Tami’s Hair Adventures
Tami has recently gotten more and more interested in styling her hair. She used to never let anyone touch her hair, not much less brush it after a bath because she says it is painful. So I learned to brush her hair slowly and softer, with much patience needed. When she was a baby he hair grew and they had soft curls on the ends. It was so pretty. I remember I used to put her hair in two buns one each side, just like Chun-li’s. Not only did it make her look neat and tidy, it also made her feel fresh all day, with her hair out of the way. My favorite part is when I undo the buns and her hair has these beautiful locks of curls all around, making her look so pretty!
We had to cut her hair because it became too long to maintain and she had also the misfortune of getting lice, due to the hot and humid weather in the Philippines. So she had Dora hair. Her dad though loves her long hair and now that we are in Japan, we are finally able to grow her hair long.
Now she would ask me to braid her hair and I do different kinds of braids for her too. She sits still and she lets me do it, although she does complain sometimes if it hurts her. Look how pretty she is!
I also bought a curling iron and the first one who got to try it is not even me, it was Tami! She loved it! She was still and she made it through the whole thing with no burns too! Here is how she looked. Remember though to not use the iron on your kids’ hair frequently. One alternative is to just put them in buns for a time being. Kids’ hair strands are soft and thin and versatile, so it won’t take long before you can undo the locks and enjoy her curls.
Tami also has a wide array of hair accessories and a lot more that she has lost over time. Among our favorites are the following:
To more hair adventures with Tami!
Hello Kitty at Sanrio Puroland
We have been planning a trip to Sanrio Puroland, or Hello Kitty’s Town, for a while now. Reasons made us postpone it such as the rainy days and then my husband was doing volunteer work this one Saturday too. I said we can go another day and I know it will be worth it. So last Friday, we finally went to Tama Center in Tokyo. Going there can be a while though, from where we come from, at least. From Shinjuku station, you need to take the rapid bound for Hashimoto via Keio Line and get off at Tama Center Station. From the station walk (about 5 minutes) straight to Keio Plaza Hotel and turn left. There should be an Ito Yokado mall in the corner and up ahead you would not miss Hello Kitty’s Town!
Passport entrance fee is 4400 yen for adults and 3300 yen for children 4 years and up. Welcome ticket is a little bit cheaper. Hours are from 10AM to 6PM, but for more details you can visit their website at www.puroland.co.jp. The ticket, or ‘passport’ as they call it, will be what you present to get through the checkers in the rides and theaters inside. Otherwise, you purchase either the Joy 5 or Joy 10 tickets, depending on what the particular entertainment ride requires. The way it works is if you purchase the ‘passport’, you will be free to ride and watch everything the park offers. The ‘welcome ticket’ is only an entrance ticket to the park and you need Joy 5 or 10 tickets to attractions. There are also free shows available. When you purchase a joy 5 and a free attraction ticket, you can convert your ‘welcome ticket’ to a ‘passport’. You can buy these in the nearest shops.
It is an indoor amusement park, which is an advantage knowing that Japan has a temperate climate. We could not wait to get in the amusement park, especially in this summer heat! Also, if you bring strollers, there is a stroller safe keeping area as the park has quite a number of stairs and escalators and strollers are not allowed inside. There are also storage lockers available with a minimum fee. The baby care centers sell baby food, formula and diapers as well. They provide hot water for formula milk and also have diaper-changing stations. No pets are allowed except for service animals. No flash photography allowed in Puroland.
We went inside the food court but we were too excited to eat just yet. Tami took a picture with one of the Jewelpets. Then we went to the Kitty’s House first and foremost, of course. I felt like a kid again, drooling and oohing at the huge dollhouse in front of me. Hues of pink and violet are everywhere. Because we came on a weekday, the lines are not long and not excruciatingly painful to wait on. Hello Kitty’s house had lush pink and animal print couches and chairs all over, with Hello Kitty shaped frames on the walls and carpets on the ground. Hello Kitty’s bedroom had a flower print bed complete with cushions and throw pillows and even a drape overhead. There was a Hello Kitty shaped fish tank with a Hello Kitty fish inside too. Clara found a cozy spot in a Hello Kitty throne in one of the other small rooms inside. You can enjoy taking pictures all over the house. The highlight of this attraction is you get to have your photo with Hello Kitty taken. All this while Tami has been asking where Hello Kitty is and has been wondering if she’s sleeping or out somewhere. When she finally saw Hello Kitty, she was so happy she hugged Hello Kitty! You can buy your picture with Hello Kitty as well or you can just have the assistant take a picture through your own camera.
