All Things Jones

Things, stuff, goods

2010-03-25T10:19:00.023+09:00

I'm back! I'm only assuming there's someone, somewhere out there who cares. It's been so long that it has taken an additional couple of minutes to get this post rolling since I had to reset the password that my brain must have omitted awhile ago. I have 2 kids watching Monsters Inc. on a rainy day and a few fleeting moments, so here I am sitting down to contribute to All Things Jones, the blog. Unfortunately there have been no exciting journeys or discoveries to report on in quite some time. Life abroad has either been unbloggable, or not abroad (3 months in Louisville). Instead, I am here to share with you a common occurrence in my life in Japan. There is a place, a wonderful, glorious place, here in Japanland. It's called "Daiso" (just hearing the word in my head gets me excited). The Daiso has things. Lots and lots of things. Tons and tons of things.

The Daiso is a ¥100 shop (100 yen), equivalent to our $1 stores. It's the largest franchise of ¥100's in Japan. So much so that it's name is often used in reference to ¥100's in general, much like Coke or Saran wrap or aspirin or Scotch tape or baggie or thermos (how many generic descriptors can you name?), by us gaijin. But not by me. Daiso is the best and I know it.

I think I may know it too well. As a matter of fact, I think I may have a problem. A trip to the Daiso can be an outing that takes hours for me, even though there is one less than a 5 minute drive from the house. I often come home with a sense of guilt, feeling as if I've given them too much of my time and money. Like I'm an addict. But, holding true to addict behavior, while I'm in the midst of it, it's oh so good. There's just so much to look at and to find. Did I mention they have things, stuff, lots of stuff?

Back to school obento supplies:

Bins, baskets, and buckets, yay

The Japanese tend to hang the laundry outside to dry.

And they are well prepared for it.

Tiny little signs.

I need a spray bottle, but it HAS to be a pink one.

And round.

The wall of glue.

Plastic bags of every shape and size.

And even more in every character and cartoon.

Isn't is marvelous?! Organization galore, glory, glory!! Craft and art supplies, heaven. Japanese knic knacks, souvenirs, and curiosities, fun. I love this place. In the very least, if my Daiso behavior isn't quite addict quality, it is, for sure, kid in a candy shopesque.

Wanna taste? http://www.daisojapan.com/ / http://www.daiso-sangyo.co.jp/english/

In Tokyo, there's a 5 story Daiso and I've even heard tales of a 7 story Daiso across Tokyo Bay in Chiba. I've withheld, so far.

Special thanks to my gorgeous little Vanna for showing off the Daiso GOODS.

Mikoshi Time

2009-10-19T09:35:00.010+09:00

We finally got back into doing some fun things and seeing some new sites. The latest new site to behold was that of a Mikoshi parade, which was actually held right on Yokosuka base. Occurring annually for the last 33 years, it is one of the several open base events held throughout the year when the base is opened up to Japanese nationals without clearance. We have previously avoided any of these events and the crowds of people. But this year, not knowing what time the festivities began, we slid right onto base to desolate streets and the faint bussling spound of food stands gearing up for business. We took a spot on the curb. When the time came, the crowd of Japanese visitor (some participants and some just spectating) turned the corner and came shuffling down the empty boulevard, a somewhat bizarre sight. In the distance, we could see the first mikoshi.

A mikoshi is a portable shrine, usually made of intricately carved and decorated wood, which is used to transport deities in the shinto religion. For this matsuri (Japanese festival), the shrine is placed on long wooden beams. Willing participants, dressed in traditional outfits (which for the bravest, involves short robes and a bottom bearing thong type thing, for the men that is), carry the heavy weight on their shoulders in a long processional. But, don't expect solemn faces bearing a burden. Instead, the carriers are quite lively chanting and bouncing the mikoshi up and down in an attempt to delight the passenger onboard.

Also involved in the handling of the shrine are people who guide it along and people who keep it from crashing into the crowd (one of whom came in very handy as a mikoshi got very close to us). There are also replacement carriers on hand in case someone needs to take a break, or falls. See the guy in this photo on his way down? These people not only bounced their mikoshi, but spun it around, and this poor guy just couldn't hang. Floats carrying taiko drummers proceed the mikoshi, meant to awaken the deity, and wooden carts follow behind the mikoshi in case it needs to be set down and also carries provisions for the handlers (we saw carts containing jugs of sake and a cart loaded down with tons of McDonald's bags).

It was a major party with a ton of activity and fun. Another one of a kind Japanese experience, which was made even cooler by the mutual exchange; while they shared another one of their traditions, we shared some of our delicacies, like American style pizza, burgers, hotdogs, doughnuts, and yards of fountain soda.

More pictures on photo journal site.

Home sweet Homes

2009-08-21T09:10:00.009+09:00

As Lacey continues to do what she does best, destroy the house, I sit down to write this long overdue post. As usual, I feel like I have nothing and everything to say at the same time.

Let's start with where we've been. Home. Or one of the many places we refer to as "home"; the city that we've spent most of our lives in, the place that we rest our heads at night, the house that holds all of our belongings. None of them feel complete. Each duo is missing the third component. We traveled 'home' to Louisville this summer and Gran gave us a wonderful 'home' to sleep, and eat, and shower, and rest, and play while we were there. But, we began to miss all of our stuff, the things that surround you and make you feel like you.

Our first trip back was excellent. First and foremost, thank you to everyone who welcomed us and invited us, and many others, into your homes to celebrate. We did so many wonderful things, it's a task to recount them all. But, believe me, I took alot of photos! It was thrilling to see so many loved ones and hear your voices after 10 months of separation. I know many of you were thrilled at seeing what 10 months did to the girls; they grew!

"Absence makes the heart grow fonder". This can certainly be said about the relationship I have with Louisville.

Coming back, I wanted to see everything I had taken for granted before. I became a hometown tourist. We made trips to museums, got food from as many different restaurants as possible, strolled around downtown several times, stayed at the Galt House, hung out at 4th Street Live, hung out on Bardstown Road, and took in a show or two (I thought Kentucky Show! at the KY Center was excellent and, of course, Dora Live can't be beat). We had such fun and I discovered that, like a lot of the other most important relationships in my life, this move has only strengthened the one I have with Louisville.

Now, as for Japan...

I started this post after I got home from walking Stella to her bus stop. As we waited there, several Japanese women came out of their houses and started to sweep up the leaves that had fallen into the street in front of their homes the windy night before. This is one of the nuances about Japan that I am fond of; the pride that is taken in the things that are theirs. We used to have a tree in our front yard that snowed white cotton like stuff all over the place. We never cleaned it up out of the streets or even our neighbor's yard. Daily, you will see someone outside, with their old fashion brooms (something you'd imagine a witch riding) and their dust pans sweeping the streets or manicuring their neighborhood in some way. I've seen groups of elderly women, wearing their mama-san aprons, gathered together to clean up a small patch of green space on a busy street. Pride and community awareness.

This is not to say that it was easy to come back. We had a surprisingly great journey back (used miles to upgrade to Business Class - Wow, what a different scene that was) and as we walked out into the airport and then outside of the airport, things seemed familiar, not crazy and foreign as they had the last time. There are things I missed about Japan, yes, but you usually don't leave a loved one without some kind of heartache. So, now we were back 'home' to the place where we are surrounded by all of our things and in our 'home' where we can rest our heads, but the third component is missing again, the city where we grew up. My heart started to ache a little for Louisville. The three earthquakes in four days didn't help the situation either. But, we got past our jet lag and made a very fun trip to a very happnin' Zushi beach, a thing that reminded me of all the adventure that still awaits us.

Pictures on our Photo Journal site

Disney Sea is the place to be

2009-05-28T09:40:00.010+09:00

The Jones family (along with Mamaw, who is here for a visit) spent our Memorial Day at phase 2 of the Tokyo Disney Resort - the one and only Tokyo Disney Sea. I wish it was a smaller world than it actually is and that there wasn't 6,000 + miles between KY and this original Disney wonderland.

Disney naysayers and pessimists can stick it in their mouseholes. I find true excitement and wonder in these places just through my eyes, not to mention the fact that I get to enjoy the enthusiasm

of my two young daughters and of the Japanese people. As I mentioned before, in my post on our Disney resort visit, the Japanese are fervent Disney patrons. We have been super lucky, if not quite good planners, in picking two low attendance days for our Disney trips.

What I love best about the Disney resorts is the attention to

detail. What a dream job it would have been to research and design every tiny aspect of each of the themed ports, even down to the restroom signs. I truly felt as if I was stepping from one end of the world to another as we journeyed around the park and it definately made my wonderlust grow. I longed for more of Italy and Mexico. And it was awesome to be able to stand in the middle of a place that's completely fictitious like the Agrabah Marketplace, Triton's undersea kingdom, and Captain Nemo's Mysterious Island.

