Am so behind in doing my update for Mar 2010 in the 101 things in 1001 day challenge but here goes…
5. Go to at least two of the following places: Hokkaido, Nara, Hakone or Nagasaki.
Well I went to Nara 2 years ago(!) and went to Hakone last month and I wrote about the trip on here! So Have now been to two of the above places- although I went to the two CLOSEST places. I still hope to go to Hokkaido and Nagasaki sometime soon though!
3. Take a Japanese cooking class or classes
I enquired about these at the ABC cooking studio at Lalaport since I went to a trial lesson with that school once before with my friend Suzy (We made Japanese style Christmas cake, it was fun!) but you have to buy a 12 class pass and I would never be able to get someone to watch Noah that many times. They do do one off classes but it is for certain foods and they are not Japanese style cooking which is more what I am looking for. Does anyone know of Japanese cooking classes I could take that are more Japanese style? It doesn`t matter if it is in English or Japanese.
33. Maintain the weight loss for at least six months (abandoned June 2009 due to pregnancy, to restart after birth. Managed 4 months before getting pregnant and started again Jan 2010) 3/6
Now done for 3 months! I still weight a little less than I did when I got pregnant with Noah which is great!
72. Get paid to write something
Working on this by taking a magazine writing class through Writer U at the moment. I wish I had more time to devote to the course which is going for most of April but it is obviously hard with Noah (and my brother and Gem still been in town) but maybe next week and the week later I can focus on it a little more and hopefully it will help me get paid to write something!!
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Also, as in recent months, I will share the books I read in March. Only two though 
Did read a couple of magazines though as well and LOTS of children`s books. Both books read were great though!
Love in Translation- Wendy Nelson Tokunaga
House Rules- Jodi Picolt
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Go check Nay`s blog- she had her baby! YAY! SO happy for both her and Naoki.
I have so many blog posts to catch up on still…also need to start baby proofing as Noah is rolling more and more and today rolled from his back to his stomach for the first time (has been rolling stomach to back for a couple of weeks) after he moved around in circles with his feet for five minutes (before he flipped over). I will have to be on my toes a bit more now!!!
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I am just a twenty something Aussie girl living in Chiba, Japan with my Japanese husband trying to make sense of the crazy Japanese world we live in! We welcomed our first son in December 2009 (Noah) and a second son in January 2011, 2 months premature (Shion). I am working hard at raising them to be confident, bilingual, happy kids!
#3-go check out your ward office.
When I was at mine today, besides have different play groups, there were cooking classes, tea ceremony classes, quilting classes (which was going on the same time foreign parents playgroup was, they were all carrying hideous bags though so not sure how those would be).
Will do Melanie! I have actually checked the website before without much luck but will have another look. I actually haven`t been to the PROPER ward office for Funabashi since I can do all I need to do at the mini one in the Face Building next to the station. Should probably check it out though- I know their is a library and a cultural centre that side too which might be worth checking!
Definitely do, they might not have it listed on their website. Is it close to where you live? Ours has a daily list of activites that are going on listed, it might be worth checking out from time to time if you are near by.
Ours has a library also, haven`t checked that out though.
I know my local community center offers cooking classes cheap – it’s the Shimin Forum in my town, the same place where I take my volunteer-taught Japanese classes for 300 yen a month. You might want to check your local one. I also sent my ex to a class that I found advertised in metropolis or somewhere; it was a couple thousand yen.
Have you thought about freelance copy editing? Okay, it’s not writing and I’m not sure it works the same over there: But I work at an English-language magazine in Shanghai. We have freelance copy editors who come in once a month and get paid well to do that, plus my boss gives them stories now and again. I think it’s a good way to build a relationship with editors and people who might pay you to write.
I have been looking for regular cooking classes as well but have had a hell of a time finding any apart from ABC. I’ve done a lot of google searches too but it seems like Japanese katei ryouri classes are pretty scarce-probably because women here learn from their female relatives. Please let me know if you find anythig good! I’ve considered following the NHK kyou no ryouri shows, which have accompanying magazines, but I think a class would be more fun!