Still Vegan

I purchased a large quantity of chicken, a day before George announced that WE (he didn’t say…he) would be vegan. Now, I have to clean out my freezer.

Here is one boneless and skinless chicken out of the package. I usually remove all of the fat. I don’t do as good a job as George’s mother, but look at the amount of fat I removed. Yes, it takes time to clean each piece of chicken. Almost a quarter of the chicken is fat. I wonder how many restaurants take this much time to remove the fat. Instead, they cover the chicken in some sort of breading and fry it in grease that is oxidized. I know that’s why it tastes so yummy.

I used to cook beef that had only 7% fat. The fat would cling to the dishes and I had to use twice the amount of soap and scrubbing power to clean the dishes. Now, without any beef, I can cook with a small amount of vegetable oil. Very little soap and scrubbing are required to get the dishes clean. Imagine the amount of animal fat that goes through our digestive system and into our organs after years and years of eating meat. Yuk! We can’t scrub our intestines with soap. No wonder I gained 20 pounds after moving to the U.S.

This is the positive side of being vegan. I just hope I can continue. The more I speak out, the more I feel I have to be responsible for my words. It is tough. The chicken I cooked…went to my doggies. They were very happy. I boiled the chicken to remove most of the fat.

The news from Japan continues to be heart-wrenching. Half of the cows in Fukushima have died from starving and the other half are crying out loud for food and water. I usually don’t have the guts to read this kind of news or see the pictures, but I had to read the news when I saw a cow with tears in his big eyes. The suffering of the people and animals is beyond heartbreaking. One of the tsunami victims living in a shelter hoped that the people who are suffering from the disasters in Japan are not forgotten. Please don’t forget them.

Waiting for Clear Skies

We are in the midst of the longest winter in the history of human kind in Seattle…at least it feels like it. The streak of 41 days without sunshine ended yesterday. Wouldn’t you know it…it’s cloudy with a chance of rain for at least the next 7 days. I was able to take some photos of the night sky about month and a half ago. Pleiades, which is also known as Subaru, is a birthplace of starts. The Rosette and California Nebulae could have used more exposure time, but the clouds started to roll in. I’ll try to photograph them again at a later time. Isn’t the Owl Nebula cool looking? It’s supposed to look just like the face of an owl. The Andromeda Galaxy is our closest neighborhood spiral galaxy (2.2 million light years) and looks similar to our own Milky Way Galaxy. This galaxy can be seen under dark skies without the help of a telescope (http://wikihow.com/Find-the-Andromeda-Galaxy). I hope the weather will be clear soon. I have so many objects that I wish I could photograph before I box up the scope and move to Japan. Keep looking up.

George

Vegan-lite

 I don’t enjoy vegetarian food, but George said that food is generally overrated, so I suffer. It’s been two weeks since I became a vegan. George likes to call it,”Vegan-lite” since we still eat some dairy products. I drink less beer now. Beer doesn’t go well with veggies. That is okay…I can live without beer. It’s amazing though, I don’t crave dessert after eating tofu and vegetables. I just quickly brush my teeth to change the taste in my mouth. A few days ago, my friends invited me for lunch at an all-you-can-eat restaurant. When I saw meat, my pupils grew large and I was so happy. I grabbed a lot of meat, but somehow the smell bothered me. I have never wasted meat after I have cooked it or chosen to place it on my plate. This is out of respect for animal life. In this particular instance, I couldn’t finish the meat. I felt so guilty, but I guess my body is gradually changing.

George used to joke, “Don’t worry, ketchup will fix everything on your dish.” Our food storage shelves and the inside of the fridge have many different kinds of sauces and spices. We used to pour them on just about everything. We gradually craved a stronger taste as our tongues became numb to the subtle flavors of food. I miss those rich tastes, but I already feel a little healthier. We’re more sensitive to taste and smell and we don’t need to use those pre-made spices as much. I still cry as I try to be vegan.

When we were just married, George showed me how to prepare his lunchbox…junk, junk and junk and I laughed at him. Now, if he eats potato chips, he gets a sore throat and junk food makes him dizzy. I thought it was just a coincidence or that he worried too much. I found that eating healthier food over the course of the past year; I could really see a positive change. We started eating less meat a year ago after watching “Food, Inc.” and now we’ve “kicked it up a notch” by becoming vegans.

When I was working in the corporate world, they provided me with so much junk food. They said, “Come on, Erika, just a little bit won’t hurt you and once in a while it’s okay.” The fact is that there were too many “once in a while,” my senses grew numb. I didn’t have a guilty conscious gobbling down junk food.  When I first went shopping in the U.S., I was upset at many of the young mothers whose carts were full of boxed foods. I couldn’t understand how a mother could be so irresponsible to their child and to the environment. It didn’t take long for me to become one of them. My cart was often filled with boxed foods because I loved the convenience. I sometimes hid those boxed foods from George. It was easy to fall prey to those beautifully colored boxes and tasty ads promising that in less than two minutes you can have a healthy meal…full of chemicals and preservatives…yum. I am one of those victims, foolish enough to threaten my own health and put my money into the rich corporate executive pockets. I’m sure those executives don’t eat their own junk.