As I said, this is the one and only Disney Sea. Does that make a visit to Japan a little more enticing?!

Pictures posted on Photo Journal page.

On US soil, once again

2009-05-18T06:59:00.017+09:00

With this move to Japan, we've been able to experience a new and different culture, Nippon style - the shrines, the konbinis, the social rules, hello kitty. But, we've also been immersed into another very new type of culture - Military culture. My maternal grandfather served in the military for a very long time, as did all 4 of my maternal uncles (my Uncle Gary's gravesite lies in Arlington in the shadow of the Pentagon), and even my own father served for while. But, while my mom spent her whole childhood in this culture, I have had no previous experience. My dad's run in the Air Force ended before my time and I don't remember my grandfather or uncles being on active duty, except Gary, but his whereabouts and activities were always a secret. I think he was some kind of spy. For real.

So, being here, at cfay (commander fleet activities yokosuka) is a new experience and a new culture in and of itself, Naval style - the uniforms, the acronyms, the id cards, the ships. Aw, finally the segue into the subject of my post.

Yesterday, we finally, once again placed our feet onto "US soil" when we got to see the inner workings of the USS George Washington, the nuclear propelled supercarrier, as tall as a 24 story building, able to accomodate about 80 aircraft and over 6,000 crewmembers, that now makes it's home here in Yokosuka. The husband of a co-worker of Trips' (who is stationed on the GW) took us on a very informative and super cool tour. Even the girls got to go along.

Robert was an awesome tour guide. Not only very knowlegable (he had the patch to prove it), but very enthusiastic and hospitable. He was the first to say, "hey Stella, why don't you jump up in the CO's chair and get a picture" or "let me put you on this helo so your mom can get a picture". He even bought her a snickers in the galley. From a mom's perspective, this is major and made my experience even more enjoyable.

It was an awesome experience to see something so out of the realm of our ordinary, everyday life. Not only the everyday life we were used to in KY before we moved here, but the everyday life we are experiencing right now in Japan and in life on the base. There are many, many people who make the GW their workplace and home and it's something very different than what we know.

I suppose, though, with each new experience, whether Nippon or Naval, the ordinary, everyday life we were used to is changing and evolving, as are we.

This is not my photograph, which is pretty obvious, but I thought I'd add the disclaimer anyway.

My pictures posted on our photo journal page.

Haru in Japan

2009-04-17T08:51:00.024+09:00

As the days get closer to our visit home, so ends our first year in Japan. One of my favorite things has been discovering the seasons in a different country and how they present themselves. With the arrival of Spring, came our first proof of the glory of something very ingrained in the Japanese culture - sakura. I was so pleasantly surprised, and relieved, to find that the cherry blossom are everywhere and as beautiful as all the hype had led me to believe. Pink dotted the previously winter scarred mountainsides and lined the streets. Mother Nature makes quite an entrance here and the cherry blossoms are her showiest costume yet. Even the building stuffed Naval base was alive with nature when all the trees bloomed pastel. Sakura hanami, picnicing under the fluffy canopy with konbini sushi rolls, onigiri, and Japanese potato salad was excellent and a very Japanese experience. I supplemented the traditional sake intake with Coke zero. Being surrounded by the color pink was a glorious addition to warmer weather, open windows, change in wardrobe, and chocolate bunnies. Ah, yes, Spring had Sprung.

We had a wonderful Spring Break with T out of school. The celebration started with what turned out to be one of my favorite experiences. Our neighborhood held their annual sakura mochi pounding party. Mochi starts as a glutinous rice cake. It is then pounded into a paste in a mortar (usu) with a wooden mallet (kine). Two people are required for this task.

One person strikes a blow then the other moistens the rice with a wet hand. Back and forth, back and forth. The team must work in some kind of rhythm as to avoid any injuries. Chants are called out in cadence. Herein is where the fun lies. Back and forth. Trips and Stel both tried their hand at the pounding. I was never offered the opportunity. I don't know if that's a thing or not - no women. Maybe the men do the pounding and they give the children a turn for the novelty of it. I did see an elderly women heaving away. Anyway...I don't think I have ever been welcomed to a place so enthusiastically and hospitably. As we approached the site, our neighbor Tsuchiya-san (he was one of the organizers) greeted us and ushered us to open spots at one of the tables. I don't know, but there seemed to be a bit of fervor in the air when we got there. The new gaijin had arrived. I don't mean to suggest they were eager to please the new Americans, but I do think they were eager to introduce and share their traditions with us. As we were seated we were brought plates of mochi and cans of Ichiban beer. It was really yummy - mochi covered with red bean, a pepper and sugar mix, and several other flavors. There was also super yummy miso soup and takoyaki (octopus dumpling balls). We met several wonderful people. Neighbors who once lived in the US or work in fields that required such knowledge - mostly older gentlemen. We had two great hours of comradery, then 13:00 hit and tents started coming down and the clean up began, in true timely Japanese fashion.

We finally got to Tokyo Disney during the break and, even though the girls won't remember much in the long run, they had a GREAT time. We took a tour bus from base and spent 12 hours at the park. It was great to be back in a world of Disney. I truly felt young again with memories of my childhood Orlando trip rushing back to me. Stella is still wearing her height requirement wristband 10 days later. Although she went on the

Haunted Mansion ride, and loved it (I just let her fascination with ghosts be what it is), did the Star Wars simulation twice, and rode a smaller roller coaster (daddy had to do Space Mountain alone), she absolutely refused to go on the Snow White ride with me, even though I pestered her all day to do so. Something about the evil queen really put a fright in her.

I loved Tokyo Disney mostly because the visitors add to the magic. The Japanese are very

enthusiastic and the souvenier shops make a killing here, I'm sure. Mickey/Minnie ears everywhere! I would estimate that 1/3rd the population that day was decked out in some kind of Disney attire/adornment.

The next day, we headed back to Tokyo in our car to check out Tama Hills Recreation Area - a perfect complement to a day at Disney, nature. This place is an annex of nearby Yokota Airbase. It's a really quiet atmosphere with trails and campsites. We stayed in the lodge this time, but they also have some pretty cabins that we are anxious to try out. There are outdoor activities available like miniature golf, horseback riding (Stel took her first pony ride), paintball and archery fields, and an 18 hole golf course. The area also boasts a historical background with it's previous life as a WWII Japanese ammunitions factory site. Several ammunitions bunkers still stand on the property.

Lastly, the week ended with Easter. Stella got to do an egg hunt on base, well, it was actually not so much a hunt, but a field full of plastic eggs. We spent Easter day at a wonderful party at Stella's Sunny Hill School, which is actually at the amazing home of her teacher and the rest of the Short family. Sunny Hill has been incredible and we are saddened that it won't be around next year, as the Shorts are transferring, but are so grateful for it's presence in our first year here in Japan.

So, that's the rundown on the Jones' first Spring Break in Japan. It was chock full of fun, even if completely exhausting.

Check out the photo journal site - there are 6 new albums.

Recent Beauty that has Blessed my eyes and lens

2009-03-27T07:38:00.040+09:00

Completely Unadulterated Creativity

Beautiful Blues eyes among the Brown

The pride and reward of Accomplishment

Mother Nature and her fickle nature

Grand and Majestic, singular

small and delicate, vast

Teeny, tiny toes of two sisters

Tasty treasures that tantalize, nightly

More photos posted on our photo journal site.

Lacey talk

2009-03-08T13:59:00.002+09:00

Lacey talks alot, and knows what she is saying (she's been saying the same phrase over and over for 2 days now) - we just can't understand her yet.

Lacey's car boogie

2009-02-25T14:45:00.002+09:00

Update on the girls

2009-02-13T15:54:00.009+09:00

The girls have been busy little bees as of late. Lacey has taken her first steps! I would say she's only taken about 20 more since then, though. She still prefers her arms with her legs as her primary source of transportation. But, I am so proud of her still. I was also relieved 'cause I had really hoped she'd walk before the milestone of her first birthday, which we will celebrate tomarrow! The dancer has also been coming out of her lately, which also makes me beam. Yay, Lace.
The video below was not of her first steps, but of the several proceeding.

Stella is on her way to becoming a jack (or jill, I guess) of all trades. Along with Sunny Hill School, which she attends on Tues. and Thurs., she is also taking an art class, ballet lessons, and is participating in the smart start basketball program onbase.
Here's are links to her art program and an article about her 'sensei'.
www.kazukoasaba.org
http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/fl20070512a1.html

The other day, while we were driving to her first ballet lesson, Stella says to me, "Oh, this is so great! Now, I can be an artist, a ballerina, and a basketballer when I get big!"

