Happy Halloween!

I absolutely love Halloween.  Even just a hint of fall weather conjures memories of carving pumpkins, roasted pumpkin seeds, and unique, home-made costumes.  Needless to say, I was not going to let this Halloween season go unnoticed simply because I was not in America.  So we started a few weeks early...

Lauren

Leslie

Our final products!

Hello Kitty (Me), Jack Skeleton (Leslie), Kitty (Me), Skeleton girl (Lauren)

I chose to carve two pumpkins so I would have enough pumpkin seeds to roast to take to Tim.  Heaven forbid he miss the season just because he was out to sea!

I met Tim (and his boat) on a port call in Puerto Princess, Philippines last week.  The Philippines appeared to celebrate Halloween far more than Japan!  They had "boo-ffets" and parties (the Japanese merely decorate).

Outside of our hotel

A few days later, it was finally Halloween.  And I had the perfect costume for the chilly night.  Look who made an appearance!  CAT LADY!

I started my night around 4:30 down in Zama, where I picked up a carload of Japanese students.  Yes, that is right I celebrated Halloween AND got paid to do it!  There were four of us American girls chaperoning twelve Japanese kids and five Japanese adults through the crowded streets of Navy homes. 

Jen (XO's wife)

Pretty festive Japanese kids

After trick-or-treating.  We dropped the kids off; but the night was not over!  Michelle and I headed back to base where we picked up our friend Brittany.  From there, we huffed over to a haunted trail put on by the law enforcement of the base.  I am not one for anything even remotely scary!  But, after a lot of laughter and screams, we made it through the trail and lived to tell the story.  Frightened and constantly turning to watch our backs, we walked over to the coffee shop on base for hot chocolate.  

A pretty good night for a Halloween in Japan, if I may say so myself!

Happy Halloween!  And may you also escape the ghosts and goblins this Halloween night! 

What Makes Me Tick

It is slightly past midnight on a fall weekend for me in Japan.  Tonight was the Atsugi Officers' Spouses' Associations general meeting.  I am the 2nd VP of the organization and I am in charge of community relations.  The meeting was held on base and, after normal business was attended to, we played Bunco.  I have never played Bunco before but ultimately discerned that, in our circumstances, it is a game of dice that facilitates introductions of the lesser know to those more regular members of AOSA.  Or as another astute women put it: the female version of poker.   

 I went to the meeting tonight with two of my friends.  As the clocked threatened 9:30pm, it was obvious that my companions were ready to leave.  I certainly supported their desire to go home, but I was acutely aware that they would not leave without me.  As the meeting was barely approaching its end, I told my friends/ride to head on, that I was fine getting home on my own.  Not only were we a good ten minute walk from the front gate of the base (did I mention that cabs are not allowed around base?) but there is never a guarantee of a cab outside the gate.  Never the less, I encouraged my tired friends to leave, insisting that I was confident in my abilities to get home.

As my witching hour quickly approached, I made my way to the front gate.  I did call the only cab company I knew and, with the minimal English they spoke, I was reassured that a cab would pick me up from the front gate in five minutes.  Well, as I made it to the front gate in the suggested amount of time, it was apparent that I was far more prompt than my chariot.  Thus, I planted myself on the bench outside the main gate of Atsugi Base to wait.

Now I must mention that there is little fluidity between the base and the world outside.  Often those enjoying a night on base rarely venture back off and those off base don't venture on.  It is not quite the environment where one is assured an easy transition from one to the other.  Why?  I have never been sure.  Thus, tonight, I was going home.  By myself.  From base.  

  

How crazy is the idea that once on base, it's not easy to get home?  I had multiple people throughout the night offer for me to stay with them.  And that is certainly an offer I appreciate.   But, living in Japan, why should I feel intimidated by the mere thought of getting home by myself?  (And not that the offers implied I couldn't do just that).  But in a foreign country, as foreign and unnavigable as Japan supposably is, I feel like those spending time on base aren't always willing to put forth the effort to get what they want - be it venturing on or off base.... to attempt to accomplish something that in America would be simply second nature: getting home via a cab.