I am becoming enlightened and starting to take care of myself thanks to George. I don’t have the willpower he does, but I’m trying to be vegan.

Vegan

George is trying to be vegan. Since we watched the movie, “Food Inc,” I have tried to buy natural and organic food. It’s a little more expensive, but in the long run, we’ll save on medical bills as we get older. We hardly ever eat at restaurants, but when we do, we support Chipotle. I’m not a big fan of Mexican food, but this restaurant is trying to do the right thing and we believe in that.

George recently read the book, “Veganist” by Kathy Freston. He was strongly influenced and disturbed by what the author wrote. Soya milk??? I would have never imagined in my wildest dreams that he would drink soy milk. One of our Japanese friends invited us to her country home and she prepared most of the food with vegetables that she grew. It was amazing that she could create a huge variety of dishes with only vegetables to fill an entire table. George said, “I’m not a rabbit. Where’s the beef?” Now, he wants to have a similar kind of life. He says he wants to be a vegan, not only to benefit his health, but to prevent cruelty to animals and preserve the environment.

It is interesting that there are many people who are sensitive about importing food from Japan. Some people are taking iodine for even a small amount of radiation. If you take a moment to think about it, processed foods along with many foods that are found in restaurants are unhealthier than the produce coming from Japan. Meat that has been charred can cause cancer. Food that has been cooked in aluminum or microwaved in plastic can also create health risks. We usually never question those foods because we enjoy the taste and convenience. I am guilty for being one of those people.   

We rarely watch TV, but we did notice how many commercials are about pharmaceutical drugs, weight loss, diabetes, or junk food. In the short period time our TV was on, we heard about the various side effects of prescribed drugs. The advertisers of these medications talked so fast that I had a hard time following what they were saying. I found it to be a good way to practice English. Every once in a while I would hear, “death” as one of the side effects. Why would anyone want to take a medication that could cause a more serious side effect than the original symptom? George says that those fast food companies help the pharmaceutical companies make big $$$...Junk food →weight loss → diabetes → drugs.Umm…shouldn’t we be a little smarter?

To help George become a vegan, a lot of effort is required from me. It’s not easy to create a dish that tastes good without fish, meat, or animal byproducts such as cheese. I, however, totally agree to respect animal rights. I’ll follow the principle of my favorite English phrase, “What goes around, comes around.” Investing more time with the health, life and the lives of others, and caring more about the Earth will eventually come back to help us with our future.  

Erika

Safety and Convenience

I recently read an article describing why the Japanese prefer to live in their country rather than somewhere else. Naturally, I thought it was because it was their home. I read that the Japanese remain in Japan because of two reasons: Safety and convenience. Living in Japan is supposed to be one of the safest places in the world. I can’t say that is true for the larger cities. Most of my Japanese family lives in Tokyo. They lock their doors every time they step out to run an errand or go to work. Things are changing in Japan. Often the news will have a story about a murder or a robbery. I found it interesting that the news reports a murder like a murder/mystery story. They would reenact the scene of the crime using 3-D animation, giving the audience little doubt as to what transpired during the crime. Then the news would present various clues to the public. Each day a new piece of the puzzle would be introduced. This would go on for weeks or even months. A story about a woman spiking some curry with poison and killing people was big news when I visited Japan a few years ago. The news carried the same story along with more information when I visited a year later. This is in stark contrast to the U.S. Here, the news will run through all the murders, rapes, and robberies in the first 5 or 10 minutes. Then it’s time for weather and sports. We’ve become numb to all the violence. Not so in Japan. A single murder story could take up an entire newscast. The news reporters attack a murder story and turn it inside out and upside down. The Japanese demand to know all the details of a crime. I think it has to do with the tight knit Japanese society and the fact that society is slowly unraveling. People who live in the large cities are often crammed together because of the lack of space and the tremendously high real estate prices. If a possibility exists that your neighbor is a murderer, rapist, or thief…I think you might want to know all the details. The disturbing fact is that these types of crimes are slowly working their way into the countryside. Even during this recent disaster, some families refused to leave their homes because they feared they would be robbed. It’s not like this everywhere in Japan. Erika’s family still leaves the door unlocked in their small town.