This video was of her first day, so we hadn't yet bought her anything to wear. I know seeing her in her ballet attire made my heart melt, so I will post some pictures when I get them.

On another note, I got a really good affirmation on our choice to take this opportunity and move to a foreign country. Stel was watching Kung Fu Panda last night and she asks (with more indignation than curiosity), "If they live in China, then why are they all speaking English?". Her view of the world is broadening and that makes me so proud.

We are looking into schools for next year, her last year of preschool. We go to see an international school on Monday and will check into the co-op preschool onbase. I'm not too keen about sending her to a Japanese yochien, as I've been told that education parallels the Japanese idea of the group consciousness with structured play and proper social behavior. Although, I am sure this course has it's merits, I am more apt to want to put her on a more creativity driven and expressive course, especially since we do not have long term plans for living in Japan.

But, of course they aren't all days full of wonder, excitement, and joy! Stel is seriously 4 going on 13 and Lace is like a moth to a flame when it comes to dangerous &/or destructive situations. I'm wondering if perhaps we have the opposite situation going on here. Stella was such a good toddler who stayed out of trouble, for the most part, but now, whew, man. So maybe the terrible 3's and 4's won't be so intense with Lacey. Hmmm. We'll see and I'll keep you updated!

Until next time (and I'll try to make it sooner rather than later)...

2009-01-20T09:34:00.002+09:00

Our first visitors

2008-12-30T10:46:00.012+09:00

Oh, melancholy. This time, it creeps around at the departure of our first visitors, Gran and Uncle Allen. It was a chaotic, yet great 11 days.

We were so pleased to learn, after realizing we wouldn't be home for Christmas, that some family would be coming to us. It was so wonderful to have them here to share Christmas in Japan with. We started out the visit with a trip to Kyoto that involved a lot of trains and train stations, alot of walking, alot of map reading, heavy bags, crying/screaming kids, and rain, but also, a night in Tokyo, our first shinkansen ride (with a killer view of Fuji-always exciting for me), good food, Kyoto Imperial Palace, Nijo Castle, Gran's discovery of yakatori, new sights, and time together.

The next several days were spent preparing for and celebrating Christmas. I made a Christmas Eve dinner, which I think turned out well. It was a challenging task, having to orchestrated everything around a teeny, tiny oven. For this reason and others, we got one of Trips' gifts early. He left his gas grill at Claremont, so we got another and grilled some chicken for our Holiday meal, which, as we found out, is the traditional Christmas meal meat of choice in Japan. As a matter of fact, I read an article recently claiming that the reason for this choice of chicken at Christmas stems from a major marketing campaign here in Japan by none other than our hometown chain, Kentucky Fried Chicken.

Even though I was missing my family alot, I did a bunch of skyping and online chatting , and Christmas day was really, really nice. There were so many gifts for the girls to open that we actually stashed away a couple of Lacey's unopened presents for her birthday in Feb.! She was much more into the ad pamphlets and instruction booklets that came with the toys and, in sure Lacey fashion, the small and dangerous twisties and pieces that held her toys captive in their boxes. Later that day, we drove around and showed off a couple of the pretty spots around Hayama and had Christmas day dinner at a great Italian restaurant nearby on Zushi beach.

After Christmas, Allen took a couple of days to have his own solitary adventure in Tokyo and we continued to show Gran around Hayama and Yokosuka. We had some more good food and Trips and I actually got to go to a movie together, alone. Being so severely out of practice, we found ourselves at a loss for what else to do, out on the town, without the kids. We made our excuses, no dinner (Trips wasn't hungry), no walking around (I forgot my coat), no bars (one of us had to drive home), and decided to go rent a couple of movies and head back. We were home before Stella was even asleep, and not very well received. I think Gran and Stel were mutually disappointed that we interrupted their time alone. Maybe in another 5 months we'll get another shot at it.

Finally, our last full day together was spent in Kamakura, which is a short drive from our house. We saw two beautiful temples and had some great food, the common theme of the visit. We had the most authentic Japanese meal yet, for any of us. Shoes were removed and stashed in lockers and we sat on cushions on the tatami mat floor around a low table in a small upstairs room adorned with old, smoke stained Japanese decorations. We shared the one English menu and picked noodles, and rice, and Japanese potato pancakes that came to us uncooked. We threw our plates of goodies on the skillet in the middle of the table and helped each other cook lunch. Gran learned the word 'foku' Japanese for fork. We took them to the Daibutsu and visited the Hase Kannon, a beautiful, sprawling temple with lots to look at and cool views, which included another view of our neighborhood.

We are so thankful to Gran and Allen for making the trip here. We are sad about their departure 'cause we are going to miss them and miss having family around. Also, because we know they are heading back to Louisville, a place we are missing, and a part of us wants to go to. Stella actually did ask her dad if she could go back with them. I think we are going to have a devastated little girl on our hands as she was stuck to Gran like glue these last 11 days.

Trips and Stel just took them to the airport and the house seems really empty.

At least 4 new albums on our photo blog.

Lacey Josephine

2008-12-16T07:34:00.014+09:00

At 10 months old, as of yesterday, Lacey has really been displaying alot of her own personality traits. We have a little person here. A little person, it occurred to me, that none of our loved ones really know. So, I wanted to introduce you to Lacey Josephine...

Smiles. This kid has a smile on her face most of the time - a smile that would melt even the grinchiest of hearts. It is so big and so meaningful. You can see all over her face and in her shining eyes that she is loving life so far. I'm yet to take a photo that truly captures it.

Those eyes. Big and blue.

Socializing. She's really good at engaging people. She will stare a hole through someone until they notice and then flash that smile.

Attention getter. The combination of all the aforementioned characteristics and qualities gets her so much attention! I rarely take her out without at least one or two Japanese nationals stopping to admire and talk to her.

Curious. 'Lacey the destroyer' is what I call her. She reeks havoc on the orderliness of this house. Her favorite pastime is getting into cabinets and dresser drawers and pulling everything out onto the floor. Even the tiniest foreign object left in her territory (the floor) will be discovered, thoroughly examined, and placed directly into her mouth (which I suppose is just another way babies examine).

Danger seeker. She seems to gravitate to the most dangerous thing around. If there is an uncovered plug, she's there. Small or dirty object on the floor, she's there. Something to fall off of, she's there.

Let's see - what else...

She claps alot when she is excited. She always has a foot propped up when she is in her highchair or stroller - very chill. She says 'mama' and 'dada'. She has recently discovered her own voice, especially the high pitched screams she can get out for no apparent reason. She just learned to crawl up the stairs. She has 3 teeth and more coming in. She has an amazing laugh and mostly laughs at her sister. I think she's going to be a 'hair doer' like her sister. Along with her big, bright smile, she also has this very coy, slight smile she can give that makes her seem so grown up.

Can't wait for everyone to meet her this summer.

Out and about

2008-12-01T08:24:00.010+09:00

Yesterday the Joneses finally left the comforts of our immediate surroundings and got out and about in Japan a little. We took a successful journey to Nogeyama Zoo which included a train ride with 3 transfers. The previous day, we had finally found our way to Ikego, a base housing area that is a little bit closer to us than the main base. It was a great find, as Ikego has a mini-mart, stocking any essentials we may need plus some, a gas station, a cdc (childcare), a campground even, and, most important to this day, an incredibly convenient train station. The Jimmuji train station is practically built into Ikego housing with the new addition of a pedestrian bridge. We parked our car right in front of the station. With two children in tow, this is just an amazing convenience and practically unheard of around here. Even from the main base, there was a bit of a hike to the two stations closest by. On our first outing, Stel had almost had it by the time we even made it to the first station, which explains out hesitance to try again. But, now, things have changed!

So, after three successful transfers and a little walk, we made it to our destination, Nogeyama Zoo. This zoo required no admission fee, which probably explains the animals' surroundings - more cages than habitats. At least I hope that is the case and that not all of Japan's zoos are so, sad. It was more depressing than fun to see the big, beautiful tiger pacing back and forth in it's tiny cage.
Not only did Nogeyama zoo have big animals in small cages, but it also boasts the "Nakayoshi Hiroba", an area where zoo visitors can have hands on experience with guinea pigs, chicks, chickens, and mice. There were tables covered in tiny mice and guinea pigs waiting to pass from one child's hands to another, chickens running around freely (one of which who decided to jump up onto my leg unexpectedly), and tiny chicks hovering by their heating element desparately hoping not to be snatch up again. Animal rights activists be darned around here! Oh, and the highlight of the "Nakayoshi Hiroba", the Christmas mouse display in all of it's kitschy Japanese splendor. Look closely.
Check photo journal page for more pictures.

