What do YOU see when you go to the grocery store where you live?????

Japanese fruit and vegetable market - Those green things (don't know what they are called) were as big as my leg!

Outside the KFC.... What does Colonel Sanders wear in America?? The white suit you say? Not here --- he wears a cool looking Samurai shirt here!

I told you all in an earlier post that watermelons were SUPER expensive here! Yep, that price is 1,980 yen = $23.24 (as of today's exchange rate) Just a regular circular watermelon...Geeee whiz!

It's festival time.....again

Summertime = many festivals. This one was right outside the gate and had great, big floats with lights and each one had to be HAND-CARRIED through the entire parade route.

This festival was the Misawa City Festival. The floats they carry around usually have large barrels of sake inside. The sake is later blessed and used in ceremonies like weddings and promotions.

The people that volunteered (both Japanese and Americans) looked like they were having a GREAT time.....I am sure the free Asahi Beer they were given to 'hydrate' them had a lot to do with it. They were given as many beers as they wanted too!

Hey, it looked like fun, the floats were beautiful and it helps build Japanese/American relations :) Americans have participated in this festival for over 2 decades.

Check out a few floats: (there were MANY,MANY more...with dancers, samurai performers, taiko drummers, etc.)

not a float....Elijah hanging out in front of the base's American and Japanese signs.

America's Next Top 'Back to School' Model

Back to School Fashion Show

Ummmm I wonder where he gets it?

Japanese Paper Craft Class

As you can tell, Elijah and I beef up on 'things to do' when Eddie is gone. I think it helps the time go by quicker and keeps BOTH of us sane (just being honest)!

I love when signs are in English...such a rarity! Ohhhh it's the small things you miss when you are overseas!

Making our crafts: Step 1: Elijah attaching the heads to the sticks (aka the bodies)

step 2: wrapping paper around the stick bodies to resemble kimonos. Please understand this was a HARD task for everyone in the room! The kimonos have to be wrapped left side over right because of Japanese tradition, there has to be a certain fold on the top near the necks, the Obis(belts) had to be wrapped a certain way too. OH WAIT...all this paper was really small....I mean less than 1 1/2 inches wide!

Elijah said his male and female pieces were going to marry each other

Our finished art work. I know I look dewy....I WAS HOT! Yes, there is A/C in this building, but I was really focusing on getting my folds done correctly...moment of truth...Elijah had NO problem getting his folds correct! NONE AT ALL! I think small fingers really helped him -- or at least that is what I am going to believe ...because it was really hard to believe an 8 year old could 'out-craft' me!!!

Done with project #1! This is what "Ohhhh he has such cute eyes...I will do his project for him" looks like! The lovely, older Japanese women that were teaching the class were impressed by his eyes, so they couldn't stand to see him struggle. He struggled with the second project; but I didn't struggle with this one....the papers were larger!

We made chopstick holders and kimono people pictures

This summer has been a scorcher......

...SERIOUSLY! Just know that the housing on base does NOT have A/C. The powers that be say that it does not get hot enough for long enough AND the power needs can't be met if everyone has A/C.

Really? So for the past 2 summers it wasn't really a big deal for us. THIS SUMMER WAS DIFFERENT! Last week it got to 100 degrees -- 3 times last week....with 84% humidity AND we live on the 5th floor of a 9 floor tower. 7 fans in the house......all the windows open and it was still deadly!

Thankfully, the Lord provided and we were allowed to house sit for dear friends that were out of town for the summer (fellow teachers) and they keep their A/C on because of their caged pets. (you all that know me -- REALLY know that I don't get down with animals AT ALL)

We (Elijah and I) spent EVERY free moment over there (Eddie is still in Okinawa for training)!

This is how Elijah spent MOST days this summer............... on a trampoline!

Now let's kick it up a notch with the addition of water balloons and water hose!

We call it "Avoid the Water Balloons" game. Hey, it's FREE fun, he loved it and he stayed cool!

Elijah after he came inside...soaking wet and H.A.P.P.Y!!!

Our 24 hour Korean trip

Every Monday, the base has a military hop to Korea. The hop

comes back to our base the next morning. So I was thinking:

1. Eddie is gone for 6 weeks

2. I haven't done ANYTHING this summer, except teach summer

school

3. I wanted my hair braided

4. The hop is FREE <---- important factor!!

So I figured...LET'S DO IT!!

Here is a run down of how our last 36 hours went!

0645 - Report to the Passenger terminal with Elijah to check in for roll call...waiting, waiting, waiting to see if there were any open seats for us...

0745 - YES! We are 'in like Flynn; checked in again to get our tickets

0830 - boarded the plane and off we flew to our destination

1045 - arrived in Korea (on base) and processed through immigration

1130 - out the door - we didn't bring any luggage with us besides our carry on bags - in a taxi to the front gate of the base to do a little shopping

1150 - found the Dr. Fish pedi, manicure place.......awwww this is what I have been waiting for so badly.......fish that feast on the dead skin of my feet. YES! It tickles and no it doesn't hurt at all. Elijah and I had the feast nibbling away on our feet for 25 min!!!

After my pedi and mani (Elijah said that only girls do that kind of stuff - so he decided to p

lay his video game on the couch) We were hungry.

1530 - took the taxi back to base to see if there was any space available room in in lodging - really wanted to stay on base because I felt a lot safer on base -- no rooms:( So I made a reservation off base. It's not a bad neighborhood by any means -- it's just that when you live and work in a secure. military environment you get comfortable within that environment ..... especially in a foreign land when the emergency evacuation system is an escape rope! In case of emergency we were to tie this to the leg of the bed, throw it out the window and scale down the from the 5th floor. Needless to say...I didn't sleep very well that night!

1600 - Oh yeah - I forgot that we were hungry and we ate at Chili's on base - this may be no big treat to you all, but we have NO American commercial restaurants where we live -- so to see a Chili's is quite a BIG deal.

1700 - Off to check in to our hotel and relax for 20 min

1730 - walked around the shopping area again....Elijah wanted a toy

1830 - off to get my hair braided by the sweetest, Christian lady. She is from Camroon.

1900-midnight - getting my hair braided at her house...she had kids that Elijah played with and a college aged brother that taught Elijah about apartheid (kid-friendly version), since they lived in Africa before they moved to Korea 2 years ago. Elijah was really asking questions and into it too.

midnight to 0100 - walked back to the hotel, showered changed and fell asleep.

0400 - awake again (that's right 3 hours) and off to the passenger terminal for some hurry up and wait time!

0500 - checked in, waited for available seats, got tickets and waited, waited, waited and waited until the plane was ready to board at 0900!!

1145 - back in Japan!!!

Elijah slept for 4 hours once we got home, woke up and said he really liked his trip and wants to do it again.......my response you ask??? "Sweetie, let's just unpack from this trip first!"