1. Pennies! We haven't dealt with pennies for three years.
1a. I wonder if we've come out ahead or if the AAFES/DECA system has with all that rounding up and down. I kept track for about the first month (they were winning) but lost interest shortly thereafter.
1b. I think all Americans could stop using pennies. I really don't miss them.
2. I think the Toyota Vitz that came in Wyatt's supermarket collection is almost as big as the one I passed on 58.
Sunday, September 30, 2007
Saturday, September 29, 2007
We Must Really Be Leaving & Some Interactive Fun!
We sold the Surf yesterday and I'm a little more in love with that truck all of a sudden! Jeff cleaned it up yesterday morning and it looked really good. I guess we should have tried doing that a little more often while we drove it. Now, if I get all weepy over the Crapina when we part ways, you'll know I'm having issues letting go of Okinawa. But even if I kick the bumper on that thing as it drives away, you should know I really am having issues letting go. I think it might be a result of this assignment being so remote; every other time we've moved, we've thought, "oh, we might drive through here again." I don't think we'll just take a passing glance at Okinawa again.
Please remind me of that when we get reassigned here in about six years.
We spent yesterday afternoon wandering around American Village, Jusco, the monkey store and its 100 yen before taking Wyatt for a loop on the ferris wheel. Just everything about this place is unique - from the hoardes of Japanese schoolgirls getting their pictures taken in the fancy photo booths at the Dragon Palace arcade to the cool little dishes and hilarious t-shirts at Jusco. I mean, you guys, I'm getting wistful about tonkatsu and random raw seafood! It's not as if I've ever actually purchased half the stuff in the Jusco grocery section, but it won't even be an option in two months. So sad.
I'll probably have to make an extra trip to Target or TJMaxx to numb my depression.
And I'll remind myself again that we are so lucky to have even had this opportunity; I'm lucky to be sad about leaving because there are plenty of people who hate it here and can't wait to see it from the window of their departing plane. Crazies! There's no accounting for taste.
And now it's time for the interactive fun part I promised. We need you to help us out of our little dilemma. We're t-minus 7 weeks and are debating one last trip, so here's the debate: Singapore and Vietnam remain on our travel wishlist but both have pros and cons so the other option is to stay home.
Vietnam pros:
not heavily touristed, cheap once you get there, culturally intriguing and very un-westernized
Vietnam cons:
maybe not so Wyatt-friendly since the food would be slightly more questionable and we'd most likely do a guided tour without freedom for naps and early nights, expensive.
Singapore pros:
highly recommended by many people, not a destination we would seek out from the States so it makes sense to go now, modern and kid-friendly with a multi-cultural blend of people and stuff.
Singapore cons:
when you boil it down, it's just a big city (kind of like Hong Kong), kind of expensive to get there because we probably can't time it right to take the hop from Tokyo, they don't let you have any chewing gum. Just kidding, that's not really a con, but did you know that?
Staying home pros:
Uh, we'd save a bucket o' money, no stress while we're trying to prep for the move, we'd feel free to buy any last-minute piece of furniture that crossed our path, and we will be attempting to purchase our first house in the next few months.
Staying home cons:
No more trips?!, we've been looking for that elusive piece of furniture and haven't found it, it's just money, would I always regret not seeing one of those places?
So vote now! Let your voice be heard. And please reward me by participating because I went to the trouble of setting up a poll - you don't even have to comment! And the poll will close on Saturday, October 6, so vote now!
Please remind me of that when we get reassigned here in about six years.
We spent yesterday afternoon wandering around American Village, Jusco, the monkey store and its 100 yen before taking Wyatt for a loop on the ferris wheel. Just everything about this place is unique - from the hoardes of Japanese schoolgirls getting their pictures taken in the fancy photo booths at the Dragon Palace arcade to the cool little dishes and hilarious t-shirts at Jusco. I mean, you guys, I'm getting wistful about tonkatsu and random raw seafood! It's not as if I've ever actually purchased half the stuff in the Jusco grocery section, but it won't even be an option in two months. So sad.
I'll probably have to make an extra trip to Target or TJMaxx to numb my depression.
And I'll remind myself again that we are so lucky to have even had this opportunity; I'm lucky to be sad about leaving because there are plenty of people who hate it here and can't wait to see it from the window of their departing plane. Crazies! There's no accounting for taste.
And now it's time for the interactive fun part I promised. We need you to help us out of our little dilemma. We're t-minus 7 weeks and are debating one last trip, so here's the debate: Singapore and Vietnam remain on our travel wishlist but both have pros and cons so the other option is to stay home.
Vietnam pros:
not heavily touristed, cheap once you get there, culturally intriguing and very un-westernized
Vietnam cons:
maybe not so Wyatt-friendly since the food would be slightly more questionable and we'd most likely do a guided tour without freedom for naps and early nights, expensive.
Singapore pros:
highly recommended by many people, not a destination we would seek out from the States so it makes sense to go now, modern and kid-friendly with a multi-cultural blend of people and stuff.
Singapore cons:
when you boil it down, it's just a big city (kind of like Hong Kong), kind of expensive to get there because we probably can't time it right to take the hop from Tokyo, they don't let you have any chewing gum. Just kidding, that's not really a con, but did you know that?
Staying home pros:
Uh, we'd save a bucket o' money, no stress while we're trying to prep for the move, we'd feel free to buy any last-minute piece of furniture that crossed our path, and we will be attempting to purchase our first house in the next few months.
Staying home cons:
No more trips?!, we've been looking for that elusive piece of furniture and haven't found it, it's just money, would I always regret not seeing one of those places?
