The Mamachatti

ママチャリ

We're gearing up for what will be our first move inside of Japan since we moved here over 8 years ago.

来日8年目で迎えた 初めて引越し

Look what we got

もらったよ！

Keys

鍵！

Ready or not, moving day is here and we say goodbye to one home and hello to another. It's a new chapter in our life in Japan.

遂に新しい家への旅立ちの日です

[Life in Japan Theme Song]

荷造りは？

How's it going — the packing?

何とか

It's going. I have stuff that's super heavy, so I try to put it into smaller boxes

重たい物は小さな箱に入れているけど

But even the small boxes that they brought, I feel...

重量は要注意ね

I'm trying not to make them too heavy — I need mini boxes.

家中 箱だらけです

So these are the boxes that are—oh my goodness—filling up all over the house.

我が家の子供は4人

This was the deciding factor for having four kids

マインクラフトにぴったり

Is that they could all play one game of Minecraft together.

うん！

Oh yea! (Not Really)

5人いたら？

With 5 kids, oh imagine that.

5人がいい

I wanted 5 kids or 6...

子供は5人ほしい？

You want 5 or 6 kids Anna?

4人かな

Yea, but... I want four, I want four

4人？

You want four?

女子2人と男子2人 ケンカしなさそう

I want 2 girls and 2 boys so that they don't fight and they can play together.

子供4人の外国人家族にとって 引越しは大変です

There's nothing easy about a move,

今日は書類仕事と駐車場の契約

but when you have 4 kids and you're a foreigner, things get way more complicated.

中学の制服について問合せます

Today we have to sign some more documents and get a parking spot

学年の初めだと まとめて買えますが

And I have to call around and see about uniforms for the girls new middle school.

今は年度の途中なので

At the beginning of the school year you can buy it all in one location

3つのお店に行く必要があります

Well now it's the middle of the school year

箱もだいぶ減りました

So I have to go to three different locations to buy all their things.

箱は130個あります

Our pile of boxes is still big but it's dwindling,

あと数日で 梱包を終えないといけません

The moving company delivered 130 boxes

時間がありません

and now our job is to pack our things in them before they arrive on moving day in just a couple of days.

- できた - それは？

The clock is ticking and the pressure is palpable.

雑貨よ

Did it. Now what's going in it?

色んな雑貨

Stuff, Honey. Stuff.

お菓子作りの道具

All kinds of stuff.

大事な道具

A lot of baking supplies.

台所の様子です

Because that's my happy place.

コーヒーは残して

The kitchen is getting packed away.

必須よね

But we have to leave essentials out — like coffee.

外国人にとって 電気・水道・インターネットは一苦労です

Coffee is an essential.

日本語での手続きです

If packing everything wasn't bad enough, one of the biggest pains of moving as a foreigner is calling to setup utilities and internet.

これほどの長電話は初めてです

It's all in Japanese, and it's time-consuming.

インターネットの手続き中です

[Phone call in Japanese]

オプションの案内や

Never in my life have a had a phone call quite as long as that—

様々な割引制度の案内

Just trying to setup the internet, oh my goodness!

契約を確認した後 他のサービスの案内

And they go through all the options and what it's going to cost this month

ずっと日本語は大変でした

The optional services and how much they're going to give a discount for it each month

インターネットの手続きだけで 1時間17分かかりました

And then they confirm all your information and then they explain all the other options

日本人の友達にも手伝ってもらいました

And oh my goodness. My brain is about to explode with Japanese.

頭痛？

[More phone call in Japanese]

書類が沢山

The internet alone took me an hour and seventeen minutes just to schedule service

水道と電気

so we enlisted the help of some good Japanese friends for the other calls we needed to make

解約できた

You have a headache?

10月は学年の中間なので

All this paperwork.

子供にはどうしても 寂しい思いをさせてしまうでしょう

We got the water setup and got the power setup

アナ 何してるの？

Yea- and cancelled for here.

英語

Moving in October is in the middle of the Japanese school year,

英語の勉強は？

so we're trying to keep as much normalcy as possible for the kids routine,

教えてあげるの？

but it's almost impossible to do.

うん

What'cha working on there Anna Cakes?

そうだよね

English English!

サラも何かしているね

How's English going? Good.

折り紙

Does everyone come to you for help?

サラは折り紙の女王だね

Yes

上手だね！

I would imagine so.

今日は一人じゃないです

And Sarah's working on a project too. What's your project Sarah?

私も！

Origami.

いきましょう

Sarah is the origami queen.

走ってます

That is cool, way to go.

