Two months

We have exactly two months left in Japan.  I can't believe it!  The last few months have really flown by.  This week our movers will be hauling away all our crap, and we won't be seeing it for about 3 months.  We'll be kind of camping out, using borrowed crap to get us through.

I still can't believe I'm actually moving!  I see the piles of stuff boxed up, and I get this unsettling feeling down deep in my gut.  I think I'm just nervous about what lies ahead and sad to finish this chapter of my life.

I promise once the movers leave, I'll get back to chatting with you.  I have so much to tell you and so many amazing photos to share!     :-)

The Parrots at Abbey Road in Roppongi

This is where I'll be tonight and every Saturday night until I leave Tokyo, Japan.

This Beatles tribute band is freaking amazing!  I've already seen them twice, and I'll be seeing them again tonight at Abbey Road downtown in Roppongi.  If you are ever in Tokyo, you've got to check these guys out!  They are amazing!  Seriously!  AMAZING!

As you know, I'm a huge fan of The Beatles.  So much so that I named my kiddo after John Lennon's first son, Julian.  But on this blog, I refer to my son as Jude, as in Hey Jude.  You can totally blame my father for my love of The Beatles, and I'm doing my best to instill that same love for The Beatles in my kid.  In fact, I'll be taking Jude to Abbey Road tonight for the first time.  Since kids are allowed and the place is really nice, I feel comfortable bringing him.  I can't wait to see Jude's reaction when he sees The Beatles playlist on our iPod come alive!  And, of course he'll be wearing hearing protection!

Like a chicken with its head cut off

So, my visitors left, and now I'm playing catch up.

The movers will be here on May 9th and 10th to pack up all our crap, and I've been organizing, cleaning and throwing stuff out.  The movers won't move any  liquids and all batteries have to be removed from all electronic items.  In addition, all things have to be cleaned, so that little critters won't eat them as they travel the slow boat to China, I mean America!  I also need to photograph all valuables for insurance purposes and get rid of all my plants, making sure all the pots are clean enough for packing.  In addition to all of that, we've got to get our passports in order, clean our apartment and get it ready for inspection.  And I'm still working, Jude is still in school and Husband is still working, so daily activities must continue as well.  And I'm trying to plan our Hawaiian vacation.

Phew!  I'm one tired midget, Mexican momma!

And, I've still got over 1,300 photos I need to download from my Farewell Tokyo Tour.  


I wish there were more hours in a day!

Out of town visitors

Sorry I've been ignoring you lately, but I have visitors from foreign lands currently staying with me.  And I have been playing tour guide.  I'm considering this my Farewell Tour of Tokyo, and enjoying every minute of it.  I have over 1,000 pictures on my camera and need to download them for your viewing pleasure; however, each minute is jam packed with cool, exciting stuff and activities, so I haven't had the time to sit at the computer.  But, don't worry, faithful reader, as soon as I get a free moment, I will share Tokyo's lovely sites with you.

Officially official

We will be leaving Japan on July 6.  It's officially official.  

I have so many mixed emotions about our move back to the States.  Sometimes it all seems so overwhelming!  I'm worried about so many things and excited about so many more things.  I stay up late thinking about all the things that need to happen in the next 3 months and the months following our move.  I'm excited about a new beginning, but so sad to say goodbye.  

So overwhelmed!

So excited!

So sad!  

So...

Friends

I don't have very many friends, but the ones I have are awesome-- really awesome!

And sometimes my friends have drama in their lives, and I try to stay out of it as best I can.  As you know, I hate drama.  If I see drama coming, I run the other way.  I prefer to live simply and drama free.  But sometimes other peoples' drama can spill over, and sometimes I'm caught in its nasty web.  And, well, that happens.

But if I'm your friend, then I'm willing to get caught in the web with you, and together we can fight our way out, becoming stronger and better friends in the end.

And I try not to judge people on the decisions they make.  I know I'm not perfect.  And I cannot un-friend a person because they make decisions that others may not agree with.  Life is short and sometimes people just need to do what is best for them, and I can understand that.

All I know is that as long as you treat me and my family with respect, and you show me the same kindness I have shown you, I will be your friend to the end...no matter what!   And just because others might judge you, I won't jump on that band wagon and become a hater.  I'm too grown up for that.  

Addicted to donuts

I recently discovered Krispy Kreme donuts here in Japan.  I had never eaten a Krispy Kreme until about 2 months ago.  And that first Krispy Kreme was like a little piece of heaven!  So, needless to say, we've been going and getting donuts quite often, maybe a little too often!  My expanding waste line might be contributed to my mass consumption on Krispy Kreme donuts!  Maybe.

Here is Jude making funny faces after eating 2 glazed Krispy Kreme donuts.  

Rice and Ramen

The other night we had rice and ramen for dinner.  We went to our favorite ramen shop and pigged out!  This is what we ate:

This is what the fried rice looked like before we cooked it at our table.

And this is what it looked like after it was cooked and before I shoved it down my face!

And here is Jude pigging out on ramen.  Yes, my kid can use chopsticks.

Trayvon Martin

So, I live on the other side of the planet in Japan.  I didn't hear about Trayvon's death until a few days after it happened, when the media went crazy.

Once I read the news reports, I was shocked and saddened.  I know everyone has an opinion on the matter, so I'm going to give you mine; after all, this is MY useless blog.

As a mother of a mixed race minority son, Trayvon Martin's death scares me.  When did it become okay to kill a young boy because of the way he looks and the clothes he wears?  When did it become okay for the police to turn the other way and not investigate a shooting  fully simply because the shooter was a half-ass neighborhood watch guy with too much free time on his hands and a concealed handgun license?   When did all this happen?  When did it become a death sentence to walk home from a friend's house wearing a hoodie and baggy pants?  

If this is the America my husband has promised to serve, then I don't want him to serve anymore!  And if this is the America we are going back to, then I'd rather stay in Japan!

Life is such a precious thing!  I don't understand how one man can take another's so easily!  I don't understand why the police didn't do a full investigation.  I just don't understand!

In my opinion, Trayvon Martin's death is such a tragedy for America.  It brings race and racism to the forefront, illustrating just how far we still need to go as a nation.

And aren't we better than all of this?!  Aren't we the greatest nation in the world?  Yet, our youth, especially minority boys, seem to have to live in fear of being hunted down in cold blood because of the way they look.

As a mother, I can only imagine the heartache Trayvon's parents must be feeling.  I hope someday they can find peace.

And as a mother of a minority son, Trayvon's death infuriates me to the core!  I hope the police realize their mistakes and investigate Trayvon's death thoroughly.  As an AMERICAN, doesn't he deserve that?!

Hawaiian pit-stop

As of right now, we are scheduled to depart Japan on July 6th.  We will be leaving Japan and vacationing in Hawaii until July 12th.  On July 12th, we'll be leaving Hawaii and traveling to our new home in Georgia.  Again, these are just preliminary dates.  Things could change.

Knowing these potential dates make moving seem more real to me.  Before, it was just an idea that we were moving, but now with these dates, it seems real-- too real!  After living here for so long, it seems strange to me that I'll be living somewhere else.  Japan has become my home and leaving it will be so hard, but making a pit-stop in Hawaii gives me something to look forward to and makes leaving here a little easier.