tokyo :: bits and pieces

if you haven't figured by now, im like REALLY trying to catch up on vacation pictures! there are sooo many awesome memories i want remember! but at the same time i don't want to be talking about it ten months after it has passed!! 

so we're already in melbourne by now, and here is a whole torrential downpour of chicago/tokyo posts scheduled in my absence!! so if you are sick of our faces, check in after the new year!! 

in the meantime...

hello tokyo!!

for those who have been reading our blog for a bit, you'd find this background familiar! its our lobby of our apartment! took a tonne of pictures here and in our japanese garden! we thought it was cute to take blake back to where he used to live (in our tummy)...

well.. he couldn't care less!!

p.s. muumuu! we took a picture of "your tree" for you! remember back in the days when you actually went for walks, you lazybum!?

this picture was taken at 6am of a kid who woke up, got hungry, got down from his bed, while his parents were still snoring, found a granola bar and bit through the wrapper. once again got busted because he was enjoying it a bit too much and couldn't contain his excitement yelling "mumumumMUM!!"

it was then that we realized that resistance is futile! 

and he started eating full-on adult food! :)

we've had a few emails from people travelling to tokyo for christmas! 

what did blake eat seem to be the most pressing question... he pretty much ate what we ate. there was a lot of grilled fish, chawanmushi, yaki-tamago, fruit, yogurt, miso soup and rice, udon... whenever possible, we asked the chefs to prepare him something with less sauce (sukoshi tare), less salt (sukoshi shiyo) or if you reckon your server/chef would know, you can say "food for baby" (akachan no tabe)*

and if in doubt, we found a range of pigeon baby food that blake LOVED from isetan baby department. its rated for babies 12 mo - 24 mo so it's chunkier textures with more adventurous flavors! he loved it even when we fed it to him cold. and we fed him regular water!!

ooooo mama! i totally get art! :) 

and cute japanese chicks! kawaii ne!

another thing that i learnt travelling in japan, most moms prefer baby-carrying. almost everyone used an ergobaby while going around town. and i figured out why! most of the metro stations have poor access to lift or escalators, unless you're super well researched or patient, you always end up having to carry the stroller up HUGE flights of stairs. once moms get to a mall/department store, they will rent a stroller (usually free) and pop their child in! most places have nice clean strollers. midtown mall even offers bugaboo bee complete with a full demo and assistance to load your baby in! very swish and impressive!

what i haven't figured out is how they go around town with their baby and the teenytiniest of dainty purses! looks like i need to pick up a tip or two! :) 

*daniel would like to add that he would usually speaks more politely in japanese but this is shorter and easier to remember! 

xx