Then we went to Fairyland, which certainly looks like the name! We felt like we were brought into a whole new dimension where only the enchanted and the fairies lived. The Wisdom Tree Stage is where we watched the very entertaining song and dance “Jewelpets’ Doki Doki Magical March” number of Hello Kitty, Ruby, Sapphire and Garnet.
The Sanrio Character Boat Ride came next for us. Tami and Clara absolutely loved the boat ride while going on to chambers watching the Sanrio characters singing and dancing. Even the first generation Sanrio characters like Badtz-Maru, Keroppi and Pochacco were there!
Then we took a break and ate burger and fries at the Gourmet Bazaar. Other food shops are the Food Machine Restaurant, Cinnamon Dream Café, Sweet Parlor and Restaurant Yakata. The kids even got Sanrio bibs! We also got a twister potato! Hello Kitty shaped fish cakes are sold here too.
Discovery Theater was up next. Here Jewelpets Ruby and Sapphire along with their friends Labula and Angela all auditioned for the hero idol unit Kiradeco 5. The songs and dances kept Tami on the edge of her seat. At one point she even got too excited, she stood up and waved at them! I had to gently make her sit down again.
Next, we went to Entertainment Hall and joined the Club Kitty! It really looked like a club and DJ Hello Kitty was the DJ. How cool is that! Hello Kitty and her friends gathered all the kids up front and taught them the dance steps and they all danced to the music. They pick a winner in the end or the best dancer.
Checking the schedule of shows, we went to the next one, which is my hubby’s favorite—the One Piece 3D theater. The Time Machine of Dreams showed us an episode of the popular anime “One Piece” in 3D. We were expecting the cool strap in seats to move though, which didn’t happen. Oh wells.
Now the kids got to ride their Hello Kitty horsie and the train rides too in their arcade area. Then the search for the usual souvenir! We wanted something that said Sanrio Puroland, which was close to nada. There was Hello Kitty merchandise everywhere, yes, but that is not what we wanted. There is Hello Kitty everywhere, in Japan and elsewhere! So we found a wristband that said ‘Sanrio Puroland’ and the husband got me a Hello Kitty Birthday key chain too!
Come to Japan and see the Sanrio Puroland! You will have a blast!
The Ueno Zoo Experience
Ueno Zoo, Japan’s first and most famous zoo, is located right in the Ueno Park, a 5 to 7 minute walk from the Ueno Station. It is part of the Shitamachi, or the Old Tokyo. Yes, Tokyo, the one you would normally envision as populated with high-rise buildings, skyscrapers and urbanized structures has its other side too. There is a part of Tokyo, the downtown area, called the Shitamachi, that still looks plebian and whose ambience is still rural as it can be. Downtown would usually mean the commercial district of a city but in Japan, the Shitamachi is located below the Imperial Palace, thus the term.
Because it is old Tokyo, the prices are considerably way cheaper than urban cities and malls. Right before you enter Ueno Zoo, there are food stalls of French Fries for 300 yen, ice cream (pretty good, by the way) for the same amount and pizza for 600 yen. There is also an amusement rides area for the kids and you only pay 100 yen for a ride! Anywhere else it would be 300 yen per ride. Ueno Park in itself has so much for tourists to see and because it is Tokyo, foreigners are everywhere. Signs are also translated in English, which is favorable for us.
So after a pit stop (we ate while the kids ate popcorn while feeding the pigeons) we proceeded to Ueno Zoo. Entrance is free from children 12 and below and for adults it is 600 yen per head. It is open 9:30AM to 5:00PM Tuesdays thru Sundays and is closed on Mondays (and Tuesdays too if Monday is a public holiday). The Zoo’s anniversary is every March 20, Greenery Day is May 4 and Tokyo Citizens’ Day is October 1 and on these days the admission is for free. There are also a nursing room, strollers for rent, lockers for rent and monorail to the Children’s Zoo (petting zoo). Wheelchairs are for free.