So vote now! Let your voice be heard. And please reward me by participating because I went to the trouble of setting up a poll - you don't even have to comment! And the poll will close on Saturday, October 6, so vote now!
Friday, September 28, 2007
Thursday, September 27, 2007
Totally Blog-Worthy
So, it's funny to me how we can go days on end without anything particularly entertaining happening. And then, in one day, we can have so much fun that I couldn't possibly capture it all.
We had a date this morning with Kristen and Isaac to check out the local Japanese indoor playground so, according to plan, we picked them up at 9:45 and headed out. We arrived at about 10:02, only to discover that the place doesn't actually open until 11. Big disappointment, but we decided we'd go back after naps and headed home. But then it happened: we saw the t-shirt that trumps all other t-shirt sightings I've had here in Okinawa. Here's the thing (for those of you who haven't been here): there are Engrish t-shirts which have senseless phrases and then there are Engrish t-shirts that have very clear language, yet you know that the hapless Okinawan has NO IDEA what their shirt says (this is the same phenomenon that allows gangsta rap to play in the shopping malls without any censoring). So there we were, lamenting our fruitless trip to the arcade, when I saw a woman whose shirt said this:
Yes, it said exactly what your dirty little mind is thinking. So, because I am committed to entertaining you, my reader, and also to accurately capturing our time here, I informed Kristen the car was going to be turning around for a photo opportunity and that she, as the passenger, needed to man the camera. Turning around in Okinawa is never as easy as looping through a parking lot, so after turning down a few side streets, darting through a residential neighborhood and making a few questionable driving decisions, we found our target. Only this time, we approached her from behind to see that the back of her shirt said, "THEN LEAVE".
Put them together, I'll wait.
Nope, I couldn't make this up if I tried! Can you believe that?! We felt a little like we should take the time to explain how she shouldn't be wearing that shirt, but we didn't. I still feel guilty that she's out there, thinking that shirt's okay.
Here's the best part: all this entertainment occurred before noon and cost less than 800 yen (which also included my "membership" so next time it'll be even cheaper!). Does anyone know if there's one of these in Virginia?
We had a date this morning with Kristen and Isaac to check out the local Japanese indoor playground so, according to plan, we picked them up at 9:45 and headed out. We arrived at about 10:02, only to discover that the place doesn't actually open until 11. Big disappointment, but we decided we'd go back after naps and headed home. But then it happened: we saw the t-shirt that trumps all other t-shirt sightings I've had here in Okinawa. Here's the thing (for those of you who haven't been here): there are Engrish t-shirts which have senseless phrases and then there are Engrish t-shirts that have very clear language, yet you know that the hapless Okinawan has NO IDEA what their shirt says (this is the same phenomenon that allows gangsta rap to play in the shopping malls without any censoring). So there we were, lamenting our fruitless trip to the arcade, when I saw a woman whose shirt said this:
Yes, it said exactly what your dirty little mind is thinking. So, because I am committed to entertaining you, my reader, and also to accurately capturing our time here, I informed Kristen the car was going to be turning around for a photo opportunity and that she, as the passenger, needed to man the camera. Turning around in Okinawa is never as easy as looping through a parking lot, so after turning down a few side streets, darting through a residential neighborhood and making a few questionable driving decisions, we found our target. Only this time, we approached her from behind to see that the back of her shirt said, "THEN LEAVE".
Put them together, I'll wait.
Nope, I couldn't make this up if I tried! Can you believe that?! We felt a little like we should take the time to explain how she shouldn't be wearing that shirt, but we didn't. I still feel guilty that she's out there, thinking that shirt's okay.
The good news? Our little side trip (coupled with a misguided trip to a nearby 100 Yen) took enough time that we were able to go back to the arcade. And I'm glad we did because it was so fun! Wyatt would like to show you his "holy cow this is the most fun I've ever had!" face:
This image was captured inside the balloon 'room', which I will attempt to replicate if we can ever have a dedicated playroom. We were at this place for an hour, and I'd say we spent a good 45 minutes with the balloons. Our remaining time was divided among the bouncy house, the ball pit (a.k.a. germ pit and yes, it grossed me out but no, not enough to deny my child a chance with all the "a dah!'s" that practically made his eyes pop out of his head) and the standard arcade games. It would be fair to say that the arcade games were more entertaining to me than to Wyatt, but I finally got to play the taiko drum game! FYI: it's harder than all the kids make it look.
And in standard Japanese fashion, this place boasted a wall of vending machines complete with the one on the far right, offering a variety of deep-fried "casual frozen foods." America is going to seem so unamusing.
Here's the best part: all this entertainment occurred before noon and cost less than 800 yen (which also included my "membership" so next time it'll be even cheaper!). Does anyone know if there's one of these in Virginia?
Wednesday, September 26, 2007
Hmmmm...
Things that are helpful before a move:
1. Cleaning out closets.
2. Throwing away junk and random accumulated stuff.
3. Having a plan for how all of said junk and stuff will exit the house in a timely manner prior to the movers arriving.
4. Sorting our lives into three piles: what we need with us, what we need in the first four months, what we don't need to see again until second quarter of 2008.
Things that aren't as helpful, yet occupy my time:
1. Blogging and reading other peoples' blogs.
2. Cleaning out e-mail inbox.
3. Reorganizing recipe box into a binder.
4. Wyatt. Don't get me wrong, he's great, but I can already tell he's not going to help pack his room.
5. 100 Yen, gift corners, China Pete's, UniQlo and Oriental Place.
