fish market fun

When you've got a great pad in Tokyo as a base camp, you have got to take advantage of the early morning treat of seeing fresh seafood brought into port and auctioned off to restaurateurs before it ends up on the plate of a lucky someone. So on Thursday at 4:45am our alarms went off, we jumped out of bed, left Gin behind and caught the 5.08 train to the Tsukiji Fish Market to do just that. The market was the size of stadium- not the field, but the whole structure and sectioned off into areas for the purchase of live fish, shell fish, the tuna auction, produce area, and a packaging area. We carefully made our way to the back of the market, careful not to get run over by the hundreds of handcarts and busy motor carts to the tuna auction that promptly starts at 5.30am every day excepts Wednesdays. We clearly new when we arrived to the spot. Crowded around hundreds of torpedo sized tuna were Japanese men checking out the product, workers tagging them, and auctioneers standing on chairs getting ready to do their chant. A man with a reflective vest walked around with a flashlight and baton handing out fliers in English that instructed you on the dos and don'ts of taking in this awesome experience. The instructions were quite specific- do be quiet. don't use flash photography. do use the visitors area to view the auction. do not touch the seafood. All the precautions were due to some unfortunate and rude behaviors from some tourists back in January which caused the market to be closed to visitors for two months while ground rules were established and well marked. I'm glad the Japanese opened it back up in time for Marissa to see it.

The auction was so lively and entertaining. The buyers use only hand signals to bid on the Tuna, which is why there is no flash photography- one missed signal can cost someone thousands of dollars. The auctioneer stands on a chair and does some little dance while he chants whatever it is he's saying. After a few moments he stops and writes down something on a little piece of paper, hands the paper to a runner and the runner hands it to the person who won the bid and the next fish is up for purchase. There are hundreds of Tuna being auctioned which makes for the need of a very fast process. The fish is then put on a hand cart and carried away to wherever it is they are taking it. Some went to be filleted right in the market while others were put in ice and styrofoam to be sent to a lucky chef. Besides the Tuna, there were tons of other things brought into the market as well. Check out the pictures of shellfish, seaweed, lobsters, Alaskan King Crab, and other types that I couldn't identify. This is one market that i will be visiting again.

Nagoya Fertility Festival

"Warning, you will see things explicit to the eyes" In simple and broken Engrish, that is how our tour guide started off his introduction to the day. This festival has been one of the most bizarre experiences yet. The only thing I might be able to compare it to in the US is a gay pride parade. So many novelty private parts in so many forms- key chains, sake bottles, salt and pepper shakers- and food- pancakes, candies, hot dogs, and my favorite, chocolate covered bananas. We rolled into the small town in Nagoya after a 5 hour bus ride and were immediately greeted by festival goers wearing their favorite reproductive organ around their neck. To an outsider, this festival looked like some sort of perverted carnival, but as most things in Japan, this was a serious ritual. It dates back 1500 years, starting when a husband was killed in battle and his wife's family prayed to the Gods asking for a bountiful harvest and the ability for more successful conceptions. The town is usually very quiet but on March 15th every year it turns into lively expressions of hope, thanks, and revelry.

Taking on Tokyo

Marissa landed a great gig dog sitting for a couple who have a posh apartment on the eight floor of high rise in the middle of Tokyo. We've taken the opportunity to explore the city with and without Gin, the dog. Here is a clip from our adventures.

I'd have to Ask, cause I Can't Tell...

The more time I spend in Japan, the more I'm noticing the subtleties that were hidden by the 'you have got to be kidding me' moments that stopped me in my tracks when I first got here; the idea of putting poached eggs on everything from pasta to sushi to burgers is no longer an oddity, I've managed to not only conquer my fear of squatting when the urge arises but also have mastered the trick of rolling my pant legs so-- well you get the point, and gone are the days when I was the only one in the bathroom who shook their hands dry because I now carry around my own stash of tissues. Since I'm not as busy mimicking tangible survival techniques, I've found more time to question social behaviors I've witnessed.

