Taekwondo

Kai has now started his first regular after school sports activity, and joins Yuuki, Sondre and Elliot for Taekwondo every Thursday afternoon. Every time he reluctantly put his special clothes on and tells me he is not going to participate, he doesnt feel like it, he will just watch. And then, once we reach the place he runs in, makes sure he and his friends will be in the first line and forgets all about me. The "master" is just great with the kids and also very good at the sport. Apparently he is the current world champion.

Hana usually comes along. She is very interested, but obviously not ready to follow instructions yet.

Pagoda processions

Around the area where I live, there are several pagodas and every now and then they take out their altars and antique music instruments and proceed around the streets. As we live on one of Tay Ho's main streets, they never miss to pass our house and today one of the longest, and loudest, I have seen passed. It stopped all traffic in both directions and the amount of motorbikes, bicycles and huge SUVs that accumulated at both ends were of course inmense.
Even so, the procession was beautiful, with a huge amount of groups of men or women wearing the same kind of colourful clothes. Sort of like a Vietnamese version of the Carnaval. They also bring lots of big drums and different types of other beeping and squeaking instruments. And dragons. And altars. I tried to ask the lady at the bamboo shop and the next door-granny what it was all about this time, but they just pointed to the sky and managed to explain it had something to do with gods...

Dancing

Hana loves to dance. As soon as she hears music she starts to move around, pump her arms up and down and take plenty of some kind of "funny walk" dance steps. Or she spins, round and round and round until she gets all dizzy. She loves it. Lately she likes to get up on the bamboo table to do her moves and as I think it is quite cute, I let her. Today I decided to film her in action...

Everything went well and maybe there was even a lesson learned. For mummy and baby. Or not.

Lazy weekend

This weekend we spent at home, and for the first time in ages we didnt have any plans and didnt leave Tay Ho. And it was great! We went for little walks, slept as long as possible, made pancakes for breakfast, just hung out at home and had some friends over.

Being the little sister sure is different. And Hana is now turning into a strong little sister, playing hard with other little sisters, or babies as she calls them... Chi-chan as the doll, visiting with big brother "new" Yuuki.

Today's outfit II

I wonder if Keisuke and I shouldn't get a couple, as well.

Bye bye, momo & mota!

Once again we had to say good bye to Kai and Hana's grandparents. This time the Swedish ones, our mormor and morfar, or as Hana still says, "momo" and "mota". They left early this morning for a couple of days recovery by the beach in Thailand and it sure will be empty for the kids when they come home from school this afternoon and wont find all the fun babysitters around anymore. Fortunately we will soon meet again, next time in Italy at moster Karin and uncle Grattans wedding in June!

For me, now I will go into town and have coffee, all by myself!

Taking a break

Another day Hana and I took all our guests, that is "mormor" and "morfar" and uncle Kenneth and Rose-Marie, for a walk around the neighbourhood. We walked the tiny alleys surrounding the streets of Tay Ho, took a stroll along the lake, made it down to the always popular pagoda to watch people make their offerings, and then had lunch at Duong's Kitchen up by Sheraton. Hana did a great job and walked, ran, jumped and danced all the way, until we reached the little alley where the restaurant is. Then she fell fast asleep and I could even enjoy lunch with my guests without having to think about a wild almost two-year-old running around all over the place.

Taking a break.

Hoan Kiem in b/w

The other day I took Hana for a stroll around Hoan Kiem lake, together with mormor and morfar. Again it was one of those hazy days when Hanoi looks better in black and white.

Bangkok Zoo

In Bangkok we even paid a visit to the zoo, and among street vendors, tiny roller coasters, kids gaming machines and plenty of other unorganized commercial stuff they did have some animals.


Hungry hippo safety distance. About 50 cm.

