Since the typhoon is scheduled to make the weekend very rainy, I decided to stock up on food stuffs so we wouldn't have to make a trip in the rain. Because we have chosen not to buy a car, we walk to the commissary every other day or so to grab food for the next few days because it's as much as we can carry back to the apartment. Today's trip was quite pleasant, it was sunny, the second sunny day I have seen since arriving in Japan.
The NEX is on the way to the commissary and we decided to stop in and see what we could find today. We had discussed buying some clothes for each of us to accommodate for the cooler climate. As we were looking, I noticed a young Japanese woman walking around in a very odd outfit. Stripes in two shades of pink from head to toe with some sort of hood on top. I had seen on the tv some of the interesting Japanese fashions including fur tails to hang on your jeans and (what looked like) fur leg warmers. I thought this was just another strange trend. Then I saw Snow White walk around the corner.
Today the employees had all dressed in their Halloween costumes. This one young woman was dressed as the Cheshire Cat. I also saw Stich (from Lilo & Stich), a chef, and the Mona Lisa, which I had never seen before and was quite interesting! The woman was dressed in black donning a black wig and had her head stuck through the painting like those silly wood cutouts you can find at the zoo, aquarium, or festivals. Alan and I had a laugh over this and then realized... we're going to have trick-or-treaters. Time to get some candy.
October 29, 2010
October 28, 2010
Musical Japan
Every so often I hear music of some sort coming from outside. I recognized the church bells as they play the same tune as Bartow CP Church but I haven't been able to find the church it comes from. When Alan and I went to the Sushi-Go-Round, we passed a building that housed a church on the upper floor and there's a church on base. I'm sure there's another church or two around but we haven't explored that much.
In the mornings, TAPS is played when the sun rises followed by the national anthem. The first morning here I was comforted by the sounds of our country's song. Throughout the day I can hear strains of Japanese music. The Japanese Navy have offices and barracks here, I think their barracks are across the street from our apartment building. The Japanese music is quite refreshing to hear and it adds to the living experience.
Speaking of living experience, I have heard a typhoon is headed towards Japan's coast. The other Navy base, Yokosuka, is located on the coast and is expected to receive fierce wind. Luckily, living inland helps with blocking some of the wind and we are expected to receive rain. I stop and laugh every now and then, First we lived in California where it rained about three days a year, and now we live in Japan where it rains three days a week.
In the mornings, TAPS is played when the sun rises followed by the national anthem. The first morning here I was comforted by the sounds of our country's song. Throughout the day I can hear strains of Japanese music. The Japanese Navy have offices and barracks here, I think their barracks are across the street from our apartment building. The Japanese music is quite refreshing to hear and it adds to the living experience.
Speaking of living experience, I have heard a typhoon is headed towards Japan's coast. The other Navy base, Yokosuka, is located on the coast and is expected to receive fierce wind. Luckily, living inland helps with blocking some of the wind and we are expected to receive rain. I stop and laugh every now and then, First we lived in California where it rained about three days a year, and now we live in Japan where it rains three days a week.
October 27, 2010
It's Starting to Feel Like a Home
Walking is my new best friend, along with my tennies. Today, we walked to the NEX homestore, food court, NEX main store, commissary, home, cable office, back home, movie theater, and finally home. I'm hoping most of that walking is making up for our Taco Bell lunch today. Oh, and also the movers came today to deliver our things.
We have successfully gotten everything moved in and thus far only one casualty, a vase that used to house a beta fish. The movers were exceptionally fast! Four Japanese men moved our belongings into the apartment, on the fifth floor remember, in three hours. We were amazed! So far, the kitchen and living room has been unpacked with the rest to follow hopefully tomorrow.
After receiving our things, we got excited about the possibilities our apartment could hold and went to purchase the sofa and love seat set we have been drooling over. Well, not literally, but we have gone to visit it everyday since we saw it. Literally. I am guessing the rug to cover the living room floor will follow shortly.
After finishing our running arounds, we settled in and started unpacking. Everything was going great until I heard the distinctive crunch broken glass makes. The mover had wrapped the old beta vase in our living room blanket. Not only was there glass in the box but all in the blanket too. The unpacking continued until it was time to start dinner. As tired as I was I wasn't about to eat fast food again. I opted for stir-fry and it was delicious, probably because it is the first real food we've had in a week.
