Set yourself the bolder course. Keep your heart an open shrine. - Bob Seger, In Your Time

This past week I was attending AOB/ICR, which included a few days of orientation to the base and all of its services and then an introduction to the culture and experiences we can see here in Japan.

Yesterday, our class took a field trip on the JR train to Kamakura. Kamakura is a city about 20 min on train from Yokosuka and it's full of history. At one point, it was the capitol of Japan during the Shogunate power.

Anyway, they showed us how to get a train ticket and ride the train there. It's very similar to the metro and I bought one of the plastic re-loadable cards at the station, just like the metro in DC. We all got on and rode in silence to Kamakura. They don't talk at all on public transportation for respect to others, so it's always awkwardly silent.

After we arrived, they dismissed us to break up and eat. My small group, of me, Maurice and Heather (2 peeps I met during the class) ventured out to find Ramen. We kept finding dead ends and all of a sudden we didn't see any other people from our class. We eventually ran into one of our teachers and asked where a ramen place was. They told us, "where the flag is" and pointed back to a few stores that had flags. We saw several stores and poked our heads in. We ended up in this small restaurant of about 6 seats with a bar window to the kitchen. The menus were in Japanese and the people working there didn't really speak english. I pulled out the iphone and used my google translate and asked if there was anything vegetarian.

He mentioned noodles and vegetable tempura and the other two people I were with agreed and ate the same thing.

I've used chopsticks for sushi, etc....but I've never had to cut food with it or eat noodles with it. We had just watched a video about how to eat properly with chopsticks in Japan. There are many rules. We were so paranoid to offend anyone, so we were very careful about eating. My hand cramped up a bit and most of my food was cold by the time I ate it all, but we got through it and I'm sure entertained everyone else in the room!

Then, we headed with our group down to the Tsurugaoka Hachimangu shrine. It was founded in 1063 and moved to it's current location in 1180. 

 Before you entered the temple, you could perform a water purification and pour water into one hand and then the other and then put some in your mouth and spit it out outside of the water fountain area. 

yeah...I don't think Heather was feeling putting the water in her mouth.

We also got bombarded by an elderly Japanese man who secretly, we think, wanted to feel up Heather. Many times he "accidentally" touched her on her backside, etc. Anyway, he was trying to show us something about how if you fell backward there was a grave or something and this man's wife was buried there and she would stop you from falling or something? He was crazy and just kept having us stand and fall backward and trying to show us something by that. It really didn't make sense, but we all just kept nodding and saying, "ohhh, wow. thanks!" and trying to walk away and he kept talking to us. He also carried around a stick and would point it at a tree and fall back. It was very odd and Maurice happened to catch a few photos of this encounter. 

Here are more of the shrine. It was awesome to get out and look around Japan finally. I've been so busy with stuff for orientation, checking in, housing, etc. We found our way back to the train and made it to Yokosuka. Here's to more trips out in the country!

It's so very lonely 2,000 light years from home. - The Rolling Stones, 2,000 Light Years From Home

Final house #1

Built in 2003. SO nice, new and bright. This kitchen actually has 2 counters. The one to the right and one to the left along that wall. I picture Cameron and I cooking in here together and we actually both have space to work.

This is the Tatami room in this house. It's generally used as a dining room and then made a guest room when someone visits. There are sliding doors that close up and make it private. Normally, you see tatami mats on the ground, but they stain and damage easily, so some put carpet on there to protect them. I kinda wish you could see the mats, but I worry about damaging them....

This bathroom is SO nice compared to others I saw. Japanese shower and bathe outside of the tub, just out in the open and then they use the tub to soak in hot water. Many "Japanese" tubs have a heater that keeps the water warm, so you can't use bath products in there.

Final house #2. This one was HUGE! 3 floors. it had a garage to the right. It's not attached, but it still would be nice to protect the car.

This kitchen was okay. Nothing special and nothing bad. Not much counter space. I would have to buy a table or something to add counter space.

The living room was kinda cool. It was long, open and had the cool bench seats by the windows.

I liked this tatami room. It had this small carpet area past the tatami mat, then the balcony after that.

Final house #3. This was a tough one.....It is the only house I saw that had a real "yard". There are fruit trees, pomegranate, kiwi, and oranges for example. A little older, but closest to the train and a yard!

Stairs

Kitchen was okay again. Not much counter space. This is how most Japanese kitchens look that I have seen.

Bedroom downstairs. Could be an office.

This Tub was a bit smaller, but deep.

