TFiJ27: Luke’s swim meet
Luke participated in the annual Toyama City Junior Swim Meet on February 11th, a national holiday in Japan*. This was his 2nd time of swiming in this meet. It’s a big race at the big Toyama Citizen’s Pool, with all of the local swim clubs sending their best swimmers.
Luke, as the youngest member of the Yatsuo SC, swam in three events: 50m backstroke, 50m breaststroke, and the 100m individual medly. He and his mama had been training for months for this race, but just two days before, Luke came down with a wicked temperature of 39.3 (that’s 103 for those of you in Fahrenheight countries). Ouch! We took him to the doctor, he got some good medicine, stayed home from school for a day, then felt much better.
On the morning of the race, he was super excited to go, and even though his temperature was still a bit above normal, he was genki and rarin’ to swim. Fortunately his three events weren’t until the afternoon, so he could sleep in and take it easy during the morning hours.
The following video chronicles Luke’s races. I hope you enjoy watching our boy fly! He didn’t set any best times, but as usual he was best in his age group and even managed to swim faster than kids a year or two older than him.
We’re really proud of Luke’s fighting spirit and energy. He didn’t wimp out even though he has ample excuse to. If he keeps up his training, his swimming future is very bright.
Shinobu is doing a fantastic job coaching him. He’s learning a lot a advanced techniques for someone so young. Basically, she focuses on building up his fundamentals and has put him on a fast track competition-wise in order to build up his confidence and experience. He is ALWAYS the youngest swimmer in the race, so he always finishes 1st. He has become used to standing on top of the award stand and expects it to happen everytime. This will help him a lot in the coming years!
We really hope Luke can enjoy this unique situation he’s in and strive to be his best. Watching his confidence grow from his efforts and accomplishments is a real joy to behold.
*Okay, quiz time: February 11th is what holiday in Japan? Leave your answer in a comment below.
TFiJ26: Papa gets a new job
Great news! I have a new job. From April 1st I’ll be working full-time at Toyo Gakuen University, near Tokyo. My schedule runs from Mondays thru Thursdays, so that will enable me to come back to Toyama each weekend and during the spring, summer and winter breaks. I’ll be a long-distance papa for the next few years, it looks. This is a huge change for us, and I’ll be writing about it in more detail in the weeks to come. For now, check out this diary-style video which chronciles the day I went for my interview. You’ll see what it’s like to travel across Japan by train, take a tour of the Togaku campus, and hear my thoughts on what happened after the interview. Please ask me questions or leave a comment below!
TFiJ24-Moments of gratitude 2008
Merry Christmas, everyone!
It’s late at night, and I want to get this latest podcast up before I go to bed so that you all back in the States can watch it on Christmas morning. Take it from me, you’re in for a great day!
We had fun opening presents in the morning, then we spent time cleaning up. In the late afternoon we went to a big shopping mall and had a lot of fun with the kids. They turned the Toys R Us into a playground. Max was very very active, running this way and that. Luke, too.
I hope you like this little video clip. Like last year, I just want to show some of the really sweet moments we had this past year. Life is hard sometimes, and it’s easy to get down and lose sight of all the blessings we have in our lives. There is so much love and joy all around, even in the grayest of days. By sharing some of our good times, I hope you are reminded of the fun you had this past year, or of simple moments when there was calm and peace amidst the hustle and stress of the daily routine.
Take care, everyone! Have an awesome Christmas and a great new year.
A Talandis film festival
Wow, its been over two months since my last blog post! Suffice it to say I’ve been busy! I hope to make up for it over the winter break, however. To get things started, I’d like to share three videos with you, episodes 21, 22, and 23 of our family video podcast. Consider this my Christmas present to you!
TFiJ21-Family trip to Universal Studios Japan
Here are some highlights from our family trip to Universal Studios Japan this past summer.
