Saturday, April 28, 2012
Update and pictures!
Not too much going on. Still feeling everything out. Today we made a trip to Costco. There are a lot of things from the States, but also a lot of Japanese stuff. Prices are ok, so we have fun. My favorite thing is a folding wagon. Since we have quite a ways to walk from our car, I needed something to get up the hill to bring in my groceries. Found it today and am so excited. The van is now completely registered. Took 2 days and someone else to do the running around on the second day to finish. Been trying to drive whenever I get the chance. This morning I took my friend and her husband to the airport and back by myself. I felt like such a big girl! Other than that, we're just finding our footing and exploring. Tomorrow we're going to head to Zushi, which is the town our housing is in. It's been raining since we moved in, so no big adventures to report. I do wish I had my stuff, but it will be shipped out on the 2nd of May. Next week is Golden Week and we were told to not expect things to be open. It's several holidays together and everyone vacations on this week. Jack also got registered for preschool. Such a big boy. Luke wants to go to school as well, but we're going to look into the cost. Fun times all around. I'm going to put up some much needed pictures, now that my computer is working. It took forever to upload one picture off my phone. So hopefully this goes much faster.
Worn out little boy:)
My new ramen bowls.
This magnet is to let others know that I'm a new driver. They have other symbols as well. The one that should be in FL is the elderly one. It lets people know that there is someone over the age of 75 driving:)
Already had our first mishap. Luke wrote on the wall. This is Luke cleaning up his mistake.
The boys eating a snack at Costco after a fun afternoon of shopping.
Look Ma, no hands! The cart doesn't move on the escalator. Super cool stuff.
My new grocery cart filled with the loot from Costco.
Directions for our dinner. Japanese pork dumplings. So good, just couldn't read the instructions.
Sunday, April 22, 2012
Kamakura and a van
This last Thursday, our class took a trip out in town. It was to show us how easy the train system is here in town. The instructors get you to Kamakura, show you around a bit and leave you there! It's your job to make it back to base. Getting there was no problem for us. We feel like a pro. With our Pasmo cards, we only have to tap to get through the turnstiles and tap once we get to our destination. No trying to calculate the fares, just focusing on getting to where we want to go. So once we got there, it was lunch time. We walked along one of the streets looking for something good to eat. We saw this one banner, but when we went inside it was a pastry shop. (Japan is obsessed with pastries, they are everywhere!) They told us that the place was around the corner. So we went down a little alley. Once inside the door, we had to take our shoes off, and dumb Americans that we are, we didn't know that they have slippers for us to wear. Anyways, we sit down at our table (there were 3 couples and only 2 to a table) and there's a griddle in the middle. They have menus in English! So Zach and I are adventurous and try the Japanese pancake. Mine was with sweet corn and cheese and Zach had garlic and cheese. Out comes a bowl with a raw egg sitting on top. They guy told us to "mix-stir den 4 (while holding up fingers) on bof side". Ok, I think I got that. Mix it, then pour it on the griddle and cook 4 minutes each side. Ok, so we went for it. In these pancakes was a little bit of batter, shredded cabbage, scallions, some red stuff and our choice ingredients. I just have to say that it was amazing! So delicious, I can't wait to go back. I think the boys would have a blast! After we paid and left we hit up an ice cream shop for a special treat. We chose sweet potato and vanilla swirl. Here, their sweet potatoes are purple, so our ice cream was purple and white swirl. I think I found my new favorite. We were told when Obama visited a couple of years ago, he tried the sweet potato ice cream. So I figured if he could be brave and try it, so could I. Next on my list of flavors to try is sushi and green tea. We'll see about those.
We met up for our tour of the shrine in Kamakura. The actual shrine is over 1,000 years old. Totally boggles my mind. A shrine is from the Shinto religion, which is 1 of 2 major religions here in Japan. Buddhism being the other that came over in the 6th century. And they have temples and Buddha as their places of worship. Nowadays, both religions co-exist together. Many will pray or ask for "wishes" at both the shrine and the temple. Religion in Japan in casual. We went to visit the shrine and it was gorgeous. They had these fruit booths out front with about 8-9 different kinds of fruit. We tried the strawberry with a hard coating on top of a Ritz cracker. YUMMY! We finally made it back to base.
