sure.　The reason I chose PRK is I do not need to make a flap with cornea and I am able to take cataract lense operation. Besides, I like my doctor best and he answered all my questions I asked and the explanation was reasonable. I love his philosophie towards medicine( he did this PRK operation to 10 familiy members before he started practicing following his doctor-family philosophy.

I can only do so much!

Today I attended nursery's parent meeting. Since daughter E is going to graduate this spring, parents organize farewell party to show respect and gratitude. I am a party group member and my group communicate well and no one had an hard feeling so far. But the other group to make graduation writing booklets seems to face the communication deadlock. One is so dominant and made a decision based on her feeling and mood, not majority's opinion and logics. There is no sense of cost effectiveness and time frame concious. So that my friend really had a hard time and frustrations. I am not in that group and member but I could not just overlook the problem and one person suffers from the pressure of the task. Actually I found today my friend is the only person to coordinate the writings and negociate with printing company. She wanted to communicate directly to the company but one of the parent wants to be a middle man to talk (but nothing )to the sales rep. She may have some undertable or briberies. And my friend is sick and tired of going through the middle man and sales rep channel to communicate with a printer in charge. What a heck! Everyone has own job to earn money and suppose the parents are volunteer to help each other but not in reality often. Politics move the world around not financial priority or economical reasons. The class has budget and more than half of it goes to the printer just only dominant mom. The printer was not selected democratic way, is this 21century's decision making process? Besides, only 210yen per person, what can we eat for the party? Not even afford for 150yen a bottle of tea or juice and no snack?
Suppose the writings should be the icon of showing our gratitude to the teachers and each family will receive the proper photo album with pictures besides the writings. There are so mamy wonders still exsists in this world.

Mom's Friend

Today my friend told me that she and her family will move to the new house. She is my neighbor and our children get along well and often they play together. My little E follow the neighbor kid as if they are sisters. They both are the only kid to the families. As for me, it is still hard for me to find the good friend and create close bond among moms but my neighbor is very open-minded, honest and friendly. Beside, we both used to work in travel industry and have so much in common. We share the similar sense of value as well. We are in the same age range.She is the rare person I can open up my heart to talk about and she has always good listenership. It was a little sad to hear that the whole family will move to another town for good. But I am happy for her,too. But on the other side, I will miss her for sure to share good laughter and our dream holidays. In Japanese one proverb says, " One chance, one meeting" or"Treasure every encounter, for it will never recur." This shows my feeling at the moment. How short life is! Yes, I should never take it for granted. Thanks to my friend and share such good and bad times. All the best for her!

My health promotion

Recently I feel I gained weight. Actually I did. I am stressed out and I ate.
This week I tried new program called "Zumba". I watched the TV commercial of the "Zumba" video but I am not the person to follow the VTR. I am live music type. I get excited and I love myself most while I am exercising because I feel I have my own time to enjoy myself and I am able to keep the high self respect there.
Anyway, Zumba is more like Latin Aerobics class and much faster the movements but I was OK to follow the class. I had a good time for sure. I should do more exercise rather than just being still and thinking something negative. I can be more positive and feel better in this way!

Banana Yogurt cake

When my mood sagged, the best remedy is a baking cake. I added yogurt instead of sour cream. I love sour cream but after I tried yogurt, yogurt works similar to sour cream. Taste OK and the cake texture did not spoiled. My family enjoyed eating this for this morning for breakfast.To tell you the truth, I was just running out of the cream, so I used yogurt instead. Try and enjoy it!
Ingredients
Butter (Unsalted) 60g
Yogurt 1 cup
Sugar 80g
Egg 2
Flour 200g
Baking powder 1 teaspoon
Baking soda 1 teaspoon
Sold 2/3 teaspoon
2 bunches of banana
8 Dried apricots or 60g of raisin

1. Mix flour,Baking powder,soda and salt.
2. Cut an apricot for 4 pieces. Mash Bananas with folk.
3. Mix Butter in a bowl till it gets white color.
4. Add yogurt and sugar in to the bowl and mix.
5. Beat eggs and add them in to the bowl.
6. Shift mixed flour and powders and add it to the bowl.
7. Add apricots and banana.
8. Bake it in 180 Centigrade over for 30-40 mins.

Birthday

Our family celebrated my daughter's grandmother's birthday yesterday. We visited her house and just warmed up the house a bit with a flower bouquet.She was quiet and did not comment much for anything. She used to be a " Super douper housemaker,wife and ideal mom for two sons.( I envy my husband has a mom to read bed time stories!) Now she has bipolar disorder and suffered for more than 6 yrs. Once I thought she has the empty-nest syndrome after her husband collapsed in cerebral infarction. But I was informed that she had the same illness twenty yrs ago. I used to feel I was so useless and helpless when I confronted her and her illness. Even now I feel the same. I believe the best cure would be the most significant person can be closer to her. But he had gone already and the substitute will be my hubby. I did not mean to complain about him, but I often lost myself how to communicate with him to send my message across. Recently I found my hubby D greatly affected his feelings especially after talking with his mom on the phone. I really do not know how much medicines help her. Being alone in the house with no noise, even I will be a bit down in that situation, too. When my own mom losts his son( my only bro), she was so down and went crazy for a short time. It was only natural, even we did not know Crisis theory and models. My mom was lucky she has a job, sincere friends who had shoulders to cry on and was able to look at her objectively. But my in-law's case, there's only so much I can do. Lord, please help me. Give us a hope!