The back yard, garden

Here are the maps with those three

MAN, this has to be one of the hardest decisions. How am I ever going to buy a house if I can't even decide on one to rent for 3 years?? So, we wanted to live close to a train station so we could walk a majority of the time here. After looking, there just were not many houses around 10 min walk to a station. Most were 20 min or so. You could catch a bus to the train though in many cases. It's also hilly, so you have to think of that. You're walking up and down steep hills.

I saw 11 houses so far. I'm pretty sure we've decided on #1, the newer home, but I still hesitate and think maybe I should go see more agents and keep looking? What if I'm missing a cool house near a train?? Or, what if I keep looking and the house I like gets rented?? Geez.

In the end, I decided that the nice, newer home was worth the extra 8 min walk to the train. I'm thinking maybe I'll get a bike or figure out the bus system so I can catch the bus? Once we get a car, I just may end up driving to work and just taking the train on days we go explore. To get to work from many of these homes by train, it would be 30-45 min, while driving is more like 10-20 min. It's hard to take the train if I know I can make it home in half the time.

I liked the fruit tree house because it has a yard and Cameron and I could use the fruit and also plant our own vegetable garden in the back (it looks like they have already started one) and use it in cooking, but I guess we could get planters and try that at any home.

It's hard to choose without Cameron here to see them all. A lot of dirt and age of the house does not show up on photos. I've been emailing pictures and maps and then we talk on skype. I still wish he could have seen them. I can't wait for him to arrive, because they want me "actively" looking for a house, so I just don't milk living in the BOQ. I'm 95% sure I know I want the first house. It's the only one I REALLY pictured us in. I pictured our furniture and working in our various rooms and in the kitchen. :)

It also has 2 parking spots, in case someone comes to visit or we for any reason need a second parking spot.

Now, I'm just waiting for the agent to check with the owner on a negotiation piece I'm asking about. The house is on hold for 24 hrs and she will let me know tomorrow if the owner will do what I'm asking, which is install an oven under the fish grill and stove. Everyone negotiates on housing here. The owners rent them out for so much money. This one is really going for 280,000 yen/$3,456 a month, but they know my max OHA is 233,333 yen/$2,900, so they should be able to give it to me on that price. They up the price to rent out to military members, apparently.

It has been so hard to choose. There was this COOL house I saw yesterday. It was the oldest house I saw. The kitchen and bathroom were gross, but man, it had some beautiful bedrooms!!

I LOVE the windows here and the wood work! Too bad the rest of the house wasn't as nice....

Why can't there be a unique looking Japanese house, newer, and close to the train? Maybe there is. Do I keep looking? haha. Naw, I think I know the answer. We'll see what the agent says tomorrow. Maybe I'll be working on the next step: asking for the military to help me out with the nearly $12,000 up front costs to move in. It's crazy. They'll cover some stuff and then they will loan me some things and I will pay them back over the next year. I'm relieved they help with that. That's a stressful thing to think about.

It'll take a while, but maybe I'll be in a home soon and I can start working to set it all up! SO exciting! Then, when I pick Cameron up, I'll be able to walk him into our "home" already set up! :D

This will be the first house I will have lived in since I left for college in 2002! Ten years of apartments....I'm done and ready for a house. Not to own yet. I'm not ready to be responsible for all the fixing and repairs that are needed, but renting a house will be nice.

I forgot to mention the most AWESOME thing about the house I like! It has heated floors on the first floor!!!! It gets so cold here and they don't have central heat/air anywhere. You have units in each room if you're lucky. The heated floors are going to be awesome, esp because you don't wear shoes in a Japanese home. You take them off when you come in the door and wear maybe slippers. :)

I am a traveler of both time and space. - Led Zeppelin, Kashmir

Pretty mountains in the background!

Some kind of restaurant? There was a sign outside of this picture that I was able to read the characters and I knew it said O'sake! :D I need to practice with my flashcards more.

The cities are HUGE and actually really pretty!

I think this is Yokohama. The buildings are really pretty and the downtown is so big.

 Some trailer with scooters and a couple motorcycles!

(Sorry the photos aren't better! it was hard on the bus to see things coming and it was usually too late for me to get the picture if it was cool)


Ohaiyo gazaimas! (Good morning) That was the longest trip of my life, but so worth it! I'm loving Japan and I've only seen a little bit of it so far.

