A Little Closer to Settled

When we left the states in September, I think Russ and I both expected to be settled into our new home by Christmastime. Sometimes things have a way of taking a different direction than you thought they would. The good news is that we're no longer in the TLF (temporary living facility). Those two dark hotel rooms were starting to get to both of us.

We began the process of looking for an apartment to rent in mid-October. Our plan was to find something we liked and have a lease signed at about the same time our household goods (HHG's) arrived on the island.  We had our realtor, Noriko set up a few appointments to view apartments and also asked her to check into one that was mentioned to Russ as a nice area to live. We were told that two apartments would be coming open in the Bel Air Mansion ("mansion"--their name for apartment complexes) in Ishikawa and that they were American-style apartments (very spacious). Noriko set up an appointment to view these first because she had a feeling that we would like them instantly. She was right. We were in awe of the openness of them as well as the storage space and instantly fell in love with the area. We still went to the other appointments she had set up for the day but we knew that our minds were already made up that Ishikawa was where we wanted to move. First time we've ever selected the first home we were shown.

Ishikawa is on the Pacific side of the island but is right at a narrower section so going to the East China Sea side is a short drive. The Bel Air mansion has six floors I believe and there are two apartments on each floor. The two available apartments were on the first and second floors. The first floor apartment was opening up in mid- December and the 2nd floor apartment in mid-January. We chose the second floor apartment because it had a better view of the ocean but that meant that we would have to wait a little longer for it.

Typically for civilian government employees we are allotted about 90 days in a TLF to find your home. (the military have much less time). Our dilemma was that if we waited for the 2nd floor apartment we would go beyond that 90 TLF limit. Noriko talked to the owners of the Bel Air apartment building and found that he owns another building in Yogi that was a little smaller apartment but still more Americanized. He told her that he had an opening in this building and would be willing to let us rent here on a month to month basis until the apartment we wanted was available to move into. He even offered to help move us over there when it was time to move.

While I was in the states with the kids, Noriko took Russ to see the Yogi apartment and he video taped it so I could see what it looked like. We both liked the apartment and thought this would be the best plan for us. They began the paperwork process while I was gone and we were able to move to the Yogi apartment on December 1. The base provides temporary furniture and basic dishes for any who move into a house before their HHG arrive. The temporary furniture arrived in the morning on the 1st and we picked up the dishes later that day. We had to supplement with a few extra items but we were thankful to have all of this provided for us. Our HHG's are here but we have them in storage until we move to the permanent apartment.

We are loving the apartment. It's an open concept floor-plan so we are enjoying the wide open rooms and light. It's three bedrooms and two baths and has an ocean view as well. We're on the fifth floor of what is called the Pacific View Mansion. Since it's on the Pacific side we get a little more wind than the East China Sea side gets. Last spring they opened a huge mall in Okinawa called the Aeon Rycom Mall.  I was excited to see that our Yogi apartment is very close to this mall. More on that in another post.

We were hopeful to get the internet set up shortly after moving in but it's not worked out like we planned. They use fiber optic lines for wireless broadband internet here and evidently our apartment didn't have them installed yet. When they came out to install the internet they realized that they couldn't run the lines through the phone lines like they usually do so they needed to send a surveyor out a week later to decide where they would run the lines. They then told us they wouldn't install them until after the New Year because the Japanese typically take about 10 days off for the holidays. So at this point we are questioning if we even want to bother setting up the internet here since we will hopefully be moving within a month of their estimated installation time.  No internet definitely makes blogging a little more difficult so be patient with me. I will try to get several posts written this week and use a hotspot on my phone to publish them.

We are feeling a little more settled here. I can cook some of my simpler recipes and we have more space to spread out. I'm loving my ocean view and evening city lights leading to the ocean. We are learning patience as we wait and are enjoying the exploration of this section of the island for a few months. I've learned that in all things you have two choices, you can complain about what you don't have or enjoy what you do. We're choosing to enjoy these few months and look forward to being finally settled in the spring. Here's a glimpse of what the apartment looks like:

Our Balcony overlooking the city

Kitchen and Dining

My favorite! A jetted tub.

Sauna that I don't know how to use. 

Our view from the balcony

Living Room area.

