Holman's on the Horizon

There's a 1st time for everything!

2012-02-12T03:23:00.000-08:00

Though Nick went on a mini deployment at the end of January, this marks the longest he's been home since we've moved here! (Almost 3 months without leaving...almost!)

We've taken advantage of him being home to site-see and check things off of our, "must do" list. Just since the new year we've already been to China, Korea, had a visitor, AND gone ice skating for the first time!

Well, it was Nick's first time skating in Japan...however it was MY first time ice skating EVER!!! (Pretty sad to admit, I know!)

Who knew ice skating was so easy? (I didn't fall once!) And who knew they had a cute little outdoor rink just a few train stations away? (Yes the Japanese ice skate too!)

Check in the box for us!

To the land of Avatar's and back...

2012-01-30T03:55:00.000-08:00

Continuing on our vacation with the Pope's...

We left Hong Kong on New Year's Day, and took a short hour flight to Guilin, China. From Guilin we headed to Yangshuo to see the legendary peaks. The peaks in Yangshuo were the inspiration for the landscape used in the movie AVATAR!

Several months ago a good friend of mine told me that if I ever made it out to Hong Kong I should take the opportunity to stop over in Yangshuo and see the famous peaks. (Thank you Mari for your suggestion...the peaks were worthy of the extra time...truly a once in a lifetime sight!)

The flight there was super quick, but the travel arrangements were another story... Nick and I are glad to say that China can be checked off our "bucket list" but don't know if we are willing to deal with the Chinese again in order to make another visit there. In the future we will be visiting countries that aren't so strict!!!

It took forever but we got our Visa's to get into China....passport stamp from China...CHECK!

Pope trying to help the cab driver and her posse get our luggage into the trunk. Don't ask me why it took so many Chinese to figure out where we were trying to get to.... We had a map and everything! (They were smiling though and not yelling...always a good thing.)

The hour+ cab ride from the nearest airport to our hotel was long, but as we pulled up to our hotel we looked up and were surrounded by those famous peaks we had come all this way to see. Even at night we could tell it was definitely worth it!

We stayed at the Yangshuo Mountain Retreat located right on the river and completely surrounded by dozens of peaks. This expat retreat is totally American friendly and very very inexpensive! A cozy lodge, built as an escape from all the cauos in China, but has expanded because it's ever-so-popular. (We actually booked it over 4 months in advance)

Too tired to go out, we had dinner at the retreat that night before retiring to bed.

Their menu was very extensive, offering a wide variety of foods...from local Chinese dishes to foreign American favorites. Though it was our first night in China, so naturally we wanted to try the Chinese cuisine.

(Pope giving his "Asian grin")

A complimentary treat of ginger tea and homemade cookies.

I just had to take a photo of the bathrooms downstairs in our hotel...this is what most looked like everywhere we went. You had the option of either going in the hole in the ground, or with the Westernized modern toilet. Which would you choose???

(Also, disgustingly enough, in China you aren't supposed to flush toilet paper! That being said, there are trash bins next to the toilet for you to dispose of your waste instead. You can only imagine how unpleasant China smells because of it!)

Our room was very cozy...As indicated in the picture here, our bed wasn't much bigger than a twin and our bathroom was separated with nothing other than a curtain....but, we had a balcony with an amazing view!

That second-story balcony was ours...complete with two rocking chairs!

The first morning we woke up to see the peaks in their full beauty in the light of day.

They seemed less daunting than the night before. (Laura confessed she didn't get much sleep because she kept having nightmares that the Avatar mountains would come caving down on her during her slumber!)

The weather wasn't what we had hoped for, but bundled up and armed with umbrellas, we headed out on our first day of sightseeing in Yangshuo.

It was a lengthy walk from our hotel to where we were heading, but part of the appeal of the Yangshuo area is the leisurely strolls and bike rides one can enjoy while there. We kept ourselves entertained by taking photos and coming up with clever "Avatar names" for each other during the trek.

Yangshuo is in more rural China, so not as crowded as the city but more poverty-stricken, very dirty and the livestock roamed free.

Snapping pictures of the locals cleaning their waste buckets in a small pond, (no wonder their water is unsanitary) we were yelled at by one of the ladies. Despite the language barrier, with her high pitched words and vigorous hand gestures, it wasn't hard to determine what she was telling us NOT to do!

Our first quest of the day was to take a ride down the Yulong river for great views of the peaks and surrounding scenery.

At the mouth of the Yulong River we found what we had heard so much about...the small river rafts made out of bamboo!

This hawker wouldn't leave us alone...she kept asking if we wanted to buy rain panchos! "Ok? Yes? Ok?" The Pope's were blocking her with their umbrellas and she still didn't get the hint! "Ok? Yes?"

Two per raft only, (excluding the "guide") our group of 4 had to split into 2!

The cute little Chinese men balanced on the ends of the raft, while guiding us down the river!

"Taking a bamboo raft ride is an excellent, relaxing way to take in the amazing views of the Yu Long River and watch the countryside just drift on by. The starting points are at different locations along the rivers and the rides range from half an hour to 5 hours. The drift is very slow and you are floating gently down the course of the rivers and across a few weirs."

Bold move on my part, jumping from our raft to the Pope's for a photo op!

A few times along the ride there were dips, where our raft would make a vertical dive and leave us both drenched! Whoo! (This photo says it all!)

At other points, the guide would make us get off of the raft and he would have to cleverly maneuver the raft over a dam-like bridge...

We used that spare time for a photo op...

And right at the end of our raft ride, we came upon our retreat.

The guidebooks don't lie...it really is picturesque!

Our guide was very patient with us...

but then again, in the end, he asked us for a tip! Ours and the Pope's guide both told us they needed money for booze!!! Who does that?!?

After the wet raft ride on the river, we were drenched and freezing. A short ride in a tuk tuk-like transportation took us to Luna for lunch and to get warm.

Luna Cafe is an Italian rooftop restaurant, famed for it's pizza and views of Moon Hill. The weather wasn't cooperating with us that day, so we weren't able to sit outside, but the three walls of windows allowed for a view worthy of our attention.

Luna Cafe sits on top of the Yangshuo Village Inn, which is the sister hotel to the Mountain Retreat where we stayed. They had a full board advertising our hotel in the restroom! (We agreed that ours was the better hotel!)

The boys couldn't get warm enough, so they moved their food so they could sit directly over the space heater!

After lunch we walked down the street to one of the village markets. The Pope's picked up some Chinese hats!

That night we toured the streets and did a bit more shopping in West Street.

"West Street is the oldest street in Yangshuo with a history of more than 1,400 years. Situated at the center of Yangshuo County, West Street has become, since the 1980's, a window of eastern and western culture and the biggest 'foreign language center' in China."

The next day it was off to get more pictures of the gorgeous peaks!

Another river ride, but this time on the famed Li River!

Still a bamboo raft, but this time fit for four and with a motor on the back!

Covered seating, for a drizzly day.

We were all a bit cold, if you couldn't tell.

Avatar country...AMAZING!

The guidebooks all boasted about the "water buffalo" that we would see grazing by the river while in Yangshuo. I of course, was the most excited about this. "Water Buffalo!?! We can't go home until we see Water Buffalo!" And then, just before our boat ride was over, we saw TWO! Though, we were all so shocked that they did in fact exist (cause we hadn't seen any trace of them as of yet) that we didn't get a good photo of them in time!

The entire boat ride, the driver of our boat was going SOOOO slow, we were being passed by one boat after another. Then, when it mattered that he drive slow (ie-so we could snap a pic of our treasured buffalo) he takes that opportunity to finally find his speed!!!!

Of course!

After the boat ride Nick instructed our cab driver (yes you can pay a few bucks to have a cab driver for the whole day...everything was very inexpensive) to stop at a few of the street markets.

