After reading your comments and then worrying about the possibility of the pears rotting in their prettily wrapped box, and then also accidentally running in to the guy who owns that parking spot in the parking lot the other day, I decided to ... gulp ... swallow my pride and go down there bearing gifts for Mr 607 and apologize.
He answered the door in his boxer shorts and a t-shirt and his eyes were all bloodshot even though it was about 2pm. I think he had been sleeping...perhaps he works a night shift somewhere. He actually apologized for writing that nasty note! And, of course, he tried to refuse the gift, but that is so Japanese. He took it anyway...I mean, can you imagine if I had said, "Oh, well if you don't want it, I will gladly use it!"
Anyway, all is well and I called Suk to let him know right away. He was eternally grateful, so this weekend will be payback time in a major way. Haven't decided what I want out of him yet.
Well, I have yet another thing to add to my list of broken items - our washing machine! Now, we need to spend money on that, and soon...laundry piles build up very quickly in our house.
Thursday, August 30, 2007
Tuesday, August 28, 2007
WHAT JAPANESE WIVES APPARENTLY DO
If Suk knew how to use the phrase "Oops, my bad!" in English, I am sure that he would turn it around to say, "Oops, your bad" every time he does something that he doesn't want to own up to.
The latest thing is that he made a mistake and parked in someone else's spot in our condo's parking lot. Now, this wouldn't be such a big deal, but people pay about $30 a month for their spots, and the parking lot is elevated. This means that there are 4 levels - higher levels are cheaper because you have to wait several minute for the cars to shift over and for your car to come down to the ground level so you can get in it and drive away. It is such a hassle that we decided to pay more for a ground level spot.
Anyway, imagine this. I went out to use the car on Monday morning (to drive HIM to the station, no less!) and there was no car. My jaw dropped as I imagined all kinds of scenerios. Then, I looked up and saw it parked on the top level. When I realized what had happened, I immediately thought back to the previous day's events. I certainly didn't want to be blamed for mis-parking the car!
Fortunately, I had not gone out the day before due to a cold (and nasty pinkeye, but that is another story I have chosen not to tell here, but now you know, I have pinkeye!!!), so I had sent Suk out with my grocery list and he dutifully (if not begrudgingly) picked up all my required vegetables, meats and fishes for my new diet (yet another topic, perhaps). I guessed that he had come back and parked in the wrong spot.
So, while I tried to guess which numbers to punch into the code box so that our car would be brought down, I called Suk to tell him the news. (Did the TV say that Leos would have a bad day that day? Probably.) After two guesses, I got it right and the car did come down to the ground level...with a big note on the windshield. The man from 607 wanted us to contact him because we had parked in his spot and he was unable to park there since yesterday afternoon. Judging from his hastily written note, he was angry. I would be too! There are no other places to park in our neighborhood!!!
At first, I tried to be nice about it. Suk, it's just an honest mistake. I am surprised no one has done that to us before. Don't worry about it. I did that just the other day when I visited my friend's house and I parked in some other guy's spot rather than her husband's spot. I got a big note on the car too, but that was different. I left after 2 hours and it wasn't our condo, so chances were I would never see those people again. (and, I'm a foreigner so we are allowed a certain number of mistakes seeing as how we "can't read" or "can't speak" or "just don't understand Japanese culture."
Speaking of Japanese culture, Suk announced that we would have to go to their place, greet them and present them with a gift. I suggested he pick something up in Ginza and go and apologize to Mr 607 that evening after work. No, Suk insisted, this is the wife's job. As a wife, you must buy the present and go there and explain that your husband parked in the wrong spot. When I balked at this suggestion, he started to explain that this is how it's done in Japan, and that if I were Japanese, I would do this with no hesitation because THAT IS WHAT JAPANESE WIVES DO. (This is not in caps to represent yelling, it is in caps to show my disgust for something this is so often said to we who are not Japanese wives.) Of course, I refused because this was HIS mistake, not mine and he needed to deal with it. I would buy the present and have it gift wrapped, but that was it. (He told me it had to be seasonal fruit.)
