Back in the U.S.S.A.

Since returning to New York, Yugo has been a busy traveller and a very active boy. He rode to New Paltz to help his Papa teach classes and just returned from a whirlwind tour of Virginia, complete with train whistles and excited pointing.

A few glimpses...

Here he is in New Paltz, New York:
"I rule the playground and the heavens shall bow before me!"


With his new friend Mathilde, whose books he is still enjoying.

And here Yugo tours the Whitney Biennial with the sudden urge to roll on the floor.

Diary of Yugo's Travel in Japan

皆様、

ご無沙汰しておりました。そろそろ優悟の日本の話をしなければ・・・・でもちょっと待って、最近日本からの電話が多くて。
では、始めましょう。

Hello Everybody!
I am sorry that I disappeared for a while, because I've just come back from my first trip to Japan and I needed time to recover from jet lag.
Wait....! I have had a lot of phone calls from my groupy in Japan.
All right, let's start!

まずママのお家近所を案内しましょう。
日本に着いてからお天気が悪く雨ばかりせっかく桜をみたかったのに。
まだ咲いているかな？散らないで今優悟が行くから。

This is the neighborhood of my grandparents' house. Since I arrived in Japan, unfortunately it had been raining and very chilly, which was unusal. In the airplane to Japan, my mother kept telling me how beautiful cherry blossoms were and how much she was expecting for cherry blossoms.
Let's check a shrin nearby to see if cherry blossoms are still there!

あ～間に合った。
まだまだ美しい。優悟は木に咲く桜より、地面一面の桜の花びらに心惹かれました。
優悟の初めての桜です。

Oh~good, it was not too late yet.
How beautiful they were! But I was more fascinated with the petals in the ground.

では今度は家の中にどうぞ。
外は雨・・・優悟のつぎなるチャレンジは？

Next I would like to show you around the house, but I am very busy, and I have to do something instead. Follow me, please.

８０歳になるおじいちゃまとお習字。
優悟の筆の運びに感心し、優悟に心奪われたおじいちゃま。

Yes, I have to practice calligraphy with my 80-year old grandpa.
(When Yugo arraived at the grandparents' house, he just ran into the grandpa's room and grabbed brashes even befor saying hello to Grandpa. Grandpa believes that Yugo is super and brilliant boy.)

日本で髪を切りました

Yeah, I cut my hair. Please tell me how I look.
優悟は初めて、それも日本で散髪屋に行きました。
どうですか？ママは切ってとても後悔していました。
ママが切ると決めたのに・・・・僕はどっちでもいい。アンパンマンのボールを散髪屋さんにもらったのでそれだけで満足・満足。

Come to My Secret Garden.

ママの家です・・・・いえいえ姫路城

The Himeji Castle, otherwise called "Shirasagijo" (White Heron Castle), is situated in Himeji City of Hyogo prefecture about 50 km west of Osaka. It is about 370 years since Himeji Castle was constructed in its present shape. This is the only excellent castle which architecturally represents Japanese culture and, at the same time, has handed down its original design at the time of construction.

Yugo's first ride on the Shinkansen

優悟の大垣トリップ

Yugo visited Mama's best friend, Mika-rin by the Shinkansen.ママの大親友の”みかりん”です。僕が生まれて２ヶ月にみかりんはＮＹに僕に会いに来てくれました。
When I was only two-month old, Mika-rin visited me in New York. Yes, yes, I remember her.
みかりんは、今地唄三味線に熱中。かっこよかった～　そして丸ちゃんこんにちわ。
Mika-rin plays the samisen. It was very cool!!!

Under the Blossoming Cherry Trees

満開の桜の木の下には鬼が住んでいるというが本当かな？お寺の仁王様に聞いてみよう。
It is said that under the Blossoming Cherry Trees Demon lives. Is this true? I am going to ask Warrior Niou, the guardian deities of the Buddha.

