Japanese Women and the Cleaning of Ears

So Kawaii!

Seriously, what is the deal with Japanese women and cleaning others people's ears?

I've never heard of an american girl cleaning their boyfriends ears. If you even suggested it to them, I bet you would get some strange looks.  Or be out a girlfriend.

My Japanese girlfriends have enjoyed having me lay down on their lap as they put a special ear cleaning stick in my ear.

We shall refer to it as The Probe.

REVIEW: Deuter Kid Comfort III Kid Carrier Backpack

So, wanna carry your kid around, but don't want to have them in those kangaroo pouch looking things? Want to have them on your back, but also want to bring baby gear?  Are you into real hiking, and know what a hydration pack is?  Then this is the pack for you.

If you know a little bit about this pack and you're on the fence about it, then I'd say save yourself some time and stop reading now, and click buy.  You won't regret it.  Unless you're near broke, and need food instead of a backpack, then you might have some regrets.

REVIEW: Fisher-Price Zen Collection Cradle Swing

One of the things that people first think about when they find out that they are going to have a baby is a swing.  Swings offer parents the ability to soothe their baby if they are being fussy, and rock them to sleep as they are drifting off to dreamland.  Most of all, Swings offer parents the ability to free up their hands for other activities, like folding baby clothes, preparing bottles or pumping, or even feeding themselves!

So, what does this swing have to offer?

Girl's Day / Hinamatsuri ひな祭り and 100 days / okuizome おくいぞめ

Girls day.  This is not a holiday that Americans are familiar with.  The closest thing that we could associate with it is Mothers Day, of Fathers Day.

This holiday is for little girls though, think of it as a Children's Day, for girls.

Of course, there is a Boy's day as well, which is May 5th.  So things even out.

Also, 100 days for the baby is a special milestone as well.

For 100 days, we should have Octopus たこ, a whole Sea Bream 鯛, and Red bead rice.


For girls day, we should have chirashi sushi (my favorite!) or clam soup.

Instead, we had a whole Red Cod, Octopus, and Red Bean rice. 

Close enough.

New Best Friends

So our little girl has made some new friends.  Her new friends comfort her while she is feeling lonely, and soother her to sleep.  However, sometimes her new friends inexplicably abandon her, especially when she needs them most.  She doesn't understand their behavior or disappearance, just that she wants to be with her friends, but they are not longer there.

Who are her new friends?  Her fingers, and especially her thumb.