That night he got home too late to go and see Mr 607. (In fact, he got home so late that I was already in bed, and he had forgotten in keys, so he was calling/ringing the doorbell repeatedly, but it took about 30 minutes for me to wake up and realize this, so like I said, Leos were having a bad day!) The next morning, I asked him if he would go, and he explained that people never do apologizing or greeting in the morning. Evening (early evening) is better and that is precisely why THE WIFE needs to do it. Um, no, not falling for that one. I told him that since it is seasonal fruit, he would have to get it to them sooner rather than later.
Okay, so do Japanese pears (nashi) taste good in fruit smoothies? I am just wondering because I have a feeling that I will be eating the entire box myself!
The latest thing is that he made a mistake and parked in someone else's spot in our condo's parking lot. Now, this wouldn't be such a big deal, but people pay about $30 a month for their spots, and the parking lot is elevated. This means that there are 4 levels - higher levels are cheaper because you have to wait several minute for the cars to shift over and for your car to come down to the ground level so you can get in it and drive away. It is such a hassle that we decided to pay more for a ground level spot.
Anyway, imagine this. I went out to use the car on Monday morning (to drive HIM to the station, no less!) and there was no car. My jaw dropped as I imagined all kinds of scenerios. Then, I looked up and saw it parked on the top level. When I realized what had happened, I immediately thought back to the previous day's events. I certainly didn't want to be blamed for mis-parking the car!
Fortunately, I had not gone out the day before due to a cold (and nasty pinkeye, but that is another story I have chosen not to tell here, but now you know, I have pinkeye!!!), so I had sent Suk out with my grocery list and he dutifully (if not begrudgingly) picked up all my required vegetables, meats and fishes for my new diet (yet another topic, perhaps). I guessed that he had come back and parked in the wrong spot.
So, while I tried to guess which numbers to punch into the code box so that our car would be brought down, I called Suk to tell him the news. (Did the TV say that Leos would have a bad day that day? Probably.) After two guesses, I got it right and the car did come down to the ground level...with a big note on the windshield. The man from 607 wanted us to contact him because we had parked in his spot and he was unable to park there since yesterday afternoon. Judging from his hastily written note, he was angry. I would be too! There are no other places to park in our neighborhood!!!
At first, I tried to be nice about it. Suk, it's just an honest mistake. I am surprised no one has done that to us before. Don't worry about it. I did that just the other day when I visited my friend's house and I parked in some other guy's spot rather than her husband's spot. I got a big note on the car too, but that was different. I left after 2 hours and it wasn't our condo, so chances were I would never see those people again. (and, I'm a foreigner so we are allowed a certain number of mistakes seeing as how we "can't read" or "can't speak" or "just don't understand Japanese culture."
Speaking of Japanese culture, Suk announced that we would have to go to their place, greet them and present them with a gift. I suggested he pick something up in Ginza and go and apologize to Mr 607 that evening after work. No, Suk insisted, this is the wife's job. As a wife, you must buy the present and go there and explain that your husband parked in the wrong spot. When I balked at this suggestion, he started to explain that this is how it's done in Japan, and that if I were Japanese, I would do this with no hesitation because THAT IS WHAT JAPANESE WIVES DO. (This is not in caps to represent yelling, it is in caps to show my disgust for something this is so often said to we who are not Japanese wives.) Of course, I refused because this was HIS mistake, not mine and he needed to deal with it. I would buy the present and have it gift wrapped, but that was it. (He told me it had to be seasonal fruit.)
That night he got home too late to go and see Mr 607. (In fact, he got home so late that I was already in bed, and he had forgotten in keys, so he was calling/ringing the doorbell repeatedly, but it took about 30 minutes for me to wake up and realize this, so like I said, Leos were having a bad day!) The next morning, I asked him if he would go, and he explained that people never do apologizing or greeting in the morning. Evening (early evening) is better and that is precisely why THE WIFE needs to do it. Um, no, not falling for that one. I told him that since it is seasonal fruit, he would have to get it to them sooner rather than later.
Okay, so do Japanese pears (nashi) taste good in fruit smoothies? I am just wondering because I have a feeling that I will be eating the entire box myself!
Friday, August 24, 2007
To Do Lists
Today my mom emailed me to tell me that my dad misses me since I left a couple weeks ago. She also said that he commented on how he misses all the stuff I had going on around me while I stayed there. By this, I guess he means all the 10 million things I seemed to be doing at any given moment.
