The Preparation
We spent all day yesterday shopping for the stuff Kai will need for school and somethings for us. We had to get his uniform and we all most put it off too long. The crowds weren't too bad, but they said that they would have ready the day before school starts. Kai used hand-me-downs for his junior high uniform, but they didn't have to wear it everyday like he will in high school. The decision you have to make is how much more will he grow in the next three years. Do you buy something that too large and expect him to grow into it or get one that is just about right? He had a good spurt last year and is now just 2 inches shorter than me. Will he have another spurt? Will we have to buy another jacket next year? I guess we will have to wait and see.
We also looked at bikes because we are planning that he will ride to school (about 40 minutes) during the summer. Even if we take him we will take the bike so he can get around to town and back to JOY to get a ride home. I am sure the scheduling will get very complicated. And is one reason why he wants a cell phone and probably why we will break down and get him one.
We will also needed to settle on return gifts for the people who have given Kai entrance gifts. In Japan, you usually give a return gift half the value of what you receive. Most people give money, which is used to buy things for school, so knowing the value of the gift to return isn't too difficult. This custom isn't just for this situation, but almost anytime you receive a gift. To Americans this a hard custom to understand.
The thing we looked for ourselves is a digital camera. We have been talking about it for years, but kept putting it off. The technology kept getting better and the prices always seem to be dropping. Noriko dropped our old camera the other day (the second or third time), so we need to buy one now. I am for doing some research, but she made one trip to the store, talked one clerk (who was not very well-trained) and made a decision. We didn't buy it, so there is still time to think it through.
6:06:25 PM 
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