The Fishing Report

2008-11-22T20:36:00.003+09:00

I apologize for the delay in my correspondence but I have been caught up with work and stuff….seems there was a problem with my TPS reports. This is a cleaner version than I would normally write, but I am putting it on the blog. Anyway two weeks ago on Veterans Day I participated in my first deep sea fishing trip since arriving in Japan….and it goes a little something like this………
To do this story justice I need to begin a day prior to the trip. I know that Japan is known as the Land of the Rising Sun, which I believe is an accurate nickname, however I would at this time like to officially make my submission known: Land of the Rising Sun and hellacious winds!!!! (Quick side note the wind here is like nothing I have ever witnessed, the other day I saw a huge marine riding a 1981 schwinn complete with the banana seat and wicker basket on the font. As if that wasn’t funny enough he had zip-tied a picture of the Wicked Witch of the West on the basket, I think he did this just so people knew what side of the rainbow he was from when one of the crazy wind gust sent is butt airborne.) Monday, 13 hours till cast off, I was monitoring the weather stations on the internet. I try to stick with Japanese ones they seem to be the more accurate and most of the time I can interpret the basics. One of the Japanese sites I was previewing had a picture of an animated angry cloud blowing a wave over the silhouette of a sail boat. Even though I don’t read or speak the language, I knew this can’t be good. I got the secretary to translate for me and sure enough it read small craft warning! I called the charter place and they said no big deal, they only stay in if the waves are 8 or over he predicted they were going to stay about 7. (Please note that I have NO idea what form of measurement 8 or 7 was he only communicated with numeric’s and did not follow either of the numerals with a quantitative definition.) So everything was a go and I knew I had better get some puke suppressant. Unfortunately you can’t purchase sea sick meds without a script on the Navy base, so I had to go out to the Japanese stores to find some. I knew this was not something that I could do alone so I did ask the Japanese teacher at school to write me out a message. The guy is kind of a joker and for a brief moment it crossed my mind he might be writing down that I need Viagra, now that would have made for a story.
I got my pills and was all set to go!!!
The morning of the trip I woke up and walked out to check the conditions. PERFECT spitting rain, 35 mile per hour wind and a base temp of 46. Typical opening day of duck season weather but not ideal for my shake down fishing run. Luckily I was prepared and like a Gailor I brought more outdoor cold weather stuff than I would ever need in Japan. And I wore it all out on that boat.
I report to our MUSTARD station behind Starbucks at o six hundred and meet the gang….well it is a total of 9 folks…4couples and me. Odd man out I rides with the organizers and one of the guides. They speak little English but more than I speak Japanese. I was wearing a FLW hooded sweat shirt and that sparked the conversation. I think they were telling me they liked it….or….that it would make it hard to swim when they threw me overboard. Everyone was smiling so I assumed the latter.
The trip was a 100 bucks US cash. That includes 6 hours of fishing and food and drinks. Well I soon discovered that included meals meant that we stopped at a 7/11 near the Marina and the guy gave each of us 1000 yen to buy stuff. I purchased two tall boy Sapporos and three granola bars. We drove another 30 min and ended up at the marina that is about 5 min from my house. I loaded my now one tall boy and 2 granola bars into my backpack and head out toward the pier. Our boat looked trust worthy…I could picture Ol’Samuel Clemens himself behind the wheel navigating her down the “old man” but I could NOT see that “junk” heading out in the swells I could see beyond the breaker wall.
Despite my apprehension we were soon under way. I soon learned that I was REALLY the odd man out, all the folks took cover in the cabin and I sat on port side listening to my audio books witnessing a spectacular view of Mount Fuji. It was cool! We ran with hammer down for about 45min. to reach the fishing grounds. I had no idea how far out we had gone, I lost sight of land 20 min. ago…..well that was until I stood up and saw that huge cliffs were about 150 yards off the starboard. Not only were we REAL close to land we were also in a parking lot of boats. There were people everywhere!!!! This was not western KY stuff were the Coot is cussing everyone, people were glad to see another boat…bringing the total to about 53.
Turns out that most everyone fishes the same way, that is, by baiting their hook with TINY shrimp and loading up a “CHUM WEIGHT”…that’s right a chum weight. It is a plastic tube that you fill with a ton of shrimp guts and other smelly stuff. The way you fish is you drop your bait to the bottom, reel up three feet, and then weight 5 min. If no bite, reel up and re-bait and fill the chum weight. (I included pictures on photo section of the blog: http://allthingsjones.shutterfly.com/487 ) I am NO expert on the Pacific Ring of Fire, but there is a serious drop off the coast of Japan. About 200 yards of the shore, it was over 100 feet deep. Turns out that the chum weights are the key, tons of boats, tons of chum…and it brings the fish. We caught mostly tuna! And it was as soon as it hit the bottom. I was giving my fish to the crew so I got some SPECIAL treatment; meaning they netted fish for me, fed me beer and noodles. Every time I dropped it down I had either a fish or a bite…that is until I got hooked into a big one that broke my line (they don’t use wire liters), since I was fishing for the crew they decided to set me up with a multiple hook rig….BIG MISTAKE….first drop down I bring it up and that rig is wrapped tighter than a double helix. Took the guys about a 40 min. to get me back on the fish.
Crew was cool. When I first laid eyes on them I thought I was witnessing an Asian “Black and Mild” commercial. Deckhands and the captain were all smoking the mini cigars. I ended up landing around 11 keepers and missing twice that. By fishing for the crew, I did kind of screw myself, my fish were not included in the competition, and so I think I missed winning a foldable chair….guess I will just have to stand from now on.
Overall it was a GREAT time, but I sure missed sharing it with someone. Fishing in Japan with a view of Mt. Fuji and WWII anti-air craft gun turrets was too great to do alone. I was having fun but I was really lonely. I did finish an audio book and tried to B.S. with guys that did not speak my language. I have always been lucky enough to have great buddies to experience things with….well I sure miss you guys now! In closing, I never puked, caught fish, and did not get thrown overboard!!! I rate it a success. If anyone wants to come visit the fishing trip is on me. I am sure there is some stuff out there that will need two barrels. I plan on doing more surf fishing for the next couple months. Jones OUT!!! Shoot’em in the Face!

Under the Chestnut Tree

2008-11-14T19:30:00.004+09:00

Transliteration – Rōmaji (Romanji)

Ooki na kuri no ki no shita de

anata to watashi

naka yoku asobimashou

ooki na kuri no ki no shita de.

Under the big chestnut tree

You and me

are playing happily

Under the big chestnut tree

2008-11-07T08:28:00.002+09:00

So, I was corresponding with my friend, Missy L., through email and I got started on this subject and it gave good inspiration for a blog entry. Moving to a place where I don't know a soul, where I have laying ahead of me the task of meeting new people and making new friends (which, for a former very shy little girl, can be extremely frightening), where distance separates me from those I know the best, has made me contemplate the idea of friendship. In Louisville, and even just a little beyond (KY Lake, Big M. in Vegas and Kendall in Atlanta, etc.), we have a group of friends that I consider to be something very special. The roots of these friendships stretch so deep. They were created by aquaintance and made stronger by time. It is an enormous network (facebook has the evidence). We have so many people available to us to share in our celebrations and to give us support when we need it.
So, being that nearly all of my friendships have shared aquaintance or time in it's DNA, I wonder, is it possible to establish new friendships in a place and atmosphere where time and frames of reference are not an option? Most of the people we have and will meet here have a connection to the Naval base. I think the language barrier will keep us from establishing bonds with alot of Japanese nationals. Because of this, the people you meet will come and go so often. I have already met several people who I really enjoy being around, but most of these budding friendships are already threatened by departure dates. Also, we have no established friendships here, so there is no one to vouch for the authenticity or sincerity of the people that we do meet (this is what I mean by frame of reference). I wonder if there will be anyone here in Japan that we could really depend on if there were to come an occasion when we needed someone closeby. I wonder, where is the line between aquaintance and friendship - between friendliness and loyalty? Sometimes you wonder if the next thing out of your mouth will be the thing that changes someone's opinion of you. As I told Missy, I am missing the people who already know me and accept me for who I am, regardless of our differences. I am missing those people I can say anything in front of and not worry about judgement because our bond is already established. I am missing sharing the motherhood years with the girls I once partied and got crazy with! A girl I met here (with whom I've shared some fun shopping trips), who has traveled the world, says she characterizes a friend as someone you enjoy spending time with. That sounds good to me. I will just enjoy the people I meet and those who make our days here in Japan fun and memorable. We have been fortunate to have crossed paths with many helpful people so far. I will just appreciate this. Thank you to those folks. And if a lasting friendship or two does develop, all the better. This is just a new experience for me and has led me to all of this contemplation.
Emailing, skyping, chatting,...facebooking?...have been incredible tools to help feed our emotional needs, our connections to those we love. I am so thankful for this technology! Thank you to all of the people back home who have stayed in contact with us. For me, there are a special few of you who have been rocks - thanks Carlye (you rock, my rock!), Randy, Michael, Gran, Corey Lee & Chelsea, Missy, Hope, Lesley, Leigh. I know alot more of you are keeping up with us by reading this blog. It is just so nice to read some of your words and thoughts.
To all of our friends, I say, thank you. This distance has given us an even greater appreciation for what we have in you.