I have an A-type personality and can't stop myself from making obsessive to-do lists which have 3 columns. One column is for shopping. One column is for things I have to do. The third is for people I must contact in the near future. Once in a while, I forget to put something on the to-do list, so I after I have done something slightly significant (like, "Clean out refridgerator"), I will actually go back to my list, write it in, and then check it off. I just like the satisfaction of checking it off.
So, updating my blog and writing about my trip back home along with several other topics I have been mulling over is definitely an item on my to-do list, but I haven't gotten around to it yet. I still have other more pressing things to do. Here's a sampling:
Clean used baby toy with toothbrush
Organize files/documents/paperwork in new file cabinet (hey, we finally bought a file cabinet so maybe I won't lose documents anymore!)
Update scrapbooking blog
Clean Max's ears
Convince Suk to help me put up artwork that I bought in the USA (he is refusing to drill holes in our cement walls...need to keep working on him.)
Clean and organize scrapbooking area
Finish Ailin's album - section for 3-6 months
Plan Ailin's album - section for 6-9 months
Email recent photos of Ailin to friends and family
It keeps going from there. So, now you know why I haven't gotten around to writing about my trip with Ailin to the States.
I have an A-type personality and can't stop myself from making obsessive to-do lists which have 3 columns. One column is for shopping. One column is for things I have to do. The third is for people I must contact in the near future. Once in a while, I forget to put something on the to-do list, so I after I have done something slightly significant (like, "Clean out refridgerator"), I will actually go back to my list, write it in, and then check it off. I just like the satisfaction of checking it off.
So, updating my blog and writing about my trip back home along with several other topics I have been mulling over is definitely an item on my to-do list, but I haven't gotten around to it yet. I still have other more pressing things to do. Here's a sampling:
Clean used baby toy with toothbrush
Organize files/documents/paperwork in new file cabinet (hey, we finally bought a file cabinet so maybe I won't lose documents anymore!)
Update scrapbooking blog
Clean Max's ears
Convince Suk to help me put up artwork that I bought in the USA (he is refusing to drill holes in our cement walls...need to keep working on him.)
Clean and organize scrapbooking area
Finish Ailin's album - section for 3-6 months
Plan Ailin's album - section for 6-9 months
Email recent photos of Ailin to friends and family
It keeps going from there. So, now you know why I haven't gotten around to writing about my trip with Ailin to the States.
Wednesday, August 15, 2007
Adult Plus Infant
It's always hit or miss with American Airlines. This time, I traveled back to the USA and stayed for nearly one month. A good thing when traveling with an infant. I had some time to recover before getting back on a plane.
Actually, it wasn't that bad. Ailin is only 5-6 months old, so kind of immobile. She is happiest as long as her mama and milk supply are within reach, so she barely cried on the plane or at the airport! I had been so nervous before the trip, but after a few hours on the plane, I realized that she couldn't have been happier.
On the way to USA, the flight attendants were so nice and sweet. No, no one offered to hold her while I go to the bathroom or eat my meal, but they were accommodating just the same. During the first meal service, I had put Ailin in her bassinette (provided by the airline) and received my meal, but it soon became apparent that she would not be patient until I finished eating. So I returned the meal and they offered to save it until later. After the meal service was over and I was able to settle her down to sleep, they brought me a brand new meal!
The way back to Japan was another story though. I was initially assigned a seat in the middle of a middle row. I didn't realize this until I was about to get on the plane. The machine wouldn't process my boarding pass. They realized it was because my pass said "Plus Infant." So, they issued a new boarding pass. Meanwhile, the flight attendant who had taken my passports had set them down behind her. She gave me the new boarding pass, but not the passports. Luckily, I realized this just after I walked away and I went back to retrieve them. I found them sitting on the ledge behind her and I tapped her on the shoulder to let her know I was taking (my own) passports, and her attitude was like, "Yeah, I put them there for you." Well, lady, aren't these documents pretty important? A little too important for you to flippantly set them on a ledge behind you and not give them back to me? Anyone could have reached them and taken them. I wanted to say this, but didn't.
