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3 weeks and counting!
At long last our dream house is nearing completion. We will get the keys next weekend although there are a few little jobs that need doing before we can actually move in. But, we have a date now, August 12th and that's all that counts.
We went for an inspection yesterday and it looks even better than we expected. The walls, floors and carpets are all in and apart from the lack of furniture and the tools lying everywhere it looks 97% ready. It is a really amazing feeling to see it all come together especially the design features that we ourselves came up with. As well as all the cutting edge green tecnology I mentioned above two recurrant themes are arches (Dan Brown could probably write a new best seller on the significance of having so many) and lashings of colour (which is a deliberate reaction to the complete lack of colour seen in most Japanese homes). You will all have to come on over (at your own expense of course) to see it in the flesh.
Otherwise these pix will have to suffice.
Question: What do you do if the sea coast around where you live is too polluted to go swimming?
a. Form a grass roots movement to make the government do something
b. Shed a silent tear for the environemnt and Humanity's continued destruction of it,
c. Get out with a pair of tongs and a grabage bag and start doing your part.
d. Head for a giant man-made pool complete with rental inflatable crocodiles.
Sadly, for Mother Nature, we chose 'd'. As you can see by the pix, I wasn't kidding about the inflatable crocodile. Anyways, Lagunasia is part theme park, part pool complex and part outlet mall in Gamagori the next town over from Toyohashi. Joshie just happened to get a free ticket from his kindergarten so off we went for a day at the 'beach'. While the theme park part looked pretty lame, the pools were great fun. In true Japanese style they even had a wave machine in one of the pools for those wanting to do a little body boarding etc However despite the great facilities etc it just wasn't the real thing. While I can do without sand in my toes it's the atmosphere of the beach that's half of the attraction.
Check out the rest of the pix here.
Somehow over the past 3 and a half years I have accumulated quite a collection of nieces and nephews in addition to my own cherub, Joshie. However, I have been rather remiss in my duties as an Uncle by not introducing them to y'all. Most of you will have met the wonderful Miss Juliet Elizabeth, daughter of my little/big brother Kevin but I actually have three others.
Hideyo, the oldest, is in a few of Joshie's photos over at flickr.com if you look hard enough. He is Kanako's older sister's son and he goes to the same Kindy as Joshie. Joshie also stays with him two afternoons a week after kindy while Dad jets off to work. Naturally, the two of them are firm comrades although arguments over which dinosaur is cooler, Tyrannosaurus or Anklyosaurus, occasionally come to blows. "Full of beans" would probably be the best way to describe young Hideyo, scion of the Koishi clan.
My second niece, is Saki, who is Kanako's younger sister's daughter. She lives down in Kyoto but she comes up to Toyohashi about once a week with her Mum so we get to see her quite often. She is about 16 months now and is doing her best to catch up to her older male cousins. She is also just starting to talk properly, although she hasn't mastered the phrase "Uncle Mike rocks" just yet.
The newest addition is Natsuki, Hideyo's youger brother who is only 3 months old. In contrast to his boisterous brother he is pretty quiet, hardly making a sound. That might be because he is always asleep when I go round to see him.
All 3 cuzzies are real cuties although all pale in comparison to the radiant being that is Joshua Patrick Koishi-Pryor.
Check the out here.
Whaddya mean I haven't posted since May?
Well, I I've been pretty busy with the house and work and ...
Actually, we have been pretty flat out aound here over the past couple of months. Joshie is still loving Kindergarten even in his quasi-Prussian uniform. He especially loves all the singing he gets to do. Luckily he's a better singer than his dad so the neighbours haven'tcomplained yet. He is even enjoying his violin lessons! If he gets good enough we will be hitting you all up for donations to send him to Europe to study with Yehdi Menuhin. Kanako is flat out as ever at work and has recently started commuting to her old hospital a couple of days a week to continue her research into possible genetic markers for preeclampsia. Meanwhile I have been flat out too. On the sofa! Hahaha! No change there I guess.
Anyways, as always I have addes heaps of photos over at flickr.com for your approval.
Check 'em out here.