If anyone wants to pay us one last visit and help sort out the junk, paint the walls and entertain the kid, we still have the guest room available and we'll even throw in an island tour. But speak up, because I think if we dismantle that bed and return it to the furniture management office, we'll have enough room to just store all the stuff and have it shipped to Virginia.
1. Cleaning out closets.
2. Throwing away junk and random accumulated stuff.
3. Having a plan for how all of said junk and stuff will exit the house in a timely manner prior to the movers arriving.
4. Sorting our lives into three piles: what we need with us, what we need in the first four months, what we don't need to see again until second quarter of 2008.
Things that aren't as helpful, yet occupy my time:
1. Blogging and reading other peoples' blogs.
2. Cleaning out e-mail inbox.
3. Reorganizing recipe box into a binder.
4. Wyatt. Don't get me wrong, he's great, but I can already tell he's not going to help pack his room.
5. 100 Yen, gift corners, China Pete's, UniQlo and Oriental Place.
If anyone wants to pay us one last visit and help sort out the junk, paint the walls and entertain the kid, we still have the guest room available and we'll even throw in an island tour. But speak up, because I think if we dismantle that bed and return it to the furniture management office, we'll have enough room to just store all the stuff and have it shipped to Virginia.
Friday, September 21, 2007
Secret Shopper
Way back in the old days, when were young and carefree and living in Pensacola, I sold wireless, internet and long distance plans for Alltel. It was their policy, as it is for many retail outlets, to hire secret shoppers who would come in and test the salesperson's knowledge without them realizing it was a test. I "got shopped" at least once that I know of (the nice old lady had too many specific questions, but gave me a rave review which I received a week or so later, so it was all good) and maybe more times when I was unaware. I always thought it would be kind of fun to be the secret shopper and try to stump the salesperson.
Tonight I had to call Midwest Airlines because we're flying them from Seattle to Kansas City when we come back to the states.
**Sidenote: we're supposed to be able to book all these flights through the government-contracted travel agency here but they don't handle the smaller airlines, so referred Jeff to the Services-run travel agency (ITT) to get that flight. However, ITT couldn't reserve Millie's spot and wouldn't let Jeff pay for our tickets until we were sure there was space for Millie. They also wouldn't call from their office for him, so we had to call last night and found out that the airline wouldn't reserve the space for Millie until our held reservation was paid for. So which came first - the chicken or the egg? In the process of figuring out all of that, we discovered that ITT was also charging too much. Good use of government funds in this day and age of no-towels-at-the-gym-because-they-save-money-by-not-doing-laundry. We now return to regularly scheduled programming.**
So the nice lady at Midwest answers and I tell her I need three one-way tickets, but that two are adults and one is an infant for whom we want to purchase a seat. Oh, and that we also need to reserve pet space for one dog in a medium-sized kennel. She gets all the details from me, finds the flight, puts me on hold a couple times and is super-pleasant. She asks if we have a contact number in Seattle. I tell her no, we'll be arriving on an international flight earlier in the day. She confirms the fares for us and the price for Millie (FYI - they charge only 50% of the fare for Wyatt to have his own seat - that's far better than United's 70%) and that there is space for Millie. She reads me all the rules regarding pets travelling as baggage and the rules about carseats on airplanes. She asks me if row 17 is okay. She asks me if there's anything else she can do for me. I say no, and thank her for her help. The call is practically over. And then she says, laughing, "I thought you were a test!"
I can see why she thought that. And I find it both amusing and somewhat scary that our reality is daunting enough that it could serve as a customer service test. On the bright side, it's kind of like I got to be a secret shopper without having to write the review.
Tonight I had to call Midwest Airlines because we're flying them from Seattle to Kansas City when we come back to the states.
**Sidenote: we're supposed to be able to book all these flights through the government-contracted travel agency here but they don't handle the smaller airlines, so referred Jeff to the Services-run travel agency (ITT) to get that flight. However, ITT couldn't reserve Millie's spot and wouldn't let Jeff pay for our tickets until we were sure there was space for Millie. They also wouldn't call from their office for him, so we had to call last night and found out that the airline wouldn't reserve the space for Millie until our held reservation was paid for. So which came first - the chicken or the egg? In the process of figuring out all of that, we discovered that ITT was also charging too much. Good use of government funds in this day and age of no-towels-at-the-gym-because-they-save-money-by-not-doing-laundry. We now return to regularly scheduled programming.**
So the nice lady at Midwest answers and I tell her I need three one-way tickets, but that two are adults and one is an infant for whom we want to purchase a seat. Oh, and that we also need to reserve pet space for one dog in a medium-sized kennel. She gets all the details from me, finds the flight, puts me on hold a couple times and is super-pleasant. She asks if we have a contact number in Seattle. I tell her no, we'll be arriving on an international flight earlier in the day. She confirms the fares for us and the price for Millie (FYI - they charge only 50% of the fare for Wyatt to have his own seat - that's far better than United's 70%) and that there is space for Millie. She reads me all the rules regarding pets travelling as baggage and the rules about carseats on airplanes. She asks me if row 17 is okay. She asks me if there's anything else she can do for me. I say no, and thank her for her help. The call is practically over. And then she says, laughing, "I thought you were a test!"
I can see why she thought that. And I find it both amusing and somewhat scary that our reality is daunting enough that it could serve as a customer service test. On the bright side, it's kind of like I got to be a secret shopper without having to write the review.
Tuesday, September 18, 2007
The Dam Has Broken
Our countdown has begun - we leave this island 8 weeks from Saturday so it's fair to say we're in cram-it-all-in-before-you-go mode. I figure now's a good time to start buying age inappropriate Japanese toys for Wyatt because hey, he'll want them soon enough and then we'll have them.