To conclude our evening, Alan wanted to see a movie playing on base, RED. I thought it would be a great way to wind down. Not a bad movie I must say.
We have successfully gotten everything moved in and thus far only one casualty, a vase that used to house a beta fish. The movers were exceptionally fast! Four Japanese men moved our belongings into the apartment, on the fifth floor remember, in three hours. We were amazed! So far, the kitchen and living room has been unpacked with the rest to follow hopefully tomorrow.
After receiving our things, we got excited about the possibilities our apartment could hold and went to purchase the sofa and love seat set we have been drooling over. Well, not literally, but we have gone to visit it everyday since we saw it. Literally. I am guessing the rug to cover the living room floor will follow shortly.
After finishing our running arounds, we settled in and started unpacking. Everything was going great until I heard the distinctive crunch broken glass makes. The mover had wrapped the old beta vase in our living room blanket. Not only was there glass in the box but all in the blanket too. The unpacking continued until it was time to start dinner. As tired as I was I wasn't about to eat fast food again. I opted for stir-fry and it was delicious, probably because it is the first real food we've had in a week.
To conclude our evening, Alan wanted to see a movie playing on base, RED. I thought it would be a great way to wind down. Not a bad movie I must say.
October 26, 2010
First Night
We are officially moved in! Well, with the exception of all of our stuff missing but it arrives tomorrow. We are so excited and cannot wait to eat "real food". For a week we have been living off fast food and have, quite frankly, gotten sick of it! So for lunch today we hurried to the commissary to buy some "real food" and then realized, we have nothing to cook with. So, with our mightiest brain power we tried to find food to cook in an oven, without a baking sheet, and finally bought a... Frozen pizza. Sadly, this pizza was much tastier than the pizza we ordered from the base pizza shop.
After lunch, Alan rode off on his fancy new bike to get some paperwork finished and I journeyed to the elementary school on base to pick up a substitute application. What they meant to say was a substitute packet. For the rest of the evening I worked on filling out the massive substitute application. Fourtunately, there is a shortage of subs here and, as I cannot be placed in my own classroom just yet, feel fairly confident that I will be working shortly. I hope. :)
After lunch, Alan rode off on his fancy new bike to get some paperwork finished and I journeyed to the elementary school on base to pick up a substitute application. What they meant to say was a substitute packet. For the rest of the evening I worked on filling out the massive substitute application. Fourtunately, there is a shortage of subs here and, as I cannot be placed in my own classroom just yet, feel fairly confident that I will be working shortly. I hope. :)
October 25, 2010
Moving in
We received good news a couple days ago, we are able to move in to our apartment on October 26. Even more good news, all of our things, yes all, will arrive the 27th! We could not be happier. Today, our keys were issued and we were able to go look at the apartment and complete the initial inspection. The keys here look just a little different. They are magnetized and slide into the door knob to unlock the door. They can be demagnetized from anything magnetic though, we have to be extremely careful.
We eagerly opened the door to glimpse inside our apartment and were pleasantly surprised by what we found. The door opens to a small hallway lined with cabinets, tons of storage space! The hallway then leads to our living/dining room which is also adjoined to the kitchen. The kitchen, thankfully, has a dishwasher, although dated, stove, oven, and refrigerator. Also, just in front of the refrigerator is a small door stop preventing the door leading to the hallway from hitting the refrigerator. I took one look at that and said to Alan, "I wonder how many times I'm going to stub my toe on this?"
Back in the living/dining room, one wall is a wide doorway out onto our patio, fairly sized to fit an outdoor set and grill nicely. Following the hall into the back of our apartment we found the laundry room, the bedrooms, and the bathroom. The laundry room is quite small but does house a modern set of washer and dryer. Back into the hall the walls have been converted into more storage space with cabinets and sliding doors.