I flew from Nashville to DFW, then up to Seattle. I arrived around 10pm, had to wait until 0150 to check in at the military flight desk. Then, I hung out in the USO until 0530 and went back through security and took off on my plane around 8am Thursday. After a 9 hr flight, I arrived at Yokota AB and took a 2 hr bus to Yokosuka. I arrived around 3pm Saturday! Pfewwwww.

My sponsor and her fiance met me when we arrived and they are awesome! She got me a little welcome to Japan gift in my room and made sure I was good in the BOQ (bachelor officer quarters). I have a living room, kitchen, bathroom and bedroom. It's awesome. The bathtub is SO deep and it gets SUPER hot! I've already taken two super hot baths. I love it. The Japanese love baths and that's one of the things I already love about it.

The bed has this feather mattress topper and I was out all night. I don't think I woke once. Today, I'm just going to relax and maybe go get some groceries at the commissary on base and walk around. It's kinda cool here, but not too bad.

The base is HUGE! My sponsor and her fiance drove me around and showed me where everything is and it's overwhelming, but I'm sure I'll get the hang of it. This base is way bigger than Jacksonville. Jacksonville was large in size, but a lot of it was open stuff. The main stuff was all together. Here, it's all spread out that people get taxis on base. They also have a shuttle, so I will try it. I hope to walk a lot, so I can get some good exercise in. They do have two gyms on base and one of them is 24 hrs!

I have a long time of check in this coming week and then orientation the following week and then hospital/nursing orientation after that. I will try and figure out how to hook up with a relator and start looking for a house. I'm so ready to have a "home" again with Cameron! I probably would have done this whole thing differently. Our last real home was in November. I'm so ready to have all our stuff under one roof again! I hope I can find something that is close to the train, so I can just take that to work.

This is a huge adventure and I'm so glad to be here. Only 43 more days and Cameron can join me! I am so glad he will be able to be here to experience all this with me! I think I'm going to get some little candies today at the store and put a bowl out of 43 pieces of candy. I'll eat one each day and I should see the pile go down slowly. I'm sure with orientation and everything, I will be busy and this will fly by. I hope I can have the house set up and ready for him, so when he gets here he can just walk into our new home!

More to come later.....Sayonara!

Call any vegetable and the chances are good that the vegetable will respond to you. - Frank Zappa, Call Any Vegetable

So, let's see. I've been a vegetarian for just about a month now. I'll kinda back up and explain how I got here....because, trust me, I NEVER thought I'd be here....

A few years ago when I lived in the DC area, I watched Food, Inc. It opened up my eyes to the horrible things that are happening in our food industry. Not just abuse and torture of animals prior to them ending up on our plate, but just the injection of antibiotics, hormones, steroids, etc. There are major problems going on in our food industry that are causing E.Coli outbreaks, resistance to antibiotics, childhood obesity, marked elevation in cholesterol (we've had a few active duty guys who are in good shape, drop dead from a heart attack on base) and diabetes, to name a few.

At that point, I really wanted to start eating farm fresh foods. I had a conversation with a friend about caged chickens and it left me in tears all night. At that moment, I stopped buying any eggs except cage free eggs. I would love to be able to buy all my meat and dairy, etc straight from a farm and that is doable and I think it's an awesome choice for anyone looking for healthier and more humane options. Moving around makes it difficult and the other thing is, I'm now married to a vegetarian, so we don't really eat meat at home, it's only when we go out... and you NEVER know where the food comes from. You don't even really know if it is chicken or beef.

I was also haunted by a question someone posed me that if I wasn't willing to kill the animal myself to eat, why would I feel okay eating it? Hmm. Well, I felt like animals were put here for us to eat them....by God, right? I opened up my Bible and started with Genesis....I read all through the beginning with Adam and Eve in the garden of Eden. It never mentions animals for food! In fact, in Genesis 1:29 it says "And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat." Now, doing some more exploring, the word meat comes from the Old English word mete, which referred to food in general. So, God gave adam and eve everything they needed to eat in the garden without killing anything. The Bible does go back and forth on eating meat and not eating meat, but the original plan was not to slaughter and kill for food. After they sinned, it does talk about God showing them how to clothe themselves with the skin and fur, but it still didn't mention eating them at that point. Now, that we have evolved and we don't need animals for clothing, there shouldn't be a reason, right? Except for that this is how our culture has gone on and on and no one has changed it.