Evidence:
The Super Rescue Cars are probably okay for him now but the Supermarket set made me laugh so I bought it. They're obviously are designed for older kids (I'm pretty sure they say 3 years +) and have a handy graphic on the box pointing out that if you eat them, you'll cry.
The Super Rescue Cars are probably okay for him now but the Supermarket set made me laugh so I bought it. They're obviously are designed for older kids (I'm pretty sure they say 3 years +) and have a handy graphic on the box pointing out that if you eat them, you'll cry.
But really, where in America am I going to find a set of cars that includes a Toyota Vitz, a Subaru R1, a Daihatsu Boon and a Mitsuoka ViewT? That's what I thought. Monday, September 17, 2007
At Least It's Over
Well, Lisa summed it up pretty well over here, but I'll add my thoughts to the misery.
Things that were un-fun today:
1. Wyatt still has chronic-too-many-poopy-diapers-in-a-day. Let it be understood by all: I AM OVER POOPY DIAPERS! Really, really over them. As in, please make them stop. Not completely, of course, because then I'd have a different and equally vexing problem, but it's just....regularity is a good thing.
2. Diaper rash that accompanies said diapers is also decidedly bad. I don't like having to mix up home remedies (though it's working) and make my son scream as I'm "helping" him.
3. I had to go to the commissary. Again. That makes three trips in four days and one of those was made on Friday when people were freaking out about Typhoon Nari (which, by the way, was a poser typhoon that merely caused some sideways rain) and I got yelled at by other shoppers because I both qualified for and used the express line. Here's a hint: you don't need 6 cases of soda, 3 pounds of bacon, 8 bags of chips, 4 pounds of apples or 9 loaves of bread to get through a single typhoon. If you bought what you actually needed (like a carton of milk, applesauce and bananas because you have a kid that can't stop with the dirty diapers, for example), you, too, would qualify for the express line. So I'm really sorry that you've been waiting here since 8 am, but not sorry enough to let you in line in front of me.
4. Upon leaving the commissary, I somehow managed to rip my fingernail away from its home. It bled. And it still really, really hurts.
5. Wyatt mini-urped on his shirt this morning after we left the house, so that combined with 3 dirty diapers before 10:30 am made us miss our scheduled playdate off base at an indoor playground. I hear it was really cool which really just made it worse that we'd stayed home.
6. I hadn't checked the mail since Thursday, so was kind of hoping that I'd go there today and discover a magazine or at least some catalogs waiting for me. Instead, I was greeted with one financial statement and a mail-order catalog from which I could order parts for a Toyota. Woo. Real exciting.
7. Jeff - who worked for 5 hours on Saturday and 10 hours on Sunday - was supposed to be home at 6:30 tonight. Only he wasn't; it was after 7:00 and today was just one of those days that I really could've used a surprise early arrival and would have settled for on-time. Late was not good and was greeted as such, which then just keeps the bad mood rolling. Bad choice.
8. It's supposed to rain (probably sideways, since it's another typhoon) all day tomorrow so Jeff's DO called saying that no one needs to go in until 10:20 am tomorrow because they won't be flying in the morning. I took the message to pass along and was thinking, "cool. At least we'll get to hang out in the morning." As soon as I delivered the message to Jeff, though, he said, "you know I still need to go in early and get stuff done." Of course you do. Roll on, bad mood, roll on.
9. As Kristen put it so well yesterday, I think I'm just irritable. And all of these things pile up right along with the dirty diapers, the laundry and the dust in my house.
To be fair, there were some high(er) points. The fun things that happened here today:
1. I booked a Coco's pedicure for me and Lisa on Sunday morning. I mean, my first reaction to my crapola day was to pop the cork on a bottle of wine at about noon, but that's a slippery slope so I passed and figure a pedicure's the next best thing.
2. Wyatt's great, even if he is Mr. Poopy Pants. Between the whining, the crying and the clinging I am aware I have a great kid and am really fortunate. And, if you must keep pressing the point, yes. I realize I'm pretty lucky I get to stay home with him.
3. I really had to work at keeping a straight face tonight during dinner when Wyatt discovered that his finger just happens to fit perfectly into his nostril. And then he wouldn't remove it for the duration of the meal.
4. It's time for bed. That indicates that I've survived this day and will (hopefully) get to try again tomorrow.
Things that were un-fun today:
1. Wyatt still has chronic-too-many-poopy-diapers-in-a-day. Let it be understood by all: I AM OVER POOPY DIAPERS! Really, really over them. As in, please make them stop. Not completely, of course, because then I'd have a different and equally vexing problem, but it's just....regularity is a good thing.
2. Diaper rash that accompanies said diapers is also decidedly bad. I don't like having to mix up home remedies (though it's working) and make my son scream as I'm "helping" him.
3. I had to go to the commissary. Again. That makes three trips in four days and one of those was made on Friday when people were freaking out about Typhoon Nari (which, by the way, was a poser typhoon that merely caused some sideways rain) and I got yelled at by other shoppers because I both qualified for and used the express line. Here's a hint: you don't need 6 cases of soda, 3 pounds of bacon, 8 bags of chips, 4 pounds of apples or 9 loaves of bread to get through a single typhoon. If you bought what you actually needed (like a carton of milk, applesauce and bananas because you have a kid that can't stop with the dirty diapers, for example), you, too, would qualify for the express line. So I'm really sorry that you've been waiting here since 8 am, but not sorry enough to let you in line in front of me.
4. Upon leaving the commissary, I somehow managed to rip my fingernail away from its home. It bled. And it still really, really hurts.
