So I realize I've been writing mostly about exciting things that have happened: typhoons, moving, new adventures. But I haven't given a glimpse into what life is actually like for us right now. We have a house to live in now...yipee! It's in Okinawa City, surrounded by other houses and sugarcane fields. It's a concrete giant (everyone's house is concrete here on account of the typhoons) with three stories (we live on the bottom two), a huge second story porch and covered parking. Our neighbors are all Japanese and don't speak a lick of English. It's hard to communicate at all and I can't remember ANY of their names. The top floor of our house is occupied by a multigenerational family. They have two boys who are very loud and our covered parking area seems to be the playground for the neighborhood! Boys are always playing there (completely unsupervised, I might add)...even teenagers are coming around and hanging out, working on soccer (excuse me, football) moves. Other than the noise, we love it here...4 bedrooms (room for visitors...wink wink to ANYONE who wants to come on over) and all Japanese appliances! We've had a blast trying to figure out how to use everything.
Driving is becoming very normal. We have a Honda Fit and the driver is on the right side of the car and we drive on the left side of the road...weird, but I'm almost used to it. We take driving adventures all the time, now! In fact, our sponsor told us that we were really adventurous because we'd already seen most of the attractions she was going to recommend! I guess once we see all of Okinawa, we can move onto off island ventures (Shanghai, Tokyo...maybe Thailand?)!
Little E and I haven't gotten into a rhythm yet. We haven't gotten our stuff from the freight yet so we try not to stay in the house too much...there's nothing to do here!! We go to the beach, go to the park, go to the library, to shopping at the Commissary...go go go! Once our stuff gets here, we'll stay home more and work on potty training and behavior.
Adam's job has kind of begun. He works on a lot of paperwork and is prepping for programs he has to put together, but no student contact yet. He says his goal is to meet a new staff member everyday! His other goal is to get a bike so he can cycle to work every day...yikes!!! So far just finding a bike with a reasonable price has been a challenge!
Life is starting to settle into a state of normal...my new friend Shelley just said the other day, "You'll be surprised at how fast all of this becomes your new normal." I'm starting to understand her!
Thursday, August 30, 2012
Monday, August 27, 2012
Eva's favorite park (and mine)
It's funny how small things change once you have a kid. There's the obvious stuff (a freeloader living at the house, your body suddenly doesn't work the same, the amount of stuff you accumulate suddenly triples as does the laundry) and then there are little things that you don't think about until your situation changes.
Traveling now is ALL about these three things: Where is the nearest park? Where are the nearest clean bathrooms? and What is Little E going to eat here? No more is there the sense of abandon and wild exploration. My exploration has become very planned out! I keep thinking the lamest things like, "This place really needs to consider having a shaded area for kids to play" or "Why don't ALL airports have play structures for kids to exert energy on?" Why aren't people thinking about us moms more?? Heh heh, reality check!
So, with all this planned exploration, we have found the best park and it's only a couple miles from the house!! It's called Comprehensive Park and it's acres upon acres of beautiful gardens, coy ponds, bridges, sports complexes and playgrounds. It has a water park, a pool, a hanger (with who knows what inside) a couple of amphitheaters, every sport field or court you can imagine. It's awesome, and would take weeks to fully see it all. On the beach side of it (yes, the Pacific touches a whole side of it and you can dip your toes in there) is a wonderful shaded playground that looks like a cross between Swiss Family Robinson and Survivor. Our new friends (Jake, Elisha and their sweet daughter, M) introduced us to this secret spot and we're addicted! My favorite part is that it's right next to a coy pond where you can feed coy, turtles and ducks!
Little E and M on the toddler section!
Traveling now is ALL about these three things: Where is the nearest park? Where are the nearest clean bathrooms? and What is Little E going to eat here? No more is there the sense of abandon and wild exploration. My exploration has become very planned out! I keep thinking the lamest things like, "This place really needs to consider having a shaded area for kids to play" or "Why don't ALL airports have play structures for kids to exert energy on?" Why aren't people thinking about us moms more?? Heh heh, reality check!
