KB Moms Coffee and Shinkansen Trip to Yokohama

It took all day yesterday for us to come down from our SuperBowl high. What a day! It was extremely strange for Mike to go to work afterwards and have no one even realize (or care) that the SuperBowl even happened.

Mike got up really early this morning to get a 7:30 Shinkansen Bullet train heading for Yokohama (for a business trip). These sleek quiet trains that travel at insanely high speeds. It is a hair over 2 hours from Osaka to Yokohama! He also got a stellar view of the snow-capped Mount Fuji as they zipped past it.



After dropping the kids at school, Ilena headed over to a local coffee shop where the moms from Jacob's class were gathering for moms' coffee. It was really nice getting to meet all the ladies, get some of the scoop about what other moms do during the day, and get some ideas for extracurricular activities on Rokko Island for the kids. Amazingly, these families all seem to pack up and head out of the country for the summer. Many of them return to their home countries (Korea,Philippines), but some of them head to places like Long Island and Boulder, Colorado. I told them they should all come visit us in New Jersey once we head home.

After coffee, Ilena went to spend the rest of the morning/afternoon with one of the moms (Haroku) who drove her around the nearby town of Ashiya (the Beverly Hills of Kobe). Ashiya is well known for its multitude of bakeries and patisseries - we visited several and brought home treats for everyone to enjoy. After shopping, the ladies headed up the mountain to Haroku's beautiful home, complete with two elevators, breathtaking views of Osaka and Kobe, and a yummy lunch to boot. The time passed quickly and before long, it was time to head back to pick up the kids from school.

Riding as a front-seat passenger on the left side of the car is definitely different, though it started to feel more comfortable by the ride home. Jacob attempted a Tae Kwon Do class after school - still not sure of the verdict on that one yet... We'll keep you posted - we may check out a local futbal (soccer) club tomorrow after school. It seems Lauren and Jacob have been seeing each other at recess each day and their classes are just four doors apart. They are settling into their new life at CA quite well.