Southern Woman In Japan

Long Time Gone~

2009-06-26T22:56:00.008+09:00

I've been a long time gone, huh?
Well here goes a few things....

Michael Jackson....of course everyone knows by now that the "King of Pop" has died of a heart attack. Now it's being said that he was addicted to painkillers such as Demerol. In spite of all his legal troubles, the accusations against him, and his eccentric behavior over the years, he will live on in the music that has inspired generations....with more to come I'm sure.

R.I.P.

Well, we only have a little over a month left in Japan. Leaving August 1 !!! Ready to get it all over with. I'm sure the next few weeks will go in a blur....hopefully.

Right now the time just seems to be DRAGGING ON...and ON...and ON....

We are going to Hawaii for a few days before going to mainland U.S. I am more excited about that, than the actual move. It's been 10 years since we were there last. We are renting a cottage near the beach. No stuffy hotel room. The owner is giving us an excellent military rate. I'm ready to just sit by the ocean, relax and watch the kids play in the water. It will probably be the last time I get to go to a beach in a VERY LONG TIME!!!

OH Yeah. I've failed to post before about where we're going.... we are going where winter seems to drag on forever.....WYOMING. Now I've said before that I am a sun and beach type person, not a cold, snowed in type person. So yes I want to go to Hawaii badly because I am not looking forward to harsh winters. It's just not me. But I still plan to make the most of it and who knows? maybe I will come to like Wyoming and all the snow?????? We'll see I guess. LOL.

I've still been struggling with my weight. Right now I'm feeling a little down because although I know I've come a long way, I still need to lose some more and also it's disheartening because anyone who has had kids and/or lost a lot of weight, knows there's the sagging skin issue. I know for a fact that no matter how much more I lose, I will still have it and there is nothing to remedy it but surgery which is expensive. Blah, blah, blah, I know. I shouldn't complain. I mean there are more important things in the world to worry about, right? I'm just saying it's a little dissappointing to put so much effort into something and you still cannot achieve the goal you desire.

On another note, I'm slowly becoming blonde again.....it's hard getting all the red out though!

There's many other things I could post about but I don't have the patience right now. Anyway, I don't know how much I'll be able to post in the next few months with the move, but in the words of Ahnold.......
"I'll be back".

Last Post for Today!

2009-05-05T21:59:00.011+09:00

Last post for today. Promise. (^-^)

Today we had to go to Yokosuka because my son had a doctor's appointment at the naval base there. It did not go so well! First, we thought that because it's Golden Week, that the roads would be extremely congested. Well traffic turned out to be the least of our problems. Yokosuka is about a 2 hour drive from here, which we've done plenty of times. Easy, breezy.....usually. It started to rain on the way down there and traffic was actually pretty good. I don't know what's going on this year, I guess with Japan also in a recession, many people chose to stay at home? Last year we started to drive to Tokyo Disneyland during Golden Week and couldn't get anywhere because of the traffic so we had to nix it. This year traffic was not as horrible as I'd feared.

Well anyway, things were going fine until we got almost to the Yoko-Yoko road. We decided to pull over at a Family Mart before getting on the expressway to get snacks and use the restroom. Well as we all got back in the car, hubby started to crank it and NOTHING. It was dead. All of a sudden! A dead Nissan Gloria at the worst possible time. We had left early anticipating the traffic, but we were still trying to make it to the base before the appointment. Hubby tried to figure out what the problem was and we figured it must be the battery. Well we'd left the jumper cables at home, OF COURSE! We stood around a while in the parking lot, looking dumb I'm sure, to all the Japanese who kept looking over at us. Shawn doesn't really speak any Japanese at all. I can speak and understand only fragments. Luckily, most of the time between my broken Japanese and their broken English I can make myself understood, so it's never been a huge obstacle. I ended up having to walk over to a Eneos gasoline stand, just a short way down the road, and asking an attendant to come and jump our car. I rode with him in his car back to the Family Mart, where he quickly jumped the car for us. We didn't have much yen on us for the drive, only enough for the tolls and snacks, so that turned into an issue too. The ATM in the Family Mart wouldn't accept our debit card to get cash, so we had to follow him back to the Eneos to pay. 3150¥ for a simple jump! Crazy to me, but we had no choice.

Then, we finally got down to Yokosuka and was a little concerned of course, about the car because of what had happened, but felt better that we were on base and knew we could get help easier if needed. We went in for the appointment and it was CANCELLED! The doctor had some sort of family issue and they SAID they'd been trying to get in contact with all his patients to reschedule, especially us because they knew we were coming from another base. UGH! Well I took it in stride and rescheduled for next week. So now I have to go all the way back down there next week, alone, because hubby won't be able to get off work. Then to make matters worse, when we went back out to the hospital parking lot....the car? You got it. Dead. Again. The office clerk who rescheduled the appointment was nice enough to come jump us off again, but by then we knew we couldn't stay (no NEX shopping!), we weren't gonna turn the car off again. So we headed for home. Traffic had picked up on the way back and so did the rain, so it took us longer to get home, and when we pulled into our own parking lot and turned off the car....turned it back on....Nothing. The car is caput. I know you'd probably think, "just get a new battery!", but the car needs a lot of work so we're gonna have to junk it this week. The JCI (Japanese Compulsory Insurance) is almost due, the Japanese Road Tax is due, as well as the regular insurance on it, it's not gonna pass the inspection, so it's just gonna have to go to the big car lot in the sky.....since we're leaving soon, it'd be stupid to put a lot of money into the car anyway. And were there any messages for us when we got home, from the hospital, who claimed they had tried to contact us to let us know about the cancellation before we left? NO.

So all in all, it was a real "fun" day. LOL.

Anniversary + more updates

2009-05-05T20:57:00.009+09:00

On the 20th of April hubby and I had our 11 year wedding anniversary!

WOW! 11 years have come and gone so quick it seems like!

To celebrate, that weekend, we fortunately got a sitter to watch the kids for the entire night (because those who know Japan know if you are still in central Tokyo after the trains stop running, your stuck there until morning or you will pay out the A$$ for a taxi) and so with a reliable sitter, we decided to go to Shibuya and Roppongi for happy times....a whole night out alone??? We didn't know what to do with ourselves........LOL.

No pics of that night though! :-P

This past Sunday, we went to Tama Hills for some family time. Tama Hills is a recreational "oasis" here in Tokyo for the military and DoD civilians. You can rent cabins (some with hot tubs!), camp, hike, play put-put golf, mountain bike, play paintball, archery, and other things like that. There's a lot of history at Tama Hills. It was used for storing ammunition and supplies for the Japanese during the war and you can still see the old bunkers. We went to ride horses, but found out that the kids weren't allowed to ride the trail. You had to be at least 12 years old to ride the horses, otherwise you were stuck with the ponies. Jayden did ride a pony, I rode the horse trail while Shawn stayed with the kids.....it was a nice, relaxing day. I hope we can rent a cabin before we leave, but they get reserved quickly....

Here are some pics we got before the camera went dead:

Cherry blossoms here and gone....

2009-05-05T20:23:00.009+09:00

The next day, after the fertility festival, I took the kids to Tama-gawa and to Mitake jinja to enjoy the sakura while they were still in bloom. So pretty, but gone so quick. I will miss this time of year here.

Festival of the Steel Phallus

2009-05-05T16:20:00.019+09:00

I've got tons of photos to catch up on! Haven't updated here in a while. We've been pretty busy lately with various things, and I've been feeling anxious about where we're going next. Back to the ol U.S. of A. We find out May 15 where it'll be.

First, I'm gonna post about the Kanamara Matsuri (Festival of the Steel Phallus) also known as the Kawasaki Fertility Festival that we went to last month. I'm so glad we didn't miss it this time! The best part to me was the transvestites who carried the large penis shrine, (yes I said penis and transvestites!). It's really something you should experience here in Japan. I'm not aware of any other place that has a festival like this. Well, besides the one in Nagoya, but from what I understand this one's a little different. This one is held a short walk from Kawasaki-daishi station at Wakamiya Hachiman-gu shrine. I believe it's less about actual fertility and more about promoting safe sex, AIDS awareness and a general worship of the "phallus". After a ceremony by the priests/priestesses of the shrine (I'm assuming) and with plenty of chanting going on, then the statues are carried throughout the streets around the shrine. People were lined up everywhere, some stayed on the sidelines and watched it go by, others, like myself, followed behind or in front of the statues trying to get some good photos. I lost hubby somewhere along the way, but I eventually found him back at the shrine! :-)

It was crowded, of course, as most festivals tend to be. But what surprised me the most was that there were tons of foreigners at this one....of course it'd be one like this! We've been to other festivals where you'd see a few here and there, but nothing like this one. I heard British, German, American, and I think even Irish dialects. I don't really care for crowds and people always shoving, so we didn't stay for the whole day. Also, I found the behavior of some of the people a little embarrassing. I guess some people think they can just do whatever they want in another country...and that because of the nature of the festival, it was alright. Oh well I guess. Many people seemed to be drunk before noon that day anyway. LOL. I made sure to pick up some *ahem* souvenirs before we left, then we went to Tachikawa for lunch before picking the kids up from the sitter. I was surprised a few other American people brought their children. We left ours with a sitter cause we didn't want to have to answer questions all day....LOL.

WARNINGWARNINGWARNING

So if things of a sexual nature bother you, look no further than this.....

I had tried to upload some of these photos onto my myspace page, and they were promptly deleted by myspace security, I'm hoping I don't have the same issue here on my blog......it's just a festival after all! No real nudity!

First one short video, this is when they are leaving the shrine and heading out onto the streets carrying the "phallus" statues...

Now various photos (I know, I take A LOT):

Think Spring!

2009-04-01T21:05:00.007+09:00

Tired of the weather. One day it's nice and sunny, next it's cold and rainy. Such is Japanese weather.

I am so ready for the spring and summer! The cherry blossoms have started blooming. I'll take some pics before they're gone.

Time
is
ticking.

Less than 5 more months left in Japan, but don't know where our next destination is.

Where we going????????

Anxious.

So much I want to cram in before we leave. Nikko, Disneyland again, Kamakura, for example and this Sunday me and the hubby are going to the Kawasaki Fertility Festival.

Can't miss it this year!

Plum Blossoms and TGIF!

2009-03-17T20:23:00.014+09:00

It's been awhile again!! Haven't had much to blog about.
So just a quick post today with mainly pics.

Last Sunday we went to the plum blossoms at Yoshino Baigou near JR Hinatawada station. It was such a nice day. Crowded (that's usually to be expected), but it's supposed to be one of the best places in this area to see the blossoms. The weather had finally cleared up that day. It costs ¥200 to get into the park.

Then we got back on the train and went to JR Machida station to try the TGI Fridays restaurant. I think we prefer the Outback Steakhouse in Minami-Osawa more. At TGIF it cost us about ¥11,000 to eat and the Outback is usually only about ¥7000. Not just the price, but the food wasn't all that great either.

When we were almost finished eating some Japanese man sitting at a nearby table asked the waitress to ask us if we'd drink with him. We had to tell her that we politely decline because we had our kids with us. I think even the waitress was dumbfounded that he wanted her to ask us. Then as we were leaving, he kept asking my husband if we remembered him. We did not, and had never seen him before. Maybe he was already drunk? LOL.

Volcanus E r up t i s

2009-02-04T08:06:00.015+09:00

Wow it's already been a month since I last posted. So, some updates....

First, I'm much better now after that strange inner ear infection. It took me a full three weeks to feel back to normal. The best way I can describe, it was as if I was extremely drunk. Inside my head I was spinning. I couldn't control it. At first I couldn't walk at all without falling down. Gradually, I got to the point that I could walk, but very wobbly. Even saying it felt like I was drunk doesn't do justice to how very disorienting it really was.

Not a whole lot else has been going on.
Been sick off and on, winter blah...ugh.

On Monday morning, Mt. Asama, an active volcano here on the main island, erupted. I think it was mostly just smoke and ash though. No lava flowing everywhere. It's located about 65 miles northwest of us, but we still got a covering of volcanic ash across this area. Monday morning every car was covered with it, so schools were closed here on base. The kids went out and collected some of the ash and put it in vials to keep. A pretty cool keepsake from Japan, I think.

We are anxious to find out where we are going next. We are scheduled to leave Japan in August, but don't know to where yet. We should find out something next month I think.

My 31st birthday has come and gone.....yea 31. Whoopee! LOL

So yesterday, as a late birthday present, I got a new tattoo. I'd gotten my kokeshi doll last summer when I went to Oklahoma to visit the family. But I always felt like it was missing something. I decided to get cherry blossoms around it to keep with the Japanese theme. A new tattoo shop opened off base recently, right off Rt. 16 across Fussa gate. I decided to go there and not into Tokyo since it was so close. The guy who owns it was very nice and professional. He speaks English, which was awesome. I was always concerned about getting a tattoo done here, because I wanted to make sure I'd be understood as to what I wanted. Also tattoos are pretty expensive here too, from what I've heard, but I thought his price was reasonable. It cost me ¥10,000. I'm really happy with it, though it's hurting like a bitch right now.

It looks much better and feels more "complete". He did a great job. New needles, clean shop, no worries. You can view his website at Material World Tattoo

Knocked on my ass....

2009-01-05T19:56:00.005+09:00

What an awesome start to 2009! *{sarcasm abounds}*

I've been really sick and out of it for over a week now. All because of a strange, sudden, debilitating virus called Vestibular Neuritis. It affects the nerve in your inner ear that sends messages to your brain about balance and motion. I'm finally starting to feel better, but am not 100% yet.....

It's probably the worst "virus" I've ever experienced. Worse than any surgery or flu I've ever had. It's very disorienting. I'll give more info later, I'm still recovering.....

See? The gaijin aren't all bad....

2008-12-26T14:48:00.005+09:00

These are the things I like to read about. Other foreigners in Japan who help those in distress. There have been many more acts such as this.

