So the rumors about kids modeling in Japan are true. We had known that several modeling agencies from Tokyo came to base, about every six months, to recruit American children for television, commercial and print work. What we didn't realize was that the modeling fair weekend was going to be the week we got here. We went to "see what it was all about" and hit the ground running...we got seven calls in the first week. That was really crazy since I didn't even know how to get to the other side of base! Since then, I have mastered the train and subway systems and have been quite busy with the jobs that Tyler, Sarah and Hannah have gotten so far. Here are a few examples of their work: Hannah did the video spot, Tyler did a "combi mini" catalog, and Sarah did a magazine shoot for "Oceans" and an advertizing deal for "Rubies" Halloween costumes among others...

It has also been interesting to learn how weird and bad the lives of the "real" models is. The Dutch gal who was supposed to be Hannah's "Mom" gave me a behind-the-scenes low-down. Most of the models live together...sometimes eight girls to an apartment. They are only allowed to come to Japan if they are sponsored by a particular agency. The contracts are for six to eight weeks long...only. The girls get their rent provided up-front by the agency, but they have to pay it back when they get a paying job. This gal was twenty and was old. She lives with four girls who are all 15, three from Poland, one from Holland. These girls go out drinking every night and come home at wee hours. I guess there is a bar that lets models in free and provides food vouchers and free drinks. They save up the food vouchers for parties...they will get together and spend their vouchers all at once to have a Birthday or some other celebration. They rarely make enough to go out otherwise. This leaves them prey to obviously unsavory characters, one of whom hangs out at the "model bars" and sells drugs...or gives them out at first. The "Dad" was Russian and looked like he had a rough night. No, my kids will never become "real" models...it is just for fun now!

Fortune Beans

February 3rd, which is one day before Risshun (the first day of spring on the lunar calendar), is called Setsubun ("set soo boon") in Japan. It's not a national holiday, but mame maki (bean throwing) ceremonies are performed on Setsubun. Traditionally, people throw roasted soy beans called fuku mame or fortune beans, shouting 'oni wa so to' (get out demons) and 'fu ku wa uchi' (come in happiness.) It is believed that people will be healthy and happy if they pick up and eat fuku mame the number equal to their ages (for me that was a lot of beans). Yesterday, we visited a local shrine, to get beans to receive good fortune for the year. At our shrine, there were a bunch of older men who were standing up on the shrine platform. At the designated time, every half hour from four to five, they would throw cellophane bags full of candy and beans, loose beans, coins, or small Japanese oranges out at the crowd. (It was very reminiscent of Mardi-gras but without the drinking or the beads!) The crowd was standing with open shopping bags ready to catch what they could. Some older men were walking around feeling sorry for the Gai-jin (foreigners) and bestowed upon us bean bags and coins! They were also serving "Sweet bean soup" or oshiruko which is a traditional Japanese dessert. The "soup" is made of azuki beans (the size of black beans, but red) which are boiled and crushed, served warm with the liquid in a bowl with mochi. Mochi is glutinous rice cake and tastes and looks a bit like potato gnochi...really chewy. Also, I found out how to use a shrine...each shrine is dedicated to a specific God and has a specific function. My friend Jessica and I ran away from the one for pregancy but settled on the one for education and learning. You make a monetary offering, .50 or a dollar, ring the bell, clap twice and then say a prayer. Hopefully I will be able to learn Japanese faster and easier now! Anyway, it was really fun to go and experience this ceremony. Jessica took some pictures so I will post them when I get them!

The Emperor's New Clothes

The Emperor of Japan comes out twice a year to greet his people. Once is on his Birthday on December 23rd and the other is on the 2nd of January where he gives his blessing for the new year. We went on Friday the 2nd with my Japanese teacher Tomoko and her family, and our friend Amy Joiner and her son Eric. We took the train and subway to "Nijubashi" (means two bridges for the two bridges you cross over the moat to get to the palace). We were led into a security line where we got frisked. There were thousands of people there, but the efficiency was amazing. We also had strollers so we were ushered into a different line and bypassed a lot of people. We lined up and were all given paper Japanese flags. Shortly, a great door opened and we all filed over a bridge and through the portcullis. There was a guard, very reminiscent of the Beefeaters in London, standing at attention as we walked past. We went up a hill and around a bend where we saw a beautiful Japanese building which I think is Edo Castle rebuilt. We went a bit farther (despit the thousands of people, the line moved quickly and orderly and everyone respected personal space) and went through another gate and came into a courtyard where there was a really long, low building. There was a glass porch - like a sunporch - on the second floor that was empty but was guarded on either side with "secret service." We all filed into the courtyard where we waited for 15 minutes when the Imperial Family filed out onto the porch. Although you can't tell from the picture (my iphone doesn't have zoom), we had a great view of the Emperor and his family. It was surreal listening to shouts of "Banzai" (eternal life) and the crackling of the paper flags in the wind. I do have to say after taking the kids to get dressed up in traditional Japanese kimonos, it was kind of disappointing to see the emperor dressed in his business suit, but it was a great experience in general. After a few minutes of waving and the Emperor giving his short blessing, he and his family filed out of the porch and we were all ushered through the exit and down the hill coming out on the opposite side of the entrance. We saw a beautiful pagoda and some beautiful gates on our way through the gardens and out of the property where we were deposited once again in the middle of the city. We all had a great time and are glad we had this opportunity that some Japanese only take advantage of once in their lives (like a trip to Mecca).