Yugo's family in Japan

ではここで優悟の日本の家族を紹介します。砂場遊びに付き合ってくれた従姉の利香。
My cousin, Rika is my guardian in a sand box.
さすが子供同士。優悟は日本でかなり人見知りをしましたが、従弟の俊志君には会った瞬間に服従。既に師弟関係成立。 "Aniki~(Big Brother), my cousin, Shunji
ママがいない間泣きじゃくる優悟に３時間もつきあってくれたとても優しい従姉の房江。
My cousin, Fusae was very kind and patient enough to take care of me, crying furiously for almost three hours while Mama was out.
おじいちゃんはもう紹介しましたね。日本にいる間優悟はおばあちゃんのテレビを独占。リモコンまで奪ってしまいました。有難うおばあちゃん。
"Sorry, Grandma. I dominated your TV remote control."
満開の桜の木下で・・・おじちゃん・おばちゃん皆に囲まれて優悟は幸せ♪
他に多くの人に会いました。弘治おじちゃん・和浩おじちゃん・信博おじちゃん・えみこおばちゃん・従姉の篤子・・今度日本に行った時に写真を撮りましょうね。

My big uncle, Shigeo; ant, Yoshie; and cousin, Ryuji. It was too bad that we didn't take pictures of other uncles (Kouji, Kazuhiro, and Nobuhiro), ant (Emiko), and cousins (Masatsugu, Mami, and Atsuko). We are Big Family!

Who's there?

ダンスダンス♪♪

２週間の日本滞在を終え今からＮＹに戻ります。
優悟はとても成長しました。パパが待っているかな？

My two-week trip in Japan was really thrilling, and at the same time heartwarming. I have to go back to Japan again soon, since I'm already missing the spring breeze wearing Cherry blossom petals.

Spring Fashions 2006

Hi, Yugo Yamamoto here, your roving reporter and toddler extraordinaire, keeping an eye on the beat of the street. For all of you wondering what to wear when out and about in the Soho springtime, here are some fresh, funky ideas for you young swingers (and those pushing the swing):

Watch out Rieko-san, don't spill that coffee!

Afternoon in the Park

Spring Cleaning

As Yugo and his mom prepare for their triip to Japan, there is plenty of cleaning to do. Especially in Papa's dusty archives. And Yugo, as always is eager to help.

Polyvalent Uncle

Congrats to Yugo's Uncle Ben for becoming a fully-licensed anthropologist, now unleashed on the world.
In addition to book learnin', Ben takes pictures like this one that you can find here:
tablechairwall

Walking with Yugo

(From the warm January 2006 archives)


For those of you unfamiliar with the experience, walking with Yugo is like...
walking...
with a bear...
in a honey suit.
(The bear is wearing the suit.)
(He is also a nice, cute, sweet bear.)

-All pictures from Fort Tryon park and its vicinity

Mardi Wha?!

In honor of this year's Mardi Gras, Yugo saved some precious beads from being wasted on lascivious revelers and intoxicated bystanders. Ignatius Riley would surely be proud.

The Last Bottle of Formula Milk

Yugo passed another milestone last week: the smooth transition to whole cow's milk.
Those of you who've been there know what I'm talking about.
High five!
Yeah.

Yugo reveals the complexity of his personality

Sailor suit, metal wristbands and cheese.

The Blizzard of 2006...

When Yugo was born, the Gates graced Central Park. This year, 27" of snow fell on the day of his birthday party. Verily, 'twould seem the ancient Fates themselves have marked this boy for grand Design.
For those brave souls who ventured through the storm last Sunday, we thank you.


We would also like to extend a special thanks to Yugo's Grandpa and Grandma who travelled all the way here to see their grandson only to face a 12-hour return trip to Virginia.

YUGO IS NOW ONE

In case you did not see the banners, the skywriting, the documentary, the TV-special, the parade , the telegraph, the semaphore display or the elaborate crop design, please be informed that Yugo Z. Yamamoto now has one year of life under his ever-expanding belt.
Happy Birthday and Tanjyoubi Omedetou, Yugo!