学校まで行けそうです

So I'm out jogging today and look who's with me.

3kmのジョギング

And me! And me! And me! And Becca.

アナは先にいます

Here we go.

もっと走りたそうです

It's underway.

子供は想像力が豊かです

Let's see—they're probably going to school daddy here, we'll see.

大変な時でも 楽しむ方法を知っています

We just completed a 3 km jog and look at Anna.

すごい！

Anna is like way the yea up there.

スローで撮ろう

She was like "can I jog ahead?" Sure.

天井まで届いたね！

Kids are certainly full of energy and creativity,

気を付けて！

and when life is in a tight spot, you might be surprised with what they come up with on their own.

命中だね

Whoa!

当たった！

That was cool.

終わりが近付いて 気付くことがあります

OK, let's do one slow motion.

毎朝見た景色

Sarah that was amazing — you shot it all the way up to the ceiling!

この場所から数日で旅立ちます

Wow! Look out!

仕事が山積みなので 感傷に浸る時間もありません

You about got a haircut.

家中 箱だらけです

I almost did!

働き者のママちゃん

When you know your time is short, you experience things in a different way.

カーテンを外そう

How many mornings did we wake up to this view?

気を付けて！

Now, we were only a couple days away from this being yet another chapter in our history.

ベッカが転んじゃう

But we didn't have time to sit and think about it, because the amount of work there was still to do was honestly overwhelming.

荷造り？

The boxes are filling up everywhere.

とにかく入れている

And the mama chan who has been working hard.

全部？

OK, taking down the curtains.

貝殻を見て！

Careful!

海の貝殻？

Taking down Becca too. Yea, really.

手作り！

You guys packing, packing, packing?

8歳の時に拾った

Just throwing everything in.

もういらない

Throwing everything in?!

沢山の荷物！

Look at these seashells!

大変です

Seashells from the sea shore?

お皿は全部梱包したので 紙皿を買います

I made this all by myself!

そう

I think I got this when I was 8 or something.

宿題はどこでする？

I don't need this anymore. Trash.

平日の引越しは大変だね

And out here there's all kinds of- oh my goodness!

すごい

It's just- it's for real.

サラ どう？

Well this is a big moment here. We're going full-on paper products here.

この家で最後の夜！

Packing all the plates now.

遂にだね

Yep.

いい夢を

Did you guys find a place to do your homework alright?

間に合いました

Um hum.

見て下さい

Nothing like having to move on a school night, huh?

荷物があります

My goodness!

2階にルースがいます

[Reading in Japanese]

子供が寝た後も 親の仕事は続きます

What is this Sarah? What's going on?

遂にこの日が来たね

It's the last day sleeping in this house.

この後は？

This is it girls.

ぼーっとする

Alright, well pleasant dreams tonight.

座ります

Our house is literally about done.

リラックスします

Look at that.

毎朝コーヒーを飲みます

All the boxes over here.

コーヒーメーカーが無いので 今朝はコーヒーを買います

Let's take a walk up the stairway and see how the girlfriend's doing here.

セブンイレブンのコーヒー

Kids are in bed, the parents will party! Or keep working.

セブンイレブンのコーヒー

We're calling it for the day. Oh we are.

千里の道も一歩からだね

So what are we going to do now?

最後の朝ごはん

Well— I don't even care.

信じられないね

We're going to sit... Just close my eyeballs.

このテーブルは？

And watch something and relax.

じきに新しいのを買うよ

One of my first orders of business this morning: getting coffee.

農園の朝ごはんみたい サラダとブレッドスティック

We packed our coffee maker, so I've got to go out and get some coffee to start this day.

これは？

Here we go. 7-11 coffee this morning.

持っていかない

Well... 7-11 coffee today.

最後の日光浴

You do what you got to do when you got to do it, right? That's right.

荷物です

Our last breakfast here guys! What a crazy thought, is it not?

すごい！

What are we going to do without a table at our place?

準備できた？

Yea, we're not taking this table. But we'll use the other tables we have until we find just the right one to put there.

うん

You girls look like you're eating at Olive Garden— you've got your salad and breadsticks.

最後の登校日

How are you going to take that?

信じられないね

I don't think we'll take those.

登校だね 友達は？

One final bask in the sun here this morning.

一緒に行く

With all of our boxes here.

最後に一緒に登校したかったんだね

Oh my goodness!

神さまの祝福を！

Getting ready to go, huh?

バーイ

Yep.

新しい家で！

Last day to walk to school from here.

行こう

Crazy, huh?!

サラは少し悲しそう

Cra-cra

そうだね

Well guys, you're off to school. What did your friends say?