I was on a relatively uncrowded train up to Tokyo. There were enough people to have to stand because the seats were full but not enough people to necessitate the violation of, what we as Americans claim a 3 foot radius to be, personal space. The train is a great place to people watch. You have the sleeper whose head looks to be on a hinge as it dangles inches away from his or her lap and is practically drooling on their neighbor. There are the texters, glued to their cell phones, whose phalanges look to be working faster than the nimble fingers of child laborers stitching up your pair of Walmart whatever. There are the boisterous salarymen (business men) who are on their way home from having one too many sake rounds at the local bar. There are the younger women in either their smart suites or sharp business attire still looking well put together after a long day next to a mom or grandmom with their ingredients for dinner tucked into their personal grocery bag. I can't forget to mention the males between 18 and 100, absorbed in the latest and highly pornographic edition of their anime comic book. And last but not least there are the school children, the most gregarious of the lot, smiling away with their yellow book bags and school hats that match.

But there is something else going on here. My gay-dar is broken. It's just like the language, it doesn't translate! Over the months I've been here I've noticed many men, grown men, outfitted in the color pink- and I doubt it's due to their desire to increase breast cancer awareness. Yes, here men don't seem to think twice about having a pink phone or sporting a salmon colored scooter. I've seen them in pink jackets, wearing pink ties, and donning pink shoes. Now I ask you, are they gay? I don't know. Not that all men who wear pink are gay, some are just fashion forward (Luke, that shirt of yours looks great on you), but it's come down to having to ask, although i never would- not to mention i have no idea how to say it- but I can no longer tell. I'm beginning to think there is no such thing as homophobia, either. What other explanation is there for a guy standing on the train, holding onto the handle above, with his crotch only a foot or so away from another guy's nose. And neither one moved spots- for 15 minutes. I wouldn't even give it five seconds for a guy back in the states to either get up and move to another seat or for the man standing to turn sideways so his hip could be the view instead of his inseam. Maybe I've been away too long, but am I wrong here?

Some is Better than None

Man, Friday could not get here quick enough! I felt like a little kid counting down the sleeps until Christmas morning. Once Wednesday came it hit me I had only two more sleeps until Mark was home. Thank gosh, these five weeks have felt like an eternity. I'm pretty sure it has something to do with my stint in Oz during the beginning of January that left only 10 days to spend with Mark between Christmas and the date he left. Lesson learned, Alisa won't be taking any solo trips while Mark is in port for a good while.

So with much anticipation I arrived early on the base Friday morning and did everything I could to make the hours pass by quickly. I have been asked to be part of the Cowpens' Family Readiness Group, which is a group of spouses who gather for family and adult functions when the better half is out to sea. Marissa was babysitting so luckily my morning was occupied with a get together at the Starbucks on base to share enthusiasm and weekend plans with the other spouses. Then I headed to the sea wall to follow in the ship as it was pushed/pulled by a tug boat. It was such a relief to see the ship come barreling through the fog into sight. I imagine it may be like the feeling of having a stranger drop off your child at home. You're not quite sure of this person or have complete trust that your loved one is safe until they are in your arms. Nonetheless, I was very happy to see CG63 making her way to the dock. Once whoever it was gave the go ahead sign, the families were allowed onto the ship to see their sailor. Mark came bouncing into the wardroom when he heard I was in there waiting. It was so good, so so good to have him home.

Mark, Marissa, and I enjoyed a great dinner, relaxed, and sat around talking about all of our adventures. As you may know, Mark was called to go to S. Korea to participate in the joint exercises that have been talked about in the news between US forces and ROK forces. Although his time at home was less than 48 hours, the three of us had a great time together. I can only hope we get a chance to make more memories together. He are some pics of our walk around the neighborhood.

Back to the 9-5, please!