On Friday, we took our written drivers test. Both Zachary and I passed our test and will be taking the driving practical on Wednesday afternoon. Looking at the lemon lot, a lot that the base has allotted as a place to sell cars. So those leaving Japan can sell there as well as some who sell cars bought at auction. And one thing we learned, car auctions here in Japan are nothing like those in the States. All the cars are appraised and only those of good quality are sold at auction. They have a rating system to let you know how well the car was taken care of. After much looking, talking and researching, we came to the conclusion that we wanted a Nissan Liberty minivan. The road tax each year is the least expensive, dependable cars and 3rd row seating. Thankfully, there were plenty of them available since it's quite popular. We finally decided on one and I had my friend who's a mechanic look at it. She said it was amazingly clean, brand new looking belts, brand new tires, extremely clean. It even has a back up camera. Cars here are very cheap because there are several things that you don't pay for in the States, that you pay here. Anyways, for $2800 we have a 2002 minivan with 39.900 miles! It was so well kept it looks brand new. Now I just need someone to translate some stuff. I also need to see if I can get the Japanese maps in English for the GPS. That would just make it perfect.
Looking out at the next week, we are busy! We get the keys to our house on Monday, Tuesday our stuff from Florida and our loaner stuff gets here. Wednesday driving test and then on Thursday we pick up our van:) Not to mention, our lovely friend that I met hooked us up with someone who is moving. She wants to get rid of her dining table and chairs (they are beautiful) and a little boy bedroom set. I asked how she knew exactly what we needed. It's amazing how things work out. Just when you start to get over stressed, things just happen. Makes my heart feel good. So things are finally coming together, and once our stuff from Great Lakes gets here, we'll be great. That should be by July, I'm not holding my breath! So good evening everyone from Japan.
We met up for our tour of the shrine in Kamakura. The actual shrine is over 1,000 years old. Totally boggles my mind. A shrine is from the Shinto religion, which is 1 of 2 major religions here in Japan. Buddhism being the other that came over in the 6th century. And they have temples and Buddha as their places of worship. Nowadays, both religions co-exist together. Many will pray or ask for "wishes" at both the shrine and the temple. Religion in Japan in casual. We went to visit the shrine and it was gorgeous. They had these fruit booths out front with about 8-9 different kinds of fruit. We tried the strawberry with a hard coating on top of a Ritz cracker. YUMMY! We finally made it back to base.
On Friday, we took our written drivers test. Both Zachary and I passed our test and will be taking the driving practical on Wednesday afternoon. Looking at the lemon lot, a lot that the base has allotted as a place to sell cars. So those leaving Japan can sell there as well as some who sell cars bought at auction. And one thing we learned, car auctions here in Japan are nothing like those in the States. All the cars are appraised and only those of good quality are sold at auction. They have a rating system to let you know how well the car was taken care of. After much looking, talking and researching, we came to the conclusion that we wanted a Nissan Liberty minivan. The road tax each year is the least expensive, dependable cars and 3rd row seating. Thankfully, there were plenty of them available since it's quite popular. We finally decided on one and I had my friend who's a mechanic look at it. She said it was amazingly clean, brand new looking belts, brand new tires, extremely clean. It even has a back up camera. Cars here are very cheap because there are several things that you don't pay for in the States, that you pay here. Anyways, for $2800 we have a 2002 minivan with 39.900 miles! It was so well kept it looks brand new. Now I just need someone to translate some stuff. I also need to see if I can get the Japanese maps in English for the GPS. That would just make it perfect.
Looking out at the next week, we are busy! We get the keys to our house on Monday, Tuesday our stuff from Florida and our loaner stuff gets here. Wednesday driving test and then on Thursday we pick up our van:) Not to mention, our lovely friend that I met hooked us up with someone who is moving. She wants to get rid of her dining table and chairs (they are beautiful) and a little boy bedroom set. I asked how she knew exactly what we needed. It's amazing how things work out. Just when you start to get over stressed, things just happen. Makes my heart feel good. So things are finally coming together, and once our stuff from Great Lakes gets here, we'll be great. That should be by July, I'm not holding my breath! So good evening everyone from Japan.
