Big City, Small World

Before we came to Tokyo, Maria and I would spend our weekdays working, taking care of the boys, and keeping up with chores. It was on the weekends that we’d all go out. That’s what most families do. Who would have thought that life would follow the same pattern in Tokyo? The time I gained by switching to part-time work has been more than reclaimed by my taking care of the boys while Maria’s working (she’s out the door at 8 and usually home between 6 and 7). It turns out my idea of taking Eidan with me to see the sights in the city on weekdays while Kai’s in school is unworkable, at least during the winter months. He’s at that age where’s he fully mobile but has no impulse control (”I think I’ll go run in the street now, or maybe go up and down the escalators 500 times!”). So he either needs to be in a completely kid friendly environment, or he has to stay strapped in his stroller, which is no fun for him. Throw in feeding him lunch, the cold weather, the half hour walk each way to Kai’s school, and his 2 hour nap, and the day is divided into chunks that make it unrealistic for daily outings.

Our days were fairly frantic for the first couple of weeks, as getting the household set up, establishing routines, and getting Eidan on a decent sleep schedule again all took some doing. It didn’t help that the apartment was dirty when we moved in and not as well stocked as we expected (e.g. most of the silverware was sticky - gross! - there was exactly one drinking glass, and hardly any cooking utensils). But I think that’s all behind us now, as the past few days have felt normal, which is actually quite nice.

I’ve settled into a schedule of working mostly at night, as it allows me to overlap with the morning of my coworkers in Philly, and it’s the best part of the day to get some uninterrupted time to concentrate. The downside is I don’t get to spend much time with Maria But now that Eidan is starting to nap on a consistent schedule, I can work some then too, which is freeing up a little time in the evenings.

I’m looking forward to April, when Kai starts first grade, as the elementary school is across the street from our apartment (not having to hike back and forth to his kindergarten school will free up almost 2 hours of the day). The weather will be warmer then too, which means I can take Eidan to parks to run around, and then he can nap in his stroller. While he’s napping I can take him on some walks around the city (I have a guide book with some nice walking tours of different sections of Tokyo).

So, just like in the States, the weekdays are all about work and taking care of the boys, and the fun is on the weekends. Last weekend we all really enjoyed the amazing Edo-Tokyo Museum (I’ll post pictures soon), and this weekend we’re going to hit some of the shopping districts. Unlike the States, mom and pop stores still thrive here, so you can find all kinds of unique and interesting shops, as opposed to the unending sameness of Pottery Barn and the Gap.