We witnessed this weird street game where people were tossing rings into a pen of ducks. The idea was to get the ring around the duck's neck. A twisted version of "Ring Toss" mixed with "ringing a duck's neck"?

After street shopping we went back to the hotel for lunch. Then the boys headed back out to do some hiking up Moon Hill....

Though I was mad at myself later for missing such a gorgeous hike, Laura and I had had enough cold and rain and opted to get a massage instead!

"After a long day enjoying the countryside in Yangshuo, a traditional Chinese massage in your guest room at the Yangshuo Mountain Retreat is the perfect way to relax. We offer traditional Chinese massage by a well-trained and experienced local masseuse."

After reading this in the guest books in our room...who could pass a massage up? Apparently not us!

The boys had fun without us...

"On a sunny day, blue sky and white clouds can be seen through the cave and on cloudy and rainy days, the 'moon' is deep in mist. Viewed from different places, the moon takes on different shapes, sometimes full moon, sometimes half-moon and sometimes crescent, forming a marvelous spectacle in Yangshuo."

The scenery, especially the peaks in Yangshuo was out-of-this world breathtaking, but we still left on a bad note. All four of us got sick off of the food and left with a sour taste in our mouths (literally). We believe it to be due to the unsanitary water, and the washing of fruits and veggies in said water. Otherwise we were very careful while there. Nonetheless, we got extremely sick off of the food and left several pounds lighter!

The area is gorgeous and I would recommend anyone to visit, but the best time to go would be during the summer when the weather's warmer and everything is more green (and those darn water buffalo are more plentiful!) When we were there it just so happened to be during the 2 weeks of the year that the famous Liu Sanjie Show on the Li River was on their winter break and not having ANY performances! Otherwise, it's a nightly occurrence. This show is put on by Zhang Yimao, who choreographed the opening ceremony for the 2008 Beijing Olympics. The show is supposed to be spectacular! Sadly, we didn't get to witness it.

We parted ways with the Pope's in Guilin airport...they headed to Beijing and us back to Hong Kong to catch another flight back to Japan. We were sad to say goodbye, it had been a great trip (despite the last several hours of a nasty stomach bug, which is why there are no pictures of our last day together!)

Nick and I decided to take a couple extra days by ourselves in Hong Kong. We stayed at the Royal View Hotel for the second leg of our Hong Kong visit.

The view from our room..

The Royal View is a little closer to the airport, but also we chose to stay there because it was right on the water and overlooking the sites of the city!
Though this hotel didn't have free Wi Fi (a must for us) nor did it have the awesome breakfast buffet that the Island Pacific did...our room was huge and as I said before, came with a great view!

Nick and I were still feeling sick those last 2 days in Hong Kong. In trying to get over our food poisoning, we stayed very low key.

But, after not eating for almost 2 days, I suddenly was starving...what does this Texas girl crave most when I am most hungry (despite being completely nausious just prior)??? Tex-Mex!

Our hotel had a digital guidebook that boasted all of Hong Kong's finest foods. Coyote Bar & Grill was said to have some of the best Mexican food in Hong Kong....it might not have been the best decision after a stomach bug, but it sure was delicious!

The next day, after a long day of traveling back to Japan, Nick and I were very happy to be home in our part of Asia! As Nick posted on his facebook on our way home from the airport along with the following pic:

"After just returning from Hong Kong and China, the Tokyo skyline has never looked better!"

I couldn't agree more... Traveling is fun, but we like it here in Japan the best!

Happy New Year in HK

2012-01-13T22:22:00.000-08:00

For our "Christmas leave" this year we decided to take a trip to Hong Kong and China (And yes, those two places are VERY different!) One of our very best friends from college Kenneth Pope (aka - Pope) is a lover of traveling as well and was willing to meet us in Asia to ring in the new year!

After almost 6 months of long distance planning, (Pope in Brazil, his sister Laura - whom we had also convinced to travel with us - in the U.S., and us in Japan) we all finally met up and were very excited for our upcoming journey!

(We were able to get all of our flights connected together and met the Pope's at their layover in our airport in Narita....of course we greeted them with our favorite Japanese drink = chu-hi!!!)

After a few hours of traveling, we arrived in Hong Kong.

From the airport we took a train to our hotel. (Nick was a bit excited about his Hong Kong dollars...or what we call our "Monopoly money".)

We stayed at the Island Pacific Hotel on the island side of Hong Kong.

(Great staff. Friendly and informative, always willing to open your door, hail you a taxi or answer your question! The rooms were big for HK standards and very clean. On the map the hotel appeared to be in a good central location. After arriving we discovered that it was a little bit away from the main line of hotels, but it was for the most part centrally located by everything we wanted to see, and the cab fair was super cheap!)

Despite it being late when we arrived, we were all too excited for our reunion and wanted to continue the celebration!

A cab ride to SoHo (the district of HK that is known for it's night life) led us to an array of venues.

We walked around for a bit, taking in the scenery before deciding on a place called Infusion. The bar had indoor seating but with an open front and a large outdoor deck.

The weather in Hong Kong was a lot warmer than Japan. We enjoyed the change in weather by choosing to sit outdoors!

Best martini's I've had in a while! (the key is lots of olive juice!)

First full day in Hong Kong....of course our first stop was to head to the tailor shop to get the men suits made! HK has tailors on every corner, famed for being able to "stitch-up top quality suits, at bottom dollar prices." (The key is to go to the tailor as soon as you arrive in Hong Kong so that it will be ready before you leave! The turn-around is rather quick, yet the quality is still top notch!)

William Cheng & Son, recommended by one of Nick's co-workers. It was a little hard to find, and not highly advertised...though the tailors that are busy with customers without having to "tout" you off the street are most often better anyway! We were satisfied with their work and would highly recommend.

After the tailor shop, it was on to the city where we picked up our tickets for the New Year's Eve party we were planning to attend the following night.

While in the area, we took the opportunity to take some scenic pictures....

Yea...we like taking pictures!

Next stop...a leisurely boat ride aboard the Aqua Luna!

The view from the boat dock....

Aqua Luna is a "junk boat" that does daily cruises around Hong Kong's harbor.

"Victoria Harbour is one of the world’s most impressive natural harbours. Stunning buildings and landmarks on Hong Kong Island and Kowloon adorn both sides of the busy harbour, a variety of craft including ferries, junks, sampans, cruise ships, freighters and tankers ply the waters and at night time the illuminated buildings provide a colourful and spectacular display." (Hong Kong Extras)

Snuggling under blankets on comfortable wide cushioned benches, while sipping on a glass of wine...who wouldn't enjoy this ride? Of course, the view was spectacular as well...

After our mini cruise we needed a snack. What do they do in Hong Kong at snacktime every afternoon? High tea of course!

The tea shop we found was just what we were looking for. An excellent array of delicious teas as well as tasty treats.
That evening we had drinks at the top of the Ritz.

Located on the top floor of the hotel, Ozone is the HIGHEST bar in the WORLD!!!

It was one of the most uniquely designed drink places I've been to. We couldn't get over the intricate decor! The lights changed every few minutes from different hues of blue, yellow and red.

The ceiling was even fabulous!

"Guests can indulge themselves with signature cocktails and an exotic selection of Asian tapas while enjoying the DJ beats." (raves the website)

That's just what we did...we enjoyed our appetizers and bevies so much that we ended up canceling our dinner reservations and staying at the bar a bit longer!

"Enjoy the gentle breezes at the outdoor terrace that captures the spectacular views of the city and Victoria Harbour."

Hong Kong is known for it's nightly lazor show. What better place to witness the show than from the tallest bar in the world? Unfortunately our plans were kinda ruined by the evening's muggy skies, but the atmosphere of Ozone was so amazing that we really didn't mind.

After drinks and tapas at Ozone, we made one more quick stop before calling it a night...

A stroll and a bit of shopping at one of the famous night markets on Temple Street.