This trip came about because we had to get Max’s US passport (and renew Luke’s), and the only place we could do that was at the USA consulate in Osaka. They have a new rule stating that the person applying for the passport must appear in person, so that meant we all had to go. So if we have to go to Osaka, why not make a family vacation of it? Thus the idea to visit USJ was born…
Long story short- we had a great time, but it was just too hot hot hot! Wow, was it hot! This made things difficult. Another problem was that I insisted we travel there by train. I thought it would be much easier than driving, but boy was I wrong! Max was noisy and figidy the entire way, and it was a total struggle on the cramped train. And it was hot hot hot! You can imagine.
Oh well. Check out the video for all the good parts of our journey.
TFiJ22-Luke’s 7th birthday photo shoot
It has become a family tradition to take our kids to a pro photographer on the day of their birthdays. Here are some scenes from Luke’s 7th photo shoot, again held at Studio Alice in downtown Toyama City. This place does a great job to make it fun for kids and families, as you can see from the clip.
TFiJ23-The Grape Adventure
Here’s a really mellow clip about a fun family outing we made back in September to a local Toyama winery. Wine growing is not big around here (brewing sake is), but they do make pretty good wine at this place. It was a national holiday (Fall Equinox Day), and the weather was great. We had a chance to catch some rays in the beautiful countryside. The grapes were a pain to eat, but it was still fun. The kids had a nice time. I enjoyed the wine tasting! The wine was pretty good- the grape varietals were unfamiliar to me, but the red and white versions had a nice taste. I can see us going back here someday!
So there you have it! Nothing for two months, then a deluge! I miss you all as usual, and I hope you all have a great Christmas and holiday season. I’ll aim to get at least one more video out before New Years.
TFiJ20: Luke & papa do a triathlon
On a hot hot HOT day in July (Saturday the 13th, to be exact), Luke and papa participated in the annual Yatsuo Triathlon. This was my 2nd time, having previously done it in 1999. Of course it was Luke’s first time. I did the “athletes” course, which consisted of a 750 meter swim in the pool (where Shinobu works), followed by a 16km bike ride on a hilly course, and finishing with a 5km run. Luke did the kid’s course: 100m swim, 2km bike, 1km run.
Oh, did I mention it was a VERY HOT & HUMID DAY?
The week before I practiced each day with Luke. His difficult point was riding a bike, especially with going up hills. Since there were a couple of inclines on the kid’s bike course, Shinobu and I were rather concerned. Using his old kiddy bike, there was no way he could ride up even a slight hill, so a few days before the race we ended up buying him a new bike! “It’s an early birthday present”, we told ourselves. This new bike had 5 speeds, so he was able to go up hills better, but would it be enough? We were worried…
Papa’s race started at 9 am. The swimming was very hectic. Since it was in a pool, each swimmer had to go down and back three times (150m), making sure to duck under the lane divider each length. The start was staggard, but since there was such a difference in ability, it wasn’t long before guys were passing and lapping each other. It was a nightmare ducking under the lane dividers, as there were often several swimmers pushing and shoving for position! I had to take care not to get kicked in the face.
After the swim, I ran outside and down to the bike changing area. I had my spot, and proceeded to change into bike mode. I wasn’t rushing, knowing it would take all I had and more just to survive the entire distance on the HOT HOT HOT day. Luke and Shinobu were cheering me on. When they saw I wasn’t rushing, they started teasing me: “Hurry up, Papa! You’re too slow!!!” they shouted. It was funny.
The bike course was a ride through the foothills of nearby Yamada village. The first part was this VERY LONG incline, and boy was it a killer. After that it got better, and the final bit was going down that long incline. That was fun!
The running course was thankfully flat and simple- just three laps from bridge to bridge on the Ida river, next to the pool. Still, it was HOT HOT HOT, so this part of the race was very difficult. Thankfully they had water stops, so I made sure to douse myself in ice cold water frequently. While cooling me off, this also made my socks and shoes very squishy and heavy! I shuffled along, leaving a trail of watery footsteps behind.
