Fun & Games

It's been a slow week with not a whole lot going on. I've been getting stuff done around the house, and it's about time too. Finally got pictures hung up on the walls, and in the hallway too leading to the front door. One side is cement, so a hammer and nail doesn't quite cut it. After meeting Myra for her birthday dinner over the weekend we went to the mini mart. She pointed out these hook things that are made for cement walls. The hooks are large, so I knew they wouldn't work hanging a few of my pictures, but for a couple that have a wire in back it worked like a charm! So thanks, Myra! It's finally starting to feel like a home, and it's really nice to have the pictures and clutter off the floor!

Julie's taking a class this week, so every evening we're watching Noah for a few hours. Keanna's really doing well with the Wii Fit, and she's got Noah hooked; Julie even gave a few games a shot...including yoga. (Hey Scott, I think you ought to look into a bigger TV and then a Wii!!!) He doesn't quite have it down yet, so she's guiding him along...literally! She holds his waist or shoulders to help him out. I took some picture of them doing the hula hoop, ski jump and soccer heading games together. You have to move from side to side and shift your weight to go between the flags. You'll also be able to see the pictures hung up around the TV. FYI, the nail on the outside edge of the picture frame is 14" from the corner and 17.5" from the ceiling. Not only did I measure, but I used the level since all six frames match. And the curtains are totally ghetto! The tracks and clips were here and on the ceiling when we arrived...they're like that in all the townhouses on Ikego (our housing base). Well I couldn't find any window dressings that would work and hang on them, so I took Brenda's idea. I attached a paperclip to the existing clip, then attached a little clip from the 100 yen store (16 of them for 100 yen which is about $1) and attached those to the top of the curtain...it attaches similar to a clothes pin but is a clear circle about the size of a dime.

And speaking of the 100 yen store, remember that funky toilet paper holder we have in our bathrooms here? I posted pictures of it a couple of months ago, but to save you from going back to find it, here's the direct link to it. Last time the girls and I were there I found this Hello Kitty toilet paper cover and holder. The best part was the price, can't beat ¥100! I had to detach our holder from the wall, but it's only three screws so not bad at all. Then I poked holes in the fabric where the screws would go and reattached it to the wall. Only problem is it's a tight fit holding the spare roll below. Apparently our toilet paper rolls are much larger than Japanese toilet paper rolls! But I got it in the holder and will probably just leave it in there for show (it's in the downstairs half bath) from now on and get a spare roll out of the plastic wrapping!

Lastly, Dawn it was great instant messaging with you earlier today! I told you I had a package for the kids...and yeah, I told you that at the beginning of the summer, but I wanted to prove it to you. Here's a picture of the package. Tomorrow when we go to check the mail at the post office I'm going to bring it with me, fill out the customs form and get it the heck off my dryer! There are coloring books in there for the kids, and I'm still looking for notebooks for you that have the binding on the other side. The coloring books are like that, and I know you're left handed.

Almost forgot! We all know Hello Kitty originated in Japan as did Pokemon. A fellow submarine wife asked me if Pokémon and Naruto were as popular here as in the United States. Her son is a big fan of both and was curious. My guess is yes, but when I'm out shopping I'll take a picture of the displays. At the 100 yen store here in Zushi there was a huge Hello Kitty area...I'm pretty sure there was for Pokémon as well. FYI, that's the Japanese website for Pokémon, and I already used the translation option through Google. I haven't heard of Naruto, but will be on the lookout from now on.

Speaking of Kit Kats

Bob's in Korea for work, and today was a day off since it's Liberation Day (a.k.a. Victory Over Japan Day) there. With the official surrender of Japan to the Allied forces on August 15, 1945, the 35-year colonization of Korea by the Japanese came to an end. August 15, 1948 also marks the establishment of the Republic of Korea. He said a bunch of guys went out into Pusan to eat and shop.

When he got back to the communal barracks room (he described it as a boot camp style room for 40 people) we chatted on MSN Messenger and were even able to do a video conference. He showed me what he got for me, and guess what, Kit Kats! I updated my list of flavors to reflect what he got, Chocolatier Noir. While he was holding up both flavors I took a screen shot (hit "PRTSC" to do it) showing our conversation window and thought it'd be fun to post it here. The other flavor he got is regular, but in Korean wrapping. A minute or two afterward it was "lights out" so perfect timing.

On a side note, apparently having a Japanese IP address allows for different themes. I don't know what I have now since the names are in Kanji, but it's pretty and colorful...there are a lot more, one of which has koi fish swimming around!

