About us

A family of five in Aotearoa New Zealand, on an international homeschool journey...so what do we do all day?

Wednesday, May 21, 2014

Rest time before Europe

The Man of the House (MOTH) is a very, very brave person. He survived Paris rush hour traffic and managed to get leased car and entire family from one side of the city to the other in-tact (although it has to be said that I think my life-span has been shortened by a good two years due to stress from that experience!) I should also mention that it was raining and the three children were hungry following an afternoon exploring the La Cite des Enfants (part of the Science and Technology Museum). Sadly I forgot my camera, so no shots of what as a very cool interactive place for the children. Even wee Master T (22 months) got completely soaked at the water play activities!

Getting in some play time in Kent
The MOTH and I have also realised that we are just over half way through this international journey and we seem to be getting into the flow of things. In the past four weeks there hasn't been all that much 'sight seeing', more 'people seeing'. Sometimes it's hard not to get agitated about the fact we're on the other side of the world watching the kids run around a garden or play Monopoly, rather than visiting some must-see monument or building, but these times are must-dos as well.


Travelling - the physical act of packing up belongings, sending luggage ahead, shedding stuff you don't need and squashing newly acquired 'can't live withouts' into existing luggage space is hard work; the physical act of saying 'goodbye', getting on trains, sleeping in hotels, flying in planes, waiting in line at customs, finding luggage, moving said luggage through security checks (and on and off trains) is tiring. I worked out last night, we've slept in 13 different beds since March (including campervan and our current abode) - unsettledness is to be expected, Recovery time is really, really important. Being conscious of small people's limits and cutting them some slack is something we're getting better at.  (Check out Miss K in this photo - even a sunny day in London is not an antidote to feeling displaced and tired sometimes).


Hooray for trampolines and cousins
Because it took almost two days to travel from Sendai to London (two hours via shinkansen, a night in Haneda, 12 hours on a plane (British Airways (AirNZ co-share) was not very child friendly)) and add to that a 3 hour car drive to Broadstairs (Kent) and an 18 hour time difference, it took all of us almost  five to six days to find' normal'. The children's jet lag and tiredness manifested in rounds, rather than all three in one go (there's a silver lining somewhere in that), so there was quite a bit of grumpy for a
while.

New friend
Yet we relished the time to meet old friends and make new ones. Rita and Willie (family friends) hosted us all with much love and laughter. We took walks on the beach, a windy day at Dover Castle and explored Broadstairs' village. Three days in Norwich involved being cloistered indoors because of the wet weather, reading magazines and a visit to Tane's Great Aunt Pat and her mother Great-Great Aunt Frieda (99). Miss K and Master A made a great many comparisons of nursing homes in Japan and the UK, the first being that they didn't have to put slippers on in the UK.

Looking out from the London Eye
The MOTH's generous sister and her gorgeous family opened their home to us in St Albans for a week. We got in one day 'sight seeing' around South Bank in London, where we discovered a fantastic café on street back from the Globe Theatre, rode on a city river ferry and looked over London via the London Eye. The simple pleasures of engaging with street performers and eating an ice cream, before hearing stories of the Tower of London as we crossed the river, were what the children enjoyed most.


Yesterday we arrived, via Eurostar in Paris. I'd booked Blacklane Services (a private shuttle company) to take us to Orly airport for our leased Citroen. Two important things to note here: 1. A private shuttle, while perhaps more than a taxi, is a stress free way of travelling in Paris with a group of five. We were met at the station, assisted with our luggage and safely taken to the somewhat obscurely positioned car pick up point near Orly airport in a nice big black limo-style van. 2. We're in Europe for eight weeks. It works out cheaper to lease a new car than to rent one for this length of time, particularly as we pick up and return the vehicle in the same country. We arranged this through Citroen DriveEurope New Zealand and so far, aside from driving on the opposite side of the road to that which we're used to, it's been pretty hassle free.

We were welcomed to Paris, by our host Nadia,  with a Moroccan feast for our hungry tummies (photo to come). With much laughter, we are all learning French (Miss K has quite an ear for accents, even picking up a touch of an English one from her cousins) and Nadia's two girls (3 and 2) and her husband are all teaching us new words. Brioche for breakfast, huge chunks of camembert and other cheeses are less than two Euros, bread is amazing... with such wet weather and such good food I think we might come rolling home!

The children continue to delight us with their observations and questions...Miss K is curious to know why Big Ben got its name, and Master A wants to know why, when travelling through the tunnel between London and Paris on the Eurostar, it didn't feel like we went down a slope under the sea? Responses imagined (preferably not googled (yet)) are welcome!

Bon nuit!

Monday, May 19, 2014

Britain in Pictures

Our time in Britain is almost over and I was quietly reminded by UK friends that there has yet to be a post on our time here. Mostly, we've been recuperating from a busy time in Japan and a long flight. We've visited Broadstairs, Norwich and are in St Albans. Here is some of our time in pictures and Miss K's words...