Cape Zanpa and Maeda Point

Cape Zanpa

In late November Russ took a few days off of work and we went exploring a few more scenic areas. We try to go out regularly and familiarize ourselves with the various thoroughfares that take you to different areas of the island. It's given us a little more confidence to explore when we know how the various roads connect to each other eventually.  Russ studies the map of the area and picks a new area to see and we hop in the car and drive there. 

On one of Russ's Fridays off, we drove to Torii Beach and found the section of the beach that isn't on the base. We spend a lot of time at Torii Beach but you can only walk as far as a huge boulder to the left so we traveled along the outside of the base and found the other side of the boulder and looked for sea glass on the non-base side. I've gotten quite a nice collection of blues/greens and white sea glass from all our Sunday afternoons at Torii Beach. We tend to find more after a rainy or stormy day.

Cape Zanpa

After spending about an hour there we continued down the road to Yomitan and then found Cape Zanpa.  It's a beautiful park with walking paths leading along the edge of the cliffs overlooking the water. There's also a lighthouse here that you can pay to walk to the top of but we weren't able to do that since it was close to sunset and they were closing it down. They had a few signs in English explaining that three large boulders weighing from 50-94 tons were carried from the coastline and deposited there after a big typhoon in October of 1990.

One of the typhoon boulders

We climbed among the boulders, walked the trails and took pictures and then drove to Zanpa Beach to watch the sunset. Each time we've been there we've seen a bride and groom being photographed after their wedding. There is a beautiful wedding chapel at the edge of the water here that I'm sure lends beautiful views to any wedding performed there. I enjoyed watching the photographer setting up his shots.

The following day we started out going to the beach area near our apartment that we are waiting to move into. We walked the entire sea wall and saw a huge turtle with it's head eaten off on one of the beach areas off the sea wall. I spotted several possible reading areas along the sea wall that I'm sure I'll use often once we get moved. We then found a road that took us from the Pacific side (where we will be living) to the East China Sea side. 

The Sea Wall near our future Ishikawa home

We decided to spend a little time exploring Maeda Point (a cape north of Zanpa). This area had pay parking and since it was close to closing time we only spent an hour here. I would love to go back though and walk the many trails along the coastline. They offer diving classes at this cape and we watched some of the divers snorkeling in the waters along the boulders. We walked out onto some of the boulders and followed a few trails and then hurried back to the car before they closed the gates for the night. We then drove back to Zanpa to watch the sunset. Both days were very enjoyable and we will probably venture back to these two capes more often once we make the move closer to them. Here are a few pictures of both areas for you to enjoy. 

This guy seems to pointing "which way to the beach?"

The Lighthouse at Cape Zanpa

Sunset at Zanpa Beach

Almost sunset at Cape Maeda

The Chapel at Zanpa Beach

The headless turtle/tortoise at Ishikawa beach

Walking one of the trails at Cape Maeda

 

Maeda Point

Happy Thanksgiving

Since we are still living in the TLF (temporary living facility) we knew we couldn't easily prepare a Thanksgiving feast in the apartment. So.....We had several options available to us. First, they offer a ready made Thanksgiving feast that could be ordered in advance and brought back to your home to eat. This was way more food than the two of us needed and was priced at about $95 so we nixed that option. Each of the clubs and restaurants on base also offered a Thanksgiving buffet which sounded more appealing to us. We chose to go to the NCO (non-commissioned officers) Club called "The Rocker" for our feast. We chose this because they were carving a ham where the other restaurants offered other options.

The meals were about $20 each and the spread and decorations were amazing. They kept the food on the buffet well-stocked and fresh. There was a salad/fresh fruit, seafood, cheese and cracker area, a carving area with beef and ham, a side dish area with stuffing, mashed potatoes, carrots, green bean casserole, candied yams, turkey, etc. and then there was a dessert spread. Needless to say, we stuffed ourselves. We tried to pace ourselves between plates of food but we definitely got our money's worth. We were probably there for about two hours. We enjoyed having a break from cooking the big feast as well as not having to clean up the dishes afterwards. Here are some pictures of the decor and the spreads of food we were greeted with. Very impressive displays. Hope each of you had a wonderful Thanksgiving celebration.

