The Japanese genes?

Must be, mustn't it?

A trip to the farm

Last week Kai's class went for an excursion to the country side. The main purpose was to see a cow, and measure it to check if the size of the paper model one they had made for school's art show a couple weeks ago was more or less realistic. I came along with Hana who also wanted to see a cow... I think the kids thought the bus ride itself was the best part. And having snack on the farmers terrace.

Entering the farm.

Two brave little sisters.

Curious inhabitants.

Making scare crows.

The farmer's wife?

Easter - egg hunt and Catholic mass

Last week was Easter week. Of course, here it is not celebrated at all, but for a change we decided it was time for a bit of Cultural Education for the kids. An informal investigation conducted at home showed that the kids knew very well about Buddha - no wonder, being dragged to innumerous temples and pagodas over the years... - but had no idea there was once a guy named Jesus. So, off we went for Catholic Easter Mass and checked out a huge amount of paintings and sculputres of him on the cross. Then we went for egg hunt and hot cross buns (which I had never heard about, much less eaten, to the total astonishment of the newzeelanders inviting us - weren't they a global phenomenon?!?). Kids had loads of fun and now we have choclate eggs in the fridge to last for months...

Peter and Keisuke checking out egg distribution.

Monica, Jolan, Isha, Gwen, Emy Rose, Hana, Kai, Anna

Happy Easter!

Evening fun in Hoi An

Well... sometimes adults and kids ideas of fun do not entirely match. And when it is two against one, and the two are still little enough to get by screaming and refusing to move, to make their way, the outcome is kinda clear. So... me and the kids went into town once (the first afternoon). They wined and complained throughout, refused to have anything but ice cream to dinner.

A stroll through the very cute little streets of Hoi An. Angry as soooooo boring.

The remaining evenings were spent like this:
1. Bye bye mormor and morfar, who went into town for dinner.
2. Shower (threatened by mum's power of possibly cancelling activity four, they gained golden stars for excellent bathroom behaviour every evening).
3. Dinner. Room service. Fries and sausage or pasta bolognese. Every evening.
4. Chips in the bed and free access to Cartoon Network (we dont have a TV at home) until...
5. ... passed out.
6. Mummy sneaks out on the terrace to have a beer, or a glass of wine with Sara - or mormor and morfar who sometimes are back from town by now. If not included in number five.

Activity four. And talking to daddy.

Ten minutes later. Activity five.

Urban Mysteries

One morning, I took my parents for a bike ride around town, through the Urban Discovery guided tours. It was absolutely great and totally recommended to anyone, both visitors and temporary Hanoian residents. The tour takes you along the Red River, through tiny alleys and local markets, over the Long Bien bridge, across the dyke road, into the old quarters and along Tay Ho, with nice little stops for tea and sweets, juice and beer and lovely beef noodle rolls - pho cuon.

Final stop. Hungry and thirsty after three hours of cycling around in perfect "not too sunny and not too hot but not too cold or moist either" kind of Hanoian spring weather at its best.

Spring break

For spring break the kids and I went down to Hoi An with mormor and morfar and spent five wonderful day doing very, very little but swiming in the pool and hanging out on the beach.

Having fun in the pool with mormor and morfar.

Ok...

Kai enjoying the waves with morfar on Cua Dai beach across the street from the hotel. To the left, Swedish-Japanese Kobayashi family, who also came down from Hanoi and stayed at the same hotel.

Seafood lunch at the same beach. Fresh coconut for the kids, of course...

Late afternoon by the beach. Local food stalls preparing for evening bbq. Sipping a beer on a straw mat feeling the sand cooling down seemed like such a great idea to me. Kids had other ideas of evening fun though - see later post.

River view from the hotel.

Hana, as usual, got dressed between every swim. Gotta keep up some kind of style.

Bye bye mormor and morfar

We have had two and a half week of loads of fun with "mormor and morfar"; grandparents visiting from Sweden. We have dragged them along on ordinariy activities and taken them around town, even had time to go down south for a couple of days during Spring break. Now they have left again, and we are starting count-down for Summer holidays on the Swedish west coast, as always!

Thank you for coming! We miss you!

(Swedish summer holidays will be July 4th to August 8th)

Keisuke - the movie maker II

And another, from Taketani New Zealand Tour 2010.



Creative Director: Keisuke.
Soundtrack: Shaun the Sheep and Fat Freddy's Drop.

Keisuke - the movie maker I

I really do love photos and pictures and all, but sometimes the moving image is just better.

Taketani tour Japan 2011.



Creative Director: Keisuke.
Soundtrack: Atom Boy - Tetsuwan Atomu

Money burning

Every now and then, people burn a few packs of (fake) money, on special moon calender days, to increase success and prosperity of their business - I guess. Some take this really seriously.

Spring is here - and grannies on their way!

The sun is shining and Kai and I are haning out at home - he's pretending he's sick, but mainly wanted to stay at home to watch Star Wars. The nice weather made us forget about that and instead we had snack in the garden and talked about how the lovely smelling flowers on the grape fruit trees in the garden actually turn into fruits. A little too complicated to explain even for mummy, especially as the kids have also been watching Bee Movie lately...

Snack time.

Lovely lovely citrus flowers, all over the garden.

Mummy the farmer. By Hana.

And now we are off to pick her up and then out to the airport to pick "mormor and morfar", that is grandma and grandpa, arrving from Sweden in just a couple of hours!

Window shopping

We have been in Hanoi for almost two and a half years now and although this strange place will never really be "home" - we have sort of known from start that about three years or so will be enough - it does start to feel rather familiar, the things around you normal and just part of every day life. You stop seeing them. But really, the things they sell. Makes window shopping a true pleasure.

I dont even have to enter the shops. The mere thought of Keisuke and me dressing up for next party is sort of enough to make my day.

Hana the photographer

Lately my camera is full of Hana's pictures. Kai was just the same and it sure gives you some interesting reflections on the perspective of little kids. A lot of interesting photo angels at least. And quite a lot of doll pictures, too.

Mummy by Hana.

Hana by mummy. Sleeping beauty and always next to Mr. Rabbit, here temporarily borrowing her princess crown while taking her almost daily afternoon nap on the sofa.

This weekend...

... we didnt do a lot. Kai and Keisuke of course went to play Saturday Soccer and on Sunday I took the kids down to Sedona for Karate. Other than that, we just stayed at home, on Sunday we even had some sun! And then Hana's friend Lena came over with her parents and had lunch. A lovely afternoon it was.

Sunday Karate Club - lunch at the Sofitel

Last weekend the kids in Kai's Japanese Karate Club took their parents for lunch at the Sofitel Plaza. Or if it was the other way around. Although, I think they enjoyed the playroom more than the overwhelming lunch buffet.

In the corner, the core gang - Kai, Moe, Honomi and Yuuki - who are also in the same class in school.