Finally I finished! I was very happy that I could make it. Immediately, however, I climbed up a hill to watch Luke come in on his bike. Shinobu and I cheered him on, as you can see in the video. We were really proud of him! He ended up with a gold medal for his trouble, a prize given to all the kids who finished. He’s only seven years old, and already he’s gaining a lot of great experience, not to mention health and fitness.
In the end we all had a good time despite the heat. We’re looking forward to doing the race again next year.
Here’s the video. Please leave a comment and let us know what you think.
TFiJ19: Sports day 2008
Wow! It’s been over one month since my last blog post! Ouch! Same old story- busy busy busy. My excuse this time is a PhD proposal I’m trying to write over the summer break. Anyway, a lot has happened in the past weeks, so I’ll redouble my efforts at getting you all caught up.
First, lets go back to early May- Luke has just started elementary school, and one of the first big events in the school calendar was soon upon him: Sports Day. What is Sports Day? Well, imagine the Olympics, only held within one school. The student body divides into 3 or 4 teams, each of a different color. They paint this elaborate mural of a team mascot, usually of some ferocious animal. Then, everyone practices practices practices for weeks leading up to the big day. There are “real” sports like relay sprints, and more game-like events such as chicken fights, an obstacle course, and tossing bean bags into a basket. It’s all rather surreal to my eyes. I managed to capture a bit of this experience and have edited together in a rather cheeky way. I hope you like it!
I have some more video projects nearing completion, so I hope it won’t be another month before I can post them! I also want to get you all caught up with family news, so I’ll be posting about that soon.
TFiJ18: Tokyo Disneyland 2006
Summer is here in Toyama, and it’s time to go into reruns! I’m really busy these days, so I thought I’d post an old video of a trip we made to Tokyo Disneyland in March 2006, before Max was born and only a few months after Shinobu was released from the hospital following her heart operation. I hope to get back with some more current video clips soon, but until I can manage that, I hope you enjoy watching some of our old stuff. This trip was the result of a promise Shinobu and I made to each other as she recovered in the hospital after her heart attack in the summer of 2005. We thought then, “boy, won’t it be great if we can take Luke to Tokyo Disneyland?” It was a happy thought that helped get us through a tough time. So, when the trip finally came to pass, it was extra special. Just seeing the excitement on Luke’s face brings back great memories!
OH! One error to correct: Shinobu’s birthday is March 12th, not the 11th. 
Opps!
TFiJ17: Tree planting day
For our next family video clip, this time we focus on our house, especially with our recent landscaping efforts. This spring Shinobu’s dad (a champion bonsai grower), has been helping us plant new shrubbery. We’ve been working hard each weekend on various little things, and the place is really beginning to shape up!
During the beginning of May we were browsing around a local garden store and happened on a great deal- a huge (4m) Japanese Maple tree for only about $400. We took one look and just knew, “that tree belongs in our front yard!” We hurried up and bought it before we could change our minds, and a few days later, on May 9th, the tree was delivered to our home and planted. I didn’t have to work that morning and captured the entire event on video. I hope you enjoy this little clip. It’s kind of cool to watch the guy plant the tree.
If you’d like to see a higher quality QuickTime version of this clip, just click here. If you right click on this link and choose “Save As”, you can download the file and watch it on your computer. Finally, all of our videos can be seen on the newly updated Videos page.
Don’t forget to leave a comment! Thanks.
TFiJ16: Luke enters elementary school
Hey! At long last, here is the video I promised that covers Luke’s entrance ceremony into elementary school. This took place on April 7th, 2008, and it was a big deal, as all these ceremonies are here. Parents came all dressed to the T, including many women who dolled themselves up with expensive haircuts and kimonos.
