I’m sure you couldn’t imagine needing this huge bag….but look at all the practical uses for it!  Here are some of my favorite uses for it…

In the Kitchen:

Clean your produce
Wash fruits and vegetables in a pot of cold water with 2-3 table-spoons baking soda; the baking soda will remove some of the impurities tap water leaves behind. Or put a small amount of baking soda on a wet sponge or vegetable brush and scrub your produce. Give everything a thorough rinsing before serving. 
Tenderize meat
Soften it up by giving it a rubdown in baking soda. Let it sit (in the refrigerator, of course) for three to five hours, then rinse it off well before cooking.
Soak out fish smells
Get rid of that fishy smell from your store-bought flounder filets and fish steaks by soaking the raw fish for about an hour (inside your refrigerator) in 1 quart (1 liter) water with 2 tablespoons baking soda. Rinse the fish well and pat dry before cooking.
Fluff up your omelets
For every three eggs used, add 1/2 teaspoon baking soda.
Rid hands of food odors
Get food smells off your hands by simply wetting them and vigorously rubbing with about 2 teaspoons baking soda instead of soap. The smell should wash off with the soda.
Clean baby bottles and accessories
Keep all your baby bottles, nipples, caps, and brushes “baby fresh” by soaking them overnight in a container filled with hot water and half a box of baking soda. Be sure to give everything a good rinsing afterward, and to dry thoroughly before using. Baby bottles can also be boiled in a full pot of water and 3 tablespoons baking soda for three minutes.
Clean a cutting board
Keep your wooden or plastic cutting board clean by occasionally scrubbing it with a paste made from 1 tablespoon each baking soda, salt, and water. Rinse thoroughly with hot water.
Clean your refrigerator
To get rid of smells and dried-up spills inside your refrigerator, remove the contents, then sprinkle some baking soda on a damp sponge and scrub the sides, shelves, and compartments. Rinse with a clean, wet sponge. Don’t forget to place a fresh box of soda inside when you’re done.
Clean your microwave
To clean those splatters off the inside of your microwave, put a solution of 2 tablespoons baking soda in 1 cup water in a microwave-safe container and cook on High for 2-3 minutes. Remove the container, then wipe down the microwave’s moist interior with a damp paper towel.
Remove coffee and tea stains from china
Remove coffee and tea stains by dip-ping a moist cloth in baking soda to form a stiff paste and gently rubbing your cups and saucers. Rinse clean and dry, then set your table with pride.
Clean a thermos
To remove residue on the inside of a thermos, mix 1/4 cup baking soda in 1 quart (1 liter) water. Fill the thermos with the solution — if necessary, give it a going-over with a bottle brush to loosen things up — and let it soak overnight. Rinse clean before using.
Freshen a sponge or towel
When a kitchen sponge or dish towel gets that distinctly sour smell, soak it overnight in 2 tablespoons baking soda and a couple of drops of antibacterial dish soap dissolved in 1 pint (450 milliliters) warm water. The following morning, squeeze out the remaining solution and rinse with cold water. It should smell as good as new.
Shine up stainless steel and chrome trim
To put the shine back in your stainless steel sink, sprinkle it with baking soda, then give it a rubdown — moving in the direction of the grain — with a moist cloth. To polish dull chrome trim on your appliances, pour a little baking soda onto a damp sponge and rub over the chrome. Let it dry for an hour or so, then wipe down with warm water and dry with a clean cloth.
Clean burned or scorched pots and pans
Boil a few cups of water (enough to get the pan about 1/4 full) and add 5 tablespoons baking soda. Turn off the heat, and let the soda settle in for a few hours or overnight.
Deodorize your garbage pail
Clean kitchen garbage pail with a wet paper towel dipped in baking soda. Rinse it out with a damp sponge, and let it dry before inserting a new bag. You can also ward off stinky surprises by sprinkling a little baking soda into the bottom of your pail before inserting the bag.

Remove crayon marks from walls
Has Junior redecorated your walls or wallpaper with some original artworks in crayon? Don’t lose your cool. Just grab a damp rag, dip it in some baking soda, and lightly scrub the marks. They should come off with a minimal amount of effort.
Polish silver and gold jewelry
To remove built-up tarnish from your silver, make a thick paste with 1/4 cup baking soda and 2 tablespoons water. Apply with a damp sponge and gently rub, rinse, and buff dry. To polish gold jewelry, cover with a light coating of baking soda, pour a bit of vinegar over it, and rinse clean. Note: Do not use this technique with jewelry containing pearls or gem-stones, as it could damage their finish and loosen the glue.

Bathtubs and sinks
Get the gunk off old enameled bathtubs and sinks by applying a paste of 2 parts baking soda and 1 part hydrogen peroxide. Let the paste set for about half an hour. Then give it a good scrubbing and rinse well; the paste will also sweeten your drain as it washes down.
Bathroom odors
Keep your bathroom smelling fresh and clean by placing a decorative dish filled with 1/2 cup baking soda either on top of the toilet tank or on the floor behind the bowl. You can also make your own bathroom deodorizers by setting out dishes containing equal parts baking soda and your favorite scented bath salts. 
Toilet bowl
You don’t need all those chemicals to get your toilet bowl clean. Just pour half a box of baking soda into your toilet tank once a month. Let it stand overnight, then give it a few flushes in the morning. This actually cleans both the tank and the bowl. You can also pour several tablespoons of baking soda directly into your toilet bowl and scrub it on any stains. Wait a few minutes, then flush away the stains.

Laundry
Adding 1/2 cup baking soda to your usual amount of liquid laundry detergent really will give you “whiter whites” and brighter colors. The baking soda also softens the water, so you can actually use less detergent. Adding 1/2 cup baking soda in top-loading machines (1/4 cup for front-loaders) also increases the potency of bleach, so you need only half the usual amount of bleach.

