If You Think It's Humid Where You Live...

Right. So, a few people said to me, before I moved here, "Japan is SO HOT and HUMID in the summer!" To which I scoffed and said, "Do you know where I am from? There is no way you can scare me with your humidity talk." (You know where this is going, don't you?)

Cut to our first September here last year - we waded through the watery air everyday looking at houses;  we wrung our clothes out every night; we melted into the sidewalk and downed sugary cherry drinks so we wouldn't fall over in a stupor... But I still wasn't convinced! I thought it was only because we had no car yet and had to walk everywhere. I thought it was because we were stomping around urban Japan for hours on end with no respite in sight. Ohhhhh, how wrong I was!

Here are a few facts about Japanese construction: 1) The materials are very light and organic - paper and wood are used to create traditional Japanese homes. 2) There is no insulation in buildings. Repeat: there is no insulation in buildings. 3) There is no central AC or heat. Each room is cooled or heated individually with either kerosene or what amounts to what we think of as window units (although more sturdy and mounted on walls, usually.)

The reasons for all of this are many and somewhat baffling to foreigners: 1) the Japanese are extremely efficient people - why heat an entire house when you are only using 1 or 2 rooms at a time? 2) There is a great sense of community here - they actually (for real) like to sit around the table and hang out in the winter with heaters under their feet. In fact, in traditional homes (which ours is not), there is a space in the floor of each tatami room where you can put a heater. people put a table over this space and sit around it eating dinner in the winter. They also have "hot pot" meals (ShabuShabu) on this table so they have a giant steaming bowl of broth in front of them to communally cook their dinner. 3) Cost - building a house with central air costs more than building one without.

What all of this together means is that in the summer it is not only hot and humid, but it also means it is there is little respite from the heat and humidity. Cooling off the house is a huge endeavor, as is keeping it cool because all of that cool air goes right out of the single-paned windows and flimsy walls. It also means that our electricity bill last month was $450 - yowza! Fortunately, that is the highest I have seen - in the winter the worst I saw was $250.

But the very best part of the whole thing is that houses will MOLD if you don't stay on top of all of this. No, really, I have seen it. We have 4 (FOUR) dehumidifiers, and they have been running 24/7 since June. (Thank you, Megan, for taking pity and donating 2 of them to us!) They fill up with water (and have to be emptied out) in a matter of hours. I have devoted an entire one of these machines to the shower room because, even in the winter (you know, when people are usually using humidifiers because it gets so dry) that room was moldy. I was fighting a losing battle with that shower room mold since we moved in until I discovered the dehumidifier how wonderful it was.

Right now, I am sticky and hot, sitting in the living room. But I refuse to take a shower yet because I know I will only be this way again about 2 hours after I do. My strategy now is that I put the AC on in my bedroom about an hour before I am going to bed at night. I close the door so it gets good and icy. Then I take a shower and practically dive into my bedroom afterwards. It's the only way.

My best friend, the dehumidifier:

Table over the heating space in a tatami room (this is not our house; I found this pic on the web):

And the heaters in the floor under that table:

Shabu Shabu meal (hot pot):

And, some hot and humid boys (who couldn't even wait till they got home to take off all their clothes), in desperate need of a sugary drink:

The Cicadas Are Here

The cicadas are here, and they are no joke.

The other night I pulled Jackson's blanket in from the balcony where it was drying. (My washer and dryer are miniature. I can usually wash everything, but if I expect to actually dry something large, I have to hang it outside.) After I got it all spread out on top of him, I found out there was a giant cicada just hanging out on top of it. After scooping up the entire blanket, running outside, and shaking it off, of course it flew right back into the house. I was screaming, the boys were jumping up and down around me, shouting, "WHY ARE YOU SCREAMING?" And then finally I managed to shoo it outside the door. Where it has been living and tormenting me everyday since. Jackson thought it was going to come back and eat him, so of course bedtime dragged out for another hour after this.

This is when deployments start to suck. Big time. That was a job for Adam, for sure.

A more informative and interesting update to follow soon (sorry it has been so long), but meanwhile, here is Mr. Cicada, hanging out right outside my door, announcing his presence to anyone within a 10 mile radius. (WHY ARE THEY SO LOUD?!)

Confessions of an American in Japan

First of all, we recently had a lovely weekend in Tokyo. We were able to get a room at the New Sanno Hotel, which is the military hotel right in the middle of Tokyo. Being in the military is damn hard sometimes, but the perks are definitely great, when you can get around to using them. Free parking, $70 a night for the room, a pool, hot tub, and a ridiculous brunch on Sunday = SCORE! So we drove (!) to the big city early on Saturday and took the boys to the zoo, stopping along the way to watch street music, eat ice cream, and generally enjoy the sunshine:

Then, after we all spent way too much time in the pool, we used the babysitting service at the hotel (another bonus!) so that Adam and I could go out to gorge ourselves on yakitori and ridiculous cocktails:

Driving back the next day was tough because it was the beginning of Golden Week here in Japan. That is probably the biggest national holiday in the country. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Golden_Week_%28Japan%29 So driving 45 miles took about 3.5 hours. YAY! Totally worth it, though. It was the first time we have gotten to spend a weekend doing something touristy in a long time.

