New Neighbors

After several months of email correspondence, I finally got to welcome our friends Russ and Denia Burkhard to Japan early Monday morning!

Russ went through pilot training in Del Rio and lived in the big bachelor pad in Phoenix with our good friends Greg Balzhiser, Mark Whistler and Garrett Omohundro - so he is a part of our big group of pilot friends. Denia is from San Antonio, and met Russ while he was living in TX. I met her once, briefly, at Caleb and Jordan's wedding last June, but other than that she was sort of an enigma. When I heard that they would be moving to Japan, though, I contacted them through facebook and let them know that they could come to us with any questions about the moving process. Since then, Denia and I have exchanged dozens of emails. By the time they got off the plane and we met in person for the second time, I already considered her a good friend and couldn't wait for them to get here already!!

This was a big transition for them. They just got married less than a month ago, and so she was thrown into the whole AF thing, had to leave her family and friends, AND move to Japan all at once! All things considered, I think they both seem to be handling the change VERY well. Their sponsor Jessica kept them very busy the first few days getting everything arranged. They already had a house, car, cell phone, and Denia interviewed for and accepted a teaching position at Sollars Elementary School on main base within their first 48 hours!! =^O

I have tried my best not to step on Jessica's toes as she has been helping them get settled. I know I can be very controlling so I did my best to hang back and let them do their thing. I did go to the terminal to welcome them when they got off the plane on Monday and went out to lunch with them - their first REAL Japanese sushi experience! (No, I did not partake! I had a late second breakfast while they freshened up at the hotel so I wasn't hungry.) After that, I accompanied them on a couple extra errands and then let other people in their squadron take over. But I did throw a big block party on Wednesday night to welcome all the new neighbors and help them meet the people up here in the north area that I hang out with. We have a pretty tight-knit community of young couples without kids and I wanted them to be a part of it!

There are all kinds of new people PCSing in, so it's been crazy seeing all of these empty townhomes fill up. There is another couple from the 13th that moved in further down the street (I also invited them to dinner on Wednesday.) And just yesterday, a young Navy couple moved in across the hall from us. I went over and introduced myself. Turns out he is a surgeon and will be working at the med group. I didn't ask, but I have a feeling he's the young guy they told me would be replacing the surgeon who took my gall bladder out. They seem like very nice people and will be good neighbors. They have a tiny dog that yaps sometimes but... considering EVERYONE on this base seems to have at least one dog and/or babies, I think it could have been much worse.

Tomorrow I am taking Russ and Denia to church with me, and then Lisa will be joining us as we go out and buy paint for all the new people's houses (plus some for my bathroom and office). I am also planning to take at least one of these new couples with me to Bible Study. I may have as many as 6 people with me when I show up. The North Area is going to crash the party!!

Here's to summer time, new friends and new beginnings! May they all be good ones!

9 Day Market

One of the cool things about Japan is that they have a ton of outdoor markets and festivals where we can go out and buy fresh produce, flowers, and other goods. One of the best ones here in Misawa takes place on each day of the month that falls on a date with the number 9 in it (9th, 19th and 29th). I have been hearing about this market since we got here and I kept wanting to go but the timing wasn't right until just recently.

My friends Lisa and Derick took me with them last weekend, and showed me the ropes. There were all kinds of booths selling veggies, fruit, flowers, seeds, clothes and other wares. We made a couple circuits to see what they had and which vendors had the best prices, then loaded up. I bought a bunch of apples, carrots and onions - all of which were bigger, fresher, and much better tasting than anything they have at the commissary (not to mention cheaper!). I've used them all this week to make several delicious meals, and look forward to going back again and again and again!

Rain, Rain, Go Away!

It is the rainy season here in Misawa. It's very hard to be productive when it's gray and foggy outside all the time. But, occasionally, the perpetual rain can be beautiful. Today we've had 2 brief but furious thunderstorms roll through. It's apparently very rare to have lighting and thunder up here, so I've done my best to take it all in.

