going over being at work

Last Thursday it was the last day before my maternity leave.
Going to work after about two weeks it was a hassle actually.
I was a little bit anxious to keep standing on the train with my bump much bigger than before.
After getting pregnant I left home before 7 in the morning everyday.
8 months flied and I can’t believe I’m becoming mother after a month.
When I had a morning sickness it was hard to go to work.
When you get pregnant, you get sleepy. So I got sleepy strongly often and I got home around at 8 and I was asleep before my head hit the pillow around at 9.
And I didn’t vomit but I felt sick always. Especially when I was so hungry, it was getting worse.
So I brought a bite size of apples in a tapper wear to work.
You know you call it morning sickness but I felt sick after work worse than in the morning.
So it was hard time to got on the train after work.
I hadn’t had a big bump. Even I put a key holder of expecting mothers on my bag, I hardly took a seat also most people didn’t give me their seat.
When I got to the grocery store near my house, I sometimes wanted to sit on the floor because of feeling sick terribly.
In January I was 3 months pregnant. And I was thinking I was gonna feel sick until my baby coming out. But the morning sickness was gone without knowing in the middle of February.
My task at work was not decreasing. Instead, I was getting busy much more than before.
It was hard to work after getting pregnant. So I was glad when I started to take paid holidays two weeks ago.
And I was really happy and I enjoyed spending time after becoming a full time wife.
Because my house kept clean and I was able to do various things that I couldn’t do it after working.
So I had been thinking I couldn’t go ba ck to work anymore.
But going to work after a while, I was gonna miss being at work and it was not bad to keep working, I thought.
Every single day I have to go to work even if I’m not in the mood to go to work and sometimes
I have difficult tasks. In addition I have to study and I’m under the pressure because my boss wants me to do high level tasks more than when I was 20.
But it’s worth to do them.
You have to communicate with people who you don’t like at work. If you’re a full time house wife, you don’t need to do though.
But that’s why you can meet various attractive people and you can become friends with them because you work at the company.
You get money because you work hard. Getting paid is not easy.
But it’s worth to do it.
I go back to work after the maternity leave. So I don’t have to forget it.
And I wanna enjoy spending time as a fulltime house wife.
By the way I took this picture in Toyama last year.

Salad* of onion, Mizuna and Tomato

My father-in-law sent us various vegetables that he grows at his garden.
He lives in the south of Japan. It means he lives in the safe area.
Recently I haven’t eaten spinach. This time he sent us them and other good vegetables.
So I was able to eat much good salad after a long time!

these happy days

my maternity leave started.
Yesterday it was my second day being a full time housewife that is addictive.
I wake my husband up, made dinner and had it together.
Then I saw my husband out and I was relaxed while watching TV.
And then I took food on the trays in the fridge and washed the trays.
I wanna clean each place in my house in turns everyday.
I’ve wanted to do that!
Small things make me joyful and happy.
And yesterday I went to see the doctor to check my baby.
I was worried because my baby was in breech position but my baby turned around in this
two weeks and he is head down now.
I’m relieved. My baby is a very good boy. Thanks to my baby!
Many people say “ You must be looking forward to seeing your baby. Your baby is almost
coming out. “ to me. But I’m gonna missing being pregnant more than looking forward to
seeing my baby.
Probably these 8 months was the happiest time in my life.
Pregnancy is much more wonderful experience than I imagined and I didn’t feel maternity blue.
I watch news about young couples kill or abuse their babies on TV many times.
Why I was able to feel that is that I’m not in my twenties and that’s why I was able to feel that
and have space in my mind. I thought of that when my friend called me last night.
Each person has the best timing. My best timing is now probably.
The storks with batons that left from me are almost to my best friends.
I wanna say “The storks are working on it. So why don’t you keep at it. “ to them.
By the way this picture is a picture that my husband took in Toyama.