Kit Kat Kount

While researching Kit Kits a couple of weeks ago I came across this site. I think it (breaktown.com) shows the flavors out and future flavors being released! I immediately sent it to Julie then tried translating it with no luck. If anyone can translate it please let me know!

Here's the list I've compiled from searching various and reliable websites. I've highlighted what I've found and purchased. They even have their own shelf in one of the kitchen cabinets! As you can see below I've got my work cut out for me...my goal is to find as many flavors as possible. Most of these are seasonal, so when we arrived Cherry Blossom was out, but I had no idea I'd become so interested in this, so I didn't buy them. Guess it'll have to wait until next year, along with lots of others.

-Kit Kat Dark Chocolate — UK, Canada, China permanent edition, Japan, US miniatures and limited edition
-Kit Kat Bitter — Japan limited edition — bitter dark chocolate coating with 62% cocoa content
-Kit Kat White Chocolate — UK, US, China permanent edition, Australia, Japan limited edition
-Kit Kat White with Hokkaido Milk — Japan limited edition
-Kit Kat White Bretagne — Japan limited edition — white chocolate coating w/Bretagne milk and cocoa butter
-Kit Kat Apple — Japan
-Kit Kat Banana — Japan, Canada limited edition
-Kit Kat Sakura (Cherry Blossom) — Japan limited edition
-Kit Kat Double Berry — Japan limited edition — combo cherry and strawberry flavored crème filling
-Kit Kat Muskat of Alexandria (White Grape) — Japan limited edition
-Kit Kat Lemon Cheesecake— Japan, Malaysia limited edition
-Kit Kat Yubari Melon — Japan — melon flavored crème in the wafer
-Kit Kat Hokkaido Yubari Melon — Japan — like above but w/ creamy melon flavored coating, not milk chocolate
-Kit Kat Brown Sugar
-Kit Kat Tea — Japan
-Kit Kat Passion Fruit — Japan limited edition
-Kit Kat Pineapple — Japan limited edition
-Kit Kat Strawberry — Japan, Canada and UK limited edition
-Kit Kat Ichigo (Strawberry) Milk — Japan limited edition — strawberry milk coating & creme filling in wafers
-Kit Kat Tsubu Strawberry — Japan limited edition — strawberry coating with freeze dried strawberry pieces
-Kit Kat Soy Sauce — Tokyo limited edition
-Kit Kat Azuki Bean, Green Tea, and Cream MULTI-FLAVOR (Kakigori) — Japan limited edition
-Kit Kat Café Latte with Hokkaido Milk — Japan
-Kit Kat Olympic Gold – Japan
-Kit Kat Chocolatier Noir (Dark) — Japan limited edition — dark petits with almond creme filling, dusted w/ dark cocoa powder
-Kit Kat Gold — Japan — petits with fudge like covering and dusted cocoa powder on outside
-Kit Kat Matcha (Green tea) — Japan limited edition
-Kit Kat Kir — Japan limited edition — dark petits with kir crème filling
-Kit Kat White with Maple Syrup— Japan limited edition
-Kit Kat Blueberry Cheesecake — Japan
-Kit Kat Strawberry Cheesecake — Japan
-Kit Kat Chocolatier Wine — Japan limited edition — petits with red wine colored white chocolate, wine flavored creme filling
-Kit Kat Cacao 72% — Japan — dark chocolate petits with 72% cocoa content
-Kit Kat Pumpkin — Japan limited edition
-Kit Kat Iced Tea — Japan
-Kit Kat Cherry — Japan
-Kit Kat Caramel and Salt — Japan
-Kit Kat Kinako (soybean flour) — Japan
-Kit Kat Caramel Macchiato McFlurry — Japan
-Kit Kat Caramel Purin (Pudding) — Japan
-Kit Kat Kiwifruit — Japan
-Kit Kat Cantaloupe — Japan
-Kit Kat Mango — Japan
-Kit Kat Watermelon and Salt – Japan
-Kit Kat Triple Berry – Japan
-Kit Kat Azuki (Red Bean) – Japan

Sayonara Daddy

Our special week with Bob home has come and gone in a flash. We dropped him off at PSD early this afternoon to catch the shuttle bus back to Narita Airport. He'll head to South Korea for a Naval exercise, then will fly to San Diego. From San Diego he'll take a plane to get back onto the ship. We stuck around on the benches where the bus was and waved goodbye as it pulled away. Driving back home felt strangly normal...it's probably harsh to say, but it actually felt normal coming home and not having him here. Since we moved into our house in April he's only been here three weeks. Two weeks in a row in May, and now this past week.

