In Retrospect

Is it a bit late to do a recap post on 2012? Maybe, but you'll have to forgive me as I reminisce about the highlights of the last year.

2012 was a year of calm and stability compared with the storm of change that was 2011. This was our first full year in Japan and full of positive experiences and growth. Both Dustin and I have become more comfortable and confident in our jobs, Dustin teaching and me managing our household and family in a foreign country. Even the simplest things can be complicated here, mostly because of the language barrier and different systems, but we have managed to find a secure rhythm and routine to life over the past year.

Last year at this time, William was 9 months old. I was still dealing with him waking every 3 hours, breastfeeding, and all the energy that must be devoted into entertaining/corralling a young, super active baby. People always say: "Enjoy these moments because they grow up way too fast!", but these are people whose children are already grown and out of the house. When you are up all night with a sick infant or just had your bookshelf dismantled by little grubby hands, you kind of wish they would grow up at least a little bit faster. They do grow up though, and over the course of the past year William has become much more independent, self entertained, and capable. He was also sleeps though the night! Woo hoo!

I can't believe he was so little!

William has developed a true affinity for Japanese food.

Theo has grown so much too. November 1st marked his first full year of yochien and his Japanese has gotten quite good over that time. He now even talks in the local Hiroshima dialect as well as standard Japanese. He has become extremely close to his brother, always making sure that he is entertained and well looked after. I feel so lucky to have two children who don't just put up with each other's company, but seek it out and enjoy it.

The last day of school, March 2012

Best friends beating the summer heat

We were also able to escape the tiny confines of our apartment and move into a house that is just the right fit for our family. If I were to pick one event this past year that has had the most positive influence on our lives it would be this move. So much stress and annoyance was generated by being squeezed into cramped quarters and having no personal outdoor space for our children to tear around in. We love this old house!

We also left behind bit of the summer heat and headed back to Canada for a family visit. This will probably be the last trip we make back west for at least a few years, so it was good to see every one. 

While we were in Canada, I was able to spend some time with my sister and her newborn daughter Josephine. This is my first niece and I am so glad that I got to meet her!

We were also able to rent a garden plot in our neighbourhood, which is something we have been wanting to do ever since we got here. This picture is pretty old, since we have already been harvesting veggies from our garden for a few weeks now.

Through Dustin's work, our church, and random chance we have developed an amazing group of friends over the past year. We have met so many loving, supportive people and I can't imagine what our life in Japan would be like without them. Sniff, sniff...I love you guys!

Overall, 2012 was a fantastic year. Welcome 2013, if you are anything like your predecessor we are in for some good times!

Ego Garden

In December, I modeled some outfits for an Italian clothing store in Fukuyama called Ego Garden. I have never done anything like this before, so it was a really fun new experience but a bit bizarre how it all came about.

While shopping in our neighbourhood grocery store a couple of months ago, I was approached by a stranger and asked if I would be interested in modeling in a fashion show. I was a bit leery, since his English was not fantastic and I could not get really clear details about the fashion show and exactly what kind of clothes I was to be modeling. He seemed like a nice man, but the whole encounter felt a bit strange to me and I didn't want to unknowingly agree to "adult" modeling or being sacrificed to some strange god in a seedy warehouse. A few days later he emailed some info about the event and had an English speaking friend of his call me and give me some more details. Surprisingly enough, it was actually a legit fashion show without any strange catch.

A few weeks later, I went to the clothing store to have outfits chosen with the three other people who were to be modeling clothes in the show. I don't think that I actually would ever wear the clothes that were chosen for me, especially the black, sacklike dress with the bizarre fuzzy shawl and gloves, but I was ready to sneak out the back door with the brown mohair coat that I wore in my second outfit. The show went well and I was able to make a nice bit of cash considering that I only "worked" for an hour and a half.

I finally managed to get my hands on a few photos this weekend and there is also a video which I am in for about 2 seconds, so enjoy!


Being shown around the venue before the show

Having my makeup and hair done

Group photo before the show

This was just about the most unflattering and uncomfortable dress that I have ever worn. It had a loose, sacklike top that narrowed below the hips. The sleeves were narrow until the elbow and then ballooned out. The neckline was really strange as well, but at least it was covered up by the fuzzy shawl.  

I had about 1 minute to throw off the first outfit and pull on this second one. This dress was actually much better than the last, and I absolutely loved the coat. Too bad it cost over 4,000$ Canadian!

I was pretty sure that this would be the one and only time that I would do something like this, but a few days ago I was asked if I would like to be in a tourism video that Fukuyama City is making. It will be shot in Tomo-no-Ura this weekend and I have no idea what my role will be exactly. Who knows how many random things I can manage to appear in while living in Japan!