conversations at home last weekend

Posted on by

M: why does the kanji for Wednesday same as kanji for water?
A: actually the seven days stand for seven planets including the moon and sun. Monday is for moon, Sunday for the sun. Wednesday for mercury.
M: eh? But there are more planets in our solar system than there are days in the week! What about the other planets?
A: for spare.
———–
(Was explaining to hubs the plant location of my previous site assignment and was sketching the rough plant layout).
A: where’s north?
M: I don’t know. And with what I’m about to tell you it’s not relevant.
A: it’s important. You always have to indicate where north is in plant drawings.
M: I’m not drawing a plot plan, I’m only drawing the block diagram!
———-
(I was washing the dishes and saw that hubs used the magic salt – salt with spices – and not the normal salt when he boiled the pasta).

M: oh, that’s why your pasta was good. You used the magic salt one and not the normal one.
A: I wanted to put the normal one but I couldn’t find it.
A: I also put oil.
M: ah yeah! (Curious) when did you put it. I put it together with the salt (sheepish grin) but it shouldn’t be like that.
A: I learned from school before that you should put it only once its cooked so that the pasta won’t stick together.
M: well actually, you put the salt before the water boils so as to lower down the boiling point of the water, saving time and fuel. You put the oil after it boils because oil makes the boiling point higher.
A: depends on the oil
M: hmm, on the other hand, oil and water doesn’t mix. So actually you’ll have different boiling points and water will still boil first.
A: depends on the oil.
———-
And so we wonder what Yui’s perspective will be in our conversations in the future.

what’s in the steamer this Thursday

Posted on by

For Yui. Carrots, okra, tomato with cottage cheese.

20130704-220215.jpg

20130704-220236.jpg

On another note, since last week, the colourful meal and baby yogurt I’ve been giving Yui doesn’t seem to be enough for her. Even when the volume of her colourful meal is just a bit more than enough for babies. She ends up crying for more. Finally confirmed this evening what she’s been looking for. She wants her soup with her meal. She probably got used to having soup with her meal since on her two meals at the daycare, it’s always with soup.

And so from this evening as well, I might have to start preparing batches of soup. First in the list – miso soup! Bought these earlier.

20130704-221431.jpg

Ok, now back to the kitchen.

Yui’s first Tanabata

Posted on by

The Tanabata is usually held during the 7th of July (7-7) but as that day falls on a Sunday this year, Yui’s daycare decided to have it today.

Last week, we were asked to write our wish for Yui on the tanzaku.

20130703-093744.jpg

Something very interesting. In English, we usually say “body, mind and spirit”. In Japanese, it’s “karada mo kokoro mo”, kokoro or heart being the umbrella term for mind and spirit. And yes, that’s what we wrote.

Yesterday, we saw the bamboo (wishing tree) for the 4~5 year old class. Excited to see Yui’s class’ tree.

20130703-094145.jpg

And so to be in with the tradition, I put on Yui what her Dad was so excited to buy for her. Yui’s first jinbei (甚平).

20130703-094320.jpg

20130703-094343.jpg

She was a hit with her senseis.

on true wisdom

Posted on by

I think many people, if not everyone, would say “ako sab/ako din/me too/私も!” when I say that I deeply wish to grow old full of wisdom. The type which would have my grandkids and greatgrandkids think “let’s ask grandma what she thinks about it”, und so weiter. And so we go about our days in search of that wisdom, acquiring that wisdom, keeping that wisdom.

But a few weeks ago, I was reminded that even kids as young as four years old have wisdom.

On that particular day, Yui and I happen to walk home (part of the way at least) with one of the older kids at the daycare and her mom. Being a kid, she said goodbye several times, prompting me to reply as well. But then she’d say “また今度” (see you next time) and not “また明日” (see you tomorrow). Both me and her mom kept on correcting her to use tomorrow because it was still monday at that time (from 5pm, kids and babies from the different age class gather together to mingle with each other so we thought we’d surely see each other again). But she would repeatedly say “mata kondo”. A couple weeks after that parting, I realised the child was right after all. Because the whole week and the following week, we actually didn’t see each other. The child probably thought that there’s a possibility we won’t see each other the following day since we actually don’t see each other everyday (babies and kids get picked up at different times, depending on the Mom’s schedule). Such a perceptive kid.

But then recently, I was yet again reminded on what true wisdom is. (Sheepish) I was catching up with my backlog on Didache reading and I came across this.

20130701-223843.jpg

Now His is true and ultimate wisdom. That even thought we thought we’ve already dissected our plans in all angles to make sure it’s perfect, His version is still the best. That even when we thought something is great for us, He has something much better in store. My life’s experiences has been a testimony of this ultimate wisdom and grace that I couldn’t be thankful enough. Thank you Lord.

———-
And with this post, were finally launching our new site with its new design. Happy new to us! 🙂