sayonara - part 2!

So in true Playgroup style, we had to eat more cake, drink more coffee and tea, have at least one happy birth announcement and one birthday party ............ and only then could we truly say SAYONARA Playgroup!

First and foremost, CONGRATULATIONS to Rie Sakurai who finally gave birth to a healthy baby boy this morning. we are all waiting eagerly to hear his name and to see him out and about in Komaba with his Mum, who we miss too much.

Happy birthda to Sakura chan, one of our "oldest" playgroup kids who is now 3 yeasr old!

This morning at Fuse Court Ikejiri, our Playgroup Mammies went all out and had obviously been cooking and baking all night long as we had a veritable feast. Chicken, prawn salads, miso cake, chiffon cake to die for, as well as countless other long-sonce devoured treats.

I was handed over some real treasures - a Japanese song book and CD as well as other really special omiyages..... which I will always keep.

Thank you all so much for arranging this party, for cooking all night long and especially for all the precious memories.

Please keep the PLAYGROUP going in September.

Sayonara............. & see you in the park:)

SAYONARA PLAYGROUP....

Can it really be the end of such a fun era? This morning, on another rainy Monday, Komaba International Playgroup celebrated in style the end of our colourful and unique Playgroup.

Miso Sensei braved the weather and abandoned poor Gen kun who fell sick at the last moment, to bring us the much anticipated "Magical Miso" - which was devoured by all. Akiko whipped up a great soup snack for us all. Thank you:)

Our kids yet again, showed how it is actually possible to eat EVERYTHING on the table in less than 3 nanoseconds and then come back asking for more. Kimiko's multi-lingual cake didn't stand a chance with Etienne and Daniel there.

Thanks to everyone who brought such great stuff to the buffet. We were spoiled with onegiri, wafers, veggy sticks for the miso dipping, fruit a-plenty and of course, lots of cake and cookies.

I have some really funny pictures of the "Graduation ceremony". My favourite is with Kent sleeping soundly in his mother's arms. Have a look at them on picasa:)

It was with much sadness that I announced our imminent departure from Tokyo. We've been here for three and a half years. Etienne and Daniel were born here and know no other "home". Komaba has become our home. And our neighbours and Playgroup buddies have become our friends. We will really miss you all:(

Please keep in touch and if at all possible, I'd love to see the Playgroup continuing. It's such a great group of people it would be a shame to see it end just because I'm leaving. You have each other's addresses, you see each other in the park all the time and you even have the CD. No excuses!! Maybe you could rotate the group and take it in turns to host? This is usually what happens with Playgroups of this nature. Go on..... Jump Jump Jump...... Dingle Dangle till your heart's content and most importantly, EAT CAKE whenever possible:)

I hope to see you all in the park when the weatehr picks up, so for now, it's "mata ne"... not "sayonara" just yet:)

Sayonara, bye bye, au revoir, Auf Weidersein, Ciao......

Eating cake and managing the mayhem...

I had planned a great 3rd birthday party for Sakura chan this morning. I made my now-near-famous yoghurt cake and had surprises galore. Alas the birthday girl got a cold after planting rice all weekend in Chiba and couldn't make it to Komaba. Too bad..... we ate her cake with gusto and not a morsel was saved.

I hope nobody had intended to start this week by vowing to go on a diet. Our Playgroup "snacktime" just doesn't lend itself to such restrictions! This morning we were spoilt by Maria who brought slimming-plans to a crashing end with her delicious carrot cake. I think it lasted 5 seconds...... even the crumbs were devoured and the plate licked clean by our mob of hungry toddlers. Thank you!! (I'll try and weasel the recipe out of the chef and post it on the blog for next time!)

Alas today is Maria's last day of Playgroup. Andrew will start a mini-summer-camp next week and will thus be kicking up a storm in and around Tokyo Tower for a few weeks. Good luck and thanks for joining all the fun:)

A very big welcome to Saori and Kazuki, who came along with Yukako and Gen and Joe today.

