Bumps along the way

The trip home was wonderful, although much too short. The wedding was beautiful. However, given the impact on the kids, it's just as well I didn't stay longer!

We've had a surprisingly easy transition to life in Japan. I've been shocked at just how well the kids have done. There really haven't been any tears or tantrums. They all enjoy school and seem to really like the benefits of living here. However, over the last week the tantrums and tears have arrived! They are sporadic and unpredictable but definitely forceful. I talked to the school counselor this week and apparently it is fairly common to have a few months of a "honeymoon" period, followed by a down cycle. Honestly, if this is as bad as it gets, we're very lucky, I just didn't expect the adjustment to hit 2 months later! I think the fact that I was out of town and that Matt left for a week long trip to Cinti today has contributed too. We've been warned that after 3-4 months most adults also hit a "wall" . Matt and I are hoping that a late October vacation to Saipan http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saipan and a 3 week trip home in December will help ward it off!

I attended a class called "Bloom" this week, short for "Bloom Where You are Planted". It was an orientation for newcomers to the Kobe area. The topics covered were Medical Access, Cultural Differences, Essential Services, and Coping Mechanisms. We also had lunch at a Japanese restaurant. It was actually pretty interesting and informative. I've signed up for a few more classes from the same organization. It's called CHIC http://www.chickobe.com/Welcome.htm and is a great resource for new people in the area. I'm going to try a museum tour, a cruise and a Japanese cooking class to start. I'm also signed up to volunteer at school for around 6 hours a week. I also want to take an exercise class at the gym and Japanese language lessons. Combined with daily walks and trips to the coffee shop, I'm not sure if I'll have any free time at all!

This is Tully's Coffee shop where I spend waaaay to much time and money!

Our most important news for the week is that we've found a babysitter to watch the kids one night each week so that Matt and I can start exploring all of the interesting restaurants around! (The kids are not exactly adventurous eaters!) All three of them love Joanne. She is young (in her 20's) and loves playing games with them. The first time she met her, Katie ran up and gave her a huge hug! I think she reminds them of Sarah H. and Sarah G., their babysitters back home.

Matt and I started by having dinner at an Al Artisia, an Italian restaurant on the next block. The view from the windows was of a Porsche dealership...luckily Matt turned up his nose at the Boxters they had on display, otherwise we might have been in trouble!

The Porsche dealership fills the atrium floor of this building and the cars are left out without any guards once the dealership closes, even though the rest of the building is still open! Only in Japan!