Our MommyDaughter Adventure

2008-10-29T10:18:00.004+09:00

The girls and I had our own little adventure yesterday. We drove to Kurihama flower park, in the southern part of the Penninsula. We took a previously undriven route that we thought would be a good shortcut, rather than drive the distance to the base and take the posted directions from there. We made it without incident to Kurihama, but, as expected, once we got to the immediate vicinity of the park I had a little difficulty finding it, being that the sign for the place is in Japanese. Yet after just two laps around the block we found it.

We made a steep climb around the flower field, whose beauty was unfortunately quite lacking right now. The place is known, however, for the field of poppies from mid May to June and cosmos, which we just missed, from mid Sept. to mid Oct. As we turned the corner 600 meters up we were greated by...

Godzilla!!!!

There's an amazing kids playground up there with, of course, Godzilla. The thing that makes this gigantic Godzilla even better is the fact that he basically deficates kids all day! See, Godzilla is actually a slide and you can guess where the 'bottom' of the slide is. It'd be even more awesome, I think, if the top of the slide was thr0ugh his ferocious mouth, but it's only at the belly. There's also an enormous structure featuring net climbing tubes and bridges and a long roller slide that is fun, but best when assisted by the plastic mats they sell. We unfortunately did not have a mat - ouch. we had a great time playing and took a different path down. To our dismay, after trecking up and down the hills of this path we hit a dead end when the path turned into a stairway. So, already tired and sore from all the uphill walking, we had to turn around and backtrack the entire trip back up then eventually down again. Stella was a trooper. Lacey laid back and enjoyed the scenery, which was beautiful by the way.

Pictures posted in Photo Journal
note: Stel took her turn as photographer so alot of these pictures are her art/vision

Bits and Pieces

2008-10-18T22:01:00.015+09:00

Stella at a beach near our house. The tall, dark area almost directly above Stel's head is Fuji-san. (Click to view closer.)

In Japan, you can pay your bills at convenience stores.

I mentioned something before about the customer service. Wow, it's great. Mostly everywhere you go, one or more people will say "Ira-shai-mase" (welcome) as you enter, pretty loudly. Then, they will leave you alone until you are ready to buy whatever it is you want to buy. No pressure. They just leave it at 'welcome' until you are ready. But, at that point, they go all out. Packages are usually wrapped pretty nicely, especially in smaller stores and markets. There's alot of thanking and bowing. And it is not unusual for the girls to get gifts. Just today we bought some plants at a store and they grabbed a couple of fresh flowers and gave them to Stella and Lacey. Oh, and Stella got some kind of bag at another store. The other day Lacey was given two bibs at a department store. It's really cool.

I wish you could see the absolute cuteness of all the Japanese school children on their way to school in the morning dressed in their adorable uniforms. Mostly kids walk to school. We have seen kids that look no older than Stella walking down the street by themselves. There are, however, adults dressed in reflective green hats and vest, that stand all up and down the streets. I assume they are there to guide the children to and from school.

There are persimmons growing everywhere right now.

We unfortunately discovered a different kind
of very large spider on our porch today.

Lacey with her biggest fan, Yiying, who works at a Ramen shop just outside the Base gate that we go to, alot. She really loves Lacey. We just discovered that Yiying and the other two people that work here are not Japanese, but actually Chinese, so we have to bone up on our Chinese now too 'cause she only speaks a couple of English words. Check out their English menu. It's so great!

They have the best fried rice, ever.

We are so excited to be having our first visitors!

Trips' mom and brother are coming for Christmas!!

I'm really missing Huber's, and Hillcrest Ave., and PeeWee's House. Fall is my favorite season and I'm missing these things. There are a few decorations around and Stel will get to trick or treat onbase, but missing that feeling that's usually in the air. It was a bit cooler last weekend and we grabbed a chai tea latte from Starbucks onbase, that helped a little.

We got to vote already! Absentee ballots.

Congrats to Lesley and Robert on their crazy, good news.
Congrats to LeighLeigh on her baby girl

and to the Hoekstras on their baby girl.

WE MISS YOU GUYS.

That's all for now. Just had a couple of things in my head.

2008-10-13T14:52:00.003+09:00

That's our neighborhood in the center. Photo taken from Shonan Village. Our house is at the left end (from your perspective). Click on the photo to see it larger.

We're Back

2008-10-09T10:54:00.025+09:00

First, for those of you who have checked in several times to find the same 'ol post, I apologize and thank you for the interest. We are in our new home and my days mainly consist of tending to the girls and getting this house in liveable order. I'm not yet prepared with alot of photos, but once everything is decently in order, I will post some. So, for now, I'm gonna share with you some of the quirky, different things about having a home in Japan (including a couple of visual aids).

The genkan

Probably one of the most well known household practices is the custom of removing your shoes before entering the home. This custom is mainly based on cleanliness. [I'll let this webpage give further detail

http://www.tjf.or.jp/eng/content/japaneseculture/02kutsu.htm]

Because of this, homes have an area call a genkan, kind of like our foyer, just kind of. Shoes do not go beyond the genkan. This is something to get used to, especially when you are trying to get a baby and an almost 4 year old out the door in the morning and you've forgotten to grab diapers, for example, and you have to run in and have to remove your shoes to grab them.(I will be sticking to Uggs this fall/winter.) When we were moving in, yes, the delivery men took their shoes off ev-er-y time they went back and forth! And this practice extends to other areas. For example, while shopping, I started to step into a changing room and was stopped by the sales lady saying 'shoes, shoes, shoes'.

Toilets & Bathrooms

The bathrooms in Japan are just that, rooms for bathing. Therefore, the toilet is typically in a completely separate room from the bath, sometimes nowhere even close to it. Ours is a little westernized, I suppose, 'cause even though our toilet is in its own room, that room is still in the bathroom (see the pic). And the toilets, wow. They refer to these things as Super Toilets, and that they are. Most have a button for a bidet, a button for female cleanliness, and a button for a seat warmer. Sometimes, epecially in public, you will happen upon a Super Toilet with a button that plays music and a button for making noises, perhaps a faux flushing sound, to cover up your own embarrassing noises. Some have automatic lids that lift on there own when it senses someone near. We had alot of problems when we first ran into one of these, at a McDonalds of all places. As if all the buttons didn't freak Stel out enough, when she walked into that stall and the seat lifted on its own, it was over!! I also should mention that I realized this happened right after she had watched the movie Monster House. We had problems leaving the base for awhile after that because she would not use the restrooms anywhere offbase. She's gotten used to the look of the Super Toilet now, but still asks before using whether it is 'automatic'. Also, since the toilet room is separate, there is sometimes a little hand washing area above. Neither of our Super Toilets are working right now, so things have just been business as usual around here. These aforementioned toilets are the modern/western ones. In alot of public places you will still find the squatters.

Instead of a shower, we have a shower room. The Japanese bath differently too. The shower is for rinsing and cleaning, the tub is for soaking and relaxation. [Again, see link for further explanation.]http ://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2002.html I'm lovin' this set up. It makes bathing the kids very efficient. Stel still has bucked the system and still uses the bath for her cleaning purposes. I suppose none of us really do it the Japanese way, but the set up is great. And, as mentioned in the article, we can start a hot bath from the kitchen. We still just walk in there and turn the knobs though.

Last interesting note on toilets and baths, instead of the shower being on the second floor of a two floor home, as with western houses, here (as per usual) it is the opposite and the bathing area is on the first floor with another toilet (what we think of as the guest toilet) upstairs.

Appliances

They're small. Real small. Small.

But we are lucky to have them. Ovens are a rarity. Homes typically just have burners and a fish broiler.

Above: Stove, washer/dryer, and our Japanese fridge

Left: My two dishwashers.

Side note: The Japanese hang their clothes outside to dry. You will see that everywhere you turn. And at the stores, there's an enormous plethora of clothes hanging options.

Garbage

Japan is a crowded place, with a shortage on space. No room for landfills. So, in order to manage the refuse of the great quantity of people who inhabit this island nation, there are very strict garbage collection policies. All garbage is to be sorted into categories. There's burnable trash, nonburnable trash, and recyclable trash (which is then divided into sub categories). It has taken alot of effort and we are still getting accustomed to the system. We peel labels off of bottles, tear the little plastic window out of spaghetti boxes, and rinse clean anything that has contained food.