So, with all this planned exploration, we have found the best park and it's only a couple miles from the house!! It's called Comprehensive Park and it's acres upon acres of beautiful gardens, coy ponds, bridges, sports complexes and playgrounds. It has a water park, a pool, a hanger (with who knows what inside) a couple of amphitheaters, every sport field or court you can imagine. It's awesome, and would take weeks to fully see it all. On the beach side of it (yes, the Pacific touches a whole side of it and you can dip your toes in there) is a wonderful shaded playground that looks like a cross between Swiss Family Robinson and Survivor. Our new friends (Jake, Elisha and their sweet daughter, M) introduced us to this secret spot and we're addicted! My favorite part is that it's right next to a coy pond where you can feed coy, turtles and ducks!
Typhoon Bolaven
No damage to the place!! Yay. Although it helps when you live in a concrete beast of a house. I had some videos of the event, but they're actually not very exciting. I couldn't time them right. The winds would come in gusts so you never actually knew when it would get bad...AND it was the worst during the night. Why does that always happen? Also true: sleeping through wind that sounds like a train is passing your house = not fun.
Sunday, August 26, 2012
Typhoon season
Bolaven has struck...sounds like a disease.
SO we arrived here during typhoon season, which we knew, but we didn't realize that this was to be the worst typhoon season in 13 years! so we've been holed up twice now in two weeks...which I find utterly exciting and fascinating! Thank the good Lord that we live in this concrete giant of a home with a well protected parking space and thoroughly covered concrete porch. I've been out on the porch several times today and tonight just to see what typhoon wind feels like (feels like all the other wind fyi).
As I was standing on my porch listening to the sounds of Okinawa City during a typhoon and watching the banana trees bending and whipping with each gust, I wondered why it was that I was so interested in exciting weather. I've always loved a good thunderstorm or heavy snowfall. I was brought back to the memory of foolishly chasing some tornados in Arkansas my sophomore year of college (yes, I'm an idiot). It was by the grace of God that we weren't killed that night and I was reminded of His goodness the next day as we got the day off of classes to sift through peoples' precious belongings that were strewn across an entire field.
But I don't think I'm alone...I think many people are enthralled with dramatic weather. We talk about it for days before it hits and for weeks after it is gone. I used to think it was because we lived in Oregon and the weather there was so predictable (rain, rain and more rain) that anything different had to be talked about. But no, they do it here as well.
I'd like to think it is just the power of God that causes this. I mean, EVERYONE is awed by awesome weather (hence the word, awesome). Whether (pun intended) they believe in God or not, people cannot ignore His power over the wind and the waves, the rain and the clouds. Just standing on a concrete porch in the middle of a totally foreign city, on a tiny island in the South Pacific, feeling the wind whipping through my clothes and hearing it scream through alleys reminds me of His absolute majesty and power. Who knew I'd be here, experiencing God in such a dramatic way surrounded by people who can't understand what I say, but feel the exact same way?
I had a similar experience in Hawaii, what...ooohh maybe 15 years ago (yikes am I THAT old?) with my best friend at the time, Timbra Wiist. We ran up and down a cliff's edge in the pouring down rain, wearing our church dresses and singing at the top of our lungs. I'd never felt so alive.
May everyone on the island be safe during this storm, may God be praised!
SO we arrived here during typhoon season, which we knew, but we didn't realize that this was to be the worst typhoon season in 13 years! so we've been holed up twice now in two weeks...which I find utterly exciting and fascinating! Thank the good Lord that we live in this concrete giant of a home with a well protected parking space and thoroughly covered concrete porch. I've been out on the porch several times today and tonight just to see what typhoon wind feels like (feels like all the other wind fyi).
As I was standing on my porch listening to the sounds of Okinawa City during a typhoon and watching the banana trees bending and whipping with each gust, I wondered why it was that I was so interested in exciting weather. I've always loved a good thunderstorm or heavy snowfall. I was brought back to the memory of foolishly chasing some tornados in Arkansas my sophomore year of college (yes, I'm an idiot). It was by the grace of God that we weren't killed that night and I was reminded of His goodness the next day as we got the day off of classes to sift through peoples' precious belongings that were strewn across an entire field.