Use as plant food
Give your flowering, alkaline-loving plants, such as clematis, delphiniums, and dianthus, an occasional shower in a mild solution of 1 tablespoon baking soda in 2 quarts (2 liters) water. They’ll show their appreciation with fuller, healthier blooms.
Scour barbecue grills
Keep your barbecue grill in top condition by making a soft paste of 1/4 cup baking soda and 1/4 cup water. Apply the paste with a wire brush and let dry for 15 minutes. Then wipe it down with a dry cloth and place the grill over the hot coals for at least 15 minutes to burn off any residue before placing any food on top

On the upside, I am getting used to traveling with the kids in rainy weather. I was so terrible with it the first year I had to take them to school during rainy season. I don’t even know why it was so cumbersome then, but somehow it really was. Perhaps also because at the time the kids were younger and not the independent travelers they are now. 

I should gather a list of more rainy day activities. We usually put up the little tent, which Mindy and Jeff gave us. The kids love to bring their books and toys in there. They just discovered the Nick JR. website which has interactive games. Arisa is too young to navigate the sites, but Keiji is pretty good at it.  Too bad the videos can’t be watched outside of the U.S. though.  

Ahh…I’m looking forward to the end of rainy season…sometime around early August.

It goes to the tune of “Are You Sleeping?” and the words are something like this…

guu choki pare, guu choki pare ぐうちょき ぱあれ ぐうちょき ぱあれ (rock, scissor, paper. rock, scissor, paper) – while singing this part the kids do the appropriate hand signs for rock, scissors and paper

nani tsukuttaroo? nani tsukuttaroo? なに　つくったろう？　なに　つくったろう？ (What shall we make? What shall we make?) – while singing this they usually sway their head and open palms left to right

hidari te wa GU migi te wa PARE 　ひだりて　は　ぐう　みぎ (left hand is “rock.” right hand is “paper.”) – while singing this part, make the rock hand symbol with the left hand, and the paper with the right

herikoptaa herikoptaa ヘリコプター　ヘリコプター (helicopter) – while singing this, place right hand (paper) over left hand (rock) and turn hands to gesture a moving a helicopter

Then you can repeat the song, but changing the ending with either Gu, Choki or Pare with right and left hands. The other possible combination endings can go:

hidari te wa GU migi te wa GU…..yukidaruma  yukidaruma (snowman)

hidari te wa CHOKI migi te was GU….katatsumuri   katatsumuri  (snail)

hidari te wa GU  migi te wa CHOKI….usagi  usagi  (rabbit)

So I guess this is officially the first Japanese kids song I can sing in its entirety without messing up the words.  Or so I think…..

The kids have been talking in their sleep lately, not at the same time of course. When it happens, they both usually sound like they are remembering an earlier squabble. I thought maybe it’s stress from being in nursery school, or watching certain tv shows. They seem fine when they wake up but I wonder still if there is something to prevent it or if they will naturally stop as they get older.

We didn’t make it to Chidorigafuchi or Naka Meguro this year to see cherry blossoms there. From reports I heard, it was very beautiful but also crowded, as expected. We’ll try to make it there one year. We did make it to Yasukuni, but it was too early and the cherry blossoms weren’t in full bloom. So instead, the kids rode their bikes along the Tama River to view the cherry blossoms.

It’s springtime. I’m glad winter is over but I also can’t believe I’ve gone this long without writing one post. Last week was so warm that everyone, including me, was already thinking about the cherry blossom viewing 花見 (はなみ hanami) parties, but the weather fooled us all and dropped to a chilly 11 degrees this entire week. This is usually an eventful time in Japan for kids in school because the graduation ceremonies 卒業式 (そつぎょうしき sotsugyoushiki) are held around the end of March and the new school year begins, opening with the entrance ceremony 入学式 (にゅうがくしき nyuugakushiki) around the first week of April. My kids are still in nursery school and this is the time of year they see off the 6 year olds who are moving onto elementary schools 小学校 (しょうがっこう shougakkou) , then move up to the next group. There was even a graduation ceremony for the kids at the nursery school. When I saw them preparing, all the teachers in their black suits typically worn during formal ceremonies or celebrations here, I must admit, it already made me rather emotional and all the more real to me how Keiji is getting close to elementary school age. But these new beginnings, it’s what spring symbolizes everywhere.

So, I must resume plans for the annual cherry viewing picnic. It’d be nice to go someplace different this year. Someone had mentioned Yasukuni Shrine 靖国神社 （やすくにじんじゃ）area has some nice spots. A lot of people mention Aoyama Cemetery 青山霊園（あおやまれいえん）as being a great cherry blossom viewing area as well, but I’ve also heard that that area has some negative vibes. This year, the top two places I have heard to be nice cherry blossom viewing, mentioned by various students, are Chidorigafuchi Park and the strip along NakaMeguro river. We’ll see what we can find….

When I used to watch Japanese TV dramas that Yuki would rent back in NY, the dramas often had scenes of uniform-clad school kids walking home from school along a path that looked like it was on top of a long, grassy hill. Now I see where they were walking.  In every town in Tokyo a river is always nearby. Along the top of these river banks, or dote どて (for example Arakawa dote 荒川土手 means Arakwaa River banks) is a paved path for joggers, cyclists, or people going for a stroll. You could literally follow the path and go to every town that the river connects. The kids love to go walking along the river. You could kill lots of time there since also along the banks are playgrounds and grassy fields where you’ll find many people practicing sports, flying kites, skating, having picnics or fishing. Time always seem to go by more slowly along these peaceful river banks.