The first stop was of course, the Giant Panda. The Giant Panda is a symbol of friendship of Japan and China. Unfortunately, just a few days before our visit, the baby panda that was just a few weeks old died. An unfortunate event seeing that the species is endangered. There are mourning altars all over the zoo for people who offered flowers and prayers. The adorable giant panda that was in their viewing deck that day looked so cuddly and playful, I wanted to get one myself. Wishful thinking! We had to hurry though (I wished we could’ve stayed a little longer) as the line was getting full so we decided we will just visit it again on our way out of the zoo later on. We looked at the gorillas next. All I could remember was the unbearable heat that day so we took another pit stop. Water seemed so delicious for us we kept buying from the vending machine. We then saw the seals, and then the bears, tigers and the elephants.
The petting zoo was where I wanted to bring the kids so we rode the monorail (the first monorail in Japan) for 150 yen (adults) and 80 yen for (kids) to the other side of the zoo. Clara and Tami absolutely loved petting the goats and the sheep! What is a zoo if it doesn’t have a petting area, right? There were a flock of chickens there too and it think they were going for a farm feel by that. After disinfecting and washing our hands, we explored some more. We also got our very own cuddly panda stuffed toy as our souvenir.
We took a look at the 5-storey pagoda, and then took another pit stop, meaning more water. Hydration is the key to survive the hot weather! The pagoda along with a tea ceremony house, are the remains of the Tokugawa Shogunate as this zoo was part of it. After bidding the Giant Panda farewell, we were ready to head home.
My Garden
Springtime in Japan is beautiful. Cherry blossoms are everywhere. Flowers of all sorts color the streets and houses. Thus, I decided to build my own little garden in our backyard.
I already had my poinsettia plant which my husband gave me as our 6th monthsary gift last December.
Then for Mothers’ Day 2012, he gave me an orchid plant.
I got bitter melon and green bell pepper plants next because not only did I want flowering plants, I also wanted to harvest from my garden.
I then got a long plastic pot for my seeds. I bought some sunflower and cucumber seeds and planted them in small containers each. Miracle Gro potting mix came highly recommended by my husband. Here is how they look now.
What is gardening with out hats and gloves and a watering can, right? With the essentials in place, Tami and I started our little garden. I especially enjoy watering them in the morning, after my workout. There is a certain calm that gardening gives me.
I got a white flowering plant next. A friend says it is a Dahlia plant, a fragrant flowering plant.
Tami and I take turns watering the plants, once in the morning and once at nighttime.
My latest additions are: eggplant plant, chili plant, a pink flowering plant and a small house tree with a unique rooting system. Needless to say, I can’t name them because they are all labeled in Kanji or Japanese. Maybe you can help me identify and name them, eh? Calling plant and garden enthusiasts out there!
I like my garden. I plan on getting some herbs next. Crossing my fingers for luck, I hope I come upon a plant shop with English labels or even a worker who speaks a little English. It is a great way to expose Tami and also Clara to nature and how I would love for them to be close to nature as well. Let us all do our part in taking care of Mother Nature. Go green!
Recently, I got some Basil seeds off the Internet and just planted them. I also got some hybrid watermelon and spinach seeds. I can’t wait to see them grow! My wildflowers are also starting to grow. I must say that there is a deeper satisfaction with buying seeds than plants. I feel more involved somehow and when the seedlings start to show, I feel like they are parts of me. It is nice to feel that kind of connection with Mother Nature.
I finally got the coveted parsley plant and I found a hot chili pepper plant too! Green is in!
Travel Where?
I just got home. My friend and I along with our kids went on base to do errands and look around. We had lunch at McDonald’s and then brought the kids to one of the many playgrounds all around base so they can exhaust their energies and maybe once then they will keep still afterwards.
Just a thought. Where would you want me to travel here in Japan? I’ll post about it here so you can read about these places that you yourself would want to visit. Right now it is still rainy season, so were just waiting for summer to kick in and let the travels begin!
Studio Eye in Ayase Town Hills
Let me share this with you:
In the Philippines, we could easily go to the mall and to the photo studios scattered to have a pictures taken for all kinds of embassies and visas. Here in Japan, it took us a whole day to get one for Clara’s passport. All the while we were thinking we easily could get one of her thru the local photo booth on base. It turned out that it was far harder because the booth is so tiny only one person could fit in it. Clara can’t stand still or look to the camera for that matter! We wasted 600 yen for the first attempt.
We then tried the local mall because we remembered seeing a studio there. Turned out it only caters to specialty shots. They referred us to the one upstairs, which turned out to be another photo booth identical to the one on base! You can just imagine how frustrated we were. We tried and failed again. Another 600 yen down the drain. Clara was crying, I wanted to cry out and Noem was frustrated! Who would have thought it would be this hard!