And so that was our last "regular" Playgroup session. Etienne and Daniel were being truly monstrous - I do apologise for that. But who knows what gets into the minds of two-year olds, eh? They got up this morning and decided to try my patience. And boy did they succeed!

Next week is our "Sayonara" party in which we will hopefully get to taste the "mysterious magical miso" of our beloved "Miso-sensei". So carrot sticks and cucumber will replace the calorific menu of today. I might have to make another cake just in case the party menu becomes TOO healthy! See you then, same time, same place.

Billy the Bear, Weekend tips for cool trips and the DAMN MISO!

Billy the Bear made his great return to Playgroup this morning. Our Playgroup kids hadn't forgotten their old favourite song of "Heads sSholders Knees and Toes" but that didnt stop them placing ears on noses, feet on arms or eyes on toes. Poor bear looked like a Picasso by the end of the morning!

A very big Welcome to Yukako's friends who joined us this morning. Hinako and Sora chan were busy making friends and playing all morning long:)

Akemi's spoiled us all with some delicious litchis. I think we managed to give little bags to everyone on the way home. If you missed out, Sorry! My gang have been devouring them all afternoon.

WEEKEND EXCURSIONS

Today's Eikaiwa topic was "Weekend excursions". Where have you been recently? Any family-friendly places you've been to that you'd like to tell our Playgroup Mums about? We heard about some really great spots. Here are the highlights:

Close to home

Setagaya koen - everyone seeme dot agree that Setagay park is a kids dream park. With its mini-steam engine, pedal-cars and grassy picnic areas, at only 10 minutes from Komaba, it got our Playgroup number-one vote:)

Inokashira Koen - at the end of the Inokashita line is this enormaous park which comes compelte with a zoo, a lake with swan boats, the Gibli Museum for Totoro fans and the best cherry blossom viewing in Tokyo.

Himonya koen - In Meguro ku, Yukako suggested we all take a trip to Himonya park where kids can do pony rides, boat trips and visit the petting park where furry rabbits and guinea pigs await:)


Todai - it might well be the bastion of Tokyo's up and coming intelligensia, but us Playgroup Mums are not shy. It seems we all know that Todai is great for a quiet walk, has several coffee shops and restaurants with terraces perfect for lunches with noisy kids and best of all is the Todai lake. Naoko assures us the "zarigani" there are easy pickings and so any child arriving with their bug-box will go home happy and laden-down with cray fish a-plenty:)

Mishiku no mori - At the other end of Awashima dori, behind Sangenjaya Roof Top Mansions lies the well-hidden Mishuku Forest park, which again is perfect for picnics, kids and ball.

A little further a field:

Hakone - The Black family swear by Hakone and its famous pirate ship which has a captain who walsk aroudn the boat posing for photos with the kids. Any little kids going through the obligatory "pirates are cool" phase (Kaizoku ha kakoiiiiiiiiddesu!"), will love it here.

Takao san - just one stop after Kichijoji lies the beautiful Mount Takao. Sora's Mum loved the mountain hike, the monkey park and the excellent views from the cable car.

Akikawa Keikoku - a little bit further west at maybe 2 hours from Tokyo, this huge park offers camping, BBQ areas, fishing and swimming. Sounds like a great summer place to hang out with kids!

THE MISO MYSTERY CONTINUES!

Damn miso. The mystery deepens. After a full three months in a warm, airtight container, the sticky beany-"ought-to-be-but-isnt-paste" remains unchanged. Naoko suggested that the "good bacteria" required to ferment the beans have died. Asako suggested throwing a dollop of supermarket bought regular miso into the pot, mixing it, stirring thus shaking up the dormant bacteria and see how it all pans out. Yukako reckons the bacteria in our pot are plain lazy and so she has brought "her baby" home to Ikejiri to work her wonders and do her magic. I still have faith that we can have a "Miso-Sayonara Party" on the 14th of June! Fingers crossed:)

I hope to see you all next Monday 7th for our last OTANJOUKAI and second last Playgroup session. Sakura chan is almost 3!

Frogs, senbei & What's your blood type??!!