5. Wyatt mini-urped on his shirt this morning after we left the house, so that combined with 3 dirty diapers before 10:30 am made us miss our scheduled playdate off base at an indoor playground. I hear it was really cool which really just made it worse that we'd stayed home.
6. I hadn't checked the mail since Thursday, so was kind of hoping that I'd go there today and discover a magazine or at least some catalogs waiting for me. Instead, I was greeted with one financial statement and a mail-order catalog from which I could order parts for a Toyota. Woo. Real exciting.
7. Jeff - who worked for 5 hours on Saturday and 10 hours on Sunday - was supposed to be home at 6:30 tonight. Only he wasn't; it was after 7:00 and today was just one of those days that I really could've used a surprise early arrival and would have settled for on-time. Late was not good and was greeted as such, which then just keeps the bad mood rolling. Bad choice.
8. It's supposed to rain (probably sideways, since it's another typhoon) all day tomorrow so Jeff's DO called saying that no one needs to go in until 10:20 am tomorrow because they won't be flying in the morning. I took the message to pass along and was thinking, "cool. At least we'll get to hang out in the morning." As soon as I delivered the message to Jeff, though, he said, "you know I still need to go in early and get stuff done." Of course you do. Roll on, bad mood, roll on.
9. As Kristen put it so well yesterday, I think I'm just irritable. And all of these things pile up right along with the dirty diapers, the laundry and the dust in my house.
To be fair, there were some high(er) points. The fun things that happened here today:
1. I booked a Coco's pedicure for me and Lisa on Sunday morning. I mean, my first reaction to my crapola day was to pop the cork on a bottle of wine at about noon, but that's a slippery slope so I passed and figure a pedicure's the next best thing.
2. Wyatt's great, even if he is Mr. Poopy Pants. Between the whining, the crying and the clinging I am aware I have a great kid and am really fortunate. And, if you must keep pressing the point, yes. I realize I'm pretty lucky I get to stay home with him.
3. I really had to work at keeping a straight face tonight during dinner when Wyatt discovered that his finger just happens to fit perfectly into his nostril. And then he wouldn't remove it for the duration of the meal.
4. It's time for bed. That indicates that I've survived this day and will (hopefully) get to try again tomorrow.
Thursday, September 13, 2007
Sneaky Little Devil
Wow! I never knew a typhoon could sneak up on a person. Or a whole island for that matter.
Last night Jeff said he'd heard there was a storm out there but the AFN channels didn't show any TC warnings and neither the Joint Typhoon Warning Center nor Kadena weather had anything on their websites about any storms. The JTWC showed a warning that had expired, but that was it. So I figured that was really it.
But tonight we're sitting here watching the Today Show and I notice we're in TC-3. When I mention it, Jeff gives me the "yeah, I tried to tell you about it last night" line and when I ask when it's going to hit he says, "I don't know - they (this would be the crack Kadena weather team he's referring to) said either Friday or Saturday." Uh, hello! It's Thursday night here and you're telling me there's a typhoon hitting tomorrow? And no one's seen fit to mention it?
So I do a little more online research and lo! There is a storm. The most precise forecast I can find is that it's hitting sometime between 3pm Friday and 3am Saturday. It's name? Nari. As in "nary a warning, I'm coming for you and will see you soon!" Guess we won't be beaching it on Saturday.
Last night Jeff said he'd heard there was a storm out there but the AFN channels didn't show any TC warnings and neither the Joint Typhoon Warning Center nor Kadena weather had anything on their websites about any storms. The JTWC showed a warning that had expired, but that was it. So I figured that was really it.
But tonight we're sitting here watching the Today Show and I notice we're in TC-3. When I mention it, Jeff gives me the "yeah, I tried to tell you about it last night" line and when I ask when it's going to hit he says, "I don't know - they (this would be the crack Kadena weather team he's referring to) said either Friday or Saturday." Uh, hello! It's Thursday night here and you're telling me there's a typhoon hitting tomorrow? And no one's seen fit to mention it?
So I do a little more online research and lo! There is a storm. The most precise forecast I can find is that it's hitting sometime between 3pm Friday and 3am Saturday. It's name? Nari. As in "nary a warning, I'm coming for you and will see you soon!" Guess we won't be beaching it on Saturday.
Wednesday, September 12, 2007
For Lack Of Anything Better
I am suffering from that strange phenomenon of having plenty of random things to share, but no motivation to actually write about them. Let's just say my lap is on fire right now from sitting with the laptop for the last two hours trying to figure out our routing home in November. The government? Not so helpful. My husband? Fell asleep.
So here. Have a picture or four. You probably prefer it this way.
P.S. Must be nice to be the dad and get the greeting captured in picture #4 every single day. Such sheer joy to see him arrive! Please note the flipped-back hands and neck vein popping out, both signaling the oh-my-gosh-this-is-the-best-thing-EVER! sensation for Wyatt.
So here. Have a picture or four. You probably prefer it this way.
P.S. Must be nice to be the dad and get the greeting captured in picture #4 every single day. Such sheer joy to see him arrive! Please note the flipped-back hands and neck vein popping out, both signaling the oh-my-gosh-this-is-the-best-thing-EVER! sensation for Wyatt.
Saturday, September 08, 2007
Dun, duh dun dun DUN!
Go Jayhawks! Dun-duh-dun-dun-DUN! Fight Jayhawks!
It's a rainy Sunday morning here in Okinawa so we're enjoying our coffee and listening to Jayhawk football via the miracle of the internet (and courtesy of 1320 KLWN online). Somehow it's kind of funny to be listening to those familiar voices while we're so far away. But it's great! And the perfect way to spend our rainy day.
