Where Are You Going My Little One, Little One

Well, the time has come.

Yes, Sara is all about walking these days. She's spent the last couple of weeks really going at it. She finally decided to let go of things and walk around all on her own. It's funny, because she is so careful about it. She takes one step at a time and if she loses her balance a little it she'll stop until she get it back. It's like if she falls it would be the end of the world. When she walks of her own choice, she never falls, but if we try and make her walk she get upset and sometimes falls on her behind. There's been a few face plants and other incedents that come along with active babies, but everything is going well.

We got some pictures:

I think she looks older than one year in this picture

Not too happy about having to stand when she doesn't want too

Here's Sara and I going for a walk.

The next pictures from when we went to play in the park.

The Wheels on the Bus Go Round and Round...

Well I wasn’t able to take any pictures at the Noh stage. It was pretty cool though. I’ve seen a Noh stage through pictures and video in some of the classes I took at ASU, but it is different when you get to see a real one. I think the stage belongs to my professor’s family since it is the Kawamura Noh Stage and his name is Kawamura. He said it was built in the same year that he was born, back in the 1960’s. He explained all sorts of things to us, like the construction of the stage, the positions of the different performers, where they rehearse, how they make props, and all kinds of other stuff. Him and a younger guy who comes with him to class (I think he’s an apprentice or something) performed a part of a play about Yoshitsune, a important figure in Japanese history. It’s interesting, because they don’t use hardly any props at all and the one’s they do use are very simple. So, when Yoshitsune is supposed to be fighting, the fan that the performer is holding becomes a shield, sword, or anything else. The professor explained the movements and stuff to us before he actually performed it, which helped a lot as it can be hard to tell what’s going on if you know nothing about Noh.


Anyway, so that was cool, but Rie and I got some good pictures of Sachi.

Ignore the stupid expression on my face…. Sara rode a bike for the first time a couple of weeks ago. That time it was just with me, but as you can see, when we are riding she can’t see me. She was a little scared I think and held tightly to my hand. The next time we went, Rie came with us and rode in front so that Sara could see her. We kept laughing and smiling for her so she would feel like it was a fun thing and she soon decided she liked it. The picture was taken when I took Sara around for a ride just to get out of the house. Here’s another:

She really didn’t like the helmet at first either, but she got used to it too and doesn’t complain when we stick it on anymore.

I’m sure no one wants to see this, but this came out of Sara ear. That’s some nasty wax.

Here’s the desk and chair that Rie’s parents bought for me, a little cluttered. In the container on the right I keep my little electronic stuff. I bought that when I got here. I bought the lamp too, but everything else was Rie’s stuff that her parents hadn’t got rid of yet. As you can see, Sara has a bunch of toys that her Obaachan(grandma) bought for her under my desk and the printer.

He’s the poor baby’s first mosquito bites. She got two at the same time. They weren’t the last though; all three of us got a bunch when we first came. The mosquitoes like fresh blood, I guess.

Peace!

Classes Are Underway

Well, I made it through the first week of classes. It was long, but interesting. I really am enjoying the two classes I have every morning. They are my actual Japanese language classes. After that I have different culture and literature classes.

Two of the classes that I am taking are actual elective courses that any student at the university can take. In other words, there are Japanese students in there as well. Needless to say, that means the Japanese spoken in that class is at full speed, without any brakes to make sure everyone understands what's being said. I do fine, but it takes some concentration to listen to a lecture for 90 minutes when you got new words flying around like crazy with all kinds of characters being written on the board and whatnot. It's interesting though.

I'll explain my classes in another post, I'm too tired right now. Plus, tomorrow I get to go see something cool for one of my classes. If I get to take pictures I'll be sure to post them.

On a family note, Sara finally decided she was going to give standing a taking a few steps (without holding on to anything, which she has been doing for a while) a try. She stands up without using anything to help her, balances for a minute, waiting for you to clap your hands and tell her she did a good job. She claps her hands too and then sits back down. Today she also took four or five steps from Daddy to Mommy all by herself. Mommy and Daddy are doing well too.

Also, Rie's Mom's friend referred me for a job at the supermarket where she works. I was introduced to the GM and filled out an aplication and stuff. If all goes well I might have a job by the end of the month. I'd work in the deli (a Japanese deli is a little different) cleaning and helping with some cooking on occasion. It's a start!

Remember: Joy to the world, all the boys and girls. Joy to the fishes in the deep blue sea. Joy to you and me!
Peace!

P.S. Check out my new weblog. It'll get bigger as a get a chance to post.