But I don't think I'm alone...I think many people are enthralled with dramatic weather. We talk about it for days before it hits and for weeks after it is gone. I used to think it was because we lived in Oregon and the weather there was so predictable (rain, rain and more rain) that anything different had to be talked about. But no, they do it here as well.
I'd like to think it is just the power of God that causes this. I mean, EVERYONE is awed by awesome weather (hence the word, awesome). Whether (pun intended) they believe in God or not, people cannot ignore His power over the wind and the waves, the rain and the clouds. Just standing on a concrete porch in the middle of a totally foreign city, on a tiny island in the South Pacific, feeling the wind whipping through my clothes and hearing it scream through alleys reminds me of His absolute majesty and power. Who knew I'd be here, experiencing God in such a dramatic way surrounded by people who can't understand what I say, but feel the exact same way?
I had a similar experience in Hawaii, what...ooohh maybe 15 years ago (yikes am I THAT old?) with my best friend at the time, Timbra Wiist. We ran up and down a cliff's edge in the pouring down rain, wearing our church dresses and singing at the top of our lungs. I'd never felt so alive.
May everyone on the island be safe during this storm, may God be praised!
Tuesday, August 14, 2012
Week One
Konnichiwa. We have been here for a week already and I can't believe all we've gotten done! Got a house already and (I think) a car. We've seen a couple of beaches, swam in the East China Sea, eaten out a ton, gotten our driver's licenses, found the church here, tried out the pool, found which parks have swings, found the local fish market, discovered which comissary is the best and we've both gotten pretty comfortable driving on the other side of the road and the other side of the car. It's indeed getting more natural!
Okinawa is hot and humid in August...worse than Arkansas (which I thought was impossible)! Swimming every day (I'm learning) is a must! We went to Torii Station (a base on the East China Sea coast) last Friday evening and jumped in the water. It was like a bath! The beach area there has everything you could want as a family: a little restaurant, a huge waterslide, a fresh water fountain to play in, a playground in the shape of a pirate ship, umbrellas to rent, scuba gear and ocean kayaks to rent, waveless sea water...it was amazing! We then had a lovely dinner at the Sea Side restaurant (which is indeed, over the sea). I looked at Adam while the sun was setting over the East China Sea, and a heron was flying onto a little island right off the porch of the restaurant and said, "What would we be doing right now if we hadn't decided to come here?" He laughed and replied, "Probably working on the house...while it rained outside."
It's beautiful here and I can't wait to be in our own house...we are SO tired of being cooped up in this tiny hotel room. Don't get me wrong, it's nice and a much better place than I had anticipated, we're lucky to be here (so I'm told) but Eva needs space to run!! I also can't wait until she finds some friends...she needs someone else to interact with!!
Okinawa is hot and humid in August...worse than Arkansas (which I thought was impossible)! Swimming every day (I'm learning) is a must! We went to Torii Station (a base on the East China Sea coast) last Friday evening and jumped in the water. It was like a bath! The beach area there has everything you could want as a family: a little restaurant, a huge waterslide, a fresh water fountain to play in, a playground in the shape of a pirate ship, umbrellas to rent, scuba gear and ocean kayaks to rent, waveless sea water...it was amazing! We then had a lovely dinner at the Sea Side restaurant (which is indeed, over the sea). I looked at Adam while the sun was setting over the East China Sea, and a heron was flying onto a little island right off the porch of the restaurant and said, "What would we be doing right now if we hadn't decided to come here?" He laughed and replied, "Probably working on the house...while it rained outside."
It's beautiful here and I can't wait to be in our own house...we are SO tired of being cooped up in this tiny hotel room. Don't get me wrong, it's nice and a much better place than I had anticipated, we're lucky to be here (so I'm told) but Eva needs space to run!! I also can't wait until she finds some friends...she needs someone else to interact with!!
Saturday, August 4, 2012
The road to Okinawa
Here are the things that have happened since the last post:
-Found out we actually got the job!
-Had a yard sale
-Put a ton of stuff in storage (including all my classroom stuff!)