The Carving Station

Carved Watermelon designs

The Salad Etc. Line

One of the centerpiece ice sculptures

My Plate of Yumminess

The Buffet after the crowds lessened

Loved this watermelon carved flower

The Crowds Kept coming

   

Flying to the States and Back Again

When we announced to friends and family that we were moving to Okinawa, we heard from quite a few that they hope we will have a room available for them to come and visit. (which we will) Several were very convincing that they plan to make the trip to see a little bit of Japan while we're here. In light of this, I thought it might be nice to write a blog post about traveling to and from Japan since I just made the trip by myself this month and it's fresh on my mind. I'm sure it seems intimidating to most of you to travel to a country where you don't know the language and the writing is not something you can even sound out unless you know your Japanese katakana symbols. If you could remember back before you learned to read and write, that would be the feeling you get when you walk through the towns and stores and airports. Not to fear, though. The Japanese are very gracious hosts and do their best to make it easy for us to travel in their country. In most areas they post English under their kanji and katakana, the announcements over the loudspeakers are spoken first in Japanese and then in English, the flight information signs flash between katakana and English and the employees are all proficient in English and willing to help you if you aren't sure where to go.

In Japan, they are all required to learn English in school. You will find some that are shy to speak it but if you give them a lost puppy look they will usually try to help you. They usually understand it more than they want to speak it. Others will speak confidently. In the airports, I've found all employees to be very helpful and excellent English speakers. Another thing you will find is that there are A LOT of Americans traveling in Japan. With the number of military bases in the country as well as businessmen and women traveling for their jobs there are always Americans in abundance traveling  to and from the states. So for the most part you won't feel like a lonely little petunia in an onion patch. There are always people there to help.

 My flight started in Okinawa at the Naha airport. Russ dropped me off and I entered the doors for my airline and found the check-in desks for ANA airlines (All Nippon Airlines-a United Airlines partner). They weighed my bags as usual but the weight was in kg so I wasn't sure how much they weighed. They took them without charging me anything extra so I assume that meant they were under 50 lbs. They asked me if I wanted a window or aisle seat and I chose a window seat. They printed out all my boarding passes for the entire trip, circled my seat number and gate number and pointed me towards the security checkpoints that lead to the gates. Japan doesn't require you to take off your shoes when you go through security but everything else was very similar. I removed my laptop and emptied my pockets and went through the metal detectors then collected my carry-on bags after they'd gone through the x-ray machine. I was a little unsure of the gate number so I showed my boarding pass to an employee and she pointed to the correct gate number.  I perused the shops until time to board and found a sturdy drum to take to my grandson. I bought what I thought was a sweet tea from a vending machine but it turned out to be an unsweet green tea which tasted sort of nasty and bitter so I ended up pitching that one and buying a water instead.  My plane departed at noon and it was about a 2 1/2 hour flight from Okinawa to Narita Airport in Tokyo.

It was interesting to see the
island from above.

You can see some areas are quite narrow
so it's a short drive from coast to coast

In Tokyo, I had about an hour between landing and the boarding of the next flight. I was starting to get a little hungry but knew that they would be serving meals on the longer flight so I found a vending machine and purchased an ice cream bar and an ice water. As I navigated through the airport to my next gate it was interesting to me that their walkways from gate to gate are also opposite to ours.  You walk on the left side of the walkways just like  you drive on the left side of the roads.While waiting, I always try to stay standing until boarding the long flight because I know I'll be sitting for about 12 hours straight. The 12 hour flight is usually a 747 with three seats on each side and five in the middle. On this flight I was sandwiched between two big men. One was tall and husky and the other was shorter but stockier. There were TV screens on the backs of the seats so I was able to watch movies and I also purchased wireless internet so I could keep track of things with my kids. They serve two meals on this flight and the drink carts come through about every two hours. After the first meal, they usually turn down the lights so everyone can sleep. I was thankful for my neck pillow which allowed me to sleep a little bit. I always try to get up several times during the flight just to walk around and stretch my legs. Sleeping or watching movies helps the time fly quickly.