I told the girls we're allowed to be sad today, but tomorrow is a new day and we're going to go out tomorrow and have some fun. Not sure what we're going to do yet, maybe the pool, but I want to teach them that it's okay to miss their dad, but we also need to not feel sorry for ourselves at the same time.

Once we got home and settled we changed into our PJs and have been watching cartoons and the Olympics on Armed Forces Network (AFN). We'll have leftovers for dinner and will probably make it an early night. The girls have told me multiple times that they miss him and want him back home...I think Keanna mentioned it at least four times on the 20 minute car ride home from the main base. She even said, "Mom I miss dad, and I can't see him so I want a picture of him when I go to bed." They have a picture of him on their nightstand that they kiss before bed every night, but tonight they each asked for a picture of him to sleep with. How adorable is that?!

I told them we could make a video for dad and that he'd get to see it on his computer. It's too large to email to him, so I'll put it here. I don't know what's going on with my shirt, but I promise I'm not pregnant. I've actually lost 19 lbs since we arrived here the last week of March!

To watch the 46 second video hit play and it should work. The bar spanning across will become red as it downloads, but you'll have to hit play before it starts to download. It may take a minute or two to download in its entirety. If you're a subscriber and get this in your email I'm not sure if the video will show up. If not, you'll need to come to the website to view it.

As Rachel Ray Would Say, "Yumm-o!"

Lots of yummy things to write about. Bob's been home this past week, and we haven't done much at all. It's be nice and relaxing, that's for sure. He worked all week, and by the time he got home we would eat dinner, give the kids a bath and throw them in bed. We have gotten into our own routine since Bob's been gone since May, and even though it was tough sticking to it with him here, I tried my best. We ate around 5:30-6 pm and the girls were in bed by 7:30. We went for walks, ate dinner out two nights and played outside a lot, but otherwise we've been taking it easy. One of our nights out we went to Costco, and since the last time Bob was with us I brought my camera, I fought the urge this time. We did buy a nice tray of sushi, sesame mackerel and a bake-it-yourself pizza though. All three gave us a meal or two each, and all were delicious! Bob grilled the fish and topped them with lemon. The girls even indulged in the fish since they were so happy Bob was here to make it. Keanna even added, "Daddy, you're a good cooker."

I found strawberry Kit Kats on the way home from the base the other day. We met up with Bob over this lunch break to register our IDs at the gate, and on the way home we stopped at Family Mart (like a 7-11) to get an ice cream. Every time we are in a convenient store I check for a new flavor, and glad I did! I also found a kind that showed no hint of the flavor on the box. I grabbed a few though and tried one when we got home. Such a disappointment since it was regular flavor, but my guess is it's special packaging for the Olympics. The girls each got a pre-packaged ice cream cone and I got a pineapple ice cream sandwich. It had vanilla ice cream in it with a pineapple filling, then was wrapped in what looked like a hallow Belgian waffle.

Bob's been playing with the girls this afternoon and is getting ready to get his suitcases packed since he leaves tomorrow (our Monday).

Bon Odori (Dance) by Jinmuji

There was a bon odori (bon dance or 盆踊り) festival last night right near our house. It was actually across the street from Jinmuji station, about a 5-10 minute walk from the gate into our housing area. I say "5 or 10" because it depends on whether or not Sydney's walking or in the stroller. It was very small and intimate, but that allowed it to be personable and more relaxed. Bob came with us but didn't get in any pictures, shocking! And I was behind the camera, of course, so I didn't get in any either. We got there around 6:45 and left about 8:30. The girls were playing with other kids, both American and Japanese, but they warmed up and were brave enough to start dancing. Keanna got out there and joined the crowd and Sydney followed her, but after a few minutes Sydney came back to sit on the steps with me.

The Taiko drummer was so sweet. He invited all the kids up to the stage to take turns, but they all had to take their shoes off first! Thank goodness for slip-ons, right?! He spoke a little bit of English and would tell the kids, "Okay, now change." He had a good system going and kids got their fair turn. I couldn't get a clear shot of Keanna playing, but I did of Sydney and she was really enjoying it. Keanna only played for a minute then stepped back and danced while other kids took their turn.

You'll see Keanna and a man in a gray t-shirt in some of the pictures. She made friends with him, and he stayed close to her for one of the dances and helped her throughout. They both got a kick of each other and it was really sweet. Afterward she thanked him saying "Arigato" and I bowed and said it. He bowed back and we were in a little bowing match! He chuckled so I stopped bowing. We had a great time and are so glad we went. Keanna even woke up this morning and said, "Mom, I want to go back to the place with the drum and dance in the circle tomorrow. Sydney wants to play her drum instrument with the sticks while I dance."