The ceremony was supposed to start at 9:30 am, but as you can guess, were were “late” again, like we were for Luke’s recent kindergarten graduation. Actually, we were half and hour “early”, but somehow managed to be the last ones to arrive! Oh well. 15 years in this country and you’d think I’d get the timing down one of these days…
I had my camera in hand, of course, and was able to take some good video. I hope you enjoy this little clip. I tried to keep all of the interesting parts (cultural things) and cut out the boring ones (overly long speeches).
Anyway, I’d appreciate a quick comment below if you can see it. I really like getting comments on our videos. It’s a fun way to stay in touch. For example, do you have any questions about Japanese customs after watching this? Or any observations on how they do things over here? I’d be very interested to know what you think. Finally, feel free to share this clip with anyone you think would be interested.
Bonus question: Can you find Luke in this picture?
Finally, as always, if you’d like to see a higher quality QuickTime version of this clip, just click here.
Papa made this!
I’m very glad this project is nearly behind me. All I have left to do is create and burn the DVD, which I’ll give as a present to all the participants. Its taken a lot of effort to get this done, but I have really improved my video editing and blogging skills. I will put this new knowledge to good use in the coming school year with my video class students, some of which went on the NZ trip with me.
Clips I haven’t posted on this blog yet include the following: Punting on the Avon (a very relaxing ride on the main river in Christchurch), Akaroa day trip (where we went swimming with dolphins), Farm visit (to an actual working sheep farm), Farewell lunch (chronicling our last day of classes), Studying at King’s Education (some scenes of what academics were like for our students), Inside Christchurch Cathedral (a look inside this gorgeous city landmark), Christchurch parks (a photo slideshow), and Wine tour (where Mr. Kawahata & I explore the wineries of Waipara Valley). This last one is very cool! I really learned a lot about wines on this excursion. Anyhoo, if you check out some of these video clips, please leave me a comment! Aciu labai!
That’s me on the right, posing in front of the Christchurch Cathedral on the 1st full day of our study trip. My colleague Kuniaki Kawahata is on the far left.
TFiJ15: Luke graduates from kindergarten
Hey! Long time no post. Life is finally getting back to normal for me, with the New Zealand trip gradually receding to the back of my conscious mind. I still have some more videos to edit and a DVD to produce, but that’s about it. The school year begins in a couple of weeks, and my mind is filled with the annual rites of spring.
One of those rites is graduation ceremonies. As you may know, the Japanese school year begins in April and ends the following March. We had our thing at TCFL last week, and this week, on Tuesday, Luke had his kindergarten graduation ceremony. That’s right, no typo- Luke, a six year old boy, graduated from kindergarten! They hold these ceremonies after every level of school, and boy, what a production it was! So, without further ado, check out this little nugget of Japanese culture:
UPDATE: Hey! I’ve just reposted this clip over at Blip.tv
so you can now see a much bigger and better version! No more YouTube for me! Yay!!!
For a higher quality viewing experience, click here to watch a QuickTime version of this clip.
UPDATE: (4/9/08) Oh! I’ve just discovered Adobe Photoshop Express, and I’m totally geeking out about this new web-based photo application. Here is a test album. Can you see the photos of Luke’s graduation?
Back home from New Zealand!
UPDATE: (4/5/08) I‘ve just refreshed all of the video clips in this post with bigger and clearer versions. Check out all my my hard work from the past two weeks!
I finally got back home from New Zealand on Monday, March 10th. It was a very smooth journey, and I can’t speak highly enough about Singapore Airlines. The planes were modern and comfortable, and the built-in video on demand system made the time fly by. We left Christchurch at noon on Sunday, then flew nearly 10 hours to Singapore. I measured time in movies and TV shows… “Okay, only two movies left…” This really helped! I would get up and walk around between shows, and I really enjoyed catching up on some films I hadn’t seen. While at Changi Airport I managed to get in a workout and a shower at a gym there. What a huge place that airport is! It’s a massive shopping mall. At 1 am we boarded our flight to Osaka. This was the hardest part of the trip because for us it was really 5 am! We had pulled an all-nighter, so once we got on the plane, everyone fell instantly to sleep. From Osaka to Toyama was a six hour bus ride, so by the time we got back at 3pm, it was the culmination of a 36 hour journey! Smooth and long… I took the next day off (yesterday) and got some rest.