Tuesday, April 17, 2012
Whew! What a long eventful day!
This week Zach and I are attending the base orientation. It's got an acronym that is 6 letters long, but it's just an orientation not only to the base, but to Japan as well. Great fun, boring times and most importantly, kid free time:) The boys are in the CDC (Child Development Center aka childcare for military kiddos) so this gives Zachary and I time to talk. The problem is, that we talk mostly about our two rambunctious little boys! We've been able to learn quite a bit and are now starting the Japanese day tomorrow. They will teach us more about their culture and basic language. Tomorrow we get to take a field trip to Kamakora which is supposed to be amazing. Friday is the driving test (please pray for us, because I am beyond nervous at this point). Lots of fun to be had. After class today, we walked back and stopped in at our friendly Personal Property Office (the people who are in charge of our stuff) and found out that our Unaccompanied Baggage aka Stuff sent from Florida is here! It will be delivered the day we move into our house. That means we'll have our own sheets and computer and other great stuff. Woohoo! Still no word about our Household Goods which is our furniture and other stuff we shipped from Great Mistakes, I mean Great Lakes. So one step at a time. Hopefully it will be here by July.
After that fabulous news, we headed out on an adventure. A guy from Zach's division is in class with us and they just found out that they're moving to Ikego...3 houses down! They have 2 little boys, one is 4 the other is 16 months. Our boys all clicked instantly. So we hopped on the train to Ikego, a feat with 4 adults and 4 children. I was the only one who had been there before, not to mention that Zach and I were the ones who had used the train before. We made it on the first try! Today was a great day, clear sky until we got off the train station at Ikego. So we walked a little bit in the rain and stopped in at the Mini Mart and got some umbrellas. Went to the post office and got our address! (Will post it below) Then we walked around base. Saw where Jack's school will be next year and all the playgrounds. Then we saw our house. We have a very tiny yard, but there is a large area right outside our fence. Plus there is a playground spitting distance from our front door! Where we're located there's a bunch of families around, but it seems very quiet. So excited that I wanted to move in today. Alas, we have to wait til Monday to get the keys. Tuesday our loaner furniture and unaccompanied baggage will be arriving.
I've been a busy bee meeting some great people. I've befriended 3 amazing women who have been so incredibly nice. 2 I'm trudging through the unknown with and 1 has gone above and beyond. Met her on the train and it just clicked. Things are starting to look up, just need to get settled in a bit and everything will work itself out. Boys are still acting out, especially Jack. It's like some bad little boy is possessing his body. I'm sure once things settle, we have our own house he'll get back to himself. It's just such a challenge because I'm trying to find my footing too. Oh well, we'll make it. I'm loving Japan so far and can see why so many stay over here for several tours. Very family friendly, safe and just a wonderful place to be.
Our address:
PSC 474 Box 5202
FPO AP 96351-9998
After that fabulous news, we headed out on an adventure. A guy from Zach's division is in class with us and they just found out that they're moving to Ikego...3 houses down! They have 2 little boys, one is 4 the other is 16 months. Our boys all clicked instantly. So we hopped on the train to Ikego, a feat with 4 adults and 4 children. I was the only one who had been there before, not to mention that Zach and I were the ones who had used the train before. We made it on the first try! Today was a great day, clear sky until we got off the train station at Ikego. So we walked a little bit in the rain and stopped in at the Mini Mart and got some umbrellas. Went to the post office and got our address! (Will post it below) Then we walked around base. Saw where Jack's school will be next year and all the playgrounds. Then we saw our house. We have a very tiny yard, but there is a large area right outside our fence. Plus there is a playground spitting distance from our front door! Where we're located there's a bunch of families around, but it seems very quiet. So excited that I wanted to move in today. Alas, we have to wait til Monday to get the keys. Tuesday our loaner furniture and unaccompanied baggage will be arriving.