Thus, as I waited for my cab,  I saw another taxi pull up and drop off its' patrons.  Quickly, a group of four intoxicated people approached the cab.  I am not sure exactly what transpired, but the cab driver evicted the drunk group and pulled up to me.  It was my turn to hook this cabbie.  I explained to him that I wanted to go to Yamato Eki (Station) and I pulled out my business card with my address.  He was not quite certain as to where to take me but in so many words, he asked me to direct him.  I know a few directional words and I started with those.  As he drove on, he asked if I was an English teacher.  Responding yes, he told me he wanted to improve his English.  We used both English and Japanese to communicate on the ride home.  Literally, we used maybe ten words that we mutually understood to get me home tonight.  The cab driver chuckled at me when I asked how he was in Japanese and I grinned from ear to ear when he was able to get his point across in menial English.  As we approached my house, I got him to stop the cab.  I began fumbling through my money to pay.  I love to pay with change (Lisa - maybe leftover from you making fun of my ridiculously heavy wallet for so long).  So as I rummaged through to get correct change, he stopped me, kindly telling me not to worry about the last few pieces of change.  Certain that I had owed more,  I continued to pull out coin after coin, paying slightly more than I owed ($0.13).  I did not care.  Nor did he care that I paid the correct, full amount.  We had a great ride home.  We communicated.  He appreciated me, an English girl who spoke very little Japanese.  And I appreciated him, a kind, Japanese cab driver that spoke the important English words (as far as a foreigner was concerned).  We had a mutually enlightening cab ride.  One where one walks away happy, no matter what the differences were or what language barrier existed.  We understood each other and the money didn't matter.  To us, the experience paid for itself   

People ask me why I like to travel or, more importantly, why I can move half way around the world.  It is moments like tonight that make it all worth it.  Just like in Budapest where I approached strange Hungarians in search of an infamous pastry shop.  Through emphatic gestures and a lot of foreign words (on all of our parts), I was led to the right destination.  Like the French chef perfectly molding crepes each afternoon in Aix or my friendship with my Polish waitress at my favorite restaurant in Aspen, my Japanese cab driver was equally successful in fulfilling his duties despite differing languages.  This is what makes me tick.   A new environment, with foreign surroundings, navigable to anyone with an ounce of a desire to try.  Who wouldn't jump at the opportunity for that?  That is what makes me tick.  What makes me want to go on and push myself...to move to foreign places.  To step out of my comfort zone.  Because after I transcend the language barrier for the first time or lay the foundation for a friendship, I realize that I truly can and am willing to survive in a foreign atmosphere.  It is a satisfaction like nothing else.  A check in the box that I have negotiated a foreign environment and I am not intimidated to do it over and over again.  And, thus, I am reassured that every foreign experience after that initial break, each amplified experience afterwords, just reinvigorates my desire for more.  

Bon Odori

Through the Atsugi Officer's Spouses Association (AOSA),  I was able to participate in this seasons Bon Odori.  All participants met each smoldering Thursday from 10:00-11:30am in the 

non-airconditioned gym on base.  We were fortunate to have two Japanese volunteers to teach us.  They have taught American women Bon Odori for over ten years!  (And once you see the video below, you will wonder why they graciously sign on again and again).  

Bon , or obon, is the Buddhist festival for paying respect to the spirits of ancestors.  It is believed that during the season, specifically between August 13-15, the spirits of the ancestors return.  Bon is commonly celebrated through festivals and dancing.  Traditionally, one wears his/her yukata (summer kimono - which we unseasoned Americans had Japanese ladies dress us each festival).

Odori is a traditional Japanese dance originating in the Edo period and consists of movements welcoming the ancestors.  Today, the music and movements differ upon regions and often depict history, work or geography.  For example, one of the most common dances tells the story of coal mining.  In the dance, the movements mimic digging and loading the cart.  