It seems that every Monday morning brings the rain. It's not even officially rainy season! Well at least the frogs were happy:)

After our usual jumping, leaping, singing about ducks, Anpanman and Doraemon and the much-anticipated senbei feast, we had a really interesting "eikaiwa" topic. It is a topic that is truly unique to Japan. What is your blood type? And do you believe that blood types can influence or indeed dictate characteristics in a person. Here are our "findings".....

Yukako, Kazumi, Riae and Yolande are all blood group B. People with this blood type are meant to be "my pace" kind of people. Thats is to say a little self-centred and they often like to be alone. On the plus side they are also extremely well motivated and will try hard all the time to achieve their goal.

Yumino and Ai and blood group O which supposedly implies "ozappa", details are not important to this group. They are an outgoing and friendly bunch and very adaptable, helpful and passionate people.

Reiko was our only AO type which should also mean that she is "ozappa" but extremely sensitive, details are important to this group.

I though this was a really fun topic until we really delved deeper - it just got better and better! Do our Playgroup Mums ACTUALLY believe in the theory that character types can be predicted by knowing someone's blood type? Some do believe. Some don't.

I'm sure you all know the famous women's magazine "Anna or Hanako". What you probably didn't know is that 1. Yukako used to work here and 2. the workplace is divided up according to Blood types!! In other words, you will not find any bloody typeO on the editting team as they are not attentive to details!

Also, relationships can be "perfect blood matches" or out and out disasters. B & O is a good match (like Yukako & Mr. Satou). A & O is OK, an A woman & O man is an OK match while an A man & O woman is said to be make the perfect couple (like Reiko and Hiroo!).

Anyway, I'll email you all the article that I saw on the BBC website. It really does make for an interesting read:)

I hope Fumiko chan is OK after her tumble this morning..... we missed your cool dancing!

See you all next week and please please please, BRING THE SUNSHINE!

Happy Birthday, happy announcements, happy tadpoles, the Miso-Mystery of Komaba & lessons in multi-tasking!

Monday morning with lots of cake, wibbly wobbly jelly, tea, coffee, miso and cucumber...... what more could a Komaba Mum ask for, eh?!

Today we celebrated Kyoka's 3rd birthday party. In spite of having lots of "help" with blowing out the candles, she remained calm and cute as ever. I wonder what a three year old wishes for....

Naoko san shared her happy news with us too. Sakura chan is to become a big sister:) Naoko is due in December and joins our "ever-growing group" of "ever-expanding" Mums. Congratualtions:)

Our little two-legged graden friends caused quite a flurry of excitement as well. The tadpoles all have 4 legs and hopefully be "ribbitting" and leaping about the garden by next week. Anyone want one???? I didn't honestly think that 29 would survive to this point!

And finally, our beloved Miso-sensei took centre stage again. However, knowing what a disastrous history our Playgroup miso has for showing any sign of changes, she came armed with her own batch of home-made stuff too. The beans that were soaked, boiled, mashed and fermented in Yukako's house have done what they were meant to do. They fermented and became yummy miso. Beans from the same batch, which were also soaked, boiled, mashed and fermented and then brought to my house however, did not. They have defied the laws of science and have remained exactly as they were 3 months ago. We moved the miso-pot three times in search of the perfect temperature and conditions but still no change! Something is afoot..... Zenzen wakarimasen:) Any ideas??

When the PG ladies started yelling for cucumbers today, I was filming the miso-tasting with camera in one hand, changing Daniel's pants with another, serving tea, coffee and cake with yet another, thus demonstrating remarkably well how to "multi-task". But you got your cucumber eh? Hope you liked them:)

Thats all for now - see you next Monday for Playgroup or more than likely, in the park between now and then:)

DOMINO-STYLE CHICKEN POX!!

Monday 17th May Playgroup cancelled due to CHICKEN POX!!

Now that Etienne & Daniel are better, Cian, Sophie and Kate are spotty demoons.
They're probably not infectious anymore, but just to be on the safe side.

Let's meet Wednesday instead, the 19th May - same time, same place.

And dont forget, its Kyoka chan and Yuki kuns birthday:)