I took more pictures and have uploaded them into my Shutterfly album if you want to see the rest. There are some random pictures at the beginning, but 95% of them are from bon odori last night.

The people here are so kind, warm and appreciative when we try to join in their cultural events, or even greet or thank them in Japanese. It's a great feeling, and I can only hope Keanna and Sydney have some concept of the incredible opportunity we have living here.

We've Got Company!

Bob's been away since May, and shortly after he left he told me there was a possibility he'd be back in early August for a meeting or conference here. I won't get into too much detail, but last night he was finally ticketed after a week of waiting and hoping he'd be able to come. There was a mix up with paper work, and he literally did not know if he'd be coming for sure or not until last night. He's here for a week and then is going to South Korea for some more "Navy Fun." After he's done there he'll meet up with his ship. For those of you who know "Navy Speak," he's here on TAD orders.

The girls had no idea we were picking him up tonight, so after our morning and early afternoon with the monkeys, Off House and lunch out with Julie and Noah, we came home, I vacuumed quickly, got changed and we headed over to the base to pick up Bob. All I told them was that we were having company come to visit and that we had to go to the base to pick them up. Apparently they were wiped out, because they both fell asleep in the car! Sydney woke up with a red line on her face from the one page of the book, and Keanna just dozed off for a quick cat-nap.

Needless to say, they were shocked and thrilled! Keanna asked why dad didn't come home with his ship, and he explained that he took an airplane, and soon he'll take another airplane to go back to it. He's here a week, and he'll be working every day but will be able to come home at night; it's a week that we're going to take advantage of because we're incredibly lucky to have him home.

Hiroyama Koen (Park)

I emailed Julie this morning, and she immediately wrote back saying, "Call me when you really wake up." It was about 8:45 am and she knows we're not morning people. I called her and said, "Good Morning, Sunshine!" Anyway, she asked if we wanted to go see the monkeys, and of course the girls and I were up for it. She and her son, Noah, have been quite a few times, and this morning we tagged along.

The view is beautiful, and we were just above Zushi Beach. We had so much fun and the girls are already asking to go back. We saw the monkey feeding, the girls and Noah were dancing on the table (anyone have a dollar bill?!) and a little boy and his dad were catching bugs and showed us the cicada they got. Julie asked the father (and in Japanese too....I ought to see if she's available as a translator when shopping or eating out!) what they're commonly known as. He said "semi" which sounds like "say-me." And let me tell you, those suckers are loud and I can hear them even with the windows closed, and especially in the mornings!

They had a small playground which the kids loved, and mine didn't want to leave. But on the way there Julie spotted a store called Off House; a second hand store. We were anxious to get there and scope it out. Neat store, and they even had a Hello Kitty toaster!

And thanks to Julie for letting me "borrow" the first picture!

Hakone Kosui

We had the most amazing day yesterday, and again, it's a shame Bob missed out on it. I've posted 170ish pictures out of the 455 I took in my Shutterfly album if you want to see them. One of the places we visited, Lake Ashi, is the picture in the header of my blog.

We went on a trip through ITT (Information, Tours & Tickets on the base) over to Hakone, about a 2 hour drive from where we live. The bus picked us up at 1 pm in our housing area, then we headed straight to the Hakone Ropeway. We took a cable car ride which was so neat. Once we left the station Sydney immediately yelled out, "Mom, we're flying!" The other people with us laughed and thought it was adorable. I told them that morning what we were doing, but I don't think she understood until we were there and saw it. Keanna was very excited, and both of them enjoyed watching the cable cars at the station just as much as being in the air. Had it not been hazy the view would have better, and in the winter time apparently there's an incredible view of Mt. Fuji, or as it's referred to here, Fujisan. We went over Owakudani (大涌谷) which translates into English as Great Boiling Valley. Owakudani is the area around a crater created in the last eruption of Mount Hakone 3000 years ago. Sulfurous fumes, hot springs and hot rivers can be experienced on a walk around the area. The area below us is actually used to heat the natural springs at Yunessun, the spa we went to in June.