I danced and enjoyed three Obon festivals this season.

Yamato Awa Odori

July 28th

The Yamato Awa Odori festival was literally minutes from our house and outside our local train station.  It was a massive festival in which we paraded through the streets dancing for over an hour.  I have more pictures from this festival as Tim was a diligent, supporting husband and he followed us as the resident photographer and local water boy.  

Japanese Awa dancers

NAF Atsugi Bon Dancers

HSL-51 Spouses L-R

Leslie, Paige, Lauren, Jennifer, Rachel, Stephanie, Mary Katherine, Kelly, Jen, Me, Brittany H., Leslie

Lauren Abner whose husband is Tim's roommate and close friend on the ship.  

Jennifer Kiser is a good friend of mine and the wife of Tim's boss on the boat (she is also in the Navy Reserves and a former helicopter pilot).

Mary Katherine Dann is a fellow HSL-51 pilot

NAF AWA ODORI DANCERS

Awa dancers do not mess around.  In fact, the group of ladies is comprised of all Japanese (as they fear Americans will not commit to practice for multiple hours every day) except for one: Rebekah, our sponsor's wife.  Likewise, the group of male dancers consists of Japanese men from the Japanese Maritime Self Defense Force (also located at NAF Atsugi) except for three:  the Commanding Officer, Executive Officer and Command Master Chief of NAF Atsugi!  The group of Awa dancers are accompanied by lute, taiko drums, flute and bells.  

Rebekah, our sponsor

CO and XO

CMC

My partner in most crimes, Lauren

Yamato Furisato
Aug 4th

The Yamato Furisato festival was also held at our local train station.  However, this was a smaller festival with less food and a significantly smaller crowd.  Instead of parading through the streets, we danced around a scaffold decorated with traditional obon lanterns.  We took turns as dancers performing on the stage.  The public joined in dancing around the grounds.  It was quite interesting watching the difference between the American women, having only recently learned the dances, and the Japanese ladies who danced with fluid and rhythmic motions.  

Lauren and Kyle Abner

Tim, Mary Katherine, Kyle and Jeff

Our Japanese dance teacher and other AOSA ladies dancing on the scaffold

NAF Atsugi American Festival and Bon Odori

August 18th

I am not exactly sure what the NAF Atsugi American festival had to do with Bon Odori.  However, the American festival was early afternoon and then the Bon Odori festival was open to the Japanese public in the evening.  Like in Yamato, we danced around the scaffold and took turns dancing on the stage.  My student, Jodi, and her two daughters attended the festival and danced with us for a good hour. 

HSL-51 spouses preparing to dance

L-R: Me, Brittany H., Mary Katherine, Jennifer, Paige, Lauren, Kelly

Brittany N., Rachel, Jen

For the American Festival, the USO brought in Edwin McCain.  Mr. McCain, as all women in their mid 20's will remember, was responsible for that sing songy theme to Dawson's Creek "I'll Be" (and for his song with Hootie and the Blowfish).  He was quite good in person!  And very kind!

Mr. McCain singing to Rachel - her husband, Ernie, is a huge fan!

Ernie, Rachel, and Mr. McCain listening to the National Anthem

 My groupie

Group picture

Our Japanese instructors in front

With our Japanese dancers

My Student, Jodi, in the black shirt

AWA ODORI DANCERS  from NAF ATSUGI- same as previous festival

Rebekah

CO and XO

Our cheering section. One of the wives of the "higher ups" on base commented how remarkable it was that HSL-51 had so many officers come out to support the wives!

The pilots from L-R:

Angie, Rob, Andy (our sponsor), Jeff, Tim, Kyle, Boss Kiser (Tim's current boss on the boat), 

Skipper Walt (the former Skipper that left last month), Boss Cole and Boss Chastain

I look forward to next season!