Next, my confession... I really don't like Japanese sushi. I like American sushi! I really enjoy Japanese food in general, and the Japanese know how to cook - as with everything here, since it is a country of perfectionists and extreme personal pride in work, food is done really, really well, no matter what the cuisine. However, I really love American style rolls. Here, sushi is... just sushi. Don't get me wrong, I love a good piece of yellowtail or salmon, but I don't want a full plate of sashimi with no rolls to break it up.

So, anyway, Adam took me out to dinner this weekend for Mother's Day. We went to a place called Fisherman's Restaurant. We live right by the beach, so we thought this would be a great place to get some seafood. And it was.... just, not what we were expecting. First, we ordered what we thought was an appetizer. The menu said it was baked yellowtail, and it was in the lower priced portion of the menu. Well, what came out was the size of my head, giant portion of fish on a giant bone. Witness:

Then, Adam ordered the "sushi platter." Platter is an understatement! Here is what came out:

Most importantly, this was on it:

Really? We still don't know what it was. Adam ate it (braver man that I), but WOW. Give me a crunchy roll and call me a lazy American, I guess.

Modeling

If you have ever been to Japan (or seen Lost in Translation), you know that modeling here is completely different than in the states. Actually, that has been changing somewhat in recent years, now that I think about it. More and more movie stars in America are modeling for commercial products like they have done in Japan for many years. However, even though US celebrities are starting to do more commercial modeling, not all of them would do the same kinds of ads that they will do here...

Heeeey, Tommy Lee Jones on a billboard for canned coffee:

 
Anyway, what is still different in Japan is that normal people can often be in national ad campaigns here - not everyone on TV or in print looks like supermodels here... because they aren't! If you are western, you are in demand here, no matter what you look like. To that end, on base every spring and fall there is a Modeling Fair, where all the agencies from Tokyo come and take pictures of you and your kids to see if there might be a place for you in ads. You can make really good money doing this, so of course a lot of people get involved in this.

I took the boys to the modeling fair in the Fall - it was a complete mad house, and the boys did not cooperate well. I didn't expect to hear anything and haven't... until recently. I just found out that Anthony might have his first audition for a stroller company's catalog! They originally asked about both boys, but Jackson is too tall for their height requirements. So, hopefully Anthony will elbow out the competition and become the next superstar of Japan. First he has to pass the photo selection. If that happens, we have to go to Tokyo for the audition.

The chances of this are small, but it is fun to think about, and it could be really fun if he actually gets it!

Cherry Blossoms!

Just a quick post to say that everything you have heard about the cherry blossoms here is true. The Japanese LOVE their cherry blossoms and go out in packs every year to see them, drink a lot, and generally enjoy the beautiful weather.

We went to two different locations last weekend, and it really was magnificent. Quite a hike to get to each place, but totally worth it!

First location: Miura-Kaigan - took about one million years to get there by train. Fortunately the boys were troopers and had a good time:

Second location: Taura. Shorter train ride, but extremely steep climb. Got to go through a bamboo forest first, which was lovely, and then the grove was beautiful. The boys did great again, but that night as he was getting into bed, Anthony said, "I don't think I want to go see cherry blossoms tomorrow." LOL!!!

Japanese People are Helpful

So Adam departed yesterday for about a month at sea. To non-military people this sounds like a long time. To military people this doesn't even count as a deployment. This pales in comparison to the 9 months my friend went without her mate last year. Or the 15 months army spouses have routinely endured since 2003. Oy. However, it's the first one for me, so it is kind of a big deal, at least in my own head. It also marks the beginning of an almost nonstop in-and-out path Adam's ship will take over the next 6 months. The longest he will be gone at a time is 3 months, but prior to that there are 2 one-monthers with little time between.

ANYWAY, I have been dreading this for obvious reasons. I am terribly sad that he is gone, and I am also overwhelmed by the prospect of being the only parent in this house for that long. I spent part of yesterday crying and feeling sorry for myself. (Especially during my work-out group when I was cleaning up a pee accident with one kid while the other one apparently touched a girl's crotch as soon as my back was turned. Nice.)

However, I have also been looking forward to it in a way, and here's why: first, once they leave, you can go ahead and start counting down the days till they get back. Prior to that, it's all counting down till they leave, which is depressing. At least after they go you have something to look forward to. Also, the laundry gets cut in half! And I don't have to cook everyday, praise the lord! I guess what I am saying is that if I have to do it I better just go ahead and look at the bright side.

