Cell Phones

OMG, we just got our Japanese cell phones.  Now if you think I was confused before.  This is terrible.  Everything is written in Japanese Hiragana and Katakana (characters and symbols) and not Romaji, which look like US words. Not only that, it is so expensive.  All incoming calls are free, but call out at about .60 cents a minute.  Now I can call Franklin and Nyjai and anyone who is with the same service company we have for free.  So if you are not SoftBank, we are going back to face-to-face communication baby…. Yeah that’s right look it up in the dictionary.  That was the era when you remembered what you wanted to say and when you actually saw someone in person and spoke words to them.  So make notes about what you want to discuss when you see me… LOL!

It has the time and date on the outside. 

See the characters, they come up on the phone on a regular.  I must learn to read Japanese.

And it is as big as my face.  That is what I get for basic... LOL!

That is not all; to get data service is about $120 per month… per phone plus the cost of the phone and those per minute calling fees.  So I want to say to Sprint, I am sorry for all the fussing that you are overcharging me.  I am sorry that I called and complained about the data service, the charge for 411, the roaming charges even thought I called and told you I was going to South America and asked you to turn off the phone until I returned, the charge for fixing or giving me a new phone, but not giving me a battery.  I apologize Sprint. Japanese basic phone charges make you look like a small time PIMP!

Whew... I am loving this change of perspective... Bring it on Japan!

New Home and 70's Party...

Nyjai successfully finished her first week of school, we found the perfect home and I met a few new people. 

Nyjai is taking a heavy load of honors classes.  I am hoping that she will soon get involved in a few sports.  She is making friends slowly but surely.  Right now, she is focused on catching up on 5 weeks of missed assignments.  Nyjai is a trooper though she has been hitting the books hard everyday this week.  Even though she took time off to hang with her dad.

I went to a hot spring with a group of women called Covenant Sisters.  It was supposed to be a day of relaxation and pampering, but there were kids everywhere.  You know that is not how I see relaxation time.  I can show these ladies how to pamper themselves for sure.  I must however find a spa with an incredible masseuse, esthetician, and nail technician.  Then I will be able to relax.  All in all, I had a good time. 

We have had a number of people make restaurant and food recommendations.  They were all excited about this thing call “nan bread”.  I tried it!  Uhh…it is just some backed dough with cheese, not very exciting or tasty.  I have to find some people with more discriminating taste buds…LOL!

Our New Home Video... 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YjtyuXNBBp8

Nyjai and I celebrated the finding of a new home with some curry from a restaurant called CoCo’s.  It was really good.  We have been back a couple times already.  Since we are in the Navy Lodge, it is challenging to eat as healthy as I normally do.  We do buy a lot of fruit and whole grain products but I want some fresh vegetables.  Nothing has been that appealing to me and they go bad so quickly.  

Franklin, Nyjai and I went biking and stopped at a couple of furniture stores.  I haven’t worked out in a while, but I get great exercise walking the city and biking.  You know I take the stairs as often as possible.  I have to be able to fit in that tub in the video.  Ooo and at the furniture stores, I saw so many wonderful authentic Japanese pieces.  I am glad I did not bring a lot of furniture with me.  I can start all other again…LOL! 

Nyjai is so funny she saw this stand and hollered “ooo incense.”   I laughed and said, “No silly chopsticks.”  We both laughed because it was an easy mistake.

We went to a 40^th Birthday Party with a 70’s theme for one of Franklin’s co-workers.  It was fun.  I was Gloria Gaynor- she sung “I Will Survive.”  Franklin was Disco King.  It was a lot of fun!

We also had a mini-earthquake.  It wasn’t bad, just a little shake that you had to pay attention to feel. 

Week two, hear we come! 

Keeping It Real...

I am so frustrated today.  I should not be.  I am living in a beautiful country with so much to see and do.  Yet, I do not feel I can take care of the things I need to do.  Franklin checked in to his command and they put him in an orientation brief immediately.  Of course the word “brief” is an oxymoron because there is nothing brief about this 8 hours a day- 5 days a week “brief”.  Which means the 10 days of house hunting leave we should have is delayed.  Then we have to go to another “brief” the whole week of October 17. We only have 30 days to find a place.  I do not think it will be that difficult, which is why I’m mad at myself for being frustrated.  Plus, if I spoke the language more fluently, I would not be waiting for him.  I will fix that so language will not be an issue in the near, very near future.

Top that off with the fact that we have not been intimate for more than a week because we have been preparing for this move and are now sharing a room with a 15 year old. I could burst.  If that is too much for ya, I make no apologies!  Those of you, who know me, know I only made it through deployment because of Skype, Video mail, shopping and the fact that I could not touch this fine specimen called my husband.  Now I have to look at him everyday and still not touch.  Nyjai needs an over night field trip for real!  Uggghhh!  We have got to find a place to live sooner than later. 

On a better note, I bought a car yesterday.  She is a 1998 328i BMW with only 38,000 miles.  You know I could not resist.  Obviously God wanted me to have her or she would not have been on the lot.  She is stunning; silver with black leather interior and in excellent condition.  Her name is “baby girl” which is Akachan Onnanoko in Japanese.  I think…LOL!  I got a great deal on her too.  She is small enough to navigate these tiny streets and get into any parking space.  Not to mention, she is sleek, sexy and sassy like me. But, I cannot legally drive her until I finish the “brief” on October 21^st.  So that will give me time to tell Delila (my X5 back home) so she will not be jealous.  