Brightly lit stalls line the street, with vendors "hawking" a variety of inexpensive items. Open from 4pm till midnight, though they say it only "really comes alive after sunset".

The next day it was off to see PANDAS!!!

(Before we even entered the park we saw little otters....of course they reminded Nick and I of our dog Beretta...she too will do any tricks for food, loves the water, and has a thick otter tail! Nick had to pull me away so we could enter the park and see the pandas....though I was having an "I miss Beretta" moment....sadly we miss her after only 24 hours away!)

Laura and I got to go up in the hot air balloon... The men opted not to wait in the long line with the rest of the little kids and their parents, but Laura and I were all too eager!

It did go quite high...

But, the real reason we visited the park was to see the Pandas!!!
I'm a sucker for those black and white cuddly bears!

Unfortunately they didn't let me inside the panda's den to play with them...(I really wanted to get my hair braided by one of them....it's all I talked about!)

Who knew there was such a thing as a red panda? (Of course, they don't look a thing like "real" pandas!)

Now, that's cute!

What better souvenir than panda coin purses?!

After the pandas we took a cab to Victoria Peak!

At 552m, Victoria Peak is the highest point on Hong Kong Island.

We skipped the tram ride (which you can opt to take for a more scenic route up to the peak) and just took the several sets of escalators to the top.

A quick Starbucks fix to tide us over till lunch! (Pope is known for his love of Starbucks...if there's one around, he's bound to make us stop for a double shot of expresso!)

We hadn't had Dim Sum yet...after researching (and using our friends' advice) we decided to indulge in our first round of Dim Sum at Maxim's Palace in City Hall.

The line was out the door and down the staircase....a "45 minute wait at the least", the hostess informed us.

But if this Dim Sum was that popular, we were definitely willing to wait around and see why!

With rumbling stomach's we were finally seated. The tables were placed strategically to allow for maximum capacity (don't go letting the firemen in there).

The food came out in cart's, rolled from table to table by little Chinese ladies. No need to order, the food just kept coming...if you wanted what was on the next cart, you'd simply tell the ladies how many. If the food looked questionable (which many of the dishes did) then you would simply wave them on to the next table.

Unbenoest to us, Dim Sum actually has a multitude of varieties. We got to try several...many were very tasty, others we opted to forgo! (Thanks Tami for the recommendation!)

A Hong Kong Wedding on the steps of City Hall...I got the attention of the bride and groom...whoops! Sorry photographer!

Walking back from lunch we went through an underground passageway that led us to the other side of the road. The passageway was lined up on either side by dozens of different groups of woman huddled on the ground playing card games! So bizarre!

Afternoon cocktails at the Mandarin Oriental was next on the agenda.

Captain's Bar just inside the hotel was the perfect setting for an afternoon drink.

Reservations at most dinner restaurants is a must. We were in HK during their busy season, so it was rather difficult for us to get a table at most places. After calling several places we finally were able to get a spot for dinner at Cuisine Cuisine.

The food was good, but the view of the city from our table was the best part. In Hong Kong, it's all about the view!

Our recommendation - the honey-glazed BBQ pork, it was so good we ordered a second plate -to split amongst the group of course ;)

In Japan this cat is called the "Maneki Neko" meaning the "beckoning cat" or the "lucky cat". It's believed to bring good luck to the owner. Not surprisingly, these ceramic cats were out on display and for sale everywhere over the New Year's weekend! Good luck and good fortune in 2012!

We asked around and were told that Red was the place to be on New Year's Eve.

Located on the terrace of IFC - Hong Kong's tallest building, and surrounded by spectacular views of the Central skyline and Victoria Harbour, it was an unforgettable NYE!

The DJ counted down as the fireworks went off around the city and the tower across the street lit up with 2012!!! HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!

This wasn't our first time counting down the New Year with the Pope's, but it was our first time doing it in Hong Kong! Such an amazing experience and wonderful trip! But, the fun wasn't over yet....

We were saying Bon Voyage to HK, but "ni hao" to China! Next stop on our trip - Yangshuo, China!

To be continued in Part 2 of the Holman/Pope Asian adventure...

Christmas in Hakuba...

2011-12-26T22:06:00.000-08:00

Or what we have deemed: "Ski Trip 2011"

This year for Christmas Nick and I decided to take advantage of the 3-day weekend (and thus 3-day break from work) and drive up to the Nagano prefecture for a white Christmas!

A white Christmas it was...

But, the trip did not start out as smoothly as we had hoped.....

This summer when all the boats were deployed, us wives do what we do best...planned for our husbands return. Being military spouses we have to be flexible because we never really know when our husbands will return, the only exception being CHRISTMAS (and even that's not always a guarantee)! Luckily here in Japan we got all of our husbands home for the holidays this year. So around July, two of my best friends and I started planning our Christmas trip early.

Being that we were so punctual and got our trip planned early, it should've gone smoothly...without a hitch right?!?!

The plan was to meet at 11am to load the van and head up to the mountains. 3 nights in Hakuba for a ski trip over Christmas weekend. We reserved the van in August, yet three days before we were supposed to leave for our trip, we got a call saying that our van was wrecked and they didn't have another one for us! (who knows why one van had been deemed "ours" over another is beyond me!) after several phone calls and a lot of complaining, we finally were told that they had ordered the parts and the vehicle "should" be fixed in time for our trip (in less than 3 days, so kinda on a time crunch)!

We all arrived at the designated time, and the van was in fact fixed...BUT...no snow chains! Did we reserve snow chains in August? YES! Did they assure us the day before that there were in fact chains with the van? YES! And were we told by our hotel that there was a big snowfall and thus mandatory that we have snow chains? ABSOLUTELY! ...However, we weren't leaving without a fight. We argued for another 30 minutes with the 4 workers at the rental shop, and as it turned out, they DID have snow chains for us! (Curious...)

After finally getting our van and chains, all we had to do was load the vehicle...which of course took an hour of trying to get it all crammed in, but around 12:30 we finally set off for our road trip!

Talking, laughing and following our I-phone navigation (Because of course we can't read the road signs due to the kanji) we accidentally took a wrong turn. A wrong turn that turned into an hour detour...no big deal, we were able to take a gorgeous scenic off-road route (a VERY narrow and curvy road) that only got us a little (more) behind schedule.

After the detour I desperately needed a bathroom break. We stopped at the first gas station we could find, killing two birds with one stone.

On our way out of the gas station parking lot we all had a laugh at Sarah's expense....the boys thought it would be funny to pull the car around the building so she couldn't see us when she came back from the rest room. She of course wasn't fazed in the least and found us immediately. Then after getting in the car, she decided to get back out and go purchase a water bottle. Sarah didn't tell anyone besides me and her husband (who were both in the back of the van) that she was doing so, and therefore Kevin (the driver) started to drive away without her. I quickly yelled, "Sarah's not in the car....go back!" he thought I was joking of course and kept driving. I wasn't and therefore he had to pull over in the middle of the road so she could run and catch up!

...Laughing after the situation we started to discuss what game we should play for the remainder of the road trip. We only had a little under 40 minutes left of the drive and we were all getting really excited.... All of a sudden Kevin goes, "something's wrong! To which Nick replies "are you doing that or ... say, what kind of gas did we put in the van?" We then pulled over at the first available place...by some miracle we were literally right next to a Nissan dealership and our Rental van was a Nissan!!!! We parked and thought no big deal, we'll ask them if we accidentally got diesel!

The guys went inside to ask...showing the Japanese worker our receipt so he could read the Kanji for us and determine if we had in fact made a mistake. (As you can see it took several Japanese workers...all were shaking their heads at us and doing the teeth sucking noise that they all do whenever something isn't ok!!!)

The problem was, we might live in Japan, but for the most part we all get our gas on our American base (where everything is written in English). Because we were hours from our base, we had to get gas at a Japanese gas station. Normally one of the eager Japanese station workers will hurriedly (because that's how they do everything) run out to your car and help/fill up your tank for you. This particular incident however was different. We did not get any help and therefore made a guess as to which was the gas based on the price....BIG MISTAKE!!!!!

