Go Giants!

Here is a page from Jackson's journal about the exciting Yomiuri Giants game. In case you're wondering, like I was, Yomiuri is the name of the newspaper corporation that owns this Tokyo team. Above is one of Jackson's many drawings in his journal: a 17 foot green Yomiuri Giant holding a baseball bat in one hand and the flag of Japan in the other.

"We got tickets to a baseball game. We saw Yomiuri Giants vs. The Hiroshima Carp. It was crazy. There was lots of runs in this game. The Yomiuri Giants are best in Japan and fun to watch. The Tokyo Dome is very big and every game is almost full. The final score was 6-2 for the Giants! "

A mass of people passing the Giants banner along:

This was kind of interesting - instead of carrying a tray of already-poured cups of beer, these girls have a keg strapped to their backs like a backpack, with a hose and nozzle to spray it nice and cold into a cup:

Fans swing their orange towels wildly when there's a good play:

A few last photos of Japan - we leave late this afternoon for Seoul, South Korea where we will have our first homestay thanks to our Servas membership. . . we did almost all of the things Mitchell predicted many months ago in this post.

Hama-Rikyu Gardens - reminded us of Central Park in some ways, being an oasis of green in the middle of an urban area surrounded by skyscrapers. In fact, our impression has been that Tokyo has way more in common with Manhattan than other parts of Asia such as Vietnam, Cambodia, or even Thailand:

We loved the onsen experience. This one, Oodeo Onsen Monogatari, Is particularly foreigner-friendly. An onsen is a Japanese hot springs. Baths are gender-segregated because you have to be naked (aack!). But after a day of walking around in the rain, it was wonderful to sit back in a 42 degree outdoor pool. We met up later in the communal foot bath hot spring:

Peeking from behind the curtains that often act as doors to shops on Nakamise-dori in Asakusa:

We spent one sunny afternoon exploring the area called Asakusa, home to some of Japans's oldest streets with some buildings preserved from the Edo period. Entrance to Senso-Ji temple below:

Takeshita-dori (dori = street) - A well-known shopping street in the Harajuku district for the uber-cool Tokyo youth:

Soi Dog Foundation: Jackson & Mitchell

Trying to be lazy no more, we have upped the homeschooling to all morning and have begun volunteering a couple of times per week at the Soi Dog Foundation. They are a wonderful organization that cares for the 20,000 stray dogs here on the island of Phuket. Probably the most important thing they do is spay and neuter all these homeless dogs, as well feed them, clean them and house them until they are restored to health. They welcome volunteers of all ages, so it is a perfect fit for us and our dog-loving boys. You can read more about the great work they do by clicking on the link above.

Here's some more details from Mitchell and Jackson. . .

Mitchell: We heard about a foundation called "Soi Dogs" here in Phuket, which means "street dog" in English. They rescue stray dogs there, and they give them a home and take them off the streets. They also let people come and walk dogs, so the dogs get a chance to run. around and socialize. We came one day, and Jackson and I got to walk dogs. I picked a nice golden dog named Tesco, because she was found in the parking lot of the Tesco Lotus supermarket. She has a big scar around her mouth, because she had a bad owner who wanted to starve her, so he tied a wire around her mouth so she couldn't eat or drink. Jackson picked a white dog named Shirley. We walked them to the end of the street and back. Since. it was very hot outside, we couldn't walk very far without getting very hot quickly.

For that day, we only walked those two dogs. But the next time we came, we walked Shirley and Tesco, with another dog that had bad fur who looked like he wanted to walk, so we took him too. After we took them, we brought them back and took another group of three dogs for a walk. This time, Jackson took a big brown and white colored dog, I took a big black dog, and Dad took a big German Shepherd-looking dog. Mom didn't walk a dog because she carried all the supplies and water bottles. The dogs were really big and hard to control, but they were nice dogs. After that, we went back home and are looking forward to going again. I like Soi Dogs because I think it is a good foundation and it was fun to get to walk dogs.