This apartment has more storage space than I have ever seen! Instead of a simple entryway by our front door, the walls are storage with cabinets up top and sliding doors on the bottom and is the same in the back hallway. There is no wasted space here! Voids have been closed in to make storage in every room possible. In the kitchen, cabinets have been installed from the floor to the ceiling with our counter tops in between. We also have a storage closet out in the middle section of the apartment tower lining the elevators.
The bedrooms however, are quite small. I am very happy that we had decided to store our guest set of furniture instead of bringing it with us because it never would have fit! Our room will fit the queen bed, one nightstand, and skinny dresser leaving about two feet of walking space around the bed. Our main dresser will have to be housed in the second bedroom along with our computer desk and possibly book shelves. Also in the main bedroom is another sliding door leading to a side patio and the fire escape exit.
I was anxious to see the bathroom our apartment was equipped with. In pictures I had viewed previously of the apartment towers, many bathrooms were colored in either white, pale blue, or light pink. I was terrified of having a pink bathroom: pink tile to match the pink toilet, shower, and sink! As I slowly opened the bathroom door, I found white! What a happy day! The bathroom has a fair sized shower/bath tub and a detachable shower nozzle. I guess it's a Japanese trait, I have found that bathroom light switches are always on the outside of the door. It may be convenient to flip the switch as you are walking into the bathroom but it is also quite easy for one on the outside to flip it off while it's occupied!
Over all, I can say that Alan and I are thoroughly pleased! We began planning where our furniture should go and dreamed of our future purchases. There's a slick sofa and love seat set in the NEX we have got our eye on and Alan wants to upgrade our television. Rugs will also be a necessity as I'm not fond of waking up in the morning to put my warm toes on the cold tile floor!
We eagerly opened the door to glimpse inside our apartment and were pleasantly surprised by what we found. The door opens to a small hallway lined with cabinets, tons of storage space! The hallway then leads to our living/dining room which is also adjoined to the kitchen. The kitchen, thankfully, has a dishwasher, although dated, stove, oven, and refrigerator. Also, just in front of the refrigerator is a small door stop preventing the door leading to the hallway from hitting the refrigerator. I took one look at that and said to Alan, "I wonder how many times I'm going to stub my toe on this?"
Back in the living/dining room, one wall is a wide doorway out onto our patio, fairly sized to fit an outdoor set and grill nicely. Following the hall into the back of our apartment we found the laundry room, the bedrooms, and the bathroom. The laundry room is quite small but does house a modern set of washer and dryer. Back into the hall the walls have been converted into more storage space with cabinets and sliding doors.
This apartment has more storage space than I have ever seen! Instead of a simple entryway by our front door, the walls are storage with cabinets up top and sliding doors on the bottom and is the same in the back hallway. There is no wasted space here! Voids have been closed in to make storage in every room possible. In the kitchen, cabinets have been installed from the floor to the ceiling with our counter tops in between. We also have a storage closet out in the middle section of the apartment tower lining the elevators.
The bedrooms however, are quite small. I am very happy that we had decided to store our guest set of furniture instead of bringing it with us because it never would have fit! Our room will fit the queen bed, one nightstand, and skinny dresser leaving about two feet of walking space around the bed. Our main dresser will have to be housed in the second bedroom along with our computer desk and possibly book shelves. Also in the main bedroom is another sliding door leading to a side patio and the fire escape exit.
I was anxious to see the bathroom our apartment was equipped with. In pictures I had viewed previously of the apartment towers, many bathrooms were colored in either white, pale blue, or light pink. I was terrified of having a pink bathroom: pink tile to match the pink toilet, shower, and sink! As I slowly opened the bathroom door, I found white! What a happy day! The bathroom has a fair sized shower/bath tub and a detachable shower nozzle. I guess it's a Japanese trait, I have found that bathroom light switches are always on the outside of the door. It may be convenient to flip the switch as you are walking into the bathroom but it is also quite easy for one on the outside to flip it off while it's occupied!
Over all, I can say that Alan and I are thoroughly pleased! We began planning where our furniture should go and dreamed of our future purchases. There's a slick sofa and love seat set in the NEX we have got our eye on and Alan wants to upgrade our television. Rugs will also be a necessity as I'm not fond of waking up in the morning to put my warm toes on the cold tile floor!