The Nissan worker read our receipt and informed us that we had in fact filled our tank with diesel instead of gas! Despite our blunder and the language barrier, we were still hopeful that we could easily resolve our situation and be on our way shortly....however, that's not what happened!

The men (Nick, Kevin and Johnny...not the Nissan workers) decided that they could siphon the gas themselves (of course the Nissan workers were all shaking their heads at us and knew better than we did, but for the moment, we were doing what we thought was best!).

We tried leaving the Nissan dealership and going back to the gas station so we could purchase a siphon and get GAS, but by this point, the car would no longer start. Tami and the guys walked back to the station on foot to get the things we needed while Sarah and I stayed with the van.

Upon returning we discovered that the siphon (which we had just purchased) was not long enough and therefore would not work. One of the guys spotted a rubber hose attached to the Nissan building and cut it with a pocket knife, attempting to make our own siphon (without asking)...that also failed to work.

At this point we were starting to realize that this wasn't going to be an easy fix! We all began to discuss what we would do if we couldn't get the car to work in the next few hours. After calling our hotel, the car rental place (to notify them of our blunder) and a few of our friends who were already in Hakuba, we decided to go back inside the Nissan office and see what our options were.

Luckily Tami has several friends from work who can speak fluent English and Japanese. Using her friend as a translator via cell phone, we were able to communicate with the Nissan worker what we should do. He informed us (or rather Tami's friend, who told Tami, who told us) that they were going to have to remove the gas tank from the car, then once removed empty out the diesel and then assess the damage.

Side note...it was a Japanese Holiday and therefore the dealership was supposed to be closing about 15 minutes after we arrived. However, they stayed open for us. (A Christmas miracle)

We were told that if the damage wasn't bad (meaning the diesel hadn't gone too far into the system, thus completely wrecking the car) then we could be on our way in about 3 hours!

3 hours was worth the wait if we could leave there with our van and loot! At that point, we didn't really have any other options. We waited (the girls in the lobby and the boys outside watching the action) and after less than 2 hours, our car was diesel free and running!

(The workers brought us coffee! As if we hadn't in-convenienced them enough!)

Delighted we were ready to pay the bill and get out of there! However, by then, the Nissan workers all thought we were a bunch of idiots and weren't letting us leave without a full tank of gas. One of the workers actually got in the van and drove with the men to the gas station to help them fill it up...just to make sure we didn't get diesel AGAIN! Ha Ha!

On top of that, they all tried their best to tell us (again, the language barrier) that we needed snow chains. As I said in the begining, we made sure we had them, but the Nissan workers didn't feel we were compitant to put them on ourselves, and thus refused to let us leave without putting them on for us! (Nick's an engineer and all three men are pilots, they most certainly could put the chains on themselves. But, if the Japanese workers were willing to put them on, we weren't saying no!)

With gas in the van and snow chains in place, we gave the gracioius workers a big bag of American snacks (and booze) and proceeded a bowing war as we finally were able to drive away with a working vehicle around 7:30pm!

All that was BEFORE we even got to the mountains....

Less than 40 minutes later we arrived at our lodge and were more than ready to unload the van and not go any where near the vehicle until our Monday departure.

We stayed at a quaint little B&B, the Blue Dragon...cozy rooms and in a great location. Owned by an Australian couple, so the language barrier wasn't an issue. (Always a good thing)

Then it was on to food at one of our favorites from last year, Uncle Steven's, a mexican restaurant.

Yummy food with English speaking staff and menus. Ole!

After the day we'd had, a stop at one of the local pubs was a must...

The eversocute - Cherry Pub, fit the bill nicely!

Day 1 at the slopes:

From last year's experience we decided to hit up Hakuba 47 for our first day of skiing/boarding.

We were all smiles and ready for some fun in the snow!

Sarah and Johnny!

Kevin and Tami!

It was a gorgeous day for skiing and snowboarding! (The guys and Sarah boarded, Tam and I ski-ed) Perfect 1st day!

Sarah and I aren't as good as the rest of the group...we needed a little "liquid courage" to start us off...after that, we were all "pros" on the snow!

Love that sight!

That night we dined at another of our favs from last year...Mon Pigeon's!
Mon Pigeon's is a bakery in the Echo Land area that serves THICK (in Japan the pizza is thinner than a tortilla) and delicious pizza!

The atmosphere is cozy too. Two adorable golden retrievers sleep at your feet while you dine, the ladies who work there are super sweet and the Christmas decorations are a-clutter! Perfect for our Christmas Eve meal!

(One of the menus...their hand-made and each one differently designed in some adorable Christmas scene!)

After our stomach's were full of pizza we took a stroll in the snow back to our hotel....

Walking in a winter wonderland!

Day 2 at the slopes:

We went to Hakuba 47 again. (47 connects to another lift, Goryu. The day before we ski-ed more of Goryu and wanted to do more runs on 47...so we went back to 47! It's a good area!)

MERRY CHRISTMAS in Japan!!!!

Another Beautiful day...Christmas Day! A perfect White Christmas!

Such a fun group!!!

Christmas Night...cocktails before dinner at our B&B

We had dinner at The Lab, a ski lodge near our B&B which is also run by Aussies.

We met several of our 51 friends (Nick's squadron) there for a "family-style" Christmas dinner.
The meal started out with a Japanese appetizer...
...followed by a more traditional American entree. Only in Japan would we eat sushi AND turkey and dressing for Christmas dinner! And for dessert...well, English pudding of course!?!

The atmosphere at The Lab was definitely merry on Christmas! The boys enjoyed a game of "who can drink their beer faster"....

So naturally, the girls were made to do the same thing!

See how that went down....

It was a great Christmas with amazing friends!

The day after Christmas it was time to load up the loathed van again.

As you can see, the boys had a "bit" of snow to dust off of it first! ;)

On our way home we passed by the Nissan dealership where we had our now infamous ordeal. (We were all certain it didn't really exhist and was really a bunch of Christmas Angels or elves who fixed our van!)

The trip wouldn't have been complete without one more minor scare.... While Tami and I took our turn at the front of the van (Tam at the wheel), Kevin again noticed something wasn't right. This time it was our gear...it had all shifted during the drive and was hanging off the side of our roof, about to come untied! Ooops!

After putting on the emergency blinkers, we slowed down until we could pull into a rest stop (there are no shoulders on most roads in Japan). A quick fix, but it could have ended badly had we not noticed it in time! WHEW!
It was a great trip, despite the miss-haps in the begining. And besides, those things only make for a good story later, right?!?

Hey! Did you know that you CAN'T put Diesel in a van????!!!

Fuji and feasting in the Fall

2011-12-16T01:52:00.000-08:00

Though it's December, the Autumn leaves are still hanging from the trees. I am in love with this sight...my absolute favorite thing about Japan...the AMAZING colors of the fall leaves! (Of course, due to the evacuation last year I did not get to witness the famous cherry blossoms, so when this year I finally get to experience them, I might just change my mind and make them my favorite!)

Picture taken just yesterday during a run with Beretta in the park by our house

With all the gorgeous leaves and beautiful sunshine still popping it's head out, it wasn't hard for Nick and I to train for the 27k we signed up for. The race, which took place 3 weeks ago, was the farthest Nick and I had ever ran. Almost 17 miles altogether, it was a big accomplishment for the both of us. (We have each ran a couple 1/2 marathons, which are 13.2 miles...this race however was stepping up our milage just a bit!)

The race setting was around Lake Kawaguchi, which is near Mt. Fuji. We knew running around a lake in November, next to Fuji would be beautiful...but we didn't expect to get such gorgeous weather in late Autumn.