But, back to the last 2 days. OK, so yesterday I spent being mad, so this morning I decided to try to be a little more positive. First thing I did was take the kids outside to the beach to fly a kite I just bought on Amazon for them. We have seen a bunch of kids and parents flying kites on the beach, and I thought that would be something great I could do with the boys. Also, being outside wears them out, which is pretty much my goal for each and everyday of my life right now.

FAIL!

I guess the fact that the kite was $10 should have warned me, but I thought I was getting a deal so I plowed forward with my online order feeling smug that I have Amazon Prime and can get free shipping. (Thank you, mom April!) (Side note: Amazon is pretty much the best thing since sliced bread for me here. Whenever I can't find something at the commissary or I need something for the kids I can't find at the NEX or in town - Amazon. It has everything, and I don't pay for shipping. Rock.)

Long story short the kite would sort of flail around for a minute and then nose dive right away. I kept thinking I just needed to throw it higher or run faster right away, but no. Anthony kept saying, "We need dad to do this." To which I responded, "Yep." But kept trying anyway.

Finally, after about a dozen attempts, I noticed a Japanese man with a cute dog sort of lurking around the perimeter of where we were flailing about. He clearly knew what needed to be done, but I am sure he was afraid he might get hit with a kite or a flying limb. Finally, he came over and basically took the kite out of my hand and started doing stuff to the string and hooks and things.

He tried really hard to make it work, but he only partially succeeded.

Of course he pat the boys on the head and kindly said he was sorry he couldn't help. The boys bowed properly, and we all said, "Arigato" politely. And we did try a few more times after he left, but to no avail. Mostly I was just happy someone was kind enough to try to help, especially because we looked like lunatics doing interpretive dances all over the beach before he arrived.

Japanese people are really helpful in that way. If they see you looking lost they will come right up to you and offer assistance. I have also seen a lot of youngish kids walking grandmothers across the street, which is just sweet. It's reassuring. I feel like, even though I only know a few of my neighbors I could definitely ask them for help if I needed it. So, there's that.

Anyway, cheers to getting the first part of deployments over with!

I Took a Cooking Class. And a Bus!

One of the great resources for me here is a group of Japanese women who have married American sailors stationed here. Apparently this happens with some frequency, so yay for me! People who can answer my endless questions!

One of these women started a facebook group called "Saori's Kitchen." Not only does she post all kinds of useful info about shopping for ingredients here when you can't read the label, but she also hosts cooking classes in her house. I signed up for Shabu Shabu and got to to take that last week.

Shabu Shabu is basically "hot pot." You set up a communal pot of boiling broth in the middle of your table and everyone cooks their own veggies and meats in it. Then you have dipping sauces for when you dig all your stuff out of the pot. I have experienced Shabu Shabu before, but it was the Taiwanese version - basically just boiling water, rather than a broth to start; and shellfish were included. This Japanese version used only pork for the protein, and you have to make the broth ahead of time.

Veggies & Broth

 Dipping Sauces

Ingredients! Now I know what I am looking for when I go to the store!

 
After we had stuffed ourselves she brought out some homemade green tea mousse of some kind with a cherry blossom on top. Hello, pretty. And yum!

Next up: I decided to brave the BUS. OK, so the train system, while confusing at first, is not too hard to get the hang of. The trains are all very reliable, on-time, the signs usually have a Romanji section (Japanese words spelled out phonetically using western letters, rather than the Kanji or Kana, their written language), and announcements are occasionally in English. So if you have time to scrutinize the signs, and you have a good map, eventually you can probably figure out where you are going.

The bus, on the other hand, is something entirely different. First, there is nothing in English, which is to be expected. But there isn't even Romanji. There is only Kanji. Second, the signs are confusing, so even if you can figure out the Kanji you are looking for, you also have to figure out how they are telling you what time the bus will be arriving. (I finally learned that the weekday times are on the left and the weekend times are on the right. Unless there is a holiday listed. Then the weekend times are in the middle and the holidays are on the right. See? Confusing.)

 
Third, and probably most important, the bus is NOT on time. I didn't know this when I set out last Saturday in the rain to try to go to the boys' preschool for the "Art Festival." I figured the buses would be like everything else in Japan - precise, user-friendly, and on-time! Wrong.

Anyway, the school isn't far from where we live. It is about halfway between our house and the naval base on the same road going to the naval base. I have driven by it a million times. When the school sent home a note last week saying that there would be no parking at the school for the art festival, I thought, "OK, no prob. I am just going to take the bus I have seen go down that street before. I haven't taken the bus before, but surely I can figure it out."