Do most Japanese ever get to hear these stories? Probably not. I notice the only stories that seem to make the news are the ones where some gaijin has done something wrong. And in these situations, other Japanese will sometimes not do anything to help, even their own, because they don't want to get involved.

From Stars and Stripes:
Yokosuka Sailors Rescue Man at Shinagawa Station

2008-12-25T21:16:00.000+09:00

In our part of the world it's already almost over.....
let's get on to the New Year !!

Mom and Dad are tricky tricky

2008-12-25T21:05:00.003+09:00

We played a trick on the boys last night. Told them they could open a few presents. They were so excited!

But, little did they know, we took toys from their rooms that they already had, put them in boxes, wrapped them and made them open them! It was hilarious !!! At least to me and hubby.....They were so mad....but I hope it might have taught them to be thankful for what they did get, at least a bit more.

R.I.P.

2008-12-23T08:50:00.004+09:00

Today,

my thoughts are with a friend who sadly lost his baby girl...

Tis the season for a lil ranting

2008-12-22T14:35:00.010+09:00

Ok I have two rants I need to unload.

First, why the hell did MySpace pull Project Playlist widgets from everyone's profiles? Ok, I know the official reason, but really? It makes no sense to me. Supposedly some major record labels were threatening lawsuits against Myspace for copyright infringement. Therefore, Myspace blocked all user playlists from their profiles. Which really sucks ass! My profile is a custom overlay that I worked many, many hours to get exactly the way I wanted it. With a custom playlist! On one hand, I totally understand that artists want to get paid for their work. As they should. But they all pimp themselves out on myspace now anyway and are always saying how it's such great advertising for musicians. I have heard and subsequently "legally" downloaded TONS of songs that I heard on other playlists through Myspace.

What doesn't make sense to me is, if it's such a copyright infringement why do we still have access to the music on our playlists, can still listen and upload new songs, but only on the playlist website? Why is listening to it on Myspace copyright infringement, but not the latter? It's stupid. Myspace released a notice that states even music that you have legally downloaded is not allowed to be put on a playlist on your profile. Well why the fuck not???!!!! If I buy it I should be able to play it whenever and wherever I want! Record labels need to accept that the way people get music has changed. FOREVER. No one really buys whole albums anymore. I personally prefer to pick and choose what songs I like and purchase them that way. Most albums only have a couple good songs anyway. Everyone knows that.
It's all greed, greed, greed. Bottom line.

My next rant is a short one.

Why do people who have never talked to you all year suddenly feel the need to send you a Christmas card? Call me scrooge or whatever. I think it's fake and is only done to make themselves feel better. Like they're putting in so much effort. I don't want your card unless you've spoken to or even tried to contact me at least twice throughout the year.......
bah humbug !!

Stuff (ed)

2008-12-21T21:31:00.018+09:00

Been a busy week. Some notes:

Finally got the tree up. Wrapped gifts for said tree. Had to make a quick trip to Atsugi, and found a much quicker way to get there that I wish I'd known about before. Even though I almost ran out of gas sitting in traffic.

I feel like I've put on at least 50 pounds since Thursday.
(Ok more like 10)

The culprit?

Brownies. I made two batches of brownies. In a weak state of mind, I inhaled a few brownies. Felt guilt and shame. Feels like I've ballooned up since then. My pants tell me so. Unfair, right? You work so hard to lose weight, cheat once and suffer the consequence. I've been depriving myself all year. I deserved those brownies dammit!

Went bowling last night.

Took kids to one of our favorite local Japanese parks today.
A park we haven't been to in over a year.

Due to a hentai who lurked in the bathroom there. I felt like I needed to go back, though I'd said I wouldn't, after what happened to me there last year. I even went into the bathroom. Triumph. I feel stronger now.

Pics from said park:

It was a beautiful day, til the sun started to go down. Then the cold came. Now just counting the days til Xmas......

X the xmas....

2008-12-15T20:50:00.009+09:00

Been so busy......I hate this time of year!

Can't wait for the holidays to be ov - er!

Still haven't even put up the stupid tree. Spent too much money, still got too much to do....if it wasn't for the kids, I probably wouldn't even care about it.

And stupidity prevails

2008-12-09T12:26:00.008+09:00

Thanks to "anonymous" who so kindly pointed out to me that the article about the dead guard was not true...I completely overlooked the headline that states "ALL THE NEWS THAT COULD HAVE HAPPENED". In today's world, it absolutely could have happened, that's why I took it at face value.

I'm a doofus. LOL.

It's the holiday season. That's my excuse ;-)

Guard Goes Unnoticed for Three Days, Dead

2008-12-08T09:06:00.008+09:00

Whenever I get my hands on it, I like to read the Tokyo Metropolis magazine. It's an English magazine with various articles about life in Japan, weird or strange happenings, classifieds, restaurant info, etc...

I usually pick up a copy when we go to the Outback Steakhouse in Minami-Osawa, which is where we went last night for DH's B-day. We enjoy going there because, of course, it's an American restaurant, with English speaking staff, but they also have good food and a good atmosphere. We can eat a nice meal there for about 8000¥ (usually about $70, before the yen fell so low), including the toll and parking fee. It was great, because I secretly told the waitress it was his birthday so all the waitstaff comes out with ice cream and sings Happy Birthday, along with the surrounding tables....he hadn't wanted me to. haha. And there were 7 other birthdays just during our meal there! They also take your picture and print you out a copy before you leave. Here's ours:

(another not so great angle for me)

Anyway, I was reading the current December issue last night when we got home, and found this one particular article sad, terrible and embarrassingly funny at the same time.

Apparently a Japanese man, age 72, who worked as a guard for a construction site in Shinjuku was dead for three days at his post before anyone noticed. Such is life and death in Japan. It seems his co-workers had wondered why he hadn't come smoke with them, but no one bothered to check up. His wife wants those three days wages from the company, of which they're refusing, because his expiration time is questionable. To top it all off, she stated that him being dead in no way hindered his job performance (hence her wanting the wages), and that in fact, he could still work if a position was available.

I could not believe it!!!

I found the online article here Guard Dead For Three Days

Sad, and freakishly normal. Nothing surprises me anymore.

Reality shows are seriously lacking...

2008-12-02T18:16:00.009+09:00

I can admit it. I watch too much TV. Most times, I've got nothing better to do than watch whatever crappy television programs we can get over here. Of course it seems that reality shows have completely dominated the networks over the past few years.

WHY oh WHY I ask? At the beginning of that trend, reality shows were just plain fun escapism. Now they're so prevelant over any kind of quality show, that I guess the network exec's and producers have just become too lazy and/or uncreative that they'll put anything on. It's a shame. A lot of good shows have been cancelled the past couple years and we just continue to get pushed with more crap. I wonder why these shows stay on air for so long? Do people really, truly enjoy it? It scares me to think so many people are becoming extremely superficial and brainless nowadays.

Anyway, currently, these are the worst reality shows I've had the displeasure to view:

Worst Of Reality Shows

1. Paris Hilton's My New BFF
These girls actually allow that twit to call them her "pets".
Nuf said.

2. NEXT
A shallow, vapid "dating" show where a bus of potential daters wait to be called out like cattle.

3. Parental Control
Obviously this show is SSSOOOO fake it's not even funny. The gist of the show is that "parents" don't like their kid's current bf/gf so they each choose a new person for the kid to go on a date with while the current bf/gf and the parents watch. Very scripted. Authenticity of daters and parents are questionable. The insults passed around are very contrived.

4. The Pickup Artist 2
Ugh. Losers attempting to be made into "ladies men" by another douchey loser.

5. Shot At Love(with Tila, other with twins) and Real Chance at Love
These type shows are so damn played out. Everyone knows the people who go on them are just trying to get their 15 minutes. I'd like to give em all 15 minutes, in a classroom.

6. My Super Sweet 16 (and now the Exiled show as well)
This show is so sickening to me, but yet, yes I'm guilty of watching. If for nothing else than to make sure my own children never ever turn out like those narcissistic, spoiled, needy, shallow brats.

Now, on to some shows I personally think are awesome:

Best Of Reality Shows

1. Celebrity Rehab
I'm just fascinated by how people who seemed to have everything at some point in their lives can fall so far into the dispair of addiction.

2. Little People Big World
This show is awesome by showing that loving families come in every shape and size. The Roloffs have so many challenges that we normal size people take for granted, and they remain so optimistic and down to earth. A lovely family.

3. Intervention
Another addiction show, but with regular folk instead of celebs. Fascinating to watch them in the midst of their addiction and you end up rooting for them to clean up their lives.

4. The Amazing Race
JUST PLAIN AWESOME ! The only reality show I'd ever want to be a part of. Teams compete on a trip around the world, to some amazing places, completing obstacles and challenges along the way. SIGN ME UP!

5. MADE
I can appreciate how these kids want to break out of their mold and get the chance to become someone different. But I think that they complain a lot though! lol ! Change isn't easy kiddies!

6. My Big Redneck Wedding
A recent guilty pleasure. I find it so endearing that not every bride and/or couple is all about the money, stress, and pain of pulling off the "perfect" wedding. Too many spend so much time and effort on the wedding only to end up in divorce because they didn't put that much effort into their relationship. Mud bogging, potato salad, duct-tape rigged wedding dresses and the like are all the rage! :)

Sick....{UGH}

2008-11-23T23:17:00.003+09:00

Not much going on the past few days....just feeling under the weather. I really hate the winter season! I would NOT do well in Alaska or places of a similar climate.

Wishing I was here.....

I like warm, sunshiny days!

Make sure you tell the ones you love.......

2008-11-15T06:48:00.006+09:00

Yesterday was a sad day. Our neighbor died suddenly from a heart attack. It was just shocking. I saw him just a few days ago when he scared me coming out the elevator and we had a laugh about it. We didn't know him well or anything, but he seemed like a nice man. He was always nice to us and those sort of things don't go unnoticed with me....I was so shocked when my husband told me I couldn't stop crying.

He was only 47 years old. It was after his PT test (military physical fitness test). Makes you realize that you never know when your time is up. I told my hubby that it could of been him. He needs to start trying to take better care of himself. I am. I quit smoking, am {trying to} lose weight........

Tell the ones you love that you love them as often as possible because in another day, hour or minute you may not get another chance......

R.I.P.

So I'm a Rock Chic

2008-11-12T21:54:00.002+09:00

Two songs I can't stop listening to right now.....

I'm Musically Challenged

2008-11-08T22:36:00.007+09:00

I've realized something that does make me happy no matter what:

MUSIC

I really, truly love music.

I'm not some sort of music snob.

I just like whatever sounds good to my ears. Mostly rock, but a little of everything else too. Whenever I listen to something I love I automatically feel so much better.

Too bad I'm not musicially inclined in any shape or form. I can't read music, I can't carry a tune, therefore I am most definitely musically challenged.

But I sure do appreciate those who can do those things in order to give relief, hope and passion to the rest of us.

N K O T B is Happy Happy Joy Joy

2008-11-07T20:06:00.007+09:00

Something that makes me completely happy and giddy like a school girl?

NKOTB baby!

HAHAHA. Yeah I've definitely moved on from those cheesy boy bands, but from about 10 to at least 13 years of age, the New Kids were the be all and end all of my life. I probably made my mother purchase me every single New Kids trinket she could find. I remember watching my New Kids On The Block videos (VHS baby!) over and over and over, and over again. And over again. I had every single minuscule detail of them memorized to heart.

I would practice the dances in my living room and dream that one day they'd come and sweep me away...My favorites were Donny and Jordan, especially Jordan. Towards the end of their domination of all us young, prepubescent girls, I started to like Jonathan. I found his shyness endearing. But they soon faded away and then many years later we were blessed? (mostly cursed?) with the Backstreet Boys and NSYNC. But NKOTB will FOREVER BE THE O G'S OF BOY BANDS! That's right. So now that they're back, every time I hear them I get a warm fuzzy feeling inside.

Here's one of their oldies (the only one I could find to embed):

HAPPY HAPPY JOY JOY HAPPY HAPPY JOY JOY

They're gonna make a killing off us old girls now; we blockheads who're trying to recapture a piece of our youth. LOL

Neurosis + Happiness = Insanity?

2008-11-07T13:57:00.023+09:00

I don't understand what has come over me today. I'm feeling extremely happy! I admit that's rare for me! Not to say I'm never happy, I just usually don't feel it like this. It's such a beautiful day today! I love our mild winters here in this part of Japan. I went for a nice, long walk today through the Japanese streets. It's so hard to describe the sights and smells of this place unless you've been here. I just walked alone through the neighborhoods, taking photos, while listening to my ipod. And for some reason it was totally awesome. Though I've done it a hundred times before.

Some pics I took:

I've really started to love photography. I like taking photos of random things. I guess that's what people usually do? My hubby says I take pics of nothing. I just like to take ones of whatever catches my eye. I also take alot of self portraits. Some people might assume that it's for vanity. It's not. I don't know how to explain it and it will probably still be misinterpreted no matter what, but I think I take a lot of pics of myself because it makes me feel real. Like really real. LOL. I admit I have some horrible self esteem issues about the way I look. My self esteem seemed to have left me when I had my kids and got booted out the military. When you become a mom you tend to stop taking care of yourself. I became less outgoing and focused on them. I used to be able to walk into a crowded room and make friends with most everyone, or at least talk to them. Now I mostly avoid that. I'm not one of those women who crave attention constantly. (a little IS nice sometimes of course!) But now the boys are getting older, and are needing me less and less and I feel I need to start taking better care of ME again.

I get extremely self conscious around others at times. I worry that people are thinking I'm ugly. I try to do the best with what I got ya know! hehehe. I assume part of it comes from the isolation of being a SAHM for so many years and some come from the constant barrage of imagery: from movies, magazines, etc., of what a beautiful woman is supposed to look like. I feel that I don't measure up. Some days are good and some days are worse. I've heard, "even if you don't feel confident, fake it," but how do I fake what I don't feel......I can't get that.

