Hi-Tech Laundry, ER and Awards

On Wednesday June 13th, we were doing major Summer cleaning and washing all the winter blankets to put away until next winter. Our usual laundromat had closed so we tried a new one. Wow! Very high tech--maybe this is only in Japan--but things never fail to surprise me here... The washer/dryers use an IC card which you purchase and personalize. You can program your machine to do whatever you want from washing to drying. There is even a special machine for hats and shoes. Anyway, each machine will do it all from start to finish AND notify your cell phone when it is done so you don't have to stick around!! Pretty cool.
Of course our mode of transporting the laundry is still pretty low tech, but it works!
Takeshi was in the middle of a laundry run while I was cleaning out the guest room when Kei burst in the front door an hour and a half before he was supposed to come home. He ran straight for the bathroom making noises I couldn't understand. I ran to him and saw that he was bleeding profusely from the mouth. We got the bleeding slowed so I could look at it and I immediately thought "stitches". (He had cut his lip in the corner very deeply.) Next, I thought "ice" and then "Takeshi"!! So we started icing it and I called Takeshi to come home NOW!! (We were so thankful he was around--he wasn't supposed to be.) Anyway, Takeshi called the local good hospital who told him that we need a hospital with a plastic surgery division and they recommended a large hospital 3 train stops away. Takeshi grabbed the car and they left for the ER. They left at 5:30pm and were back at 7:30pm with a bunch of stitches and some pain and anti-infection medication. Kei said he counted 28 stitches so we are thinking that he probably had 14. They were very small and the doctor did a very good job.
I took this picture at the hospital while we were waiting to get his stitches removed. Kei is resigned to having a mother who takes pictures of everything! The stitches were removed and his lip looks like it is back in place. He will most likely keep the scar, but it should get a bit better over time.
For Spring Break the 8th graders were given the assignment of making a poster promoting dental hygiene. Kei worked on his poster before, during and after our trip to Malaysia and Singapore. He was right at the wire getting it done and wanted to add some more color to it when his dad said that it was fine and just turn it in and be done with it! He turned it in and was done. Imagine our surprise about six weeks later when he came home with a paper saying that he had won the Gold Prize for his poster and that there would be a ceremony near the city hall. (We live in Suginami city/ward which is one of the 23 main cities/wards that make up the Tokyo Metropolis.)

We attended the award ceremony with our friends, the Everitts, who were visiting from Cambodia. We were even more surprised to find that Kei's poster is going on to the Tokyo wide contest as the representative poster from Suginami City!!
Kei was pleased to receive a nice certificate as well as a cool alarm clock radio CD player. He is now looking for more contests to enter this summer!!
PS. He came home from the ER with no instructions other than to come back in a week. We continued to ice it since it seemed like a good thing to do. He wanted to play basketball since there was a major tournament (semi-finals) coming up in a few days. Fortunately we could consult Dr. Dave (who wanted to take out the stitches for Kei!!) who said Kei should wait five days before doing sports. On Saturday the Everitts and I were walking to the neighboring train station when who should we meet but Kei's basketball coach and the Star Player 9th grader who was on crutches with his foot in a cast. After the coach said hello he quickly (beseechingly) asked if Kei could play in the tournament tomorrow. Since it was day 5 we said okay and Takeshi, Dave, and Malachi went to watch the game just in case. Kei was fine, but they lost the game. The girls (Lisa, Mary and I) took the trains to go see Kie's games. They won one and lost one. It was really fun having friends come watch our kids' games. Kie has until the end of next March before she graduates from this team, so if you are in the area, please come and cheer for her!