a wonderful trip

The establishment where we stayed this time was a little bit expensive.
At the entrance much stuff waited for us, and they bowed all together.
This establishment was large and courtyard was beautiful.
We were able to stay at two big joinable rooms.
My nephew called U-chan was more than delighted to crawl in the large Japanese styled room more than usual.
My husband got used to take care of our nephew.
So he lifted up him when he moved to the dangerous place and he took him to various places to lift him up.
There was each small garden at the each small open air bath room.
We chose cypress bath and I soaked in it with my mother, sister and nephew.
My nephew called U-chan watched my big bump. So I said “ A boy like your brother is here. “
to him. Then he looked like understanding it and pointed himself and my sister’s stomach.
Probably he wanted to say “ I was here. “ to me.
I can’t soak in the bathtub for a long time. So I finished taking a bath soon.
At the end of the brilliant sunny day we had dinner at our room.
I wanted to drink after taking a bath but I made do with jasmine tea.
In addition I wanted to eat a ice cream but I didn’t eat it.
Evev so it was really wonderful time because I didn’t need care what to eat and I was able to enjoy going traveling with my family.
I don’t drink much tap water like I used to. So my water intake is decreasing more than before.
This time I left Tokyo and I drank water more than usual without knowing. So I waked up to go to the bathroom much more in the middle of the night.
It hasn’t been happening like that.

the first happy mother’s day*

Today it's mother's day.
I do something for my mother-in-law for mother’s day but I don’t do something special
for my mother.
Mother-in-law seemed to be pleased to get orchid from my husband.
So she called his cell phone few hours ago.
My husband got a rose on the way home from the hair salon in the evening.
He handed it to me while saying “ You’re almost a mom.”
And he picked up Goya (bitter gourd) from the plastic bag and stir- fried it with some meat
and egg after checking a recipe on the net.
It was the best dish I had been eating. So I ate it while saying “ It’s very good. Very good! “.
He looked like he was happy also.
Today was the first happy mother’s day for me.

an attractive friend *

I have an attractive friend at work.
It was lucky to meet him.
We met each other last August.
We enjoy talking about various things
Our characters are totally different from each other.
So there was a situation when I couldn't understand him and felt uncomfortable few times.
But basically the difference is interesting.
He likes reading books,too.
I think people who like reading books write beautiful sentence and they have various ways they describe about various things.
That's why when they text to me, I can enjoy reading it.
I like people who can describe various scenery and food beautifully and dramatically as I can imagine them even if I don't see them.
Also I want people to enjoy reading my sentences about scenery, food and such.
It's fun to text to each other with such people.
I wanna enjoy communicating with him anyway.
He is one of my valuable friends also not kind of like family.

One happy cherry blossoms-night

I went to see cherry blossoms with an attractive person to Chidorigafuchi.
We enjoyed seeing them while eating a sandwich and some bread.
We shot the breeze and talking about something while taking a walk about for two hours.
I totally forgot the worry of radioactive materials.
It was one of happy night during the crisis.

Cherry blossoms, Japan, Hope*

　

Cherry blossoms are more beautiful when you see them at night.
It looks like a sexy mysterious woman.
In Japan we say there is a female body under the cherry blossoms and that’s why they look
mysteriously beautiful.
Springs come, I think “ Is Japan attractive, or what? “
Coz when cherry blossoms bloom is the hottest news in springs.
Anyone know such a country around the world there is?
But this spring I hardly heard such news.
Every news program announces news about Fukushima nuclear plants.
That's too bad.
I hope things are getting well and such a terrible crisis doesn’t happen again.

Now a little bit strong earthquake is hitting here!!

Cherry blossoms*

　

Few days ago I watched a news that big earthquakes happen again in a short time.
We have to be careful.
There are a lot of worries still now.
But cherry blossoms are blooming.
And it makes us happy and we can forget all worries when we see them.
I took this picture at Suitengu shrine.

The nuclear accident level raised to maximum

This picture is a scenery in Fukushima. I took this picture when I went traveling there about two years ago.
Japan's nuclear safety agency has raised the crisis level of the Fukushima nuclear plant to 7 from the current 5.
Why does this have to happen to us?......