Each day has it's own type of garbage, which is taken out, in the correct type of bag might I add, and placed in these green netted boxes that are in every neighborhood. If your trash is not right, the will slap a big yellow sticker on it and leave it there for all to see. And our trash would stand out like a sore thumb around here. There are 3 other American households in the neighborhood, but I'm sure it wouldn't take long to solve the mystery.

This is the most expensive garbage can I will ever buy. Even with this very helpful item, things still pile up awaiting the proper day. Luckily, there are places onbase that we can take recyclables on any day of the week.

Here are two articles I found that give a little insight. Our situations are not so extreme. But, when we were moving in, many of the neighbors made sure that we were aware of the policies. It was a hot topic and made us feel a bit exposed.

http://www.iht.com/articles/2002/04/27/rgarbage_ed3_.php

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/05/12/international/asia/12garbage.html

I am very proud to report that our garbage is yet to be yellow stickered and left. And it is a very rewarding feeling to be doing so much recycling.

Insects

There are some crazy ones here. And from what we hear, there will be some crazy ones in our house at some point. This little lady (not so little) has made her home on our side porch. We are told, thankfully, that she prefers the outdoors. I have noticed these kinds of spiders everywhere lately. And the handsome guy below is just one of several praying manti we've seen on our front porch. Unfortunately, we have had the infamous Japanese hornets hanging out at our neighbor's house, making a flight path right over our barbeque porch. These suckers, well, suck. They are big and aggressive, so I've read, have painful, venemous, nonbarbed stingers and work together. They have kept us from using our porch for the time being. The neighbor is in search of an exterminator, so hopefully it won't be an ongoing problem. And also, unfortunately, we've also had a roach or two, which is really common. Our friends told us a good trick we've used once. Instead of squashing any bugs and having to clean the mess, we have a specific plastic tupperware container that we use to trap them, then, we turn 'em into popsicles! We throw the container in the freezer to kill them and toss them out after.

Our Housing Agents

I want to mention our Housing Agents, Takakita-san and his English speaking employee, Miho-san. They are really great and incredibly prompt when we have any issues in the house. I actually only mentioned the hornets to Miho-san and asked her opinion on them and before we knew it, her boss, Takakita-san, had come over to speak with the neighbors about it for us.

Another side note: Customer service is just awesome here. Very attentive and appreciative but, there is never any pressure.

Well, I think that's it for now.

Shortley, I will be posting on the photo journal site, some photos from a walk we took today of our hill and some cool things we discovered around our area - so please check it soon.

If you are reading my posts, I invite you to leave comments. It's always great to read some words from people back home.

Until next time...

To our Loyal Followers...

2008-09-21T18:19:00.002+09:00

First I'd like to say thanks for keeping up with us. That's very cool!
I also just wanted to let you know that we will be down for a little over a week (hopefully no longer) until we get our internet service started at our house. I'll spend the time getting the house in order and then I'll have some new pics to post of our new place and hopefully inspire our first visitor (yeah, we're a bit homesick for our loved ones). So, check back with us around Tues. the 30th or so. Until next time...

2008-09-15T11:48:00.016+09:00

We have finally put in an application on a house! It is a house we saw quite awhile ago. We like the house, but hesitated to commit because there is no yard at all (most of the houses we did find with yards were not what you'd imagine - more like a patch of grass) and is kind of isolated. Being located at the top of a hill, we would be dependant on our cars to get anywhere for the girls to play outside. Although, because it's a really small neighborhood, Stel should be able to ride her bike around. We held out and did some more searching for houses with yards and locations accessible to parks, train stations, or stores within walking distance, but we couldn't find a house that had it all. We finally decided it was time to get ourselves out of the Navy Lodge!

The house is in an area called Shimoyamaguchi, in the town of Hayama, which is on the other side if the Miura Peninsula. Hayama is where the Emporer has his summer palace - yeah, we're fancy.

The house is bright and cheerful, unlike alot of the houses we saw, and I think will accomodate us nicely. The backside of the house overlooks a beautiful hillside, which I hope will give us some awesome autumn colors and cherry blossoms and, from the master bedroom, there is a view of the ocean - again, fancy.

This househunting process has been, at times, an extremely frustrating experience, but it has been an experience all the same. We learned alot about our surroundings and about the geography of the peninsula. We were introduced to alot of local people i.e. the housing agents. We really enjoyed meeting several of them (shout out to Rika, Miho, Saito-san, and our man Pedro.) I have to say, I'm glad this part is coming to an end, but thankful for it.
Some pics of the girls on the Photo Journal page

Lacey is crawling and pulling up on things but still not really sitting on her own yet! She held her balance for awhile at our going away party, but never really bothered to try again. That has been an effect of being in this room. Floor space is limited, so she's been on a soft bed alot, which isn't really condusive to learning how to sit up. But, she's had the desire, I assume, to see the world from a different perspective, so she started moving. Well, ok, nevermind that. I just took a break to feed Lace and she sat up, on her own, in the bed to eat! Yay, Lace. I'll let you know when she walks! She's also super grabby and thinks her hands are the greatest things ever, but she is holding a bottle on her own. Stel starts preschool tomarrow. She's starting a program that we think is going to be amazing. Sunny Hill School is run by the wife of one of Trips' coworkers at their home, which is in an absolutely georgeous location. The curriculum is very thorough and seems like it's going to be tons of fun and very educational, especially since their are only a handfull of children. Plus, they (we) take field trips every 3 weeks, so we have the opportunity to see some more things in Japan.

Baby you can Drive my car

2008-09-02T08:47:00.008+09:00

As of last week, Trips and I both got our Japanese 'professional driver' licenses! Look out!

Trips also managed to aquire a set of wheels for us...our awesome Nissan Super Saloon. Well, it was free anyway and got us some much needed independance.

When we got it, Trips soon discovered that it didn't have any shoulder straps in the back seats, which was a concern for the child safety seats. He made a call, and within the hour had bought our 2nd car, a nice Mazda Premacy, for a couple thousand.

We haven't yet accomplished all the necessary tasks required for driving the Premacy, so we've been in the Super Saloon. I've driven it onbase. The opposite thing wasn't so difficult. Trips, on the other hand, has been brave enough to take it offbase. This is a brave task for four reasons, at least. First, of course, we're still getting used to everything being opposite - opposite side of the car, opposite side of the street, controls are even opposite (the cars on base are said to have extremely clean windshields because of the tendancy to hit the windshield wipers when trying to signal). Then, there is the fact that the Japanese are very much offensive drivers. Third, even though there are alot of cars on the road, there are just as many pedestrians and cyclists. They are everywhere and just as offensive in there actions. But, because there are so many pedestrians, there are many pedestrian crosswalks, so the speed limit stays low, which ties us into the the forth reason. The speed limit also stays low because most of the streets, even some of the main roads, are extremely narrow. And here we are in this large van. The combination of all of these aspects makes driving a large vehicle not such a good idea. The tiny car is king around here. Oh, I just thought of a fifth reason. It is acceptable in alot of places to just pull the car to the side of the road for temporary parking, say to run into a store or something, so there's alot of weaving around parked vehicles. I have to give my hubby big props. We haven't hit a thing in 2 days of driving! I have decided to wait for the smaller car. I think Trips may consider junking the Super Saloon soon and getting something smaller.

So, there we'll be, haplessly making our way up and down the crowded little streets of Japan. And, as if we won't stand out enough just by the mistakes we'll be making, it's guaranteed all will know that we are American, first time drivers! If you take another look at the picture above of the Super Saloon, you'll notice a yellow and green emblem. This is called a wakaba mark. It distinguishes you as a new driver in Japan (good for 1 year). It is actually a pretty cool thing 'cause in case of a minor accident, if you are driving with this on you're car, you are basically dismissed on any fault (the elderly are allowed a similar emblem). But, not only will everyone know we're newbies, but American newbies at that. The Y on the license plate signifies an American owned car.

The past two days we've loaded up the van and gone on drives around the Miura Peninsula. I have to say, we've done a pretty good job of navigating our way around. Nothing in Japan seems to be built on a grid system! We've discovered new areas of the peninsula that we hadn't seen yet with housing agents and got to go see the beautiful home of one of Trips' coworkers. The freedom to get beyond the base on our own time was nice. I wasn't convinced the girls thought the same through the cries, whines, and screams.