It's really incredible how much water can fall from the sky at once. It still makes me jump when the clouds open up and dump buckets of water on us all at once. It kind of sounds like a fire hose has been aimed right at our back patio. I tried my best to take pictures of it... but these images still just don't do justice to the volume of water falling from the sky. I am looking forward to clearer skies as the summer goes on... though that will bring a whole new set of troubles as the heat and humidity set in, and I have to fight a losing battle to keep the bugs out when I open the windows for ventilation... =^/

I miss the dry heat and sunshine of Colorado and Phoenix right now...

A Quick Visit

It's that time during a deployment that all Air Force wives hope and pray for - the guys are starting to come back for a couple days at a time to do some needed SIMs! Since James is still working on completing his Mission Qualification Training (MQT), he got to come home first (and may actually get to come back AGAIN in 3 weeks!!) We knew he would be coming back at some point, but the timing was always up in the air until I got a last-minute email from him on Monday saying they had bought his plane tickets and that he would be arriving on Wednesday afternoon!!

Because he was going to be here for such a short time (less than 48 hours), we wanted to find a way to take advantage of every minute together. He was flying commercially into the port city of Aomori (Northwest of Misawa), so I decided to hop on the train and meet him there. I could have just driven up there, but we thought riding back together on the train would serve as a fun and romantic date before he dove into work.

The stressful part of this last-minute planning was trying to figure out how to find one another once we got to Aomori. Unlike Misawa, Aomori does not have an American presence so we knew the language barrier would make getting information or help a big challenge. He did not have his cell phone with him because it doesn't work in Korea, nor did he have any Yen to pay for a cab or a pay phone. We were hoping he would find a money exchange in the Korean airport to remedy that problem, but we had no guarantees.

So basically, I would have to hop on the train on my end, and pray that everything would go off without a hitch on his end so that we could somehow find each other in the Aomori train station. As many of you know, I don't do well with unknowns and am prone to freaking out before I travel. So this was a quite a challenge for me. But that's what I kept reminding myself - this is an adventure and a learning experience. And anyway, it would be 100% worth the hassle to see James after 6 weeks apart.

As luck would have it, it was raining cats and dogs the morning of James' arrival. I was running a little late as I headed out through the sheets of rain toward the train station. I bought my ticket the day before so I knew I had a seat... but the train leaves promptly at 10:28 am, and if I missed it, the whole plan would be thrown off. Thankfully, I arrived with 10 minutes to spare. I watched the other Japanese nationals to figure out how to get through the barrier, and followed them down to the correct side of the platform. This is where the first struggle with the language barrier began. I knew that I had an "unreserved" ticket, but I had no idea which car I should board. So I wandered up and down the platform looking at signs trying to figure out where I should be. Finally, I saw a sign labeled "Unreserved" at the back of the train and waited there... hoping that I was in the right spot.

Thankfully, that was exactly where I needed to be - and after I found an open seat and sat down, we were off! (Even if I wasn't in the right seat, it would not have mattered much. The Japanese trust that everyone will be honest and do what they are supposed to, so no conductor came by to check our tickets.) The experience on the train was great. It was smooth and quiet, with a beautiful view of the misty green scenery. There was even a Japanese woman who came through the aisles with a snack cart if we wanted to buy something to eat.

48 minutes later, we pulled into Aomori station! When I stepped off the train, I panicked a bit. We were in the middle platform between 4 or 5 sets of train tracks, and there were Japanese people rushing in all different directions, but there were no signs in English pointing me to where I needed to go. By following the flow of traffic I found the way up into the train station building, and out into the main lobby. Since James and I had no idea what the train station would be like, we weren't able to set a specific meeting place. I looked for the ticket office, figuring that must be close to the front entrance. When I spotted an information booth next to the ticket office, I walked in hoping someone would be able to tell me where the buses from the airport would be arriving so I could meet James. Unfortunately, the men behind the counter spoke almost no English and were very confused by my inquiry. At leat they seemed to understand the words "bus" and "airport" because they pointed to the map of the parking lot and told me to get on the #8 bus to get to the airport. I studied the map for a few minutes and tried to reassure myself that the sliding glass doors by the ticket office was where people coming in from the bus would enter the station. Then, I set off in search for a place to sit down and wait.