clean green vegetables after a while

Tonight I ate a lot of green vegetable for dinner after a week or more.
My-father-in law sent me many vegetables that he grew at the garden.
I cut the all leaves of Daikon and fried them in the pan.
I bit some thick stems of it while frying them.
I fried all of them and put most of them in freezer. And I fried a few rice with some of them
and soy sauce.
I cut some radish on the cutting board while cooking and bit them.
Adding a drop of mineral water and broccoli in the pan and I put the cover on it.
I steamed it not boil it.
Vegetables that my father-in-law sent me are not contained radioactive materials.
So it would be waste to boil them with lightly polluted tap water.
These days I try to cook without tap water.
For instance when I make croquettes., I didn’t boil potato and steamed it in the
microwave. Plus when I cook pumpkin, I put some mineral water and pumpkin in the pan and
put the head on it. I hardly use water to cook various food.
I make some efforts to cook with only a small amount of mineral water not to be stressed out.
I kind of gave up getting used to drinking tap water contained radioactive material.

worried about radioactive materila but I wanna value precious time to be pregnant

Time flies and the stork arrives in 3 months.
My bump became big and I became anemic and I managed to stand there with an umbrella.
Then I fainted suddenly without knowing.
I can run full marathon and I have confidence about stamina.
Even I faint suddenly during pregnancy, I found out having a baby in the womb is really tough for the mother again.
The trains don’t run as usual because of saving on electricity. That’s why it’s really packed in the train-cars even when I get on them between 6 o’clock to 7 o’clock.
I’m scared if my bump is pressed there.
So I save some space for my bump with my arms and protect it.
Getting to the stations, most escalators don’t work for saving on electricity and you have to go up the stairs many times.
Every time when I go up the stair, I have to stop walking not to become anemic.
Even I b I’m become anemic, I’m gonna miss being pregnant.
I’ve been thinking I gotta value this special fabulous time.
These days are different from before in Tokyo.
Most lights are off on the signs and billboards and one streetlight out of two streetlights is off.
It’s dark in the street more than before.
But I’m getting used to it and on the other hand I think it was too much bright before.
Everyday I see the notice that says “ one per person “ at the grocery store after work.
But yogurt and other various food is gone already because people got them by night.
So I can’t seem to get food that I want.
But I make some efforts to get a lot of nutrition as possible as I can.
I do it for my baby not for me.
But it means, you can say my baby protects my body.
Thinking of it, I can't stop loving my baby.
Now the amount of radioactive material is 5.63 Bq/kg in the tap water.
It's less than the moment when it was raining.
But it's more than the amount of it when a week passed after this earthquake.
The amount of it was 1.47 Bq/kg.
If it was 300 Bq/kg, you can't drink tap water.
So I think it's OK to drink it but I'm worried about it because babies are tiny.
asking mothers who have kids about it, they don't give their kids tap water.
Reading the information of Japan Society of Obstetrics and Gynecology, it says “At the current moment when pregnant and breast-feeding women drink lightly polluted tap water everyday,
it’s not health damage for mother and baby. But fetus and infant could be susceptible to
radioactive material and the less they’re damaged by it, the better it is for them.
So if you could get drink instead of tap water, you should better drink it. “
I’ve been thinking I gotta get used to drinking tap water contained radioactive material.
But I can’t seem to drink it. It takes more time to enjoy drinking hot miso soup made from tap water.

there was a usual day in the west of Japan+

At night on 17th of March my husband and I made a decision to take a day and a half day off
and go to see his grandmother in the hospital all of sudden.
We left Tokyo and went to Nagoya where is in the west of Japan.
Getting there, there was time as usual.
Around at 11:30 many businessmen walked to the station after going drinking
Bright lights sparkled there and people enjoyed spending time as usual.
They talked about something and shot the breeze, laughed while walking.
I was relieved in the crowd.
We got to the hotel around at midnight.
I went to the top floor to soak in hot right away spring when I got there.
I washed my hair and body and I stretched my legs in the large bathtub. And then I went to the bathtub outside.
I met a local young woman there and talked with her for a while.
She works in the railway.
And she said “ Many customers want to go to the north of Japan to find their relatives.”
to me. She talked about people in Nagoya after the earthquake.
I told her how shocked I was and the atmosphere in Tokyo. The talking soothed me
and I was gonna cry even though my house wasn’t broken by this earthquake.
Needless to say, spending simple normal usual days is really happy, I thought.
I hope we get back such a usual day as soon as possible.
My husband and I liked the north of Japan.
I’m gonna work on everybody getting back the usual days, work hard and pay tax for
our country being able to help people and Japanese economy not slowing.
I never forget the bitterness even after few years and I’ll help them as possible as I can.
By the way this picture is a picture that my husband took at Kofuku-temple in Nara.

