Family Email

We like to send out emails to our friends and family to let them know what is going on in our lives. I thought I would post it on the blog for those who we may not have sent the email to and just read the blog. You will get a glimpse into my husband's fabulous sense of humor as he is the one who comes up with the emails for Christmas letters. I simply proof read them for his grammar mistakes, leaving a few in there for his friends and family to use to make fun of him with. Enjoy.

Konichiwa friends and family,
I hope all is well with you all and sorry we are sending this impersonal mass e-mail rather than write a note specifically to you. We just thought it’s been 7 months since we left the states and it would be a good time to send you a mile marker report. Well, we are making it somehow; but last month was very tough for us. We simply missed our family, friends, and the way of things in the U.S. Here are the top 10 things we can say we missed beside you guys:

10) Large size drinks : Okay, so everything is small and efficient here but for crying out loud, when I am thirsty, I am thirsty… a 5 ounce cup just doesn’t do the justice.
9) Grass : not to smoke, but Tokyo is just one big concrete / asphalt jungle; we miss the green space in the south.
8) Car : It would be crazy to own a car in Tokyo. Constant traffic jams, no parking spaces, and they drive on the left side of the road and the driver side is on the right.
7) Backyard Grill : Well, nobody really has a back yard here and they don’t allow grills on the small patio we have on our apartment. Since there is no Wal-mart or Sears, we wouldn’t know where to buy our grill set anyway.
6) Enchilada : Plain and simple, we miss American version of Mexican food.
5) Kroger : Some would say, oh Americans are so wasteful and sinful for having so much selections and amount of food at our grocery store.. well, you don’t hear that from us.
4) Diet Coke : I guess Japanese don’t have much reason to drink diet coke.. besides Kan.
3) Gym : $1000USD for annual membership and $200 for initial joining fee… hmmmm… and all they have are 5 treadmills and a few weights? You got to be kidding me… you get more exercise getting to the gym since it’s a 30 min walking distance.
2) Saturday / Sunday afternoon Football : what can we way.. we came to the country where football means soccer… don’t get me wrong, I love soccer but I was taught Saturday and Sunday afternoons are for American football.
1) Summer Vacation : so we had a fancy summer vacation in small exotic Asian island this year for the first time, but there is nothing like family vacation where you eat junk food until 2:00am or later, play games, and go through the drama of getting mad at each other for silly things until the next family event… hey… we miss it.

But there are many things we have gained and we like… give us a few more months and we can share our top 10 through our Christmas letter, but one thing we are looking forward to is our made in Japan child!
Yes sir and ma’am, we are expecting! It will be an adventure going through pregnancy in Tokyo, but we’ve found a doctor who speaks English, and came with high regards so we are in good hands.
Miyako already got to see her sibling through the ultrasound and knew it was a “baby.” The next Kawashima should be here sometime in late April or early May of 2011.

Well, this is our latest news, but how are things with you? We would love to know, so please share with us when you have a few seconds.


In Him,
Kan, Shari and Miyako