Hakata eki. Here comes the sun. Aami is the center of my universe

We always meet at Hakata eki in front of Tokyu Hands,  the coolest department ever,they specialize selling  stuff used to think, explore, create, and imagine. On Aami's birthday we were together at Tokyu Hands. Aami and I were digging for real fossils in the sand and we now have a funny joke together and we both burst out laughing. The lady "encouraging" Aami to discover fossils buried in a foot of sand kept repeating " hote.hote.hote.hote" as though it was a mantra. Hote is the root of the word hotate which means scallop for you sushi lovers. In any event it was hilarious. Aami found most of the buried fossils and was awarded with her choice. obaba baka no hanashi hote hote hote.

I see her coming with a hello kitty backpack and her overstuffed purse always containing her Nintendo DoS. Tamgotchi and her yarn for cats cradle. It has been only 10 weeks since I was last in Japan for her BIRTHDAY. I spot her first and then she spots me. Daddy! Aami! Big hug and a kiss. Aami seems so much more excited to see me than the last few times we met in Japan. My guess is the almost daily phone calls  between us has begun to erase some of the confusion she may still have. I say hello to Aami's mother. I acknowledge that Aami's mom is doing a very repectable parenting job. We are now disscussing Aami's school and the petty fights she has with the 99% "pure Japanese" schoolmates. You cannot be different even though all of these kids want to be but rather than embrace and accept her they bind together to tease and bully  her for her lack of almond eyes and jet black hair. These traits and features are the most commonly changed by japanese teen and adult women, kinda twisted. Welcome to Japan.

Aami is doing very well with her haiku poetry and won a local school award and has made a movie she is quite pround of.Things are improving and I see and feel that clearly each time we speak, skype or see each other. Suprisingly for me; I am slowly having a clear and present impact on the life of my child. We, all three,walk hand in hand with Aami slight skipping  and swinging between two parents that love her. to go get Aami's favorite ramen. How amazing! A child's world can be so simple,honest,loving and genuine. We check the luggage at the station and head to eat.