-Sold our truck and junked our car (goodbye, little car)
-Said goodbye to all of our wonderful Oregon friends
-Put Kellie Strawn in charge of our household items which were packed by professionals
-Traveled to California for our last family visit
-Spent 2 lovely weeks with my family (relaxing, shopping...worrying)
-Jumped onto an airplane from Sacramento (thanks mom and Kristi for cheering us on)
-Spent the next 20 hours in airports or on planes (Eva only slept 2 hours of that and Adam thinks he
got food poisoning...puking in the Tokyo airport is all part of the grand adventure)
-Arrived in Okinawa where it was 90 degrees at 8pm and humid!!!
-Discovered that yes, Japanese drivers are on the other side of the car and they also drive on the
other side of the street...hmmm
-Slept in our on-base hotel suite (cramped, but convenient) at Camp Foster
-Got up at 6am for meetings all day (military ID, bank account, post office, food shopping...all on
base of course)
-Took ridiculous naps from 3:30 to 7:30 at night...jet lag, solo fun
-Had our first off base adventure with Adam driving (we tried to find the church tonight so we
wouldn't be stressed out tomorrow morning trying to find it and not be late) - trip successful!
-Stayed in our hotel ALL Sunday because of a typhoon.
Party at the Wises'
At the farmer's market with grandma!
Swimming at grandma's and grandpa's
Up at the Tahoe Family Encampment for an afternoon with the Blachleys
Dancing in grandma's garden
At Fairytale Town with Brady, Dani, Eli, Kate, Rachel, Grandma and Grandpa
At the Folsom Zoo sanctuary
Mom and Kristi saying final goodbyes in Sacramento
Adam accidentally goes to the bathroom in the women's!
Waiting at the airport is boring!!
On the plane to Tokyo!
View of Camp Foster, Okinawa, from our hotel
Our little Sunday school without leaving...a lesson on having faith in God!
Can't believe all that happened in a matter of weeks. Here we are, in Okinawa!
We worried about so many things that in the end, God took care of...of course.
-Found out we actually got the job!
-Had a yard sale
-Put a ton of stuff in storage (including all my classroom stuff!)
-Sold our truck and junked our car (goodbye, little car)
-Said goodbye to all of our wonderful Oregon friends
-Put Kellie Strawn in charge of our household items which were packed by professionals
-Traveled to California for our last family visit
-Spent 2 lovely weeks with my family (relaxing, shopping...worrying)
-Jumped onto an airplane from Sacramento (thanks mom and Kristi for cheering us on)
-Spent the next 20 hours in airports or on planes (Eva only slept 2 hours of that and Adam thinks he
got food poisoning...puking in the Tokyo airport is all part of the grand adventure)
-Arrived in Okinawa where it was 90 degrees at 8pm and humid!!!
-Discovered that yes, Japanese drivers are on the other side of the car and they also drive on the
other side of the street...hmmm
-Slept in our on-base hotel suite (cramped, but convenient) at Camp Foster
-Got up at 6am for meetings all day (military ID, bank account, post office, food shopping...all on
base of course)
-Took ridiculous naps from 3:30 to 7:30 at night...jet lag, solo fun
-Had our first off base adventure with Adam driving (we tried to find the church tonight so we
wouldn't be stressed out tomorrow morning trying to find it and not be late) - trip successful!
-Stayed in our hotel ALL Sunday because of a typhoon.
Party at the Wises'
At the farmer's market with grandma!
Swimming at grandma's and grandpa's
Up at the Tahoe Family Encampment for an afternoon with the Blachleys
Dancing in grandma's garden
At Fairytale Town with Brady, Dani, Eli, Kate, Rachel, Grandma and Grandpa
At the Folsom Zoo sanctuary
Mom and Kristi saying final goodbyes in Sacramento
Adam accidentally goes to the bathroom in the women's!
Waiting at the airport is boring!!
On the plane to Tokyo!
View of Camp Foster, Okinawa, from our hotel
Our little Sunday school without leaving...a lesson on having faith in God!
Can't believe all that happened in a matter of weeks. Here we are, in Okinawa!
We worried about so many things that in the end, God took care of...of course.
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