Embracing the Art of the Onsen

A start to a July 4th weekend that was like none other. Last year I was basking in the sun on Hilton Head Island with the family, content in my denial that forces greater than thou had hold on my life. This year I was looking forward to something different- I needed something different. And sure enough this time, when I asked, I recieved. A friend and I jumped in the car and decided to stop talking about seeing this and doing that and to actually go and do it. It's easy to complain about the Navy when you're on the base and so many things you can't control are in your face (so getting off base is muy importante-a huge reason why I wouldn't be caught dead living on base). We were on our way to Hakone. To get to the town, one would just hug the coast and drive about an hour west of Yokosuka. Athough it was a Friday there were tons of people enjoying what the surf has to offer- the towns we passed through reminded me of Ocean City without the bars, boardwalk, or neon lights or as many people- come to think of it, it wasn't like ocean city at all- i guess the beach houses were a little similiar. Let me start again, just like the Jersey Shore, the waves weren't great but people were out there trying to carve it up nonetheless. We made our way up the winding hills and lush forests to one of the most famous spots in Hakone. At this time the name of the Onsen (hot spring) escapes me but I'll be going back there again, so it will be in my next report. First thing one must do when headed to an Onsen (Hot Spring) is to leave your pride and modesty at the door. No swim suits allowed! You will be the odd person out. Fret less, men and women are separate. When you first enter the building you take your shoes off. You do not walk around inside with shoes on, ever. You can see from the picture, thatify ou wish to go out to the deck they provide you slippers. Once we headed down the halls and stairs we arrived at the women's locker room area and there is such a sense of serenity. It's not like a gym locker room, but more like a spa locker room with wicker furniture, soft soothing colors, and carpeted floors. After you drop your drawers you get your towel and head to the shower. But these are not showers like we know showers. I turned the corner to find a row of shower heads, about shoulder length, lining the wall. Each stall, although there are no doors, has a wooden stool so you can sit and rinse off your body. Then the fun part. I walked outside to the fenced in springs. There were 5 different ones to choose from. You can't really tell in the picture (i snuck it) but vaguely you can see one to the left, two to right and one towards the back of the photo. They are all piping hot and so relaxing. Chill music is playing and everyone is calm and content. At first my friend and I had to giggle our nervousness away, but after realizing we were the only ones feeling embarrased we said, enough is enough and just let the ambiance take over. If your hot spring moment made you sleepy the place also had a room where you can lay down on the floor and continue to meditate or fall asleep before checking back in to reality. Anyone who is coming out to visit, get your mind and body ready, cause you can't leave Japan without experiencing the art of the onsen.

One for the Money, Two for the Show

What do you do when you're burnt out from work, exhausted by a grueling schedule, tired of catering to the everyone's needs except your own? Some of us may turn off our cell phone, retreat to a hot bathtub, or head down the beach for some R&R. But what do you do when you're famous beyond your wildest dreams? Growing up, my mommom Fidati and I would watch tons of old classic movies- Fiddler on the Roof, My Fair Lady, Oklahoma, Guys and Dolls, Singing in the Rain, everything Fred Astaire, and anything Rodgers and Hammerstein. We also watched documentaries and concerts of Elvis. Up unil now I (and i bet you, too) were under the impression that Elvis permanently left the building for a big encore in the sky. Boy, were we fooled! Apparently the only way to get away from the pressures of fame was to come out to Japan and start his own look alike club. This way Elvis's proteges could entertain for him while he disappeared into history. Well, maybe that's not how it played out, but I don't doubt anything can happen here in Japan. Yesterday I went to Harajuku to check out the local festivities that occur each week and was expecting quite a scene. Needless to say, I was not let down by either the wierd nor gifted acts that were around me. Along the park path I found people sitting on a blanket plucking away at guitars, others beating on some drums, a group of dancers practicing some choreography, kids playing baseball, runners moving quickly as their pets jogging along side of them, and people practicing flag twirling. There were some very memoriable sights, but the best of all was this group of 20-25 who were dressed as Elvis or James Dean with high hair, tight leather pants, and black boots grooving to some rock n roll. They cranked up their music, covered their hair in aqua net or dippity doo, gave themselves one last check in the mirror and then twisted and shouted for a good hour. It seemed like each group tried to out do the other- causing the crowd to shift our focus from one spot to another, seeing who had the best moves. Here are some pics and a video from the day.

