Omedetou Uta

After a full week in school Uta is not speaking fluent Japanese, but he is shoveling rice into his mouth at top speed in true Japanese kid style. He is singing new songs, ones I do not know, but ones that Baba and Jiji proudly join in with after just a couple notes of recogniton. The teacher said he rarely spoke a word, but he ate, and he slept, and he played big. And everyday afterwards Uta said it was really fun. And for that, it was a flying success. It is amazing to me how such a little fellow can muster up so much courage. He was terrified to go the first couple of days, but his resolve was steadfast. I know little of what really went on at school. Every day I asked tons of leading questions, a little desperate to string together all the details. But long gone are the days of knowing intimately every minute of his days. He is carving out his own independence one triumph after another. And me, I am bobbing in his wake, proud, to say the very least.

Baba and Jiji honored him with a whole Tai fish. Tai is an auspicous fish, often eaten on special occassions. The word 'Tai' is the last sound in the word 'Omedetai' which means 'Happiness'. The word 'Omedetai' is closely linked to the word 'Omedetou' which means 'Congratulations'.