Rin's first drawing

Before, he only could draw a GRASS (he telling us that)

which was using green pen and draw zig-zag on paper.

now, all the sudden, he draw faces!

we were quite impressed!  (cuz I was trying to draw something

with him, he always draw GRASS only...)



Visiting Wajima City for Morning market and Wajima nuri paint

It's been long time since I take some paint brushes last time.  Rin and I were participated for making Wajima nuri paint

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wajima,_Ishikawa

It was good refreshment and fun!  forgetting about work, any things may be stressfull etc, concentrate on paint brush and dish for hours gave me great refreshment!



Picking Cherry @ Yamanashi Cherry farm

Since moved to JP, we go Cherry picking every year.  Season of cherry is really short, only two weeks! (weekendwise, only fourdays!)

Last year's cherry was sour... this year's cherry was better than last year.



Lunch @ Kindergarten

@Kindergarten openhouse well he probably use chopstick better than I do!

(Yep, am not good at it and probably won't improve much in future hehe)

Frisbeee :)

Had fun shooting some frisbee for very first time :)

Rin thrown frisbee pretty good for his very first time. 

If he threw it way too off, he gotta get it by him self! hehe

When Rin catching it his hands are always like below ;)

 yep upper arm and lower arm ready!

Fried noodle CHEMICAL LAB :) @ BBQ

Fried noodle with PURPLE cabbage has some fun alchemy.

First put PURPLE cabbage on pan and por some water to

get Purple juice out of cabbage,

then, put Noodles in!

the color is not cute but after seasoning poweder is in,

noodle back to normal color.

Second video also show adding Lemon juice to it to

change another color as well. :)

A class -> 318i

Because of one of our car Mercedes A class went to heaven, we had to get next car since
with out car Yongxia can't drop Rin off at kindergarten and go to her job...
I was researching some hybrids, downsized direct turboes, and euro diesels.
well, me personally likes Euro diesel more than Hybrids. 
since Hybrids are lack of 'fun to drive' in most models, yet Euro diesel and Downsized turbo models.
hmmmm but in Japan not much Euro disels are on store yet (only high end Mercedes E class model only,
and in JP brand new mercedes are astonishing price tag on it.  i.e, E320 CDI cost about $90000!)
so I decided to wait few more years untill other C class, A4, etc introduce Diesel models in JP market.
So this time we got good deal on 2003 BMW 318i so we just jumped on.
It runs well and good manuever, Yongxia and Rin liked it too!
Unfortunately it is right hand drive though hehe.

Earthquake Mar11

When it happend, I was at work at desk.  It was weak shake where we live but it was shaking sideways
very long-period motion and last more than 5min.  I first felt it was dizziness, hmm am I too tired? sleepy?
(and I was packed and sieged by lots work to do those days)
but I found out that my water in cup was waving.  Then I paid attention to building sealing, curtains etc.
Yes it was really weird like entire 3 story building is like ship on ocean...
Yet because of its magnitude (we were about 350mi from where disaster striked)
we werent felt fear, just '???' whats going on?
Then I checked Earthquake report online then found out major one hit sanriku area.
I just could not believe how big that disaster was and flood & nuclear issue...
I also believe Japan will be recover back strongly!
I pray for people who has striked by disaster.

Farewell Mercedes A160 Avangart Limited

2003 Mercedes A160's AT just went south on Feb28.

its AT trouble is common for early model of A class and

it'll fail almost 100%.  Ours were late model which is 30-40% of them.

Most of failed late models are failed on 30k-55k odd and our just passed

80k so I thought ours were OK but...

it happened.  Repair cost is $4000 and car worse (when it is running fine)

about $1500 for trade in... so yes we had to face it to

get rid of it.

We really liked it but it is way too much to put 4grand in it...

Farewell Mercedes A160 :-(

Visiting US #2

Because I wanted to go ;) went to Tillamook for crabbing.
(although Yongxia and Rin was'nt happy at first time cuz it was Jan 2nd, coooold!)
some path were really cold!!

For crabbing, mmmm catched some but they were all below the size of ok to bring them home...

Of course visited Tillamook factory too!

I got bubblegum ice cream which hardly ever see in Japan! and yep was good

Finally all of us made it to visit US

It:'s been 4years, and finally had chance to visit home all together.

Just next day of arrival we drove up Mt. Hood and join up!

Other day, visited Newort aquarium too

Yongxia and Rin had really good time for visitin US for very first time! :)

Kyoto Golden Temple

Visited Kyoto Golden Temple back in 2010 Nov.
sunny, no wind, no wave on the poos,
some how we could take shot of
perfect Golden Temple w/ mirror on the pool!

World heritage Shirakawa-Go

Visit one of Unesco World Heritage, "Shirakwago"
it's about 200 years old.  Living fire place are placed in middle of house and it will warm up all the house upward, and its soot strengthen house material.  (but may be you get sooty nose hehe)

it was a bit rainy day so Rin were under his Frog umb!

A Sailing ship! ;)

We have visited Toyama area and they have famous Sailing Ship, and were day of expanding all the sail for event.

It was hot day and we all got sun burn.  I have tried to take video of while it sail expanding, but

digital camera batt runout!  I was'nt thinking take that many people and time!!

took 100 crew and about 60min!!

Great looking!

but Rin couldn't keep eye on one place for an hour so he was running around :)

Hope we can visit US soon... look at this small pool :(

Just $25 bucks pool yet Rin jumping in everyday ;)

Viva Ferrari! @Fuji Speedway

Just under Mt. Fuji, yes that famous Mt. Fuji, there is International Fuji Speedway Raceway.  Sunday had small event, that Ferrari owner's driving session was held.  Me? ofcourse I'm not Ferrari owner (yet hehe)

Rin and Yongxia were not excited as I was cuz it was way too hot!

Little adaventure @ Limestone cave

Yes, it's abnormally hot! probably everywhere in globe, here in JP probably hotter and nastier than US.  under such temp and moisture, did'nt want to go outside really... yet Rin's battery is fully charged.  So we decided to visit Limestone cave wherre we can walk and is like refridge!

Cave also had awesome water fall!

Limestone spike takes millions of years to grow, compare with that our life's stress is probably nothing :)

Painting Pottery Airplane

@Summer festival, there some pottery (white ones) you can buy and paint.  After paint they bake to finish it up.  About 10 or so different kind of shape you can pick (pre-build) and Rin picked up Air fighter.
Some how he loved 'Brown' to paint (yes it's ugly color...)

After he painted  (I mean he satisfied or get tired of hehe) just before bake shown below

isn't cute at all (cuz he painted over and over on some part and some part left unpainted...)

but guess wut! after bake, it's not that bad looks like camouflage isn't it?

We also had chance to get likeness for all of us and we liked it hehe

Forest Fun! Visited Makai-Farm for a day :)

About 2hour drive and jump in Makai-Farm for some fun.

Yongxia found her self in hammock, and its comfortable than she thought hehe.

Rin tried to get up on hammock too

Rin feeding goat, his back are running away, yet goat neck stright stretchi'n

and then we feed us hehehe:

Playing some music w/ Toy guitar :)

Rin is playing guitar with Dai's Synth. Rin asked Yongxia play drums.  But she refused to learn though (

Analogue Synthesizer was expensive back 90's but now you can buy Analogue Modeling Synth for $300 or so hehe.  Video? yep I missed twice during that play, yes I need lots practico.