The Rain is Falling

There is nothing like being woken in the middle of the night by a feeling that something is crawling in your bed. Whoever came up with alarm clocks had it all wrong by thinking some incessant beeping or buzzing coming from the nightstand couldn't be ignored. However, if a system was devised to unleash little ants or creepy crawlers onto your bed at the stroke of a hand, there wouldn't even be a need for a snooze button. I thought of this the other night around 3am after finding myself standing in the middle of my bed, covers on the floor, my right arm wet, and my heart beating like I had just ran to the top of Mt. Fuji. Confused and a now itchy, I hit on the light and smiled at the absurdity of my discovery- oh it's just the rainy season. Evidently, I did not anticipate such high winds and heavy rains during the night so I didn't think to shut the screen door that leads out to the balcony that is a couple feet from the bed. I shook my head while I watched a small puddle on the floor beside the door ripple in the wind as our blue curtain whipped high into the air. Ah, that's why my arm is wet! The tip of the curtain is long enough to land a few inches of damp fabric against the bed- and my arm was in it's path. What a relief! So with a new found sense of peace and calm, I slid the door shut, pulled the sheet from the floor, turned off the light, and found myself wide awake from the commotion. I began to think of what it means to be in a rainy season.

Back home in NJ, it rained during all the seasons- we don't have any particular months dedicated to rain- I guess April showers brought May flowers but that was it. And during the rain we would just get in our cars and put on our lights and wipers and go about our business. Rarely did I carry an umbrella with me, I would rather run from the car to the store or put up my hood on my sweatshirt or coat. In Japan, you will see matching rain coats and pants on all of the scooter riders or bikers-- purple, red, orange, green, blue- if you catch a bunch together at a stop light they can look like a handful of skittles. The walkers always have their umbrellas in tow. Most department and grocery stores have a place to stow your umbrella while you shop. Even little stores like 7 & Holdings (7-11) or McDonalds provide plastic umbrella bags so you or the person next to you won't be inconvieneced by your dripping accessory. The daily routine doesn't change much, just the outfits that the people wear. Then I thought of the Caribbean. Ah, yes the rainy season is such a big part of the year down in St. Lucia and St. Kitts. Wow, I've been in two different parts of the world for 'rainy season'- and the people behave just as differently during these times. Unlike Japan where the people go, go, go, and work, work, work, the rainy season in the islands provides for more vacation days and less time worrying about what isn't getting done. Indicative of their attitude, when the rain is falling, they just chill in the house and enjoy the beauty and company of those around them and thank the Lord for providing nutrients for their crops and land. Naturally, at first I was amazed by this [backward] thinking that you wouldn't go to work or school cause the 'rain was falling'- what do you mean, no one else will be there either?? But that's the beauty in different cultures and different parts of the world. I feel so blessed to not only experience rainy seasons in these places but to observe and learn to understand the people who live in them. Here are some pictures from around the town and the house during our rainy season. The bike parking lot for McDonalds is just as big as the parking lot for the cars. The picture of the dude who has curtains in his car cracked us up as well. Here also is a picture of Mark putting together a new counter space addition to our kitchen. The kitchen table you see in the picture is about to be gone as it's a loaner from the Navy and our time with it is up.