Apparently Wyatt has heard the Jayhawks are looking good this year because all week he's been refusing any bedtime books that aren't My First Jayhawk Words; that one gets the nod for three read-throughs each night. Really, he can choose any school he wants. But if we do our jobs well now, he'll have eyes only for the crimson and blue!
Rock Chalk.
It's a rainy Sunday morning here in Okinawa so we're enjoying our coffee and listening to Jayhawk football via the miracle of the internet (and courtesy of 1320 KLWN online). Somehow it's kind of funny to be listening to those familiar voices while we're so far away. But it's great! And the perfect way to spend our rainy day.
Apparently Wyatt has heard the Jayhawks are looking good this year because all week he's been refusing any bedtime books that aren't My First Jayhawk Words; that one gets the nod for three read-throughs each night. Really, he can choose any school he wants. But if we do our jobs well now, he'll have eyes only for the crimson and blue!
Rock Chalk.
Wednesday, September 05, 2007
To Go, Please.
We like to keep things interesting around here. And by we, I mean Wyatt.
Yesterday started pretty well. Child was up a little early but we can flex with that, no problem. It just enabled us to be at Foster, Starbucks in hand, by the time the PX opened at 9. We wandered, he was happy, waving to all the Asian people he saw (and I'm not exaggerating - I think his Hong Kong weekend taught him one thing: wave! and smile! they love it!). We got home around 10:30 or so, and I decided it would be the perfect day to try our not-so-new-anymore Wendy's on Gate 2 Street. Lisa & Nathan were up for it and off we went.
The menu's pretty much the same. I had my standard spicy chicken sandwich and ordered Wyatt some nuggets. All's good, right? Um, no. They don't have highchairs and I didn't bring our portable seat or our handy strap. Great. Okay, no problem. We'll just sit in a booth and Wyatt can sit right next to me. Yeah, right. So as Nathan is happily sitting quietly in his big-boy chair, calmly eating his nuggets and fries, politely asking for them to be cut and for ketchup, Wyatt is thrashing around. Not happy next to me, not happy in my lap, not happy sitting, not happy standing. Generally, not happy. I'm really trying to just keep from completely freaking out about it and continue eating my sandwich with my left hand while wrestling my kid with my right. I might have started sweating.
And Wyatt? Also not interested in eating. Kind of interested in chewing on the nuggets, but then has to spit out the mauled meat to take a drink from his cup, which then gets thrown on the floor. A couple rounds of that and I took the cup away. So now he's whiny about the seat situation, whiny about the food and whiny about not getting his cup. Having fun yet? It gets just a touch better. I - being the kind of prepared mom that I am - had a turkey and cheese sandwich for him in my bag. I thought maybe he'd be happier eating that. Nope. Decidedly not. And now he's so upset that the crying has started. And he has a really runny nose, so there's snot everywhere, he's a wreck, I just want some peace and french fries and then...
Wait for it...
He puked. All over me, all in my bag, on the bench. And that's one way to end a lunch.
Poor Lisa (who has a pronounced fear/aversion to vomit) had to witness the whole thing. She said, "oh no. napkins. you need napkins. I'll get napkins." and returned posthaste with a big ol' stack of napkins. But mind you, this is a Japanese Wendy's so the napkins are at least normal size but are still the wax paper/non-absorbent type favored here in the land of the rising sun.
And I'm sitting there with the following thoughts:
1. Did this happen because I threw up in my mom's bag when I was about 4? Is this some sort of cosmic payback?
2. When do kids stop with the random upchucks? I mean, I have a deep well of sympathy if he's sick, but this was just "I'm so frustrated and worked up that I yakked." I have little patience for that.
3. This was the second time Wyatt's been offered fast food nuggets, probably the tenth time he's been offered french fries and he shows no interest in either. Can he really be my kid?
4. When can I go back to Wendy's for a do-over?
And then, because she's a true friend, Lisa took the keys (which, thankfully, I had already removed from my bag) and bought me a frosty. To go.
Yesterday started pretty well. Child was up a little early but we can flex with that, no problem. It just enabled us to be at Foster, Starbucks in hand, by the time the PX opened at 9. We wandered, he was happy, waving to all the Asian people he saw (and I'm not exaggerating - I think his Hong Kong weekend taught him one thing: wave! and smile! they love it!). We got home around 10:30 or so, and I decided it would be the perfect day to try our not-so-new-anymore Wendy's on Gate 2 Street. Lisa & Nathan were up for it and off we went.
The menu's pretty much the same. I had my standard spicy chicken sandwich and ordered Wyatt some nuggets. All's good, right? Um, no. They don't have highchairs and I didn't bring our portable seat or our handy strap. Great. Okay, no problem. We'll just sit in a booth and Wyatt can sit right next to me. Yeah, right. So as Nathan is happily sitting quietly in his big-boy chair, calmly eating his nuggets and fries, politely asking for them to be cut and for ketchup, Wyatt is thrashing around. Not happy next to me, not happy in my lap, not happy sitting, not happy standing. Generally, not happy. I'm really trying to just keep from completely freaking out about it and continue eating my sandwich with my left hand while wrestling my kid with my right. I might have started sweating.
And Wyatt? Also not interested in eating. Kind of interested in chewing on the nuggets, but then has to spit out the mauled meat to take a drink from his cup, which then gets thrown on the floor. A couple rounds of that and I took the cup away. So now he's whiny about the seat situation, whiny about the food and whiny about not getting his cup. Having fun yet? It gets just a touch better. I - being the kind of prepared mom that I am - had a turkey and cheese sandwich for him in my bag. I thought maybe he'd be happier eating that. Nope. Decidedly not. And now he's so upset that the crying has started. And he has a really runny nose, so there's snot everywhere, he's a wreck, I just want some peace and french fries and then...
