A Japanese Scarecrow & Shakado Kiritoshi

While Keanna was in school on Friday we headed up to Jusco. I'm on the hunt for Japanese Christmas cards, and since the decorations are out at Costco already, I wanted to check a store that I heard has sold them [in the past]. No luck on the Christmas cards...it's still a bit early, I know. But on the first floor of the department store is a grocery store, and on one of the displays was a scarecrow...all decked out in the proper attire. I came across the dried fish that I bought back in September, only these were in really cute packaging.

On the way home we stopped at Family Mart which is just like a 7-11. I bought an onigiri, salmon of course, and a pumpkin pastry thing. When we were walking up to the register I snapped a couple of pictures. I wanted you to see what it looks like and how food is sold out in the open, and the different variety of onigiri. The pastry looked good from the packaging, but didn't taste so great. I was hoping for something sweet, or even something that tasted like pumpkin pie, but should have known better. The sweets and candy here aren't like what we're used to in the U.S.; they're not nearly as sweet. It tasted like mashed sweet potatoes without butter or brown sugar with some whipped cream on top.

After we got home we had a snack and headed towards Kamakura to a large tunnel, Shakado Kiritoshi (釈迦堂切通し), Julie heard about. I have never seen such narrow roads in my life! On the way back a car was coming towards us, and he was kind enough to back down a ways in order to let us pass. This was very beautiful and extremely difficult to get to! But it was so beautiful and I'm glad we ventured out to find it. Here's a picture of us so you can get an idea of the sheer size of it. Seeing in the pictures doesn't do it justice...you've really got to see it in person to appreciate the size and beauty of it.

Onigiri & Muscat Tea - A Video Entry

I set my camera up in the kitchen this afternoon and recorded this three minute video. I introduce to you my favorite Japanese snack, onigiri, and a new find, Lipton's Muscat Tea. For those of you that subscribe to my blog via email you may need to come to the main website (www.passthechopsticks.blogspot.com) in order to watch. Sydney makes a cameo appearance, Keanna runs back and forth behind me and both girls sing in the background!

Jomyoji Temple & Another Earthquake

We have been so busy with school, errands and running around that we haven't done anything fun lately. After I dropped the kids off from school, Julie asked if I wanted to go for a ride to a temple she'd heard about. We didn't get to the exact one she was talking about, but we did find one new to both of us, the Jomyoji [浄妙寺] Temple with Ceremonial Tea House and Zen Rock Garden. Just as we were getting out of the car I felt something and asked Julie if she thought it was an earthquake too. She looked at me like I was crazy, but when we got home I found out we had a 4.6 quake! Anyway, we were there about 45 minutes and really enjoyed it. I'd love to go back with my Canon Rebel camera (only had my little one today that I use primarily for video) and without the kids and get a chance to take some nice pictures. Thanks for the picture above, Julie.

I tried to get a picture of the Zen Rock Garden but they had some of the areas blocked off. From what I could see, it looked like a life-size one of what people have on their desks and coffee tables. There was also a Tantric Buddist Temple...Julie and looked and each other and could tell what the other was thinking....but unfortunately what we saw wasn't what we had in mind. Good thing though since our kids were with us!

They had a restaurant there along with a snack stand, and I bought something that tasted really good. I'm sitting here snacking on it right now and having a beer too. I'd opt for a bottle of cheap (and, of course, screw top) wine, but I finished that bottle over the weekend.

Been Going Non-Stop

Happy Birthday, Sandy!

We've had something every day over the last week and I'm exhausted. Wednesday after we saw the G.W. go we headed back to our housing area only to see people in suits and uniforms walking in. That's when it dawned on Julie, the train gate finally opened up! We headed over that way and didn't exactly take part in the festivities, but did hear a few speeches including one from the town's mayor, CFAY's CO Capt. Weed and a few others...and I'm sorry but I have no idea who they were. After the formalities and ribbon cuttings we all crossed the bridge. Julie snapped a picture of me and I was going for the "oh my goodness, this is so exciting" look! After that Sydney and I came home, cleaned house, played outside and headed back to the base to pick up the kids from school.

