New Discoveries!

On March 11, 2011, Eric and I took the girls to see KODO play at the Sony Centre downtown. Sadly, it was also the day of the massive earthquake, tsunami, nuclear disaster. A moment of silence was observed just before the concert.

Our view at the KODO concert

Before the concert we went for supper at a japanese restaurant. We had some time to spare so we walked through the gift shop of the Hockey Hall of Fame. Alia wanted to buy something with the Oilers logo on it and I said should couldn't buy anything other than items with a Montreal Canadiens logo. (joking) Realizing that the store was closing, we hurried out of the store (not buying anything of course). We thought we were in an ordinary office building/shopping centre. Little did we know what waited around the corner. Just goes to show us that you never know what you may discover when you turn the corner...

Old facade of building - outside yet inside!!

whoa!

HOP

Yesterday afternoon was raining and cloudy. Eric and I decided to take the girls to see HOP. We don't go very often because it is a pretty pricy family outing. The girls were excited when we told them what we were planning.

Thank goodness we arrived early at the theatre! Two birthday parties and many other families with the same idea as ours (rainy Sunday afternoon = movie theatre). The theatre was packed. We were one of early ones in so we had our choice of seats (gave ourselves a good distance from birthday party row!)

The movie was cute. I liked the candy factory on Easter Island! The girls liked the dancing chicks and the Pink Berets! Eric and I got a chuckle at how a movie can identify the ages of people in attendance. When David Hasselhoff tells E.B. that he is not surprised to see a talking rabbit because his best friend is a talking car, you can hear the Knight Rider generation chuckle spread through the theatre and sense kids staring at their parents with a look of confusion in their eyes.

Overall, it was a cute movie. BTW, it always pays to stay until the end of the credits. 95% of the movie theatre goers missed the last punch line of the movie!

It's Spring!

Spring has returned. The calendar might have it marked as a day back in March, but I think yesterday was the real start of spring. Signs include:

• Spending the majority of day outside cleaning out the dead leaves and branches from the garden.
• Coming home from Canadian Tire with a trunk load of supplies.
• Filling bike tires up for the kids.
• Replacing rusty/broken parts on the bbq and had a nice chicken bbq supper.
• Trimming back overgrown branches in hopes that things will grow this summer.
• Working outside with no jacket.

and of course...

• Hearing the ice cream truck drive by our house!!

Nikkei Kids Day 2011

The Monday of March Break, the girls and I participated in the Nikkei Kids day at the JCCC (Japanese Canadian Cultural Centre). They organized a series of activities for kids. There were origami and odori stations and info tables from different prefectures (areas) of Japan. We met some members of the Shiga-ken club, which is our family's home prefecture in Japan. The girls and I were also helping out at the taiko station. Kids would visit our station to learn about taiko and try playing the miya and kodaiko.

Yonsei and Gosei banners in the entrance hall of JCCC.

Alia, Kyra and Kai (another Yakudo jr. member) had a chance to visit all the stations and collect stamps in their 'passports'. After all the stamps were collected, the kids could claim their prize and snack.

They learned odori. "Dig to the right. Dig to the left. Over the shoulder. Over the shoulder. Wipe your brow. Wipe your brow. Push your cart. Push your cart. Empty your cart. Clap. Clap." (If I knew which song this was, I would tell you. But I don't but I will try to find out!)