Overall the trip was a great success. We had only a couple of minor problems, and they were dealt with quickly before they became bigger trouble. A couple of students didn’t get on quite well with their homestays, but that is par for the course. After a tough first week, my health improved a lot, and I started to really enjoy my time. I think I made the best of it, but I also spent too much money eating out. I couldn’t resist, as there were so many great restaurants to choose from.
During the mornings I worked on getting an article ready for (hopeful) publication in a language journal here in Japan, in addition editing videos of our afternoon activities. I still have a few more of those to go, but for now I’ll just post four of them. I don’t really appear much in them, but if you are interested in what I was up to, give them a look. They are not long and have been edited with short attention spans in mind:
Activity 2: Christchurch gondola
This was a very nice thing to do early on in our trip, as it gave everyone on our group a great overview of the entire area. Christchurch is on a plain that is right next to the Banks Peninsula, an area of land formed six million years ago by volcanic eruptions. After a short ride up a 500 meter hill, you can see the entire area. Very nice!
Activity 3: The Maori experience
One thing we learned on this trip was that New Zealand is a very young country, as countries go. It was settled in 1850 by folks from England. Of course they weren’t the first people on that land, the Maori were. At the Willowbank Wildlife Centre, on the outskirts of Christchurch, we could experience a bit of Maori culture by taking part in an interactive tour through a old-style village inhabited by Maori actors. They really brought the experience to life! We learned a lot, for sure.
Activity 4: Antarctic Centre
Did you know that Christchurch is considered the “gateway to Antarctica?” It’s true. Next to the airport they have this massive complex of offices where countries that have bases down there (USA, NZ, Italy, Japan, etc) work to prepare expeditions. Planes loaded with supplies and scientists take off from there all the time. To involve the public, they created this fascinating visitor’s center that is an excellent example of “edu-tainment.” It’s part academic lecture and part theme-park thrill ride. And there are penguins- lot’s of penguins! Very interesting, and lots of fun!
Activity 5: Horseback riding
This was a simple and relaxing activity- getting out into the countryside nearby Christchurch on the back of a horse. Personally I found the experience a bit boring, as I have ridden a horse before and wanted a bit more freedom to move where I wanted. However, almost all of our students had NEVER ridden before, so I was glad for the highly controlled (and safe) way the trek was handled.
Okay, so that’s it for now. I’m currently working on some more video clips, and I’ll get those posted when I’m done.
New Zealand update
Hey all! I’m about half-way through my New Zealand trip, and I think it’s about time for an update on my adventures here. Overall, so far so good. The summer weather here has been quite spectacular, with almost no rain and temps in the low to mid 20s (C). That’s mid 70s for all you non-metric folk. The city is about the same size as Toyama City, with about 370,000 people. There is a HUGE park in the center of town- I heard it’s the third largest central-city park in the world. I’ve throughly enjoyed running and walking around there. I’m staying in a nice one-bedroom apartment very near to the school where our students are studying at. Besides a few design flaws, I’m very happy with it. Best thing of all is the washer and drier! I can clean all my clothes in a jiffy, which is quite a change from my life in Toyama, where we hang-dry everything, and it sometimes takes days before I can wear certain items.
My daily routine is to wake up at 7:20am, take a shower, and have breakfast while checking out the morning news and weather (it’s so nice to be able to understand what’s on the TV!). I meet my colleague Mr. Kawahata (who’s staying in an apartment above me) at 8:20, then we walk together through a small park to King’s Education. It’s only a five minute stroll, so I really appreciate the location of our hotel apartments. Once there, we sit in the entrance lobby and greet our students as they come in. All of them are staying with host families around town and bus to school. Once we’re sure everyone has arrived, we hang out in the teacher’s lounge for the rest of the morning. This is my free Internet access time, so I keep busy with email, catching up on the news, and getting some research done (I’ve been working on an article for publication). Free wireless Internet is very rare here; Fortunately the local public library has it, so after lunch with Mr. Kawahata (we alway eat out at one of the many many excellent restaurants nearby), I head off to continue whatever project I’m on. At six Mr. Kawahata and I go jogging along the Avon River near our hotel. After that, it’s dinner time, so we either go out or stay in, depending on our mood.