The second reason people remain in Japan is because it’s convenient. I have no doubt about that. When I visited my aunt in Tokyo, I found that she did not drive. The transportation system is incredibly efficient. She doesn’t need a car. The trains and buses are on time, clean, bright, and comfortable. They drop you off close to any number of stores, attractions, or whatever your heart desires. The entire system runs like a well oiled machine. That is until the power turns off. Some of my relatives decided to go north to Hokkaido. They wanted to get away from the inconveniences of living where there is unreliable power, food shortages, and the threat of radiation exposure. Fortunately, they have a place to stay in Sapporo. Many people aren’t as fortunate. They have to be patient and wait for things to return to normal. It’s scary to think if something as catastrophic as the triple disasters in Japan were to happen here. The news in Seattle keeps asking the same question, “Are we prepared?” If a country that is considered to be the most prepared for an earthquake and tsunami suffers damage exceeding 27000 lost or dead, how in the world can we think we are prepared? The west coast of the U.S. is just as vulnerable as Japan, perhaps even more. “The big one” is way overdue to happen. The Earth’s crust is in constant motion and eventually it will move in a way that will cost many lives and leave unimaginable destruction. It’s just a matter of time for the U.S.

 I asked Erika, “Maybe we should leave the U.S. before the next big earthquake hits, but where do we go?” Japan is on a volcano watch for the next few months. With all the seismic activity going on, there is a fear that a volcano may erupt. One of the volcano’s that is being watched is located less than 10 miles from our home in Tsukahara. A volcano (Shinmoedake) on March 13, 2011 erupted violently in southern Kyushu, leaving people wondering if the recent earthquakes and volcanic activity are tied together. Humm, Japan is safe and convenient, Japan is safe and convenient, Japan is safe and convenient…I feel like Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz…Japan is safe and convenient…I heard that Arizona is nice.

George

Self Restraint

In a recent article, I read that the Japanese are practicing self restraint. This has taken many different forms. Downtown Tokyo has toned down the huge displays of neon lights. People attending ball games keep their expressions of excitement to a mild clapping of plastic horns rather than an obnoxious roar of enthusiasm. Stores that often blast the customer with jingles and shouting over the speakers have silenced. All of this uncharacteristic behavior has been focused towards self restraint. The suffering amongst the Japanese has sparked a movement for people to be less colorful, glamorous, and extravagant. Instead, acting conservative and moderate are in vogue. Many have compared this reaction to the recent disasters as being similar to how the Japanese reacted after World War Two. Erika and I have shared feelings of guilt for doing anything that brings happiness to us. Apparently, this is a common reaction to a catastrophic event. I can see that the only way through this is by doing something to help others. I’ve reached a point in my life where I’m learning that materialistic things have little importance, and that caring for others in need is what really matters the most. I think we could all use some self restraint.

George

Messages

There are so many people from around the world sending messages to Japan. I found that many victims from Japan are sending messages to us. Most of them say, “Thank you for your help,” “I want to go to school,” and “I want to take a shower.”

http://photo.sankei.jp.msn.com/info/data/2011/Earthquake/hinanzyo/0319minamisanriku/

I have never felt that I wanted to go to school and I never imagined that we, as Japanese, needed to yearn for a shower. Yet, as they struggle to survive, they are working hard to help each other.

When I went back to college in the U.S., I was upset because many of my classmates were irresponsible. Their words and promises sounded great, but their actions never matched their intentions. However, they were the first to claim someone else’s work. For example, I told them I didn’t want to come after school to do extra work because I had so much to do as a wife. They said that, “Teamwork,” was important and that we should all pitch in. The result was that I had waited for the others to show up, which no one did, and I completed the project myself. They had all kinds of excuses. When it was time for the presentation, they didn’t hesitate to say, “WE did it.” I was upset and complained to George, “Those people kept insisting that TEAMWORK was so important, but they didn’t do any of the work!” He said, “They are the team and you are the work. Just accept that. Think about it...who was smarter?” The same irresponsible behavior existed at all of the various U.S. companies that I worked for (but not everyone. I know that some people are much harder workers than I am). Well, I finally learned from the majority. Here again, can I be readopted to the Japanese culture? My mother already gave up on me. Luckily, my father passed away before I could disappoint him. Thanks to my brother and aunt, they haven’t given up on me and have tried to change my badly influenced behavior.

Every day, I spend time reading the stories from Japan of the victims’ experiences and find myself with tears. I hope I’m learning something as I read. It would be an honor to be able to learn the culture again before I get too old.

Friends - Tomodachi

One of my friends has been married for over five years. She has hid her marriage from her relatives. Her father was very ill and she didn’t want to shock him with the fact that she was married to an American. I understand her situation. She often traveled to Japan from the U.S to take care of her ailing father. Her father’s past away. I think her husband was very understanding to have allowed her to go to Japan so often and for such an extended period of time. Now, she goes back for her mother who already knows all the facts of her marriage. She has a closer relationship with her mother. When I heard the news that her husband was going to accompany her to Japan, I said, “That would be great. He deserves to learn more about the country where he is going to retire.” She, however, said that the marriage was still a secret because her mother wanted to have it that way. There are relatives, friends, and neighbors that don’t accept the marriage.