I've been a busy bee meeting some great people. I've befriended 3 amazing women who have been so incredibly nice. 2 I'm trudging through the unknown with and 1 has gone above and beyond. Met her on the train and it just clicked. Things are starting to look up, just need to get settled in a bit and everything will work itself out. Boys are still acting out, especially Jack. It's like some bad little boy is possessing his body. I'm sure once things settle, we have our own house he'll get back to himself. It's just such a challenge because I'm trying to find my footing too. Oh well, we'll make it. I'm loving Japan so far and can see why so many stay over here for several tours. Very family friendly, safe and just a wonderful place to be.
Our address:
PSC 474 Box 5202
FPO AP 96351-9998
Wednesday, April 11, 2012
We have a house!
I officially signed the paperwork this afternoon. We will be living in a 3 bedroom townhouse in Ikego. The place is the same square footage as a 4 bedroom, so it's just a little larger. I am just so excited.
The day started out a little crazy. I had childcare set up for the boys. Someone told me that it would only be about an hour, when I got there they said no, it would take several hours. I only had childcare scheduled til 11 and couldn't extend. Luckily a few people cancelled and I was able to take the boys with me. Zach was on duty today, so it was me by myself. Before we left, I had to go over to the lady's house, pay her because I couldn't give her 24 hour notice, then head back. I had half an hour to accomplish this plus go back up to the 4th floor to get car seats and change a diaper. So we made it with 10 minutes to spare. Yes, I'm THAT good! We got loaded on the large van and headed out. First we looked at a tower unit which really wasn't bad. I really liked it, but once I saw the townhouse, there was no other option. It's just nice. Reminds me a bit of our first place in Great Lakes. Except, I requested an end unit this time:)
We decided (along with another lady and her daughter) to take the train back to base instead of looking at Negishi. That would've added another hour onto our trip and it was lunch time. So started our fun trip back to Yokosuka. 2 Moms and 3 kids. In a foreign country. Second time riding the train. You get the picture. Well, after reading the directions, we got on a train, only to find out it was the wrong one. So we headed back and went to get on the right train. As we were boarding, Luke's foot slipped in between the train and the platform. His Croc fell off. At this point I was too tired and ready to get back to really care. So I carried him on my shoulders all the way from the train station to the base. I think it might be about a mile, I don't know. What I do know is that my shoulders are still sore. Now I only packed each boy 2 pairs of shoes. Wouldn't you know we couldn't find Luke's other shoe when we were visiting family near Panama City, FL. Turns out it was under one of the beds, but that left him with only his Crocs. So off to the NEX we went. I do have to say that they have an amazing Children's Navy Exchange here. The lady that I met on the bus over was telling me that if I see something I like buy it, because they sell out of stuff quickly and it won't come back. Thankfully I ran into a great sale and got both boys some shoes. Jack got a pair of Green Eggs and Ham Converse, super cute! After that we headed back to the hotel room and called down to the housing to sign the paperwork. I have our address and our official move in date is the 23rd. Now we have from now until then to figure out how we're going to get all our stuff there. We have 8 bags that we checked in as well as one carry on each.
This is the boys waiting for the train to arrive.
So I think this was a very eventful day for our first duty day. And it's not even over yet. About 24 hours til we see Zachary again and so much has happened!
