December 10, 2009

Eau de Toilette

Our "potty" experience in Japan has been interesting to say the least.  Sometimes we have found ourselves staring for a long time at a toilet trying to figure out:

1) how to use it
and
2) how to flush it

For example, take this toilet below, we call it a SQUATTY POTTY and none of us enjoy using them.... too messy!  But this style of toilet is the traditional Japanese toilet style.  Many places outside of Tokyo only use this potty.  If you want a potty like we are used to in the states, it is called a "western" potty and you have to search for a sign on the door that actually reads, "western style".... giddy-up.


However, whenever there is a "western style potty" you frequently find it paired with the following sign:


This is to be sure you recogize it is not to be used as you would use a "squatty potty".

Now the other dilema we experience is flushing.  You see this handle, you know what to do.



The problem is, sometimes there is no handle, instead there is a side arm full of buttons.  Luckily the side arm pictured here has its functions written in English. 


What about this little ditty?  When I saw it with the picture of a hand, I figured it was to show me it was a sensor to flush the toilet.  I waved my hand in front of it, heard a flushing noise, but NOTHING HAPPENED.  I repeated this maneuver over and over, but the same thing would happen... a flush sound, but no flush.  I soon realized it was a sensor for a PRIVACY SOUND... its only purpose is to make a noise so that no one in the restroom hears your personal business.  Wow.  Where did I find this ditty?  In Mc Donald's!  Yes, this feature is so common, it is found in a public Mc Donald's restroom.  Privacy noise makers are common, not fancy.




Here's a toilet, without a back flusher, and without a side arm, or a senor. 
How would you flush it?


It is located at one of our favorite restaurants, Monsoon.  For the past year and a half I never flushed the toilet, because I could not figure out how to flush it.... until recently...

Finally they posted a sign to explain!



A ha!



Or how about this potty that has water that comes out of the top for washing your hands afterwards?  It seems a little gross, but when there is no other sink, what else can you do?

                            
                 


Then I came across another toilet without a back flusher on our Mt. Fuji hike.  There was no floor button either.  I just about gave up trying to flush it when I heard Shailey in the next stall over say to me, "Mom, do you know how to flush this toilet?" 

"No!"

She giggled. "Look for a water gun hose thingy on the wall. It is for squirting your waste down into the toilet hole.  I have seen this one before."  Wow.  This potty wins for CRAZY FLUSHER... but it was kind of fun.  I think Jonas would love this kind of potty.



Enough with the Potty Talk!

Girls and Curls



Getting ready for church, we realized we were sporting THREE different types of CURLERS....

When I was a little girl, my Mom rolled our hair in pink sponge curlers every Saturday night.  Now that I am a Mother, I know why... it makes getting ready for church super easy!

Emma is sporting the "sock" curlers, as taught to us by Debbie my mother-in-law.  They work great too!




The best part?  JONAS took our photo... how cute is he :).

I enjoy being a girl.... ha!

On the Catwalk



Emma modeled in a fashion show for the department store called, SEIYU. 
She was decked out, from her BLUE NAILS...


To her B-52's BUMP-IT hairdo.


On the catwalk...


I love this shot where you can see her on the BIG SCREEN in the background...
this made it seem like a high end fashion show.







There were professional "record scratchers"...
Japanese kids who actually take lessons to do this...
I had no idea there were lessons to learn this mad skill.


There was also a "half-time" routine from a professional dance company. 
This allowed the models to change clothes for part two.






Part two... flannel outfit with sunglasses



Check out the big screen in the background... super fashionista!





Not crazy about the make-up, but Emma loved it.





Moriko Kawamura

The day after our Mt. Fuji hike, Shailey had a modeling job with Moriko Kawamura who is an assistant to Satoru Kikuchi, a famous photographer.  She wanted to photograph Shailey for her photography portfolio.

Shailey's hair was done into teeny tiny ringlets... not quite the look a 12 year old girl is going for, but it was definitely fun.  At one point, she looked up at me with big tears in her eyes because she was not feeling pretty.  I enthusiastically told her, "I am amazed your hair can DO this... not many people have hair that can curl this well... it is fantastic!!!"  Then I told her, the theme for today is not "hot stuff" model, instead the theme is "artistic" model.  That helped.  She relaxed and eventually enjoyed her crazy hair!









Knitted hat, pearl necklace, sailor shirt, gaucho pants, and moccassins...
what's not to love??!!











I think this crocheted turquoise head wrap wins.  It was a fun shoot.

Mount Fuji Hike




Shailey and I joined the local Boy Scout troop to hike MOUNT FUJI.  We went up the night before so we would be "refreshed" for our early morning hike.  Problem was, it was like camping indoors... LOTS of bugs and dirt.  Can you say "heebie jeebies?"


After we discovered this little fella, we decided to spray ourselves and our sleeping bags with bug spray.  I think the bunk mattresses were circa 1940.  All during the night, I kept feeling a tickling sensation on my arms and face.  I slept like trash. 



It was a gorgeous day for a hike.  Mt. Fuji is a dormant volcano that last errupted in 1707.  I love this photo because it looks like there is steam/smoke coming out of the top of it.





This is the last of the hike's greenery.  The mountain is mostly ash and lava rock which is not suitable for plant growth.



 Every station has a tori gate at its entrance. 
Going through the gates felt great, like crossing another finish line. 



At every station they would burn a STAMP into our walking poles.




I owe Shailey's friend Sierra big time.... the hike was super hard for Shailey and she almost gave up before we arrived at the first station.  When Shailey started showing signs of quitting, I tried encouraging her with positive words, you know, the cheerleader approach... "GO FIGHT WIN".  When that was not working, I tried showing her how to breath better.  Then I tried tempting her with a drink and a snack break.  None of my clever tricks were working so I resorted to a tough tone and a "buck up camper" speech.  Yeah, that did not work either.  What did help was talking to her about the show LOST.  That served as a good distraction.  And then Sierra came along and got Shailey talking which worked like a charm.  From that point on, Shailey was determined to finish.  Thank you Sierra!


Switchbacks!


Station houses.  I think people live there all summer and maybe even all year.  I wonder if they helicopter in or actually hike up there.  At these stations they sell drinks, hard boiled eggs, and some snacks.  We were hoping there was a McDonalds... a nice fatty bite of protein and a cold shake sounded awesome even though we hate McDonalds.


Another station, another finish line.


We thought this was interesting... a worship stone where hikers left candy for the Gods


Station 8!



I love this shot of the next station's tori gate...
random and out there in the middle of ash and rock.



Snack time!


Oxygen tanks were a necessity at this point of the hike because the high altitude leaves you feeling weak.  Many people get violent headaches and throw up.  Shailey and I took an Excedrin or Ibprofen pill every two hours and that kept our headaches at bay.  The oxygen was another saving grace.  Mount Fuji is 12,388 feet high.




Last tori gate... we MADE IT!




View inside the volcano....
all of a sudden, 1707 AD does not seem so long ago.

 At the tiptop of the mountain, there is a tori gate where people embed coins into the posts for good luck.




7 hour hike to the top. 
We got flags with stamps to prove we made it.  Hooray!



Shailey and Sierra met some boy friends from St. Mary's School. These boys entertained the girls during our 4 hour descent.  Going down was actually harder than going up... super steep, powdery dirt.  You basically ran down the mountain for 4 hours.  Our calve muscles ached for a week afterwards.



This is my favorite photo of all... the siloutte's of the hikers against the cloudy backdrop is stunning.
We truly climbed above the clouds.


As honorary Boy Scouts, we even earned an official patch!