I’m officially over my early retirement and ready to get back to the grind. It’s not that I’m excited to work for someone else, because Lord knows I am my favorite boss, but I am really looking to be part of a team again. I find out on Monday if I’ve made the “cert”, aka, qualification for the Recreation Specialist position I applied for in the beginning of the month. Usually I have found out within a week or so if I was hired for a position, but not this time. The process here is at least a month long just to make it past the application round. It certainly has got me on pins and needles. On one hand I am thankful for the free time I’ve got to see all that I can fit into a day but on the other, I am really looking forward to contributing, financially, to the team again. Selling Silpada is harder than I had anticipated here, especially with families tightening their spending. So please keep your fingers crossed for me. This week has been pretty low key as it’s been rainy, cold, and wet since Monday. Marissa and I did go on an adventure with some other wives yesterday to some type of festival with traditional doll making. Well we attempted to make it to the festival and we got very close, but between the five of us and three different maps, we could not locate the dang thing! Fortunately, we did find a cool path in the woods that led to a beautiful waterfall. At least we got out of the house, met some other people, and had some hard laughs. To top off the day, I had a great surprise last night, I got to see Mark! Luckily, he was in port and had access to a wireless network so he borrowed a friend’s computer and jumped on skype. To see his smiling face was an instant energizer. I couldn’t sit still as I told him about Marissa and my recent adventures and asked him questions about life on the sea. I was bouncing around like the a little kid after devouring a bunch of those pixie sticks with the pure sugar in them. He does that to me. I worry about his health while he is gone. Mostly that he gets enough sleep, which he doesn’t and his mental well being- he looked tired, had some bags under his eyes and yawned often. I wish the Navy would assure they got the sleep they deserve. It seems like he works at least 18 hour days 6 days a week. Did you guys hear about USS Port Royal running aground off Hawaii? I bet it was a mistake due to lack of sleep. Speaking of sleep, my eyes are getting heavy and my mind is having a hard time staying focused so off to REM I go. More updates to come tomorrow.

Just Keep Swimming

Today we ventured out into a sea of sharks. These sharks were not threatening or great in size, but great in number. There were hundreds and hundreds; momma sharks, daddy sharks and baby sharks all feeding so close together and on the same bait. Even though I've been in this sea before, today it was foreign and confusing and even a bit intimidating. The crowd grew larger as the hours crept on throughout the day. At first, drifting from spot to spot was refreshing and exciting but by the third hour fatigue set in and maneuvering in the current became harder. There were times when it was necessary to revisit an area and tread backwards through the flow of traffic. Negotiating among the bodies was annoying, almost obnoxious. I found myself stuck in one spot or another for a few seconds before discovering a new route or navigating around a blocked passage. Finally I made my way to the exit with bait of my own.
It was both a successful and eye opening day at Ikea. It was great to see familiar household products and cool new decorating ideas. There was pretty much the same stuff you'd find in an Ikea in the US except for the dozens of different types of chop sticks and tatami mat flooring options. But holy cow, you'd think they were giving things away there were so many people. I kid you not when I say I would be stuck behind a blob of people for 25-30 seconds before a path opened up big enough for myself and the cart. And the kids were all over the place. I've never seen a public spanking and don't think I ever will. The parents really let their kids be kids and explore. If you didn't know better you'd think it was Philly's Please Touch Museum. A couple great features of the Ikeas here: they have an awesome food court- one side of the cafeteria is like a bistro with soups and sandwiches and the other side has a shmorgasboard of goodies like pasta with salmon sauce, lasagna, swedish meatballs, and chicken w/ veggies. You could even get bread and butter, salad, wine by the glass, cheesecake, and chocolate mousse. Being that Mark is coming home soon (YES), we're in the market to find marissa a bed. We've been sleeping in the same one until now. The military issued us two single beds so we pushed them together to make a queen and a half. We decided to separate the two singles and put them in two different rooms and get Mark and I a new bed. We also got some fabric to make curtains and some other goodies. Overall, successful day at good old Ikea.

Another Type of Party

A quick recap of our Wednesday. The traveling and sightseeing party ended while the cleaning party raged on. Here's a look at our day.