The day started out a little crazy. I had childcare set up for the boys. Someone told me that it would only be about an hour, when I got there they said no, it would take several hours. I only had childcare scheduled til 11 and couldn't extend. Luckily a few people cancelled and I was able to take the boys with me. Zach was on duty today, so it was me by myself. Before we left, I had to go over to the lady's house, pay her because I couldn't give her 24 hour notice, then head back. I had half an hour to accomplish this plus go back up to the 4th floor to get car seats and change a diaper. So we made it with 10 minutes to spare. Yes, I'm THAT good! We got loaded on the large van and headed out. First we looked at a tower unit which really wasn't bad. I really liked it, but once I saw the townhouse, there was no other option. It's just nice. Reminds me a bit of our first place in Great Lakes. Except, I requested an end unit this time:)
We decided (along with another lady and her daughter) to take the train back to base instead of looking at Negishi. That would've added another hour onto our trip and it was lunch time. So started our fun trip back to Yokosuka. 2 Moms and 3 kids. In a foreign country. Second time riding the train. You get the picture. Well, after reading the directions, we got on a train, only to find out it was the wrong one. So we headed back and went to get on the right train. As we were boarding, Luke's foot slipped in between the train and the platform. His Croc fell off. At this point I was too tired and ready to get back to really care. So I carried him on my shoulders all the way from the train station to the base. I think it might be about a mile, I don't know. What I do know is that my shoulders are still sore. Now I only packed each boy 2 pairs of shoes. Wouldn't you know we couldn't find Luke's other shoe when we were visiting family near Panama City, FL. Turns out it was under one of the beds, but that left him with only his Crocs. So off to the NEX we went. I do have to say that they have an amazing Children's Navy Exchange here. The lady that I met on the bus over was telling me that if I see something I like buy it, because they sell out of stuff quickly and it won't come back. Thankfully I ran into a great sale and got both boys some shoes. Jack got a pair of Green Eggs and Ham Converse, super cute! After that we headed back to the hotel room and called down to the housing to sign the paperwork. I have our address and our official move in date is the 23rd. Now we have from now until then to figure out how we're going to get all our stuff there. We have 8 bags that we checked in as well as one carry on each.
So I think this was a very eventful day for our first duty day. And it's not even over yet. About 24 hours til we see Zachary again and so much has happened!
Tuesday, April 10, 2012
It's 5am...
This time change sure has kicked me in the, well you know. The whole family has been waking up about the 4am mark for the last week. This morning I woke up at 3, that's right 3-in the butt crack of the morning! It's now 5am and the rest of the family is snoozing. So I figured I better do something productive.
Our first week in Japan has been fun. A little trying at times, but the people are so friendly here. We got our first offer for a house through housing. We have 3 options for housing here, but we'd rather make an informed decision. We're going to look at a few more houses out in town and take a tour of Ikego (that's where I want to live) before we make our decision. I told housing we'd let them know by the 16th, that's the day we go see a 1900 sqft Westernized house. I was told that we could be in a house as soon as the 23rd if we give him that date. So we shall see. I will learn how to post pictures on here once we get a house, well once I get my real computer back. I'm not familiar with Windows 7, so it's a learning curve for me.
Two days ago we were hankering for a taste of home. So we were out in town and the boys spotted McDonalds. We went in and ordered 2 value meals and 2 happy meals. It came to a total of 2,470 yen about $30! My jaw hit the floor when I used my yen converter on my phone. Oh, and their medium and large size drinks are an American small and medium. Learning curve. I do have to say, it was the best McDonalds I've ever had. Everything was hot and fresh. Next time, we will go to the one on base (which we found out about afterwards) or on special occasions. Here in Japan, they are huge on recycling and you must separate ALL your trash. So as I was taking our trash up, I had to watch a young school girl (they all wear the Catholic school girl uniforms, so cute!). Then I had to ask where certain things like the juice box went.
Being here a week there are two things I have noticed. One, the people are so incredibly nice. And they like 2 little blond headed boys. Between the ladies and the older generation, they are not starved for attention. We hear, "cute, cute" everywhere we go. They don't speak much English beyond that, but we're finding that we can gesture and try to understand each other. Second, they do little things like separating the trash. And once you get used to it, it's not that big of a deal. It's not necessarily about convenience, but doing the right thing. They are honest, kind and very well dressed people. Heck, going out wearing a nice sweater and jeans and I feel like a total slacker! Men are dressed in suit and tie, ladies wear skirts. Almost everyone wears black, so if you wear any kind of color you stick out. Not that we don't already.
I think once we get our footing and find our niche things will settle down. Zach is on the ship already, so I'm having to do things on my own. Registering the boys for childcare (we have a week long brief we have to attend next week), heading out for lunch (we only have a 2 burner stove) or just getting out of our hotel room. I may take them out in town sometime this week. I'm sure I'll be able to manage it just fine.
