Google Maps

One of the great things about living in the internet age is that you need never be lost thanks to Google Maps. This time next week I will have met a group of English-speaking mums who meet every month in Shibuya, Tokyo. I know exactly where they meet thanks to Street View! It made me think that my dear readers might like to take a virtual walk around my new neighbourhood. So if you are familiar with Google Maps, copy and paste 〒181-0015 東京都三鷹市大沢2-2-8 into the address box and enjoy!

Thoughts before leaving Canada...

It's hard to say if Shusaku Arakawa considered babies when he designed his Reversible Destiny Lofts. Perhaps not, because as my husband says "How far can you reverse a baby's destiny anyway?!"

Arakawa's philosphy is that by keeping yourself constantly on edge, you can trick your body into remaining youthful and therefore stay alive forever. His motto is "We have decided not to die"... or should I say was. He passed way in 2010... In keeping with his philosophy he designed the Reversible Destiny Lofts in Tokyo, Japan.

Reversible Destiny Lofts look quite tricky to live in, even as an adult. The floor in the main living space is bumpy and the texture of sandpaper, making me wonder how a baby could learn to crawl while living there. The bathroom only has a clear shower column, making me wonder how bathing an infant could be done safely. There is no space for the type of furniture we use in Canada, so I wonder if breastfeeding on the floor will go smoothly. One room is perfectly spherical, which makes me imagine my child as a life-sized hamster scrambling to get out. Personal belongings are strung from hooks in the ceiling rather than kept in shelves, tempting me to attach my baby to one in a Jolly Jumper!

I have spent a lot of time speculating on how I will raise my baby for three months in a work of art. In a little under two weeks, I get to find out!