if everyone else is doing it, why not me

Okay, so I figure it's high time I hopped on the blogging bandwagon. It may take me awhile to find my stride, but I intend to use this space to promote great writing, to explore issues of living and parenting in Japan, and whatever else comes up.

At the moment, we are gearing up for the annual Culture Festival at my six year old daughter's school, the Tokushima School for the Deaf. I sat through the three hour dress rehearsal yesterday (not altogether by choice) and will sit through nearly the exact same thing on Sunday, when the real deal takes place. Highlights: my daughter appears in the Dinosaur Samba and the play "Tebukuruo," aka "The Mitten" in which she is a dog. The mothers at the deaf school have spent the last month or so making costumes for the play and handmade refrigerator magnets for the bazaar.

My daughter started coughing a few days ago, which led all the mothers and teachers to urge me to take her to the hospital right away. I did take her to a pediatrician, who prescribed antibiotics (!) among other things, but the mothers told me I should get more and stronger medicine because what if she gets worse and can't make it to the culture festival????? I suggested that she take a couple days off of school if they were so worried about her. They thought I was out of my mind.