That’s basically it, but you know, each day is unique, so there is always something new to see and do. A few things I’ve been able to do have been to visit the local museums, go running in the super gorgeous botanical garden park, attend choral services at the Christchurch Cathedral (which is Anglican), and go to a Catholic Cathedral for Sunday mass. Last weekend, in fact, I went to my first ever (?) mass held in Latin. That was very interesting, but I realized I like the “new” style better! [Mom or dad- did you ever take me to a Latin mass when I was a child?] I’ve realized that my thing to give up for lent is not to “give up” anything at all, but to attend church more! That feels more positive to me, and I’ve greatly enjoyed this opportunity to attend services with amazing location, music, and ENGLISH!
During the week days I’ve also accompanied our students on pre-planned field trips. The first of these was a city tour around Christchurch. I whipped up the following video clip, which I posted on a new website I created for our trip. Check it out- you won’t see me until the very very end, but you can get an idea of what the city is like and an idea of what I’m doing down here. I’m currently working on more videos, so I’ll post those when their done.
So, that’s it for now. I’ll be here until March 9th.
UPDATE: (4/5/08) I’ve reposted the video clip below to a bigger and clearer version. Check it out!
TFiJ14: Luke learns snowboarding
Wow, we sure had a busy weekend! Luke went snowboarding with mama on Saturday, with papa on Sunday, and then had his first official big swim race yesterday (February 11th is a national holiday here). I took some video on Sunday, and wow! Luke was AMAZING! You have to see him go, especially when compared with three weeks ago, when he started snowboarding for the first time on a ski slope. The kid is a star, and is a natural at sports! With his mama’s tireless and excellent instruction, he has picked up the basics of snowboarding WAY FASTER than I did! And he’s only SIX YEARS OLD! Check this video out- the story of Luke learning to snowboard. It’s a dream come true to be zooming down a mountain with my son!!! I can’t express how amazing it feels. I’m really excited for the future. We’re going to have a lot of fun. I hope you enjoy watching our amazing little boy zoom as much as this doting parent has!
Again, to see this video in higher quality, click on this link to a QuickTime version of it.
TFiJ13: 2nd time skiing 2008
Well, here’s another skiing & snowboarding video for you! A few days after our first time out, the weather became simply fantastic, so we had to go out to Cow Mountain (Ushidake) again. Shinobu’s father was able to come with us this time, and Luke was really good. I also had a chance to cruise in some powder snow, which was quite nice up at the top of the mountain. There was not enough snow at the bottom, however, so I wasn’t able to take out my new swallow-tail powder board (next time!). Anyway, here you go- more Toyama winter family fun!
Here is a higher quality QuickTime version of this video that I hope you will watch.
TFiJ12: 1st time skiing 2008
Hey all, long time no post. I’m back with another video podcast episode, this one focusing on our first time skiing this season. Our little adventure took place during the annual new year holidays, which lasts for three full days. New Years is the biggest holiday of the year around these parts, the time of year when everyone gets together to watch TV, go shopping, and if the weather is good, head out to the mountains for some skiing. 
This clip sees our family head out to a sports shop to get Luke some new skis, as he has already outgrown the stuff we got for him two years ago. After that we headed home and tried out his new gear with our Wii Fit, this amazing balance board gizmo that allows for some amazing balance-related gaming. Finally, on January 3rd, we managed to head out to Ushidake, a small family ski area only 25 minutes drive from our house. It was Shinobu’s first time out in two years, since last year she couldn’t go due to her pregnancy. It was a cloudy day, and the snow wasn’t great, but we had a blast. Luke took a while to get the hang of it, but soon he was zooming down the mountain. How cool is it to fly down a mountain with your children? Totally way awesome cool.