I believe in everything going well

　

I learned how to bake this tart the day before the earthquake.
This lesson was the last beginner's lesson.
These days many men are working in the front of the nuclear plants.
They risked their lives even though they have family.
I'm thinking of various things.
But now I have to live strongly not to be worried too much.
I should get my mind off of it.
I gotta work hard and save on electricity.
Don't worry about anything too much.
I believe in everything going well.

something that we have to think about

　

I took this picture on Sunday two weeks ago when I took a walk with my husband.
I can’t jog after getting pregnant. So I started to walk on weekends not to be out of shape.
Looking back, it was a scene of peaceful life.
Going out while saying “ We are going where? “, and we went to the opposite side as usual route. Then we found a plum glove park near the park and found a shrine we haven’t gone to.
My husband used not to pray but after me getting pregnant he started to pray.
On the way to park we found stone-roasted sweet potatos-seller-car. And we got a middle size of potato and shared it.
It tasted sweet and it was delish.
It was not much of a subtle day but I found out that living safe and sound is a very happy thing.
I don’t need any exciting.
So on this occasion we, at least Japan, should try to find other way of energy supply instead of nuclear plants.
We must chose inconvenient not convenient and safe of our lives.
I’ve read a Japanese mystery novel connected to the nuclear plants and I was able to find out the fear of it.
Why don’t we think about the nuclear plants.
And we want our thinking to change the safe of our lives.
I heard rescue teams from US, England, Korea, China, Taiwan, Mexico, Russia and France on the news.
Not only rescue teams also many people from other countries are cheering up us.
In my case not only Maria from Austria also Maria from Belgium and Kra-chan from Canada invite me every time when I make a decision.
Pharm-san from HK told me if I need something, he’ll send anything except diamonds.
I don’t forget to thank them and return the favor.

thankfulness and anxiousness

I haven’t been able to believe this is reality yet.
Last Friday I left work at 7:30 at night and walked to the office where my husband works at.
Then we walked to our house together.
I’ve never imagined I had to walk for such a long time even though I was 7 months pregnant.
We got to our house around at 2 at midnight.
I didn’t think I used it but I put my running shoes under the desk at work just in case.
But it was helpful this time.
There were women who asked us to ride their car on the road at the two stops from my station.
So I was able to drive home for a while. I really appreciated it.
Because my bump became like a balloon since it becomes like that when mother body gets tired.
That’s why my husband brought my band and I walked while holding my bump.
This earthquake was terrible big that I’ve ever experienced but I’m scared the radioactive leak
more than the earthquake.
After the earthquake foreign friends whom I met on the blog and during the trip sent me
message on the blog also facebook.
Per say, Norway, England, US, Hawaii, HK, Belgium, Greece, Austria, Taiwan, Italy, Spain and
such.
Maria from Austria told me her husband and she would be very happy if I came to us to Vienna
and you should make a decision to do that.
A friend from HK posted an article that Chinese gives thumbs up to Japanese people for how
they r being patient and discipline even earthquake has happened. They'll wait and queue up
also help others.
I’m more than delighted they care me also Japanese.
But I’m worried if my baby goes bad by the radioactivity.
But a Japanese friend whom I met on the blog was able to see that I had a boy since few years ago
and she told me my boy is a strong boy and he is fine.
I wanna believe her words.
I took this picture on the street in Tokyo last Friday when I walked home from work.

ginger is good for your throat!

There is a lot of woman who works after having a baby at work.
I’d say our company is a good company since women can keep working after it.
There was news that many women got fired when they took maternity leave.
But it’s not unthinkable at our company.
Not only mothers at the same division but also mothers at the other division talk to me.
They say “ How’re you and your bump doing? “ or “ Your bump is becoming bigger. “
I’m more than delighted they’re kind and nice to me.
Time flies and I’m 7 months pregnant already.
Getting pregnant is greater than I imagined.
Also the bigger my bump becomes, the more pleasure I am and I think this moment is
valuable.
I wanna meet my baby soon but I’m gonna miss being pregnant….
I have a very strong body but I was coming down with something this week.
I had a sore throat but I couldn’t gargle with mouthwash, take a medicine and suck on a
lozenge, So I had been drinking a tea with grated ginger and apple this week.
Not only my throat soothing also getting well. It’s very good for your throat!
When your throat hurts, try to suck a slice of ginger instead of lozenges.
The spicy tasting feels very nice for you sore throat like lozenges.
Try it!
By the way I took this picture in Nikko when I went traveling last month.

