This'll Just Take a Minute

“If you don't pick up your toys and put them away what is papa going to do?” “Sell them on the Internet!” “And what is papa gonna do with the money?” “Buy beer!” I know I don't have a particularly refined approach to parenting, but I think it's better than yelling or nagging. Kenzo's friend from school gave him a new lizard, and he tried to make a break for it this morning. Eri thinks it’s weird that I’m so into fresh air. Not the NPR show, though I have to admit Terry Gross's voice has been a part of my life for longer than I can remember. Eri’s more of a close the windows and turn on the air conditioner type of person. Even in the car I love having the windows down when driving, unless it’s some big road that’s really noisy or if there are lots of trucks. I just love being outside.  And when I’m inside I like having all the windows and curtains open so that the outside can come in. I don’t know what it is. It doesn’t really matter to me if it’s hot or cold, as lon...

"While some of you may already know this, I want to clarify that I am not Japanese. So if there's anything I say that you don't understand, please don't hesitate to raise your hand and ask me what the heck I’m talking about." Now that I had the floor and the microphone, and considering most attendees are probably here against their better wishes on a gorgeous Father’s Day Sunday morning, why not make it entertaining? As the vice chairperson of the neighborhood association and head of the neighborhood care division, I had two important meetings to preside over, one of which I had the honor of emceeing. The first gathering was the division managers' meeting, followed by the neighborhood area managers' meeting. During these powwows, I reported on the successful grass cleanup event we had a couple of weeks ago, even though there wasn't that much grass, and we were done in twenty minutes. It was the perfect chance, however, to express my heartfelt gratitude...

"Stay with the ball." My voice was brimming with encouragement.  "Don't shy away from it. Keep it close to your feet, pass to your friends, and stay open for their passes. Take those shots and don't run from the action. Bumping into a teammate or a friend from the other team might sting for a moment, but trust me, you'll get stronger and better. Soon, others will be intimidated by your fearlessness." As we sped off from home and headed to Saturday soccer club, my mind overflowed with advice for Kenzo and Osamu. Their lack of assertiveness on the field has been evident recently, and I yearn for their success. I want them to thrive, to embrace the game with confidence and mettle. So, in a fatherly manner, I delivered a heartfelt speech from the driver’s seat to those two guys sitting behind me who were loving having all the windows down and feeling the Saturday morning breeze blow through. Soccer doesn’t start until 10, but we’re all up before 7. Kenzo spe...

I was reflecting on my walking habits and discovered something curious – I covered a distance of over 1800 miles in the last year. That's equivalent to walking from New York City to Mexico City, from London to Moscow, from Tokyo to Bangkok, or from Cape Town to Cairo. My walking average for the year before was also similar, meaning that over the past two years I have walked the entire length of Africa twice. While I was kinda taken aback, my true aspiration is to embark on such a journey in reality, rather than confining myself to the outskirts of Sendai, pecking away at 8 kilometers a day with stops at Seven Eleven for egg salad sandwiches.  Actually, the real goal is a motorcycle trip through Africa, but I have to digress or else I get carried away with my plans. I found myself lost in the calculations, estimating the distance I had walked throughout the year. I meticulously worked with my weekly and monthly averages recorded on my iPhone pedometer, converting kilometers to mile...

Every morning, Kenzo has a routine of asking me about the temperature so he can decide what to wear. He's become quite adept at understanding the concept and uses this information to select his clothes for the day. Meanwhile, I have my own laid-back approach, preferring to gauge the weather by simply opening the window and letting my senses pass judgment on it. However, I've come to realize that relying solely on this method isn't always accurate, especially considering how rapidly the weather can change throughout the day here in Sendai. Especially now that we’re officially in monsoon season. Today, as Kenzo asked me once again about the temperature, I obliged by checking my trusty weather app. It informed me that the high temperature for the day would be 23°C, accompanied by clouds and a chance of rain, which we can now safely assume means it’s gonna be humid too. Observing the forecast, Kenzo was already planning to wear a long-sleeved shirt and his jacket. However, I co...

The dude at the fertilizer place was super friendly and helpful. He had my 10 bags of fertilizer totaling 150 kilograms all set on a forklift pallet when I arrived. I backed my car in and he moved the pallet up near the back of the car and we loaded up that fertilizer in 90 seconds flat. He asked me where I’m from and how long I’ve lived in Japan. There was a cat wandering around the warehouse. I forgot to ask the guy about that. I was curious if the cat lives there. She probably does. It’s a great place for a cat. Probably lots of rodents around.  There are several places around Sendai to pick up this free fertilizer. We live on the edge of Sendai, so if you drive 10 to 15 minutes away from my house you are out in the Miyagi countryside, and that is where my local publicly subsidized fertilizer dispensary is.  I was the first customer of the day. I think I got there right after they opened because there was no one else around and it was drizzling rain and it’s the middle of n...

I came across a large brown lizard sitting right in the middle of the sidewalk as I walked down the street. I always carry a spare glove and a trash bag in my man purse, just in case I come across any litter that I can't abide. So I reached down and grabbed the glove and bag while keeping my eye on the lizard. It seemed to be slowly inching away from me. I admired its brown scaly skin and couldn't help but think about how happy Kenzo would be if I brought this big brown lizard home for him. As I was observing this thing, an old lady came by on her old lady bicycle. The lizard started to move, and I hesitated for a moment, allowing it to crawl up the stone wall on the corner, out of my reach. It got to the top and looked down at me. I know it's just a reptile, but it felt as if it was mocking me, saying, "Ha ha, you moron!" In a Spanish accent. Last weekend, during the neighborhood grass cleanup, I saw the neighbor kid Eito successfully dive and catch a lizard righ...