As usual, I to see a high quality QuickTime version of this clip, click here.
TFiJ11: Max takes a bath
Winter break is winding down, and since both Luke and Max have colds, we’re just basically hanging out at home these days. This gives me a chance to catch up on some video editing. Here’s a short one, of Max taking a bath. Here in Japan, people usually take baths in the evenings, before going to bed. We have a nice system down pat: Shinobu gives Max a bath (in a cute little plastic tub), then when she’s finished, pushes a special buzzer button on a control panel that sends a loud beep-beep-beep signal sounding. I come running with towel in hand, take Max, and then dry her off and get her dressed into her pajamas. Luke then usually takes his turn (in a larger tub). Anyway, Max is cute, so check her out!
As always, if you’d like to see a higher quality QuickTime version of this video clip, please click here.
TFiJ#10: Moments of gratitude 2007
Hey family and friends,
It’s Christmas day. From our family to yours, we wish you a very merry holiday season and a happy and healthy 2008. Christmas is a good time to look back with gratitude for all the blessings in our lives during the past year. Here are a few such moments from this year. As you watch this clip, I hope it helps you think about all the good things in your life. What do you have to be thankful for? I’d love it if you left a comment below and let me know.
If you’d like a higher quality QuickTime version of this video, please click here.
TFiJ09: Max eats a banana
Hey, I know I said that I didn’t have time to do any more new videos due to my need to study, but what do you know- I managed to find a spare 20 minutes to put this one together for you. Max has been eating “hard” food for the past 6 weeks or so, but most of that is processed heavily for babies. We’re trying to introduce “real” food bit by bit, as this clip shows. Here we feed Max a banana, but we’ve also been giving her ground up apples or other fruit. Anyway, no big deal; I just want to show you all Max’s progress. She’s doing real well overall, apart from some chronic sniffles and runny nose that seem to come and go daily.
As always, I would love for you to see a higher quality version of this clip. To do so, just click here.
TFiJ08: Luke practices soccer
Every Monday evening, we take Luke to soccer practice at the Yatsuo Sports Arena (where Shinobu used to work). This video clip chronicles a typical session- the kids do basic ball handling drills, then play a short game. Luke seems to enjoy running around and kicking the ball very much, as you can see. The practices are led by a former pro-soccer player from Toyama, Hasegawa Taiki. He’s a nice guy, and Luke gets on with him very well.
It’s amazing to see my little boy running around! Seems like only a short while ago he was barely able to crawl. When I watch him run and laugh, I get that strong “boy, time sure does fly” kind of feelings. Anyway, I hope you enjoy this little clip. It’s another little slice-of-life story from our daily lives here in Japan.
If you have QuickTime installed and would like to see a higher quality version of this clip, please click here.
TFiJ07: Max’s 1st time swimming
Two weekends ago we took little six-month old Max swimming for the first time in her life. The only pool where we could get permission to film was the place where Shinobu works, the Yatsuo-machi B&G Pool. We’ve been looking forward to this day for a long time. Here kids need to be at least six months old before they’re allowed in a public pool. We took Luke swimming the day after he turned six months, and now we’ve done the same for Max. We came prepared: Check out that crazy pink bathing suit! It’s made by Body Glove, a famous brand that makes stuff for swimmers and surfers. Besides being shockingly cool , the suit sports a built-in floatation device that helps keep our baby afloat. You can see how well this worked in the video clip below. Overall, Max seemed to have a great time. She wasn’t afraid of the water at all. It looked like she enjoyed floating around. We had a great time, too.
Let me know what you think by leaving a comment below. Cheers!
Click here if you would like to see a higher quality QuickTime version of this clip.
