Science Thursday! Funnily enough, both girls were working on weather today, I love it when the work load lines up so effortlessly. I tell you what though, I never learned names of types of clouds in school in Norway. No wonder all the Canadians go “oh look, a cumulus cloud”!
After lunch, the girls and I decided to head to the mall. We took the bus down to Abenobashi, and as soon as we walked into Uniqlo, we found some t-shirts we really liked. When approaching the staff about different sizes, they told us these were the customized shirts, and we were invited to make our own t-shirts on a tablet. Both girls got very excited, and we designed their shirts for pickup an hour later.
What does one do in a big mall when there’s not enough time to do everything one wants to do, but also one needs a treat? One runs to the ice cream store that gives out funny animal shaped cookies, of course!
Téa picked her usual vanilla and was given a rabbit cookie, Maylin added strawberry sauce and got an ox, and I chose matcha and got a polar bear.
After a quick hunt for shorts for Téa, unsuccessful, we went back to pick up our shirts, and headed for the bus back. Today is bouldering day after all, and we need to hurry home for dinner before we catch the train. Joe made a delicious pork stirfry for dinner, and off we went for the subway.
One of the things I’ve been meaning to mention while walking these streets, is how there is no plot of land, no driveways, no lawns, no gardening to be done. People get creative with flower pots in front of their front doors, often blocking “sidewalks” completely. (But more often it’s bikes parked completely across.) The white line signifies the “sidewalk”.
Our Airbnb has a tiny area for planting right next to the front door (and a relatively large plot of overgrown weeds through gravel, but potential garden/parking lot next to the house), and they have a tree and a holly bush growing.
Right across the street from the grocery store, there’s the house below. Check out the beautifully shpaed trees! Bonsai art on a larger level.
So on our walks to and from the subways, we come across funny little things that we see, and they get forgotten in the daily recaps of our adventures. Today seemed like the perfect day to fit some of these photos in!
Space is always an issue in this, the 10th most populous city in the world. So people get creative! Flower pots for large trees, and if your car doesn’t quite fit into your garage, just ram a rag on your hood, and lower the door anyways!
While the girls and Joe went to bouldering class, I got a full hour to go find some shops around the station. I was looking for Téa’s shorts still, but the mall I was in had the type of kids department that individually wrapped each item in plastic, and made their manequins look like little lords and ladies. Not quite our style, and also not our budget…
My own shopping trip was finally successful, though! I ended up finding a couple of things I’ve been needing, I just needed some time to browse in my own tempo. Of course, two baumkuchen also made it into my shopping cart, but we’ll save those for tomorrow.
Tomorrow we’ve got plans! So we hurried home and headed to bed early.
Det er utrolig mye dere får med dere hver dag! Spennende lesning!
The car sticking out of the garage is hilarious. I enjoyed you pics of the homes, and garden space. I’m also getting jealous of all the desserts?
Takk for det, Mette! Ikke hver dag er like spennende, men vi prøver å kose oss litt hver dag!
I’d send some in the mail, but most of what we eat would melt and drip through your envelope… Glad I made you smile with the car in the garage, exactly why I took that photo!
I’m guessing the semi garage cover was mostly to partially protect it from the elements as it doesn’t look very secure. Is that the only car on the block? I didn’t see any others in your pictures. It is both somewhat ingenuous, and quite funny.
So, I need to ask. I’m sure you explained it at some point but I missed it. What is bouldering?
Bouldering is kind of like rock climbing, but indoors and with thick mats below. Photo in Thursday’s post!
No, it was not the only car on the block, most cars are in built in car ports under homes, I’ll try to remember to take another picture another day.