Cup a Noodles

2008-08-24T09:51:00.005+09:00

This is just a misc. post about some random things. I entitled it 'Cup a Noodles' because that illustrates what we've been up to (or not up to I should say) since the last post. We are here in the country of Japan, known for it's noodle cuisine, and this is what Trips had for dinner the other night; a cup a noodles from the Mini Mart nextdoor. He went back to work last week (students start tomarrow) and I have been attending AOB/ICR (Area Orientation/Inter Culteral Relation) classes. By the end of the day we haven't had the energy to pack the girls up for a hop onto the bus and a walk into town. Things tend to be a bit more difficult with an infant who's completely dependant and a 3 year old who can tend to lose control of her emotions (yes, we all know who she got that characteristic from). We've also been trying to go out with housing agents to try and find ourselves a home more suited for us than this Navy Lodge room, which can be it's own special type of torture with screaming kids and an agent who barely speaks our language and comes from a culture where being load in public is kinda rude. We've been fortunate to have some very understanding agents, but I have uttered the phrase, "Gomen nasai" several times. This will be my first Japanese language lesson to my readers. "Gomen nasai" = "I'm sorry"!
The girls:
They were in daycare last week. The CDC (Child Developement Center) offers both hourly and fulltime daycare. We got the girls into the fulltime center for the week of my AOB/ICR. In the beginning I didn't want to take them, especially Lacey who has never been with someone other than me or family. But, by the last day I was sad that I couldn't bring them back! The place was really great and they took great care of the girls. The ladies (5 total for both classes) were wonderful and I very much liked all of them. Lacey cried alot at first, but I think she gained some independance. It was the best thing Stella could have done. She was aching for some playtime. Unfortunately, the wait list is quite long so I don't see them going back there anytime soon.
Stella has been amazing at understanding her surroundings. She has become a wiz at paying attention to signs. Not the word kind, but the picture kind. She's helped T and I with several questions, like where to change Lacey's diaper!
Stella has also proved to have her Gran's interest in mystery. She's discovered Scooby Doo and loves it. Alot of you are aware of her pention for 'scary, scary stories' being told to her. That interest has developed further. She's really into 'scary' things. She's been wanting to see 'scary' movies alot so, I rented the Wizard of Oz for the first time. I was very excited for her to see it and my expectations were met with the expression on her face when Dorothy opens that door and the color of Oz is revealed. PRICELESS.
Lacey is still a baby. Her first tooth has made it's way through. She has not learned to sit up, but manages to get around on the bed by scooching towards what she wants. She is grabby. Very, very grabby. She has a very high pitched scream, which I'm sure is not popular around the lodge. She still smiles a ton. And, as I mentioned before, she's a hit with the Japanese public.

Hopefully, my next post will be about our new house. Until then...

Some pictures posted on Photo Journal page

Kamakura

2008-08-17T11:12:00.008+09:00

Trips had his turn at AOBs (Area Orientation Briefing - the military is crazy about acronyms) this past week. One of the days is scheduled as a field trip. They teach you some things about the train systems and you are supposed to pick a destination and make your way there - so we gave it a shot. We picked the seaside town of Kamakura, which is across the Miura Peninsula and to the north. Our journey started with the bus ride to the front gate. From there we had a 15 minute walk to JR Yokosuka Station. Trips bought us each a Suica card loaded with Yen for convenience. Our first hurdle came when Lacey's stroller wouldn't fit through the turnstile. I saw that there was one at the end designated for wheelchair use, but I wasn't sure where to swipe my card. So, not remembering the word for 'excuse me', we stood there waiting patiently for someone to notice us. And someone did. A lady who had been sitting on a bench came over and got the attention of the attendant for us. We've encountered this type of kindness alot. When Trips was buying the tickets, I was standing by reading a pamphlet on our destination and a woman just came up to me to ask me if I needed help. Today, I was talking to a lovely woman named Yuki and she offered to communicate something for me. So, now I think that when I need help, if I just wait long enough, someone kind person with English speaking skills will come along an rescue me (I can only hope).
So, we got off of our first, nice, big, empty train to make a transfer. We found the correct platform with ease. The train pulled up and we boarded. I got our mammoth stroller as far as I could onto the crowded train, which was only a couple of steps. That didn't matter. The people kept coming, pushing their way past us and onto the train. It freaked me out! I held my breath for a few stops and we got off and made our way over a few streets to view the Pacific Ocean at Shichiragahama Beach - beautiful black sand.

We ate at what turned out to be a relatively high dollar restaurant, but yummy. You have to depend on trial and error alot, I've found, when traveling in a foreign country. Then walked back to the train station to backtrack to another stop we wanted to make. We made it through the crowded station and onto another crowded train. And did I mention it was hot? Real hot. Baking sun and high humidity hot. Dripping with sweat hot. We got off the train and walked in the direction of our destination. Another 15 minute stroll, in the heat, on a very narrow sidewalk, with a huge stroller, at a very busy tourist location. I was spent. We made it to the sight of the Great Buddha statue we were going to see, We entered the tree filled sanctuary, sweet relief from the sun. We cleansed our hands and mouth, as is custom when entering a temple. We turned the corner and there it was. The big, beautiful Buddha statue.

The Great Buddha (Daibutsu), a bronze statue of the Amida Buddha, was cast in 1252. It is 37 feet high and weighs 121 tons. Very beautiful and worth the trip. As, I mentioned to Trips, I can't believe we've viewed two 'Big Buddhas' in our lifetime (the other being on Lantau Island in Hong Kong - also magnificent - this Daibutsu was gratefully lacking the 300 + stairs to the top). Stella's favorite part was the ice cream. She chose vanilla ice cream. Trips chose the green tea ice cream - very popular here. Not too bad. Also popular is the purple ice cream - sweet potato.

We made the long journey back - walk, train, train, walk, bus. Again, the girls were troopers. Our first Japanese train experience - check.

Pictures Posted on Photojournal page

Where we're living (for now)

2008-08-15T18:06:00.002+09:00

The Naval Base

2008-08-15T15:22:00.003+09:00

We've spent the majority of our time in Japan on base so far. This experience in a new country has been made even more wonderful by the things made available to us here. We are able to live in and experience this completely foreign place with all of the excitement, anxiety, and discovery that that entails, but we have this haven to come to also. On base we can get American food. We have the fast food staples like McDonalds (which, of course, has permeated Yokosuka also), Subway, Taco Bell, and several others. There's a Chili's. There is a Starbucks. We have the commissary to buy American groceries and the Navy Exchange to shop for merchandise
(think Walmart that sells Coach purses, etc + there is a whole baby store.) We can bowl. We can go to the movies and see a new release for $4. We can rent American movies. There is hourly ChildCare and Daycare available. There is a Co-op preschool. Trips was worried about losing the routine he had lived for so many years of working out in the morning at the Executive. Well, there is also a state of the art Gym we have free access to, which just happens to be right across the street from Trips' school and that also supposedly has childcare available. (See photo in "Yokosuka 1" album on Photo Journal page. T is pointing to his classroom from Mikasa Park. The building behind with the arched roofs is the gym). There are several playgrounds, great views of the bay, a hobby shop, many, many programs and classes available for all of us. We have 2 buses that circumnavigate the base in both directions, so getting around is pretty easy.
I don't mean to brag - I'm just excited and thankful and wanted to share.
Until next time...