I was surprised to find that her husband will be required to remain undercover. The situation makes me feel uncomfortable…to know that her husband’s position is disrespected. I hid a relationship with an American when I was single. I understand how conservative Japan can be. Society can judge you and jeopardize your future, but it’s the 21^st century and the marriage has been happily supported by her husband. I wonder what George would say if I did the same thing to him for several years. He would probably be very unhappy and doubt if he was good enough for me to be proud of or to stand up for.

When I had a war between my mother-in-law and myself, not once but three times, George was always on my side more than 200%. When the first war started, I had been trying to be more than the best Japanese wife by pretending to be very feminine, polite, smart, and obedient. This was a struggle since those characteristics are far from my natural character. Under stress from my mother-in-law and the American culture, I just became associated with, I screamed the B-word at her for the first time. George laughed at me and was so proud of me for showing guts by saying, “That’s my wife!” instead of being upset. I don’t cuss and I don’t allow anyone, including my husband, to use cuss words in my house. When the second war started, my mother-in-law said, “Erika, I didn’t yell at you, but at George. Why are you mad at me?” I said, “Remember, he is my husband at the same time he is your son. If you humiliate George, you humiliate me and I will back my husband 200%.” I don’t argue with my mother-in-law anymore. I just keep a safe distance until the conflict cools off. It took me one year to cool off from the third war.

I believe my friend and her husband respect each other, but it’s hard for me to picture the husband hiding in her hometown. He cannot be proudly introduced as her husband. I am sorry for him. I told the story to George and he asked, “Why don’t you tell her?” I said, “It’s none of my business as far as their relationship is okay and they are happy.” “Then why are you bothered so much?” he asked. “Because it seems disrespectful. When you call your friend a FRIEND, don’t you respect him/her as a friend?”  George said, “That’s why she can live in Japan, but you will have hard time there.” It’s very true, if she were my American friend, I would definitely open my big mouth.  

I had suffered for a long time when I was growing up in Japan. I was different from most Japanese children. I rebelled against the silly and outdated rules of Japanese society. In the U.S., I found I could be myself. I could speak my mind freely…sometimes too free. That’s one reason why I could get along with my mother-in-law, sometimes better than George. She speaks more freely than I do.  If my friends still keep me as a friend, I think I should appreciate them.

My verdict is that it’s not worth arguing about my friend’s decision. I’ll respect her way and worry about my own future in Japan.

Erika

Japan

A couple of days ago, the news from Japan said that there were so many people who felt motion sickness because of the hundreds of aftershocks. According to Yahoo Japanese News, as of 3/16, there have been a total of three 7.0+ magnitude, forty-nine 6.0+ magnitude and two hundred sixty three 5.0+ magnitude aftershocks. It’s usually big news when a 5.0 magnitude quake occurs, but recently the concentration of disasters has diluted any interest in smaller earthquakes.

There are so many people that have been rescued, but they are living without hope and enduring hunger. They were grateful to be rescued, but soon many of them realized that they lost everything. Some said they felt guilty to live because they were already old.

I still cannot enjoy daily life. I feel guilty to have any fun in my life. I don’t know why I feel tremendously depressed about the disaster in Japan. Maybe because I’m getting old???

I was asked if I was afraid to go back to Japan. Yes, if I had to live in the area that has been affected by radiation, but otherwise no. I face crime in the U.S. every day. The local news is full of stories about drugs, murder, and rape in my city. I believe I can protect myself only by locking myself inside my home. George is especially protective of me and he won’t allow me to drive in the city…According to him, I’m a crazy driver too. What’s the difference between being scared of a natural disaster or a society full of danger? Either way, I have to live until the end of my life.

Erika

Just do it.

We have been watching , along with the rest of the world, the disastrous events unfold in Japan. It’s heartbreaking to see so many people suffering and know that the end is nowhere in sight. Erika and I have felt anxious waiting to hear news about the current situation in Japan while knowing in the back of our minds; we haven’t done anything to help. We decided to do something rather than feeling sorry for the people of Japan…donating money to the American Red Cross instead of shedding tears.

I wanted to make sure our money was directed to the victims of the disaster. Erika chose the American Red Cross.

https://american.redcross.org/site/SPageServer?s_subsrc=RCO_FrontPagePanel&pagename=ntld_main&s_src=RSG000000000

If you decide to do the same, please select “Japan Earthquake and Pacific Tsunami” and donate whatever you can. Thank you.

Ganbare Japan

George and I have been in shock since we heard the news about the tsunami, earthquake and nuclear reactors. We have been glued to the television and internet trying to gather whatever information we can about the disasters.  

