One of my memories of Australia

More than 10 years ago, I travelled Australia for a year on a working holiday visa.

I experienced, felt many things during my time there.

They are precious experiences of course and I will never have a chance like that anymore in my life.

But, I didn't look back at all since I came back to Japan because of the busy days after that.

 It is funny but I suddenly remembered some of them last night and I took out my diary I wrote in Australia.

 Today, I would like to write about one of those memories of Australia and put my child rearing stories to the side. 

 When I was in Australia, Darwin,  I was mainly working  as a housekeeper in my boss's house. 

I have many experiences under this boss but that story will be next time.

 I asked my  boss to have a week off. I really wanted to go to Exmouth to swim with Whale Sharks. 

 She willingly accepted to encourage me to experience Australian things.

 I booked a Greyhound bus and headed for Exmouth.

 After the long run, fortunately I could have a good sleep in the bus because I brought a sleeping bag with me so that it was not so cold.

I visited the facility of the whale shark swimming, where I felt nostalgic.

In fact, I visited there once but it was the wrong season for swimming.

At that time, I swore to myself, 'I will try again!'.

 I booked the swimming for the next day. Finally my dream was about to come true.

 At night, I thought to go around the facility and went out from the lodge. It was so cold like winter but during the daytime it was scorching hot!!

Australian weather was very interesting.

 I could see so many stars in the sky. I want to say aloud but the stars were so difference, the numbers ,the size and the shining.

I could see them and it felt like they were not so far away. I was so impressed by the gorgeous scenery that I was shuddering.

 The next day, it was a fine day. Including me, there were about 6 of us diving that day. Everyone seemed to be excited of course. After the ship was in the location where whale sharks often turned up, the staff were looking for them using binoculars. We were waiting for a while chatting,  then the staff shouted, 'He they are! come on everybody jump!'

 We were suddenly agitated by the news. 'OH the time has come!!  Oh, my god, who's first????'

 Everyone hesitated to jump in at this stage. The staff called my name, 'Naoko! come on!' so I jumped from the ship.

When I was in the sea, HE WAS JUST THERE opening his big mouth and coming toward me.

I  just tried to swim aside not to bump him and he was swimming straight just like nothing happened.

And I tried to swim following him by his side. He was just about 1m from me. He was so~~~ big, about 12meters long.

I couldn't believe that such a tremendous creature was just 1meter from me.

 I felt how amazing nature is and how small humans really are. 

I didn't want to lose any second of the chance so I swam  as hard as I could.

I was lucky because I had a confidence to swim so I could keep up with him until he was gone but, some other participants could not follow.

After he was gone, we saw 5 or 6 more whale sharks of varying sizes. It was incredible. 

It was one of my great memories in Australia.

I think I will never experience this anymore in my life....and this memory I will never lose from my heart.

Parents and children excursion

Yesterday, I went to Wakayama Park Zoo at Wakayama Castle for a children's excursion.
The weather was fine, not too hot, not too cold.

I was taking my two daughters by myself which was a big task. I pushed a buggy for my second daughter with one hand and held hands with my first daughter with the other hand.
When I am in this situation, I always have to pay attention to my first daughter so she does not move away from me. .

We arrived at the meeting place of the zoo, many kids and parents were already there.
They seemed excited and happy just like my daughters.

After few minutes we headed for the Zoo, my first daughter said, "I'm hungry. Are we going to eat Obento? "
I said, " It is still early for lunch. We will eat Obento after looking around the Zoo."

In the zoo, there were some animals. First we looked at the penguins. They were swimming in the pool and popping out from the pool and waddling around. 

They were cute and many kids were absorbed in watching them.
I said to her, "See? That little penguin is cute." but she didn't say anything.
Rather I enjoyed watching adorable penguins.

Next there were little monkeys in the cage. They were climbing up and down and jumping right and left restlessly.

I said to her, "Look! That monkey jumped so well." She was not interested then she said, "Are we going to eat Obento?"
I said, "Not yet, after looking at all animals."
All she cared about was eating Obento. I wondered if she was not excited at all like the other kids. 

Gradually she was in a bad mood, maybe she was sleepy and tired.
She said, "I'm tired. I want to sit." then I said, "OK, let's sit on the bench over there." We left our group and sat on the bench for a while.
When our group was coming, I was about to follow but she did not want to walk. Finally, she cried out loud.
When she made difficulties, it was a kind of hard.

Oh~ What should I do?? It is impossible to move her because I have to push a buggy....At that time one teacher came to us and talked to her.
"What's wrong with you? Are you ok??? Come with me and soon we will eat Obento." then the teacher walked with her holding her hand.

I was so relieved because I did not want her to cry on and on while the other kids had fun.

I appreciated her following the teacher.
As soon as she heard we were eating Obento, she walked briskly and completely fine. 

It was like a lie of her bad mood just a little before.

At the lunch place, she ate a lot and seemed to be satisfied.

After eating lunch we were free to roam by ourselves. 

We said good bye to teachers and headed to the carpark.
She said to me, "I saw penguins, monkeys, birds, rabbits. I saw many! Obento was so yummy~~~~." She was very cheerful.