Tokyo Marathon 2011*

Last Sunday the fifth Tokyo marathon was held in Tokyo.
My mother ran the race fifth times and I cheered her for fifth times.
This year I’m pregnant. So I was wondering if I went there for her.
But Tokyo marathon’s system was changed and people who paid much money could
participated in the race or could entry before other people next Tokyo marathon.
So my mother might not be able to participate in it next year and I decided to go there for her.
My sister asked her husband to take care of her son and she went to Ginza with me
before at noon.
There were many people who cheered runners for there and those people has increased.
I found out that this marathon became one of famous festivals for everyone.
When we waited for mother around Kyobashi, we saw two Japanese famous celebrities.
Then mother appeared!
We cheered for her loudly and took her pictures. And then sister ran while saying “ Keep at it! “
and I just walked to near the station.
We took the train and waited for her again around in Toyosu. Then we found her again!
Sister ran and I walked along the course again.
Every year mother gets old but she can run the full marathon for 4 and a half hours.
Is our mother great, or what?
I haven’t imagined the older you get, the less the physical strength decreases.
It’s a relief my mother finished running the full marathon safe and sound.
Someday I wanna run Tokyo marathon but only cheering for my mother is fun.
I want my mother to participate in Tokyo marathon next year, too.

I feel my baby is moving!

I had been thinking I could feel the fetus moving soon.
People say, “ Do you feel the fetus moving? “ to me a lot. Also I read the same thing
in a book.
I heard you feel like your intestine moving or something.
Sometimes I thought this might be the moving?! But I was not sure.
Last Thursday on 17th of February when I slept at night, I felt my baby moving!
It kind of tickled in the stomach.
Yeah, it’s true I felt like my intestine moving.
If you could feel it even once, you’d feel it often. Everybody said so. Yeah, it7s true.
Especially when I sleep at night, I feel like that how I can explain in my stomach.
It’s like fish swimming in the water.
And then I feel like it a lot a whole day.
During being at work, eating out, being on the train and watching the website of Michael
Sandel who is a professor at Harvard University.
He moved inside me to seem like being able to listen to difficult English words that
I couldn’t listen to.
He might raise his hand since he wanted to say his opinions.
I think it was really happy to be able to experience various things through pregnancy
experience.
There are many experiences and feelings that I had never imagined.
The longer pregnancy period is, the more I appreciate it.
Also I feel happy and calm.
Recently my mother, my best friend from college and some people said “ aya became pretty.”
or “ You look calm, very nice and young. “ to me.
I wanna love my baby who gives me calm happiness before he is born.

about three-day-holiday*

I went to Nikko with my husband all of sudden on the three-day-holiday.
We hardly found the accommodations on the first day of the holidays and everything
was booked on the net.
I tried to call an accommodation in the tourist association by coincidence and one room
was cancelled.
So we decided to book it and pack our stuff. Then we went out.
It was snowing a lot and we had to walk with the bag. So we had to cut down stuff as
possible as we could.
I had a essay book written by Haruki Murakami that a person gave me in a bag.
I let a person borrow my book but the person bought the new same book for me and the person
keeps my book at home.
Putting that aside,
We walked to the station without umbrellas under the snowing.
It had been a long time since it was snowing a lot last time in Tokyo.
And I was pleased I was able to enjoy spending winter finally!
I like cold weather in winter.
Around at noon we got to Asakusa and there weren’t express trains. So we took a local train
to Nikko.
We imagined it was not crowded on the train but it was packed.
Everybody wanted to go traveling on three-day-holiday.
We couldn’t get lunch box. So we got only two rice balls, some snacks and two bottles of green
Tea. Then we got on the train.
We weren’t enough only to have one rice ball but we had to eat some snacks instead of lunch
Boxes.
The scenery from the window was like a monochrome drawing.
And I went traveling to Greece in the book.
When it was dark, we got to Nikko.
In Nikko there were a lot of people and it was snowing hard.