I think I also take a lot of pictures of myself because I'm hoping that if I look at myself often enough, then I will be able to accept who I've become. That may or may not make sense to anyone but me, but oh well. For example, sometimes I'll take a photo of myself that turned out pretty good. I'll like it for a while, but then I start to get critical of it and hate it. I've noticed that I look best only at certain angles. In some pics all I see is my double chin, chipmunk cheeks and crooked smile (I won't start on the problems I have with my jaw!).

In other angles, I guess the camera can trick the eye. Occasionally I'll take a picture where I do think I look attractive, but I think that if I post it, it's like a lie. Of course I will put up a "pretty" pic anyway, who wouldn't? But I'm like, "What if someone sees this pic and thinks I look like that all the time, but when they see me in person, they're disappointed". Not that I make a habit of meeting random strangers anyway. I'm just sayin......Again, this all may not make sense to anyone else, I'm just unloading. I know I must seem completely neurotic. Maybe I am.

But despite all these terrible, insecure feelings I have about the way I look, I am intelligent and strong enough to realize that these superficial things are not what matters in the grand scheme of life. At times I feel very stupid for even worrying about it so much, and for allowing myself to be sucked into the void. Even in our increasingly artificial society, I know I'm worthy of being alive, respected, and loved just for being me. And I know I am by the people in my life who matter most. So why do I let it bother me at all? My wish though is that one day something will just click and I'll feel like my old self again, only better and wiser. One day at a time I guess, right?

Well to end this neurotic post, I'll finish with two pics. The first is what I believe to be an unflattering pic, the second a better one.

??Just to prove my point??

Neither photo has been altered. Obviously lighting has much to do with it the quality of a photo also. So this post may seem dumb or weird, but as I've said before, I consider this blog theraputic for my psyche; It is what it is; the good, the bad, the vulnerable.....whatever.

Our Next Prez - Time For Change

2008-11-05T15:45:00.011+09:00

I don't like to talk too much about politics, but as everyone in the world must know by now, Barack Obama was just elected President of the U.S. of A. I truly hope that his term brings about the changes our country so desperately needs.

His opponent, Sen. John McCain, was not right for the presidency this time. I typically disagree with most Republicans anyway, but when he chose Sarah Palin for his VP running mate, I was appalled. I had/have so much respect for John McCain for his tribulations as a POW. But Palins' values and politics are backward to me and hypocritical to say the least. She was just Republican eye candy. I hope she will fade away now. However, I am concerned now about crazy ass, racist bastards who might not want to allow a "black" president to take office. You KNOW they're out there. I just hope Mr. Obama has a TON of security. I have a feeling he's gonna need it more than any other pres. People really need to get over differences in race, religion, sexuality, etc. These things will always be a constant in the world. No one way is correct and right. Who is anyone to tell you there is? Least of all the government. Yeah, I'm one of those live and let live types who think there are too many people spewing their hate and judgements on difference. I feel that as long as your not hurting anyone, you should be able to live your life any way you choose. But enough of politics, as I said it's always a touchy subject so I tend to keep my opinions to myself.

Here's to hoping for a better America in the next 4 (8?) years.......

Eyes Wide Open

2008-10-29T02:26:00.005+09:00

It's about 2:30 am.

Am I sleeping?

No.

I'm up and bored so here I am.........

I consider this blog like my own personal therapy. It allows me an outlet to get things off my mind without prejudice or judgement. Not anyone's judgement I care about anyway. For the most part, I don't give a fuck what people think or say about me. Especially if they've never even spoken to me or tried to get to know me. But I do have those "sensitive" days. I seem to be having them often lately....wonder why?

Moving on though, I am really, really determined to lose another 20 pounds (at least). When I started this blog back in January, I had decided that I was going to lose weight for my health and well being. I'd gotten diagnosed with diabetes and had to have my appendix out last October and so my New Year's resolution was to lose weight, improve my self esteem and just feel better in general. Also, because I turned 30 in January, I think I had a mini mid-life crisis. I mean THIRTY! UGH! It still seems like yesterday that I was only 18. Sometimes. I've lost about 35 pounds as I've previously stated. But I'm completely stalled in my weight loss. I know I'm still on track because I actually squeezed my fat ass into a size 8 jean and size 7 pant today! WOO HOO! That's down from a 14-16. So I'm very proud of myself for sticking with it this long. I hate working out though and I think that's the problem now. It's just so damn boring to me to go to a gym every day or run the treadmill. I prefer to be outside to work out so I'm making it a goal to walk every (nice) day I can until it gets too cold. Hope it jump starts my metabolism again. I'm still on a strict low carb diet. The only carbs I get are from vegetables. I really feel like it's the best for me and my body. Yeah, hubby and I going to the gym together and pushing Brad and Angelina out the spotlight? Didn't happen. Maybe next year? Brangelina, better watch your backs!

hehehehe.

Sometimes I think back to 10-15 years ago, when I THOUGHT I was fat. Geez. If only I can have that body back now. Having kids sure takes a toll. It's depressing at times because I know that even if I lose all the weight I need to, my body will NEVER be the same. I see all these skinny minnies with their tight little bodies wearing all the cute little clothes and sigh while looking down at my flab. LOL!

Oh well I guess, I'll just label myself SEASONED. A little seasoning on your meat is better than it being plain, right? hahaha. OK I'm weird. LOL. I was looking through some pics from last year and even from January and I CAN see a BIG difference. So I'll take it.

I do feel much better than I used to. I know I'm too short to be carrying too much weight. The damn BMI calculator still tells me I'm overweight though. I'm just trying to concentrate on feeling the best I can though and not pay too much attention to the scale.

OK enough about this now.....

Shirahama Beach (Shimoda), Japan

2008-10-27T13:12:00.011+09:00

I was reading through older posts and realized I never got around to posting anything from when we went to Shirahama Beach on August 21. We had a good time, and it got pretty crowded for a weekday I think. I imagine it's 10x worse on the weekends. Here's a video:

Pay no attention to my horrible slow southern accent. And I wasn't holding the camera very well so it's kinda shaky.....

And some photos:

The drive was supposed to take up to 6 hours or more from Fussa. It didn't take that long at all! Only about 3 hours. We left very early in the morning hoping to miss a lot of traffic, but we didn't encounter any traffic at all! Guess we got lucky that day. It was a Thursday so I imagine most people were at work. And that's exactly why we chose that day! We had a map which was very easy to follow, but we've never had a problem finding places here in Japan even though neither of us can read any Japanese. I've heard that many people never venture out for fear of getting lost, but I can say I honestly never get lost for more than a minute. We always find our way....

Total in tolls cost us a little less than ¥4000. We had decided to rent some sun shades and beach chairs from Outdoor Rec, which was an excellent idea and very cheap too. We all got horrible sunburns even with SPF 50, but the sun shades helped a lot. We brought a cooler of drinks and snacks too. Just sat and chilled all day long. The beach area wasn't 100% all sand. There were tons of rocks and I cut my foot a couple times. So water shoes might be a good idea if you go. Parking cost us ¥1000 for the day. There are many different paid parking areas. We also rented inner tubes from local Japanese men, which cost ¥800 per tube and we got them until 4:30 pm. As we were leaving we decided to use the coin operated showers, which I think cost ¥200 each for 5 minutes. Definitely worth it for a comfortable ride back home.

As soon as we left that evening, a HUGE storm came along. It was surprising because it'd been such a beautiful day. Also, on the ride home along the coast, there was a festival going on, near Atami I think it was, and so there were fireworks going off that we enjoyed from the car....Well that's all I can remember. It was a great trip and I hope we can do it again before leaving next year....

Let the week begin....again

2008-10-27T00:59:00.005+09:00

Another day over, another week beginning. I'm better now. No shock therapy needed this time. Maybe I should be disappointed? It coulda been interestin! LOL. I've had plenty of sleep since my last post (after a marathon 50+ hrs awake) and yes I can laugh about it now.

hahahahehehehe

I was even tempted to delete that post, but really, what's the point? I think it would be such a travesty (for myself) if I only wrote about my nice, mundane thoughts. Although I AM still careful as to what I decide to post in this virtual world of m & m.

I changed the pic I posted previously cause I didn't like it. One day I'll like a pic of myself and then another day I'll hate it. Such is me.

Now just cleaning house and waiting til Halloween.
Best. Holiday. Of. The. Year.
Don't ya think?
*JOY*

Updates and Profanities

2008-10-16T18:26:00.028+09:00

Haven't posted in a while, but WHAT the FUCK EV-AH! Yeah, if you can't tell, I'm not exactly in a great mindset right now. I don't know what the hell's wrong with me lately. I'm extremely hyped up and can't sleep. Right now I haven't slept in about 28 hours and counting. It's like I'm on crack or some shit. It's becoming a neverending cycle. Too bad I quit smoking, AGAIN. Cause I could sure use one right now. I'm bored of every fucking thing and I'm feeling like a caged animal that's about to bust loose! Maybe it's this damn base! Same old shit every single day. Same rude, fake, boring, asshole people, same monotonous routine, same dumb shit on tv. It's driving me insane! What the FUCK !!! I have tons of things on my mind, none of which I care to post publicly, in this small, small world of the internets. I try to keep MY shit to myself, thank you very much. (except what I decide to purge here of course!)

On a broader scope, my oldest son got his first job! 10 years old and already a working man! He's delivering newspapers. He has a very small route right now, but may get more later. He's enjoying it so far. He'd only have that kind of opportunity over here at an overseas base.

I was called about a job interview yesterday, but had to decline. I'd have to be available to work varying shifts and I just wouldn't be able to work it with the kids. They're not old enough to be left alone like that yet and I don't have anyone I can depend on to watch them. So that fucking sucks. I've really been wanting to go back to work. Being a SAHM isn't all that great to me. In fact it's pretty boring.

I posted before that I wanted to see about going to dance class. Did that. Went once. It wasn't exactly what I was looking for so I never went back. There's just not many options here on base. There is only ONE dance teacher for every genre of dance and she lumps them all together with the sole purpose of putting on a show in May. It just wasn't what I wanted.
So THAT idea went to shit. There's nothing else to do here, except maraud and pillage! The dollar (against yen) is very weak in the market right now; so going off base hasn't been an option either. That, on top of the still outrageous gas price. We've been paying $4.06 a gallon for a while with no end in sight even though prices in the states have gone down quite a bit.....

I'm afraid I'm turning into the stereotypical bored housewife! UGH!! I'm just SO FUCKING BORED. ~~That is all. For now.~~

Oh wait, I got my hair colored auburn a couple weeks ago, and it's fuckin A. I never tried this color before, I'm naturally dirty blonde, but I think I'll keep it this color for a while. It's already fading though dammit! But that's what red hair does I've read. I tried black once but it was TOO dark. Here it is:

So that's one nice change.

I hope I can laugh at this post later, after some much needed sleep (and shock therapy?)

NOW that's all.

2008 MTV VMA's

2008-09-08T10:19:00.032+09:00

Watching it right now.

I posted a while back that I really liked Russell Brand, a comedian/actor from the U.K. Well, what do you know, he's hosting the awards this year! His opening monologue just ended and I can tell he is EXTREMELY nervous (I would be too!).

I've seen him on a lot of late night talk shows and during those times he seemed much more at ease and cavalier. Not many people in the U.S. even know who he is, unless they watch late night talk shows too! But he's really funny and karismatic, I hope he gets more exposure after the VMA's. And maybe he'll loosen up a bit during the show.

More later?

(edit) Highlights so far:

→ Rihanna's performance of "Disturbia" was ok, the dancing and costumes were the best part of it.

→ Britney got a standing O when she walked on stage and she won the first award for "Best Female Video"..........good for her, I guess.

→ Can Lil Wayne keep his pants up? NO? OKAY!

→ Paramore doing "Misery Business" live was great! They must be even better in person!

→ The choices for "Best Rock Video" were dismal to say the least! WTF?

→ Miley Cyrus, dumb, but cute dress.

→ I ♥LUV♥ PINK! She is always so fucking awesome! She performed her song "So What". Pink - she's a rock star!

→ A great performance by Christina Aguilera, but for some reason I kept thinking of Britney during it?

→ Tokio Hotel won "Best New Artist". They have a great sound and "in" look, but I can't get past the lead singer's androgynous ways. I guess the teenage girls like that sort of thing now. (e.g.,Zac Efron?). Good for them though! Deserved.

→ Paris Hilton is still a dumbass twit!

→ LIKE OMG! Britney just won "Best Pop Video"!!! She is like so totally awesome and is gonna make the biggest comeback and will be better than ever and all you haters can just die, jealous bitches! {spewing sarcasm?}

→ Ok screw the sarcasm, Britney just won "Video of the Year"! She doesn't deserve it! I'm glad she's getting better and all, but she needs to quit letting people continue to push her out into the spotlight so they can make a buck! Ok, we know she enjoys the attention. But that's what made her lose her mind in the first place! She's now like a zombie/robot who's been perfectly trained and groomed to trick everyone into thinking she's all better. All her problems have not been solved in a matter of months! She's definitely better than before, but she should just chill out with her children for a good long while away from the spotlight and focus on her family! I could give a shit about her making a comeback! Be straight for your boys Brit!

I thought The Ting Tings should have won video of the year.......But no, Britney had to get another PITY award. She's only made it where she's at based on her looks. She never had any real talent. I know some will say, oh, she can dance and she "entertains", well there are hundreds of people out there waiting in the wings who can do the same or better. Ok, DONE!

→ Oh, I saw Perez Hilton on the after show, I can't stand him. He needs to quit talking trash about Russell Brand. He's such a egotistical-celebrity-wannabe-douchebag! He's so two faced and makes fun of children. He should be dealt with accordingly. Not harmed, just dropped off the face of the earth!

**I was fine before and during the show, until the end when Britney won yet again and then I saw Perez on the after show. Now I'm just ANGRY.

I need to get a life.....(sigh)**

This is for the REAL MOMS, and those that want to be!

