So, let's get back to Japan... I'm going to go ahead and apologize, now that we're back in Holland I keep switching from present to past tense. It's all a jumbolaya in my head so hope it makes sense.
Fuji Grand in Ishi, about 30 mins drive away, was our go-to place to get groceries and sometimes to play. It's the closest shopping mall without having to go into Tokushima, and like most other shopping centers in this part of Japan, it has a grocery store, a department store and a bunch of other shops, all indoors, like an American mall. Which of course made me feel right at home. I really got my mall fix during our 3 months.
Usually those days fell on rainy let's-get-out-of-the-house days or after playgroup which is about half way there. They have a kick-ass kid play area next to the arcade which on weekends is a cacophony of parental weariness and kid-gasms. I would always try to fit it in between naps so he wouldn't have to sleep in the car, but if he did, I would stop at the farmers' market on the way back into town and enjoy a quiet vending machine coffee blank-staring at the mountains and see what local produce was on offer.
The amazing thing for parents is that these places are kept spotlessly clean since no shoes or food are allowed in the areas. We would mostly be there in the middle of the day so there were nary another person to contend with and have to share. Which, for Hopper, means that he will play without fear of being knocked or poked. A real plus.
Plus, he always loved these days as it usually meant he would get a 'present' and an ice cream, his favorite here at Fuji G being green tea. (And here's a little TMI, it would turn his poopoos electric green! A little disconcerting the first time.)
Herewith a little eye candy...
 |
| this enclosure had fans at each corner which would make the balloons dance around |
 |
| different sized balloons made it fun to catch the big ones |
 |
| this whole thing slowly spun around to music and you could knock the bags around |
 |
| dancin to the groovy tunes |
 |
| clear bouncy castle, little disorienting |
No comments:
Post a Comment