overwhelming [2008.06.17]

There is no way that I will ever be able to describe all of the amazing things that I have experienced here.  I try to pick some of the things that I think will reflect the overall picture the best, but really it is something that could never truly be accomplished.  Currently I've got at least a half dozen things that I want to write about, but for the moment I'll just run with the kindergarten for a minute.

Father's Day in Japan is the same as it is in the US, so this past Sunday Andrew and I moseyed over there in the morning to help all the little chilluns during the "My First Cooking With Daddy" event they had going on.

Before getting down and dirty with our culinary selves though, we had to get properly kitted out, which means apron, bandana, and face mask.  Hygiene first!  It was really cute watching all the little kids peeling and cutting the carrots and potatoes, with some guided assistance from daddy dearest (and the two of us of course).  Yeah, there were four and five year olds cutting and peeling.  They did it with lots of supervision, but they nonetheless were doing it themselves.  Then we moved the tables out of the way, put down some tarps, and started chowing down.

The fact that they actually cut the vegetables themselves is pretty impressive, and I think it bears some further thought.  Working in kindergarten I get to see how much free reign these kids get, and I feel like it's more than the average one would get in the US.  They pretty much run amok all over, and that's O-K.  They're only four or five, but they're like little people already!  I suppose this wouldn't be such a revelation to someone who's ever actually had children, but my time at the kindergarten is really the first time I've had extended contact and interactions with the same small child / children.

There might have been more, but there's just too much!  Gotta trim the fat fat...

future love from incheon airport,

-greg.

ps: Okinawa.  rainy season, not a whole lot of rain, amazingly beautiful.  so beautiful.  also the first place i've ever seen an A&W restaurant, home of "All-American Food".  it had been a while since i'd last had a root beer, and it was delightful.  Drew is way faster with pictures than me, so go enjoy his stuff here.