tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-180255282011-11-28T09:30:31.095+09:00A Navy wife's life overseasCaroliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11637418089860927715noreply@blogger.comBlogger631100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18025528.post-28063683428613673242009-05-04T17:08:00.010+09:002009-05-05T01:07:49.563+09:00

(As always, click on photos for larger versions.) On a recent spectacular April morning, my friend Hiroko and her parents came to pick me up for a day of “picking up wild vegetables.” Off we headed to Mt. Eboshi. We drove up and up and UP the mountain. Hiroko leaned oer and solicitously told me to roll down my window, because "the air is much healthier up here." I was only too glad to do so,

Caroliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11637418089860927715noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18025528.post-53149919327892712402009-02-06T20:08:00.007+09:002009-05-05T02:01:17.239+09:00

Happy New Year… Happy Year of the Ox… Omedetou gozaimasu! Wishing you all peace, health and joy in the New Year. (Yes, I began this in January, but since the Chinese New Year was just a couple of days ago, let’s pretend, shall we?)Fearless Husband came home from deployment at the beginning of December, so we were able to have Christmas and New Year’s together (hurray!) Between Christmas and New

Caroliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11637418089860927715noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18025528.post-56019955172281977692009-01-03T00:11:00.003+09:002009-05-05T02:01:36.730+09:00

...to post more often to this poor, neglected blog! Yes, I've been having adventures -- amazing, wonderful travel and experiences! I've taken a zillion photos, and have tons of notes, so I can blog about everything. But every time I sit down to write, another adventure pops up, or Fearless Husband comes home (and he does become Priority One!) or family and friends come to visit and adventure

Caroliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11637418089860927715noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18025528.post-77174207763004743392008-09-01T19:08:00.017+09:002009-05-05T02:02:02.254+09:00

**We have a winner!** Thanks to carliches for a winning bid of $45! Carliches, please e-mail me at carolie (at) wordmagix (dot) com and attach a copy of your paypal donation receipt. We can discuss what kind of bento you'd like, and then I'll send out your Japanese goodies. Thank you all for participating! (And anyone interested in Japanese candy or bento, please feel free to e-mail, and I'd

Caroliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11637418089860927715noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18025528.post-75497883036214882412008-06-27T00:39:00.008+09:002009-05-05T02:02:39.892+09:00

Here is another vignette from our lives here in Japan. There is so much more to tell you, but not enough time to tell it in! More to come, of course. Please forgive the blurry photos, as I was dealing with the dark, and my camera was NOT behaving. (Of course, I felt flash photography would not be appropriate in the least!) As always, click on the photos for larger images.Last summer, when we got

Caroliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11637418089860927715noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18025528.post-73727820151599176692008-06-10T01:23:00.008+09:002009-05-05T02:04:09.403+09:00

I am a terrible blogger, so busy having adventures that I'm not writing about them! I'm dreadfully behind, I know. But this time, I'm so full to the brim with the most amazing experiences, I will explode if I don't share them!So...with a solemn promise of many, many words to come, here are a few photos from my current visit to Tainan, Taiwan. As usual, click on the image for a large version.Fresh

Caroliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11637418089860927715noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18025528.post-79853124670097465352008-05-26T16:33:00.004+09:002009-05-05T02:06:11.597+09:00

Today is Memorial Day, a day to remember all our fallen service men and women, those who have served, and those who serve today. I think it's even more than just thinking of them -- I think this is a day to be grateful, and to express that gratitude.I'm a dyed-in-the-wool, pacifist, peacenik. I abhor the violence of war. But I am quite conscious of the fact that the Bill of Rights and the

Caroliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11637418089860927715noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18025528.post-79269349674912767062008-05-02T19:18:00.006+09:002009-05-05T02:06:27.044+09:00