Back on the Clock

I've started a job being an educational facilitator at the Navy College Learning Center. It's only part time for now but with some luck it will turn into a full time position by the Fall. I never would have thought I'd be tutoring in Math but come to find out, I actually enjoy the subject when I know what I'm doing. Here's how it works. Active duty military or adult dependents are able to come in to our center and take online prep courses to improve their chances on SATs/ACTs or ASVAB (Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery) scores- say if they want to cross rate to another job in the Navy. Our center requires them to take a TABE (Test of Adult Basic Education) assessment to identify at which grade level they're currently operating. Ready for this one? The average grade level our adult students score is a 7.2- that is seventh grade and two months!! Are you shocked and awed? I was. So depending on the student's abiliy level, we set them up with a web based self-paced program to work on their weaknesses and bump up their skills. Upon completion of the two week course they usually increase an average of 5 grades. Now, to be fair, most people just need a refresher on what Please Excuse My Dear Aunt Sally means, or how to get the volume of a cylinder, or the rules for the pythagorian theorums- but whoa. I must say, however, I am thankful that no one has asked me for tutoring on nonlinear differential equations. Sorry Ms. White but you lost me on those. I am thankful to finally have a job because I was going a little stir crazy. The job has allowed me to meet new people, learn more about the Navy, and appreciate sailors' efforts in bettering both themselves and our military. Although it can be quiet at times, the job is interesting and has given me the opportunity to create a more stable and meaningful routine. It also feels good to be contributing again to the bank account. Yes, I chose to go on semi-retirement before coming to Japan and during these months off I have learned that a big part of my identity was derived from what I did- community development, mentoring juvenile offenders, working with the homeless yada yada yada. Since I can remember, my education, my jobs, and my career path have been my top achievements. These past 11 months without a job have forced me to look at myself in a different light. I realized that without that side to me, I wasn't completely happy with who I was as a person. So I've have made some changes. Although it is not easy, I am working hard to live a life without mind alterning substances. We all know I like to party as much as the next person but I'm taking a break and I am dealing with life on life's terms and not using alcohol to numb my frustrations or aggrevations. Mark being gone so much is tough on the mind and soul, but at the same time being in Japan, away from friends, away from family has been a good thing because it has allowed me to focus on me. And I am starting to like what I see.
I'm also keeping busy by going on tours that the base provides. This past weekend I went to Nikko, an old city about two hours north of Tokyo. Here are some pics from my adventures.

Branching Out

Happy Memorial Day, all! I hope this weekend is full of great weather, good company, and lots of laughs. For me Memorial Day weekend was a time to be thankful for those who serve and have served our country, a time to reflect on where I've been during Memorial Days of yesteryear, and a time to focus on where I do not want to be this Memorial Day. This weekend would mark 30 days of consecutive sobriety in my journey for a life without mind altering substances. I knew the long weekend could be potentially dangerous with barbeques and picnics all over. Last year it would have been easy to find something to do- grab a cold one and join in with the one of the many celebrations going on, but this year could have been a little more challenging. Luckily and coincidentally, I heard of an off base church through a friend I met during treatment. The ministry caters specifically toward military members and their families. Since I've wanted to connect with a church anyhow, I thought, well, now is as good as time as ever. I went on their website last week and it showed that they were going camping for Memorial Day weekend- bingo! Without hesitating I emailed the person in charge and asked them if I could join in their party. Whew, disaster averted. All I had to do was show up, take in the sights and sounds, and enjoy meeting some new people. Come Saturday morning, I did just that. There were 13 other people, mostly in their twenties who were headed to the campground. Everyone knew each other, except for the newbie here, but that didn't bother me. I was looking to get away from Yokosuka just as much as I was looking forward to meeting new people, so I saw it as a win win situation.

Catch up with the Mighty Moo

Yesterday a friend and I decided to bid farewell to The Thundering Herd, our Mighty Moo, yes, that is the nickname of USS COWPENS, by doing something a little different. Despite the slightly overcast sky we packed our bags with warm clothes, grabbed the tackle box and fishing poles, and headed to the Green Bay Marina on base to rent a boat. We were headed out for a front row seat to watch our men head out for yet another underway. Given how strict the base is on so many aspects of life, the marina couldn't have been any more lackadaisical in renting our their boats. Before filling out the paperwork I asked if he wanted to see my boating license. "No need." Wow, okay. I proceeded to fill out the paperwork with my name and phone number and when I got to the bottom where it said emergency contact number, I looked to Nicole to see who we should put down. But before I even got the question out of my mouth the guy said again, no need. Whoa, this guy is nuts, he must have great faith in us, a little more than we had in ourselves to be honest. So with all that over and done with we headed to the boat. But then I realized he didn't even tell us which one it was when he handed us the key. "oh yea, it's over there, the one with the stripe." 'Dude, is this guy for real?' We boarded the whaler and were surprised to see that it didn't even have any seats. 'Oh man, this is gonna be good,' we said looking at each other with a confused face.
We untied the ropes, put down the engine and started her up. "Well, that's a good sign." And we were off. Out of the harbour, away from the base, and out to the open seas in our little whaler with no seats.