250 Years Back in Time

You may have read about our recent road trip to Magome and Tsumago in Marissa's blog at www.stillgotsandinmyshoes.blogspot.com, but I thought I'd give my two cents on the trip as well. She did such a great job of describing our adventures in to what a Japanese town looked, felt, and tasted like 250 years ago that I can only echo her excitement in experiencing this. This first picture is of the Ryokan where we stayed. The second pic is of me trying to get some of that sweet moutain goodness. The next is of Maris and I hiking on the trail between the two towns. What struck me most about our transport back in time was how far ahead they were in regards to being green. Now adays it's the 'in' thing to be concerned for our environment. Going green is a way to attract consumers, employees, clients, and even votes (ahem, reformed republicans are even embracing the fad to hug a tree).























But for these post towns in Japan, going green is not an ephiphany, it's not an fad, it's not even something to debate. Being green has been a means of survival, a way of life-finding a way to coexist with the resources around them so both man and nature can flourish. The operation of the home as well as the community illuminated the efficiency and sense of respect the Japanese have for mother nature. Sure, now they have light bulbs instead of candles, gas stoves instead of fire, and rely on Caterpillars instead of mules, but they are still very consciencious of the use of these resources, especially water. They seemed to have mastered how to harness (and enjoy- check out this indoor bath) its power. Water wheels are still being used by many homes to generate a means to produce flour and textiles, collected rain water seemed to be integrated into a simple yet effective irrigation system, and the water running down from the mountains provided clean, crisp, and tasty water that you can't even guarantee from a Poland Springs bottle. We even stumbled upon a fish farm that used some pipes from a natural pool next to the property to funnel in water through a set of gates and fences with each section holding different size fish.

Mark has been gone for only three weeks but for some reason this time around feels like a lifetime. It was so refreshing to get out of the city and into the foothills of nature. Miles and miles of terrace farmed mountain sides, bamboo forests, snow capped peaks, and a great co-pilot made for exactly what the mind and soul needed.

Today we found Godzilla

Since Marissa's arrival on Tuesday I think we have clocked 35-40 miles on the pedometer. I will be the first to say that I am out of shape. Well, I'll be the second to say it, my screaming body is the first . Holy cow, it's a good burn, don't get me wrong, my abs, thighs, calves, and butt are glad to be getting in the groove. But if this is what the groove feels like at 27, my body and I have to have a serious discussion before we hit the 28 marker. Today we went on a pretty good bike ride around the area. We found this awesome playground that is on the top of steep and windy hill (of course it couldn't be that easy to get to) lined with lots of blooming, flowering bushes. Like many things in Japan, I don't understand the significance of Godzilla in the playground, but nonetheless he is here watching over all who come and go. The playground was stewing with families with kids of all ages. The day was a sunny, pleasant 50 degrees. Layers came off as we biked and hiked more miles. I found myself trying to remember the last time I watched parents and kids back home playing together in such a carefree way. You could really tell it was the weekend. Usually, the streets on weekdays are chock full of moms and grand moms with accessories like strollers or groceries while the men are mostly clad in business suits with leather attache cases. Today you saw the whole pod together. It was both peaceful and reassuring to watch the little kids being chased by their grandparents as the parents looked on and smiled. Dads were present in their kids lives, something that you don't often see, especially on base with so many of the guys out to sea. The playground was too cool to pass up, with it's cargo rope bridges, rip cord swings, and long curvy slide, so of course we played on it too. I told Marissa we'll have to bring Mark back here so he can get a feel for the design. The plans for our dream house Mark and I are drawing on paper, believe it or not, actually have all of the above. I mean why climp up a tree fort out back when you could just use a rip cord from the second floor balacony? Don't worry, we will put safey first, but don't be surprised when you come over for a barbeque and we're swinging from the trees. After our long bike ride and hike, we were pooped. We came back to the house and gave our bodies a rest. Now to plan for the next advenure. Stay tuned cause there will be plenty more stories to come. I really am missing my family and friends mucho. It means so much when I can scroll down the page and see your comments. Thank you for keeping in touch, for it is what keeps me going.