Lookit what I got! I actually received the award for a post I wrote over two years ago about Japanese garbage collection and disposal, oddly enough. It wasn't even a post with photos.I was shocked, and surprised, and all-out-of-proportion excited to receive this award...and grateful. Very grateful.Do visit The Rising Blogger by clicking on the image, and check out some of the other recipents. I'm

Caroliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11637418089860927715noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18025528.post-20033961398117120512008-04-27T22:36:00.005+09:002009-05-05T02:05:08.523+09:00

I know, I'm so far behind it seems that I'll never catch up. But -- I've taken notes and photos, and I have so much to share! I'll try to find some time to get my photos, notes and thoughts in order and put some content up here. In the meantime, here's a little taste for you...a closeup of one of the many, many dishes served at the beautiful spring-themed kaiseki meal I attended with Fearless

Caroliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11637418089860927715noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18025528.post-91804409557925718252008-01-31T13:49:00.001+09:002009-05-05T02:05:57.066+09:00

Time for a break in our less-than-regularly-scheduled programming. I have a list of blogs I really enjoy reading -- a very long list. I couldn't possibly read them every day, although there are a few, like Mary's blog, that I check almost daily. However, I do eventually visit them all. Imagine my surprise to visit DaMomma's blog today and see my name! Seems my cousin Susie posted a meme on her

Caroliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11637418089860927715noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18025528.post-25286898871529927462007-12-19T20:35:00.000+09:002007-12-19T21:36:50.219+09:00

Merry Christmas from Japan! After trips to Hong Kong (to meet Fearless Husband) and to the US (to see my family) for me, and a deployment that included stops in Hong Kong and Cambodia for FH, we're both back home, very happily settling in to spend a little time together for the holidays. It's finally cold here in Sasebo, much to my relief and pleasure, and we've got the kerosene heater going.

Caroliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11637418089860927715noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18025528.post-72661098814055593502007-10-01T20:42:00.001+09:002009-05-05T02:06:47.420+09:00

I do not do memes.Let me repeat, I do NOT do memes. However, one of my very favorite people (and fellow blogger) Mary at Resident Alien tagged me with this meme, so I find I can't help myself. She flattered me as well, telling me she was hoping to prod me into posting more adventures. What she doesn't realize is that posting this relieves some of the guilt and pressure I was feeling to post, so

Caroliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11637418089860927715noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18025528.post-59721755773147515712007-09-07T23:15:00.000+09:002007-09-09T09:20:59.107+09:00

Edited with a new image, below!It's been far, far too long since I've managed to post here, and I apologize. Our unexpected trip to the US, my mother-in-law's passing, pneumonia, and simply having a husband at home again have all taken their toll. But...it's time to get back to adventures, and I'm still so very behind! Here's another grocery store story, to tide us all over until I can post more

Caroliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11637418089860927715noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18025528.post-41021992812029088752007-07-28T14:39:00.000+09:002007-09-08T17:55:22.747+09:00

Sorry for the silence...we're not currently having Adventures in Japan. Fearless Husband arrived home in Sasebo after a two and a half month absence. 12 hours later, we found out his mother was in the hospital and gravely ill. We scrambled, and with some help from the Navy and the Red Cross, we arrived in Nevada less than 48 hours after FH got off his ship.My mother-in-law is an amazing woman.

Caroliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11637418089860927715noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18025528.post-77366803028242707732007-07-11T19:54:00.001+09:002007-09-08T17:31:34.816+09:00

No photos, as my camera batteries are dead but...Imagine, if you will, that you are walking through a small neighborhood market in Japan. Your basket is laden with twelve tiny, incredibly sweet local tangerines, two skinny, glossy purple eggplant, ten pale green asparagus spears with tight, fat, rounded heads (almost like a cartoon of asparagus, or pale green Sharpie markers) in two bundles of

Caroliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11637418089860927715noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18025528.post-40458046310965230192007-06-24T19:14:00.000+09:002007-09-08T18:04:19.343+09:00