Things are starting to sink in with the boys. The acting out is at an all time high. It stresses me out and I hurt for them because I know how difficult it is for me, but they've no idea. We've tried to talk to them about things before we moved here, but Jack is really homesick. We had a talk yesterday about missing our family and he was crying. It just killed me. I understand how he feels, it's like any new place, but totally different at the same time. It's not like we can hop in a car and drive somewhere, when we go off base, they speak a totally different language and there's a bunch of writing we don't understand. I'm afraid that I'll do something to offend, not knowing it. It's something that after our orientation and time in Japan, I can overcome. It's just a little overwhelming.
With all the ups and downs, I know it just takes a little time and we need to establish some friendships. Once that happens, things will get better. They're not bad, everything is just so new. Talk about being out of your comfort zone! Even the toilets and faucets are different! It took me about 10 minutes to figure out that pushing the lever down is for pee and up is poop! I'm learning, but the faucets in the sinks are opposite of ours. You push the handle down to turn it on. I've splashed myself a couple of times doing dishes by pushing it up to turn it off, when it just makes the water come out faster! I will conquer that obstacle. I'm trying to look at it as a challenge. It may take a while, but I will relearn how to use a faucet. I've got the toilet down pat already! Next, driving on the wrong side of the road! I'm terrified, but I will conquer that too!
The top picture is Jack outside the main gate. The bottom is Luke hanging from the rings on the train.
Our first week in Japan has been fun. A little trying at times, but the people are so friendly here. We got our first offer for a house through housing. We have 3 options for housing here, but we'd rather make an informed decision. We're going to look at a few more houses out in town and take a tour of Ikego (that's where I want to live) before we make our decision. I told housing we'd let them know by the 16th, that's the day we go see a 1900 sqft Westernized house. I was told that we could be in a house as soon as the 23rd if we give him that date. So we shall see. I will learn how to post pictures on here once we get a house, well once I get my real computer back. I'm not familiar with Windows 7, so it's a learning curve for me.
Two days ago we were hankering for a taste of home. So we were out in town and the boys spotted McDonalds. We went in and ordered 2 value meals and 2 happy meals. It came to a total of 2,470 yen about $30! My jaw hit the floor when I used my yen converter on my phone. Oh, and their medium and large size drinks are an American small and medium. Learning curve. I do have to say, it was the best McDonalds I've ever had. Everything was hot and fresh. Next time, we will go to the one on base (which we found out about afterwards) or on special occasions. Here in Japan, they are huge on recycling and you must separate ALL your trash. So as I was taking our trash up, I had to watch a young school girl (they all wear the Catholic school girl uniforms, so cute!). Then I had to ask where certain things like the juice box went.
Being here a week there are two things I have noticed. One, the people are so incredibly nice. And they like 2 little blond headed boys. Between the ladies and the older generation, they are not starved for attention. We hear, "cute, cute" everywhere we go. They don't speak much English beyond that, but we're finding that we can gesture and try to understand each other. Second, they do little things like separating the trash. And once you get used to it, it's not that big of a deal. It's not necessarily about convenience, but doing the right thing. They are honest, kind and very well dressed people. Heck, going out wearing a nice sweater and jeans and I feel like a total slacker! Men are dressed in suit and tie, ladies wear skirts. Almost everyone wears black, so if you wear any kind of color you stick out. Not that we don't already.
I think once we get our footing and find our niche things will settle down. Zach is on the ship already, so I'm having to do things on my own. Registering the boys for childcare (we have a week long brief we have to attend next week), heading out for lunch (we only have a 2 burner stove) or just getting out of our hotel room. I may take them out in town sometime this week. I'm sure I'll be able to manage it just fine.