We went a mile or so off shore and saw lots of other little fishing boats anchored so we decided it was a good spot to try our luck with fishing. Throwing the anchor had me bent over, abs hurting from laughter. We were not the most graceful boaters. But the weather was great and we were just in time to watch the ship go past. It was quite a sight that gave me chills. I sat there thinking about what Mark might be doing while we saw the ship come into view. Maybe he was at the helm, Mr. Navigator doing his thing. We were about 500 yards away from it, we didn't dare get any closer- our husbands had already warned us not to make a scene or cause an international incident. So we chilled in our boat and snapped some great shots and yelled to them, "see you soon!"

After a little while longer of fishing and chatting we realized we were no longer surrounded by any other small boats, just big bardges. Huh, where did everyone go? We soon found out. No more than three minutes went by and the waves started getting big and our little whaler started rocking like a rubber ducky in a splashing bathtub. I'm pretty sure we yelled a few times and held our breath even more. Needless to say we high tailed it in very quick. Even though we were only out for two hours, it was one of the best time I've had watching the guys leave. Next time, though, I will surely take que from other boats around me.

Culturally Packed Weekend

Yet another underway has come and gone. Yes, that's right, our boy was out there doing man overboard trainings and navigating through low pressure systems like only a Navigator can. Mark realized that, although we're living in Japan for a year and a half, with all these underways and a four month deployment starting in early May, he really won't get a chance to soak up much of the country or it's customs. Keeping that in mind, we made sure to pack as much as we could in this past weekend. On Saturday we went to our first Japanese pro baseball game. Clearly this was no Phillies game. There was no mixing of fans- they sat according to for whom they were rooting. One side wore blue or blue and gray showing their spirit for the Yokohama Baystars and the other wore yellow or yellow and white for the Tokyo Tigers. There were no metal detectors as you filed into the stadium. And, most obvious clue we weren't in Philly? People could bring their own food and booze! Mark and I laughed as we could picture people hauling quarter kegs on their backs up to the nose bleed sections. Check out the video to see how organized their cheers were, I mean E-A-G-L-E-S has nothing on these guys. We were sitting behind the drums and horns- they took the repsonsiblity very seriously.

Spring has Sprung

These days the mercury is consistently hovering around the age of retirement, with some days reaching that 'bless her heart, she's still going at it' level. The cherry blossoms are peaking and roads are being covered in pastel pinks from their petals. The breeze from the cars cause them to swirl as if it were a dusting of snow. Kids, pets, and couples are coming out of the woodwork. Parks and beaches are busting with activity on the weekends with picnics, kite flying, baseball catches, and soccer games. We even saw a man taking his cat out for an evening walk- on a leash! Some pics of the house after a some yardwork.

Mark and I have taken advantage of one of the endearing qualities of being in the Navy family, proximity to the sea. You'd think this boy would be tired of seeing the ocean, but it is a love that is unconditional between a man and mother nature that only one with the same passion can understand. The other weekend we headed to the beach for Mark to have a surf and me to watch him master the waves. It's soothing to watch him glide back and forth effortlessly through the water on his board. His athleticism never ceases to amaze me. I wish I could have the same relationship with a surfboard- I've tried, we just don't get along well. It's too big for me to bully and never does what I ask.

So this past weekend we enjoyed a pastime that we both could partake in; fishing. The start of the adventure what somewhat shaky at the local fishing store, Tackle Berry. We got some hooks, sinkers, and my favorite purchase, the rattling minnow imitation but we still needed some bait. Ok, we're at a fishing store so they'll surely have bait, right? But what is the word for bait? We looked in the phrase book earlier and didn't see it so we just winged it. "Sumimesen, bait doko deska?" (excuse me, where is the bait?) The man behind the counter perked up right away, "Hai, bait-o." (yes, bait) Mark and I looked at each other with hope-no way, we got it right-o! "Hai, bait-o," Mark said back with a smile. We had already put our items on the counter to ring up. One second hand pole: 1,200 yen. One bag of fake worms: 480 yen. One rattling minnow imitation lure: 560 yen. One bag of sinkers: 58 yen. Then the confusion started. "Bait-0" the man picked up the fake worms and showed them to us like we hadn't known what they were. "Uh oh, i think we need to bust out the phrase book," I said to Mark. "Oh man, here we go," he replied. "But what word can we use to describe bait? Ah ha, here's live. How about live?" He showed the man the word in Japanese. He looked up, smiled and seemed to be waiting for something else. "Ok, let's try alive. Nope, no alive in here. Maybe squid? Nope, no squid." We said live again. He repeated it,"live" but just smiled like he had passed the pronunciaion test. Defeated and confused we threw up the X to show nevermind and just said, "gomenasai, arigato" (sorry, thank you) and motioned at our purchase as if to say, this is it buddy, please pretend the last 5 minutes didn't happen. On our way to base we stopped at the local fish market and picked up some sardines to use as bait-o. Base fishing is supposedly pretty good because it's isolated from the local fisherman so you've got more space to yourself.