We went back to the house and tried another approach—the do it your self. We purchased an app for the iMac that cost around $11 thinking we have the answer. Now we had to find a plain white background to do the trick. We didn’t find a plain white background. Our walls are textured and embossed. The blanket is too beige. The white board or the fridge is too polished and shiny. So we went out again to find another way. We just can’t do it all by ourselves!
Our search led us to the local flower and photo express print shop on base. Noem asked them if they knew of any place in Ayase that will do the job for us. We tried looking online but the nearest was in Tokyo and Tokyo is too far away, not to mention expensive. They referred us back to the local mall we were just at. Turned out there is a studio there, Studio Ai (the person who wrote it is Japanese), we just didn’t see it. One of the shops that we always pass by which sell photo albums and scrapbooks had a small studio on the back! The correct name is Studio Eye. Like I said, everything in Japan is small and tiny. But we were finally going to get her passport picture. With a few help from the photographer, his assistant, me, Tami and Noem, we managed to get a decent picture for her. It cost us 3000 yen, by the way. All for Clara!
Hope this helps! We have a unique situation but you never know when you can be of help.
And Her Name is Tamika
Tamika Christa is our eldest daughter. She is turning 5 on December 4, 2012. I was 24 when I gave birth to her after 24 hours of labor. She was a healthy 6.2 lb. baby girl with a cord coil (or maybe two cord coils). Talk about tough. We made it through the ordeal with my Mom there and my friend Mei Leen who gave birth a few months ahead. I will not dwell on the pain and labor that I had to go through though. All the mothers out there who have given birth would know that it is something we don’t want to remember. What I do want to remember is the image of her in the swaddling clothes when she was first shown to me. That is a sight to behold. She was, and is perfect.
Her first year was a blur to me because i was a full-time employee in a night shift HR office at a call center in Bacolod. I would get home in the morning when she just woke up and I would remember her hands all over my face while I try to sleep. My mom took care of her while I, as they say, bring home the bacon (hoorah). Tami is a blessing from God and a very important lesson in my life, a lesson I will remember until my last day. She showed me that even when I think I cant make it anymore, I still can. She doesn’t know it though but she shows me everyday that I did the right decision of fighting for her.
She has these big beautiful eyes that is just swelling with life and laughter. Her hair grew longer and had little swirls on the tips. I would put them up on pigtails and she would look like Chun-li. When I loosened them, they would have these little soft curls and she looked like a doll. I remember she had to go through a lot of medical trauma before she even reach one year because she had to battle pneumonia at 6 months old and then again at 11 months old. She is a toughie. She did develop a phobia for people wearing white robes and scrubs though.
Then came the terrible twos but she was just the apple of our eyes. Three years old and she was still in love with Dora. Her health was still unstable but as she is my daughter, that was expected. I am frail and so fragile myself. I pray and hope that we develop Tami’s immune system though to be much more resilient. She is also as picky as I was when I was her age. I only ate rice with the broth and some small pieces of the meat or fish that my Lola or Mom picked especially for me. She went to nursery in L’ecole for three months before we left for Japan, which was good exposure for her. I learned that academically, I would have no trouble with her but we will be challenged with her deportment.
Thankfully, we are now with her Daddy so with two authoritative figures around, with good cop-bad cop strategy and time outs here and there, we are taking it one day at a time. Tami loves to watch cartoons and she likes to dress up. She is very independent and she has been like that ever since she was two or three years old. I see so much independence in her that we clash a lot of times. I haven’t even enjoyed picking out clothes for her when she already chooses her own outfits! Like I said we take it a day at a time. She learns from us and we learn from her.
She became a big sister when we found out I was pregnant last July 2010. For a while, Tami regressed because she has been so used to being the only child. It was a very challenging time but through love and assurance, we helped her get past it. All she needed to do was accept that she was going to have a sister. Now I am proud to say that she is a very good sister, and helper to me. She even wants to wash the dishes! She is very curious and asks about anything. She also is a talker and there would be times when we would ask her to please stop talking already. She is very persistent though. With Tami, we learned the art of negotiation, from waking up and all through out the day up to sleeping time.
Now I can’t wait for her to go to school. September come already. For now, she likes to help me feed our fishes and water the plants. She even named the fishes herself. When her Daddy asked her what she wants to be when she grows up, she said “I want to be Barbie, Daddy!”
That’s our Tami!
lagreatgoal 