We were extremely lucky and had an exceptionally clear day, meaning we had the best view of Fuji we could have ever hoped for! In the year and a half we have been here I have never seen Fuji as beautiful as it was that day! (Not so sunny that it was hot, but yet not cloudy, thus blocking our view like many days before and after the race!)

It was motivation to keep running... which Nick and I did, holding hands as we crossed the finish line.

It was our first race in Japan, so we didn't know what to expect...but just like races in the States, there were all the crazy running enthusiasts dressed up in costume.

A few of our friends also ran the race, and we all decided to drive up to Fuji a day early and spend the night.

We stayed at a quaint little Bed and Breakfast near the lake. The B&B was called "Dog Land Someday" and like the title implies, welcomed all dogs.

The owner was disappointed that we didn't bring Beretta...they even had her a name card made at the table in case we had decided to bring her.

(With us running the following day for several hours, we didn't feel right about leaving her there all that time, despite the owner being totally ok with it!) Everything was doggy-themed...everything! As dog lovers ourselves this was perfectly fine! Our door handle to our room was even in the shape of a dog's tail!

With pooches at our feet, we all enjoyed a delightful feast the night before the race....one more perk to staying at the B&B...the owner's wife was a fabulous cook!

The race was the Sunday of Thanksgiving weekend...which means that Thursday on thanksgiving, we didn't feel bad about eating too much turkey and dressing! We did just that, feasting on every kind of meat, side and dessert at the fabulous New Sanno in Tokyo!

There were 10 (9 adults, one baby) of us who all met up in Tokyo to celebrate our American holiday away from home! The New Sanno is a military hotel on the outskirts of Tokyo. They host several dinners a year for various occasions and holidays. Last year the men were all deployed, so a few of us girls decided instead of being depressed about missing our hubbies, we would forgo the holiday cooking and make a reservation at the New Sanno instead. It was so tasty that we opted to do it again this year! Skipping the hassle of cooking and dishes....yes please!?! (Especially since we don't have dishwashers here!!!)

It was yet again a wonderful Thanksgiving...followed by a long run to burn off those extra calories!

Sumo Sumo

2011-12-14T18:32:00.000-08:00

Sumo season actually came and went...but as how life goes here in Japan....all these months later, I just now have the time to post about it!

At the end of the summer Nick and I got to witness our first sumo match! On September 11, when most Americans were remembering the somber day in our history, we were watching sweaty Japanese men wrestle.

We went with two other couples and spent the afternoon watching an entire sumo tournament! (That's alot of sumo!!!)

We stopped to grab a bite to eat just before the tournament, and sat next to two wrestlers doing the same thing (only they were beefing up for their upcoming event and we just wanted a snack and a beer).

Like at any other sporting event, be it in the States or Japan, there was a mascot dancing around and getting attention. (We skipped the line of fans waiting to get a photo, and opted for the side shot instead!)

Once inside the arena, we had to find our seats. We upgraded for the more expensive "box seats" instead of sitting in the nose-bleed section. They were in fact, "box seats"...the 6 of us were squished into 2 small boxes, sitting cross-legged on floor pillows! (These boxes were meant for 4 Japanese people, but we were told that it was too small for us Americans and that we out to not stick more than 3 people in each....which is what we did, and yet, it was still a bit cramped!)

Nick of course, did his research and was informing us of what and why was going on, like a commentator giving play by play...because the actual commentator was of course speaking in Japanese!

Due to his notes (and Wikipedia), I can inform you that:

Sumo originated in Japan, and it is the only country where it is practiced professionally.

The wrestling ring where the sumo match takes place is called a dohyo (accent over the o). A new dohyo is built for each tournament.

After mounting the dohyo, the wresters perform many rituals...

Facing the audience, each wrestler will clap his hands and then do a leg-stomping "shiko" exercise which is supposed to, "drive evil spirits from the dohyo". Shiko is "the sumo exercise where each leg in succession is lifted as high and as straight as possible, and then brought down to stomp on the ground with considerable force".

It was crazy to see these huge men who appear overweight and immobile, lifting their giant legs up with ease!!!

Then the wrestlers will step out of the ring and into their separate corners, where they will each be given a ladleful of water. (The water is called "chikara-mizu," meaning "power water.") With the chikara-mizu the wrestler will rinse out his mouth, then use a paper tissue (called "chikara-gami" or the "power paper") to dry his lips.

After this ritual, the wrestlers will step back into the ring, squat facing each other, clap their hands, then spread them wide...this is traditionally done to show they don't have any weapons! (thank goodness, or it could've gotten bloody!!!)

The men then return to their corners, pick up a handful of salt and toss it into the ring to purify it. (Yep, it's a lot of back and forth! Like I said, many rituals...that's the way of the Japanese!)

The object of sumo is to get one's opponent to step out of the ring, or to force him to touch the ground with any part of his body other than the bottom of his feet.

Each tournament begins on a Sunday and runs for 15 days, ending on a Sunday. We were there on the final Sunday.

Each day of the tournament is structured so the highest-ranked contestants compete at the end of the day.

Traditionally on the last day of the tournament (called "senshuraku") the final matchup is between the top two ranked wrestlers. The Emperor's Cup is presented to the wrestler who wins the top division championship.

Not surprisingly, this match was by far the most interesting to watch!

The Grand Champion wears the Yokozuna belt ("Yokozuna" literally means "horizontal rope") which is a white rope and ceremonial apron weighing 30 kg (66pds)!

The entire event was fascinating....very different from the sporting events we are used to in the States. Definitely something we wanted to experience once...though seeing it again is most likely not in our future!

One more cultural experience checked of the Holman's "to do while in Japan" list!

Guam Getaway

2011-11-17T04:26:00.000-08:00

Guam was on my list of places to visit while living overseas. Just a 3 hour flight away, I really had no excuse for not traveling there. So, when Nick informed me that he was to pull into port in Guam in October, I jumped at the chance. (Literally booked my flight 3 days before leaving)

I flew there with another spouse from Nick's squadron and her two young girls (our husbands were on the same boat and due to arrive together). It was nice having a travel buddy (or 3)...there are never any guarantees with the military...we have to always be prepared in case the ship doesn't pull in, and we don't get to see our spouses. That being said, having a travel buddy is all the more imperative, someone to hang out with, in the event that the unexpected happens! Also, our hubbies were only going to be in port 2 days, but we most definitely wanted to enjoy the island longer than that!

There are two military bases in Guam. We stayed the first few nights at a friends house on Anderson Air Force Base. It is so beautiful! I got up every morning and went for a run, just to smell the ocean and take in all the lush greenery that inhabits ALL of Guam, the base being no exception.

We enjoyed the beautiful beaches and yummy food while waiting on the ship's arrival.

I loved how clear the water was...and so warm, seriously felt like bath water!

The boat did in fact pull in and Nick and I got 45 precious hours together! Such a sweet reunion!

We stayed at the Pacific Islands Club, right on the water.

The hotel was very family oriented, and though we don't have kids, we enjoyed the awesome water park that was connected.

Nick and I, about to go down one of the slides...like water Amusement park slides, not local pool slides...very fun!

Dinner for two at Al Dente in the Hyatt...delicious Italian cuisine.

Our last night in Guam we met up with one of our good friends Sam (another Navy pilot whom we've known since our early days of flight school in Pensacola).

This is the view from Sam's house. Can't complain about waking up to that every morning!

We ate at one of Sam's local favorites....Caliente! (Sam's from Texas as well, we like our Mexican food different than other parts of the US, this restaurant didn't disappoint and made me feel closer to home!)

It was a short trip and even shorter time with Nick, but a few days of sunshine by the sea made this beach girl very happy! A repeat is hopefully in my near future!

Hello Holman, Hello Fall

2011-11-05T18:31:00.001-07:00

My favorite time of year is here and thankfully, so is my husband. Nick has been home about a week now, and the crisp breeze of fall has as well!

After a long year of deployments, Nick is home to stay (at least we hope) for a while.

