A few days ago, Rikuto met all the women on his mum’s side of the family, including his great grandmother who he saw for the first time. Here are the happy relatives:
I’m starting to agree that Riku looks incredibly like his dad, so I wonder what his relatives think when they see this handsome, European-looking baby? 
Our third visit from Mr. Life Planner was by far the most interesting. Mr. Life Planner works for Sony Life Insurance and part of the sales pitch includes a detailed “Life Simulation”, which is really intended to prove the need for their life insurance. Previously we had given him details of our monthly expenses, earnings and expected future purchases, and he came back with a variety of graphs, charts and tables mapping out our lives under various situations.
Mami and I already have other life insurance policies, but were interested in this one as it benefits Rikuto. In a nutshell, we pay into the plan monthly, and when Rikuto turns 18, we get our money back plus a little extra. If I were to meet my end before then, Mami would get that money early. Ideally, I won’t have an unfortunate early exit, in which case the money will go towards paying Rikuto’s university fees.
The charts weren’t pretty. This first graph is based on us staying healthy, working (me full-time and Mami part-time) and having one child. Despite the money from the life insurance policy going towards Rikuto’s education when he turns 18, the cost of studying is just so great, it throws us into the red and interest rates on the inevitable loans keep us struggling until we’re both 65.
This next chart uses the same data as the first, but shows us what would happen to our finances if we had two children. Now you know why Japan’s birth rate has fallen; people just can’t afford more than one child.
Interestingly, this final chart shows what would happen to Mami and Rikuto if I popped my clogs long before my time.
In this case, the mortgage is wiped out, the insurance policy kicks in, and of course all my expenses no longer exist. Mami would need to work full-time, but that’s to be expected.
It gives me a great sense of comfort to know that my family would be financially sound if I had an early exit, but I need to look carefully at our expenses to see if I can’t wipe out that horrible red dip in the first graph, because that’s definitely my preferred life plan.
Japanese Golden Week is one of my favorite times of the year. It’s not too hot, nor too cold, and best of all, I have a week off.
I seem to be the only person who finds the name “Golden Week” a little inappropriate. Sure enough, there are so many national holidays squeezed into these seven days, that it is arguably a “valuable” holiday, but why use English? If Great Britain suddenly threw a bunch of holidays together and used Japanese to describe the time off, my wife and co. would be as confused as I am.
Imagine teaching your students about British culture, naming all the big holidays, Christmas, Easter, Shukujitsubakarinoshuu… it just doesn’t work, does it? I’m all for using English for English holidays such as Christmas, Valentine’s and Halloween, but why give an English name to a Japanese-only holiday? Bizarre.
Anyway, like all holidays, this one has gone far too quickly. I’ve spent most of my time off working on the computer, but we did get out of the house a couple of times. We spent six hours on the highway when visiting my father-in-law’s grave at the start of Golden Week, and the family got together for a barbeque later in the week. Here are some pictures:
After all the meat was gone, we started on the seafood. Japanese people absolutely adore eating, and they try to cook everything and eat it as fast as possible. The moment you turn away, they’ll load your plate and fill your beer glass again. Oh, and if you take a break, they’ll give you the “you’re too thin, you’ve got to eat more” speech. I may be 6 feet tall and weigh only 56 kilograms, but there’s a reason for that. I’m just not hungry!!! Please stop force-feeding me! How would you like it if I ranted on about how fat you were?!
Okay, I’ve calmed down now. Here’s a great picture of my brother-in-law and his dad. Japan is a country obsessed with fashion, and wearing a towel on your head is supposedly fashionable.
As the saying goes, “When in Rome, do as the Romans do”, so…
Yes, it’s a Winnie the Pooh towel, how cool is that??? There’s a Pooh on my head!
This camping chair made me laugh. It rocked about in the “Balmy Wind” and eventually “fell so good” !
After the barbeque, Mami’s mum, who has joined a local table tennis club, wanted to show us her skills. This is her in an all-action shot.
Perhaps the highlight of the day, which I forgot to photograph, was helping some guy get his car out of the drain. Gutters in Japan are a good foot wide and the same deep. If you’ve had bit to drink, as this idiot had, then you are more than likely to drive into one. The funniest moment was when four men all tried to lift the car out of the gutter, and the car just sat there looking at us with a “yeah, good luck” expression. Fortunately I was the first to think of using a jack, and sticking a drain cover from another place under the tire. It worked as hoped and the guy was so grateful, he thanked me, my countrymen and the queen!
Tomorrow is the last day of Golden Week, and we’re doing it all over again. This time the family is coming to our house, but will there be time for table tennis?
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