2008-08-26T19:16:00.016+09:00

I have this book titled "Real Moms, Exploding the Myths of Motherhood" authored by Elisa Morgan, President and CEO of MOPS International, and Carol Kuykendall, MOPS Director of Communications. I never really looked at it before, but was flipping through it today and thought it had some really great quotes about being a REAL mom, as opposed to those moms who try to be perfect and be everything for everyone, (but I guess that's not necessarily wrong, if that's what makes them happy, though that's definitely not me!). Anyway, just wanted to share some of the best quotes. It's good stuff to remind yourself during those down days....I've taken the liberty to quote the book directly:

First, lets ask this question.

What is a REAL mom? And what isn't?

Being real IS....

* discovering who you are and being who you are.
* knowing what matters most in mothering.
* determining what's most important in your season of life.
* trying to do what's most important and right, not just what feels best at the moment.
* recognizing the difference between good shoulds and bad shoulds. (Good should: "I should try to stop yelling at my children." Bad should: "I should be able to keep my children happy.")

Being real is NOT....

* giving up on growing and changing as a person
* being selfish or self-centered.
* thinking your way is the right and only way.
* being rude or rotten or inconsiderate of others' feelings or needs.

Being real is risky. It is hard work. It is a LIFE-LONG process.

*** A REAL MOM....

--> feels an enormous gulf between the mother she would like to be and the mother she perceives herself to be.

--> picks her kids' noses.

--> sometimes takes showers for the sole purpose of being able to cry -very hard- if need be.

--> puts dirty socks on her kids when the clean ones run out.

--> has moments when she wishes she wasn't a mom.

--> really likes to sleep, but when that sick or scared-from-a-nightmare child only wants Mommy, she likes that too.

--> doesn't always enjoy Martha Stewart and "all things crafty".

--> drinks Coke, even for breakfast if necessary!

--> answers the phone sounding like she's out of breath when her husband calls from work.

--> can do many jobs at once but never feels she is doing a satisfactory job at any of them.

--> joins a health club not to work out but because she can take an uninterrupted shower while the clubs' day care watches the kids.

--> sometimes gets tired, frustrated, and mad at her kids.

--> cries over spilled milk.

--> says to her kids, "I'm sorry. I was wrong. Forgive me?"

--> always loves her kids...she just doesn't always like them.

--> sometimes wears makeup, and when she does, her kids say, "Wow! Mommy you look different!"

--> counts chasing a toddler around the house as exercise.

--> vows (before children) that she will still have buns of steel at age thirty. But at age thirty (after children) she realizes the only buns of steel she has comes from sitting on cold, hard steel bleachers, watching small figures on a soccer field.

--> thinks that occasionally the television makes a wonderful babysitter!

--> gets crazy once in a while.

--> shoves all the dirty dishes in the oven when an unexpected friend arrives.

--> sometimes feeds her kids cookies for breakfast.

--> makes mistakes on a daily basis but keeps on chugging along, trying to get better.

--> sometimes has to -or wants to- work outside the home.

--> compares herself with her friends - and stops there.

--> needs other real moms.

--> might act too tough and together to ever need help, but would love someone pushy to insist!

--> feeds her kids lollipops (or just about anything) so she can complete a phone conversation.

--> misses her old friends and having an uninterrupted conversation more than she misses fitting into her old jeans.

--> realizes that while she is given the privilege of raising her kids, she is also given a window to the opportunity of raising herself.

--> realizes that she learns as much from her children as her children learn from her.

--> doesn't vacuum every day.

--> doesn't always make her bed.

--> uses real plates when entertaining guests. But lots of times the family gets paper plates.

--> gets under the table to play "fort", even though the sink is filled with dirty dishes.

--> hardly ever gets all the laundry folded and put away. She just grabs wrinkled ones from the pile.

--> knows the true meaning of "eat and run".

--> doesn't want to take the training wheels off the bicycle....but she does.

--> understands that life isn't perfect or doesn't follow certain paths she imagined before her child came along.

--> knows she can't prevent her children from getting sick, even if she takes good care of them.

--> asks a friend to tell her the truth.

--> still loves her kids even when they tell her, "I drew a picture of you and then I scratched you out!"

--> knows that mothering matters....and so do other things.

--> cries when her toddlers cling to her, when her teenagers reject her, and when her own mom is aging.

Excerpts from:
(Real Moms, Exploding the Myths of Motherhood
By Elisa Morgan and Carol Kuykendall )

I sure wish I'd known some of this stuff when my kids were younger. I dealt with some major depression after having my kids, but I eventually found my way, and realized that I do not have to live up to some expectation of being a "SUPERMOM" or "SUPERWIFE". It took me a while to grow up and realize what's important in life. I just do the best I can every day. Now that they're older and are much more independent, it's so much easier, (at least until the teenage years! NNNOOO!), but at times I do wish they were little again....

How To Get Rid Of A One Night Stand!

2008-08-25T18:55:00.003+09:00

This would've been good to know way back when. LOL!

Goody goody gumdrops

2008-08-25T15:59:00.010+09:00

OISHII DESU YO!

Ok, not gumdrops, but I've gotten totally addicted to these little Japanese brand candies...called MINTIA. My fave flavors are (and I'm guessing from the photos on the front) Orange/Apple, Grape/Apple and Lemon Soda. The best part? They're sugar free! They're seriously addictive, on par with crack or heroin. I'd shoot em up, but I don't like needles.....

Goodbye Summer, Hello Monotony

2008-08-25T15:02:00.019+09:00

It's over. That dreaded first day of school. The kids went back to school today, much to their digress. Hubby went back to work today too, and he was digressing also I must say! I, on the other hand, am happy and sad at the same time with it all. I relish the time for myself while they are at school so I can do things that I'd like to do or need to do. Things like grocery shopping, etc. But, they are already in 5th and 1st grades though, and just seem to be growing up too fast, which I suppose children tend to do, right? I couldn't believe how much they needed in school supplies this year! Around $160 just on the supplies alone! CRAZY!

Hubby and I have made it a goal to go to the gym every morning. He has his fitness test coming up next January, so he needs to start now or never. I still need to lose some more weight,

* I have lost about 35 pounds since last January, yay for me :) *

but would like to lose at least 25-30 more and tone up. Hopefully we'll stick to it and not let our lazy ways overpower as usual! Today was our first day going to the gym, so we'll soon see. We keep joking that we are gonna turn ourselves into supermodels and give Brad and Angelina a run for their money!

Teehee! I'm thinking of signing up for a dance class of some sort. Could be fun.

We finally went to Shirahama beach in Shimoda last week. I'm gonna post about it real soon. It was such a nice, relaxing day, I wish I could rewind time and go back to that day, because ever since we came home, all it's done is RAIN RAIN RAIN, take a 5 min break, then more.....you got it, RAIN.

Adele and Duffy = ♥

2008-08-24T01:03:00.008+09:00

Here are two songs I'm really loving right now,

"Warwick Avenue" by Duffy

and "Chasing Pavements" by Adele

Both have really great original videos, which can be found on YouTube, since I couldn't embed them due to those pesky copyright laws! At least neither of them is fucked up on whatever (yet?), like that similar singer......uh Amy ~~Crackhouse~~ Winehouse. She was, and would be great still, if she could just get a grip.

One bad thing about living in Japan...I always get behind on new music. I know these songs have been out a while now.

Mainichi Daily News site now defunct

2008-08-11T14:45:00.008+09:00

Well, I hadn't checked it in a while but apparently one of the Japanese "news" sites (english version), I regularly read has been shut down. In particular, over their "WaiWai" section of the website. I always thought the articles were a little risqué to say the least, but also sometimes kind of funny. I admit I hadn't checked it in a while until today because I did start to feel as though it (the site) was becoming extremely biased, sexist and only focusing on the negative "news".

There's a long apology in place of the website right now and it looks as though they are going to completely rehab the whole thing. It should be interesting to see how it's going to be changed. Now it'll probably just become another boring, whitewashed news site, though.

You can view the webpage at MAINICHI DAILY NEWS.

Have tattoo ? No travel !

2008-08-10T02:51:00.008+09:00

Well I'd heard about this before, but thought it was only limited to a few sentōs and onsens. Seems quite a few amusement and water parks in Japan have adopted a new policy this year.

ABSOLUTELY NO ONE WITH TATTOOS ARE ALLOWED.

This includes any person of any nationality with any type of tattoo whatsoever. I find this completely unfair, to the gaijin and the Japanese. There are many, many Japanese who are tattooed and although it's becoming more accepted here, I guess some forms of discrimination never die. It really upsets me because we had planned to take the boys to Toshimaen, which is a big waterpark in west Tokyo. Here is the list of the places (as of right now) that have banned all people with tattoos.

- Fujikyu Highland
- Seibuen
- Tama Tech
- Toshimaen
- Tobu Zoo Park
- Tokyo Summer Land
- Yomiuri Land

So basically all the parks in our immediate area. We've already been to Tokyo Summerland a few times and enjoyed it. And now we won't be able to go again. Sure you can probably hide your tattoos at Tama Tech or Fujikyu Highlands, with pants and shirts, but that's hard to do at a water park of course. I even called to ask if you cover any tattoos with a shirt or bandage at the water park, if it's allowed, and was told no. If they find you have any type of tattoo, you will be told to leave the park. They have even banned those fake temporary tattoos and any kind of body paint.

So that's too bad. I hope these places lose business for being so narrow-minded.

Everyone who gets a tattoo is not yakuza and you'd think they'd realize that by now! Hell, tattoos are considered extremely "mainstream" in the U.S. these days! Anyway, just wanted to vent. It's a damn shame. Guess we have to make plans to go somewhere else. Think they'll kick us off the beach? Maybe we'll see.

Bernie Mac......R. I. P.

2008-08-09T23:39:00.005+09:00

I can't believe that Bernie Mac passed away today. I'd read that he was in the hospital but was absolutely fine. He died of complications of pneumonia.

He was a great actor and comedian and it's so sad when something like that happens unexpectedly. I'd found a respect for him from watching "The Bernie Mac Show". He was only 50 years old.

Rest in peace, Mr. Mac.

Fussa Tanabata Festival

2008-08-09T20:41:00.005+09:00

We went to the matsuri earlier this evening. Too bad my camera went dead soon after we got there. The ones I was able to take didn't turn out so well....but I'm gonna post them anyway. We got there late, so we'd already missed the demonstrations and other things. Oh well, maybe we'll be able to make it in time next year.

Takao Trick Art Museum

2008-08-05T20:52:00.010+09:00

Today I took the kids to the Takao Trick Art Museum. It's located across from Takaosanguchi station, which is at the base of Mt. Takao. If you drive, which we did since it's not that far from home, parking will cost you ¥1000. Tickets cost ¥1900 for the three of us, which was at a discount, because the parking lot attendant gave me a coupon for ¥200 off, which I believe is good for up to 5 people. You can also print out a coupon on their website which I'd forgotten to do, so I'm glad the attendant gave me one! Otherwise it would've cost ¥2500.

It was pouring down raining by the time we got there, but we tried to make the most of it. I'd been meaning to take them there for a while. The gist of this museum is, there are paintings on the walls and/or floors which when looked at in certain angles, give you some cool optical illusions. I took the best pictures I could, but the kids, of course, wouldn't stay still long enough for me to get all the shots. This place encourages being loud and rambunctious and photo taking, so for a "museum" it's a great place for kids to go. The staff spoke some English, but all the signs were in Japanese, which made it a little difficult to understand what some of the illusions were, (since I can't read Japanese, but for a few hiragana and a couple kanji) but we basically figured most of them out. There were quite a few people there today, I guess other people looking for something to do on a rainy day also.....

Here's our best shots:

So even though we got soaking wet from the rain, it was great fun for the boys. And when I bought the tickets, the clerk gave me tokens to use for the drink machine outside, which I assume they always do?, so the boys got some hot cocoa and were then happy as clams....

Tokyo Tower

2008-08-04T22:51:00.006+09:00

Last Saturday we finally went to the Tokyo Tower. It's a very touristy thing to do and I don't necessarily like doing those type things. I rather like going off the beaten path somewhere, but hey, who cares right? The touristy things can be fun sometimes too. We've been to the Landmark Tower in Yokohama twice now, but I wanted to see Tokyo Tower because I'd read that it may get torn down.....I don't know how true that is though. Anyway, we wanted to get away from the base, because we haven't gone out much lately thanks to gas prices, etc.

Here's some photos:

Shawn's taking leave, starting next week for two weeks, and we're going to Toshimaen water park, Kamakura and hopefully either Nikko or go down to Shimoda or Shizuoka. I'm not sure about that though since it's so far and gas prices are so bad. We'll see.

I keep saying we need to see and do as much as we can because this is our last year in Japan. We leave next August. We've talked about trying to extend to stay longer, but I don't know if that'll happen. I want to leave and get a fresh start somewhere else, but then again I will seriously miss Japan. We will have lived here for a total of 7 years altogether and I know we'll never get to come back once we do leave.

P.S.

2008-08-01T16:56:00.003+09:00

I'm full blown smokin again. Sucks, because I was doing so well (a whole year!) and all it took was a trip back home to my family to make me start all over again.

Does that make me weak? Probably. I say weakness is just part of the human condition at times, right?

Well, that's my excuse and I'm stickin to it.

My new tat

2008-08-01T15:32:00.009+09:00

Well here's the pic I said I'd post. It's mostly all healed now, so it's looking better. I still like it, although I'm already wanting to get more things added to it eventually like some cherry blossoms. It just feels like it's missing something....

(Thanks Josh at Atomic Lotus in OKC)

I'm still gonna post about my Oklahoma trip, just haven't felt like it yet though.

On another note, I've been watching this show with Ewan McGregor that I just LOVE, LOVE, LOVE. I watched the first one called Long Way Round where him and his friend Charley ride their motorcycles from London to New York. Now there's a new one starting called Long Way Down and they're riding from Scotland to Cape Town, Africa. I just cannot stop watching that show for some reason. It's just so.........fucking awesomely REAL. I love Ewan McGregor now. (not in a stalker sense though! I think! lol) It's always weird to get a new crush on someone, isn't it? Especially an actor. I mean, come on! So boringly cliche! I usually don't give a shit about them. haha

Well, more later?

