1. Becoming a "gaikokujin" mommy::外国人ママになる

Getting pregnant with our first baby was a big change for our household especially because it was only a few months into our marriage -the time when we were still learning the ins and outs of an international marriage in a foreign country.

Anyway, as soon as we confirmed that I was 2 months pregnant, we spent the following days reading about the growth of our as yet unborn child, gathering information on how to give birth in Japan, knowing the employee privileges from our respective companies and most of all, being a gaikokujin here - the legal processes we have to undergo.

The entire preparation process was a bit tiring but full of excitement and fulfilment. Also, I learned a lot not only about the general theories of pregnancy, but also the different practices of pregnancy in my own culture - the Filipino, my husband's - Bangladeshi and the country we live in - the Japanese culture. But in the end, we both agreed that theories on childbirth could be universally right or wrong and that finding the “common ground” between us is what matters most.

It wasn't easy getting pregnant, giving birth and rearing infant in a foreign country, but we were able to cope up, so if you are a gaikokujin expectant, just relax and enjoy waiting for the gift of life :D

Read more...

New Year Greetings! :: あけましておめでとう！

　明けましておめでとうございます。今年もよろしくお願いします！

　クリスマスと年末休みはどうでしたか？
　
　お家は簡単なクリスマスイブディナーでプレゼントの交換でした。日本っぽい過ごし方ですかね。そうかもしれません。ただ、クリスマスディナーにはフィリピンの料理が中心でした。

　一方、年越しのイブには赤白合戦を見ながら、フィリピンの料理を食べていました。フィリピンでは、年越しのイブに料理や果物をいっぱい用意して零時になると食べる習慣があります。これは一年中家庭にいつも食べ物があるようにという意味だそうです。また、日本みたいな年越し蕎麦を食べる習慣もあります。


The simple dinner we had - a Christmas cake from Le Comte

Merry Christmas and a Prosperous New Year!

How was your year end holidays?!

Our family celebrated Christmas Eve/Day just the way Japanese do - eating Christmas cake and exchanging gifts, but most of the foods we prepared were filipino dishes which are serve during special occasions - such as caldereta and leche flan.


As for the New year, we prepared many foods just like what we do in my country. In the Philippines, we try to have plenty of foods and fruits in the dining table during new year - this is to wish that we could always have many foods in our dining table through out the year. We also have the tradition of eating noodles - just like eating "Toshikoshi soba" in Japan, to wish for a longer life.

And while we were eating dinner, of course we were watching the NHK's special year end singing contest.

I miss those days in Nagaoka where I and my friends would be eating mikan and nabe mono under warm kotatsu table while watching this NHK program and snow flakes behind the windows.

Read more...