Nonetheless, the night before the art festival I looked up all the info I could find about taking the bus:
http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2015.html
The fact that that web page exists should tell you something about how complicated the bus is!

I studied that carefully. I also used my google maps app and figured out which exact bus I should take - it even shows you the Kanji so you can double-check the signs - and what time it would depart the bus stop. The boys and I set out in our rain gear to the bus stop. They were very stalwart and didn't complain.

We got to the bus stop and waited around for awhile. About 1 minute after the appointed time the bus should have been there, a bus came to the stop. I was so excited, and, assuming it was like the trains, I didn't even really check the Kanji. I just hopped on. Mistake! Then, when the boys and I were seated, I realized the number on the bus didn't match what I had in my maps app on my phone. You know where this is going... after two stops and showing my phone to the person next to me, I realized we were on the wrong bus. OK, boys, let's get out of this one!

Long story short we ended up at another bus stop and found the correct bus, but it arrived about 10 minutes later than the sign said it should have gotten there, etc. Yadda yadda yadda, an hour and a half after we orignally left the house and we finally made it to the school (a 15 minute drive from the house, by the way.)

And I got to see these AMAZING art projects made by the tiny terrors:

You will be pleased to know that I got on the correct bus to go home and made it in 20 minutes. Take that, bus system of Japan!

This is the wrong bus:

Anthony, on the wrong bus, asking the universe why his mom is such a dumb ass:

Side note: since making this trek, I found these 2 other pages devoted to riding the bus in Japan:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qEO32tc323o
http://www.survivingnjapan.com/2010/09/how-to-find-bus-timesschedule-online.html

I am so sure.

Presents! Among Other Things

This is actually sort of a catch-up post for the last few months. We have had a chance to explore our neighborhood a little more and also do some sight-seeing.

First up, PRESENTS. OK, so I was definitely baffled in our orientation class by all the ritual that goes along with present-giving here. It seemed frightfully easy to become involved in an endless back-and-forth present-giving game, so I tried really hard to understand the rules. I brought presents to the neighbors when we moved in, but I made sure they weren't too big - just some chocolates I got at the NEX. That seemed to go over well. Some of the neighbors gave us small things back, but also not a big deal. I didn't think I needed to reciprocate again. Some of the neighbors have also given the boys gifts from time to time, but I feel that is not something I have to give something back for. They are usually things like fruit that is in season or candy on Halloween...

So anyway, I thought I had sort of reached a place of stasis so that I could just say "hi" to the neighbors and not worry about it. But lately weird things have been happening! I am at a complete loss again!!!

For starters, one of the neighbors randomly hands us canned coffee from the vending machine now and then. This is a vending machine that is at the end of our driveway, so I can get to it quite easily. But now and then I will walk out of my house and she will walk up and hand me 2 or 3 cans. OK?

Then, a few weeks ago, Adam and I decided to try the sushi place next door to us. The place was empty, which was weird (we were wondering if it might be a front for the Yakuza), but we had some great sushi:

After we ate, the chef/owners, a husband and wife, tried to talk to us a bit. They spoke no English, so we were using our best (awful) Japanese and our translator apps on our phones. It was amicable, and we were all getting our points across in one way or another. All of a sudden, as we are talking, the wife starts bringing us things. She even brought a nice bag out and loaded it up for us. Here is what we walked out with:

Um, bacon?

And some kind of pound cake with red beans on the bottom. But it wasn't just a pound cake. It was wrapped up in a pretty box that took about an hour to get into:

What in the world? We had no idea what to do. We actually left before we intended to because we were afraid if we stayed any longer she would start giving us more and more gifts.

Anyway, that has been a conundrum lately. I guess we should start giving out presents again. Then maybe we will be in the clear for awhile? Who knows! The whole thing has become a bit strange!

Next up, some sight-seeing. We got to go on a day trip to Hakone, which is a mountain area with natural hot springs. Japanese people looooove their hot springs, and now I know why. It can be SO cold here, and none of the houses are heated. Well, none of them have insulation, and they use space heaters and kerosene heaters to heat one room at a time, but it is seriously cold. All the time. Now I understand the draw of sitting in boiling hot water for long periods of time in the dead of winter. It's a chance to warm up, finally! Anyway, we want to go back when we can stay in one of the hotels and do the full-on baths, but this was just a short outing so there was some feet-dipping, but nothing more.

I will spare you most of the pretty mountain photos, but what you should see is this: the hot springs there are hot enough to boil eggs, but the eggs turn black because of the minerals in the water. Supposedly you will add 7 years to your life if you eat one, so of course we had to do just that. It was pretty special:

OK, maybe just one pretty mountain shot with hot springs steaming up. This really was a beautiful area of Japan, and I hope to be able to go back:

And here are the 4 of us, freezing our butts off, about to go look at a shrine: