Places Galore - 7

Over the past two weekends, Theo and I have been spending much of our time going to various places, which are often not too far but offer a variety of stimulation for him. It is also one way for him to release much of his boundless energy so that when we reach home, he'll be too tired to run around our small apartment and do crazy things such as stand on his chair, sing his heart out, and jump to the floor with a loud thud that can be heard two blocks away. The latter really freaks his mother out because we don't want to bother the neighbors.

One of the more famous places within our neighborhood is the Yanaka Cemetery, which I've highlighted a couple of times in this blog. In the photos below, you can see our little Theo running around between the tombstones, which only contain ashes by the way.


The trees behind him are sakura (cherry blossom) trees that bloom beautifully each spring.




This is one of the famous landmarks in the Yanaka Cemetery.

Last Sunday, Mommy D asked for some time off for herself because she wanted to look for shoes at Asakusa, the famous tourist area where you can find temples and shopping streets. Theo and I, on the other hand, went to one of his favorite places, Ueno Zoo, and spent almost the entire day there. It was his request actually. Upon waking up last Sunday, the first thing that he said, while wiping his eyes, was "Let's go to Ueno Zoo! Let's go to Ueno Zoo!" Yes, he said it not only once or twice but until I agreed to take him there.


He always looks forward to the petting area where he spends much time petting the goats. Mommy D and I already agreed that we'll give him a puppy when we return home for good to the Philippines sometime next year. Here in Tokyo, in our small apartment, it will be impossible for him to experience taking care of a dog or a cat, and we don't want to deprive him of that experience as a child. I've had a string of pet dogs when I was a kid, and these pets, esp. the opportunity to take care of them, had given me memorable experiences.


This is also one of his favorite animals, the flamingos.


During weekdays, Mommy D takes him around the neighborhood. Here he is in front of the newly renovated Nippori station.


There's a huge playground just a few blocks away from our apartment, where Theo can run and shout his heart out and where Mommy D takes him often so that he won't have to do the running and shouting at home, hahaha...



Theo doesn't seem to like his picture taken with girls almost his age, who are his recent playmates at the playground. They are daughters of a Pakistani father and a Peruvian mother. Theo is actually taller than the smaller girl but he looks smaller from this perspective.