Inside the airplane, the flight attendants in my section were quite the pair. An older woman who seemed to be trying very hard to be kind. Oh, she was nice, all right. I have no complaints about her. But, her partner was the clumsiest guy I had ever seen. He would ram his cart up and down the aisles (I was so afraid that Ailin's head would be bashed in were she to be nursing on my right side with her head slightly jutting out into the aisle. I always made sure to lean way left and protect her head when I heard him coming, with or without his cart.) He ran over his poor partner's foot with the cart once and she nearly died from the pain of it. I could see it on her face as she said, "Ow....oh...it's okay." as she gave him the look of death. Then, it so happened that their extra stash of beverages, hot water and coffee were in a little cubicle in front of my seat. So, Ailin was in her bassinette next to this cubicle, which makes a lot of noise when you slam the door. Klutzy Guy made sure to slam it each time. I was so afraid that he would spill hot tea or coffee on my Ailin's head as she lay sleeping.
And, the worst incident of scariness due to Klutzy Guy. We hit turbulance during the food service and the seat belt sign went on. The pilot announced that all flight attendants pause food service, take their seats and buckle up. So, what does Klutzy Guy do? He parks his cart in the space in front of my seat with the trays facing me and he runs off! My mouth dropped open and I looked at the couple sitting across the aisle from me and the woman said, "Wow, that seems incredibly dangerous." Luckily, KG came back to properly retrieve his cart.
Note to self: Bulkhead seats are great when you travel with a child but only if they are not near the bathrooms.
Okay, more about my trip in the next post. Photos to come.
Actually, it wasn't that bad. Ailin is only 5-6 months old, so kind of immobile. She is happiest as long as her mama and milk supply are within reach, so she barely cried on the plane or at the airport! I had been so nervous before the trip, but after a few hours on the plane, I realized that she couldn't have been happier.
On the way to USA, the flight attendants were so nice and sweet. No, no one offered to hold her while I go to the bathroom or eat my meal, but they were accommodating just the same. During the first meal service, I had put Ailin in her bassinette (provided by the airline) and received my meal, but it soon became apparent that she would not be patient until I finished eating. So I returned the meal and they offered to save it until later. After the meal service was over and I was able to settle her down to sleep, they brought me a brand new meal!
The way back to Japan was another story though. I was initially assigned a seat in the middle of a middle row. I didn't realize this until I was about to get on the plane. The machine wouldn't process my boarding pass. They realized it was because my pass said "Plus Infant." So, they issued a new boarding pass. Meanwhile, the flight attendant who had taken my passports had set them down behind her. She gave me the new boarding pass, but not the passports. Luckily, I realized this just after I walked away and I went back to retrieve them. I found them sitting on the ledge behind her and I tapped her on the shoulder to let her know I was taking (my own) passports, and her attitude was like, "Yeah, I put them there for you." Well, lady, aren't these documents pretty important? A little too important for you to flippantly set them on a ledge behind you and not give them back to me? Anyone could have reached them and taken them. I wanted to say this, but didn't.
Inside the airplane, the flight attendants in my section were quite the pair. An older woman who seemed to be trying very hard to be kind. Oh, she was nice, all right. I have no complaints about her. But, her partner was the clumsiest guy I had ever seen. He would ram his cart up and down the aisles (I was so afraid that Ailin's head would be bashed in were she to be nursing on my right side with her head slightly jutting out into the aisle. I always made sure to lean way left and protect her head when I heard him coming, with or without his cart.) He ran over his poor partner's foot with the cart once and she nearly died from the pain of it. I could see it on her face as she said, "Ow....oh...it's okay." as she gave him the look of death. Then, it so happened that their extra stash of beverages, hot water and coffee were in a little cubicle in front of my seat. So, Ailin was in her bassinette next to this cubicle, which makes a lot of noise when you slam the door. Klutzy Guy made sure to slam it each time. I was so afraid that he would spill hot tea or coffee on my Ailin's head as she lay sleeping.
And, the worst incident of scariness due to Klutzy Guy. We hit turbulance during the food service and the seat belt sign went on. The pilot announced that all flight attendants pause food service, take their seats and buckle up. So, what does Klutzy Guy do? He parks his cart in the space in front of my seat with the trays facing me and he runs off! My mouth dropped open and I looked at the couple sitting across the aisle from me and the woman said, "Wow, that seems incredibly dangerous." Luckily, KG came back to properly retrieve his cart.
Note to self: Bulkhead seats are great when you travel with a child but only if they are not near the bathrooms.
Okay, more about my trip in the next post. Photos to come.
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