One coin

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this has been the longest blogging hiatus I’ve had in this website. The reason being no other than that I am overwhelmingly busy at work. Hope to blog some more real soon.

In an industry that has seen casualties and injuries during a course of a project, milestones like a year or a million manhours that’s incident free are celebrated. Recently, our project celebrated a year sans injury among its project members. As a thank you note, we were given a coin token bearing our project’s logo on one side (reminding us of our objective and goal) and the “no change” sign on the other side (reminding us of the expectations in the project).

We thought of ways of how we can make use of the token but we couldn’t think of a novel idea other than the reasons why it was given to us in the first place – a token of celebration of safety among members and a reminder of our goals/objectives/expectations as we move forward in our project execution.

When my colleague who was seated next to me got to his desk, he noticed the coin and asked me what it was and from whom did it come from and what it was made of (gold plated? Not sure, probably not). And so I explained. Now this colleague usually has a serious face. But the expression he had and what he said after my explanation (and also partly because I know his wife died at a young age) left me speechless that I can only say “ooohhh”.

With a tender expression and a smile on his face, he said, “I’ll give this to my son”. His smile was a knowing smile, confident that his son will be happy with it.

We surely can’t beat that novel use for our token coin.

baby diaries: hai

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Your Dad and I have been wondering for some time, baby, on what would be your first word apart from Addy/Daad/Dy and Mom-ma. Would it be Japanese, English, or to stretch things out, Filipino or Visaya? For simple instructions so far, you can already understand either Japanese or English as you are equally exposed to both languages.

The first time we heard your Addy (around the time you were eight months old), it was just so cute! Yes, you said Addy/Daad/Dy first before saying Mom-ma. And oh how proud and happy your Dad was. But when you finally said Mom-ma at 13 months, your Mom-ma almost couldn’t contain the joy and pleasure it brings. Thank you.

Then henceforth we waited further on the other first word – Japanese? English? The wait didn’t take long. And it was to your Dad that you first said it. Earlier this week, your Dad was teaching you yet again about giving and taking. And in one of those sessions, right after Dad said “choudai Yui”, you said “ha~~i” while giving the toy to Daddy. Then you said it again yesterday.

So there we have it. It’s Japanese then. 🙂 🙂

Rootote

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It was a Monday, yet a holiday in Japan. Hubs had to work however and couldn’t accompany me and the baby around. Albeit we met for a few minutes near the office.

When he came home, I had a gift to open. Said he missed me so he came home earlier than planned. With a gift. A gift that was so timely I used it the whole week. And probably for quite a while, as long as Yui is still a babe.

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Thankful. Happy.

World Fiesta Yokohama

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We wanted to go to some park after church so we decided to walk from the church to Yamashita Park. There were a lot of stopovers along Motomachi (including a store for kids/babies that sells fashionable and affordable clothes – a shop to take note of and to go to when it’s sale season. Yes, we just window shopped haha. I guess most moms wait for sale season?). When we finally reached Yamashita Park, we were surprised of the crowd and the booths. And people wearing their national costumes. It was only then that we learned about the World Fiesta Yokohama, an event showcasing the culture of countries around the world. There were local foods (we just salivated at the aroma. We couldn’t buy because the queue in all booths were long!!), ethnic music, and dance performances (we didn’t hang around the stage so we couldn’t see the dances though we did hear the music), as well as folk crafts (very interesting!).

This little girl was making beautiful music from this wooden instrument (I couldn’t catch the name!) so much so that the shop owner decided to accompany her. Beautiful music.

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Our loot from this Balinese shop – den den daiko. It’s japanese-y yes but the art is definitely not.

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Yui was sleeping when we bought this. So when we gave her this after she woke up, she just wouldn’t part with it and enjoyed hearing the sound she’s creating.

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And so she was creating music while she stared at the sea, looked at the birds and people/dog-watched.

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It was so hot (very unusual for mid October!) but we weren’t able to bring her hat (and no sunblock too! oh dear) so we used her Peter Rabbit towel to protect her from the heat. It reminded us of Red Riding Hood and milk maids haha!

Food food!

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For Czech Republic, it was dolls of course. Wanted to buy this caterpillar wooden toy but it was just so expensive at 2500yen!

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There were so many countries around, from Asia to Europe, from Ecuador to Nepal to Peru to USA to Egypt. But we didn’t see a Philippine booth. Probably because the Filipino community just recently held Barrio Fiesta also in Yamashita park.

We stayed in the quieter part of the park for a while, sitting on the bench, the dad sleeping, the mom and baby people/sea/bird/dog-watching. Stayed there until Yui cried out of boredom and so we have to go.

On we walked through Nihon Odori and chanced upon a band playing jazz music. The baby was delighted, the mom and dad agreeing saxophone is just so sexy.

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We also saw some Yokohama mascots walking about and took the chance to have some photos with them. We’re not sure if the baby liked them haha.

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Oh. One really remarkable thing. As it was a festival, of course it was held mostly on the street and the park. Away from malls, away from institutions. When we came by the Yokohama Stadium, one of the booths that was set up was one dedicated for nursing moms and for changing diapers. Wow, so typically Japanese, very thoughtful.

We had quite a walk, from 12 to 6. So now all three are hanging their feet up, the baby copying the dad and mom.

Thankful for family days and festivals! 🙂

sleep crawling

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Recently, with three new teeth making their way out Yui’s gums, Yui has been restless in her sleep. There were nights that I could only appease her if I lay her down really close to me, using my forearm and shoulder as her pillow and after which I’d ease her out my arm and we’d share my pillow. She got used to this that there were times she would just suddenly get up from her crib (attached right next to my side of the bed) and slide down my bed to snuggle against me. And this she does without even a teeny weeny cry. Baby version of sleep walking – sleep crawling.

This evening, after giving her her bottle of milk (up to now, I still give her her milk by holding her against me as I did ever since she was a newborn. Since I started giving her solids for breakfast, she can only drink her milk from the bottle twice a day – once at daycare at the other before bedtime. So these evening snuggles I really treasure) and putting her to sleep in her crib, I resumed with my housework. After I was done with chores and with preparing myself to bed, I went to bed – and stopped in my tracks when I found Yui’s crib empty. I felt like my heart stopped beating and jumped out my body leaving my body numb and cold. “WHERE’S MY BABY??!!!” was the sudden cry inside me, slowly mounting in volume, almost about to burst out my mouth. And then I saw her in the dim light, sprawled in the middle of my bed. She must have been looking for me.

All those fearful feelings just passed by in a split second yet it made me realise the extent of my reaction should it take me longer than a second to look for my missing child, God forbid.

I’m starting to get worried she’ll develop this sleep walking habit, a habit that started because she just wanted to be beside me, a habit that’s totally scary considering the possible consequences especially when she’ll already have her own room, a habit that that has got to stop. I’m dearly hoping this would only be when she’s teething. Please?