Cameron and I met and he began making me amazing vegetarian dishes that I loved! I would still order meat when we went out to eat and he doesn't really care what I do, so he never said anything about it. I slowly started seeing how cutting meat out of my diet really wouldn't be that hard. There are so many companies, like Morningstar, Quorn, Boca Burgers that all make "chicken", "beef", and "pork" alternatives from other natural ingredients. There are veggie burgers, bean burgers and all kinds of options. I've tried mushroom, spinich and avocado enchiladas.  All of this is good and I slowly started seeing, I can get all my protein (in fact MUCH MORE) without having something die.

Then, I watched a PETA video....and cried my eyes out. I just don't understand how some of these people that work in the factories can do this kind of stuff to the animals. I LOVE animals. In fact, I still think I should have been a veterinarian at times and I've thought about going back to school for it. At this point, I had to ask myself.... "Why AM I eating meat?"

Sure, it's a good source of protein, but soy is better....sure, it tastes good, but so do a lot of vegetarian dishes.....sure, it's what everyone does in our society....but does that mean it's for me? I just didn't know at that point.

I wasn't ready to announce and say that I was a vegetarian until I had been doing it a while, so I just started day by day.

It has been hard to go to some of our old restaurants and not order the things I've always ordered and REEEEEALLLY hard not eating sushi with fish (but, if I say that I'm going to spare every living thing, that means fish too...). It's not been easy. In fact, I threw a few temper tantrums after eating because I almost felt empty. I felt that eating used to be really enjoyable and a few times it was just depressing because I couldn't order what I want.

That's when Cameron reminds me that i don't HAVE to do it....but for some reason I feel like this is the right decision for me....but it's just hard. He then says, well, if you believe in something, it's not going to be easy, but you're making that stand and you're disciplining yourself (which no one really does in our country anymore) and you'll grow from it.

I'm still growing and I'm still probably going to have a few temper tantrums....but tempeh and tofu save me! You gotta cook the stuff right and it's not too bad. The smokey tempeh strips on a sandwich taste just like a BLT!

Plus, Cameron said we'll tell our kids that I went vegetarian because I was stubborn. Could be true. I think it's something I feel I have to "conquer", so I am stubborn about it. But, you know what...I feel better. I know I can eat with a healthy conscience that some momma cow isn't being dragged off the truck to be slaughtered...and that one less chicken might be injected with steriods to make it grow bigger and fatter until it's legs break.

Many people, myself included, don't feel like one person will make a difference, but look at what has happened to the vegetarian food industry over the years! It's grown like crazy! It's not growing because people aren't eating it. It's growing because people ARE eating it. One by one, people are making their own personal choice to stop eating meat and it IS making a difference. At least, I know in my life it is. I never thought I'd be here.....

Relax said the nightman, we are programmed to receive. You can check out any time you like, but you can never leave. - The Eagles, Hotel California

Check out is almost complete! I got almost all of it done today. Tomorrow, I have to go check out with one office (that is only trying to keep me on their list longer for no reason), pick up my medical record (they had to make copies and they send the original to my new command), and get my last fit rep.

Today, I got to be there to say bye to my dept head, LCDR Jago, who is leaving the ICU for a manager position in the internal medicine clinic and I also got to see HM3 Parilla's reenlistment ceremony! I love all the folks in the ICU. HM3 Parilla is an amazing sailor. She's a single mom takes care of her teenage daughter and her ill mother, while running the enlisted personnel in the ICU and taking classes to begin nursing school! I wish I had her energy! She is seriously an amazing person.

Tuesday, I will go in to get my orders stamped and Cameron and I are leaving Jacksonville! We can't leave Florida without going to Key West and taking a cruise...so we're doing both before we leave for Japan.

This is his first time dealing with a military move and it's an overseas one at that! A regular PCS will be nothing for him! haha. We've had movers 3 times come. First one, was our shipment to permanent storage (the stuff that will stay in the states until we get back), then one of our household goods to Japan (which has already arrived in Japan! woot!) and then the other day, they got our unaccompanied baggage shipment! That was the stuff that we want soon after we arrive in Japan. Now, I'm living with only a handful of items of clothes, etc....and no furniture besides some air mattresses and our "rockers". Cameron asked me if it is normally this hard. I told him not at allllll. Normally, they pick your stuff  up right before you move, you drive to wherever you are going and then they deliver it. Done! haha. None of this, "crap...I need to keep sweaters for when i arrive in Japan....and bikinis and tank tops for the cruise....etc etc" but I can only take so much on the plane with me. Ah well. it will all get there!