(As always, click on the images for larger versions.) MM and I headed out on Friday, March 23 to Huis Ten Bosch (click to visit their website), a huge, local amusemsent park. Unlike American amusement parks, there are no roller coasters, no "rides" (except a single, gorgeous merry-go-round), no midway games. Instead, Huis Ten Bosch is a huge Dutch village set incongruously on the coast of Japan,

Caroliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11637418089860927715noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18025528.post-80897548529366011172007-04-11T19:31:00.000+09:002007-09-08T18:08:56.124+09:00

I'm sorry it's been such a long time since my last post. I'm so busy having adventures that it's hard to find time to write about them! As always, click on the images for larger photos.Even though I've still got things to write about from last summer and fall (Thanksgiving, meeting various porcelain artists, the Yosakoi festival, a parade I happened upon one day, etc.), I want to give you a

Caroliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11637418089860927715noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18025528.post-43078122203147826892007-03-05T15:45:00.000+09:002007-09-08T18:04:37.254+09:00

There's so much to write about, and so little time! I can't believe we've been in Japan for over a year now. The time is just flying! Here's a mish-mash of observations and interesting (to me at least!) little things...sort of a collage of a post. (As always, click on the images for slightly larger versions.)Spring is trembling on the cusp of exploding here. The cherry blossoms are about to burst

Caroliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11637418089860927715noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18025528.post-1171045044573341352007-02-10T02:50:00.000+09:002007-09-08T17:48:40.489+09:00

I'm so sorry for the long delay between posting adventures. I've been having them, and am so behind in writing them all down, but it's just been hard to actually sit down and do it! So...you may get several adventures in a row, out of chronological order. My apologies, but when motivation strikes, and opportunity presents itself, I have to get to writing! Current happenings below, catch-up stuff

Caroliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11637418089860927715noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18025528.post-1168777227176600822007-01-14T21:16:00.000+09:002007-09-08T17:55:36.992+09:00

Don't get me wrong...I love the USA. My country offers freedoms found nowhere else (see the Bill of Rights). We have an amazing abundance of inexpensive foods (we spend less of our total income on food than people in any other country on earth). We've got broad, smooth highways and shining skyscrapers and vast vistas of forest and field and mountains and plains. Our diversity is second to none,

Caroliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11637418089860927715noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18025528.post-1166717793709880392006-12-22T01:10:00.000+09:002007-09-08T17:48:20.547+09:00

Hope everyone is enjoying the holiday season! I'm a very happy camper, as Fearless Husband is home safe and sound.I'll go back and do some catch-up later, but for now, here's an adventure following the Okinawa journey. Maybe I can get Thanksgiving posted before Christmas...we'll see!When I got home from Okinawa, I was in a huge hurry. Miyuki had asked me, months ago, to visit her school and carve

Caroliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11637418089860927715noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18025528.post-1166628139221398042006-12-21T00:10:00.000+09:002007-09-08T17:47:59.241+09:00

Here you go. Real adventure coming soon (Miyuki's school, Thanksgiving), but in the meantime, here are a couple of photos. I know, the "snow" is pink. But it was the only sheet I had that I was willing to use as a tree skirt. Behold, the world's dryest Christmas tree. I think they cut them in the US in September and put them on a slow boat to Japan. Yes, Virginia, that IS a Christmas tree on a

Caroliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11637418089860927715noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18025528.post-1164204331470764222006-11-22T20:59:00.000+09:002007-09-08T18:18:22.414+09:00

(As always, click on the images for larger photos!) I took the free shuttle from the base to the airport last Tuesday morning, and flew to Okinawa to visit my cousin Emily. Though I'd packed summer shirts and skirts, I was kind of stupid and wore a black tunic and dark pants for travelling. Okinawa was HOT! Em picked me up at the airport and immediately took me out sightseeing.I was fascinated by

Caroliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11637418089860927715noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18025528.post-1163315021408611612006-11-12T15:51:00.001+09:002009-05-05T02:07:04.221+09:00