Home just in time for Halloween, we decided to take my Japanese students trick-or-treating together. Of course normally when I meet my students it is at their house or mine, to learn English (and even when I teach at home, Nick is always deployed or at work). But, they always ask me about my "otto" (husband), and were super excited to finally get to meet him.

Halloween is an American holiday (if you can even call it that), one that is not traditionally celebrated in Japan. Of course many Japanese try to adopt some of our Western traditions, and therefore it isn't uncommon to see a bit of Halloween decorations in a few of the stores. One of my students even had her house decorated for Halloween/Fall (though the Japanese are minimalists so her decorations were very spare, albeit adorable!)

Considering Halloween isn't a Japanese holiday, the children here don't trick-or-treat on October 31st like in the US...but of course we have our American base here, with hundreds of families who's kids shouldn't have to miss out on an American past-time just because they live overseas. Therefore, every year our base puts on a big trick-or-treating event.

My friend dressed up as Anpanman....my favorite Japanese character (he's like the Mickey Mouse of Japan)...she made the costume herself, very impressive!

The event is "open base" which means non-military are allowed on base, as long as they are with a "sponsor". In other words, I was allowed to take my Japanese students on base with me, so they could go trick-or-treating with the American children.

Though it wasn't their first time (they went last year with the girl who taught them before me), my students enjoyed dressing up in costume and getting candy....Two little witches, Mini Mouse, and Rapunzel!

I've always loved Halloween myself....it was fun to show my students how we celebrate Halloween in the States and finally introduce them to Nick. (Being girls, they all thought he was "hannndsome" and were very shy with him....super cute!)

Happy Fall and Happy Homecoming!

A year in our rearview and a visit of 2!

2011-09-19T03:49:00.000-07:00

So...I started this blog post over a month ago...literally. But, as things go here in Japan, time slipped away from me and I am just now getting it posted.

Nick and my Japanniversary (1 year Anniversary of living in Japan) came and went, as did several months in the mean time. (We are now closer to our year and a half mark, but who's counting)

In between deployments this summer, Nick and I went to many festivals and tried our best to take advantage of living in Japan by seeing and doing something different every weekend. (Of course I did those things without him when he was gone, but I don't like to brag about it too much cause it makes him jealous!)

Then, just in time for Nick's birthday we were graced with two visitors! (We LOVE visitors....helps us feel a little closer to home AND we get to show off all that we think is special about Japan and our little world here!)

My Aunt Sharon and Uncle Pat! So glad they got to visit!

Uncle Pat and Aunt Sharon have been to Japan many times before...meaning, they've seen and done almost everything there is to do in our parts...so Nick and I made it our goal to create an itinerary for their visit that was full of things they've yet to experience!

Of course we showed them around the squadron...touring the hanger where all the helos are that Nick flies.

And took a picture with the famous MacArthur statue for Grandpa.

My aunt got to do some shopping at Ichiban Collectibles, the store I work at on base, and we all had a cocktail at the Atsugi Officers' Club, the "last remaining naval aviation Officers Club in the WESTPAC"....now that's something non-military tourists (or those with without military family) don't get to do on their trip to Japan!

Not only was Nick actually home from Deployment; (with such an up and down schedule, we simply never know when or where he'll be. Our family's visit was just days from Nick deploying again....absolutely lucky timing!!!) his birthday fell right in the middle of my aunt and uncle's visit.

We went to a fabulous restaurant in Shibuya for Nick's birthday dinner. Kozue, located in the same building as the famous bar from Lost in Translation, on the
48th floor of the Park Hyatt Tokyo.

Female Japanese dressed up in traditional kimono served us 8 different courses, each arranged and presented in a way that was picture-worthy. The food kept coming and though it's rare in Japan, we were too full to finish our meal! Oishi!
A day trip to Kamakura led us to a tasty tempura restaurant, Tempura Hiromi. (Aunt Sharon's not a big fan of raw fish, but had requested to eat tempura during her visit....lucky for her we stumbled upon a really yummy place! Thanks to Mari for her helpful guidebook with suggestions.)

Happy over her tempura!

Wall of sake barrels...

Though we had planned on getting to experience the "Annual Archery Festival" in Kamakura, we accidentally missed it by a day, but instead were pleasantly surprised to get to witness a traditional Japanese wedding ceremony! It was a first for all of us!

Not one to do too little in one day, we hopped over to Enoshima Island afterwards. (So much to see, so little time!)

My aunt's seen her fair share of beaches, but was excited to get to stick her toes in the waters of Japan.

On their last full day in Japan, Nick and my uncle took a 4+hour train ride to Motegi to see the Indy Japan Final. My uncle is a HUGE car fan; (He's worked for Toyota for decades, owns his own dealership, and has a car collection worthy of envy...if that says anything) so when Nick found out a guy in our squadron had a few free tickets to the races, it was too perfect of an opportunity to let pass by. Not to mention, this was the FINAL race in Japan....ever!

Over sea of Japanese heads was the American Flag...how ironic

It's not a true Japanese performance without taiko drums!

Of course Nick had to take a photo of the helicopter...

I'm not much of a car race fan myself, but Nick and my uncle had a blast. Meanwhile Aunt Sharon and I did a little shopping. On top of getting to spend some yen at the Yamato Shrine Sale, (It only happens one day a month, so we were lucky it fell during her visit) we took a train ride up to Machida so my aunt could see (and shop at) the largest 100 yen store in Japan!

Just before flying out, we had lunch in Yokohama in one of the Sky Towers overlooking the city. After two weeks of touring Asia (plus they still had another week in Hong Kong after Japan) and eating nothing but Asian food, my aunt was craving Mexican...I warned her Japan-Mex was VERY different than the Tex-Mex she was used to...but for Mexican food made by Japanese, El Torito is pretty good.

After only a few days visit, we had to say to goodbye...which is always sad. With an extra hug for my mom, (Sharon's my mom's sister) we sent them on their way.

Saying goodbye is a re-occurring theme in Japan. Two days later, I had to say goodbye to Nick as well...off on another deployment (8th since we moved here). But no worries, because goodbye's always mean there'll be a hello again soon! I just got to see Nick in Guam and hopefully we will have more visitors come out here for another "hello" in the near future!

Until the next visitor arrives...

Man oh Mahi!

2011-09-08T18:35:00.000-07:00

Who doesn't love beating the sun up early on a Saturday morning, driving along the winding roads of the coast, and getting to the ocean just in time to see the sun rise? Yes, even in Japan we get to enjoy such simple pleasures of life.

Of course, we did this just so we could catch fish...and boy oh boy did we catch some fish!

As soon as the sun popped it's glorious amber head out of the sky, we loaded the boat with all our fishing gear and set sail to find a spot where the fish were plentiful.

Our boat driver and crew were all Japanese men, every one of them had a passion for fishing and sun-tanned skin from years out on the water! (Some things never change no matter what part of the world you are in)

Riding in the boat, while the driver looked for the "perfect spot" one couldn't help but feel peaceful. Nick asked, "Brittany why are you being so quiet?" as I sat on the bench of the boat staring out at the shimmering reflections the rising sun was making on the water. With the sea gulls flying overhead and the salty spray of the ocean lightly misting my skin, I was simply enjoying the peacefulness of the ocean, something Nick might get to do often (whether he wants to or not) but that I rarely do.

Just being on the water, completely engulfed by the heavenly smell of the ocean, all the while riding over gentle waves...somehow magical!

The crew didn't steer us wrong, in fact, they found such a great spot for fishing that everyone on board caught more than their fair share....after a couple of hours of the fish literally fighting for our bait, we all started to throw our catch back out into the water. (I didn't feel right about this....why hurt those fish if you weren't going to use them for food? At least let them swim merrily instead of putting them through the torture of being hooked and then thrown overboard! Oh well, such is the sport of fishing for some I guess.)