Oh yeah.....

2008-07-21T20:34:00.002+09:00

It's Umi No Hi today! A relatively new, rather useless? Japanese holiday. That's why every place I went to today was so damned crowded......

Back Home

2008-07-21T20:10:00.004+09:00

We got back home very late last Thursday. I am still so tired from the whole trip. I'm very happy to be back home in Japan though. I'll sure miss it when we leave next year..... I will write about the trip to Oklahoma soon, right now I just don't feel like it....Tristan has two friends sleeping over tonight so I have my hands full anyway.

Got a new tattoo while I was in the states...it's very kawaii! It's a Japanese kokeshi doll. I couldn't afford to get all the ones I wanted but oh well. And I'm 99% sure no one else will have this same tattoo. I'll post a pic soon. Right now it's all scabby and flaky and looks gross.....

I'll post some pics from our trip soon too.

Mata ne!

Going, going, not gone yet!

2008-06-13T17:20:00.007+09:00

Well I've picked up our bus tickets to Narita and am in the process of getting our things together and packing. I hate packing for trips because I always pack too much or forget something I need.

The kids and I leave for Oklahoma on Monday, June 16th. Yippee! We'll be back July 17. Shawn was going to take us to the airport at first, but I thought it'd be cheaper for us to take the shuttle bus. After paying for tolls, parking and gas it adds up! Gas prices are so fucking ridiculous right now as everyone knows. On base we are now paying $3.89 a gallon, which is still better than what we'd pay on the Japan economy and some other places, but DAMN! We haven't been going anywhere lately, and it sucks because I hate being stuck on base all the time. The military gets COLA (cost of living allowance) for living in certain high priced areas, Japan being one of them, but I don't think it's gonna help that much the way gas and food prices are right now. And it's projected to only go higher.

A few boys that my oldest son had been having problems with this year have now been coming around wanting to be his friend again. I asked him why he wants to play with those boys again after they'd been so mean to him and he said, "Mommy, people can change you know." Out the mouth of babes.......

On another note, unfortunately, I've smoked a couple more times since Monday. Away from the kids of course! And although it initially makes me feel good, then I get lightheaded and sick to my stomach!

I DO NOT NEED TO START SMOKING AGAIN!

Feeling that way is one of the reasons why I quit to begin with. I'm taking it one day at a time though. That's all I can do. Well better get back to the packing and cleaning...I'm such a procrastinator!

Culture...

2008-06-11T08:24:00.004+09:00

We have our culture class graduation tonight. I don't know if I'm gonna go or not. I haven't been to the last two classes. I just didn't feel like it. During the last class I went to on May 28th, we did calligraphy and attempted to write our names in kanji. Here's my attempt:

OH! The places I'll go!.......

2008-06-10T22:55:00.005+09:00

There are many places in Japan I'd still like to visit before we leave next year. One place in particular is Dogashima and Irozaki in the Izu Peninsula. It looks so beautiful there. Here are some photos I've found:

I was thinking of trying to go in August or September. It's quite a drive from here though so it'd have to be during a long weekend. Another place is Nikko. I like seeing all the different shrines and temples in Japan even though Shawn and the boys think it's boring. But it's said to have some great hiking and Lake Chuzenji as well as the Nikko Edo Village, which is supposedly like being back in "old" Japan with samurai and the like. It's only about a 3 hour drive so it's definitely doable. There are still areas of Tokyo we've not been to as well. I've also been wanting to see the Hida Folk Village in Takayama as well as the buddha in Kamakura again. I went there in 1997, but didn't take any photos. And really, that's just a few of the places I still want to see.....hope I have time. But OH! The places I'll go!

AND CHAOS WILL ENSUE !

2008-06-10T08:26:00.006+09:00

So I totally and completely caved yesterday. I honestly think it was the lack of sleep for almost four days that did me in.

Since Friday morning I had only slept about 3 hours. No matter what I did I just couldn't sleep....I'd try and try but would just lay there to no avail and so I'd eventually get back up. Saturday night I got about 3 hours of poor, restless sleep. Yesterday was my oldest sons' birthday. He turned 10 (wow!)... so I just stayed up all night Sunday night cause I didn't want to chance sleeping too long if I did fall asleep since I had so much to do. I was running on fumes yesterday, but was actually holding up pretty well for someone who hadn't slept, I think!

I think I haven't slept because of anxiety....I don't know why, I've just been feeling a lot of it this past week. The only reason I can come up with is just anticipation of our upcoming trip to the states next week. Nothing else is on my mind in particular, other than trying to keep the house cleaned up and money, but those are every day issues. I've just been feeling really amped up.

So in my weakened state of mind, I did TWO of the most horrible, vile, disgusting, pathetic things anyone could EVER do. I smoked like a chimney and ate a brownie! LOL

I know, I know it's not that serious, but I did feel like crap for it. It started with the smoking, of which I've previously posted that I had just marked an entire year without one cig. I was very proud of myself. Well yesterday I smoked A LOT. Then in my delirium of sleeplessness and smoky, nicotine fueled psychosis, I caved and ate one of the brownies I'd made. CHAOS, I tell you!! Keep in mind I HAVE NOT had any carbs since January. There were a couple small social settings where I felt obligated to eat some, but I wasn't holding those occasions against myself. But yesterday? That was pure, unbridled weakness. No sleep, smoking and brownies? "What's next?", I thought. I probably would have done ANYTHING... I was a wild woman! hehe.

Well of course my kids noticed this breakdown of mine. I've promised them I wouldn't smoke again. I felt so horrible because they saw me smoke and eat a brownie and my oldest son actually cried. He said he was afraid I was gonna die (long story). I honestly didn't know it would affect him so hard. He said he was sad because he looked up to me and I had broken my goals. Wow. Children sure have a way of making you own up, don't they? I told him that mommy is human like anyone else and I am allowed to make mistakes. "Tomorrow is a new day," I said.

So after finally getting some sleep last night, I'm feeling better today, although I'm seriously fighting a craving for some sweet, damned nicotine right now....but today is another chance to do it right. Good luck to me. I need it!

Little justice for the Ainu...

2008-06-08T21:11:00.007+09:00

Another interesting article from today:

Japan to formally recognize Ainu as indigenous people...
Members of the Ainu Association of Hokkaido leave the public gallery of the House of Councillors plenary session Friday after it unanimously voted to urge the government to recognize Ainu as indigenous people.Both houses of the Diet unanimously approved a resolution on Friday urging the government to officially recognize Ainu as indigenous people.
The House of Councillors and the House of Representatives voted in favor of the resolution at their respective plenary sessions on Friday.
On behalf of the executive branch of the government, Chief Cabinet Secretary Nobutaka Machimura declared that Japan will formally recognize Ainu as indigenous people.
The government is set to establish a panel on Ainu to consider their indigenous rights after it officially recognizes them as indigenous people.
The move will likely represent a drastic change in Japan's policy of not recognizing Ainu's indigenous rights and putting top priority to the development of Hokkaido where a large population of Ainu has been concentrated since the Meiji Era.
The resolution points out that Japan is required to take specific actions following the adoption of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples in September last year.
"We must take seriously the historical fact that numerous Ainu people were discriminated against and impoverished as Japan underwent modernization," the resolution says.
It then urges the government to officially recognize Ainu as indigenous people and implement specific measures to protect their rights.
Ainu is an ethnic group that has its own culture and language. They mainly lived in Hokkaido and on the Kuril Islands, and earned a living by hunting and picking wild vegetables.
However, their population decreased sharply under the Meiji government's assimilation policy, according to experts.
A Hokkaido Prefectural Government survey shows that 23,782 Ainu people were living in the northernmost prefecture as of 2006.

I've always been interested in the Ainu, the "red headed step children" of Japan. Most Japanese will not talk about the Ainu and if they know of any Ainu bloodlines in their own family they will often hide that fact.

No one really knows where the Ainu came from. There's much speculation though. I think I read somewhere before, that they do not have the same DNA traits as modern Japanese people, nor do they have DNA quite like any other race. Very interesting. On top of that, their language and cultural traditions are not at all like the modern Japanese either.

The Ainu were basically forced out from their land (Hokkaido region), much like what happened to the American Indians from what I understand. They were made to assimilate and there are many who are trying to keep the Ainu culture alive by passing down the traditions to the younger generations. Although that's getting harder as time and technology moves forward. Anyway I thought this was interesting, even if it's just a small gesture by the Japanese government. They could have and should have done more in my opinion, but I could say the same about what our government did to the American Indians.

Tragedy in Akihabara....

2008-06-08T20:55:00.004+09:00

I just read about this that happened today...

5 dead in stabbing spree in Akihabara Paramedics give aid to a victim of the stabbing rampage in Akihabara in Tokyo's Chiyoda-ku, June 8, 2008. (Mainichi)TOKYO -- Japanese public broadcaster NHK says the death toll from a midday stabbing spree in Tokyo has risen to five. The deadly attack at lunchtime Sunday in the Akihabara district also injured 12 others, paralyzing shoppers with fear. Police say they arrested a 25-year-old man at the scene. Local news reports say the attacker grunted and roared as he slashed and stabbed his victims at random on a street crowded with shoppers. Akihabara's electronics and video game district, known as Electric Town, is wildly popular with Japan's cyber-wise youth. (Mainichi Japan) June 8, 2008

Although Japan is statistically one of the safest countries in the world, horrible things do still happen here. That's a very crowded area....especially on a weekend.....sad and random!

One Year, No Cig

2008-05-28T16:47:00.010+09:00

It's officially been one year since I quit smoking! I started smoking when I was about 12 years old. I was just an occasional smoker, until I hit my late teens and then I was really hooked.

Marlboro "reds" is what I started on and eventually moved to Marlboro Lights as the reds became to strong for me. But incidentally I chain smoked the lights WAY more than I ever did the former. I was a terrible chain smoker. My triggers were being in the car, stress of course and immediately after meals....those were the hardest times for me to get through without a cigarette.

I was able to quit during my pregnancies, because my body physically forced me to quit. I couldn't stand the smoke at that time. But the day after I gave birth I would start back up again.

I'd been wanting to quit again for the past few years. I just got to the point where every time I lit one up I despised it but would of course still puff it away. I would always tell myself, "OK, after this pack, no more." But of course that didn't work.

Over the past 2 or 3 years I'd been getting sick quite often with sinus or chest colds. They started occurring more frequently and lasting longer and longer. But of course I would still smoke even though I was miserable! Finally last year around this time, I'd already been sick for about 3 weeks and was wondering if I'd ever get better. I don't know if it was physical or psychological, but I started to not be able to smoke at all. After a few days, I decided that it was my chance to quit for good. If I'd gone that long without one, then I could go further. It worked.

I eventually got better and did worry about relapse. But I just kept telling myself I didn't need it. It's a goal of mine to climb Mt. Fuji before we leave Japan next year, and I know it wouldn't be possible if I was still smoking the way I was. Hubby still smokes so that's kinda hard, but I'm working through it. I won't lie. It's not as if all temptation is gone. I definitely have my moments that I still want to smoke. Every so often, it will creep up on me and I guess that will never go away. It seems like an old friend, a bad influence, that's constantly whispering in my ear to just do it cause it's so good and fun.

So far I've been strong and resisted. I'm pretty proud of myself for going this long though. Anyone who's really known me, knows how much I smoked before. So it's a huge accomplishment for me and I hope it continues....

Updates....

2008-05-25T01:50:00.006+09:00

I FINALLY lost another 5 pounds last week! So all together that's 25 pounds lost! Yeah for me! I was being lazy and relying on diet only to get me through, but obviously that wasn't working...so I dusted off the old treadmill and started doing at least 3 miles almost everyday last week and the scale finally budged! w00t w00t! I hope it continues. As I've said before, I don't want to be some stick thin girl with no ass or boobs, but I need to get my weight under control for my health and well being. So onward.....

The kids and I will be going to Oklahoma in June for a visit after all. There was a little snag for a while, but thankfully my parents were able to come through for us and help. Sometimes I don't know what we'd do without them...and to think we used to not get along AT ALL. They do get on my last nerve at times, but ~hey!~ isn't that what family is for?

Oh, we saw The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian tonight and I thought it was really great. The special effects were good, the story line was good and in all I thought it was a decent attempt at a sequel. I haven't read the books in many, many years so I can't remember if the movies have stayed true to the books, but it was worth the money to see it, in my opinion. Next I want to see the new Indiana Jones!

I have also finally fixed the pics on a previous blog entry of the Hiwatari Matsuri. I was again being lazy and never got around to fixing them til now....mata ne!

Some notes to self....

2008-05-23T22:07:00.005+09:00

◊ Lunch for school field trip to Tama Zoo on Tuesday.

◊ Class snacks on Wednesday...

◊ Trip to the sake factory has been moved to next Saturday....May 31.

◊ Get plane tickets June 6.
Jayden, field trip to Showa Park...sack lunch.

◊ Shavar graduates high school June 7.

◊ Tristan's Birthday June 9.

◊ Dental appointment June 10...call for time???

◊ Kid's last day of school, June 12.

◊ Leave for visit to Oklahama, June 16 !

Fun with okonomiyaki the Hiroshima way !!!

2008-05-21T18:43:00.023+09:00

So last week in class we made okonomiyaki (hiroshima style). It's a Japanese dish that has vegetables, meat, noodles and a thin flour pancake. There are different preferred ways of making okonomiyaki depending on what region of Japan your in. When we went to Hiroshima last year I did get to try Hiroshima-yaki straight from the source! There's also Kansai style (from Osaka area), as well as another type called hirayachi (ヒラヤーチー) from Okinawa. Each region has their own way of making it.

These are the ingredients we used for the Hiroshima style okonomiyaki:

(makes 4 servings)

~wheat flour -------- 140g

~water -------- 200cc

~cabbage (shredded) -------- 650g

~bean sprouts -------- 200g

~sliced pork back ribs -------- 200g

~fried chinese noodles -------- 600g

~sauce for noodles -------- apply liberally

~eggs -------- 4

~chopped green onion -------- any amount??