..to bring you this news bulletin. For now, my domain (www.wordmagix.com) points here, to Adventures in Japan. But eventually, though this blog will continue to exist, the domain itself will be for my freelance graphic design business. In the meantime, you might get momentary breaks from Adventures in Japan for announcements like this one.The big news--drumroll please! The Book is at the

Caroliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11637418089860927715noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18025528.post-1162731403681540012006-11-05T21:05:00.000+09:002007-09-08T18:09:43.997+09:00

I've talked a lot about my Japanese friend, Miyuki. She's really an amazing person and a great friend. She started out as my "Know your Cho" volunteer, but we really hit it off and became friends almost instantly. We've spent a LOT of time together...she's taken me on several "tours" of Japanese grocery stores, and I've taught her to cook a couple of American dishes. We watch DVDs together with

Caroliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11637418089860927715noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18025528.post-1162460264409671172006-11-02T18:28:00.000+09:002007-09-08T17:55:10.420+09:00

The Hong Kong trip has been cancelled. Sad, but true. For good reasons, to keep Fearless Husband and the other Sailors safe--driving the boat through the middle of a typhoon is probably not a safe thing to do, so I'm glad they aren't going to do that.But I'm sad. I was really looking forward to seeing FH. (Oddly enough, I miss my husband!!) and was so very excited about exploring Hong Kong with

Caroliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11637418089860927715noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18025528.post-1161607575196135582006-10-23T21:28:00.000+09:002007-09-08T17:57:10.358+09:00

I'm trying to catch up....I'm sorry for the delay! I'm headed to Hong Kong in about two weeks to see Fearless Husband, and I am so excited! I'll take lots of photos, and promise to post them and our adventures there before the end of November! We're hopeful that he will be home for Thanksgiving, and again for Christmas.Back in June, I had one of the most foreign experiences I've ever had in my

Caroliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11637418089860927715noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18025528.post-1159729628573279732006-10-02T04:05:00.000+09:002007-09-08T18:00:36.882+09:00

Now that things have eased off a little bit with my freelance work, and Fearless Husband is back at sea for a while, I hope to get caught up with some adventures. Please forgive the long delays! Current news: FH is on his Fall Cruise. He has a very full schedule, as the LPO for his department, work as a career counselor for younger Sailors, a college course, and work towards several

Caroliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11637418089860927715noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18025528.post-1158641479055137082006-09-19T13:30:00.000+09:002007-09-08T18:01:05.417+09:00

Sorry about the delay between posts. Life's wonderful here in Japan, but things got busy, between FH being out at sea/no he's not/yes he is and my freelance work, and my first typhoon (ShanShan brought wind and rain and rattling houses, but no damage).Life should be settling back down by the weekend, and I hope to get more Adventures posted...like The Great Tree Massacre...Visiting Rumi's Dead

Caroliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11637418089860927715noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18025528.post-1157904242392696192006-09-11T00:59:00.000+09:002006-09-11T01:04:02.423+09:00

Only days before September 11, 40 year old Scott O’Brien was like a little kid as he took a boat ride around New York City for the first time. “He was so happy. Every single thing was new to him,” his wife, Kelly Hayes, told The New York Times. The color photo of Scott to the left was taken on July 29th, 2001, at Shea Stadium at the end of the Mets/Phillies game. The green behind his head is

Caroliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11637418089860927715noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18025528.post-1155461653770880892006-08-13T17:52:00.000+09:002007-09-08T18:03:26.732+09:00

(Edited August 14 to add a few photos from Emiri!) I know, I'm woefully behind! But FH is home, and the preparations for his return and the fact of his return do give me some leeway, I hope! Here is "the rest of the story" of Emiri's wonderful visit. Click on the images for larger versions.On Thursday, Emiri still needed to find Sasebo City/Nagasaki Prefecture-specific gifts (preferably food) to

Caroliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11637418089860927715noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18025528.post-1154268176612808402006-07-30T22:55:00.000+09:002007-09-08T18:11:18.468+09:00