Things are starting to sink in with the boys. The acting out is at an all time high. It stresses me out and I hurt for them because I know how difficult it is for me, but they've no idea. We've tried to talk to them about things before we moved here, but Jack is really homesick. We had a talk yesterday about missing our family and he was crying. It just killed me. I understand how he feels, it's like any new place, but totally different at the same time. It's not like we can hop in a car and drive somewhere, when we go off base, they speak a totally different language and there's a bunch of writing we don't understand. I'm afraid that I'll do something to offend, not knowing it. It's something that after our orientation and time in Japan, I can overcome. It's just a little overwhelming.
With all the ups and downs, I know it just takes a little time and we need to establish some friendships. Once that happens, things will get better. They're not bad, everything is just so new. Talk about being out of your comfort zone! Even the toilets and faucets are different! It took me about 10 minutes to figure out that pushing the lever down is for pee and up is poop! I'm learning, but the faucets in the sinks are opposite of ours. You push the handle down to turn it on. I've splashed myself a couple of times doing dishes by pushing it up to turn it off, when it just makes the water come out faster! I will conquer that obstacle. I'm trying to look at it as a challenge. It may take a while, but I will relearn how to use a faucet. I've got the toilet down pat already! Next, driving on the wrong side of the road! I'm terrified, but I will conquer that too!
Friday, April 6, 2012
We made it!
Our fabulous adventure has begun!
The start of our long journey started with visiting family in Wewahitchka, FL for a week. We drove to Atlanta (about a 6 hour drive), stayed overnight, had dinner with some old friends and swam in the hotel pool. After hopping on our flight that evening, we landed in Seattle. There we were met up with the Wright family and had a ball. We stayed up, had snacks, an Easter egg hunt in the hotel room at 1am and were finally dropped off at the airport at 2:30am. Thank you military AMC flights for having check-in in the middle of the night. Nothing like two tired, cranky boys waiting in line. After we checked all 8 bags, we headed to the USO. We were able to let Luke sleep a bit and Zach took a quick nap. However, there were people everywhere, so it wasn't exactly restful sleep. Our flight was supposed to leave at 8:30, but when we checked in they said it got moved to 9:30. So at about 8, we headed through security, made it to the gate only to realize that it was delayed to 11am! At this point we had been up for almost 24 hours and just wanted to start the long flight. Once we got on the flight, we found out that we werent' going to make a refueling stop in Anchorage like originally told. So our flight only ended up being 10 1/2 hours!! The boys were amazing on the long flight. Luke slept for most of it (and I didn't have to drug him!). We finally arrived at 3pm Tokyo time (so 2am EST) and waited on a bus for 45 minutes before we began our 2 hour ride to base. We got to drive through Tokyo (haven't stepped foot there yet) and just wanted to check into our room. We finally made it to the Navy Lodge Yokosuka at 7pm. We all crashed. The boys woke up at midnight (11am EST) so I finally pulled out the big guns (Melatonin) and they quickly went back to lala land. That was several days ago and I must say that we're still working on our sleep schedule. We have been going to bed about 7pm and waking up around 4. It does get light here early, about 5am.
Yesterday was the first time we've ventured off base. We ate at a little Japanese diner type place. The amazing thing about these, are they have machines that you feed your yen into and choose what you want to eat. Then you take your ticket stub and go sit at the counter. The waitress comes by and takes the stub (like at the movies) and brings you your food. We all had beef curry with Miso soup. It cost 480 yen, so about $5.85 each for dinner. We then walked to the train station where we learned how to use the Pesmo cards. Basically you load money onto the card and just tap it (or your bag if you don't want to take it out). Then when you get to the otherside you tap your card again and it figures out your fair. We took about a 25 minute train ride to Yokohama. We walked around a bit and went to this 8 story tall electronics store. There is nothing in the US to compare this to. Think of Best Buy on steroids, then multiply it by 1,000,000! There's no other way to describe it. After a few floors, it was just sensory overload. Then we stopped at a little place and bought a snack at the Danish Bar. It was so amazing! 120 yen for a sweet bread type snack. It wasn't too sweet, but just what we needed. Then we headed back to Yokosuka and walked back to base. Thankfully Zach saw an old friend from the USS MILIUS and he was able to show us around. Sadly, he's leaving today, so we're going to explore on our own. We're also going to go get cell phones for here.