The ice cream vending machine was calling to me

The first airport you land in upon entering the country is where you clear customs. Houston was my entry point so I cleared customs here. Follow the crowds to the customs area. Americans are directed in one direction and foreigners go to a different area. The first stop is a room with a bunch of computers where you have to scan your passport, fill out a form and take a picture of yourself. The cameras are made for tall people so if you are short you have to tiptoe to get your whole face in the picture. I think I actually cut my chin off in my picture but I couldn't get any taller. You then proceed through a line where they check your passport and the form you printed out at the computers with your funky picture, You then go through baggage claim and get your bags and walk them through another line where they check your passport and paperwork again and then if you have a connecting flight they take your bags again and put them onto your next flight. I had a four hour layover in Houston so I had time to get a meal, charge my phone and talk to the kids at the hospital. The last flight from Houston to Raleigh was 2 1/2 hours and I arrived at my destination at about 11 p.m. Total travel time was about 24 hours. 

My return flights were a little different. I flew from Raleigh to Chicago (about a two hour flight), then the long flight from Chicago to Narita was 13 hours. I was pretty excited to have a row to myself on the return flights from Chicago to Narita and from Narita to Okinawa. What a difference it makes when you can stretch out and sleep. It was actually a quite enjoyable return flight. A few things that are different when coming from the states to Narita. First, customs is a little different. You have to fill out a customs form and disembarkment form before leaving the plane if you're not a citizen of the country you are landing in. These basically ask if you have purchased anything of larger value while in the states, how much money you are coming into the country with so they can determine if they need to charge you "duty" fees. The disembarkment form just asks you why you are coming to Japan,the address you will be staying at and how long you will be staying, Follow the signs for foreigner (non-Japanese citizen) with a domestic connecting flight. Some will be continuing on to other countries and will be exiting for international flights and this can confuse you after a long flight because you think you're still on an international flight. From this point on you are flying domestic. If you're unsure, just show someone your boarding pass and they will guide you to the correct lines. They speak and understand English and so it is not scary at all to find your way through the customs process. Next you walk to baggage claim, get your bags and go through the last customs line where they again check your passport, count your bags and occasionally send you to an area to have a few bags opened to check them. We haven't had this happen to us but we usually see someone being pulled over for a bag search so if they ask you to go to the sidelines to check your bags don't be too alarmed. It's hit and miss who gets selected. There is usually a person waiting to take your bags from you in the customs area to put them on the plane to Okinawa. If there is not someone offering to take your bags for you in the customs area, just exit through the doors and go to the ANA counters (or whatever airline you are flying on) and they take them for you there. 

I was a little amazed each time we've flown into Narita that it is like going back in time. When we board the flight to Okinawa, we go out the doors from the gate and travel on a bus over to the plane and walk up stairs to board the plane. I remember doing that when I was younger before jetway walks became commonplace. Also, at the gate, they have flip signs on a pole and they flip the signs over for each flight they are boarding. There is an employee whose job is to be the sign flipper. She stands there smiling and pointing in a Vanna White kind of way at her sign announcing we will be boarding this flight in ten minutes. It's refreshing to see that the old ways still work efficiently at the Narita airport. 

I would love to see some of you brave souls venture out to visit us while we are here. Japan is a beautiful country, the people are very humble and kind and you will enjoy your time here immensely. Okinawa is similar to Hawaii in climate with beautiful cliffs and beaches with vibrant blue water. Travel here is very easy and nothing to fear at all. Come on over ya'll.

Facing Those Curves in the Road

Cindy Watson
Photography

It's been awhile since I've updated the blog but I had to take a little bit of time before I could write this post. It's been a rough month and although writing has always been therapeutic for me, I know that sometimes I have to process the thoughts before I can make sense of things in writing. I will warn you all that this post will not be Japan related so if you are mostly interested in our adventures here you might wish to skip this one because it's about an adventure I didn't want to take and it's sad.

As I was writing my last post about shopping, I started getting text messages from my daughter, Hannah. She was pregnant and just about to enter her third trimester. (about 27-28 weeks along in the pregnancy). She was concerned because she hadn't felt the baby move for the last two days and didn't know whether to be concerned or what to do. I told her she should go into her doctor and let them check her so she could be reassured by hearing the heartbeat. It was late at night here but I told her I wouldn't be able to sleep until I heard back from her. I continued to write while she showered and got her son in the car to go to the doctor. Her husband, Dantrell was in Florida for a training class so she had to take her son with her for this appointment.