Wat Pho - Bangkok

On our way back from New Zealand we stopped a couple of days in Bangkok. Most of all, the kids loved the hotel pool and parents really enjoyed the giant breakfast. But, we did manage to get out of the aircon confort, took a boat trip on the river and went to see some temples.
The Wat Pho temple area really is a very beautiful place and even Hana, who loves Buddha (actually one of her very first words), got her quota filled up. At least of goldplated ones.

Bamse

Without doubt, the best gift from grandparents this year was a bunch of Bamse magazines. Kai was reading on the boat, at the restaurant, walking, falling asleep, everywhere. A sweet contrast to Ben10 or Spiderman or whoever is on the t-shirt of the day...

Hue

The highlight of the imperial city of Hue is, of course, the citadel and its forbidden city; the old buildings and everything else antique they have in there. But, as everywhere else in Vietnam, i find the everyday life and the ordinary streets just as interesting.

Motorbikes everywhere...

Girls in the traditional Ao Dai dress.

View of Hue from our hotel.

On her way to Tupperware party?

Today's outfit

Midday, Imperial city, Hue.
38 degrees, humid, sunny and no wind. Almost boiling.
Still. Hat, face covering scarves, gloves, tights, socks. Whatever it takes to protect every inch of the body from the sun, but still look trendy.

Hoi An again

Hoi An was just as nice this time as last time. We spent the mornings by the pool and the afternoons strolling around the cobblestone streets of the old quarters, eating great southern Vietnamese food and drinking wine, with lots of great company.

Att night Hoi An is lit up by thousands of silk lanterns, carefully made by skilled craftsmen and women in the old quarters. Keisuke bought a whole bunch, now just have to fix the wires and hang them all over the place.

Resort girl.

Almost a swimmer.

Pool side lunch.

Family reunion

Finally they met. Keisuke's parents and mine. Swedish "mormor & morfar" and Japanese "baba & jiji". The grandparents, that is.
We spent two days in Hoi An and two days in Hue together, and I think everyone had a great time, even uncle Kenneth and Rose-Marie who also came along.

The whole group in Hoi An.

Snacktime with grannies.

Auckland friends

In Auckland, Keisukes friends all took great care of us, organized a wonderful bbq and also hosted us the very last weekend in Auckland. We enjoyed lazy play in their garden (Hana eventually becoming friends with Ollie the dog) and a tour to posh Devonport for lunch, play and a last dip in the ocean, before heading back home to Hanoi again.
Definitely with a "see you soon again, New Zealand"!

With Tomomi, Paul, Miwa-chan and Sean-kun.

Hot springs

Being married to a Japanese*, I get to see many more hot springs than the average Swede, whenever I am in a country where they have any...
Hot springs is also on the "must have"-list for "countries we might move to later". New Zealand is definitely still on.

Keisuke in his true element: 38 degrees and bubbling.

But Kai wasn't totally convinced...

Mummy. Before.

And after.

And, eventually we found a few places the kids could enjoy as well.

Cool enough at Nghawa springs up north.

Crazy Hot Water Beach. Dig yourself a hole, and up it bubbles.

* ALL Japanese LOVE hot springs.

Camping

In New Zealand, when not staying with family and friends we went camping! We went far, far out in the middle of nowhere, guided by scary-looking Maori to tiny campsites next to waterfalls, or walking through the forest to Solscapes no-cars-allowed Tipi retreat, or we just drove into more accessible "family parks" with proper kitchen and refrigerators and hot showers and kid's playgrounds and all. Most of all we enjoyed the not-so-touristic DOC campsites, run by the department of conversation.

Mangamate, next to Whirinaka Forest Reserve

Solscapes Tipi retreat outside the little west coast surf town Raglan.

Then, to Keisukes surprise, mum took almost full responsibility for cooking and actually enjoyed making pasta or risotto on the little gas stove outside (if not inside, when raining...) the tent! Kai helped Keisuke set up the tent every day, unless there were something more interesting around the corner, like a beach or a playground with a trampoline. On few vacations I have had as much wine as on this one...