Into Japan

2008-08-15T13:58:00.008+09:00

So, we made our 1st excursion together into the city of Yokosuka for some sightseeing! I was anxious upon approaching the exit from our little haven, the base. I was anxious about standing out, about the thought of everyone looking at us. I've experienced this before in China, but it's been awhile. Trips had been out before with a guy from school who helped him get us some cell phones, so we knew at least where we would head. We walked down some streets to the open air mall type place where Trips had gotten the phones and just continued to walk from there. We stopped in a very cool little stationary shop (mine and Stella's idea). What we really wanted, though, was to have our first Japanese meal. Many of the restaurants/noodle shops have displays in the front with wax/plastic models of the meals, so we were able to see what was available. We passed up many places. On our stroll, we happend upon a mall called More's City and decided to take a look (again, mine and Stella's idea). In the level called Restaurant Park we found a small place where we finally decided to have our meal. It was a very quaint little place with a diner type feel to it (note to self: I need to start taking pictures of everything!). We took out our menus, found what we thought looked alright, and pointed! Trips was successfully able to order a beer and the waitress understood our need for a kids meal. This was the coolest kids meal ever. Stella got a bowl of noodles, a burger patty, a couple of fried potatos, and a scoop of rice + the customary tea, which she loved. Now, one of the reasons for entering this establishment was the display we saw out front which featured a very large Hello Kitty toy. The waitress brought out Stella's tray and walked away. Stella's face dropped when there was no toy. We were just getting ourselves prepared to diffuse any reaction, when the waitress reappeared with a whole basket of toys, handed it to us, and held up one finger with a smile. Stella was elated to get her first Hello Kitty item in Japan, a plastic bank. I am positive there will be many, many more. Hello Kitty is everywhere! Trips even saw a Hello Kitty no smoking sign. Anyway, I was very, very pleased with my meal. Hot noodles in a delicious broth topped with some tofu + a very tasty beer. Trips received cold noodles topped with some kind of egg. He says his was alright, just not what he had hoped for. I consider myself to be very lucky to have loved my meal considering I chose from a very grainy picture in a menu. From there, we explored the rest of the mall, which was cool and someplace I will return for further inspection on the rare chance that I get any time to myself. After the mall we headed back to the closest gate to the base. Right at the gate, we decided to continue on and check out Mikasa Park, which was right around the corner and something that we can see from the base and were curious about. The park is named after the Mikasa, the flagship of the Japanese Imperial Army, which is permanently "docked" in Yokosuka. The park also features a "Light, Sound, Water Park", a coordinated arrangement of fountains, waterfalls, light, and music, which we didn't get a chance to see yet, maybe we'll save a revisit for when we have out of town guests!!
We had a really great first run, I think. Stella was really cooperative, only a few complaints about not wanting to walk. I felt very enthusiastic and excited about being here. My anxieties were calmed. Oh, and there is really no need to feel uncomfortable at the thought that everyone was looking at me, cause as it turned out, everyone was looking at Lacey! Whether she was awake and smiling at everyone with her blue eyes or passed out asleep in her stroller, people just loved her. So many people smiled and commented on her and several older citizens stopped us as we walked so they could touch her and her chunky little thighs.

Pictures Posted.

We're here!

2008-08-10T15:47:00.001+09:00

We've made it to Japan!

Our journey started out a bit rocky when our 11:00 am flight to Chicago was cancelled resulting in an extra 7 hours waiting around Standiford Field. We got a flight to Dallas/Fort Worth at around 6ish and had to stay over night there before our flight to Japan. They put us up in a hotel with the meal vouchers and the whole deal. I considered this to be a blessing 'cause after all of those extra hours we had to wait in Louisville, I was not ready to tackle the long haul that was ahead of us. The girls were pretty great considering the set back.

So, the next day we made it back to the Dallas/Fort Worth Airport. We made it back through security again with all of our carry ons, which was quite a process, but went pretty smoothly both days. No lines and helpful people. Our wait there was incredibly short compared to the previous day, but, man, we sure could've used the amenities available at that airport the day before. Standiford is severely lacking. Oh, we met a very nice guy coming from Louisville also and going through the same process we were on his way to Japan. He is a magician living in Tokyo for the last 10 years. A very interesting and kind guy and fun to talk to. Shout out to Steve!! http://www.stevemania.com/

The flight left out at 10:10 Dallas time and turned out to be a pretty good one. We had a whole row of 5 seats to ourselves, each seat of which contained an individual screen with many movies, tv shows, games, music, etc. available. I brought with me a whole heavy bag of reading materials and never got to one, well I did manage to read the People magazine I bought at the airport; darned Brangelina drew me in. Anyway, it was a 12 hour 55 min flight. It was, of course more difficult with kids. Even when you're trapped on a 747 there's still no rest to be had. The flight was relatively empty, but I was still on eggshells the whole time, just waiting for one of the girls to lose it and starting screaming. But, thankfully, they never really did. Lacey did sleep several times, but neither Trips nor I ever managed to fall asleep for an effective amount of time. Stella got a bit of cabin fever, but for the most part and considering how extensive and tiresome the journey had already been, she was great. For those of you considering a visit, we flew American airlines and had, besides the cancellation, a good experience. I don't know how the prices compare, but worth checking into. I am, in no way, dreading a return flight home.

We landed in Japan @ Narita airport. We were able to navigate past the lines in passport check and into our own line 'cause of our family status. We made our way down to the baggage claim where all of our luggage waited for us, already being pulled off of the carousel. Oh, I didn't mention before that we had 9 suitcases, a pack n play, 6 carry on bags, a stroller, a booster car seat, and a baby carrier base! Back in Louisville we had many people to help us get it all inside, but we were concerned about what to do when we got to Japan and it was just the 2 of us. Miraculously, we loaded everything onto 2 carts and a stroller and made it to customs, which we zoomed right through. On the other side, Trips' contact from his new school was waiting for us. He was able to help us with our luggage, get us out of the airport, drive us the several hours to the base, and supply us with an enormous amount of information. We were so fortunate to have his help. Shout out to Al!!

So, it's now Sunday night to us. We've been in Japan since Thursday, but it really doesn't even seem like it. We've been trying to get over this jet lag and spending our days getting aquainted with the base. We don't exactly feel very 'wordly' yet though. It's difficult when you've been eating at the Chili's across the parking lot every night, Taco Bell and Micky D's for lunch, and watching cartoons and the Golden Girls on tv. But it's been really cool just learning about these surroundings and seeing the sights and learning about the amenities available to us on base, which are numerous. On that note, here's our mailing address, which should be U.S. postage...

Foster Jones
PSC 473 Box 95
FPO, AP, 96349

We finally made it off base today when we went out with a local housing agent and looked at our first couple of houses. We spend the next week at different orientation briefings. We also take our driver's test on Friday, which I'm a bit anxious about. I've acclimated to seeing the driver on the opposite side of the car and the car on the opposite side of the road, but I'm not sure how I'll do when I am the driver!

Things have gone amazingly smooth so far. The girls are adjusting. We're surprisingly having the most jet lag problems out of Lacey. She's been a super crank since we arrived. When we deboarded the plane, Stella said she wanted to "go back home to Ooaville, Entucky", many times, it was heartbreaking, but she's now really excited again. We've had some discipline problems, but hey, she's 3 and everything she knows in her life (except the presence of her mom, dad, and sister) has changed. We're staying in very close quarters at the Navy Lodge, so hopefully our spirits will stay high so that we can endure. T starts work the week after next.

There's still so much to do, see, learn, experience - we'll keep you informed. Thanks for checking in on us! Until next time...

Naval ships in the Bay

2008-07-22T23:11:00.000+09:00

Here is a breakdown of where in Japan we will be living...
[I think I have the hierarchy correct]

We will be on Honshu - the nation's main & largest island

In the Kanto region - a geographical area encompassing 7 prefectures

In the Greater Tokyo Area - a large metropolitan area consisting of Kanagawa, Chiba, Saitama, and Tokyo (at the center) prefectures

In the Kanagawa Prefecture - prefectures are governmental bodies larger than cities, towns, and villages. The capital of Kanagawa is Yokohama.

In the Miura Peninsula Area - divides Tokyo Bay (east) Sagami Bay (west)

In the town of Yokosuka - city stretches from Tokyo Bay to Sagami Bay

Sayonara Louisville

2008-07-19T02:58:00.000+09:00

Come August 5, this Jones family will be saying our goodbyes to Louisville for awhile and heading to Yokosuka, Japan! Trips was offered a job with the Department of Defense being a counselor (and doing some teaching) at Kinnick High School on the Naval Base in Yokosuka. It is a 2 year commitment, at least. We considered this a once in a lifetime opportunity for our family and accepted the offer with daring hearts. We are thrilled at the chance for more world travel. Trips has visited several overseas destinations and I really enjoyed my first venture abroad to China. We're elated to have the chance to experience this with our girls and to expose them to a different culture. We may get the best of both worlds with this particular opportunity in that we will get to experience living in a different country/culture, but with American culture available to us through the Naval Base. We are nervous at the thought of all of the changes we will have to adjust to, being that this will be a change of address for us and not just a short vacation, but are hopeful for an exciting adventure. Home will never be too far from our hearts and thoughts, I'm sure. And thankfully, with the awesomeness of technology, we'll be able to keep in touch with our friends and family and vise versa. So, add this blog to your favorites list if you're interested in keeping up with us and our adventure and we're looking forward to getting your emails, skyping, and reading your blogs!

Portraits

2008-03-14T01:36:00.000+09:00

Had some portraits taken. The quality was sacrificed with the scanning process, but here they are. Lacey will be 1 month on Saturday. Seems strange being that I've been awake more hours than typical, but the time has actually flown by.

Lacey Jo

2008-02-18T06:51:00.000+09:00

Baby girl Lacey Josephine Jones arrived Feb. 15 at 3:23 pm weighing 8 lbs. 14 oz. (a wonderful birthday gift for me). The cesarean went smoothly and quickly and mom is recovering well. Dad bravely and successfully overcame his hospital phobia to accompany mom into surgery. Stella is thrilled with her new little sister and somehow already knows more about childcare than mom and dad. Thanks to our friends and family for your visits and calls. We'll all be at home for a week and welcome any more visits.