Shopping with Livia
After a full day of sight-seeing in Kyoto during which we (somewhat stupidly) visited sites in the South, North, and West parts of the city, Livia still had energy for a shopping trip – which I had been promising to her. So we stopped off at Teramachi Dori, a major shopping “arcade” (sort of a covered pedestrian street/mall) in Kyoto. We started with a big hug to celebrate being away from the boys. Then we walked and browsed various shops, including a kimono shop (where the owner looked at us suspiciously when we dared to touch one of the expensive silk kimonos). After a while, Livia pointed out that we had been walking for a while but hadn’t purchased anything, and she wanted this to be a REAL shopping trip, not just a window-shopping trip. So we stopped and bought her a pretty pink headband with a ribbon on it. Next, she spotted a “Mister Donut.” She knows I never go to places like that, so she said “I know you won’t buy me a donut,” but I said, “Sure, let’s get you a donut.” She was amazed! I let her do the choosing and paying, and she was very comfortable with that. Finally we found a souvenir shop with nice Japanese fans—one of the things she really wanted to get. We bought one with a classic Japanese painting on it – a beautiful wave of water with Mt. Fuji in the background. We also got Tor a T-shirt with the same painting on it. After more walking that took us further and further from our machiya, we grabbed a cab. Again, I let her handle the yen to pay the driver. She really liked having some responsibility, and pointed out that she can make really good decisions and be responsible if we just listen to her! I guess I learned a lesson from that!
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