The fish that were biting that day was Mahi Mahi! These big fish were seen swimming in dozens all around the boat in shimmering shades of neon blue, green and yellow! They were stunning to watch swish through the water, yet powerfully strong and stubborn when attempting to reel them in. (And yes, though many have doubted me, I did in fact reel in my own fish....despite the tough workout that it gave my arms and back!)

I have been fishing since I was a little girl. My favorite childhood memories are spending the summers at my grandparents home out on the lake in Texas. I can distinctly remember my grandfather gathering all his fishing gear and going out to the edge of their dock to catch us some yummy fish for dinner. The entire event fascinated me...."PaPa, what's this?....Why do you do that?....What kind of fish are those?....What do we do with them now?" Most of the time I would just help him gather the bait and then watch as he fished, cleaned and prepared the fish for my grandmother to cook. Nonetheless, every time I have been fishing no matter where I am, I am reminded of those times with my grandfather as a child and it makes me happy.

This day was a "Big Catch" for the Holmans, Nick and I lost count after catching 5 a piece....but in the end, we took only 8 home. (Even with giving part of that away to our friends and my students, our freezer is stocked full of enough fish for a year!)

That night when we finally got home, after slicing all the fish and scrubbing ourselves clean of fish scales, we had a Mahi Mahi feast. Man oh Mahi, it was delicious!

We had grilled Mahi Mahi with mango and coconut rice, rosemary and olive oil new potatoes, fresh baked garlic bread as well as Mahi Mahi battered in Panko bread crumbs (the stuff the Japanese use to make shrimp tempura) stuffed into corn tortillias with shredded cabbage, peach salsa, black beans, cheese and lime! A la Mahi Mahi steak and Mahi Mahi fish tacos! Oishii! (Delicious)

Nothing beats a day out on the water and a feast of the afternoon's catch!

Nick and I have always loved fish, but living in Japan somehow makes us love fish even more....maybe we are becoming more like the Japanese, for we could eat fish and rice almost every day!

Hyakumanto Festival

2011-08-24T06:28:00.000-07:00

Nick got home from his IA during the height of Bon season. We took advantage of a free weekend to take another base MWR tour to a festival in Kawagoe.

"Come with us to Kawagoe City and admire the radiance of the lanterns and revel in the celebration of the 'Million Lantern Festival'"

A few of our friends went with us and we decided to make it more fun by dressing up like the Japanese in traditional summer yukata's.

Though intimidating at first, yukatas aren't that hard to put on yourself (with the help of you-tube and a friend, of course!) The tour bus ride was almost two hours long- too long to sit all tied up in our yukatas- but as we got closer to our final destination we all attempted to change in the back of the bus.

The girls and I making our obi's (belts) look straighter...getting ready on a moving bus is hard!

The boys got a little impatient with us...of course their Japanese get-ups were a little less complicated!!!

First we visited the Kitain Temple...

"Kitain is a head temple of Tendaishu Buddhist sect in Kanto District. It was built in 830. Tenkai Dojo, who came to Kitain as an archbishop during the late 16th century, made it famous and thriving."

"Tenkai earned the trust of Tokugawa leyasu who visited Kawagoe for hunting in 1611. The fire in 1638 destroyed the temple. Only the main gate escaped the fire. Lemitsu, the third Tokugawa Shogun ordered reconstruction of the temple. He answered the wish of Tenkai who wanted to move part of the buildings of Edo Castle to Kitain. This eventuated in the only one remaining structure of the original Edo Castle."

We got lots of..."Can we take a picture with you?"
Or..."Can we take-e your-a pic-a-ture?"

On site is the historically popular Gohyaku-rakan (500 statues of Rakan).

"There are actually 540 stone statues that are arrange in a part of Kitain. Rakan translated literally means 500 disciples of Buddha. The statues on an average are not so tall, but have a variety of postures (standing, sitting and lying) and display several emotions (happiness, sadness, and anger)."

After touring the temple, we made our way over to the famous streets of Kawagoe where the Hyakumanto Festival was to take place.

Thee streets of Kawagoe are famous for their preservation of the old castle town of the Edo period...the Edo period is the time during Japanese history when the shoguns ruled from 1603 to 1868. The picture below is of the Toki-no-Kane (bell tower), one of the prominent sites. The bell tower serves as the symbol for Koedo and rings four times a day. Originally built over 400 years ago, it has burnt down and been rebuilt several times.

"Since the Edo castle and it's surrounding area lost almost all historical properties in the devastating earthquake in 1923 and the bombings in WWII, the cultural properties of Kawagoe which had a close relation with Edo, have become extremely valuable to recall the culture of old."

Kashiya-yokocho, or "Candy Street," is where the festival took place. A busy street lined with sweet shops and vendors selling all kinds of sweet potato flavored goodies (among other things). Kawagoe is famous for its sweet potatoes...sweet potato ice cream, sweet potato coffee, and even sweet potato beer! (We tried the ice cream....it was ok, but wouldn't be my first choice of flavor)

Parades, lanterns, a large procession with portable shrines, lanterns, music, lanterns....

And at the end, a big drum competition....to see which group of drummers could out-play the others?!

Keeping the "old" alive is very important to the Japanese....they hold their ancient history very dear. Coming from America, a country so much younger than Japan, I am fascinated by Japan's rich cultural history. I love America, but am continually intrigued by Japan.

Bon Season

2011-08-15T07:09:00.000-07:00

= Happy Summer!

The summer heat is here (in full force) and with it all the summer festivals! Even though the summers in our part of Japan are pretty hot and miserable, the festivals and activities that take place during this season are enough to make me love summer here anyway.

With summer comes Bon Season! That means music and dancing, street vendors and yummy treats, lanterns lining the streets and the aroma of incense filling the air! Oh, how I love it!

Obon is officially celebrated from August 13-15th, but like Christmas in the States, the Japanese celebrate for nearly 2 months.

This past week, one of my English students told me all about “Obon Celebration” as she calls it. (This particular student meets with me once a month and makes it a priority to have a mini lesson with me – ironic I know – during her 2 hour English lesson, to discuss Japan traditions and holidays. Considering there is a Japanese holiday almost every month, there is always something to learn from her!)

Obon is a very important time of year for the Japanese, it’s when they celebrate their loved ones who have died. Traditionally they go to the shrines where their deceased’s graves are on the evening of the 13^th, carrying lanterns to wake the dead. Once at the shrine, they “get” the spirits of their family members and bring them home with them. For the next 3 days they celebrate, preparing food and serving it to the spirits.

On the 15^th, they end the celebration by sending the “spirit” down the river…thus telling it to go and be free until next year…this is done by making a little alter-like contraption with candles and flowers, food, what-not and sending it down the river. (My student told me that in the more recent years, they have been told that this litters the water and therefore they now just burn the alter.)

Part of the Oban celebration is the Awa Dance Festival, held every year during the days (months actually) of Oban. Awa Odori dancers parade the streets dancing choreographed moves and chanting to the beat of the taiko drums! Very entertaining...attracting over 1.3 million tourists a year!

Bon Odori dancers also dance during the Awa festivals. Bon Odori, meaning simply Bon dance, is easier movements than Awa dances. (Awa Odori means “fool’s dance” due to it’s technical choreography and rigorous practice schedules - so as to perform perfectly) This fool would’ve done Awa had I had the time to make all the practices, instead I performed the Bon Odori dances again with several other fellow Americans from Atsugi base.

Ouch! Check out the shoes (geta) that the Awa dancers have to wear! No thank you!

Bumpada bum padabum goes the Taiko Drums...