TFiJ06: Max practices sitting & walking
We have another 3-day weekend here in Japan, so I’m trying to get caught up with some video editing. Here’s another video podcast for you: a simple 4 minute clip of Max learning to sit and walk. She’s now six and a half months old, and her neck is getting strong enough where she can (almost) sit on her own. Shinobu also dusted off Luke’s old baby walker, so we gave Max a spin for the first time. She really seemed to have a good time! So did we. It’s fantastic watching her grow day to day.
You can see the clip by clicking on it below. If you’d like to download a higher quality version to your computer, just click on the “Download” link below. As always, I encourage you to leave a comment as well.
As always you can see a higher quality QuickTime version of this clip if you click here.
TFiJ03: Luke’s first swim race
For this podcast, we go back in time a bit, back to March 11th of this year to be precise. That day, while Shinobu was resting in the hospital after delivering Max, Luke took part in his first ever swim competition. The event was the first annual Yatsuo-community swim meet, a for-fun competition designed to encourage and promote swimming as a form of physical exercise. The event was held at our local pool, where Shinobu is working now, by the way.
Young and old gathered to swim in various non-serious events for the joy of it. So, while some races had real good swimmers from local teams, others consisted of ojii-chan & obaa-chan (grandpa and grandma) slugging it out.
Luke took part in the 25 meter kick-board race. For his age group (5 or 6 year olds), there were only 6 participants, of which Luke was the only boy. We got to the pool early so he could warm up. Members of the local Yatsuo elementary school swim team (which Shinobu used to coach before her heart attack two years ago) were on hand to help him out. They took Luke in like a mascot, giving him pointers on how to do a jump start. It was so fun to watch- Luke was having a great time hanging out with the older kids. For the first time ever Luke managed to jump off a starting block- an unforgettable moment I captured on tape!
Anyway, I hope you enjoy the video. Let me know what you think by clicking on the “Comments” link below. Also, if you have QuickTime 7 installed and wish to view a higher quality version of this clip, just click here.
TFiJ02: Luke’s 6th Birthday
Hey everyone! Sunday, July 29th was a very special day around these parts: Luke’s 6th birthday! We had a really nice day, and I’d like to share some of the highlights with you for our 2nd podcast episode.
Be began our day leisurely, by hanging out and relaxing at home. In the afternoon we took Luke to our local Toys-R-Us for present shopping. He had a virtual blank check, as mama and papa were in a generous mood! After having fun looking around, he settled on buying a new Wii computer game called “Super Mario Party 8.”
After shopping, we headed over to a studio for his annual photo shoot. We have this tradition in our family- each year, on his birthday, Luke gets his picture taken professionally. We had a blast adding to our collection this year. With numerous costumes to choose from, Luke chose the traditional Japan look this year- a “hakama“, a type of kimono worn usually by men. Our little samurai ended up looking very cool!
Finally, to top the day off, we met some of our friends (former members of Shinobu’s swim team) at Il Chianti, a great Italian restaurant in Toyama City. A fun time was had by all.
I hope you enjoy this little video! Let me know what you think by leaving a comment. As always, if you’d like a higher quality QuickTime version of this video, just click here. (You may need to wait a bit for the file to download)
Hello! My name is Gerald Talandis Jr, and I'm the webmaster of this blog. I'm using it as a tool for staying in touch with family in friends around the world. I've been in Japan since 1993 and currently teach English at 
This is my wife, Shinobu. She's originally from 
Luke was born on July 29th, 2001. He is now an elementary school student and loves sports, like his mama. Each week, Luke swims, plays soccer, and goes to a gymnastics class. He is also studying English and dreams of visiting the USA someday and becoming an Olympic swimmer, like his hero Michael Phelps.
Our daughter Max was born on March 7th, 2007. She is currently attending nursery school and is learning to walk, talk, and eat by herself without making a mess. She is growing by leaps and bounds, and loves Micky Mouse, Hello Kitty, and Anpanman.