On the way to Kent we saw these kinds of houses. Much different than New Zealand!

We were so tired from our long flight that we fell asleep on our way to Broadstairs (Kent).
We are at Dover Castle. It was really windy!
Having a Knights' meal in Dover Castle.
This was probably the worst fish and chips we've ever had (in Norwich). Looks good, tasted bad!
 
Street artist on the South Bank of the Thames River in London
 
I am standing on the London Tower Bridge.
 
Our wonderful family we are staying with, took us out for some pub kai.
This is Daddy's early birthday party at Primrose Hill on Sunday.

Monday, May 5, 2014

Reflections on Sendai

Since we've begun our travels I've found that the number of blog-posts are directly correlated to the number of pre-readings (my part-time job) I receive and my tiredness levels. While our time in Sendai hasn't followed the tourist adventure of Tokyo, our days have been busy, catching up with family and friends.

If travel tips in Sendai are what you are hoping for, then it's best to wait for another post; if you don't mind the musings of a sentimental and reflective Mummy, shattering romantic notions of a world-roaming gypsy family, then read on.

Sendai has been less about places and more about people. We have been treated to the highest levels of  omotenashi (heartfelt hospitality) including food, gifts and an uncomfortable (for us) inability to pay for anything. However, the Man of the House (MOTH) and I have not been adhering to our rule of one-to-two days on, one day off, and there have been consequences of some what frayed tempers and frequent outbursts (parents and children alike), shouting, and poor Master T has come down with a bit of nasty cold.


Some of the wonderful relations
The juggle between seeing everybody (at least twice so that the children can become familiar with my many relations) and keeping a balance of harmony among the family has been difficult. Add to that television (which our kids rarely see), late nights, language barrier and huge cultural shock via instant immersion, I'm surprised that anyone in our whanau is speaking to each other!

I've been less available to the children than usual. In catching up on almost seven years of news, my focus is on those we're visiting and translating for the family who want to ask the children and the MOTH lots of questions. Juggling work (in English) really muddled my head, so no more until we reach England later this week.

Emotionally it has been hard. I have visited my elderly grandparents in the care homes where they now reside. Visiting my 90 year old Grandmother the first time was particularly special. We had been preparing for the worst as everyone had told us that she barely responded to visitors. However, she recognised me immediately, laughed and cried over her great grandchildren, and was the Obaachan (grandmother) I remembered. The second visit was difficult as she flitted in and out of being present, but warmed shortly before we left her bedside. My 93 year old Grandfather is still sprightly, despite his faltering eyesight, and he picked up his great grandchildren and laughed with them. The children were impressive, hugging their great-grandparents and waiting with great patience while I chatted with them.

My Ojjichan (Grandad) and his great-grandchildren (and me)


Again, big kudos to the MOTH - he has driven me to visit my family without complaint. Supported me on the hard visits, developed friendships, worked on his Japanese language and tasted every delicacy presented to him. He has been a great role model for the children.

Driving through the areas close to where my family home was before the earthquake and tsunami that hit in 2011, was a somber and sad experience. The many houses I remember are gone, replaced by eerie spaces, skeletons of abandoned houses and broken cemeteries. Blocks of make-shift housing serve as a reminder that the effects of March 2011 are still ongoing for many.

I don't want to kick the stuffing out of anyone's plans to travel with children, but be aware, it can be hard when they are dragged around relations. Sometimes it can be hard to remember to explain the different rules of behaviour until they've been accidentally broken, and five-year-olds aren't always well equipped to express and manage their emotions. We are home-staying in an amazing house out of Sendai, but living in someone else's space can also be challenging (and stressful) for everyone concerned.

Akira and his new friend Yuki
On the upside - we have courageous children. Over the last few days, Miss K has had a sleepover on her own with an Aunt, Master A spent three hours playing with an Uncle on his own, and today another four hours with his new friend, while we went shopping. Miss K went visiting family without me today - all these events have been at the children's request or choosing and it's encouraging to see that a lack of fluency in the language doesn't pose a barrier for them. We can hear them using more Japanese every day. Even wee Master T has been shouting 'Oishi' (Yummy!) when he tastes something he loves.

We have made new friends, met local Sendai characters like Date Masamune and Musubiman (although we were as much a novelty to them as they were to us!) If you ever visit Sendai, the site of Sendai Castle is a definite must do.
With Date Masamune

Musubi-man (Sendai's Mascot) at a book signing

Learning 'ninja hands' at Sendai Aobajo.

We've learnt, among other things, about Japanese money, when and where to wear slippers and that some Japanese toilets wash and dry your bottom. Mostly we've learnt how to overcome the struggles within our own family brought about by close proximity (sleeping in the same room) and over exposure, and that our Japanese family love us very, very much. We look forward to extending our omotenashi when they visit.
Fun, family moments like these, priceless!

Our sleeping arrangements :-)
A tired, but happy Miko-blogger signing off....