Sayonara Japan!
Good-Bye Japan!
We're headed out today heading to New Sanno in Tokyo for the night. We recently found that there is no shuttle service to New Sanno from Haneda airport. To solve this problem and avoid traveling the trains/subways with our luggage we have hired a 'limo' service from Camp Zama, which is actually a van, so I'm not sure why they call it a 'limo' service. The driver will pick us up at Haneda and drive us to New Sanno, I'll let every know how it works out.
Keep us in your prayers as we travel through the next several weeks.
Labels: Japan, New Sanno
Misawa Billeting
We spent our first night in billeting (base hotel) last night and it was much better than I remember it being 3 years ago when we got here. It does help that we have 2 adjoining rooms so that helps to spread all 5 of us out. The beds are surprisingly comfortable as well.
I can hardly believe that we only have ONE night left in Misawa! 3 years has gone by so quickly!
I have some pictures but am currently unable to post them as I'm accessing the blog from the library and have no way to upload my pics. Hopefully tomorrow night I can when we are at the New Sanno and will have internet in our room with the laptop.
One of the living rooms, we had 2 of these since we had 2 rooms
One of the bedrooms
Sayonara Misawa Home!
Today we say 'good-bye' to our home here in Japan as we head to the base hotel (billeting). It's been a great 3 years here and we will miss our friends and Japan very much!
As of today I'll be on limited internet access (GASP!) until we get to AL which won't be until the middle of Oct. We will have internet along the way at hotels (with our laptop) and families homes, so I'll still try to keep up with my daily posts, but if for some reason I miss a day (YIKES!) know I'll be back very soon to update everyone on the move!
Feel free to leave comments so I know your around and waiting ;) That ought to motivate me, LOL!
Labels: Japan, Sayonara
Beef & Garlic Festival In Takko Town 2008
Today we made a trip out to Takko Town for the Beef & Garlic Festival. It's about 1 1/2 hours from Misawa. We enjoyed the Beef so much last year we decided it needed to be our last day trip here in Japan. We were lucky enough to find some friends to tag along with us, and thankfully we only got 'a little lost' once, LOL! (Those who've been on day trips with us will enjoy that comment). It was a beautiful and scenic drive as well. This year the weather was much cooler and it was windy, it also started to rain. So we cooked and ate our beef, checked out the booths, checked to see if we were winners in the raffle (we weren't), ate ice cream, and headed home. We used Mr. B's new GPS and it was great! Go us to Takko town without even needing the directions in the paper and then got us home quicker than expected.
Here are some pictures from today, enjoy!
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Sign upon entering Takko Town
Another sign displaying Garlic, they sure are proud of it!
Bea with her Balloon, which she promptly lost to the sky and had to get replaced
View of the Festival from the parking area
Mr. B and Mr. R grilling up the Beef & Garlic! Yummy!
Mr. B & Bea with chocolate covered Bananas
Tofu on a Stick...looks tasty huh?! Not!
Garlic before it's made pretty :)
Huge funky mushroom, it was 1000 Yen ($10)
Garlic Lamppost, I LOVE these!
Another lamppost shot
What a way to end the day, with a Rainbow!
He looks like he's driving into the Rainbow!
When we arrive home we are greeted with pink skies!
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Labels: Beef and Garlic Festival
Taiko Drums
Taiko Drums play a huge part in Japanese culture! These can be found at almost any parade and festival. Kids start playing them at an early age. They sound amazing!
I wish I knew how to put a audio clip in this post so you could hear them! If you use Napster you can always search for them on there to hear what they sound like.
They even have Taiko drums in the arcades here! We thought they were so fun we bought 2 sets for our PS2 so we can compete against each other. Mr. B and I have a fun time trying to beat each other and the kids, but my arms are sure sore by the time we're done! I would take a picture but they are packed up and on a boat to AL!
So heads up all you Alabamians we can have some Takio drums fun soon!