I appreciate having so many friends, including my dentist, calling me to see if my family in Japan was okay. It is very comforting to know that there are so many people concerned about my country. I felt so guilty to find myself just sitting here in a nice warm, comfortable place with the plenty of food, unable to do anything for those people.

George and I have tears each time we see people lining up for food, without warm clothes, and who are looking for their loved ones. George always tells me not to ignore the problem, but rather face them and acknowledge that a serous problem exists. It is hard, very hard, and I have only tears. In the local newspaper from my hometown in Oita, I found that there are so many people who are donating their blood, which is urgently needed in the devastated area. People of all ages, including little kids, line up to donate money and blood. I feel I have learned a lot about my own country.

Look at this link. Now more rescue dogs are deploying to Japan.

http://www.facebook.com/exploredogs?sk=app_4949752878

http://www.searchdogfoundation.org/98/html/1-deployments/1-2_japan.html

ケーキデコレーション

中級クラスを終了しました。作ったケーキはいつも友達にあげるのですが、初級の時は大笑いされてましたが、今回は「上達したねぇー」と感心されました。ケーキを焼くことが目的ではなくデコレーションが目的なわけだから、私の焼くケーキそのものは美味しくないです。だから友達にあげるわけではなく、これだけケーキを作ると、さすがに食べたい気分が失せます。私がデコレーションクラスに通い始めて以来ジョージは全くケーキを焼いていないので、二人とも甘い物から遠ざかって少し痩せたような気がします。

 

それほど乗り気ではなかったクラスですが、かなり楽しんで通いました。やはり小さいことながらも目的を持って日々の生活を送るのはいいことですね。もう少しケーキクラスは続きますので頑張ります。

Intarsia

 I’ve been an avid woodworker for over the past 15 years. During this time,  I’ve had the pleasure of making decks, gates, sailplanes, bridges, shoji screens, picture frames, intarsia, kotatsu, and even koto stands. I think I enjoyed intarsia the most. Intarsia is the art of making pictures out of wood. Judy Gale Roberts has been a great inspiration to many people who have done intarsia.

Koto Stand



First attempt at intarsia



Zoom in on the teeth

Here’s a few examples of my work.

I was experimenting with combining two of my hobbies, woodworking and stained glass, and came up with some unique creations.

I would like to do an intarsia of my two dogs, but most of my woodworking equipment has been carefully packed away. I hope it won’t be too long before I can focus my attention on my hobbies after I move to Japan. Creating an intarsia of the spectacular view outside my window in Tsukahara is on my to-do list. Another hope is that I will be able to spark an interest and share how to make an intarsia. Most of my projects are made from Western Red Cedar, although some artists use a variety of woods to get the various colors.
George

Point Defiance Park

最近、週に一度はタコマ(Point Defiance Park)までピクニックに出かけます。一番の目的はもちろん犬たちの運動のためにです。アメリカ合衆国の市が運営する公園の内、この公園は２番目に大きいということです。一日かけて公園内を10キロ以上は歩いています。帰り着くころには犬も私たちもぐったりです。

鷹の家族が住んでいるらしく、木の上から獲物を探したり、チュールチュールと鳴き声をあげて頭上を飛んだりしているのをよく見かけます。自然の中で自由に羽ばたく雄大な姿は、さすがに美しくて何度見ても見飽きません。ジョージは生まれ変わったら鳥になりたいらしいので、ツバメの姿でも目でよく追ってますが、この鷹たちには目が離せないようで、ずっと空ばかりを見上げて歩いています。私は犬たちが餌食になるのではないかとハラハラして犬から目が離せません。特に、カイリーは臆病な割りには、大きな犬や鳥に吠えかかったり、木の生い茂った辺りに隠れたりするのが好きなので、彼女が少しでも見えないとドキッとします。 

 

晴れた日はレニア山が本当にきれいで、それを背景に走り回るラッキーはすごくハンサムでカッコいいです。我が犬ながら惚れ惚れします。水の中に浮く木が気に入らないらしく、一つ残らず引き上げてきます。あの小さな体で大木を引き上げる姿は勇ましい限りです。「波」の概念がどうも理解できず、吠えながら波を追いかけていきます。どんな犬が誘いかけてきても、その誘惑にはのりません。興味のあるものを追及する姿はジョージにそっくりです。周りの人たちはそんなラッキーの姿をおもしろそうに眺めています。カイリーはきれい好き（？）なお嬢様で、足が濡れるのが嫌なので水に近寄ろうとはしません。時々ジョージが彼女を捕まえて、水の中に放り込みます。犬なのに犬掻きができず、アップアップしながら上がってきます。それでも、いざ水の中に入ってしまうと気持ちがいいのか、「もう一回どうぞ」と、じっと待っている時があります。本当に変な犬です。