Many of you who know me well know that I had a fourth child (a son) that I delivered stillborn at 24 weeks in my pregnancy. It was the hardest thing I ever had to do in life and an event that changed me. So as I waited to hear from her I was praying that she would find the heartbeat and be reassured but my heart was feeling sick about what she could possibly find. About two hours later she called me on Facetime and she had that same devastated look of despair in her tear-filled eyes that I had felt 24 years before her. I remember screaming. "NO!!! I never wanted you to have to feel this!" and I began crying with her. She described exactly what I experienced....the nurse who listens for the heartbeat then gets quiet and leaves the room bringing back another nurse who also checks and they begin whispering as if you didn't know that they had not found what they sought. She had asked me on the phone before going to the doctor what would happen if they didn't find a heartbeat and I told her they would take her for an ultrasound to check on the baby. So when they told her they wanted to take her in for an ultrasound, she knew her nightmare was beginning.

I was on the phone with her when the doctor came in to talk to her and he was very tender with her which I was thankful for. I stayed on the phone with her while she left the office and went to the car to drive home. I was reliving that feeling of devastation as you have to exit with swollen eyes through the waiting room full of all the pregnant women, longing to be sitting in their spot instead of leaving knowing that your story was taking a different turn. I remembered my drive home alone and I didn't want her to be alone even if I was only on the phone. She sent a text to her sister, Amber and just asked "could you come?" She didn't hesitate. She clocked out at work and hopped in her car for the hour and a half drive from Durham to Goldsboro. I was so thankful she lives close to her. I talked to Hannah for awhile until Dantrell was able to call her. There is nothing more heart-wrenching than to watch your child hurting with a hurt so deep and I was not able to give her a hug and tell her I could make it all better. All I could do was listen and help her navigate through her grief. I knew, first hand what it felt like and I was reliving my day 24 years ago while trying to help her through hers. I won't lie, it was the most awful feeling ever.

Hannah asked me to let Cory know because she didn't know how to tell him so I sent a FB message to him (the only way we can communicate during his work day) and asked him to go his car and facetime with me. He was away from his desk when the message came in so he didn't answer right away. I called Stephanie to let her know while I waited to hear from Cory. We both cried together. Cory called as soon as he got the message and I told him the news. He, too, cried for Hannah and he said he would call her and talk to her before going back to work. He and Stephanie instantly started discussing how they could get Cory there to help. He talked to his boss and then began searching for flights.

I called the girls again after Amber arrived and they were both sitting on Hannah's kitchen floor with red eyes so I joined in and we all cried together. I was waiting for the sun to rise so I could figure out how I was going to get there. There was no way I could sleep. Our heads were all pounding from crying so much but I wanted to be there with them. Hannah had questions about what would happen next. We talked for over an hour and then I left them to themselves to visit and talk while I went and started doing laundry to get ready for a rushed trip to the states. Russ was sleeping through most of this and at some point in the night I went and told him what had happened because I knew he was probably wondering why I wasn't sleeping and why I was crying. When he got up to get ready for work I told him I was going to try to figure out where to go to get an emergency flight back to the states. I drove to the terminal on base to figure out what the process was for getting on a flight quickly. They told me I would need to go to the Red Cross office and also have certain forms processed through Russ's work. I met Russ at his office and he drove with me to the Red Cross to get the process started. They explained that they would have to talk to the doctor to verify what had happened and needed to call Amber since she was with her to get any current1 information on Hannah. They told me there were about 5 steps in the process of approvals before they could put me on a plane. The waiting was frustrating.

After lunch, a friend stopped by to see if I wanted to go shopping with her and I told her what was happening. She suggested that I look online and see what the prices were for tickets. I had imagined them being around $2,000 to $3000 for a short notice ticket so I hadn't looked there first. A friend from GA was also looking into getting a buddy pass for me through Delta. I was amazed when I looked at the ticket prices that they weren't too much higher than what I'd been looking at for traveling in January for Kylee's arrival. I called Russ and told him and without hesitation he said "book it" and I did. If I'd started looking there first I might have been able to fly out that same day but I figured this all out after the flights had already left for that day. Russ took me to the airport the next morning and I began the 24 hours of travel time back to the states. Cory had gotten on a flight late that night and was on his way to North Carolina. Dantrell had just arrived home from Florida and Amber had the task of calling the doctor to set up the appointment for Kylee's delivery. She was scheduled for 2 p.m. on Thursday the 29th. Cory stayed with Brayden at their house and Amber and Dantrell were with her at the delivery. I texted at every stop to check on progress and got internet access for the longest flight (13 hours) so I would know when she arrived. Kylee Joy Hunt was born on Friday, October 30 at 1:01 p.m. weighing in at 1 lb. 15 oz. and 12 inches long.