~tempura crisps or ikaten (squid flakes) -------- apply liberally

~powdered bonito (bonito flakes) -------- apply liberally

~aonori (seaweed) -------- apply liberally

~okonomiyaki sauce (Otafuku brand) -------- 300g

~mayonnaise * -------- apply liberally

(*japanese mayonnaise is NOT the same as american mayo, as anyone who's been here knows, so try to get a japanese brand mayonnaise if you can!)

Here is a photo of our ingredients:

(sorry, it's not a great pic)

Cooking instructions:

1. Preheat an electric grill (the larger the better in my opinion) to 180°C/350°F. Mix together the flour and water. Put a little oil (vegetable) in the grill and pour the pancake batter in. Spread it around so that it's wide and thin but still in a circular shape. Sprinkle the bonito powder and kelp powder (aonori) onto the batter. (save a little batter for later)

(my boys making the batter)

(my oldest son spreading it in the grill)

2. Turn up the temperature on the grill to around 220°C/425°F. Layer on the cabbage,tempura crisps or ikaten (*we used ikaten which are squid flakes), chopped green onion, and bean sprouts.

3. On top of that put the sliced pork on and arrange it so that it covers as much of the vegetables as possible, then drizzle the remaining batter on top.

4. When the bottom is cooked to a golden brown, flip over quickly (with pork side down. It's best to use two spatulas to flip. Be aware that it can get very messy! Continue cooking until cooked thoroughly, pressing it down with the a spatula.

(other members of the class)

(look at that mess! maybe too many ingredients or just no skill?? LOL)

5. After flipping it all over, push it to the side a little to cook the noodles. Use a little oil or water if needed. After the noodles are cooked, lower the grill temperature back to 180°C/350°F. Flavor with noodle sauce, for example yakisoba sauce.

6. Spread the noodles into a circular shape and place the batter/vegetable concoction on top of the noodles! Then off to the side cook the eggs.

7. Then take the noodle/batter/vegetable concoction and put it on top of the cooked eggs. Then you must flip it over again to make the eggs on top.

8. Generously spread Otafuku Okonomi Sauce on the top. Count to ten and flip it again!

9. Sprinkle the aonori (seaweed) on the top and it's done!

Our finished product:

(It was messy but very oishii !!!)

(my boys waiting to enjoy it!)

Itadakimasu!!

We thought it was a fun class that day.....

Down with the Sickness!

2008-05-21T17:26:00.006+09:00

Won't be going to culture class today. My oldest son has come down with something rather quickly. He was fine this morning but by the afternoon the school nurse called hubby saying he needed to be picked up because he had a fever of 101.5

Hopefully it'll just be a 24 hour bug. I think maybe it's from the constant weather changes we've been having? One day it's nice, sunny and warm and the next it's cold and raining...but that's Japan weather for ya. You never know what your gonna get.

I'm a little disappointed to miss the class because we were having a taiko drum performance tonight and I have not seen one of those yet. But it's ok. Of course my son is most important! We are supposed to go to a sake factory on Saturday, so that should be interesting too. We made okonomiyaki last Wednesday of which I'm going to post about next!

Catching up bloggy........

2008-05-07T16:47:00.007+09:00

I want to start by saying it's such a beautiful day today!! It's a little warm, about 80 degrees which is a big jump as of late, but the sun was nice and bright today! Bring on the summer!

Wow. I've really been neglecting this blog lately. Not that anyone probably notices, but who cares, it's for me anywayz. I haven't posted in about a month I think. So I will try to remember anything interesting from my boring little life.

Well as stated previously, I started wearing contacts again after about 10 years. It has been good, but honestly my eyes are a little irritated right now. Hold on. Let me put some drops in....alright that's better. Well I'm still also on my low carb diet that I started back in January. But the weird thing is that the scale has not budged since losing the initial 20 pounds. But I've had to buy some new clothes and I am feeling really good though! Better than I have in a while at least!

Shawn (hubby) and I celebrated our 10 year wedding anniversary on April 20, 2008. We didn't do much, just went to dinner and out for drinks. But it seems surreal that we have now been married for 10 years. And the fact that we met here in Japan over 11 years ago is surreal too. It has not been easy, but of course everyone knows most relationships aren't. We have definitely had our ups and downs, but we've stuck by each other through it all and I can honestly say that he is my best friend. I feel more connected to him now than ever before. He just gets me, even when I'm at my worst. I will always love and cherish him. He always tries to make me feel better, even when I push him away. Is that what real love is?

The kids will be getting out of school on June 12 for the summer. After school ends, we are planning to go to Oklahoma City to see my parents, (the grandparents) for a few weeks. We haven't been on U.S. soil in almost 3 years! So it will be nice to be back in the states for a while. Yah! I miss Walmart! I know it's so lame! When we were still in the states, I started to hate Wal-Mart and now all I want to do it walk into one of those bad boys with all the choices and the low, low prices! Hehehe! It will be just me and the kids going though. Shawn will have too stay here in Japan and work unfortunately. Plus the tickets are so expensive! Over $1000 a piece so just for me and the kids it's more than $3000! Geez!

I am kinda getting tired of this base and the people here. While I've met a few nice people, some have been downright rude to me for no apparent reason. I am a little shy and quiet at first and I get nervous when I'm talking to someone new sometimes, but I don't do anything bad or mean to anyone so I don't deserve it. Shawn says I can't let people get to me, and I try not to, but it does sometimes and makes me depressed. I know I take things too personally sometimes too, but I can't help it. And with military life, which I've been in my ENTIRE life, relationships are fleeting and I've gotten to the point in my life that I think, what's the point of trying to make new friends? One of us will just be moving soon and then it's back to square one. That is one of the pitfalls of this nomadic life. I love the fact that I'm ready, willing and able to go anywhere at anytime since I have no "roots" anywhere, but it makes it so hard to maintain any relationships. And every few years I get a little antsy, because when I've been in one place for a while, I feel I'm ready to move on again....I haven't met anyone else who was a military brat, then in the military themselves, and then a military spouse like me. Surely there are some others out there? Somewhere? Someone also probably constantly on the ready to leave again like me and also struggling to build meaningful relationships with people..... But such is military life. One day, I guess we will be able to settle down and have a nice house out in the country somewhere and stay there. But for now, there are still so many places I want to see and things I want to do........

Our culture class has been off for the past two weeks for Japanese Golden Week. But we are to resume next Wendnesday for a cooking class. Last class we went to Hachioji to eat at a restaurant called Amataro or something like that. I ate shabu-shabu for the first time. I can't believe I haven't tried it before! It was good! Kinda like yakiniku, except instead of grilling the thin slices of meat, you put it in a pot of boiling water with seaweed! I also had some huge lemony alcoholic drink that left me feeling a good and buzzed....

Well that's all I can think of for now........mata ne!

Culture club...again

2008-04-09T23:30:00.004+09:00

Had culture club again tonight. We learned how to use chopsticks. I thought I already knew, but I found out I'd actually been holding them wrong this whole time! And I learned some other things I didn't know like, dont' point your chopsticks at people when your speaking to them, don't pick around and eat only what you like; you need to start from the top and work your way down to the bottom of the dish, and don't linger with your chopsticks over a particular dish if you can't decide what to eat and no licking your chopsticks!!! I already knew the basic no no's like don't put the chopsticks sticking out of the rice bowl and don't move the dishes around with the chopsticks. We also had a quiz about transportation in Japan. I thought I'd do good, but it was harder than I thought!

Changing subjects, I was just watching Jay Leno and there was a funny (actor, comedian?) named Russell Brand. I just want to make a note because I thought he was very funny and there was something about him I liked. I will look for his work in the future.

First Culture Exchange Meeting..........

2008-04-02T21:22:00.003+09:00

I signed up for a 10 week Japanese Culture exchange class back in January and tonight was the first meeting. It went well I think! Everyone seemed very nice. Especially the Japanese volunteers. They all work at the Olympus camera company and they volunteer to do cultural exchange with us Americans. We will be doing things like a tea ceremony, visiting a sake factory, Japanese cooking, origami, etc. Our group leader Masamichi (Masa) was very nice and funny. The other Japanese in attendance tonight was Koji, Hiroko, and Ayami. I guess there are more people too, but they were absent this time.

I'm glad I was able to get in the class because it's always full and there's a waiting list. I really needed an outlet, because being a stay at home mom can be very isolating. So hopefully I will make friends with some nice people and get out of the house more!

Trivial but great!

2008-04-01T20:44:00.003+09:00

I actually found some cute dresses at Seiyu today that fit me! Woot woot! I couldn't believe it! It can be hard for American women to shop at Japanese stores! Especially if your not like a size 0, which I'm definitely NOT. So yay for me!

My poor eyesight....

2008-03-27T20:18:00.007+09:00

Well, I've decided to try to wear contacts again. It's been about 10 years since I last tried to wear them. I get so tired of wearing glasses. They always get bent or get in the way, and I think I look better without them. Plus I can buy some cheap, fashionable sunglasses instead of ugly prescription ones. I've been wearing them all day today and my eyes are a little irritated, but I guess I'll just have to get used to them. Last time I tried to wear them, it didn't last long. I thought they just irritated my eyes too much. But I imagine that after 10 years they are better now. Plus, I'm more patient now. I've had to wear glasses ever since 5th grade and I cannot help but blame this boy that was in my class! Minutes before we all lined up to see the nurse for an eye exam, he poked me in the eye with a pencil! Ever since then, I've had to wear glasses. I wish I could hunt him down and poke him back! Just kidding, but it's too much of a coincidence to me. lol

Not much else going on, hubby is now working nights, so I've been spending WAY too much time on myspace. Something to do to pass the time.

I took the kids to see "Horton Hears A Who" last night. It was really cute! Oh and I really need to fix some of the photos below of the fire festival. I don't know why they stopped working. I'll do that tomorrow maybe.....signing off.....

Takaosan and the Hiwatari Matsuri.....

2008-03-20T16:55:00.022+09:00

I'm finally getting around to posting this! On Sunday, March 9, we went to the firewalking festival (Hiwatari Matsuri) at Takao-san. We made it. Thankfully. I was afraid I was going to miss it. As we got to the train station to go to Takao-san, hubby was starting to feel bad, and as the train was coming, he decided to stay home and I went on with the kids to Takaosanguchi myself.

We got there about 9:30 am. The boy's on the train:

A funny statue you see when you get off:

I knew the matsuri didn't start until 1:00 pm so I felt we had plenty of time to wander around. I wasn't sure where the actual festival was. I was under the impression it was going to be at the Yakuoin Temple. So we took the cable car and started the hike up:

Tristan took this shot of me:

Here's some random photos:



Well come to find out that we went all the way to the top of the mountain for nothing! I eventually found out that the festival was held in the parking area where we've parked when we've driven there before. It was almost 1:00 and I didn't think we'd get there in time. So the kids and I started to book it down the mountain at a quick pace. Fortunately we did make it just as it was starting...



I could barely see because I'm so short, and we didn't get there early so all the good spots were gone. I squeezed myself into the crowd and held my arm up and just started shooting whatever photos I could get! It was pretty cool though. There were lots of chanting from all the mountain priests (called yamabushi in Japanese) and it sounded awesome. I also have videos that maybe I'll upload one day....I guess they were just performing the rituals and there was a guy who was shooting arrows into the "pit". Then it started to smoke:

Unfortunately we were in the wrong spot for the backwinds! The smoke immediately started overpowering us and many people moved back. But I stayed my ground and inched closer because I didn't want to lose my spot! It only lasted a few minutes though and then the smoke cleared. The flames got really big and was extremely hot where we were standing. But I still stayed my ground!



Some fire department men were there of course!

Then the yamabushi started throwing water on the fire. They also threw some sticks in. I don't know why!



Then they set up the salt mounds on each side of the pit. A man started to take off his clothes and was flinging something around and then another priest was speaking in front the pit. I couldn't understand a word that was said, but that's okay! After the fire had simmered down more, the priests started walking over the pit followed by everyone else who wanted to.



The priests were throwing these into the crowd. Not sure what they are. But I grabbed some because everyone else was!

Some trinkets we got, though I wish I could read them:



So in addition to it being a beautiful day that day, we got some excercise, saw an awesome Japanese festival and have some great memories. I'm glad we didn't miss it!

Bloggy Blog

2008-03-15T17:23:00.005+09:00

O.K. blog. I've missed you. I know I've been neglecting you for that BITCH myspace. But I can't help it. She's so addictive, and drives me crazy. Of course I'll always have a place in my heart for you.

Because you allow me to release my true feelings and inner self. As much as I choose to anyways. Without all the flashy, shininess and fakeness of people who you hope give a shit about what your doing, but most likely don't.

With you, I can just write whatever's on my mind and you are OK with that and so am I. So although myspace is my mistress for now, you are the one I will always come back to. Your my 80%....(you know what that means!)

LOL

(*^-^*)

Into The Wild.......

2008-03-10T21:55:00.002+09:00

I just watched that movie. All I can say is GREAT MOVIE! It really gives you perspective on the simple things in life.....I'm still reeling from it as I type......

WTF?

2008-03-08T01:57:00.001+09:00

Yeah I'm still up........and was that a big ass earthquake I just felt? Seemed so!

My Food Journal......R.I.P. (Jan-Feb 2008)

2008-03-06T14:53:00.004+09:00

Well, I've deleted my food journal. It was just too much to keep up with. I don't wanna be tied down to that. I know what I put in my mouth and I'm watching it closely.

I know I'm still on the right track.......still low carb all the way and I hope I'm skinny by summer!!!!

Journal, you will be missed.........NOT

American Idol

2008-03-05T19:59:00.003+09:00

So I just got done watching American Idol. The guys did pretty good, but I am getting bored of the show now. Not just this season, the show in general. And what the fuck is wrong with Paula Abdul? She talks nonsense. She was either drunk or drugged up. I thought David Cook did the best with the Lionel Ritchie song. But Paula needs to go. Seriously.