We've put in for the housing that we'd like. If you're interested look up Ikego 3 bedroom tower apartments. They're rather large, all on one floor and in a suburb type setting. It's about a 20 minute drive from base, however there is a daily shuttle for Zach to take to work. As well there's a train station right outside. It's a gated area and looks perfect for us. Plus, there's no waiting. We might end up with a place next week since we're not picky! Woohoo! Not counting on it, but it sure would be nice.
The background photo was taken by me. It was taken on Yokosuka base. The cherry blossoms are out and it's just gorgeous! I think I found my new favorite flower:) I am still trying to figure this all out so please hang in there with me. I'll see what I can do about posting pictures and what not.
The start of our long journey started with visiting family in Wewahitchka, FL for a week. We drove to Atlanta (about a 6 hour drive), stayed overnight, had dinner with some old friends and swam in the hotel pool. After hopping on our flight that evening, we landed in Seattle. There we were met up with the Wright family and had a ball. We stayed up, had snacks, an Easter egg hunt in the hotel room at 1am and were finally dropped off at the airport at 2:30am. Thank you military AMC flights for having check-in in the middle of the night. Nothing like two tired, cranky boys waiting in line. After we checked all 8 bags, we headed to the USO. We were able to let Luke sleep a bit and Zach took a quick nap. However, there were people everywhere, so it wasn't exactly restful sleep. Our flight was supposed to leave at 8:30, but when we checked in they said it got moved to 9:30. So at about 8, we headed through security, made it to the gate only to realize that it was delayed to 11am! At this point we had been up for almost 24 hours and just wanted to start the long flight. Once we got on the flight, we found out that we werent' going to make a refueling stop in Anchorage like originally told. So our flight only ended up being 10 1/2 hours!! The boys were amazing on the long flight. Luke slept for most of it (and I didn't have to drug him!). We finally arrived at 3pm Tokyo time (so 2am EST) and waited on a bus for 45 minutes before we began our 2 hour ride to base. We got to drive through Tokyo (haven't stepped foot there yet) and just wanted to check into our room. We finally made it to the Navy Lodge Yokosuka at 7pm. We all crashed. The boys woke up at midnight (11am EST) so I finally pulled out the big guns (Melatonin) and they quickly went back to lala land. That was several days ago and I must say that we're still working on our sleep schedule. We have been going to bed about 7pm and waking up around 4. It does get light here early, about 5am.
Yesterday was the first time we've ventured off base. We ate at a little Japanese diner type place. The amazing thing about these, are they have machines that you feed your yen into and choose what you want to eat. Then you take your ticket stub and go sit at the counter. The waitress comes by and takes the stub (like at the movies) and brings you your food. We all had beef curry with Miso soup. It cost 480 yen, so about $5.85 each for dinner. We then walked to the train station where we learned how to use the Pesmo cards. Basically you load money onto the card and just tap it (or your bag if you don't want to take it out). Then when you get to the otherside you tap your card again and it figures out your fair. We took about a 25 minute train ride to Yokohama. We walked around a bit and went to this 8 story tall electronics store. There is nothing in the US to compare this to. Think of Best Buy on steroids, then multiply it by 1,000,000! There's no other way to describe it. After a few floors, it was just sensory overload. Then we stopped at a little place and bought a snack at the Danish Bar. It was so amazing! 120 yen for a sweet bread type snack. It wasn't too sweet, but just what we needed. Then we headed back to Yokosuka and walked back to base. Thankfully Zach saw an old friend from the USS MILIUS and he was able to show us around. Sadly, he's leaving today, so we're going to explore on our own. We're also going to go get cell phones for here.
We've put in for the housing that we'd like. If you're interested look up Ikego 3 bedroom tower apartments. They're rather large, all on one floor and in a suburb type setting. It's about a 20 minute drive from base, however there is a daily shuttle for Zach to take to work. As well there's a train station right outside. It's a gated area and looks perfect for us. Plus, there's no waiting. We might end up with a place next week since we're not picky! Woohoo! Not counting on it, but it sure would be nice.
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