Recipe for Non butter Chochlate banana cake

Ingredients
2 fingers of banana
100 grams of Cake flour
30 grams of Cocoa powder
1/2 tea spoon of baking powder
2 eggs
70 grams of sugar
50ml of milk
Vanilla oil
1 tablespoon of Rum
How to make
1. Mash bananas with a whisk to puree.
Mix flour, Cocoa and baking powder and sift together.
2. Beat and whip the eggs in a bowl and suger together until creamy and light.
3. Add the bananas and milk and mixed with rubber spatula.
4. Add sifted powders, vanilla oil and rum.
5. Bake it in 180 centigrade over for about 15 mins. Sprinkle powder sugar if preferred.

Winter Solstice Dinner

That's my Winter Solctice dinner.
Yellow tail fillet Grill with boiled spinich
Tangle rolls
Sweet cooked pumpkin
White and Browm rice
Stewed Dried Radish and carrots
According to the Japanese tradition, "Eating pumpkins on Winter Solstice prevents from catching a cold".
To my understanding, winter solstice dinner for Japanese does not carry much of the meaning, but in Chinese culture the people have meaning and I found it so special.
While in Hong Kong, my ex- took me for his family dinner on the day, then I found it so special and keeping the tradition is really nice.

Finally! The last class was over on Christmas day

Yeah!The last class was over.
From now on I'll have 10 days winter vacation.
There are so many on my wish list but I really do not know where to start.
At least I spent 25th morning alone to enjoy shopping.
What a nice feeling being alone and enjoy myself!
Some of my classmates even told me the same thing. Especially, mothers.
(In Japan, hiring baby sitter or nunnies are minor, unless you have
someone like parents or nice hubbie, having own time is difficult.)

This year the whole town seems quieter than usual Christmas
day, not so many people were town center than I expected.
I guess that the worst recession in post war hits Japan and
the economy is sharply going down. I never have a day to hear the news of
business restractures and cutting down the manpowers.
I am scared that the crime rate may increase.

Anyway I deserve(we all do!) just a little time to enjoy myself, right?
So...
I painted my nails to have a good mood of Christmas and shifting my mind
to enjoy this relaxing moment.
Anyway, all the practical tests in this school year was over.
The rest I need to do is writing my first nursing plan based on
virtual patient (that's dry run for clinical in January)
, a report for "Social Science" and lyric making for music class
and preparing myself for the end term examination.
As for me, painting my nails used to be a part of the uniform when
I worked for an airline and it is the pleasure and fun part of the job,too.
And I still like it, especially after banning in the nursing school and
medical field in Japan. I am a little rebellious today, huh!
I

Kid's ballet

Today my daughter E had ballet lesson. She has a lesson almost every Saturday in a nursery school. On the first Saturday of this month, E had a bad cold and she kept vomitting so that she missed the lesson. Last Sat. E's nursury had drama and dance performance . Again she missed the lesson.
E was so cheerful and lively in her ballet class today. She had sparkles in her eyes. Surely E loves to attend the ballet class. E is a type of person to express her desire clearly and strongly. When it comes to a ballet lesson , she is even clearer and strong to express her feeling . I never forget the day E had asthuma attack and the GP asked us to go to the nearest hospital with the referral.It was Saturday and E insisted on going for the lesson. We ended up seeing the lesson for a little while before going to the hospital. When one has strong desire, one can do then.

Socializing!

Finally last practical test was over on Friday! Yay!
The result was unknown yet, but at least I feel relieved.
The next week is less stressful than before.
Today some of us had drinking party. It was so much fun!
I was so talkative and we had good laughters.
Ladies love to talk about relationship.
So do I. Everyone else except me is single but my love
life is dead anyway. My passion for love or romance has gone somewhere
but I am not so sad. I enjoy peaceful and stable life
in my emotional side. But funny part was everyone was so nosy about my
love life before my marriage. I wish I could have told exciting story to
entertain my friends... Anyway, I had a good time. My social life is back!
Yes! Finally after 5 years absence of such fun time.

Thanks for visiting!

Thanx for visiting my blog.
My name is Maggie and I've started studying nursing 2008 spring in Japan.
The coming week my class has a nursing skill check.
I did my best to practice my skill, but I still need more time to ensure my skill.
Anyway, Japan has 3 consecutive holiday and today is so called "Labor Thanksgiving Day".
I enjoyed running and sunbathing with a 5 yr old daughter, spent almost half day in a park nearby.
I love playing with kids . Today I chatted 8 yr old kids strangers in a park, the kids seemed enjoyed being with me. E(mydaughter) seemed to enjoy being accompany with them. E is a only child.
E does not have siblings but I do hope she will take advantage of any chance to socialize with other children and learn a lot like children with brothers and sisters.
I wonder how this blog will be, I am a busy , ordinary, early 40's woman with full of curiosity.
I do hope this will produce positive and hopeful links to people.