Japanese Tea Garden Adventure

We came to SanFran to get out of the heat. When it reaches 95 degrees and above at my house, I melt. With no air conditioning in my house, I just get crabby. M and I decided to try the Academy of Sciences  in Golden Gate Park yesterday, and I am glad we did. It was only mildly crowded and it is right next to the Japanese Tea Garden which may be one of M's favorite places on the planet. As we walked in I heard a little girl say as she passed by us "this is the most boring place ever!" M looked at her in shock and horror and somewhat offended I am sure. This is her special place. Before we called it a day at the tea gardens, we had climbed the bridge 5 times, played follow the leader, looked for secret paths, crossed a creek 6 times,  hid under a secret bridge, ate mochi, drank jasmine tea and miso soup.

I think I have mentioned before that M was born in a japanese tea house that we used to live in.  I wonder if the tatami mats and shoji screens in Shoboan (the name of our dear home) imprinted in her early memories that started a love of Japanese culture. I have wondered  how mothers in Japan deal with delicate rice paper shoji doors like ours, that were continually wrecked by M's little toddler hands. I eventually gave up, and left them tattered and torn until we moved out and then spent days repairing them with a cornstarch mixture as glue and rice paper from the craft store. Getting back to Japan is something I look forward to. This time my husband and I will have our perfect travel companion to share the excitement with!