I found a nice little coffee shop down the hall and took a seat in the very back corner. I was too anxious and excited to stomach any food so I didn't buy anything, but it was a quiet place where I could read and pass the time. I knew James' plane was supposed to land at noon, and that he had to pick up a checked bag and before catching a ride over to the train station - but I had no idea how long that process would actually take. So I kept checking my watch until 12:40 when I headed over to the lobby to wait. It was very uncomfortable standing there in a sea of Japanese people who all looked at me strangely as they shuffled past. Finally, around 1:15, a handsome blonde haired, blue eyed man with a mustache walked up and rescued me from my lonely vigil. =^)

Apparently he had quite an adventure too. James said the Incheon International Airport in Korea was amazing and that all of their employees spoke perfect English so he had no problem finding his way to the gate or exchanging Korean won for Japanese yen. However, when he arrived in Aomori, no one spoke English and there were no English signs so he could not find the bus to the train station. Desperate, he jumped into a cab and asked the driver to take him to the train station. The driver motioned that he did not understand. Frustrated, James hopped out and walked into the deserted info station and found a flyer with a cartoon picture of a train on it that he took back to the driver. Thankfully, that worked and he made it to the station in time for us to catch the 1:43 express back to Misawa.

Once all of the stress subsided, we were able to sit back and really enjoy the ride. I brought some of his favorite snacks with me, so we ate and talked while watching the countryside zoom by. The rain had let up a bit so we even got brief glimpses of the coastline along Mutsu Bay! We were right, the train ride was the perfect way to reconnect after a long time away, and served as a wonderful romantic adventure for the memory books. =^)

As it turned out, James didn't have to work at all on Wednesday so we got to spend the whole afternoon together. I had fun driving him around town, taking him on a tour of our newly decorated home, and cooking for him. We also took some time to go across the street so James could say hi to our friends while he was home. It was a wonderful night! Thursday he had 2 sims, so I spent the day cleaning and running errands and cooking so that when he came home he wouldn't have to worry about anything. Considering what a quick, whirlwind of a trip he made out here, it was a very restful vacation and was 100% worth the long travel time!

This morning (Friday) we got up early and I drove him to the Misawa airport where he caught a flight down to Tokyo, then got on a bus to Narita (the BIG international airport there) to fly back to Korea. He just called to let me know he made the switch successfully so hopefully he will make it back to Kunsan safe and sound. (I sent him off with his cell phone and lots of Yen so if he does get to come back again in July for more sims, we won't have to worry as much.)

In many ways I feel like the trip was far too short. But all things considered, we got to spend a lot of quality time together. Now I am looking forward to my trip out to Korea in 2 weeks where I'll get to spend the long 4th of July weekend with him in Seoul!!

Pizza, Pizza!

As time goes by, I am growing accustomed to making healthier choices when it comes to eating. I still have to be careful about how much fat I consume because my body still hasn't quite figured out how to break it down and an overload gives me quite the stomach ache. It's not too bad though, since I don't go out to eat much and I'm finding lots of fun, low-fat recipes to make for dinner. But there has been one thing that I've been craving for ages - and that's a big, warm, gooey pizza.

People know that I'm a chocoholic and consume much more sugar during the day than I should. But I've discovered that my true comfort food is of the warm and cheesy variety - a problem when I'm supposed to be avoiding things that are high in fat like dairy. I've managed to find ways to eat many of my favorite foods, even if it means compromising some of the flavor in order to have a low-fat version. But pizza was still a problem. Somehow the combination of white flour AND lots of cheese AND meat which makes the pizza fatty AND greasy just seemed impossible.