October 23, 2010
Beef Bowl
As Alan and I keep journeying outside of base, we realize more and more the need to learn a few basic Japanese words, and fast! Please and thank you will be among the first. I have learned that a small bow of the head will also suffice for thank you and caught myself doing it today. :) Luckily on base, a Japanese language class is offered free of charge on Thursday nights. Alan and I plan to attend the next class to find out if we can keep up.
Since arriving at the base, we had heard numerous times about the beef bowl. We decided today would be as good as any to find this notorious bowl of beef and give it a try. After journeying off base, we turned left instead of crossing the street and walked along taking in the sights of the town surrounding us. Along our route, we walked along a bridge which crosses a highway and then down another side street. After climbing stairs up, across a street, then down, we arrived at the restaurant, Yoshinoya, approximately one half mile from the base.
When we first arrived, we thought it had not yet opened because the dining area was empty. We took a small table, followed by a waitress who brought us small cups of water and took our order of beef bowls, and waited. About three minutes later, the dining area was packed! Our beef bowls soon arrived and smelled wonderful. Rice topped with sauteed shaved beef and onions with a small bit of beef broth in the bottom. Alan and I, armed with the eating utensils of the Japanese, began to dig in.
Our lunch was simple enough to eat, the rice clumps together making transportation from bowl to mouth quite easy. As we ate, we observed the others around us eating, talking quietly, and slurping their soupy bowls of noodles. Here, it is not rude or considered poor etiquette for one to lift their bowl to their mouth to eat. However, when using chopsticks, you should always lay them across your bowl or plate when not in use; standing them up or leaning them against the side is taken as a sign of mourning or grieving.We finished our tasty meal, just the right portion size, paid 750 yen or $9.24, and began our trek back to base.
Since arriving at the base, we had heard numerous times about the beef bowl. We decided today would be as good as any to find this notorious bowl of beef and give it a try. After journeying off base, we turned left instead of crossing the street and walked along taking in the sights of the town surrounding us. Along our route, we walked along a bridge which crosses a highway and then down another side street. After climbing stairs up, across a street, then down, we arrived at the restaurant, Yoshinoya, approximately one half mile from the base.
When we first arrived, we thought it had not yet opened because the dining area was empty. We took a small table, followed by a waitress who brought us small cups of water and took our order of beef bowls, and waited. About three minutes later, the dining area was packed! Our beef bowls soon arrived and smelled wonderful. Rice topped with sauteed shaved beef and onions with a small bit of beef broth in the bottom. Alan and I, armed with the eating utensils of the Japanese, began to dig in.
Our lunch was simple enough to eat, the rice clumps together making transportation from bowl to mouth quite easy. As we ate, we observed the others around us eating, talking quietly, and slurping their soupy bowls of noodles. Here, it is not rude or considered poor etiquette for one to lift their bowl to their mouth to eat. However, when using chopsticks, you should always lay them across your bowl or plate when not in use; standing them up or leaning them against the side is taken as a sign of mourning or grieving.We finished our tasty meal, just the right portion size, paid 750 yen or $9.24, and began our trek back to base.
October 22, 2010
Sushi-Go-Round
Tonight, we ventured off base for a dinner out on the town. A friend of ours who moved here about two weeks ago acted as our guide and gave us many helpful tips. The restaurant was located about a mile from base (although here they use kilometers) on the upper floor of a shopping complex. The bottom floor consisted of a grocery store and to complete the upper floor was a 100 yen store, similar what we know as a Dollar Tree. As of now, $1.00 is equivalent to 80 yen.
The walk to the restaurant was simple enough, passing many stores, bars, and even a Seven Eleven. The sun sets here around 5 pm and complete darkness follows around 5:30. Luckily, the streets are well lit and were fairly busy. Apparently the area around the base is very safe, Japanese police stand guard outside the base as well as American guards just inside the gate.