In the couple hours we were out there I landed two blowfish. Quite fun to take off the hook but they weren't big enough to bring home. Besides, they're poisonous and if we don't filet them properly, they can be deadly. Not how we want to end our first fishing trip. We just enjoyed the afternoon and laughed at how we still can't get over living in Japan.

Clips from the Second Day

Our Final Adventure as the Three Amigos

I can’t believe it’s taken me so long to fill you guys in on our camping excursion on Shinkine-jima. Being this would be our last adventure as the three amigos, Mark took off two days from work so we could enjoy a long weekend together. To say it was relaxing and peaceful is an understatement. To get to this jima (island) we took a 10.5 hour ferry ride from Tokyo south into the Pacific Ocean. This ferry ride was far from cushiony; sleeping in our clown car would have proved to be more comfortable. You’re assigned a number on your ticket that corresponds to a 5.5 x 2.5 rectangle on the floor which is plotted out by duct tape. We slept side by side on the bottom deck of the ship, picture sardines in a can. After about 100 people boarded at 10pm our ride was underway. No sooner did people lay down their furry ferry supplied blanket and plane sized pillow, did they bust out their Kirin, Sake, or Sapporo. We didn’t realize this was a party boat! Marissa played Uno with some Japanese students and swore they cheated. Mark and I sat back and laughed at where we found ourselves. Midnight rolled around, the lights went out, and a man came around saying, “Shh, sleepy time.” So it was. 9am the next morning we stepped outside to see our island approaching. From a distance it looked like a big rocky hill with patches of green tree tops, nothing too spectacular. But after mooring and disembarking the water became crystal clear and allowed us to see sea life 20-30 feet down. Looking the part of rustic campers with hiking backpacks and sleeping bags latched on, we started our trek to the village office. Fortunately, a nice woman stopped along side us and asked us if we wanted a ride. Well, she had to motion to us as well since we all know we had not a clue what she was saying. After an enthusiastic, "Hai, hai, arigato gazimous" (yes, yes, thank you very much) we were taken to the office to register. The season had just opened and we were some of the first campers they had seen all year. The island is only 12 kilometers in diameter and has 600 people living there year round. Needless to say, they were very happy to have the tourists starting to trickle into their local economy. With map in hand we crept along the road trying to figure out where to turn. Of course we missed the spot, so we asked a nice lady driving by "Simesen, camp-jo doko deska?" (Excuse me, where is the campsite?). She pointed down this dirt path but we were very skeptical because it looked like it was more a ditch that drained rainwater. She could see the skepticism in our faces so she got out of her car and motioned for us to follow her. She led us through the woods and to the most beautiful beach I have seen in a very very long time. Our campsite was just to the right of us and it looked out at to the crashing waves, crystal clear aqua blue water and lush green hills.

Mark, Marissa, and I wasted no time unpacking, setting up camp, and then looking for the first sign of a hot spring. Marissa, being the fish she is, found the spot right away. The hot portion was only in the shallow part where the hot air bubbled up to warm the water. Actually, some parts were down right scalding. Because this pool was directly connected to the incoming tide, the deeper you went the colder it got. I didn't even have my bathing suit on yet and she was already basking in the freezing water collecting shells and grinning from ear to ear.

We went on a hike to the top of the mountain, found some firewood, and made a great dinner on the outside oven. The first day was amazing and only got better the second day.