Free Range Kids: Silver Linings (Japan 7)

April 2, 2014

Email sent to my family

This morning I woke up to a pink glow coming through one set of our pink curtains. So I guess we aren't in a cave entirely. The little bit of light wasn't enough to raise my spirits and I burst into tears again. $500!! The cost of a flute. The cost to fly to Guatemala where I could have a real vacation. $500 and I still feel like I'm camping thanks to a shared bathroom, no heat in this cold house, and a bunk bed that feels the same as the floor. Each night another $500 flushed away. Then thanks to the stone bed I woke up with my back and neck in so much pain. Shooting, paralyzing pain. Thanks to Peter massaging, Advil, Cal/Mag and a hot shower (for a dollar) I was able to loosen my tight, bowstring muscles. Tragedy averted, because I really would have cried all day if I had to spend it holed up in this hotel and in physical pain along with my emotional one.

Silver Linings--subway station is only a few blocks from this house; a yummy lunch; a beautiful walk with cherry blossoms; a mountain hike with monkeys and then feeding more monkeys at the top. We were the ones caged while feeding them and it was delightful. Feeding my little monkey nursling at the top of the mountain. An awesome slide were you sometimes had to wait your turn because the monkeys were playing on it. Caleb almost hit one while sliding down because it jumped across. Eva almost popped off the slide because it threw her in the air so high (from then on she went with big brother down the slide). Down the mountain and over the bridge in search of bamboo path. Back and forth, wrong turns, wrong directions for over an hour and then finally rewarded with a crowded bamboo path. Get second wind and continue on and path becomes less crowded and more beautiful. Return home through beautiful gardens and more blooming cherry trees. Getting dark and crowds thinning. Little legs getting tired and I say, "Eva do you know you have the most amazing little legs and feet! You have walked so far." She nods, because she knows she is strong. Bigger boys warming my heart giving sisters rides on their back and pretending it is an honor to carry such a beautiful princess and girls' smiles grow large as they pretend. Stop and eat toast and hot chocolate for dinner. $80+ for toast and hot chocolate!! Back at the hotel and help children get baths and wash clothes (this dryer actually dries clothes in 30 minutes, versus the Tokyo one leaving them damp after 1 1/2 hours).

The owner let us use the staff's bathroom to bathe the littles. Eva was scared of the pink bath water. I don't blame her. It was a very deep red and looked almost brown and then when I got in my skin looked like blood. Asher and I bathed in it and I handed him off to Peter. Rachel thought the water was too hot and Eva thought the water was too scary and I thought the stuff she added to the water was making my skin itch so I started to drain it. At that point, the owner opened the door and came in and was reaching over my naked body explaining the computer that regulates temperature. I shouldn't be surprised by the bathroom visit from a stranger since they have communal bathhouses in Japan, but even I was a little shy. Well, after my naked tutorial, I finished draining the tub and refilled it. The water comes out ice cold and then it circulates through a heater to the desired temperature. It took 15 minutes for the water to warm up and during that time Eva was barricading herself in the room. She stacked food, bags, jackets, etc because she was scared of the pink water and didn't want to take a bath in it. When Peter came to fetch her he told her the pink water was gone and she happily came along. Today was nice. Maybe I won't cry in the morning.

PS- thanks to all the 2nd hand smoke I think the kids have smoked the equivalent of an 1/8 of a cigarette by now. ;)

PSS- the 2 middle boys are on a constant mission to find change that has been dropped. Many times we find Josiah on the floor next to a ticket or vending machine. Money found to date by 8 yr old--172 yen ($1.72). Entertainment and joy it brings--priceless.

Weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning…(Psalm 30:5)
Truth, especially if the day includes monkeys and bamboo groves.

Arashiyama

Monkey Mountain Park

I love their signs

When Eva saw me doing this today she said, "We didn't die on the monkey mountain." I inquired how she thought we might die. She responds, "The monkeys didn't hurt us." Good call on my part not taking them to the park in Nara full of wild roaming deer. Apparently, small monkeys were scary enough for a little one.