The Japanese Christmas Card

So these were supposed to be our Christmas card pictures this year. Unbeknownst to me however, there is a two-week processing time from your session till you get the prints. I don't exactly understand that because the pictures are digital...oh, well. So we went to the cutest place inside Toys-R-Us called Alice Studio. They do the hair and makeup and are great with the kids. Each child gets to take home the brush and comb that were used on them as well as the "flip-flop socks" as we call them. I think they came out great with the small exception that the day before the photo shoot, Tyler put his teeth through his top lip! Just adds to the fierce warrior thing I think. The Kun (coon) and Chan at the end of the names is a Japanese thing. They put Chan or Kun at the end of a boy's name and Chan at the end of a girls, to designate that they are children...it is a diminutive thing like the Spanish "-ita" or mija/hijo. I like it because they call Tyler, Tycoon!

Another Christmas Past

This Christmas season seems like it has been one of the best that we have had. It is bittersweet since we are not able to be with family, but it was very quiet, relatively uneventful, and just nice. We had some friends over for dinner on Christmas Eve. It was a great group of people and it was nice to spend some time getting to know them better. We weren't able to partake of two of our family Christmas traditions however, we didn't open one gift (it was just too late once the folks left and we had a lot of wrapping to do!) and we didn't drive around and look at the lights...one of my favorites.

We were supposed to have a small Christmas, but it didn't turn out that way. I will be very afraid next time Kurt tells me he only got me a "few small things"...I guess he wasn't lying...diamonds are "small" after all! The girls got bicycles. Tyler got a light-up police helmet that has a microphone - he has issued several tickets already. He also got a really cool "remote control" helicopter (that just goes up and around in a circle but is held to the controller by a bar). Hannah got two Barbies and kimonos for each. Sarah got a Tamagotchi Color and two other tamagotchis...she is looking rather Japanese with all these things hanging off of her! I got two pairs of jeans and a skirt set in addition to my two pairs of diamond earrings and necklace (WHAT was he thinking? He said one was an "everyday pair of studs" and the other was for dressing up) That jeweler saw him coming a mile away and boy am I glad! They are truly beautiful. Kurt got an Ipod Nano (pales in comparison) and a gift certificate to download Itunes. All in all, we were treated very well this year.

We also went on Saturday to a Japanese/American party/potluck (there was no sushi there). It was funny to play the gift exchange where you can "steal" the gifts up to twice, considering the Japanese feel it is really rude to take things from people. We Americans showed them, and several of the bolder Japanese women got into it...I got mine stolen so I had to steal someone elses and came home with a "tea" tray...perfect for serving breakfast in bed! It was a riot playing Pictionary with people yelling in Engish and Japanese. It is funny how people's cultural concepts are different with some things and the same in others. All around it was great fun.

We are thinking of heading to the Emperial Palace on January 2nd, one of two days the Emperor makes an appearance (the other was Dec 23, his Birthday). He will give his people a blessing for the New Year from inside a glass porch attached to the palace. It should be very interesting. We hope that your new year brings you great happiness and many blessings.

The Man Who Came Back is Out!

Ok all, the movie "The Man Who Came Back," is out on DVD. You can get it from Netflix or even the shoppette here in Japan! Keep in mind that it is rated R (not the scenes I was in) for some violence (it is a revenge western after all) and some nudity (not me, you wouldn't want to see that!). It really is a good movie. I thought it was really well-made and very emotionally charged. It is fun to see Eric Braedon doing something other than The Young and the Restless after so many years. I was in one major scene and was there throughout most of it. :) My Dad said he was surprised at how much screen time I actually got. Keep in mind this was the pre-Weight Watchers/Slimfast me! You can also see Sarah clapping in front of the crowd when the new Mayor takes over and as "Reese Paxton" rides into town with the body on his horse, you can see Sarah and Hannah in a long shot in the top right. Anyway, Glen Pitre is a really good director and I have enjoyed watching some of his other work, check it out. Enjoy!

Thanksgiving at Tokyo Disney

Hello all! Despite getting our stuff the day before, we decided to take advantage of Kurt's day off and went to Tokyo Disney on Thanksgiving day. We drove using great directions from a place on base and had no trouble getting there. As we were driving, it started to rain and the temperature dropped. It was wet and really cold! It turns out that it was the best day to go...no one was there! People had told us that some of the lines were more than two hours long for one ride, but the longest we waited was 30 minutes (space mountain). We went on Dumbo, Small World, Haunted Mansion and all of the other traditional favorites. The only thing that we didn't get to do was meet Mickey...that line was about two hours even that day (mostly Japanese adults). I was so cold that I had to buy a hoodie Mickey sweatshirt and we got Disney umbrellas! We had curry chicken over rice for our Thanksgiving dinner...boy it was yummy! The funniest thing about the park was that the shows were all in Japanese. We went to the Lilo and Stitch show just to get out of the cold and it was really entertaining to see animatronic birds singing in Japanese. They also called Stitch "Stitchy" which Hannah thinks is hysterical. The other funny thing is how many adults were there. They really get into dressing up. Most people had some kind of crazy headgear with ears, some even had tails that hung down the side like a pony tail...men and women alike! One lady matched her leopard boots to her leopard Mickey Mouse hat with ears. I wish I had taken more pictures of other people! I have pictures on Kurt's and my phone, but he left Sunday for Oklahoma for two weeks and I don't know how to download them...all of the istructions are in Japanese! Hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving! BTW, for those of you who feel bad that we didn't get a traditional dinner, we did the next day. Some friends invited us for a meal, that was really delicious and had everything traditional...thank you Joyners!