Beeson Boys Go International...

Scott and I decided the boys were old enough that we were willing to take them to an international destination. We decided on Japan since it's such a different culture from ours and we wanted the boys to see where Scott had served his mission. We couldn't have had a better start to the trip- we were able to sit in First Class on the plane. One of the major benefits, besides significantly more room and yummy food offered the entire 12 hour flight, is that the seats can be made to lay flat so that you can sleep.

Three Beeson Boys in a Row

Eli catching some Zzzzz's

We love the seats that make into a bed!

The boys were so enthralled with having their own TV to watch movies and play games on and the toiletry kit they were given with things like a toothbrush and toothpaste, sleeping mask, slippers, ear plugs, etc., we didn't know if they'd even want to get off of the plane. Which the threat of not being able to get off of the plane became all too real when we couldn't find my passport. We all but torn the carpet up and disassembled the seats trying to find it. To say I was sick to my stomach was putting it mildly. There was so much hustle and bustle when we first got on the plane with helping the boys get settled in their seats and stressing as much as we could how essential it was that they be on their very best behavior, that the other passengers had paid thousands and thousands of dollars to be in First Class and we couldn't disturb them, that bags were put in overhead bins and we wanted to be in our seats as quickly and quietly as possible. Long story short, after the Captain calling Seattle to see if I had left it at the check-in counter, the flight attendant spending almost an hour with a flashlight looking in every nook and cranny of the five seats we were occupying, and taking down and opening every carry-on bag and back pack we had brought on. Now we're trying to do all this as QUIETLY  as possible without disturbing the other passengers, but it was obvious to anyone that we were in a crisis. Most of the passengers were Japanese and when Scott explained to them that a passport was lost, they were very concerned. Scott said that is very typical of their culture, if someone is in distress, they want to do what they can to help out. Finally, the passport was found in a backpack. When we showed the passengers we had found out, they all started clapping and cheering. It was touching to see these older Japanese grandma's truly happy and relieved for us. One of many endearing experiences for me as I spent time with the Japanese people.

Once we reached the airport in Koyoto, our first stop was an ATM to acquire some yen and then to figure out how to get where we needed to go on a train. Scott's Japanese was obviously rusty, but was coming back to him the more he was able to speak. How grateful I was to have him there to help us figure everything out! The boys found it quite entertaining to hear him speak Japanese. They'd heard him speak some, but now he had others to actually converse with and they thought it was funny to hear him speak the language. One funny thing that happened at the airport was when we were interviewed for a Japanese TV show. They mostly spoke with Scott once they realized he could speak Japanese. They asked the boys what they wanted to see and do in Japan. They asked me about how Scott and I met and about what jobs we had. Unfortunately, we didn't see the broadcast and I have no idea how they edited it. We could have ended up sounding like some really crazy Americans!

This yen looks like funny money

Scott figures out the trains we need to take to get to our house

How's that for a very large pay phone?

Scott was able to find a house for us to rent while we were there. I was so excited that we were going to be staying right in a neighborhood with the locals versus a hotel room with tourists. The house was even better than I expected! Scott said it reminded him of the houses they stayed in as missionaries. Usually they would put three to four sets of missionaries in one house to help with costs. He said he loved being able to come home at the end of the day and have other elders to talk to , especially if he had an annoying companion. When we first got to the house, Scott said it was amazing how strong his memory was for the SMELLS. He said the smell in the house brought back so many memories of living in Japan.

Out in front of our cute Japanese house

Scott's a bit taller than the average Japanese person

We LOVED having a kitchen! We did try some local fare, but we liked being able to cook food we knew the boys would eat.

Eli must have eggs every morning of his life, including while on vacation in Japan

The boys were thrilled that we were able to Face Time with Grandpa and Grandma, who were dog sitting for us, so that they could see their beloved Harley

The Japanese soaker tubs were wonderful!

The boys slept in the tatami room, which has tatami mats on the floor and a futon mattress to sleep on. Mom and Dad got the "western bed" as they called it.

One of our first activities was just exploring around the area where our house was and also getting to the grocery store.

This little creek ran down the street right by our house. Step carefully or you're in the water.

Scott trying to figure out if what we're buying is really milk.

No wonder these people are so skinny- all of their "snacks" are dried fish and vegetables. Where are the M&M's people?

This is an entrance to a park near our house.

A Popsicle is definitely needed on our warm walks around town.

Our fastest mode of transportation! Just like the locals, pile as many family members as you can on the bike and head to the store. You get to buy as much as fits in the front basket.