When we arrived at the restaurant, we were to request what type of seating we would like and the number in our party. Then our number was called and we were shown to our table. The tables line conveyor belts that run from the kitchen in the back and make a small loop in the dining area. Sushi of all kinds are placed on the conveyor belt, from rolls to sushi-mi, cooked and raw. A menu was placed on each table and, fortunately enough, had the types in English as well. Each plate of sushi had either one or two pieces depending on the kind of fish used and cost 120 yen. As you sit you can watch for your favorite kinds of sushi and grab as much as you want. There were also a few side dish type items such as fries and shrimp cocktail, and dessert items like flan and strawberry shortcake. Also, you could request special items and those items were placed on the conveyor belt on a special plate specifying which table it was for. When we finished, Alan and I had polished off 12 plates together and paid 1395 yen, approximately $17. Not a bad price when its dinner for two!
The walk to the restaurant was simple enough, passing many stores, bars, and even a Seven Eleven. The sun sets here around 5 pm and complete darkness follows around 5:30. Luckily, the streets are well lit and were fairly busy. Apparently the area around the base is very safe, Japanese police stand guard outside the base as well as American guards just inside the gate.
When we arrived at the restaurant, we were to request what type of seating we would like and the number in our party. Then our number was called and we were shown to our table. The tables line conveyor belts that run from the kitchen in the back and make a small loop in the dining area. Sushi of all kinds are placed on the conveyor belt, from rolls to sushi-mi, cooked and raw. A menu was placed on each table and, fortunately enough, had the types in English as well. Each plate of sushi had either one or two pieces depending on the kind of fish used and cost 120 yen. As you sit you can watch for your favorite kinds of sushi and grab as much as you want. There were also a few side dish type items such as fries and shrimp cocktail, and dessert items like flan and strawberry shortcake. Also, you could request special items and those items were placed on the conveyor belt on a special plate specifying which table it was for. When we finished, Alan and I had polished off 12 plates together and paid 1395 yen, approximately $17. Not a bad price when its dinner for two!
October 21, 2010
The First 48
To begin, I guess we should be introduced: I'm Kaitlin, my husband's name in Alan. We have just begun what I think will be one of our biggest adventures. We have moved to and currently reside in Atsugi, Japan.
An 11 hour flight from Seattle brought us to the largest island of Japan known as Honshu. After going through customs (and a 13 hour time change EST), we rode for two additional hours to arrive at Atsugi. During the ride, we were overwhelmed by the sights and culture differences. In Japan, drivers sit in the right side of the car, and drive on the left side of the road.
The gates of Atsugi brought us comfort and relief and we eventually checked into our room for the next several days. Soon we had received our cell phones and a meal and then slept. For over twelve hours. We finally woke up the next morning, just a bit early (3 am) and started another day. Alan went to get checked in and I unpacked and got settled in the hotel room.
I made a trip to the commissary, unsure of what I would find, but was relieved when I saw many of the major brands and foods that are available in the U.S. Produce, on the other hand, is quite pricey. I purchased two apples for $3.69. I think from now on we will be using more canned and dried fruits. With the exception of the produce, most everything is close to the prices we had become accustomed to.
Also, we applied for housing today. Luckily, we are able to move into one of the apartments in the high-rise towers on base on November 1. Hopefully, our furniture will arrive soon after but until then, we are able to use rental furniture.
An 11 hour flight from Seattle brought us to the largest island of Japan known as Honshu. After going through customs (and a 13 hour time change EST), we rode for two additional hours to arrive at Atsugi. During the ride, we were overwhelmed by the sights and culture differences. In Japan, drivers sit in the right side of the car, and drive on the left side of the road.
The gates of Atsugi brought us comfort and relief and we eventually checked into our room for the next several days. Soon we had received our cell phones and a meal and then slept. For over twelve hours. We finally woke up the next morning, just a bit early (3 am) and started another day. Alan went to get checked in and I unpacked and got settled in the hotel room.
I made a trip to the commissary, unsure of what I would find, but was relieved when I saw many of the major brands and foods that are available in the U.S. Produce, on the other hand, is quite pricey. I purchased two apples for $3.69. I think from now on we will be using more canned and dried fruits. With the exception of the produce, most everything is close to the prices we had become accustomed to.
Also, we applied for housing today. Luckily, we are able to move into one of the apartments in the high-rise towers on base on November 1. Hopefully, our furniture will arrive soon after but until then, we are able to use rental furniture.
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