My flight was just touching down in Houston when she arrived and I couldn't get off that plane and through customs fast enough. As soon as I got to my next gate I found a spot in the hallway, connected to the wifi and sat down and skyped with Amber and Hannah. Amber was holding Kylee and I had her show me her little hands and feet and sweet face. She looked like her big brother. She was beautiful. I longed to be able to hold her but I knew I still had a three hour layover and an hour drive from Raleigh to Goldsboro so I resigned myself to the fact that I would not make it in time and I didn't. I asked Amber to take as many pictures as she could of her from all angles and try to record the day for Hannah. It was something I didn't do with my youngest son's birth and wished I had. It was a hard job for her. She had to be strong for Hannah when I know she, too, was hurting inside. She bonded with baby Kylee by being there for the delivery, holding her while Hannah slept off some of the strong medicines she was given and photographing her. I know Kylee will hold a special place in her heart too.

They stayed with Kylee for several hours, holding and loving on her. Amber dressed her in an outfit provided by Stephanie and put a bow in her hair. The cause of death was from the umbilical cord wrapped too tightly around her. The hospital took her footprints and handprints and gave Hannah a birth announcement with her weight and length. Amber called Cory and asked him to bring Brayden to the hospital so that they wouldn't have to leave alone. Cory called a funeral home during the day and made arrangements for someone to pick up Kylee for cremation. Cory arrived at the hospital about the same time the funeral director did and was also able to hold Kylee before their tearful goodbyes. Brayden made everything a little easier. He came with kisses for his Mama and has a smile that cheers everyone who sees him. He did a great job bringing cheer to them in the midst of a sad time. By the time they arrived home, Hannah and Dantrell were emotionally and physically exhausted so they went straight to bed. Amber stayed with Brayden and Cory drove to the airport to get me. Before going to bed, Hannah left a message for me with a picture of the birth announcement asking me to write a post for facebook to let everyone know what had happened. She said that she didn't know what to say and thought I'd find the right words. I stayed up late that night writing a post for her so that she would be able to read all the expressions of love when she woke up the next day.

It warmed my heart to see my three kids come together to support each other through this difficult time. I couldn't be prouder of the way they weathered through this together. I know Hannah appreciated the support and love from her siblings. There is nothing that can prepare you for the deep grief of losing a child to stillbirth. Hannah faced it all bravely.  Kylee will always be a part of her story/ She'll always wonder who she might have been. She'll relive those days every time she hears of another friend facing the death of a child. She'll always remember her birthday and how old she would be and she'll have days when she feels sad and will cry for the loss of her little girl that she wanted so very badly. I'm praying she will be blessed with many more children in the near future. I hope all who read this will say some prayers for her to have another girl or two in her arms by this time next year.

I stayed with her for three weeks helping her through the grieving process. We had long talks, we had some good cries and we made a few memorial items to help her heal. We made charm bracelets for each of us with angel wings, her initial, an elephant and a flower. I bought her a shadow box frame and we arranged a collage of Kylee's keepsakes. It contains her hospital cap, bracelet and birth announcement, her ultrasound picture, a picture I edited of her feet, and a poem written by my sister. One of my UK friends, Cheryl Johnson, who owns her own photography business (www.feelgoodphotos.co.uk) contacted me after my facebook announcement and offered to edit some of Kylees photos for Hannah. She belongs to a group called Remember my Baby. (http://www.remembermybaby.org.uk/). She put together a beautiful slide show for her with a sweet song called "the last lullaby". It was an amazing gift from a sweet, compassionate friend and it will be cherished by Hannah forever.