I was going to wait for him to arrive to look at homes, but forget that! I want to start looking right away. If I can manage it, maybe I will have all our household goods delivered and our home kinda set up before Cameron gets to Japan in late March/early April!

This will be the longest we will be apart...but it might be good. We both have goals of going to the gym and eating better. We both eat pretty good stuff, but are both tempted to eat bad stuff and the other one won't stop us!

I am just so excited to experience another culture. I was talking with another one of the docs that just found out he is going to Okinawa and we are both doing Rosetta Stone and discussed that. I'm great at saying "Otokonoko hashite imasu", but when am I going to need to say "the little boy is running" that much? I need to work on it more. I'm still just in lesson 1, module 1....sheesh.

This weekend, Cameron is driving up to take another round of stuff to Bob's in Tennessee. Mostly, his camera stuff he doesn't want to leave in the car while we're vacationing. I'm going to dinner with some friends in a bit and then dinner tomorrow night with some other friends, an improv night downtown and a sleepover with one of my girlfriends! :) I'm glad to have some girl time before I go! These girls have been so awesome here and I'll love looking back on our time together in Florida.

I also need to take more photos. I guess because Cameron always talks about having fewer quality shots over hundreds of lame shots...I just don't take as many as I used to. I used to flood my facebook with tons and hundreds of photos and I think I just need to be more selective now. I will take some of the trip and blog about it, but I will try and just pick the best ones to share so it's easier to look through.

I will try and be more on top of updating my blog and I also need to write more in my personal journal. I hope this move will change that. No tv shows to waste my time on and more self exploration.

So, here's to checking out and moving on! Next stop.....the Keys!

I'd have all the cars made in the Carolinas, and I'd ban the ones made in China. - Hank Williams Jr., If The South Would Have Won

New Years resolutions give us the opportunity to take on obstacles and challenges that we would never think of randomly, in the middle of the year.


I'm working on my own resolution right now, but I won't talk about it for a while and make sure that I stick to it.

Cameron's resolution is to go this year without buying anything made in China. It doesn't have to be all made in the US, but at least not in China. I've taken it on as my second resolution also. It is a tad tricky!

I have a DSW gift card and I've been on a hunt of brown sneakers for a long time. They are ALL made in China. All of the shoes. New balance. Puma. Sketchers. Keds. Adidas. All of them. Online when I search, the page only says if they are "imported" or not. I challenge you to find a pair of shoes at DSW that does not say "imported". It's even harder that way, because then I can't find if it's imported from Mexico, Canada, Japan, Phillipines or China.

It's taking a stand against the largest group that is taking away jobs from the US. I was shocked to find out that Dickie's (a well known "American" brand) has a lot of their clothes made in Mexico.

This is so wrong that we depend so much on other countries to make our clothing, electronics, shoes, kitchen accessories, etc. Cameron says many times that your biggest vote is your dollar and we are voting every time we enter a store.

I was bummed to find in Ross the other day, a smaller version of my grey suitcase....I really wanted to get it to match my big suitcase for our big move...and then I saw it. Made in China. Damn. I fought for a while with it and left without buying it. I'd rather leave knowing I stood my ground on my choice than to cave.

There is a quote from a person in the book I'm reading, A Year Without "Made in China" said " 'You're a dreamer if you think you can fill your daily needs with things made in America.  That's a thing of the past.  The whole basis of the American economy is people buying a bunch of stuff, and China makes it easier for them to do it by making it cheaper.  People eat up everything China makes' ".

Cameron has really opened my eyes to a lot of things and I think together we make good moves in the right direction. I still don't know if I'm happy that we had the movers take all our stuff to Japan in November or if I like that we are living in a temporary place, that doesn't feel like our own...but it's opened our eyes to see what items in our home are necessities or just junk.  I'm going to be making an inventory when I get to Japan and unpack all our items. I gave away a lot of things before they took our household goods. That's where it's nice to have moves every few years, so you can go through and clean out unused items and donate them. Because we moved all of our big items already to Japan, we have had an excuse to not buy new items. It's been a great thing for us. It has made it easier to not buy Chinese goods.

I just looked in my closet. Mizunos, roxy, new balance....all of my shoes. China! Mizunos?? Really? Just like how Coach purses are made in China....right next to the cheap Walmart ones. Women, does that make you feel more important?

So, what is something I can do besides look at labels? Learn to sew. I sewed Cameron a vest and last night picked up some yarn and did my first line of chain stitches. We'll be all hippied out with crocheted sweaters and mittens. :)

More to come later on our journey!