Busy, Busy, Busy

Back in September, I had no idea things were gonna be so hectic for me in October.  Parties and friends and singing - I love it all, but can't help but feel a little frazzled.  And the month's not over yet!  Here's some highlights so far:

• Going to see MC Mango perform for the first time.  Nathan and I have been wanting to go his performances ever since our friend Nikki told us about him.  I've never heard anything like him, and that's a good thing!  I definitely want to see him again, but I am really not cool enough for the crowds that come to his shows.  

• I got together with some girl friends on Saturday for a pizza party/movie night.  The movie never happened, because we just ended up talking the entire evening!  But I guess that's to be expected, when we all get together.  Making new friends and talking with the girls was just what I needed, since I've been feeling little stressed out lately.  But instead of taking pictures of my lovely friends, we all took pictures of the pizza, which we don't often eat here because it's so expensive.  

• On Sunday, I was really wanting to go to the flea market in Nakajima Park.  Nathan had some work he had to do, so I was surprised when Ethan said he'd go with me.  We had a great time, and he helped me find a few good things.  Afterwards, we walked around the park and then ate lunch together.  Later, he said, "Mom, I'm really glad I came with you today.  This was fun."  My heart just about melted.  Love that kid.

• Wednesday, I was able to sing a song with my friend, Tadashi at his Live.  He's a really good jazz singer, so I was nervous, since jazz is not what I'm used to singing.  It was lots of fun, and the band was so nice.  

This Saturday, I'm singing with Kousei at Studio May's monthly party, and then we have a Live at Mellow together on October 30. Lots of good things to come!! 

Our Place, 3 Years Later

Here's our little place, after three years of settling in and slowly collecting stuff.  It's hard to not accumulate some things, when you live in the Land of Cute.

Lots of washi tape, original art (from friends, students, Ethan, etc.), and plants.  I take a lot of inspiration from Scandinavian homes and Japanese apartment blogs.  But Ethan's room is his own.  Gotta give a teenager free reign to decorate his own space.  I do sneak in there every once in a while!

 I like to surround myself and my family with items and pictures that make us happy and carry memories.  It's the best way to decorate, I think.

It's Our Anniversary!

On top of Mount Moiwa, ringing the Lover's Bell or something.

Today, Nathan and I have been married for 15 years.  That's a long time, guys.  Seriously.

Nathan, thank you for putting up with my moodiness, my need to always clean, and my constant singing.  You are a treasure.

Night Runner

Once upon a time, there was a girl who enjoyed running.  In elementary school, she prided herself on being one of the fastest in her grade, and she could always run faster than the boys.  Fast forward to high school, as the girl was trying to decide what club (and essentially what group of people) she would join.  She decided to try out the track and field club, remembering how much she'd enjoyed running in the past.  It turned out that track and field wasn't really her thing - she'd never really been a competitive person - so she joined the theatre club instead.

She went to college, got married, had a baby, but since she'd had a baby so early, she lost the weight easily.  In fact, she'd always had a high metabolism, so she could eat whatever she wanted and not exercise.

But then she hit her 30's.

Suddenly, she found her metabolism slowing down, and it was harder to eat whatever she wanted to without feeling guilty about it later.  Pants were starting to get tighter and more uncomfortable.  She thought about dieting, but she was a realistic woman.  She knew she could never fully say goodbye to bread and cheese and all the foods that make life worth living.

Her husband suggested she start running.  She laughed it off at first.  "Me, run?  I still get winded when I go up the stairs to the subway station every morning!"  But she saw how well it worked for him, so she decided to give it a shot.  First it was for 30 minutes only and it was more fast-walking than anything.  Then she found that she could keep up a good jogging pace for 35 without having to stop.  She could feel herself getting stronger, and able to run just a little bit fast every time.  It felt good.

Her favorite time to run was at night after dinner.  It was quiet, and she didn't have to worry about the stares of people she passed by.   The route felt faster at night, and the air was cooler.  She could hear people eating dinner, talking to their families.  Even better, it was a chance for her and her husband to talk about their days and it became such a bonding experience that she began to look forward to it every night.

She's not gonna run any marathons any time soon, or break any speed records, but she's stronger, healthier, and skinnier (down 2kg) than she was before.  And that's something.

Sarah and Takuya: Last Live of the Year

I can't believe I'm just getting around the writing about this.  Like every other month, September just flew by.

On September 4, Takuya and I had our last Live performance of the year at Mellow.  It was a bittersweet performance, because not only was it our last performance, but it was the first Live we've had that Mark, our #1 fan, wasn't there.  His contract with the Sapporo BoE was up, and he had returned back to the States just a few days before.

I received the nicest compliment from a guy who'd seen Takuya and I sing at the May Studio Party a few months ago.  He said our voice complimented each other so well and it was like we'd been singing together for years!  I kid that Takuya is my Japanese brother, but I truly think we have that kind of connection, and that's really what I enjoy most about singing with him.

There's no doubt that I'm gonna miss our monthly practices and performances - It was because of Takuya that I started singing again and he challenged me to be more confident.  But I'm also excited about some other singing opportunities that have opened up to me.  Most of all, I'm just happy that people enjoy what we do for fun.  A HUGE thanks to all our friends who have supported us and have come to all our shows.  This may be our last Live this year, but hopefully it's not forever!!

If you'd like to hear our show, and a few other things we've recorded, check out Takuya's SoundCloud here.

Ethan's artistic side

During summer vacation, I enrolled Ethan in calligraphy classes with our Japanese teacher.  I figured he needed something to do during his two-month hiatus from school besides play games on his computer.  So every Sunday, from 1:00-3:00, he'd go to class, carrying the calligraphy case our teacher bought for him.

When I would meet with our teacher for Japanese class, she'd tell me that Ethan had a real talent for calligraphy and that he had a good eye for seeing how to make a beautiful character (kanji character).

I figured once school started up again, Ethan would want to quit, but he told me that he really enjoys the classes and he wants to continue.

When Ethan was in elementary school in New Jersey, he used to take art classes on Sundays at a local studio.  At that time, he loved drawing, and I saw a real talent in him.  Over the years, that interest has waned, and he became uninterested in drawing, but I knew he still had that talent.  It's so nice to see him using that artistic side again.

Two months since he started, he's now writing ancient Chinese poems on long scrolls.  Something I certainly can't do!

Thank you, Sagara Sensei, for being such a great teacher for Ethan!

On having a son in high school

Ethan started school about three weeks ago.
Let me rephrase:  Ethan started HIGH SCHOOL about three weeks ago.  I'm just gonna let that one sink in for a minute.

When we came to Japan three years ago, Ethan was in 6th grade.  At that time, we weren't really sure if we were going to put him in Japanese school, homeschool, or Hokkaido International School.  After taking a tour of the International School, we decided to bite the bullet (and a big chunk of our salaries) and enroll him there.  And we've never regretted it.  Not only does Ethan get a top-notch education there, but he'll be able to easily transition to an American school when we decide to return.

Now, he's in 9th grade, and studying geometry, taking Theater as an elective, and reading "Things Fall Apart" in Literature class.  These are all things I vividly remember doing as a high schooler, which makes it all the more amazing to me.  I guess it wasn't THAT long ago, haha.

He plays guitar, reads voraciously, and can carry Japanese men on his shoulders.  Oh, and he doesn't mind hanging out with his mom every once in a while.  Sure, he's likes more alone time now, and occasionally he can have quite an attitude, but that's to be expected at this age.  Time is going by a little faster than I'd expected, but I'm proud of the young man Ethan is turning out to be.