Jackson: We found out about Soi Dog Foundation, where they keep stray dogs and sometimes cats from the street. They take care of them and you can play with them. We became volunteers and we go two times a week to walk, brush, and play with the dogs. We took a dog named Shirley and a dog named Tesco each time and some more dogs. It's fun doing it.

Jackson has a special fondness for this fluffy white dog named Shirley:
Brushing Shirley:

Mitchell taking Tesco for a walk:

We all have a soft spot for Tesco - explained later:

Soi Dog Shelter, there are a couple of these kennel areas on the grounds:

Impossibly clean kennels at the shelter - dog waste is scooped up regularly and the floors are hosed clean several times in a day. I think we've stayed in dirtier hotels, believe it or not:

The founders had areas of shade constructed within the kennels; they have thought of everything for these dogs:

Time to give some other dogs a turn for a walk and a brushing:

Beautiful Tesco - notice the scar across her snout. . .

Tesco's scar - someone wrapped a wire around her jaw which prevented her from eating, drinking, or barking. She was found emaciated in the Tesco Food Store parking lot and brought to the Soi Dog Shelter. We will all miss her when it's time to go.

Seas I Have Swum: Jackson

Stormy Cua Dai Beach in Hoi An:

Yesterday, I got to swim in the South China Sea and it was fun. There were big waves and on the way there, we rided bikes. We are in Hoi An, Vietnam and the beach was called Cua Dai Beach. It is near the real "China Beach" from an old TV show. When we got there, we got new swimsuits made. It only took one hour to sew them. Mine has blue sharks on it.

List of all the seas and oceans I have swum in:

• Gulf of Mexico (when I visited Uncle Ken & Auntie Terry once in Florida)
• Mediterranean Sea (France)
• Indian Ocean (Tanzania)
• South China Sea (Vietnam)

Other oceans & rivers that I saw or went on a boat on but did not go swimming in:

• Atlantic Ocean
• Pacific Ocean
• Persian Gulf (Arabian Sea)
• River Nile (Cairo)
• Chao Praya River (Bangkok)
• Mekong River (Cambodia / Vietnam)

There are a few more waters to come and I will keep track.

Me on a boat ride in Persian Gulf (Dubai):

Crossing the Mekong River between Cambodia and Vietnam:

My favorite beach - Kendwa on Zanzibar Island:

Atlantic Ocean on Staten Island ferry:

Starting a new sand castle at Mediterranean Sea in France:

Flat Stanley Update #1: Aug-Sept

Jackson will now tell you what he and Flat Stanley have been up to since the end of July, when we all left Canada.


Flat Stanley came with me to New York. First, we went to the American Museum of Natural History and there was a big exhibit about mammals, including all the big ones from Africa.




Flat Stanley loved going to the Yankees game!


They won against the Baltimore Orioles!


Here we are on the Staten Island Ferry going to see the Statue of Liberty.

FS did not get seasick.

There she is!

FS liked seeing the flagship store for Nintendo

I'm tired of walking all day but FS wants to keep going

Then FS came with us to Paris - we got to see the finish of the Tour de France!

FS came with me to the Louvre, where the Mona Lisa is

There are nice buildings and fountains everywhere in Paris

The best thing we did in Paris was climb up the Eiffel Tower

Then we came to the Languedoc region of southern France - Carcassonne is a famous medieval castle that is fun to explore in the day . . .

and the night!

Carcassonne also has a really big food market every Saturday morning

FS is always hungry. He especially likes apples!

Here FS got to ride a horse at a park in Toulouse

FS liked the Botanical Gardens in Toulouse

We all loved going to Bordeaux - here FS is sitting with us on some steps of a famous building


One day in Bordeaux, we stopped for a snack at the Charles Dickens pub. Everyone there spoke English!

FS likes to sit up and keep an eye on things

FS watched me run in the mist at the Mirror of Water -
I left him with Mom so he would not get wet

FS loved riding the train in Bordeaux as much as I did!

But our favourite thing of all is playing at the beach in Narbonne

If you click ">here, you will see where FS and I have our base in southern France. Next, we will go to Kenya and Tanzania in November. Flat Stanley is ready for more adventures - we'll check back with you again later!