Pocket Land

Pocket Land is an indoor playground we often go to. Free! (Paid from city taxes). Pretty big and well equipped, girls like to go there! :)
Advantages:
lots of toys we didn't have to/feel like we needed to buy,
free A/C,
no crying about watching yet another princess DVD, since there is no TV there (hehehe :P)
teachers who can help with (unknown to me) japanese childrearing system,
ikebana, origami and cooking for toddler classes once in a while (for moms),
lots of other kids and other moms,
and social interactions.
Disadvantages:
almost no kids above 3yrd (all in Kindergarten), although some come on holiday/vacation time, afternoons and on Saturdays, problem we're there usually in the morning (9am-11:30am), as it fits nicely into our daily routine
sometimes too much moms and socializing*,
most of the times different kids and moms each time we go.
There are a few who go often enough that we got to know each other and I say "hi" to most of people there since we meet all the time, even if not get into long conversations or trying to become friends. The latest is kind of difficult social "dance" here and can become such a hassle you don't even want to start - I have two VERY japanesy moms trying to be friends with me and it's tiring! But it's a long story, no time and place to get into details here.

Still, we go there pretty often. Although it may change after Maya goes to Kindergarten in April, since Kalina really plays by herself a lot even at home.

* How many times I may explain that yes, Maya speaks 3 languages, no, I'm not from America, I'm from Poland (why for so many Japanese I met foreigner (gaijin/gaikokujin) equals US citizen?), and yes, I can speak Japanese, and no, Polish people don't all speak English or Portugese - why that? Cos apparently "porando" (Poland in Japanese) and "porutugaru" (Portugal in Japanese) is similar enough that more than one person though it's the same.