I regret that we don't know more about the Buddhist religion and lack in understanding the meaning of their temples and the all the out buildings surrounding them, but we do appreciate their beauty and know they are meaningful to those of that religion. One of our first sites to visit was Nanzenji Temple. It is one of the most important Zen temples and dates back to the mid 13th century.

The massive entrance gate

Placing incense sticks in the pot

There is a massive brick aqueduct that runs through the temple grounds.

This is the top of the aqueduct, where you can see the water passing through

Not sure what this statue is for, but I loved it because it looked like a happy family

After seeing all of the sites at Nanzenji Temple, we followed The Philosopher's Path to Ginkakuji, another Zen temple. The Philosopher's Path is a stone path that follows a canal and is surrounded by trees. It is called The Philosopher's Path because one of Japan's most famous philosophers, Nishida Kitaro, used to practice meditating while walking this path on his daily commute to Kyoto University.

The boys loved this completely ghetto playground we passed by.

Not sure of the religious significance, but some type of shrine we passed on our walk

 We met his darling man who was selling rocks he had painted. We bought one from him that had a painting of the Ginkakuji temple on it. I was so impressed with how happy he was! He obviously has very little as far as material possessions and probably sells enough rocks to just make enough to buy food for the day, but he radiated happiness. He wanted each of us to have a piece of hard candy he had in his bike basket. His painted rock will serve as a reminder that we can always be happy and make others joyful just by being in our presence, no matter how little we have.

Ginkakuji was absolutely gorgeous! The gardens were so meticulously maintained, not a leaf or twig out of place. There were workers who were sweeping off the acres and acres of moss covered ground so that weren't an leaves or dirt on the moss. There was also a lot of dry sand gardens, which we hadn't seen anywhere else.

We made the hike up Mount Arashiyama to the Monkey Park, where a couple of hundred snow monkeys roam around. It was a bit freaky at first to have all these monkeys running around loose (but since we live with three wild monkey boys, it wasn't quite as intimidating). There was a hut you could go inside and purchase food to feed the monkeys through the wire fencing.

Asher checks out the amazing view from the top of Mount Arashiyama

This area was filled with monkey who were grooming each other

This baby monkey kept climbing up this branch and every time he did, the mom would come and pull him down. Over and over and over... some things cross species lines. I could completely relate with this mama monkey- trying to keep her wild child safe.

Another completely ghetto playground. They must not sue each other in Japan because most of the playgrounds were not safe at all and I'm sure there must be serious injuries regularly.

There are dozens of vending machines on every block you walk by! The boys were quite obsessed, as we rarely use vending machines at home. Our favorite drink is called Calpis, it's a milky white color and has a sweet taste.

 Asher was thrilled any time we could get in the front car of the train and he could see where we were headed. I wish we had kept track of how many trains we rode on- the number would be shocking! But it is a pretty efficient system and I WOULD NOT have wanted to try and figure our way around in car.

Unfortunately, we didn't make it in time to see the Temple within this wall. But the guard structures on each corner were impressive in themselves.

Glad we aren't "drunkards" so that we can see the sites.

We didn't try a lot of authentic Japanese food- because no one was really interested, even Scott. We were glad for the kitchen in our house! We did take the boys to shabu-shabu one night because we thought it was food the boys would actually eat. Shabu-shabu is thinly sliced meat and vegetables that you boil in a cooking pot at your table and then dip in different sauces.

We sat on the floor on cushions with our legs hanging over the edge of a hole cut out under the table.

The time change was tough. The boys wanted to sleep around 5:00 each night.

Eli and Asher ended up sleeping through a lot of the meal.

Shoes were taken off outside of our dining area. Each time our waitress came in and out of our room, which was very frequently, she had to take her shoes on and off.

The boys were excited about the chance to ride on one of the fastest trains in the world- the Bullet Train. We said good-bye to our darling house in Koyoto and boarded a train that goes up to 200 m.p.h to head to Tokyo.

Isn't he the epitome of what a train conductor should look like?

I loved that the station restrooms had a lit up sign so you knew which toilets were available.

In Tokyo, we spent most of the day at Amlux, Japan's largest automobile showroom. Four floors of all-things Toyota. There were different simulators, over 70 vehicles on display, and even a floor of games and activities for the kids. We shouldn't have been surprised the boys were happy to stay there for over seven hours.

 

 After the all-day Toyota showroom, it was time to head to the airport. Our flight didn't leave until midnight, so we spend some time in down-town Tokyo. So many people, so many buildings, so many lights...

The Captain on our flight home invited the boys up front to check out the flight deck. Asher looks really comfortable with his hands on the yoke!

Asher exerted his independence and chose the seat farthest away from the rest of us. He managed just fine.