Beretta watched the drums carefully, very carefully...she wanted to make sure that loud noise was safe! (She actually barked at them when they started playing...wasn't a fan)

For one of the festivals, my friend Tami and I decided not to dance and instead dress up in our own yukatas. She had found mini dog yukatas for the pups (they love to dress up their dogs here!) so we brought them along as well. Of course the Japanese loved this...the dogs were a hit...everyone wanted to pet them, take their photos and kept telling us over and over - "kawaii" (cute)!....The lady in the picture with us is who watches our dogs at our base kennel! She loves Beretta and Bella....she says they are "best friends"! Ha! They were excited to see her too! As dog moms, Tami and I love the fact that we can leave to go see our hubbies in port and know our dogs are in good hands! Thank you Masako!

The Bon Odori songs differ depending on what region you live in. But during our weekly Bon practices we learn many dances from multiple regions (18 in all I think). Then dance at 3 separate festivals, showing off our red, white and blue yukatas (summer kimonos) as well as our dance moves.

Bon season is officially over...sad ;( but then again, there's always next year! Come visit us during July or August and you too can take part in the Japanese's summer celebrations! Sugoi! (Awesome!!!!)

Time Down Under

2011-08-06T21:24:00.000-07:00

Nick recently got back from an IA (Individual Assignment) in Australia. (Whoohoo for the hubby being home!)

His time in the "Land Down Under" was brief, but he came home full of Aussie lingo and information. In the days that have followed his homecoming, Nick has shared many tidbits (as well as treats) from his time in Australia, I wanted to share them on our blog as well.

Nick is gone A LOT and he goes A LOT of places, but sadly, more often than not his time away is not documented! (Let me just be honest that it is hard to keep up with the blog, documenting everything we have done over here...we are always busy and most of the time are separated, making it that much harder!)

Gomenasai (I apologize)...I am trying to be better.

Nick's IA was in Australia at Camp Growl - Shoalwater Bay Training Area, north of Rockhampton. He was there for a joint exercise called Talisman Sabre or Saber (both are used) between the US and Aussie military. (For more info on the exercise click on one the following links: Exercise Talisman Saber and Talisman Sabre)

Nick slept in a sleeping bag on top of a cot, inside a tent...it was freezing at night and as you can tell from the picture, it got so cold that they would sleep fully zipped into their sleeping bags (covering their heads like in a cocoon).

Where they took a shower...basically a bucket bath...a small bag filled with water and hoisted up, but not enough to stand straight up, therefore one had to hunch over while trying to shower before the bucket's water was gone (only about 3 minutes)!

For the guy who doesn't do his own laundry....Nick had to wash all of his clothes by hand...using shampoo no less!

Nick with Captain Kendall Crocker (one of the Australians Nick befriended while at the camp), in front of the Australian Army's blackhawk.

Kangaroos...

Ginger Beer...the real thing...brewed in Bundaberg, a town not far from where Nick camped. The exercise was "dry", therefore this ginger beer was "refreshing" as Nick put it, after a day's work!
Marbled Frogmouth...a nocturnal bird, native to Australia, that Nick happened upon...

Nick got a laugh out of scaring me with legends of deathly animals that habitat Australia's woods. I didn't think it very funny, considering all that was protecting him from those wild animals was a tent!!! (Ever heard of a Drop Bear???)

More roos...

I asked Nick for one thing - pics of those big Australian rats - maybe one day I will get to see them in person as well

More of Nick's buddies at Camp Growl...

Notice anything different about this Burger King sign???

Roos everywhere, even fake ones in the park!

Four X Ale House, the Beer Brewery Nick took a tour of while in Brisbane..during his layover.

And we thought gas was steep in Japan!

Chill, the hostel Nick stayed in while in Brisbane.

Tim Tam's....chocolate cookie-like bars that Nick brought back from Australia. Super yummy! In Australia, they create what is called the "Tim Tam Slam" which is where you bite both ends of the biscuit off, plunge one end into a cup of coffee, suck the hot gooeyness from the other side, then quickly shove the rest of the molten goodness into your mouth and enjoy! (Nick's wording, not mine)

Nick also brought back - Vegemite...made from used brewers' yeast extract, a by-product of beer manufacturing (as well as various veggies and spice additives). The Australians love this stuff, it's used like jam, to spread on bread and such.

The only other thing I asked Nick to bring back was a boomerang...one can't go to Australia without getting a boomerang! This one Nick liked because it was more authentic than most he saw...hand-painted, complete with the makers signature.

Australia was #1 on Nick and my list of places to visit while living overseas....now at least one of us has been there (I am putting aside my bitter face, in hopes that one day I too will get to visit the Land Down Under!)

Nick enjoyed his time Down Under, but we are both glad he's home...

Until his next adventure, we are here and enjoying Japan!

Beretta's always good for a laugh...

2011-07-30T20:38:00.000-07:00

While sitting in our living room, checking emails and what not...our Apple TV was on in the background, scrolling through generic photos of animals. Apparently Beretta didn't like them. She's not too keen on other animals showing up in our house unannounced...the lions on the screen were just too much for her! We, however thought it was hilarious!!!

Thank you Beretta for continuously entertaining us...

See a Cherry, pick it up!

2011-07-20T02:08:00.000-07:00

Before Nick deployed we went on an MWR tour, where we went cherry picking, made washi paper and toured a winery. MWR (Morale, Welfare and Recreation) is a program on base that provides recreation, fitness, and leisure - such as the tour we went on - to service members and their families. (More info on their website....which ironically enough, Nick and I are the cover photo for at the moment = https://www.cnic.navy.mil/Atsugi/FleetAndFamilyReadiness/index.htm)

Cherry picking was first on the tour...

We walked through a cherry farm, picking and eating as many cherries as we could for 30 minutes....Nick LOVED this, and was determined to make himself sick off cherries, stuffing himself with as much as he could in the timeframe! (which he did!)

The cherry farm was in Shirane, located in the Yamanashi Prefecture, and is one of the rare places in the Kanto Plain where cherry picking is available. Otherwise, cherries (as well as most fruits) are very expensive in Japan!

The cherries weren't as red as the ones seen in the grocery stores, nor were they as sweet....but they were still tasty!
Due to the amount of people who walk through the rows upon rows of cherry trees, picking and eating the tree's contents, the lower branches didn't have much left to offer. Luckily Nick and I are taller than most Japanese people, so we had an advantage....but then Nick had the idea to hoist me on his shoulders so we would could reach even higher (like I said, he really wanted to get his money's worth).

The things I do for my husband....

Next stop on the tour - washi making...

In the Nakatomi Japananese Paper Village, Nick and I learned how to make washi paper.

"Nakatomi is famous for the Nishijima Washi Paper for [a] long time, even going back to [the] Sengoku Period, taking the pride of tradition.

Nakatomi Washinosato has a workshop where visitors can challenge making their own washi paper. A shop inside the building has all the different kinds of washi paper from all around Japan."

Each person was able to put their own unique touch to their paper...making it as simple or as fancy as they so desired... Mine was not worthy of a photo, (I do not take pride in this fact, I am normally the creative one in our household!!!) but Nick's paper (in the below photo) says: Holman in Kanji.

The last stop on our tour was to the Shirayuri Winery, where they make L'ORIENT wine.

"Yamanashi's environment is well suited for deciduous fruits, including grapes, peaches and plums. Also cherries, persimmons, apples and Japanese apricots are grown in the many orchards around Kofu basin. Shirayuri Winery owns the vineyard in Katsunuma (in Kofu basin), well known as the birth place of Koshu grapes. Their name brand "L'ORIENT WINE", which means the Orient in French, won the prize at Japan Wine Competition in 2003."

We learned about the process of wine-making, bottling and the history of wine in Japan.
Afterwards, we were able to taste the wines...which of course, was the best part!

Of course they have Sakura (cherry blossom) wine!

Nick and I enjoyed the MWR three-part tour...we took home a bag of cherries (as well as stuffed stomachs), several types of washi paper, and an entire carton of Japanese wine!

It's easy to stay home, and not see different parts of Japan and experience the culture...but why would we do that, when picking cherries with the Japanese is so much fun?!