Nyjai is now in school.  That was an interesting two hours.  You know how I roll.  I got all the paperwork back in July, filled it out, asked Tuscarora send her transcripts ahead of time (which they did), got all the shot records together.  Yet…. When I get to the school, they found shots she still needs.  Okay, I can deal with that- different country, different requirement.  What I do not understand is, why it took 45 minutes to place her in 8 classes for the year.  You had her transcripts for an entire month.  All you have to do is push a few buttons. It was not the number of buttons, but the speed at which they were pushed.  I am going to have to slow down a bit because no one is moving quickly around these parts.  Some even walk slower.  It is funny to watch.

Ooo yeah… did I mention that before I left the states, I was self-diagnosed with an OCD- hypersensitivity to sound.  I heard about it on Regis and Kelly.  Kelly has it too.  So for example, I can hear bugs crawling across the carpet, or butterflies wings flapping.  I especially cannot stand smacking or crunching when people eat.  And God forbid people from eating popcorn in a movie theater.  A couple of weeks ago I actually asked a man to close his mouth before crunching his popcorn.  Franklin could not believe it, but he was ridiculously loud and we were the only people in the theater.  You know he could hear it too.  Instead of those “Turn off your cell phone” commercials, they should have “Close your mouth when chewing and no slurping your pop – AIN’T NONE LEFT!!” commercials. 

Sorry, I digress….my point…

If these people in Japan do not pick up their feet when they walk; I am going to push someone over.

Is anyone feeling my pain? 

The Greatest Gift through the Generations!

My aunt is a gift whose worth cannot be measured except by the heart.  My aunt is a joy to remember my whole life through. I not only call her aunt, I call her friend!

Aunts like her are precious and few!

Our relationship grows more treasured as time goes by!

Aunt Mary you are someone special 
to remember with warmth, think of with pride, and cherish with love.

Today I received the most wonderful gift from my Aunt Mary.  It is the first package we have received in our new home and I made me remember my roots.  It made me cry happy tears. 

When I went away to college, the first package I received was from Granma Collins. My first tea pot in my new home in Frederick, Maryland from Granma Collins. It makes perfect sense that my first Japan package and teapot would be received from her daughter, yes my Aunt Mary. 

Thank you Aunt Mary.  This gift really made my day!

Jetlag, Eating, Public Restrooms and More...

The Jetlag has been fairly intense.  I went to bed on Friday at 8pm and woke up at 3am.  I was told it was 5am because Franklin could not sleep any longer.  Once his eyes open, he has difficulty staying in bed.  So I called as many people as I could think of to let them know we were safe and sound.  I could not remember everyone -as my mind was not completely intact yet.  We began to unpack necessary clothing.  We are in a hotel room, so it is a struggle. Getting my two roommates to keep it straight is also challenging.  We have a maid, so they do not have to clean so it should be easier….hmmm.

Last night, I could not stay up beyond 7pm.  I was up at 2am this morning.  I made Franklin go back to sleep.  We were in and out of sleep, but we did okay.  Tonight I hope to do better.

This is actually a bedroom connected to the
living room, dining room and kitchen... hmmm.

We have only seen a small amount of Yokosuka thus far.  The three of us have walked for what seems like miles, long walks, but fun walks.  Since I have not been able to get to the gym, I admit I am grateful.  We went to see a number of homes for rent; some are nice, some not so much.  The homes are very small compared to the US.  So I am hoping to find a 5 bedroom in our price range.  The bathrooms are small, closets are sometimes non-existent, and parking requires a very small car.  My X5 would not work here.  Anything bigger than a Mini-Cooper or Volkswagen Bug is scratched and beat up.  I think I will find a place by the end of the month if not sooner.

Kitchen, Living Room and Dining Room 

Of course we are looking for a car as well.  I do not mind the walk and train, but Franklin and Nyjai will want to travel to the base by car each morning.  You know I want a BMW.  I have seen a couple of small ones (318i) I like, but did I not just say cars get scratched.  I would be to upset if my “big money woman” got beat up on these small streets.  It really does not matter that much.  I will take what Franklin says we should have.

Franklin is so funny.  I told him he had six (6) weeks to get rid of the ooo -ooo’s and come back to earth- LOL!  So he took us to get some Ramen noodles and a rice bowl.  He got the opportunity to use his fluent Japanese and I my choppy Japanese.  You know that means I was shopping and he was eating.  I never saw him glow like he does here in Japan.  He is really in his element.  I am loving every minute of it. 

Franklin's favorite romen shop.

Yum!

Beef Bowls!

Many of you said people came to you and said that the public restrooms are a whole in the ground, much like an outhouse.  I recall arguing with some to say that this is not a third world country and surely they have modern public restrooms.  I am happy to report that we are both right.

What do you think about that?! LOL.  They say they are the cleanest bathrooms in the world, no toilet seats.

We have had so many funny things happen to us.  I cannot even begin to remember them all.  I try so hard though.  I am challenged with mixing up Spanish and Japanese.  One of our house guides offered us some Japanese candy.  We all accepted.  Franklin and Nyjai ate first and as soon as I placed the candy in my mouth, my jaws got stuck almost together.  The two of them thought it would be funny not to tell me it was sour.  They and the guide were doubled over laughing at me.  I literally had to spit it out.  Of course my face and body were already rejecting it before it was back in the package.  Those of you who know I cannot do sour know exactly what that looked like.  I felt so bad about it.  I thought it was so rude to spit it out but I could not hold on to it at all.  The guide was not offended.  She was apologetic.  My two buddies however laughed for a long time.   

Nyjai has school tomorrow and it is Franklin's first day at work.  I have to go to an Area Orientation Brief- a week long class, housing brief and get my license.  I will get some homework completed in there somewhere.  I can not wait to report back on all that.... more adventure.