行きの車の中では、ジョージの膝を取り合ってますが、帰りの車の中では、後ろの小さなベッドを分け合って眠っています。仲がいいというより、ラッキーは、カイリーがいるところが一番いいところと思っているようです。カイリーが座るところを押し分けて自分の場所を確保したがります。これまた変な犬です。ジョージが休みの日は犬たちにもわかるようです。先日は雪が降っていたので遠出はやめようと思ったのですが、犬たちは朝からソワソワして車が気になるようで何度も「車庫に行こう」と、私の目を見ます。仕方がないのでまた連れて行きました。さすがに誰もいませんでした。まるでプライベートビーチみたいでしたが、寒くて笑顔も出ずひたすら歩いたという感じでした。

sink or swim

I wonder how our home in Tsukahara is doing? I know that I shouldn’t worry about it. The house has been there for 12 years and has been empty for 9 of those years. Most of the damage that has been done will not change during the 6 months that we are away. Erika’s relatives open the windows and mow the weeds every now and then. It’s hard having a home so far away and not knowing for sure if it is still standing.  As I rolled down the storm windows and locked the front door before leaving our home in Tsukahara, my eyes welled up with tears knowing that I wouldn’t be able to see “her” again for 6 months. I know this is strange, but I felt like the house was sad to see us go. With the storm windows closed, the house appeared to be abandoned.

 I quickly grew used to working around the house. From the moment we stepped into the house, we were either cleaning or repairing. I expect the same thing will be required when we visit in May. Honestly, I hate the house, but I love the property. The house is rundown, tired, and neglected. “She’s” only 12 years old, but she looks like 40. I know that with a lot of work, time, and money she can be restored to her former beauty. The problem will be finding the time and money. If we end up renting our house in Seattle ( Federal Way), then we would have to start working in Japan as soon as possible. I wouldn’t be able to afford the time or the money to fix the Tsukahara home. Speaking of renting our house, I’ve heard all kinds of horror stories. My coworker rented his house and found that after the house was abandoned, he found marijuana plants being grown in the back rooms and pit bulls being raised in the front rooms. EEK! I’ve only heard terrible stories about being a landlord. The best I can hope for is to find a reliable property manager who can find a great tenant. Imagine living overseas and totally depending on a property manager to take care of your home. My eyes are twitching just thinking about this. I really don’t know what other choices we have. If we were independently wealthy, we could leave the house empty. I have to ask, “If being a landlord is so bad, then why do so many people do it?” There must be a few good tenants out there, right?

Next is the question about taxes. I remember reading about if your home is not your primary residence and you have equity and you try to sell it, capital gains tax will eat you alive. I think this means that if we do not live in the house for 2 out of 5 years, the house is not considered our primary residence. So, we can be a landlord for 3 years, then either we sell or move back into it, or pay capital gains if we continue to be landlords. Let’s see…will the housing market improve by 2014? If not, then we’re stuck with another difficult decision…to sell or not to sell. At least during the 3 year period, we are establishing ourselves in Japan. Hopefully by that time, we will know if we will sink or swim.

George

Decisions, Decisions, Decisions

Recently, I have been asked by several friends what the verdict is for my life. There has never been a black and white answer. It is the most difficult question for me to answer. When I was young, my goal was to escape from my hometown. Over the years, I had gradually moved further and further from my roots. My life is more complicated now. I’m older and have accumulated assets and responsibilities. My decisions involve others very close to me.

When I got a job offer in Australia, I was caught by surprise. I honestly did not think I would get it. I really didn’t want to leave my job in Tokyo. I never intended to find another job nor did I want to have the job in Australia. One of my coworkers told me to take a day off because I was becoming a workaholic. I was a country girl and I had nowhere to go in Tokyo. At the time, my coworker was reading a newspaper in front of me. He suggested, after reading the newspaper, that I interview for a position to work in Australia. Since this was a last minute decision, I wasn’t prepared.  I just wanted someplace to spend a paid vacation. Well, I passed the interview. I thought it was some kind of scam. My family and friends were skeptical also. I was invited to a second interview and passed that too. Okay, I achieved a short term goal…two days off with pay to travel to Australia. I received phone calls from the Queensland Education Department in Australia. Now, what could I say? I needed to figure out my next move, so I decided I wanted to challenge myself. I decided to leave my country and work overseas. “This was a one-time chance,” I thought. My aunt said, “Do whatever you want to do with your life. Your life is only one time…but you must be responsible for your life. When you fail and come back, are you willingly to work as a janitor? Will you respect a janitor’s life? If so, do it.” I often hear that advice in my head. Yes, I will, but I always have another question, “Can I provide food and medical treatment for my dogs?” “But, what if…” seems to follow every question.

