Nihon ryouri

I love our meal times here in Malaysia!  That's when I get to think through the many options we have and come up with something that, at that moment, the stomach feels is superior above the rest.  Nasi lemak!  Penang laksa!  Char kuay teow!

But there was this one day when tummy shouted "Japanese!"  Sure, it's a just a couple of weeks more before we can get our hands on seriously authentic Japanese food, but it's quite hard to resist when the kids also join in with your tummy to chant, "udon! udon! udon!"

So we gave in and settled for a pretty decent Japanese lunch here.  The best part: it satisfied our year-long craving and yet didn't change our desire for some seriously authentic Japanese food when we return to Japan!

The restaurant: Sushi Zanmai, 1Utama, Bandar Utama.

Hanging out in PJ

Despite being jet-lagged and sick more than half the time we've been here, we've still thankfully managed to attend parties, hang out with friends, and eat out a fair bit. I think we've had more social activities here this month than a whole year combined in Japan. And it's no wonder that Minori is asking over and over whether we can "ask daddy to come to Malaysia... I don't want to go back to Japan!"

It's an irony. We've heard over and over that the country is unsafe, we hear about all kinds of crimes on a daily basis, well-meaning friends and family tell us that it's "better for the children to be in Japan" ... and yet the people here seem happier. Most people whom we have met, whether friends or just people we bump into in the same apartment elevator or the makcik who comes to clean my mom's apartment once a week have been so friendly and nice, and the girls have picked up on the good vibes.

Could it be that the lack of security causes the people here to take it less for granted and appreciate more the simpler things in life?

Trading outdoor walks and playing in parks with indoor play in PJ, which is cooler (temperature-wise!) and a wee bit safer.

Back!

I realize our blog is going stale!  The last few weeks have been mad so much so that blogging, important as it is, hasn't exactly become a priority.

It's been weeks of packing, moving, battling jet-lag, getting sick, basically just living our crazy and hectic lives!  We're now in Malaysia, enjoying a few stormless days finally.  Minori is back in the same Malaysian kindergarten she went to last year for 2 weeks.  She's been bugging me about sending her to kindergarten since the moment we touched down KLIA.  Who would imagine that this is the same girl who would cry her lungs out and then sob in her sleep at nursery a couple of years ago?!  English is the medium of communication but she picks up some Bahasa Malaysia and Mandarin too.  The kind teachers are full of praise and encouragement for her.  She's so blessed to have this Malaysia kindergarten experience.

I bring Marisa to a playgroup once a week.  Although she didn't complain the first time around... this is my angel second daughter, remember?... she obviously was more comfortable at the second session.  I'm looking forward to our playgroup again tomorrow!

It's so nice to be able to live in familiarity after months (even years!) of being the blur one.  I can't say it's complete familiarity... year after year, PJ/KL becomes less familiar to me.  But meeting with good old friends and their children, and just being in a sea of familiar faces bring about a kind of comfort that can't be experienced anywhere else in the world, no matter how exotic the location.  The novelty wears off.

 Passing down our friendship!

Picture of M&M with K&K (Kayden & Katelyn), adorable children of my friends Adeline and Li Hsing.