Thursday morning we went to the playgroup we go to each week and after that went to lunch at the restaurant on our housing base with a couple of other moms and their kids. We took our time eating and didn't leave there until almost 1 pm...it was nice to have adult conversation and the kids kept each other occupied and, for the most part, quiet. We came home only to have to leave 90 minutes later for Keanna's soccer practice. Julie and Noah came over for dinner, they left, kids got baths and were off to bed.

Friday Keanna went to school and I had a migraine, so I set Sydney up with breakfast and fell asleep on the couch listening to "Little Einsteins." Keanna got home around 1:45, I remedicated, fed the kids and laid back down on the couch until about 3 pm. I felt better so we took the train into town for dinner at our favorite restaurant with the octopus pizza.

Saturday morning we got up and to the base by 10 am to go to the bazaar they hold twice a year. We went for a walk outside the base and I took some pictures. The girls had fun on the little bench, it was perfect size for them. YOKOSUKA NAVAL BASE, Japan — More than 100 vendors are scheduled to take part in the Yokosuka Bazaar this weekend at the Fleet Recreation Center. Vendors will offer furniture, carpets, antiques, jewelry and more from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday. Booths will be set up in the parking garage, first- and second-floor lobbies and fourth- floor gym. I didn't go to the one in the spring since it was held a few days after I moved into the house. But this time I really wanted to go and buy something. I told Bob I may buy a side table and magnet, but a few hours later I walked out purchasing a bench, step tansu, vintage obi and some goodies for stocking stuffers. We didn't get back home until after 3 pm. Sydney fell asleep in the car and I managed to keep her asleep and laid her down for a nap in the house. After dinner at the restaurant in our housing area it was bath and bed and we all got to bed early...

...because Julie was picking us up at 6:30 am Sunday morning. She was competing in a triathlon in Kawasaki and we came along for moral support, my navigational skills and the girls kept Noah occupied while she was doing her thing for a couple of hours. We managed to get there without much fuss. Her directions weren't very specific and we got off the Yoko Yoko toll road (highway) a little too early. We found a koban and fortunately she speaks and understands enough Japanese well enough to understand what the cops were telling her. We headed left, found highway B, went over a bridge, and at the point followed other cars that had bicycles in their cars! The kids had a great time playing and running in the grass and sand. We met a woman and her little girl cheering on her husband. They were very sweet, spoke a little English, and all of our kids got along great. We ate baozi for breakfast, and Keanna had two! Sydney had half of one but only because she had two bananas first. I took some pictures of the different booths, and I think my favorite was the American food booth selling burgers, hot dogs and fries. They even had an American flag to let the people know. After Julie finished she got her lunch (free for participants) and asked if I wanted to try the chicken balls. I looked and her and seriously thought she was talking about chicken testicles! Seeing as the ball was about the size of a golf ball, that had to be one well endowed chicken. At the same time my jaw dropped and I questioned her, I thought of the scene in "Funny Farm" when Chevy Chase's character beats the record for eating the most lamb fries, a.k.a. sheep testicles. Click that link and you can see the scene. Anyway, we got back home around 2 or 3 pm and yet again Sydney fell asleep in the car. I carried her inside and the three of us fell asleep until dinner.