I was also happy to know she enjoyed the excursion.

My second daughter enrolled Hoikuen.

_{On 4th of April, it was my second daughter's ceremony for entering Hoikuen.}

_{It was a very fine day and not so cold. Until this day, I had to take my daughters to a different hoikuen everyday, it was a kind of a task.}

_{I went to the Hoikuen and got into her class room first.}

_{Her teacher welcomed us with a smile and said, ' Congratulations !' and put a motif for ceremony on my daughter’s chest.}

_{The ceremony took place on the second floor.}

_{Still she was very gentle because everything was a new experience for her.}

_{These days, she is VERY active.} 

_{She can stand up holding things and walk a couple of steps gradually, catch things by herself.}

 _{Now she is like a lump of curiosity.}

_{I will never know what she will do.} 

_{She does not like to be hugged. She wants to move by herself so I have to follow her all the time.}

 

_{I sat on the chair holding her on my feet and waited for the ceremony to start wishing to finish soon.}

_{After a few seconds, she tried to get out of my grip and move. During the ceremony, she tried to search the room creeping around touching everything around her.}

_{I had to follow her and stop and come back to our seat. Then next, she grabbed another parents bags, slippers, held other parent's legs and stood up.}

_{I had to say 'Sorry' each time. At the end, she tore the motif off from her chest before taking a class picture. OH~!!}

 

_{On the other hand, surprisingly, kids around us were so gentle and sat with their mothers and stayed. They were watching us.}

_{HOW DIFFERENT!}

 

_{I thought my kid was unbearably cute.} 

 

 
 

Children are parents of mirror?

 

  The other day, we were having dinner. I made rice ball and side dishes
such as, meat balls, cucumber salad, Chinese chive stir-fry etc. for my first daughter. Meat balls is her favourite. I was sure that she would eat them all first. I reminded her. 'Please eat all your dishes, not just the meat balls, OK?'
She said, 'Yes.'

  When I was busy feeding my second daughter she smiled at me mischievously and then squeezed a rice ball with her both hands. 'Look Mum!' she said, showing her hands with lots of rice all over them. 'Don't play with your food. Eat the rice on your hands as well”, I said. She said, 'No way’ and she was kneading rice on her hands. Looking at her, I continued, 'If you waste food, I won't give you food anymore!' Then she tried to eat it all.

   After licking all the rice off her hands she said,'Gochisosamadeshita' and left the table. As I expected, she only ate the meat balls. I said, 'Eat the other side dishes.' She said, 'I don't want them.' After an argument, I retorted, 'If you only eat the meat balls, I won't give you meat balls anymore!' Then she ate all the food without any hesitation.

  I think it is especially important to scold kids firmly when they waste food. As a result, she obeyed what I said. However, I was not satisfied at all. I wondered if how I scolded her was right. It is said that punishment won't  get to a kids heart.
They obey just because they do not like to be punished.

  I said to myself, why was I such a scolding mother?Why was I irritated by such a mere childish attitude? To begin with, why could I not be gentle? 
I thought the reason was not the kids but the reason would be in myself.

When I was pondering, she said,

'Mum, smile cheerfully~.'

It got to my heart directly.

Admire the Flower

今回、英語でブログを書く余裕がなく、日本語で書いています。
（次回は今回のような文章を英語で書けるよう挑戦したいです！）

早いもので、もう今年度も終わりに差し掛かっています。
春の訪れとともに、新しい人生をスタートさせる人も多いのではないでしょうか。

私の下の娘も、ようやく保育園に入園することになりました。
入園式は４月４日　晴天であることを願っています。

ところで、日ごろから・仕事、育児、家事・やらで、一息つくことも少ないですが、
癒される瞬間があります。それは花を鑑賞するときです。

ガーデニングも好きで、それは実家の母が四季折々の花苗を買ってきては
玄関先にいつも植えていた影響かもしれません。物心つくころから一緒に土を触りだし、
今では、店先で花苗が売られているとつい足をとめ、わかってはいるけれど、
「衝動買い・無駄使い」をしてしまう私です。

そして、これからの春の季節。花の苗が一番流通する季節。気分がうきうきする季節です。

私の家の庭には、すでに沢山の花が植えてあるのですが、花をみつけると魅了されてしまうので、植えるスペースがなくなるまで買ってしまいそうです。今はまだ寒気に吹かれ開花できていない花達も、春になると一斉に繁茂しだし、その成長をみることと、その美しさによってまるで心が清浄潔白になれるような気分にさせてもらえます。花によっては冬の寒さに厳しくあてられたほうが、春の開花がすばらしいものがあり、まるで人が逆風に鍛えられて逞しい人になれるのと同じだな、と感じます。

WIXASの事務所にも植物がおいてありますが、生花・植物がある空間では、交感神経活動
（緊張・ストレスを感じる神経）が低下する、反対に副交感神経活動（休息・リラックス）
が上昇するという効果が、医学的に証明されているという研究結果があるそうです。

私の家の玄関にも、必ず花を生けるようにしています。（行きつけのスーパーで、いつも生花が売っているからですが・・・格安で）

娘たちにも、花のように、自分らしく美しく成長してほしいものです。