 

We will, again, put the house on the market, soon. A lot of worries, discussions, debates, and changes in our minds. We know if we wait for 5 more years, George will get a small pension for early retirement, the housing market should be better and we can more easily transfer our life to Japan. A huge disadvantage is that the dogs will be older and they will have tremendous difficulty flying for such a long period. Then, we will probably have to wait at least another 5 years until the dogs pass away. We cannot live our daily lives waiting for their lives to end. If we don't leave by next March, we will have to put the dogs in quarantine again and that process could take another 8 to 9 months. Whatever we choose, we will have to make a difficult choice.

So, if we cannot sell the house on this attempt, let’s lease the house and leave for a new life. I know so many people and almost all of my friends disagree with the decision to lease the house. “The house is completely remodeled and you are going to let a stranger tear it apart? Are you crazy?” I respond by saying, “Money is not as important as time,” but that is because we are economically comfortable right now. We may soon say, “Money is more important than time,” while we are crying and starving. I have a lot of wishes, but right now, I wish I could make a definite decision. I cannot predict my life and I am so scared of making mistakes. All I can say is,” I don’t want to regret for what I don’t do.” I much prefer regretting what I tried. George and I would often question ourselves and ask, “If we could redo our lives, then...?” Every time we would come up with the same response, “If we hadn’t done all of those stupid mistakes in our past, we wouldn’t have had our life together.” If George became a very rich brain surgeon, I would not have been married to him. Our only major regret is that we wished that we could have shared our lives together much sooner. I just hope that we can feel the same way in the future. So, now I will say, yes, we will move to Japan this year.

Erika

astrophotograph

The winter weather in Seattle has been wet and cold. That’s nothing unusual. Seattle isn’t the best place in the world to use a telescope. I’ve been patiently waiting for a clear night to view the stars since last October. I kept reminding Erika that if the night skies are clear, you won’t see me for the rest of the night…I’ll have a date with my T-scope. It finally happened on January 31^st and February 1^st. I had forgotten all of the steps required to set up the T-scope and the software programs. After fumbling with the wires and connectors, everything was ready. At first, I just wanted to view the red spot on Jupiter. The skies were clearing, and luckily I was able to do much more. I felt like a kid in a candy store! I had so many things to photograph and so little time.

Without getting too technical or boring…the Crab Nebula is a star that exploded in the 11^th century, M81 and M82 are distant galaxies, the Orion Nebula is that fuzzy patch of light just below the three stars in Orion’s belt (stars are born there), and the Horsehead Nebula is on the left side of the three stars in Orion’s belt (the dark gas forms the shape of a black stallions head, pretty cool!) I wanted to take pictures of these beautiful objects ever since I first saw them in a National Geographic magazine as a kid. As I mentioned before, there are so many things I want to see and photograph, but not enough time. I’m learning each time I take a set of images. I still have a long way to go before I can call myself an astrophotographer. The journey is a challenge, but I’m having a blast!

I’ll keep posting photos as I process them and as the weather permits. I hope that one day (after I move to Tsukahara), I’ll be able to share with kids and adults alike, a peek through the eyepiece with the hope of sparking an interest in astronomy. The night skies have an endless supply of wonders and surprises just waiting to be explored. If I could hook just one person into wanting to learn more about the stars, then I think I accomplished something very important. Keep looking up!

George

housewife

I have been a housewife for over three months. This has been the longest time that I have experienced being a housewife. I’ve discovered that this job is more difficult than I had ever imagined. I believe that housewives are overworked and underpaid. Watching Oprah on television, a few days ago, she mentioned that working around the house was rated as one of the unhappiest jobs. It’s no wonder!

To be a good housewife (househusband), you have to take on the roles of president, manager, accountant, cleaner, cook, teacher and so on. This job encompasses far more than acting as a sole proprietor without income. Generally speaking, at a workplace, the department head determines the mission / goal. So, the worker tries to achieve the goal by working hard for 8 hours and receiving pay for the effort. Later, the worker may go out drinking or socializing afterwards to release any stress.

On the other hand, housewives’ (husbands’) roles are not that simple. They have to make a goal and create their own mission statement. The spouse and kids tend to ignore any goals set forth by the housewife. Being the housewife, you cannot give up on your spouse or the kids. You have to strive to make your family as comfortable and happy as you possibly can. In the meantime, you have a million things that must be done in order to accomplish that goal. You can never say, “Let’s forget about everything”. When you go shopping, you have to closely look at the budget. There are so many varieties of frozen food in the supermarket for a reason…so that you can be as lazy as you want by giving frozen food to your children and spouse. Sure, it may be cheaper and faster to prepare food this way, but in the long run, you are slowly destroying their health over the years. Even for only my husband and myself, our favorite foods are so different. After I cook for my husband, I don’t feel like enjoying my food, but to be sociable and healthy, I join him at the table. If I hear any criticizing about my cooking, I feel like throwing the dishes at the wall. If you are working for a company and your boss complains about the job you are doing, you can turn any criticisms into something positive by saying, “Okay, I can do that, as long as I get paid”. What are the rewards for a housewife? I wish all spouses and kids would appreciate the daily struggles of a housewife.