Yesterday Keanna went to school and Sydney and I headed there at 10 am to do a tie dye project. Each kid at the school is getting their own shirt and tie dyed their own shirt with the help of five or six moms in each room. I have to be honest, it was so much fun, and Keanna's teachers are so sweet. They let Sydney participate in the activities and even gave her a chair and sat her next to Keanna. It was adorable and heartwarming (obviously it would be since it's my child), and now Sydney's convinced she's going to school and sitting next to Keanna every day. After almost three hours we headed home we played outside since it was gorgeous out. Around 3:30 I headed down to the mini mart parking lot because the furniture I bought Saturday was being delivered. Boy was that fun. It wouldn't fit in my car, so they offered me the NEX pickup truck. Let me explain that I opted not to pay the $55 delivery fee. I told Bob I'd buy a side table, and after spending over $1000 I didn't want to spend another penny! Myra and Katelyn were walking by the mini mart at the time, so she stayed with Keanna and Sydney (thanks again, Myra!) while I drove up to the house. I called Julie and she met me then we recruited my neighbor, Jen, to help too. The three of us carried it in the house and put it in the middle of the living room floor. I got back down to the parking lot and fortunately the bench fit in the back of my car with the 3rd row seat folded down. Julie helped me carry the bench inside, the kids had a blast popping the bubble sheets, then we went to her house to eat grilled cheese for dinner. She found a new snack, fried chicken flavored Cheetos. They tasted like chicken at first, but then the flavor changed to mashed potatoes with gravy. And believe it or not, they were really good! We hung out there for a little while, came home and went right to bed.

This morning we headed back into Keanna's school for more tie dying. We were there for three hours today! I wanted to go to the commissary, but was just drained....so I'll go tomorrow. We got home and played outside for a couple of hours. Came in, had dinner, Sydney fell asleep on the couch and in the mean time Keanna got a bath. Sydney woke up having a complete fit so I held her for a while. They both were asleep by 8:15 and since then I've been enjoying the quiet! I did get the step tansu put together and where I wanted it (for now) and put the bench under the window in the living room, but once Bob gets back we'll carry it up the stairs and put it in our bedroom.

Tomorrow is my day to drive to school then Sydney and I are going to Brenda's in the morning, from there a store out in town, the commissary and then picking up the kids.

So we've been busy. I didn't mention the breakdowns, temper tantrums, "Mommmmm, I want to play in the water...Mom, I'm thirsty...Mom I want sushi...Mom, put my window down I want to say 'Konnichiwa' to the lady," slips and falls, bloody elbows, falling off the bikes, and hitting chins on coffee tables. And you read that right, they request sushi!

Here are some pictures I've taken over the last few days...



Do you want to go to the "Bar Ber" for your next hair cut? And this is at McDonalds on base. You can have a melon, apple or lemon shot with your soda.


I laughed when I saw this sign. It looks like the construction worker is digging in the Japanese style toilets in the floor. Would you like park or repark your car?

I'm Working on Something

...and was that thin! I feel like the last four or five days have just been a blur. We've been on the go and hardly home! I've been taking random and funny (at least to me) pictures mostly from the car and have all intentions of getting a post up tonight once the girls are asleep or tomorrow afternoon once we get home from school...it's my turn to drive and since I'll be on base I'm thinking a commissary run is in order.

And I've got to give a shout out to Danielle. The girls and I were walking out of the post office this afternoon and a woman says, "You're Katie, I read your blog!" So thanks, Danielle, and it was nice to meet and chat with you today!

Haze Gray and Underway

The USS George Washington left Wednesday after only six days here in Yokosuka. The guys worked too, only having one or two days off, and if duty fell on a weekend, then that was a loss of a day off. Okay, enough whining from me! They'll be gone for a little while, but at least we had some time with Bob. After dropping the kids off at school (my day to drive in the carpool is Wednesday), Sydney, Julie and I went to a spot on base to watch them on their way out. I wish I had my telephoto lens with me, but will be sure to bring it when they pull in. One of these days he'll be home long enough to enjoy Japan with us, and maybe even go on one of those ITT trips we've taken. We have one in a couple of weeks and I can't wait! But anyway, hopefully come winter time he'll be home for a longer stretch and we can sight-see and enjoy this wonderful country and culture as a family.