Wait for it...
He puked. All over me, all in my bag, on the bench. And that's one way to end a lunch.
Poor Lisa (who has a pronounced fear/aversion to vomit) had to witness the whole thing. She said, "oh no. napkins. you need napkins. I'll get napkins." and returned posthaste with a big ol' stack of napkins. But mind you, this is a Japanese Wendy's so the napkins are at least normal size but are still the wax paper/non-absorbent type favored here in the land of the rising sun.
And I'm sitting there with the following thoughts:
1. Did this happen because I threw up in my mom's bag when I was about 4? Is this some sort of cosmic payback?
2. When do kids stop with the random upchucks? I mean, I have a deep well of sympathy if he's sick, but this was just "I'm so frustrated and worked up that I yakked." I have little patience for that.
3. This was the second time Wyatt's been offered fast food nuggets, probably the tenth time he's been offered french fries and he shows no interest in either. Can he really be my kid?
4. When can I go back to Wendy's for a do-over?
And then, because she's a true friend, Lisa took the keys (which, thankfully, I had already removed from my bag) and bought me a frosty. To go.
Monday, September 03, 2007
Check.
Hong Kong's moved to our 'completed' list. It's so Asian but so not, all at the same time. I'm sure we missed a lot of "must sees" and I'm sure people will say, "did you do (insert activity here)?" and we will say no, but still. We had a great time just walking through the streets, being among the huge international crowds, wandering the markets and soaking up all the stuff that goes with large cities. Our room was great - we stayed at the Sheraton in Kowloon and this was the view from our room (sorry for the blurry night shot - I'm not as steady as I thought):
Wyatt enjoyed the large window since it made his view of Victoria Harbor quite nice, thankyouverymuch. 
So let's see...the rundown. Our flight was a charter from Okinawa which is awesome because it meant no layover in Taipei and not as much time on airplanes. The downside was that the charter left Okinawa about 2 hours late on Thursday. Wyatt was great, though, playing with other kids in the terminal and burning off lots of energy. By the time we got on our flight, he was wiped out so he slept for the first 45 minutes and then happily sat on the tray table, ate his applesauce and bakery goodies we'd picked up in the airport and played. By the time we got to our room on Thursday night it was getting late - like 8:30 or 9, I think - and we were both tired and hungry. For lack of any better ideas and/or knowledge about where the heck we were, we ate in the hotel. Not exactly the best meal, but at least it afforded us a view of Nathan Road, TGIFriday's and Outback Steakhouse! Sorry, those are just a sight for sore eyes.
We went to bed fully expecting Wyatt to wake up bright and early but those hotel blackout curtains ROCK! He slept until 9:00 on Friday morning! That's the latest we've slept in 14 months. Very exciting. Maybe not conducive to lots of sightseeing, but totally a great way to start our vacation. We got ourselves pulled together, went downstairs for the breakfast buffet, where Wyatt stuffed his face and flirted shamelessly with all the cute servers, and then set out for the day. We took the Star Ferry (a 5-minute walk from our hotel) 
to Hong Kong island and headed for Victoria Peak via open-top, double-decker bus and tram. That tram ride is cool! It's been operating since 1888 and is like the lead-up to a big drop on a rollercoaster (except not scary because you know there's no big drop). The incline is so steep that it kind of pins you back in your seat. Of course the view from the top is fantastic, even moreso when the weather is nice like it was for us. Well, yeah, it was hot as....something really, really hot and we were super sweaty the whole time, but at least it wasn't raining!
After that, we decided to head to Stanley on the south side of Hong Kong island. Because we're (1) impatient and (2) not good at guessing bus routes without a map, we took a cab. Despite the warnings about cabbies being scary, it was a pleasant ride and our driver even narrated a little when we passed sights worth discussing. Plus Wyatt slept through that ride (his only nap that day, as it turned out) and that alone made it worth the taxi. Oh, and the cranking a/c was nice because did I mention it was hot?
Stanley came highly recommended by my sister and some guidebooks had mentioned it so we figured it was a good place to start. Besides, it had shopping and dining establishments - two of my favorite activities! Sadly, we were a little disappointed in the shopping because a lot of the stuff we've seen here in the gift stores and because we assumed all the other markets we planned to visit would be similar (yes, bad assumption for those of you who missed that foreshadowing). We didn't purchase anything in Stanley (my big regret? not buying the kids' t-shirts because we literally never saw them again) but we did enjoy the wandering and the fantastic late lunch on the second floor of a pub fronting the water. 
I think Stanley has figured out it's a cool town because there was a lot of construction going on. They've built this big beachside promenade so the alfresco dining I'd read about was non-existant (well, that's not true. we could've eaten at the hot dog place that advertised they used "strictly no intestines".) and I could totally see how it was a quaint little town just a few years ago. Damn tourists - they ruin everything! It was still really enjoyable and I'm glad we went to that side of the island. It was amazing how fast the city gave way to jungled hillsides, luxurious condos and beaches.
Leaving Stanley, we caught a bus back to Central (opting, this time, for the closed-top, double-decker complete with a/c because it was hot) and snagged the prime front row, top deck seats for the ride back.
Wyatt seemed to enjoy the view - and why not? He's used to sitting backwards, all strapped down in the backseat and all of a sudden we put him front and center, loosey-goosey in front of a giant window from which he can watch the world go by while feeling like he's on a ride at Disney. Can't blame him! I enjoyed it, too. Once back at Central, it was back on the ferry for the quick ride across the harbor complete with beautiful golden light on the buildings and a junk cruising past.