The most difficult challenge about being a housewife, for me, is managing my time. I can easily become lazy. I could go out to lunch with friends and before I realize it, I find that the day has slipped away and I didn’t get anything done. All of my plans were thrown out the window. I have a few friends, who are housewives, and they have gained my utmost respect ever since I stepped into their shoes. They accomplish so much for very little recognition. If they can do this, they should be able to make a damn good worker at any company. I hope their spouses appreciate them.

Erika

Japanese Garden

It seems peculiar that after spending so much time and money on trying to acquire the skills to build a Japanese garden, I chose to spend the rest of my life in a place that will require none of those skills. While living in California, I desperately wanted to create a Japanese environment in my backyard. I wanted to build a large koi pond stocked with imported Nishikigoi from Hiroshima, to grow many varieties of Japanese maples, to create a karasansui (dry rock garden), to build a bridge, and to create an impressive entrance into this garden. The garden was to be called, “So Shin En (双心苑)”, translated to mean, “Garden of Two Hearts”. After 2 years of research and intensive work, the garden became a reality.

Much of the work was invisible. Trenches were dug to carry the drains, water pipes, air lines, and electrical wires. All of the excavation was done by hand. The lower pond was dug to 5 feet deep by 10 feet wide by 20 feet long.  The upper pond was 3 feet deep by 4 feet wide by 5 feet long. The hole was so large that a police helicopter kept circling overhead as we dug the hole. I think they thought we were burying a body or something. The neighbors thought we were installing a swimming pool. All of this soil was made into berms for planting beds and to transform a flat backyard into an attractive oasis. Planning was crucial, especially figuring out the correct filter, pumps, tubing diameters, drain layouts, wire gauges, and circuit breakers. Over 2 tons of boulders were hand selected and individually placed. Erika did a lot of the digging and lifting. She was much younger then. Of course, she complained a lot and I heard the word, “Divorce” just about everyday. Each joint between the boulders was filled with expanding foam and salted with sand to give the natural appearance of inter-connecting stones. The pond liner was carefully formed to remove all of the wrinkles. This provided a smooth surface for the water to circulate and to prevent any koi poop from collecting. Air diffusers were installed over the drains and educators on the walls to provide circulation similar to a Jacuzzi. This provided plenty of exercise for the koi and allowed any unwanted debris to be effectively transported to the filtering system.

The entire system was automated. Even the water quality and water levels were electronically monitored. The pond held 6000 gallons and 14 Nishikigoi. We did have 15, but a Great Blue Heron decided she wanted to have sashimi for dinner. I could not believe how large a heron actually is. The bird stood 4 feet tall and was not intimidated by my presence at all. I built the pond with vertical sides to prevent predators from stealing my fish. I later learned that a heron regurgitates its food to attract the fish…almost like using fishing bait. Once the fish gets close enough, the heron catches it. My only choice for protecting the koi was to install netting and use an electronic scarecrow. The solution worked although getting splashed by the scarecrow was a nuisance.

Turning on the pumps for the first time was an unforgettable experience. I wasn’t a 100% sure that everything was going to work. Did I have the right size pumps? Did I use too much tubing? Is the waterfall going to have enough water pressure to form a pleasant looking fall? Did I choose the right size filters? I had a gazillion questions in my head and the main answer was…it worked!! I had a small leak at the filtering tank which was easily fixed. I let the system run for a couple of weeks before I let the koi enjoy the pond. Within a month or so, I had become very close to the koi. They would approach me at feeding time and eat from my hand. I could pet their underside just like a dog. I had learned everything I could about raising koi. The water quality was exceptional. I know if I were a koi I would have loved swimming in that pond! The koi pond was the most satisfying and enjoyable projects I had ever had. We planted hundreds of azaleas, many maples, Sequoias, and fruit trees.  The garden turned out to be everything I expected and more. The soothing sounds of the waterfall permeated the entire property.

It was a sanctuary away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life. It was an escape. I just wished I could have enjoyed it. Not long after the garden was completed, I was transferred to Seattle. I was devastated at the thought of leaving all that we had worked for. None of that compared to the heartbreaking experience of leaving my Nishikigoi. After 6 years, I still have not recovered. I miss those koi very much and I’m reminded of them whenever I see a Nishikigoi.

Erika’s new set of 100,000 rules mention that our home in Tsukahara cannot have anything grown on the property that is not edible. I guess I can live with that. The property is beautiful enough without cluttering the landscape with a Japanese garden.

George