From my parents

Things you think of when you're driving to pick up the takeaway pizza: Things I got from my parents.


From my dad:

-Checking to see if things can be fixed, rather than just throwing them away

-The A-frame wooden play structure he built (shaped like a capital lettter ''A'', with the two sloped sides as wooden ladders and the cross-section as a platform, and a swing mounted underneath the center of the platfrom)

-Physically playing with my kids (carrying them around, letting them climb on you; when I was 18 y.o., he could still carry the entire family -- mom, me, two younger sisters, on younger brother -- at once)

-Playing music (radio, LPs, 8-tracks, CDs) while puttering or doing mindless tasks like working on the car or cleaning out the garage

-Doing your own pruning, pouring concrete, replacing the siding on the house....


From my mom:

-The love of reading, esp. reading while sitting at the kitchen/dining room table and eating popcorn or leftovers

-Reading at the table on a rainy day while eating ochazuke (sp? leftover rice in tea; I cheat and put shyoyu [Jp. soy sauce] on it)

-If you own your own sewing machine, you can mend torn clothing and make simple costumes (e.g. vests)

-Respect for women


From both:

-It's neat-o to have fruit trees in your yard

-It's fun to have a vegetable garden

-Using ohashi (chopsticks) as normal

-Calling shyoyu, ochazuke, ochawan, ohashi by their proper names (I didn't realize there was another word for ''shyoyu'' until I was in middle school!)

-Playacting, being expressive (both are drama majors...)

-Being different from the neighbors is o.k.

-Furniture doesn't have to match


Probably other stuff, as well.


We'll see what I pass on my kids.


--GG