Normal...but not for all.

 Yes - still here.

Still can't go into the care home to meet Okaasan face to face.

Once a month, 10 mins online meeting is all we are allowed. New infection numbers are falling all over Japan, after an August 7th wave. The Japanese government has cranked open the borders a little by allowing fully vaccinated foreign visitors to come in on approved escorted/planned by unescorted tours - the tourism industry is whirring into action.

All over Japan there are summer and now autumn events - beer gardens, music festivals, sport and concerts. Japanese people are jetting off for holidays around the world. Classes and work are pretty much face to face.

Quite a few friends who travelled overseas this summer caught COVID and had their return delayed - when the J government still demanded negative tests 72 hours before flying. Or, others got back into Japan ok - and THEN tested positive and had to stay off work for a further 10 days.

Even I toyed with the idea of going back to the Uk for a trip. But 15 hours rerouted via the Middle East or Alaska, crazy prices with fuel surcharges...and a work pattern that is JUST starting to return my earnings to pre-pandemic levels...all of that knocked those idle fancies on the head.

Next year. Next year.

We're ok. The cats are ok. Okaasan in her cocoon/prison is ok.

Summer is sliding into autumn and I've done a lot of kayaking with a friend. Normal life.

But not.

Zoom meet....

 And.

Another Zoom meet and greet.

Guess this summer will pass and we won't have seen Okaasan face to face again. So strange to think we delivered her to that care home last year in November. And we haven't been allowed to be in the same room as her since then.

She was rather puffy faced and hot looking on this Zoom meet.

We sang Happy Birthday - oh my God...the irony of those sentiments....and chatted at Okaasan and the nurses in screen view. Chat and waves. And then it was done. 10 mins is kind of hard to fill.

This weekend is the Bon Festival, when Japanese travel back to home towns and visit graves and remember ancestors. We don't have any of that to do, and I injured my toe (cut RIGHT next to the nail, but the doc says no infection and the toe nail is ok), so I can't go near water and kayak.

Spending my time close to home and enjoying meeting so many friends, their homes, my home, the beer garden. The Pandemic really showed us how valuable face to face time is with people we like, and it's nice to be able to meet and chat again.

Infection numbers are starting to level out and maybe go down here now, as scientists said they would. But, looking around a happy beer garden scene it seems normal is returning. Although - friends in the UK who saw my video of a beer garden commented on the plastic/wood table screens between drinkers. I guess in the UK all of that stuff has been done away with?

Here, at the beer garden - you have to go in at the entrance. temperature check, contact trace info and assigned seating, screens and a 90 min time limit.  But SO GOOD to sit outside and share a beer with friends.

Birthday memories....

 

Long, LONG ago when we were all a bit younger....

The happy family in our messy kitchen. I think this scene was captured by a Japanese artist who was doing a photo project about foreigners in Japanese families, or something.

Anyway.

We sent this happy scene to Okaasan in our birthday card to her last week because she reached 92 years young, but of course we couldn't be with her and will have to sing Happy Birthday to her next week over Zoom.

Remembering years past when we took her out for a big dinner of crab, making sure to control her intake of sake and celebrating a life of daughterhood, wifely cooking duties, super mum and more.

7th wave of Covid is roaring around in Japan at the moment. Daily new infections are topping 7,000 in Hokkaido, but it's summer holidays with many visitors in town and summer events happening. The care home is still on online visits only.

I've got a few empty days in my work schedule, and visits from out of town friends...the beer garden...some kayaking....to enjoy. And then I stubbed my unsocked toes on a metal door frame and did a nasty cut just below the toe nail - dripped blood all over a museum carpet and was luckily helped by an old man who had bandaids in his pocket :-)

Now I'm a-hobbling, putting my foot up a lot to stop the bleeding and swelling...and kind of wondering if I should go to a doctor and have the toe nail ripped off by an expert.

Would you like a photo of THAT??? No, I think not!

Online visiting

 Waving at a screen visit, again.

Okaasan in bed, with a tube up her nose and her hands cocooned in cotton to stop her messing with the tubes...

Both of us squeezed in front of the computer, trying to remember to look directly at the camera as we chat excessively brightly and wave.

10 mins of chat, waves, forced laughter. Our manzai (comedy double act) routine.

Okaasan looked...well, actually her face looked bloated and red. But she smiled, she teared-up a little and she made pouty movements with her lips. So we assumed she understood the experience, and was happy?

I hear from friends and students that some care homes are allowing family visits again. My hospital staff English classes may restart after a two and a half year break. Sapporo is full of summer festivals.

Lots of normal life.

But not able to visit and sit with our old lady yet.