Exploring Nearby Places

One of the first things I try to do when moving to a new place is familiarize myself with areas near me. I love to wander stores or look for little shops on the backroads. On Monday, Russ needed to take the car to work for a meeting so I put on my walking shoes, went to the ATM and got some yen and then walked out gate two (the nearest gate to where we live). I walked some of the main roads for a little while and then started walking on the Ginza shopping areas. I found most of the shops to be closed so I'm not sure if it was just a Monday thing or there are many unoccupied stores there. I found a few thrift type shops with miscellaneous dishes, toys and clothes. It reminded me of a place we called the Dragonfly when we lived in Iwakuni. There was also a dish store I enjoyed walking through. If I hadn't been on foot there were a few items I might have bought at these two stores. I wandered through all the stores of interest taking note of where some of the parking areas were in case I wanted to go back to some of the stores with the car. By the time I got back to the apartment, Russ had already come home for lunch and left the car for me.

Since I was still feeling adventurous I decided to hop in the car and head to the American Village to spend my afternoon. Big signs and a huge ferris wheel mark the entry to the village. It's like an outdoor shopping mall with numerous shops and department stores, restaurants and bars, a movie theater and a bowling alley. There are hair places, nail places, tattoo parlors, massage places and even a spa. Resort type hotels are nearby too. It is set at the edge of the ocean and there is a sea wall that borders the ocean-side of the complex as well as various canals that border several of the shopping areas. There are a few small beach areas with sand and shells but most of it has stone seating areas like steps that go down to the water which I found to be a great area for sitting and reading. I took my book with me and spent a few hours reading after I tired of walking through stores. Russ and I have walked the sea wall at night several times after eating at nearby restaurants and it seems to be a busy place no matter what time of day you are there. The Japanese families love it because it has an American feel to it and the Americans love it because it feels a little more like home.

On Tuesday I returned to the American Village with a Subway sandwich meal and sat and read and enjoyed the beautiful blue sky sunny day and then went again today to walk through the department store called Aeon that is near where I park. In all my exploring this week I've found several stores that I will probably return to many times. One was called Seria and was sort of like a dollar store with a variety of inexpensive items. I especially like the stationery and craft area here. I found a few alphabet stamp sets that I was very excited about because they were smaller sizes. They reminded me of my favorite stamp set that I purchased at a craft show in Colorado at a Japanese vendor. I've used that set quite a bit in my scrapbooks because it was a smaller size but these were even smaller. They mount on little plastic sticks and you can attach them together to keep the stamping more even. I bought enough packages of sticks to mount the entire set. They also had a nice selection of washi tape there (which I also use in my scrapbooks).

Another favorite store was Makemon (or I've heard it referred to as the monkey store).The logo of the store is a monkey that looks like Curious George. It's like a hardware type store with a little bit of everything in it. It also had a craft area with the same stamps there as well as a selection of washi tape. I have been looking for a store that sells an adhesive I use for scrapbooking called Kokuyo because I knew it was made by a Japanese company. Makeman is the place to find that and it is much cheaper than in the states. Since Archivers closed their stores I haven't been able to find it in the states.  It's one of the best adhesives I've found so I'm very excited that I will be able to get it here. I really loved the Aeon Department store that I explored today. It has two floors of various vendor stores and eating places as well as a grocery store and a play area for the kids. I was happy to see a craft store here that had yarn, fabric and sewing notions, basket weaving reeds and embroidery floss. I'm always drawn to the stationery areas in the department stores and I found a few scrapbooking items there as well as more washi tape and my kokuyo adhesive.

I walked through the grocery store to see if I could recognize some of the ingredients I use for my Japanese recipes I was taught in Iwakuni and was happy to find them easily in this store. I look forward to making many of the recipes I couldn't find the ingredients for in the states. It was a fun week of exploring stores. I love to browse and find unique items. I was taking note of items that will be included in future packages to my kids and grandkids. I think I've found a favorite reading/writing spot at the sea wall too and know that I will spend many hours there enjoying my sunny days rather than sitting in my dark TLF room. There is still more to explore. I will eventually go to all the bases and see what each one has available and branch out further from each gate in search of more fun stores and restaurants off the beaten paths. I'm not usually one to sit around bored when there is so much out there to explore.