Sorry for the long delay! Life here is good, although I miss FH. He's in San Diego for school, returning sometime in August (he's top of his class so far!) Most recently, I've been working on the cover design and book layout for a really cool writer in New England. Her book is hysterically funny, and I'm having a blast putting it together. Dad did fantastic photography in North Carolina for the

Caroliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11637418089860927715noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18025528.post-1153980490816334402006-07-27T14:59:00.000+09:002007-09-08T18:11:37.256+09:00

In Japanese, I can say:Do you understand English?I understand a little Japanese.I don't understand.How are you? I'm fine, thanks!I am American. Are you Japanese?That's great!/It's all good!Good morning/hello/good evening (various forms)Thank you (various forms), excuse me, I'm so sorry, yes, no, goodbyeDumb/crazy foreigner! (Used only in reference to myself--the polite thing to do here is to

Caroliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11637418089860927715noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18025528.post-1152449378767631452006-07-09T21:42:00.000+09:002007-09-08T18:11:55.176+09:00

...because it looks as if Typhoon Ewiniar would rather visit Korea and China than stop by Sasebo. So today, instead of having destructive force winds, we had sunshine and blue skies. I understand we'll have some wind and rain tonight, but nowhere near what was expected. Meanwhile, Fearless Husband is floating around somewhere in the South China Sea--I guess because the Powers That Be decided they

Caroliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11637418089860927715noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18025528.post-1152178855922085912006-07-06T18:17:00.000+09:002007-09-08T18:12:16.075+09:00

Well, we've got some...err...weather headed our way. FH was supposed to have a few more days at home before resuming normal work hours and then heading off to A School in San Diego. We think San Diego is still a go (at least as much as anything in military life can be "a go" until the moment it happens), but for now, everything else is up in the air--no pun indended! We woke this morning to news

Caroliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11637418089860927715noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18025528.post-1151237227381581322006-06-25T20:35:00.000+09:002007-09-08T18:15:09.217+09:00

My cousin Emiri and her husband are stationed in Okinawa. Emiri's husband was away in Florida doing Secret Squirrel stuff for the Army, so Emiri came to visit me for a few days. For those of you who don't know, I'm the oldest grandchild, and Emiri is one of the youngest. Age-wise, she could be my daughter if I'd started early! But despite the age difference (or maybe because of it!) I really

Caroliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11637418089860927715noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18025528.post-1150276383222727182006-06-14T18:07:00.000+09:002007-09-08T18:17:34.528+09:00

I'm sorry it's been so long between updates--it's been a busy few weeks! My trip to Yokosuka was a bigger deal than I anticpated, and I was a little sorry we hadn't taken the Navy up on their offer to let Fearless Husband come with me. However, we both decided it was better for his career for him to ship out at the beginning of May rather than have him stay home and travel to Yokosuka with me. So

Caroliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11637418089860927715noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18025528.post-1148655752341761532006-05-26T23:48:00.000+09:002006-05-27T00:02:32.376+09:00

Though I missed the celebration for this on base due to medical stuff, I've seen indications of the festival all over town. The two festivals used to be Girls' Day and Boys' Day...now they are the Doll Festival and the Children's Festival--but I don't know why. Now, May 5 is Children's Day in Japan, the day to "stress the importance of respecting the character of children and promoting their

Caroliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11637418089860927715noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18025528.post-1148402302665510112006-05-24T01:31:00.000+09:002006-05-24T01:38:22.700+09:00

Miyuki took me to the grocery store for the proper garbage bags so I can be a good neighborhood citizen. She couldn't understand why I find the Japanese grocery so fascinating. Then again, she thinks our dinky commissary is a treasure trove of delights like cherry coke, flavored cream cheese, and American-style bacon! Of course, one expects lots of food differences in a different culture. But

Caroliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11637418089860927715noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18025528.post-1148293763147744542006-05-22T19:18:00.000+09:002006-05-22T19:29:23.163+09:00

Yes, the cherry blossoms are really amazing. At first, I didn't think so. Pink and white blossoms on trees? Big deal. Redbuds and dogwoods drifting mists and clouds of pink and white and fucshia in the spring green of the North Carolina foothills--now that's beautiful! But as the cherry trees filled out, I really began to appreciate their beauty. The pale pink against the stark, dark bark of the

Caroliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11637418089860927715noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18025528.post-1148195855751406472006-05-21T16:16:00.000+09:002006-05-21T16:17:35.766+09:00

Back in March, my friend Miyuki took me to a wonderful French restaurant (Japanicized of course, much as ethnic food restaurants in America are Americanized), and I never got around to writing about it--but it was interesting, so here it is. We walked down a narrow alley, and entered a yellow door that didn't seem much different from other doors nearby. The small windows were curtained, so one

Caroliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11637418089860927715noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18025528.post-1148138473026913862006-05-21T00:17:00.000+09:002006-05-21T00:21:13.043+09:00

May 6, 2006Here's a short (well, short for me!) note to let you know what's happening on this side of the world. Sorry for the long silence! Fearless Husband arrived home a few days after my last "Adventure" e-mail and was home for the rest of April, and between spending time with one another, both of us fighting some sort of icky virus for a week or two, FH's long work hours and my freelance

Caroliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11637418089860927715noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18025528.post-1146932977517498302006-05-07T01:25:00.000+09:002006-05-07T01:51:38.116+09:00

March, 2006While Fearless Husband was away, I tried to mix freelance work and unpacking with forays into the neighborhood and beyond. I took a day trip to the Arita pottery area, where they've been making porcelain, pottery, stoneware and earthenware for over a thousand years. Our little tour group toured a porcelain factory, which looked like a larger version of the ceramic-tile-roof houses one

Caroliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11637418089860927715noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18025528.post-1146931586114205362006-05-07T00:59:00.000+09:002006-05-07T01:13:42.566+09:00

February 25, 2006Another short post with some more trivial stuff I found interesting! Most of these photos are from a walk Fearless Husband and I took before he left, through Nimitz Park and Albuquerque Park--all except the shot of my friend 'Bama Gal (we share a birthday, and celebrated together!) in her new apartment, which I took last week.The two mosaics I just found interesting. I want to

Caroliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11637418089860927715noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18025528.post-1146931144609717872006-05-07T00:54:00.000+09:002006-05-24T01:55:48.760+09:00

February 21, 2006Just as 7-11s in the states have hot boxes with hot dogs and sausages, the 7-11s here have hot boxes filled with steamed buns (but the Japanese versions are MUCH cleaner, and the counter people serve you rather than the general public reacing into the boxes.) These are light, fluffy, hand-sized buns of creamy white steamed bread dough (they look sort of like a mound of whipped

Caroliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11637418089860927715noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18025528.post-1146042651524883712006-04-26T18:05:00.000+09:002006-04-26T18:13:16.836+09:00

February 19, 2006 My "Know Your Cho" volunteer Miyuki took me around to meet several of my neighbors today, most of whom seem to be older. She also confirmed my suspicion that this is a relatively well-off neighborhood. There are lots of kids who walk by my house, but I think they live a few houses away, all except the rather pitiful little 2-up-2-down apartment house across the street

Caroliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11637418089860927715noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18025528.post-1145963228204050852006-04-25T19:55:00.000+09:002006-05-07T00:53:03.263+09:00

February 11, 2006 On February 11, I joined a bus full of Navy folks for a trip to the Lantern Festival in Nagasaki, celebrating the Chinese New Year. Nagasaki is about an hour's drive away, and I ended up meeting a couple of very nice Navy wives on the bus, and enjoyed talking to them about their experiences in Japan. Other friends I'd made during the Indoc class were on the bus as well, so I was

Caroliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11637418089860927715noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18025528.post-1145962368670119202006-04-25T19:51:00.000+09:002007-09-08T18:18:59.351+09:00

March 2, 2006Here is a little from FH...I asked him to tell me about the ship and about his life aboard, so he will be sending bits and pieces to add to my rambling posts. Walk down the pway (known as a hall in ordinary English) of any ship and you'll see the following: Arcane numbers and letters in enigamatic arrangements on the bulkheads (walls), a wide panolopy of elecrical boxes used for a

Caroliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11637418089860927715noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18025528.post-1145876862134915052006-04-24T20:07:00.000+09:002007-09-08T18:19:21.061+09:00

February 18, 2006Just a little note from Japan...Fearless Husband's ship, the USS Essex, is in the Philippines now, and will be arriving at the village of Guinsaugon on the island of Leyte at daybreak on Sunday morning (our time--Saturday night your time) along with the USS Harpers Ferry to help with the devastating mudslide you may have read about. This is what he wrote to me this morning:"We

Caroliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11637418089860927715noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18025528.post-1145722726768010092006-04-23T01:10:00.000+09:002006-04-23T01:18:46.776+09:00

February 9, 2006 (even more stuff)It's been (and continues to be) an interesting process. Our house has two electric room heater-A/C units already installed, and each has a remote control. Of course, both remotes have a multitude of buttons and they're all labelled in Japanese. So...I took the remotes to the Housing Office on base. Smart-and-Sweet Japanese Housing Lady made a photocopy of

Caroliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11637418089860927715noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18025528.post-1145722183636082582006-04-23T01:09:00.000+09:002006-04-23T01:09:43.643+09:00

February 9, 2006 (more stuff)This may bore you, but it fascinated me. The cultural feeling of responsibility for the community and the planet is just so very different from ours! Gomi is Japanese for trash, and the rules concerning household waste are pretty amazing. We were issued a large gomi packet upon signing our lease, containing 120 bright yellow peel-and-stick trash labels, and an

Caroliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11637418089860927715noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18025528.post-1145722127459896962006-04-23T01:07:00.000+09:002006-04-25T19:50:06.720+09:00

February 9, 2006 Sorry for the long pause...between birthdays, moving, unpacking, FH shipping out and the inevitable military paperwork stuff to deal with, I just haven't had time to write. So, rather than give you a day-by-day journal, I'll just sum up the various events, adventures and interesting stuff. Moving Day: Before the day arrived, the smiling Japanese gentleman in the

Caroliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11637418089860927715noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18025528.post-1145721775820912072006-04-23T00:55:00.000+09:002006-04-23T01:06:44.613+09:00

January 22, 2006 Today was the first sunny day we've had, and it was spectacular! It was also the first day that we both have really felt human since we both got sick. We drove over to Nimitz Park, then walked through the park and across the Albuquerque Bridge to the shopping arcade, and enjoyed exploring the shops as well as two of the big department stores. We went to one of the 100

Caroliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11637418089860927715noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18025528.post-1145720939114839202006-04-23T00:46:00.000+09:002006-04-23T00:54:19.270+09:00

January 20, 2006 I got my license! The retest went much smoother, and I managed not to activate the windshield wipers each time I used my turn signal. And my reversing was great! That's a big relief, and I've enjoyed circling the base, getting used to driving on the left (and staying on the left when I turn!) And we got the word that fiber optic Internet access is indeed available for

Caroliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11637418089860927715noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18025528.post-1145720744848296882006-04-23T00:44:00.000+09:002006-04-23T00:53:08.906+09:00

January 19, 2006 Fearless Husband took the test, and thought he did relatively well. He has a better shot next January though, as he'll have his surface warfare badge/certification by that point (and maybe air warfare as well), and will have had a year in a leadership role on the ship, which will give him a big advantage. Though chances are that he won't get it this year (it's more than

Caroliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11637418089860927715noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18025528.post-1145510765533173662006-04-20T14:22:00.000+09:002006-04-20T14:28:21.466+09:00

January 18, 2006 We had to let the housing office know by noon whether or not we would take our second offer of base housing, or if we would take our chances finding a house in a cho. No contest...we want the space, the light, the adventure and the experience of living within the Japanese community, not just beside it. It's a little scary, as we had to sign a paper attesting to the fact

Caroliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11637418089860927715noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18025528.post-1145381618925826932006-04-19T02:32:00.000+09:002006-04-23T00:44:08.733+09:00

January 17, 2006 Now that the "Indoc" class is over (and we both have the "official certificates" to prove it!) we're allowed to get our Japanese driver's licenses. So at 9am, we joined our classmates again at the Fleet and Family Services Center for a two-hour cram class in Japanese driving rules. Neither of us was really into it, as we'd both managed to catch a nasty cold. FH was

Caroliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11637418089860927715noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18025528.post-1145381204903122102006-04-19T02:26:00.000+09:002006-04-19T02:27:14.366+09:00

January 16, 2006 Two more houses to see, we hope, but not until tomorrow. We'll have to make our decision tomorrow night. We've also got our driving class and test tomorrow morning...wish us luck! We spend yesterday, January 15 (our first anniversary!) watching movies, taking turns on the computer, generally relaxing indoors while the skies drizzled outside, and discussing housing options. I'm

Caroliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11637418089860927715noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18025528.post-1145380726774685972006-04-19T02:18:00.000+09:002006-04-19T02:26:19.606+09:00

Saturday, January 14, 2006 It's another dreary, rainy day--a good time to look at a house, when sunshine won't make up for deficiencies, and we can see the place at its worst. We got smart and took a cab to the back gate this time, to meet the new real estate agent. The car was a brand new miniature station wagon, and our host was a thin, elegant, mustachioed gentleman in a suit and tie.

Caroliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11637418089860927715noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18025528.post-1145379094866246062006-04-19T01:47:00.000+09:002006-04-19T02:18:03.473+09:00

January 13, 2006 Housing is...interesting, to say the least when one is stationed overseas. (Warning: relatively involved description of "How Navy Housing Works" follows, so if you want, you can skip down to paragraph #6.) Usually, there is a waiting list for base housing, so families are given up to sixty days in the Navy Lodge (we moved to the lodge last Monday) to find housing in a

Caroliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11637418089860927715noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18025528.post-1145378810951170242006-04-19T01:40:00.000+09:002006-04-19T02:32:24.533+09:00

January 13, 2006 What a day! Today was our last day of the Intercultural Relations classes. The first two days were boring, full of mundane details about the Navy base, but the last two days were wonderful! Eriko, our teacher/guide was hysterically funny, playing for laughs whenever possible. She's also an extremely bright woman and a fount of information. Obviously, there is only so

Caroliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11637418089860927715noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18025528.post-1145377024648417612006-04-19T01:12:00.000+09:002006-04-23T00:28:18.776+09:00

Sunday, January 8, 2006 Yesterday, FH and I walked up and down the Arcade, a mile-long open-air market with a roof. There were beauty shops, a slot machine hall, 100 yen stores (dollar stores, basically) and stores with packets of totally unidentifiable stuff. Fancy restaurants, luggage shops and uber-hip salons sat cheek by jowl with incredibly narrow furniture stores, funky noodle

Caroliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11637418089860927715noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18025528.post-1145376074322705292006-04-19T00:54:00.000+09:002006-04-23T00:31:44.783+09:00

January 6th, 2006Not all of you may be interested in the minutiae of my life, but hey, here it is for anyone who wants to know!We're here in Japan FINALLY...arrived late last night (it's Friday morning now for us ,though it is still Thursday night for you!) The flights were long, but generally good. We flew from Charlotte to San Diego on Tuesday, then left Wednesday morning from San Diego

Caroliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11637418089860927715noreply@blogger.com1