But then I got to thinking - maybe if I made it myself it wouldn't be quite as bad. So I spent a few days researching low-fat pizzas and combined all of the healthy recipes and tips into one perfect Hawaiian pizza! It's a whole-wheat pizza dough that I made from scratch, covered with mild sauce, half-skim mozzarella cheese, super lean ham sandwich meat, veggies and pineapple. It wasn't cheap and took about 3 hours of work, but it was 100% worth it. =^)

Getting Lost...

Now that I have completely recovered from my surgery and can drive again, I decided it's time for me to bite the bullet and start figuring out how to get around on my own in Misawa City. I've pretty much mastered the art of driving on the wrong side of the road, so that is not a problem. However, navigation in Japan is very difficult for two reasons. First is the obvious language barrier. It's very difficult to find things when many of the shops look similar and all of the signs are in Japanese.

But there is an even more challenging aspect of Japanese culture that makes navigation really, really hard for a new person. You see, in Japan there are almost no street names or addresses. Consequently, you can't really use things like Map Quest to help you figure out how to get where you need to go. You have to rely completely on maps (not much help when they're completely labeled in Japanese with no street names) or on directions from friends. But every time you give directions around here, it has to be done entirely in terms of landmarks, which drives navigators like my husband crazy. It makes more sense for us women folk since that's often how we think anyway, but it is very easy to miss a landmark that someone else uses when they give you directions (especially when driving at night or in inclement weather).

For example, here is a copy of directions I received for how to get to the house of one of our Bible Study leaders:

* Go out the POL gate (an alternate gate leading out of the base) and go straight

* Continue past Universe/Homac (Universe is a big grocery store and Homac is a home improvement store) and the Jam Friend Club (giant Pachinko parlor, kind of like a Japanese casino. They have a giant light-up sign that serves as a good landmark.)

* Keep going until you see an ENEOS gas station on your right. Turn right at the intersection just past the gas station. You will see an orange Torii gate on your left as you turn.

* Take the 4th left just past the big green house with white poles and fake dog statue on the porch (we missed the turn the first time we went to their house because we were looking for a full up street, but we were supposed to turn down a tiny alley behind this random house...)

* Drive down the alley until you come to some orange American style houses. Ours is the 3rd on the left.

Crazy, huh? Often you have to count the number of streets you pass in order to know where to turn, or be on the look out for signs and banners with certain recognizable characters. We don't know what many of the stores are properly called so you'll have to figure out what someone means when they tell you to turn after "the bunny store" or something like that.

I'm generally not a very confident driver and hate venturing out into unfamiliar territory because I have a tendency to get hopelessly lost, even with a map and great directions. My plan when it came time to start driving off base was to ask someone to type up a list of driving directions to important places off base like the train station, the 100 Yen store, Miss Veedol plaza where they hold outdoor farmer's markets, and some of our favorite restaurants. But each time I asked someone, they told me to go get lost. Literally. Everyone kept insisting that the best thing to do is take an afternoon and go get lost in the city, because that forces you to figure out where roads connect and how to find your own way around.

I hated the idea, but didn't seem to have any other choice. So I grabbed the map they gave us at our Right Start orientation (which is a very poor one printed from a computer) and set out. I spent about two and a half hours driving around, trying my best to figure out how to get from one side of town to the other, and the easiest routes to important places. Each time I found my way, I'd highlight the road I took on the map so I could remember later. For the most part, the trip was a success. (I made it back to the base ok so I guess I can't complain TOO much.) But I did get very lost around the train station multiple times and almost ended up leaving the city by heading the complete opposite direction I should have in an attempt to find my way home.

With some practice, I should be able to get around just as easily as I used to back in the States. Then I can work on showing James what I've learned because he was only in Japan for a couple weeks before leaving for Korea and does not have the knowledge of the area that I do. It will be a big change having me drive him around and be the navigator! But I guess there's a first for everything in marriage... ;^)

America Day!