Bea on the Taiko Drum in an arcade in the Shimoda Mall
Kids playing Taiko drums at Japan Day
Labels: Japan, Taiko drums
Sunset in Japan
Here are some Japan sunset pictures I've taken from the top of 'Suicide Hill' on base.
I love the effect of the sun 'peaking' out from behind the clouds
The colors were so pretty that day!
Labels: Japan, sunset
Tanesashi Coast
Here are some pictures from the Tanesashi Coast. There is a nice large grassy area for playing, picnicking, ect as well as a beach area for beach fun.
This is located just down the way from the scenic tower view point. A great place to spend the day!
View of the beach area
View of the rolling grass area
I don't know who had more fun the guys or the kids!
Bea and her friend off to explore
Labels: Tanesashi coast
Wordless Wednesday with a Twist
One of my very favorite 'accidental' photos. I had just gotten a new camera and as playing around with it in the car while we were waiting on Mr. B to come out of the store, and I got lucky and captured this one :)
Labels: Wordless Wednesday
Wind Turbines in Japan
As you drive further out into the country, away from the cities, you'll start to see lots of wind turbines here in Japan.
Wind turbine peaking out behind a building and trees
Wind turbines seen behind a snow fence
Wind turbines in the midst of the beginnings of storm
Labels: Japan, snow fence, Wind turbine
Tabi Japanese Split Toe Socks
I was asked about the Japanese
Tabi Split Toe
socks. These are made so that the big toe and the smaller toes are separated so that they can be worn with sandals. I see these worn all the time by participants in the Japanese parades and festivals. A lot of times they are even walked in (without sandals) for the whole length of the parade. I've included some pictures I happened to catch of them in use. I've also linked some other sites with information above.
They were worn and walked in for the duration of the parade by these guys
Worn with sandals and walked in the parade by these girls
Used by these dancers
Labels: Japan, Tabi Split Toe Socks
It's All Fun And Games Until...
If you have more than 1 child I'm sure you can provide a variety of answers to this
....someone gets hurt
...someone cries, ect
or in our case the other day ...someone gets poked in the foot with a mechanical pencil!
The boys were wrestling around the other day before school and I hollered down from upstairs (I was doing Bea's hair) for them to simmer down. They had cut it out by the time I got downstairs so I thought all was well.
Boo gets home from school later that day and is limping down the hall saying he thinks his toe is broken....I was thinking what happened at school? He doesn't complain so when he does I know he's in a decent amount of pain.
He proceeds to tell me that while they were wrestling earlier Bubby poked him in the foot with a mechanical pencil. So after a day in a sweaty sock and shoe it's now red and painful to the touch. I assess the damage and after peroxide and antibacterial cream it's doing better now. Thankfully they no longer use lead in pencils! He has a dark spot at the sight and from what I've read online it may be a stain that lasts a lifetime!
I just want to keep the kids injury free for the next few days before we leave on our trip...is that really too much to ask!? Sigh...
Happy Anniversary
Happy 'Belated' Anniversary to my wonderful hubby, Mr. B!
Thanks for all the many adventures we have shared, and I look forward to the many ahead!
Love Always,
Labels: Anniversary
Bored, Bored, and more Bored
While this time around moving has proved to be pretty stress-free it has been a bit BORING! I guess when you add in that I'm a newly college graduate who is used to working several jobs, taking care of the kids, and doing school work, things now seem a bit boring around here.
I have been doing lots of reading and even have taken up watching foreign films, which I love!, but you can only do so much of those.
Today after work was spent taking free online IQ tests because I didn't have anything else to do, LOL! Ok I'm sure I could've cleaned something but that doesn't sound fun :)
Free-IQTest.net - MENSA Test
I guess I made a few lucky guesses on the Math questions! LOL! I took a few others and got 120 and 109, so it looks like these free tests are all over the board...or maybe my math guesses weren't as lucky ;)
I've played so many arcade games on the AL moms site that I'm 2nd place for high scores...I really need to do something productive!