Because we'd hate to be accused of not making the most of our weekend in Hong Kong, we went back to the room to clean up a little (you know, it was really hot and we were kind of gross) before regrouping and heading out to the Temple Street night market. 
It was fun browsing, but again we didn't buy anything. I'm not sure if it was because the stars aligned to make me not feel like purchasing or if it was because I'm really attempting to have fewer things and it was all just stuff...either way, we went home empty-handed. But the atmosphere was fun! It's always fun to look. By the time we wandered Temple Street, it was getting kind of late again and we were hungry so we headed back toward the hotel with a brief stop at Outback for soup and salad. If you really know us, it's no surprise that we couldn't resist the siren song of Outback!
Day 2 started much the same way: slept late (not quite as late, but still much better than our normal 6:15 wake-up) and ate breakfast at the buffet in the hotel. We decided we should go on one of the walking tours through Hong Kong island and that taking the MTR would be the way to go. Off we went, in search of knick-knacks and antiques at bargain-basement prices. We started out at the Li Yuen Street markets, wandered up Pottiger Road (known for its vendors selling ribbons and buttons, according to the guidebook, but we also learned this is a great place to go for wigs, funny glasses and costumes) to Hollywood Road (antiques - great ones! but too big to fit in our extra duffle bag), Cat Street (more antiques), past Man Mo temple, to Upper Lascar Row (vendors selling said knick-knacks (is that how you spell that?) as well as a strange assortment of porn. Nothing like your antique Chinese vase next to a 1980's edition of Penthouse). Again, no purchases. We lunched at a cool pizza place while Wyatt slept in his stroller, then wandered back toward Central. We took the train back to Kowloon and headed for Flower Market Street and the Bird Garden. After a couple of wrong turns took us through yet another street market and a fancy mall (seriously, we just got swept along this walkway and all of a sudden were in the atrium of a shiny, high-end mall - how did that happen?!) I was at my max. Oh the humanity! Literally, all the humanity in every direction, pushing and having no sense of personal space (it was then that I realized we really were in China and all my memories of the groping incident on the bridge in Shanghai came flooding back) drove me to announce that I didn't care how we got there, but I needed to go back to the hotel. NOW.
Wouldn't you know that we saw some signs pointing us in the right direction as we left the masses of people inside and actually found both Flower Market Street and the bird garden? I'm glad we did. Still lots of people, but much less frenzied. If I lived in Hong Kong, I would be at Flower Market Street all the time. Huge bunches of beautiful flowers, arrangements, plants, herbs, etc. for next to nothing. It put my handy little flower tent here to shame. You want some blooming lotus flowers? No problem. You want some huge lillies? Oh, have these that are about nine inches across and only cost two bucks a stem. You need some bamboo? Did you want curvy, straight, corkscrew or angled? I've never seen anything like it and it made me jealous of all the people who can go shop there anytime they want.
And the bird garden - supercool! We read in a guidebook that it was a good place for kids because it's in a courtyard and it's where bird owners (or wannabe owners) go to buy birds, bamboo cages, food, toys, etc. Apparently it's also where people go to stroll with their birdcages. It didn't disappoint and Wyatt thought it was fantastic. Jeff was on "don't touch anything" duty while I manned the camera (standard ops around here). I kind of wanted to buy a fancy bamboo birdcage, but couldn't really justify it somehow. They were really beautiful, though. It was all fun and games until a bird got itself unchained and swooped past Wyatt. It scared him to the point of tears, but he recovered quickly and went back to pointing at all the other birds.
We decided to eat close to the hotel again, so after our train ride back and showers all around (right....it was hot, we were gross), we headed toward the Ocean Terminal near the ferry pier. I guess it's where the cruise ships dock, but it's just a huge mall. And they had a California Pizza Kitchen. And it was tasty. And also? That mall had a new Aveda salon so guess who finally got a haircut? Yep. I was long overdue and figured it probably wouldn't turn out any worse than my haircuts here and at least I was getting the full Aveda salon experience. Jeff took Wyatt back to the hotel via a stroll on the waterfront promenade (I'm sorry I missed that photo opportunity - I'm sure it was great) while a Chinese guy named Matt cut my hair as I flipped through Elle UK. Ahhhh, salons. You people who go to one for every haircut should take a moment to appreciate it next time - they're a treat!
Day 3: our last morning before heading back to the airport and we decided to give the shopping one last chance by going to the jade market. I'm not sure if was sheer will or the fact that they actually had somewhat interesting pieces of jewelry, but I finally made some purchases. Whew! I'd hate to come home from Hong Kong empty-handed! I was chagrined when the vendor with whom I'd been bartering for 15 minutes handed me a business card so I could check her website. Well, of course she has a website, right? We made it to the airport in plenty of time and Wyatt got to do just enough running around (literally - thank God for wide open gate areas!) to completely wear him out for the trip home. He slept from the time we got on our bus to go out to the plane until we were halfway through our descent into Naha.
It can't be said enough that Wyatt was awesome during this trip. He napped on the go, stayed up late, slept in, entertained himself by looking out the window, ate like a champ, flirted shamelessly and smiled for God-only-knows-how-many pictures on people's cell phones. We couldn't have asked him to be any easier. Maybe we've turned a corner? We found ourselves thinking about our 'next trip before we leave' and realized that we're outta here in about 10 weeks. That's not nearly enough time! Hopefully we can get just one more in before we go....If we don't, Hong Kong was a pretty good way to end our Asian travels!
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