Lots of nothingness...

2008-03-04T09:52:00.008+09:00

Well not much going on. Just watched movies and drove around all weekend. Sometimes that's all you need though. We are going to the Hiwatari Matsuri this Sunday at Mt. Takao. We've been to Mt. Takao about 4 times because it's only about 30 minutes from our house, but we've never been to the fire festival. Last year we were gonna go, but we were lazy and slept in....I will post some pics of Mt. Takao soon. It's really nice.

I've just been working on my myspace page. I don't really like myspace anymore, but that's where people who know me are. I like building my webpage more than anything else really. I still like the fact that I have a "real blog" though. Done for now......

Here's my myspace:
→HERE←

Too Pretty To Fly? Or Just Media Whores?

2008-02-28T16:50:00.009+09:00

This is so ridiculous. These two 18 year old girls:

have gone to the media saying that they were banned for life from flying on Southwest Airlines because "they were too pretty". They stated:

“I think they were just discriminating against [us] because we were young decent-looking girls. I mean, nobody else on the plane looked like us except us,” Williams told TampaBays10.com. “[The flight attendants] were like older ladies. We were younger. Who knows, they could have been just jealous of us because we were younger.”

Ick. Phewy. When this kind of crap occurs, it really makes me worried about the future of the younger generations. So many people nowadays seem to be obsessed with looks and the illusion of having money. For instance how many people have you seen carrying a Louis Vuitton or (any other overpriced designer) handbag, but yet they have garage sale clothes and shoes? And I'm not knocking garage sales at all, I love them, and I personally like to buy clothes from thrift stores, but I hate Louis Vuitton bags, I don't get the appeal of them. It seems most people in Japan have one. I think it's just some sort of fake "status" thing. In no way would I ever spend up to $1000 or more on a bag that gets abused daily.

Sorry I've gotten off track. Personally, I think these girls are just trying to become famous and this is how they're trying to do it. And unfortunately it will probably work because they are young and pretty (but of course beauty is in the eye of the beholder) and before you know it they'll end up in Playboy like THIS GIRL

Which is what people will expect anyway.

Well this is Southwest Airlines response:

Am I the only one who's bothered by all the fakeness, stupidity and looksism that's occuring in the world today? I hope not.

Getting off my soapbox now.....

A Visit to Nihon Minka-en

2008-02-28T09:20:00.002+09:00

Nihon Minka-en is an open air folk museum, located in Kawasaki City. They have taken 25 old merchant and farm houses, and resurrected them into this open museum so as to preserve them. The houses all date from the 17th to 19th centuries, and have been put into a village like setting. I'm always curious about old things. I love antiques, so this was definitely up my alley.

I thought hubby and the kids would hate it and complain, but they actually enjoyed themselves I think. It was very interesting and many signs were in English. It costs ¥500 for adults and children are free. I'm not sure if some of the pics are in the correct order, but it's the best I can remember.















Look a benjo! Imagine that, basically a hole in the ground. The Japanese are sure living it up now with such technology as seat warmers, flushing music and bidets. And at least now the ones that are still holes in the ground flush, right?













Whew! Was that too many photos? I have so much more to go through! If you like that kind of thing and have nothing else to do, then I think Nihon Minka-en is worth the trip.....

Useless Kid's Meal Toys

2008-02-27T09:42:00.009+09:00

On a lighter note, I was going to start posts about useless fast food chain kid's meal toys.........
They just keep piling up in my house and car! Maybe I should clean them though.......Nah!
Here's the first one:

It's Doraemon!! It's from McDonald's. I did not know that it's actually a robot and not just a cat. But this toy does nothing....What's the point?
でも、かわいいですね！

**Sidenote: I just read this in Wikipedia:

"In January 2008, it was announced the new 2008 movie will be released in countries outside of Japan, which now includes the United States. Tom Kenny, the voice actor known for his work in the SpongeBob SquarePants series, will play the role of Doraemon. The movie will be released in America in December 2008."

That's cool! People all over the world will now know Doraemon! My kid's absolutely love Spongebob Squarepants. But I don't think many Japanese have heard of him...?

Murder/Suicide on AF Base

2008-02-27T09:08:00.011+09:00

My mom just called me about this. This story breaks my heart and pisses me off at the same time. My parents live in Oklahoma. My dad works on Tinker AFB. Yesterday, a Tech Sergeant who lived in base housing shot his 4 year old and 9 year old children.

It's terrible whenever something like this happens but this hits home for me more because we are an Air Force family and my kids are about the same ages. Also because my parents live right there. It always pisses me off when someone wants to hurt innocent children.

Kill yourself if you must, but leave the children out of it!!!! So tragic.......

Here's the story:
Tinker AFB Murders

I'm addicted to this song right now

2008-02-26T12:58:00.009+09:00

Sowelu - Lovin you

It's just so darn catchy! I like to listen to it while I'm cleaning my house.

Lyrics:

Why, why, why aren’t you missing me
Why, why, why don’t you call me

Say my name
Anata no koe kikitakute nemurenai
Late last night
Hitori wo tsutsumu seijaku kanjite

Lovin’ you is a beautiful thing
Sunao na kimochi todoketa kute
Lovin’ you is a beautiful thing
Sobani kite my side

Why, why, why aren’t you missing me
Why, why, why don’t you call me

Take my hand
Anata no koto nara wakaru itsudemo
Not afraid
Mienai kako no hitohira kowaku nai

Lovin’ you is a beautiful thing
Fureru dakede tsutawaru omoi
Lovin’ you is a beautiful thing
Sobani ite my light

I’m trying to find you

I’m craving for just your love, like a child
Nothing can be ever close to your love
I’m craving for just your love, like a child
Nothing will be ever same as your touch
Just hold me tight, you will see what you miss
Cause I know

Lovin’ you is a beautiful thing
Fureru dakede tsutawaru omoi
Lovin’ you is a beautiful thing
Sobani ite my light
I’m trying to find you

Lovin’ you is a beautiful thing
Watashi no basho e

Why, why, why aren’t you missing me
Why, why, why I’m trying to find you
Why, why, why aren’t you missing me
Why, why, why don’t you call me

I’m craving for just your love, like a child
Nothing can be ever close to your love
I’m craving for just your love, like a child
Nothing will be ever same as your touch
(x3)

Lovin’ you is a beautiful thing
Lovin’ you is a beautiful thing

I'm trying to find you

Video: Shiraito-no-taki

2008-02-25T09:48:00.027+09:00

Hope it works now. Had to upload it to Youtube.
This is Shiraito waterfall:

I really hate listening to myself saying Japanese words. I have a bad southern accent, so I think I sound weird. Plus it was hard to hear anything over the noise!

Shiraito-no-taki

2008-02-23T19:32:00.017+09:00

Bored, so I'm posting some more pics of places we've been. I've got tons of photos to go through......

This is from last year when we went to the Shiraito waterfall near Mt. Fuji. It was really beautiful. I could have just sat there watching it all day long.

This waterfall is called Otodome:

This is Shiraito:

It was really nice. We will go back again before we have to leave Japan. It was worth the 3-4 hour drive to get there. I had wanted my parents to see Mt. Fuji up close, but it was completely unviewable that day. (It was July). Even right at the base of the mountain in Fujiyoshida, you couldn't see anything. Every other time we've driven there it was perfectly clear. Too bad my parents missed it. I always enjoy driving up to Fuji-san though. We dont' even take the expressways, we take the longer national routes, just for the scenery.

Teeth Whitening

2008-02-23T12:59:00.010+09:00

Well I guess it worked. I don't really know what I was expecting, but I can say I felt a little disappointed afterwards. I went to Miyamoto Dental Clinic. It's located in the Sheraton Miyako Hotel, just down the street from Shirokanedai station, Toei Mita Line. I thought by the address in their advertisement, in the Tokyo Metropolis magazine, that they were located in Ginza, but it's in Minato-ku. I don't know enough about Tokyo to know if that's considered a part of Ginza or not. I don't think it is. But anyway, the staff was very, very nice. I was embarrassingly 25 minutes late because I missed one of my trains.

I was under the impression from their advertisement that it was an English speaking clinic but I guess not so much. The dental hygenist I had, spoke enough that we understood each other. I wanted to go to a clinic that spoke English because I certainly didn't want anyone messing with my mouth and us not be able to understand each other. I HATE going to the dentist. I avoid it if at all possible. Even just getting them whitened I was extremely nervous. The treatment was not too bad, until the last one. She had to do it three times. During the last one, I started feeling shooting pains going down into the nerves in my gums. OUCH! This lasted for most of the night. This morning, the pains are gone but I have a huge headache. I don't know if it has something to do with it.

My husband said he couldn't hardly tell a difference. But he is color blind. Seriously! For real. (^-^)

I can tell a difference, even though it didn't turn out exactly as I'd hoped. But they ARE whiter than before. In certain lighting I can see it better. There was an American couple that came in after me because the man needed a tooth fixed. I was already in the chair so I couldn't see them, but I sure could hear them speaking very loudly in English and saying they didn't understand or speak any Japanese. She kept saying,"All I know is ARIGATO." The woman kept asking how long it was going to take because they were going on a tour to see Fiji. HAHAHA. I heard the dentist say, "Fuji". And she was like, "Yeah, yeah that's it. I guess they were staying in the hotel, because she kept saying she couldn't believe that there were shops and a dental office in a hotel. I thought it was kinda funny. Well that's all for now.

Observation:
Why do so many Japanese men carry what is clearly a woman's handbag? I have seen it so many times and I think to myself, "Don't they know?" Maybe it's some weird Japanese fashion I'll never understand like those gyaru girls from years ago.

Not so bright.....

2008-02-21T16:53:00.004+09:00

Well tomorrow I have an appointment in Ginza to get my teeth whitened. I don't really want to go that far, but I don't know where a closer English speaking clinic is to me.......

After smoking almost a pack a day since I was 12 years old, and since I finally quit smoking last year, I think it's time. Whitening toothpastes can only do so much.

Honestly I am in serious need of braces. I hate my smile so much, so I try to avoid smiling at all costs. But I've never been able to afford braces. When I was a teenager my parents couldn't afford them. And as an adult with young children, I still haven't been able to afford them. Well, maybe we could afford them now, but I can't get them here in Japan. They cost twice as much as in the U.S. So I hope maybe the whitening will make me feel a little better about myself anyway.

Most people assume I'm quite unfriendly because I hate to smile. Seriously. It's rare. Hope it's worth the ¥31,500 I'm spending.....Guess I'll find out tomorrow!

Weight update

2008-02-21T08:43:00.002+09:00

Oh, I forgot to update that I have lost a total of 20 pounds so far. Yeah for me! Only about 20 more to go!

Speedy and Ash...the Hamster Chronicles

2008-02-21T08:02:00.010+09:00

We got some hamsters on Monday. They're still little babies though. I'm pretty sure they're Chinese hamsters because of the stripe down their backs. For the past few days, they've been kind of scared and staying in their little huts but now I think they're getting more used to their new homes and us. I bought them at a pet store somewhere between Mizuho and Ome on Rt. 5. I went to CAINZ HOME Do It Yourself store for their supplies. It's the Japanese equivalent of a Home Depot or Lowe's. The pet supplies on base are really lacking.

This is Speedy:

This is Ash. He's harder to get a good picture of!:

かわいいね！

I'm a rotten drunk...

2008-02-17T09:00:00.011+09:00

Hangover.

Bad.

Head pounding...still typing.

I got so trashed last night. I haven't drank like that in YEARS. I'm getting too old for that shit. It was not pretty. Luckily my hubby took care of me. I just needed to unwind and boy did I.
(`_^)

Now I remember why I don't drink very much.

Alcohol is vedy vedy bad!

New Kokeshi dolls!

2008-02-14T14:29:00.004+09:00

Wow I hit a jackpot today and got all these cute kokeshi for 5000¥:

And this one was given to me a couple of weeks ago. I saw it in a shop and asked if it was for sale and the Japanese man was kind enough to give it to me:

More for my collection!

Marine accused of raping Okinawan girl

2008-02-13T17:54:00.006+09:00

O.K. I've got to get this off my chest.........
Okinawa is crazy right now over a marine who was accused of raping a 14 year old girl. Rape is a terrible, horrible crime and any perpetrator should be punished severely.

But what makes me so mad is that the local Japanese politicians and the Japanese media try to make monsters out of the U.S. military here in Japan. RAPE OCCURS IN JAPAN BY JAPANESE CITIZENS TOO! Sex crimes are fairly common, but many Americans here don't hear about it. But when it's one of our own, the media is all over it, and then we all get blamed. If the marine in question did this, then he should be punished. Period. But why make it a huge media sensation? Does it help the victim? NO. If she was raped by a Japanese man, it would have been a little blip on the news sites.

I had a horrible experience with a Japanese man a few months back (camera phone under the ladies stall in public bathroom) but when I went to report it to the local police station, I felt they did not care. I actually think they thought it was funny. And of course they never found the guy. And, I JUST read a few days ago that someone high up in Tokyo University was accused of rape. Rape, murder, and molestation happens here too. Believe it. The Japanese are human and so are us Americans. Therefore, we commit crimes, and nationality has nothing to do with it.

I just think it's unfair to lump all us gaijin together. Most of us do the right thing, don't get into trouble and show nothing but respect for the Japanese. But I guess as long as there are foreigners here in Japan, this will always happen unfortunately.

Loving my hair today....

2008-02-13T14:59:00.006+09:00

I'm not used to having straight hair, but it's great! It's very windy today and it basically goes right back to normal once I'm inside. I never thought I'd be so excited about my stupid hair......
I'm really not one of "those" girls. (*^-^*)
Oh and maybe it's my imagination but today people seemed to be much nicer to me with straight hair....あやしいね？

Off the radar.....

