Trip to Japan.

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It has been over five years that I haven’t been to Japan. We were due to go in 2020, but due to the pandemic……

From that time to this, my father-in-law had passed away and my mother-in-law has dementia. My daughter went to university and my son is a hikkikomori and is doing his GCSEs.

I have not gotten fitter and now have a high BP.

I have also started an allotment, which I hated doing when I was a lass, but maybe it’s my age……

Anyway, I went to Japan over the winter holidays and had a great time visiting. We went to Universal Studios Japan, Himeji Castle, Oksaka, Niigata, Akihabara, Warabi, Fuji mountain.

Also visited my mum- in-law, sister in law, her hubby and kids. My son hung out with his first cousins and I hung out with my friends.

Bittersweet coming back home, but am planning on going again ASAP.

Lots of changes in 2021

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I wanted my daughter to wear a kimono for a big birthday coming up, so I asked a few Japanese friends, who introduced me to a lady. We went to see her collection of Kimono’s and after choosing one, she came over to dress her. I have added some pictures from the photoshoot.
娘に大きな誕生日の着物を着てもらいたかったので、日本人の友達に聞いてみたら、女性を紹介してくれました。 私たちは彼女の着物のコレクションを見に行きました、そして、1つを選んだ後、彼女は彼女に服を着せるためにやって来ました。 写真撮影の写真をいくつか追加しました。

Should I worry?

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So, as a black person, I have had to worry alot about my firstborn as she looks alot like me and I have had to talk to her about the way she may be treated in regards to her skin colour. I don’t know if black people in the UK have the culture about having ‘the talk’ with their parents at a young, (sometimes very young) age, but I have had talks/discussions over the years with her.

My problem is now my son. Even though he is half black, he very much looks like his dad, who is Japanese.

In April/May 2020, My hubby told me that there were attacks in the town that he works in against Chinese people. I didn’t really believe it, but there were pictures going around in that area at the time.

It has been about a year since then and upon hearing that there are hate crimes against ‘Asians’, (basically Chinese looking people) in the USA, I was not so shocked as the language used about Covid-19 and it’s origins ignited a fire that enabled this behaviour.

As I live in the UK, I didn’t think anything of it but I have heard of some places where these attacks have happened in the US and Europe.

Now, I am worrying about my son. When I first thought about ‘Asians’ in the UK, when I was younger, this meant people from Indian/Pakistani heritage but now this includes ‘Oriental’ (yes I know that this term is not PC/old school but I still have to catch up with new terms after I have been away from the UK when PC stuff were being developed) people which is why I am worried.

As far as I know, there hasn’t been any attacks where I live but I am still worrying. Am losing sleep over him going to school and back.

Now that the UK is opening up, I fear for his development when he want to go out more. I have told him about being aware of his surroundings but …..

#ukjpliving #blasian #blackjapanese

Coivd-19 update unlocking the UK in 2021.

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So, it has been over a year since the UK had it’s first lock down.

They went back to school, last Autumn, then had to stay at home again and back again in February and now have Easter holidays.

During that time my son has only had his hair cut once and that was by his sister back in the Autumn.

Now that the PM has said that more of the economy will be reopening, I can’t wait until he can go to the barber’s because he has an Afro worthy of any I have ever seen. He looks like his dad but his hair is like mine.

I was told that there are a lot of Japanese young people wanting to have an afro, nowadays,so I guess that I am glad that this is natural as it looks like a lot of young people are taking a looonng time to master having Afro hair.

By the way, his hair is dry. Typical teenager.

https://japantoday.com/category/features/lifestyle/afro-textured-hair-in-japan-decolonizing-the-afro

#blasian #jp/ukliving #ilovejapan #blackbritishjapanese

Mixed emotions.

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Today has been a mixed feelings kind of day in regards to VJ Day.
Firstly I didn’t know that it was a ‘thing’ in the UK. Just assumed it was more of a USA thing.
Secondly, although I know a lot about the history (and I will assume that some distant relative from with Asian and/or the Caribbean fought in it, as my heritage is Indian and Jamaican) it wasn’t on my radar to celebrate, just to acknowledge as a black person that not only white people fought in the 2nd WW. I was taught this when I was a kid.
Thirdly, as I am married to a Japanese person, I felt a bit awkward about the celebrations.
and Fourthly, I will have to teach my kids a lot more about their heritage in regards to the war involving ethnic minorities.

Black lives matter in my house is a complex thing in what to celebrate in regards to the diversity of my little unit.
Still, everyday is a school day and knowledge is good.

P.S. Usually I would be in Japan in August, so I would not have been fully aware of this day as I would observed the bombings and VE day as the norm.
Hope this makes sense?
Am now going to watch Merry Christmas Mr Lawrence and Tenko.

My Covid19 life. Part 1

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So I got a call, at work, from my hubby informing mw that his father had died suddenly, in Japan.

Messages from my sister-in-law, followed .

We scrambled around for a few hours and hubby bought his ticket to Japan. A few days later my children had to stay at home and be home schooled due to the Prime Minister ordering a restrictive rule for the population to practice social distancing.

The first two weeks of hubby being away, I was like a mad woman as I tried to get th kids (16 &13) to do more in the house.

My 16 year old has to be tweaked abit, but my 13 year old (GAWD and still is GAWD)

Like alot of parents, there is/was no way that I could help teenagers do their school work as my 16 year old is doing A Levels that I didn’t do and my 13 year old can’t be bothered to do his.

So I decided to get them to start doing the house maintenance

 

Nettie’s World – 2020. Reflection.

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This year marks twenty-five years ago that I went to live in Japan.

The hubby kids and I were having brunch and was watching a Japanese news programme, when it talked about the Hanshin earthquake in 1995.

It reminded me that I was preparing to go and live the rest of my life in Japan. A dream that I had since the age of ten, after watching The Water Margin and Monkey. Shogun and Karate Kid sealed it for me.

I realised that if I hadn’t made that decision, then I would not have the family unit that I have.

#jpukliving #ilovemyfamily #blackjapanesefamily

I realise that my family unit is still rare in Japan and in the UK, but I am so glad that I made that decision.

This year I will be going to a Robin of Sherwood Convention, going to see alot of 80’s band’s celebrating their anniversaries. E.g. Level 42, Simple Minds, Go West and others.

Back to the eighties for me.

Am also trying to go to the Olympics in Tokyo, as I was a Games Maker in London 2012, but was unsuccessful to be one in Tokyo. Will just have to go and soak up the energy. Gambarimasu.

Robin of Sherwood one day convention -The Sheriff of Nottingham -episode

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Last weekend I went to the Robin of Sherwood one day event (although a bit late).

It is an honour and a privillage to be this geeky, as I met my RoS family that I have known since 2014.

On display were the original costumes from the series that the cast members wore. The last time I saw them was in Nottingham on 1985 when the cast came to Sherwood Forest to promote the third series with Jason Connery as the new Robin.

It was such a delight and I thank James Deval for rescuing them.

As expected the Hooded Man Events are put together by Barnaby Eaton-Jones who was able to get Nikolas Grace ( The Sherriff of Nottingham), Mark Ryan (Nasir), Valentine Pelka (Sarak) and Clive Mantle (Little John) with a new cast member Carla Medonca, who plays a witvh hunter in the audios that are available.

Jason Connery sent us a message as he was not able to attend

It was a great day out and I can’t wait for Hooded Man event 2020.

Will keep you posted.

Blessed be.