遂にです

Let's walk together.

子供は登校

They wanted to walk with you guys on your last day to go. That's nice.

引越業者がもうすぐ来ます

God bless you girls. Have a great day today.

荷造りも終わりました！

Bye! Bye.

子供達は寂しさ半分 うれしさ半分でした

We'll see you later, in a new place.

サラは悲しそうでした

Well guys, here we go.

全部梱包しました

Let's go. Sarah's a little sad.

箱

Yea, it's a little sad.

いよいよ出発です

Well here we go. The kids are gone, the movers are about to arrive.

素晴らしい家でした 次の家も楽しみです

And everything is packed up, ready to go.

やりきったね

The kids, it was a mixture of sad and happy this morning.

少なくとも出発できる

Sarah especially thought it was sad.

次は荷解き

All the things packed up.

仕事が速いね

Boxes.

何日もかかったのに

Ready or not, it's time. Here we go.

まだ5分だよ

It's been a good run here. It's going to be a great run at the next place.

準備に数週間

So, I think your work is done, huh?

実質的には2週間ね

I think—well! The moving TO is done,

業者さんは15分で全部積んだ

The unpacking there has just begun.

- 速すぎ！ - 感動だわ

Just begun but look, they cleared out this corner so fast.

最初はトラック2台

It took me days to fill it. Oh my goodness.

その後でもう1台来る

I know and look— it hasn't even been 5 minutes.

家具の解体が大変

You're fast! Wow.

トラックに積んだら出発

Well, it took us weeks of preparation, huh?

遂にライター家が来ました！

Well, two weeks because we've only known one week that we were accepted in the [new] house.

まだ空っぽ

And it only them 15 minutes to load all of my boxes.

緊張するわ 荷物が全部入るか自信がない

So fast. They were amazing.

荷物が来たね

The first round is two trucks.

いっぱいね

We still have one more truck. They have to take apart still my furniture.

午後3時5分

Bless their little hearts, that's going to be tough.

素早い仕事に感動しています

We got that truck and this one and we go!

僕とルースの部屋

It's an exciting day! The movers are here. That means the Reutter's are coming.

ジョシュアとサラの部屋

OK, here it is empty.

新しい二段ベッドです

I know and now I'm nervous. I have so many boxes that I just can't even think about where it's all going to fit.

ベッカとアナの部屋

Well, things are coming in. They are.

ここがお風呂場です

Making our space look crowded.

リビングは廊下の先

On top of the table is also OK.

物で溢れています

It's is 3:05 and they just finished delivering everything. That was amazing.

山積みです！

This is going to be my and Ruth's room — our room.

こっちが台所

Right here will be Joshua and Sarah's room

新生活が始まります

And then right here we're getting a new bunkbed that will fit right there.

大変な状態です！

Over here is Becca and Anna's room

広角レンズでも収まりません

And then of course we have the bathrooms here.

忙しいです

And then the main living room, wait 'till you see this.

空になった前の家に戻ります

We have a lot of stuff to put away.

沢山の思い出がある家なので 泣いてしまうかもしれません

And just look at all the stuff we have to put away.

1つのページが終わります

And then of course the kitchen. Oh wow.

前に進みます

Lot's of new memories to be made in here.

何してるの？！

This is craziest of all — oh my goodness!

車だよ！

My wide-angle lens is not wide enough for this.

車で遊んでる？

Time to get busy.

見せて！

First I'm going to go back to the old house. It's empty.

デビーおばさん シルビアとプリ

Get some footage. I imagine I might shed some tears because there's some great memories made there.

- 見て！ - 見てるわ

And close this chapter of our life.

見て！

Start a new one.

見てるわよ！

What is going on?!

感情が込み上げます

We're playing a car game!

家族の思い出が詰まった家です

We're playing a car game? Bring it.

友人を失くしたかのようです

For Aunt Debbie, Tia Silvia and Tia Pri

市内での引越しですが

Look at me. I see you.

子供にとって 転校は新しいチャレンジです

Look at me.

でも…

I'm looking at you.

進みましょう

I am surprising emotional.

最後のお別れです

So many amazing memories in this house.

8年半の思い出に区切りをつけます

To see it empty is almost like losing a friend.

消灯します

Fortunately we're still in the same major city.

これが最後です

Different schools for the kids which is going to be a whole other challenge that we're going to have to face very soon.

But for now...

Take in... one last time... of Awnis Rio.

Eight and a half years here. You'd think I'd figure out the lights by now.

Here we go, lights going off for the last time.