We had a really good time together as a family during our time together. He pulled in Thursday and that afternoon we went to Keanna's soccer practice. Sydney's not old enough to participate, but she plays on the sidelines and does the same things the older (3 and 4 year-olds) kids do.

On Friday the base hosted a party to welcome the carrier here. They had a petting zoo, pony rides, female Taiko drummers, free t-shirts, hats and food, and a band that was pretty good....the girls especially liked dancing, the balloon animals and Bob holding them upside down.

And of course, the pony rides ...


And a balloon daisy for Sydney, dog for Keanna and Taiko drummers.

Welcome Home, Bob!

I have a lot of pictures in my Shutterfly album, so be sure to check those out!

Before Thursday I had only been to submarine homecomings. [No, I take that back, I've been to a cruiser homecoming...I took pictures for my old neighbor, Dawn, when her husband Ted came home]. The number of guys on board varies to 130-150ish, but usually about half are married. So there would be families on the pier, sometimes parents of sailors too, but never in my life have I seen anything like what we saw Thursday. So many people, so many wives and children, and something I hadn't seen before at a homecoming, the husband of a sailor. It was heartwarming to see husbands with children waiting for their wives to come back home. Seeing all of those people standing and Manning the Rails gave me goose bumps. I didn't think Bob would be standing outside, but sure enough he was. He was standing outside on the Admiral's Bridge, and to the left you can see a picture with a white arrow pointing to where he was.

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They spelled out "Hajimemashite" on the flight deck. It means "Nice to meet you."

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Those of you that watched "Carrier" on PBS should recognize this guy.

I was too starstruck to say hello. Okay, he was busy and I had two kids in tow.

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Hawaii = hula dancers on the pier, Japan = Taiko drummers!

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MWR (Morale, Welfare & Recreation) and the USO (United Services Organizations) did a wonderful job to make sure the families were taken care of and occupied on the pier while waiting. We took advantage of a shuttle bus set up especially for the event, and even though they didn't pull in until 10 am, we arrived at the pier around 7:45 am. We had time to eat, walk around and take it all in. Freebies were all over the place; from sewing kits to magnets, pens and pencils, all the way to DVDs! Keanna got a Muppet pirate movie courtesy of the USO. One of my favorite things that morning was participating in Colors. While I was getting us some egg sandwiches I heard First Call to Colors and knew what was coming five minutes later. I rushed back to our seats and told the girls that we'd hear our National Anthem and will have to stand with our hands on our hearts. Both did great, didn't talk and I was so proud of them. Immediately after our Anthem the Japanese Anthem was played; it's played every morning on Yokosuka. For the Japanese Anthem we still have to stand still, but put our arms at our sides. We were standing around American sailors and Japanese sailor, and it was just amazing to me. It really hit me where we live and the wonderful opportunity we have!

Bob took a picture of the pier from where he was standing, and I've also added the picture he took at homecoming (the sub) in November in Hawaii. Here's his view of the pier Thursday.

And homecoming in November...and keep in mind, this was the largest homecoming I've ever seen. We even had hula dancers!

Anyway, getting back to it, if you're interested, here is an article about the G.W.'s arrival in Yokosuka. And don't forget to check out my Shutterfly album with lots of pictures from Thursday! You may have heard about protestors here, and there were some. I have a few pictures in the Shutterfly album, and in there you'll see it wasn't a large crowd and the police looked to out number them!

There were a lot of speakers too. The Ambassador to Japan spoke along with the Secretary of the Navy. Everyone had their turn to talk, and Sydney fell asleep on my lap during that part. All the while we were sitting/standing waiting for our loved ones to be released. After about an hour of speeches the Commanding Officer announced liberty. Bob came off about 45 minutes after that, we headed back onto the shuttle and came home.

Below are two short videos; the first is Keanna and Sydney with Bob and the second are the Taiko drummers that were on the pier. Adjust your speakers accordingly! And if you get the blog entries emailed to you, you'll have to come to the blog website to view them.

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