When we arrived at the next station our bus was waiting for us to take us over to another area of Owakudani. This was something I didn't know we were doing, so it was a surprise. We got off the bus and saw sulfur vents, so it looked and smelled a lot like Kiluea Military Camp on the Big Island of Hawaii. Our tour guide was very kind, and since I was the only one there with little kids, and also the only one there without a spouse or friend, she stuck with us. We had until 5 pm to walk around, so I thought we'd walk around the shops, grab a bite to eat and get back on the bus. Well she held Keanna's hand and told me to follow her. She's Japanese and works for ITT; she was also the woman that was the guide when we went to the spa. Keanna and Sydney saw people eating ice cream and naturally they wanted one, but she asked them if they liked eggs and said she had a surprise. We took the short (though arduous) walk up to the boiling sulfur pools. On the way up the path there were little steps, and as she went up them Keanna was counting. Our guide was counting them too, only in Japanese, and she told Keanna to repeat her. They did the same thing on the walk down, and don't you know, Keanna's telling me she has ni (sounds like knee, translates as two) hands and ni feet. The views were absolutely stunning, but the smell was what you’d expect. Owakudani is famous for their 黒卵 (Kuro-tamago, or in English, black eggs) that are hard boiled in the sulfur pools. Supposedly, the eating of a single egg will extend one’s life by seven years.

The famous black eggs of Hakone are chicken eggs, and they have black shells because they're boiled right there in the springs. We had to try one, how could we not? They're sold in little bags with six for ¥500, so about $5. Keanna and Sydney love hard boiled eggs, so I knew they'd probably want to have one. The bag was so hot that I could hardly hold it, and when I got to the little table to start peeling them, I saw all the other egg shells (which was ironic because a sign right next to me said to put shells in the trash), and that got the girls even more excited. I burned my finger tips trying to peel them, but it was worth it. I let the others cool before peeling them, and out of the six I was able to eat half of one. Keanna finished that one off and had three more, and Sydney had two. They tasted just like any other hard boiled egg I've ever had, and obviously the girls enjoyed them, and added 14 and 21 years to their lives [respectively]. Once they cooled off Keanna wanted to peel her own. She looked to be having trouble, so a man standing next to her helped her. He said something in Japanese, his wife giggled and Keanna handed him the egg after he gestured for it. But aside from our appearance, we really did fit right in there. From the way the girls were eating those eggs, you'd think we would have been there before! I couldn't help but laugh when I saw the sign warning people of the temperature of the water near us. "Dengerous! 80º C of temperature of the pond."

When we were done we headed back down the trail and the girls had an ice cream and I had a nice cold bottle of water. Before we got down there we saw a small basket of eggs in a small transport car getting ready to be brought to the stores below. And when we were walking up the hill we saw one pass overhead, but didn't know what it was. The boys sitting across the table from us were making a mess since their ice cream was leaking from the bottom of the cones. Keanna grabbed the container of wet wipes I had and handed one to their mom and said, "Your boy dripping." She giggled softly with her hand over her mouth like a lot of women do here, and said "Arigato" to Keanna. Keanna replied with, "Oh you're welcome," and continued eating her ice cream. The mom bowed when they got up to leave and I said "Sayonara" and the girls waved to them. It was sweet, and it was nice to see Keanna be attentive and caring the way she was.

We hopped back on the bus and headed over to Lake Ashi. We arrived with enough time to eat and walk around before meeting to get on the ship at 7:15 pm. The girls and I walked around a couple of shops and ate dinner. We saw other people in our tour group (about 30 total), but everyone kind of stuck to themselves. The restaurant we ate at had an English menu which was nice, because unlike the others I've been to, there are pictures in the menus. My favorite example of "Engrish" was "Fried Pond Smelt." Have no idea what it is, and I wasn't brave enough to try it. I did however have shrimp tempura in miso soup with udon noodles. So good, one of my favorites actually, and I'm happy to say I actually know what it is before ordering! The girls each had a side of rice and split my soup with me. Afterward we walked around, saw a few interesting things...a really big Hello Kitty, a mug that said "Pee" on it, a beautifully lit street with lanterns and a really big hydrangea bush.

The ship was really nice, and very large! I took this picture of another one right after we finished eating. Ours looked just like it except it was black. We went up to the top deck to reserve our spot. Fireworks started about 30 minutes after we left the pier, and far off in the distance was a torii gate that I really wanted a picture of! Unfortunately we weren't close enough to get a picture of it, nor we were close enough to the shore to see the obon, or Japanese lanterns floating in the water. If we go back next year, I wouldn't go with ITT, but will go on my own and stay on shore where the action is! But we had a wonderful day and night and got back home around 10:45 pm, and all went right to bed!

For the Love of Tomatoes

My friend, Susan, is most familiar with my love of sun dried tomatoes from Costco. I love and miss them so much, and when Julie mentioned finding some at the commissary I was so excited. Didn't jump in the air, but came pretty close!

Julie ran to the commissary this afternoon and bought me a jar. But she called and told me she was holding it hostage (those readers that just laughed know the story), and wouldn't release the jar until I posted a blog. Now I know she was talking about the blog about our day yesterday in Hakone, but hopefully she'll soften up and change her mind since technically I am posting a blog. Ha!