A Month of Staying Home

Hello everyone. How are you? It’s an anxious time for the world and a tragic time for many. We can only hope the world learns from this and realises just who the essential workers really are in our societies.

Schools here closed on the 3rd February so it’s been a month now of the boys at home with me. I’m going a bit nutty but only need to watch the news to get some perspective. I’d like to write about the more positive aspects of this social distancing and what it has meant for my family.

First thing is that we have spent a lot of time together. In the last year this hasn’t been the case as Japan has a tendency to invest as much time in everything as there are waking hours to the day. People leave for work before 7am and most get home after 9pm, 14 hour days being nothing unusual. Kids go to school, come home, then go to juku (cram school), come home and go to bed. Sports clubs meet often and for long periods (T’s basketball is four to five times a week, often full days at weekends; H’s volleyball met every Saturday, Sunday and national holiday). The adults who run the clubs are volunteers and I am grateful for them, but I believe children need variety in their lives, the time to experience a whole range of activities and importantly, the time to be bored! Professional athletes don’t train for 8 hours in a day (I believe I am correct in saying that).

So, grumble over, what have we done with this gift of time together? I’ve finally had time to practice English reading with the boys, which considering Haruki is about to start JHS, is none too soon! Both of them have cooked. We’ve played games together, watched movies together and Eriko has actually been home for dinner some days.

With the cooking, we were going round the world for a while. Mexican, Italian, American, British, Chinese, Korean and of course Japanese. But that faded a bit, mainly because I was putting on weight. Not moving around as much and eating high-calorie food which simply must be accompanied by beer, is a dangerous combination!

The games we’ve played have been some of the old favourites like Castle Panic and Small World, and also new friends like Zombiecide. Last game Haruki slew a horde of shufflers with a Great Sword, Tomoki took down numerous Walkers & Runners with an Orcish Crossbow (which can be used as a melee weapon – cool!), and I kept missing the damn undead goons with my short bow (I was an Elf, had a +1 to my die roll so only needed a 2 or above; rolled a 1 several times…”Doh!”). Great co-op game!

I’ve also had time to read more. Currently reading The Necromancer’s House by Christopher Buehlman at night and “Grotesque” by Kirino Natsuo in the day. Recently finished “The Wolf of Oren-Yaro” by K.S. Villoso and “Genesis Rising” by Elle Lewis.

We did manage one social gathering with some friends and I put on the chef’s apron. Did pretty well, if I do say so myself.

And Haruki graduated from elementary school! Can’t believe it’s been six years!

Please stay safe everyone! Please think about all the people working right now because we need them. Please keep in touch with loved ones and maybe drop a line to old friends. You never know who might need a friendly text/mail/voice right now.

Hoping next time I write, we will be past the worst. Though whenever I say something like that, I always think that for some, the worst happened and life will never be the same.

PS Please check out Buckmaster Books on Facebook. I’ve been running more giveaways than usual recently, mainly because I haven’t been doing much so have a bit more spare coin at present. “Toss a coin to the Witcher…” Never far from my brain, that one.

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