Restriction

Below, a recent situation I faced, which encouraged me to send an e-mail out to all of the American staff at NIS

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My fellow Americans,

Imagine my shock when I showed up to the Japan Post this week to mail a package, only to find that the US has placed an air shipping restriction* on all parcels to the US. My limited language capabilities prevented me from finding out why, for how long the ban will remain, or which other countries might fall under the same restriction (my first thought - 'why Japan?') from doing the same. And, although I argued (whined!), "Buuuuuuut, it's Christmas!?!", the nice ladies behind the counter didn't seem to care.

Long story short, at this time, any packages weighing more than 453 grams are not permitted to be shipped from here to there (whether it's Christmas or not).

Wishing you the most festive of Christmas seasons anyway,
Wendy

*shipping by sea, although costly, is still allowed, although travel time is up to 20 days.

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I found the following online after doing a bit more looking in to the situation (http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nn20101117a5.html), which helped me understand.

Regardless, now it seems that my idea of just taking everyone out for dinner next summer (in lieu of prezzy buying for all) was a fortuitous one...

When left to their own devices...

A few years ago, I bought some red tinsel with green stars that, year after year, I hang around the Smartboard during the holidays.

Well, today, we had a decorating party, and I was pulling out all of the decorations for the kids to out out (this year, I decided to put them in charge - they had free reign to decorate however they wanted to) and the red tinsel came out with it. I left it on the counter, and about five minutes later, asked Mrs. A to put it up around the Smartboard. But, it was missing!

We (Mrs. A. and I) looked all over for it before realising that Arshiya had taken the liberty of decorating out lone palm tree with it, right along with paper
candy canes made by Ash and Molly, and a couple of small ornaments Mana had brought in! It was just hilarious, because the tinsel was allotted for one thing, but without guidance, the kiddos found a better place for it, and had the whole tree done without us being any the wiser.

Little-known secret

When I was little I used to stick Sixlets up my nose. You know, those little, round, tiny, chocolate candies? Well, Mom used to go out to warm up the car early in the morning, and before she'd leave (and mind you, she'd only be gone for a minute or two), she'd beg me not to - she'd say, 'No Sixlets today, little girl...' Lo and behold, though, when she came back, there would be me sitting there with Sixlets up my nose, and she'd have to pinch them out. That is one of my earliest childhood memories. To this day, I still look at Sixlets with a minuscule longing for the nostalgic feeling of them up my nose...'