On Sunday, we attended the annual America Day Parade and Festival outside the main gate of the base. Each year the Japanese and Americans swap cultural experiences like this. This year our leadership wanted to give the Japanese a taste of the Old West - so we were encouraged to dress up as cowboys. A band played country favorites on a big platform, and there were lots of silly decorations with which the Japanese (or silly Americans) could take their pictures. By the main gate there were lots of booths up by the base selling American food and drinks. Then down the street the Japanese had booths where they sold us Japanese snacks. Definitely not the best festival I've ever been to - but it was an experience. ;^)

The Japanese people waved and cheered

as the motorcyclists roared by at the

start of the parade.

The people in these hummers were throwing candy

so they got mobbed by Japanese mothers and their kids.

The Misawa Jets cheerleaders. They did stunts where

girls were tossed up in the air. The Japanese people

gasped in horror each time. Hahaha...

A little Japanese boy getting his picture taken

like an regular Western outlaw...

We couldn't resist taking a pic too...

Lisa and her sister rocking their cowboy boots.

The Japanese were scared and fascinated by the Gee's

dog Kona. Apparently they're not used to big dogs.

We tried to show them she's nice and encourage

the little kids to pet her. So cute!

I think the Japanese snacks were way cooler than ours.

Behold - candy coated bananas on a stick!

These sundaes really made me wish I hadn't had my

gall bladder removed. They looked SO tasty!

The final event of the day was a fly-over by the guys

from the 13th (the other squadron on base.)

They were late and a little off. Very anticlimactic. =^(

Sarah's Fairy Tale Baby Shower

One of my friends from the squadron - Sarah Cross - is expecting a baby girl, and so we threw her a fairy tale, garden tea party themed baby shower. Everything was decorated beautifully, and everyone dressed for the occasion in sun dresses and big hats. The food was incredible!! The hostesses really outdid themselves, making sure every little detail was perfect. I know Sarah felt the love that day, and we cannot wait to welcome little Natalie into the world!

Instead of cards, we each brought a copy

of our favorite fairy tale to help spark

little Natalie's imagination!

The sandwiches were catered by Subway,

but the hostesses bought and put together their

own spread of veggies and toppings. So clever!

The stunning hat box cake, by Sharon Gilmer.

Yay for big hats!

Gift time!

"Made in Japan" indeed. =^)

Congrats Sarah!! We love you!

Oirase Gorge & Lake Towada Adventure

Last Friday, my friend Lisa and her family invited me to go explore the beautiful Oirase Gorge and the shrines along the shore of Lake Towada. It was only an hour to an hour and a half drive down there, and we were able to just pull over on the side of the road whenever we saw something pretty to take pictures of - so it was definitely my kind of laid-back adventure! There were all kinds of beautiful water falls and other vignettes to see along the Oirase Trail. Everything was so green that I felt like we were in a tropical rain forest, right in the middle of Northern Japan!

Epic shot of Lisa in the trees. =^)

Jumping shots are our favorite!

After we were through the gorge, we drove around the edge of Lake Towada to a small peninsula that jutted out into the lake, where there is a big Shinto shrine. At this point it was starting to rain, so the gloom made the whole experience kind of mysterious...

The trees were huge!

Lisa and I always joke that Japan looks a lot

like Narnia. When we found a lamp post in the

middle of the forest, our suspicions were confirmed. ;^)

The trail through the forest by the shrine ultimately led to the lake shore. We walked along the beach to a little tourist town where we bought some snacks before heading back.

Haagen-Dazs vending machine. Incredible!

As we were driving back through the gorge, we passed 5 or 6 buses full of Japanese school kids. We pulled over to take a picture of them and they were SO excited to be on camera. They smiled, waved and flashed peace signs while shouting short english phrases at us. "Hello!" "Thank you!" One boy even shouted "I LOVE YOU!" as we pulled away. Hahaha. It was definitely the perfect end to a fabulous adventure. What can I say? Japan is awesome.