2008-02-12T14:31:00.000+09:00

Wow I really need to catch up. I've been sick and didn't feel like writing. I'm still going strong on my diet and have actually lost ANOTHER 5 pounds. So that's 15 pounds so far! Yeah for me! (my food journal is not up to date, but I've still been eating the same stuff)

Not much else going on. Just trying to get better. But, I had my hair done today and I am SO excited! I have always struggled with curly/wavy/frizzy hair that never wanted to do anything. I never had the time or patience to flat iron it every day. It usually always ended up in a ponytail. So today I had a Japanese Straight Perm (also called Thermal Reconditioning, or Japanese Super Straight perm, etc.) So far I absolutely LOVE IT! It made my hair so straight and shiny. Now I just have to be careful for the next three days. No washing, not even one drop of water (and of course it started raining when I was in the salon), no clips or ponytails. It took three hours to do, and it's supposed to last for approx 1 year.

Here was my hair before:

And here it is today:

It was done by a woman named Masako and I think she did a great job. I hope it stays this way. Anyway, that's all.

Fuji-san from my window....

2008-02-05T09:33:00.000+09:00

A clear view of Mt. Fuji recently.....too bad the building's in the way!

Under the weather........

2008-02-05T09:00:00.000+09:00

Ugh. I haven't been feeling well the past few days. I have a sinus cold/infection and a terrible sore throat. I can't even talk right now, but I'm still able to get on the computer of course! I think it's due to the constantly changing weather lately. Warm, cold, snow, rain, sunny.....weather in Japan is weird sometimes. It hadn't snowed in this part of the Kanto for years but Saturday we got quite a bit. We also got a little last week.

We went to Yokosuka this weekend.....ate at the new Chili's restaurant they have at the base down there. It was nice, but really crowded. The food was great though. I had the Monterey Chicken which is marinated grilled chicken breast w/BBQ sauce, applewood smoked bacon, cheese and tomatoes. A side of broccoli with parmesan and a house salad. It was SO GOOD. It's nice to have those kind of restaurant options here. We also like to go to the Outback Steakhouse at Minami Osawa. Other favorites of ours are Skylark, Jonathan's, and Bikkuri Donkey. So, basically kid friendly places. And there's a yakiniku place we like, I can't remember the name though.

Weight loss news.....

2008-02-01T19:28:00.000+09:00

Something is going right because my jeans are getting LOOSE! Even with a belt. I still can't understand how you can lose fat and not weight, which is why the scale isn't moving according to some websites. It doesn't make sense to me......But I'll be happy anyway.

Keeping on........
（ ´∀｀）

Choices are hard to make........

2008-02-01T19:18:00.000+09:00

I just got this in an email and thought it was funny.....

Life boils down to two choices.....

Should I get a dog???????

Or have children???????

Tricky Tricky Japanese Particles

2008-01-31T14:21:00.000+09:00

I said this while shopping recently.....

"Kore wa ga hoshii desu"

I didn't realize how stupid I sounded until later.....the correct thing to say would have been

"Kore ga hoshii desu"
"I want this"

I added an extra particle ! Maybe the clerk didn't notice... hehe

Pretty in pink........

2008-01-31T01:02:00.001+09:00

Took this picture yesterday.....it's nice to see some color even though it's cold outside..........

Driving in Japan.....it's an experience

2008-01-30T08:33:00.002+09:00

So last night I was watching "The Amazing Race". Again, here in Japan, we get a lot of shows weeks or months later than when they're shown in the U.S. (You'd think with all the technology nowadays it wouldn't be that way, .... thanks AFN?) But, I LUV that show. It's the one reality show I would definitely try to get on if I had the chance.

In the episode, the teams flew from India to Osaka for the 9th leg of the race. I have not been to Osaka, the only reason I would consider going is for the Osaka Aquarium, but other than that, I'd rather spend my time somewhere else in Japan. Like Hokkaido. I really want to go up there, but cross country travel for a family of 4 in Japan is expensive! We did go to Hiroshima and Miyajima last summer with my parents though.

But anyway, on the roadblock challenge, the teams had to drive a taxi from JR Noda Station to a post office about 5k away. It was funny because right before, Christina, who luckily spoke Japanese, had said she was glad they didn't have to drive in Japan. You could see the fear in all their faces as they each got in their taxis'.

The show reminded me of some experiences I had, the first time I was in Japan, back in 1996. I was so young (18), fresh out of high school and in a foreign country, and had barely driven before. I had bought my first car from a Japanese co-worker named Naomi for only $100! What a great deal! It was a little Nissan March. It looked like this:

It ran well and was perfect until one day I got in a wreck at an intersection near Moritown Mall in Akishima. It was bad. The front wheel panel that goes over the tire, (is that what it's called?), was smashed into my tire and the Japanese police who came actually pulled it off my tire so I could drive home. The front bumper was also loose and if I went over 30km then it would start dragging on the ground. Embarrassing! Eventually, I bought another Nissan March which was the first of many cars my husband, (then my boyfriend) and I had between us in Japan. During that time we also had a Nissan Skyline, a Toyota Vista, a Ford Festiva, a Toyota Tureno, and a Nissan Bluebird.

Another day, before I wrecked it, I drove the first March to Ayase-shi to another base, called NAF Atsugi. It was my first time driving that far, but all was good. I got there fine. But on the way back I got extremely lost. I got to somewhere around Zama-shi, and drove around for hours trying to figure out which way to go and I was running out of gas. And stupid me, I didn't have much yen. I remember going into a Family Mart crying my eyes out, mascara streaming down my face, asking the clerk to help me. I knew absolutely zero Japanese then. He and a customer were just looking at me dumbfoundedly, and he eventually drew me a crude map on the back of my Marlboro cigarette box. (Now that I think about it, why didn't he put it on paper?) The map helped a little and I eventually found my way back home. That was a bad experience.

Yet another was when I was driving on Rt. 16 going towards Yokohama and there was a HUGE intersection, going in like 6 different directions (it's different now, now there's an overpass going up over that intersection). Of course I tried to go down the one way road and all these cars and trucks were honking at me. I tried to turn around in the middle of the road and no one was happy about it. Japanese drivers are very unforgiving....everyone's in a hurry and if you slow down the process, WATCH OUT!

There were many other instances, like when my husband and I got in a small wreck, but he was driving. He didn't have a Japanese license yet, so we switched seats quickly thinking that the other cars' passengers wouldn't notice. But they did. It was a bad thing to do, I know, but he would have gotten in big trouble. I'm pretty sure they told the police when they came but we played it off and I guess because of the language barrier, nothing came of it.

Also we've gotten pulled over twice for crossing the solid line in between lanes........don't do it, THEY'LL GET YOU!

And the time the clutch went out in the second Nissan March, and we had to walk all the way home from the Hachioji Bypass. It took HOURS! Not fun!

It's weird now though, because since we've been back, I have not gotten lost once. Not once. Even in Tokyo. We like to drive around sometimes when we're bored, and we've tried to get lost on purpose. But I can always figure out which way to go now. I guess my sense of direction is much better now. Maybe subconsciously I won't allow myself to get lost again? (^-^)

When we came back here in 2005, we got a Toyota Carina,.... had to recycle it. Now I have a Toyota Spacio. It's a cute little car:

We had a Subaru Legacy GT:

But we had to get rid of it a few months ago because JCI (Japanese Compulsory Insurance) was due and after the inspection, it needed too much work and we couldn't afford it. We do need another car though, will probably get one soon. Damn, we've had a lot of cars! But used ones are relatively cheap, you can get a decent one anywhere between ¥200,000 and ¥600,000.

But gomen ne!, I've been rambling!..........

......so back to "The Amazing Race". The teams did pretty good driving in Japan even though it was a short distance. I would have liked to see them maneuver the Shuto Expressway system in Tokyo though. It can be daunting because if your not in the correct lane when you need to be, then you'll go off in the wrong direction!

On the show, there was a detour challenge with cell phone controlled robots. That was cool, but only one team chose it. The others chose a flower smelling challenge.....no one got eliminated this episode.....can't wait to see what happens to them next week!

Wallowing in self pity.......

2008-01-29T15:35:00.000+09:00

I'm really struggling today. I feel like I'm on the verge of tears. I have been trying SO hard to lose weight and it's just not happening as fast as I'd hoped. I've lost 10 pounds, but for the past almost two weeks, my weight loss stalled. So I have restricted myself even more. Not eating cool whip, sour cream or ranch dressing on my salads the past few days and still nothing. I have worked out more in the last 3 months than I have in YEARS. I cut out diet soda and have only been drinking water or tea. And although my clothes are loose and fitting better, the scale isn't budging.....WHY? I desperately want to lose the weight before the summer, but I'm quickly getting discouraged and depressed. I have lost weight quickly before.....(even though I always gained it back when I went back to my bad habits) but this time it's been a slow process. Maybe it's because I'm "over the hill" now? (*^-^*)

I'm going to continue on with what I'm doing.......but I tell you it's getting harder and harder every day. If I was a few inches taller, then the weight wouldn't be so bad, but I'm only 5'2". So that makes it worse. I was never overweight when I was younger. Even though I thought I was fat when I was a teenager, I would give anything to look like that again now. I didn't start to struggle with my weight until I got pregnant with my first son. I gained 70 pounds, was put in the hospital for 3 months (for pregnancy issues) and never lost the weight afterwards. I even gained a little more. Then I decided to lose some weight and I did, I lost about 40 pounds. But then BAM! I got pregnant with my second son. With him I gained about 80 pounds! I was again in and out of the hospital due to various pregnancy complications. Pregnancy is extremely hard on my body for some reason. Sometimes I think I would want another child, but due to my difficulties, I do not want to go through it again. So my two boys will have to be enough for me.

After having my second son, I held on to the weight for a while and then a little more than two years ago (before we came back to Japan) I lost about 45 pounds. That's when my profile pic was taken........but since being in Japan again, I've gained about 30 back. I know it's because I was eating all the wrong things (I can't help it, I like food!) I also quit smoking last year (which I was a horrible chain smoker, and 15 of the 30 pounds came after that) so I know that contributed too.

I don't want to be some thin, skeletal figure like most girls seem to aspire to nowadays. I just want to feel better about myself while still looking like a real woman with curves and "some" meat on the bones. Not like some 10 year old girl with no ass or boobs. O.K., I'm done. I feel a little better now.

The Birthday That Never Was.........

2008-01-27T12:07:00.000+09:00

NNNOOOOO!!!! Today is my birthday. I turned 30. But I think in some alternate universe I'm still in my 20's so I'll keep telling myself that............I am NOT 30 today, I'm only 21...........yeah. LOL

Bloggy Blog 2

2008-01-26T00:21:00.000+09:00

Well I haven't posted anything the past few days....everytime I've gotten on here, I got caught up in tweaking my page....it surprisingly takes up alot of time! There's just something about figuring out how to change my page that I like more than actual blogging sometimes.........I'm sure I'll be changing it around a lot.

And now I'm coming down with a cold or something.....sucks.
I hate getting sick.

*SNOW***

2008-01-23T08:40:00.000+09:00

Wow! It's really coming down! This is the first big snow we've had in years in this part of the Kanto, at least since we've been back.........

Heath Ledger........... R.I.P.

2008-01-23T08:10:00.000+09:00

Australian born, Oscar nominated actor, Heath Ledger, probably best known for his role in the movie "Brokeback Mountain", was found dead in his home. They say it's a possible drug overdose because prescription pills were found next to him. SAD. He was a good actor.....what a tragedy......Hollywood is really fucked up.

Aimlessly wandering today...........

2008-01-20T21:44:00.000+09:00

Today I went to the Oedo Antique Fair at the Tokyo International Forum, near Yurakucho station. I had been wanting to go for a while. It's held on the 1st and 3rd Sunday of every month. I imagined it would be bigger than it was. Also, maybe you just have to keep going back to find good things, but I didn't find anything worth buying today except a little wood container, that was only ¥1000. A lot of the stuff looked like junk to me and I couldn't justify paying some of the prices. Bummer.

So after that disappointment, I decided to go to Asakusa. I wandered around the Nakamise shopping street....poking around in the stores for a while. I bought a really pretty ring at Jewelry Tsutsumi. Got bored of Asakusa, so I got back on the subway and went to Shibuya.

At the end of the Tokyo Metro Ginza line in Shibuya, I looked in the department store, Tokyu, I think? Well, I bought another ring there and by then all my money was gone! I barely had enough change for the train home! (We live about an hour and 1/2 train ride from Tokyo station.)

It was nice to get out by myself without my hubby or kids.......they hate browsing and shopping and dealing with the crowds and so they would have just complained all day. But it was a good break for me......Too bad I forgot my camera though, I wanted to take some pics....oh well.

P.S. It's crazy how many other foreigners you see in Tokyo. It's weird, because outside of Tokyo you can sometimes feel like the only gaijin for miles.....(And you could be!)

Kawagoe, Saitama, Japan

2008-01-18T16:14:00.000+09:00

Whenever I'm bored, I'm just going to post some pics of different places I've been to so far.

Today I will post about Kawagoe, in Saitama prefecture, sometimes called "Little Edo" by locals.

Last February, I went to the Kitain Temple and the Narita-san Kawagoe Branch Temple Nomi-no Ichi (Flea Market) with my youngest son. It's held on the 28th of every month. Kita-in Temple was originally built in 830 A.D. but had to be rebuilt centuries later because of fire. There is also the famous "Candy Alley" and Kurazukuri Street there in Kawagoe, but I did not have enough time that day to find it.

Something I thought was really interesting was the Gohyaku Rakan Statues. There are 540 of these statues that represent the disciples of Buddha. They were carved between 1782 and 1825 and no two statues are alike. There is a legend that says if you feel among the statues in the dead of the night, you will find one that is warm. Mark it, come back the next day, and you will see it is the statue most resembling yourself. Spooky desu, ne!

There were quite alot of people, but on that day we were the only gaijin, as far as I could tell. There were alot of school children visiting that day, all wearing blue hats. We had fun that day and will probably go back.

Woohoo!

2008-01-17T16:37:00.000+09:00

Yeah! Another 5 pounds lost......I must be doing something right! Keepin on.......