Visit with Santa and the Festival of Trees

Last weekend we went to the Festival of Trees on base. The Festival of Trees is an event that is put on in the headquarters building on the base here. Each command or group on the base decorates a tree with a certain theme. It was a really neat thing to see- about 40 live Christmas trees all decorated differently. You'll see the Yokosuka Co-op Preschool tree and the Sullivan's Elementary School trees that I have added to the blog. There is also a picture of the tree decorated by Submarine Group Seven (Brian's command). The schools had pictures of all of the kids, so that was fun for them to see. Another highlight was the Japanese Santa. We couldn't resist a photo opportunity of the boys with him.

We are a week away from getting on our plane back to the states. We are all excited for Christmas and the fact that we will be seeing many of you soon.

We hope you all are enjoying the season!

What a difference a year makes!

I just realized that it has been a year since that day in November of 2006 when I received a phone call at about 3:30 in the afternoon from the Commodore of Brian's squadron. I answered the phone to hear this voice on the other end, "Amy- this is Earl Carter." I'm thinking- crap! What has happened to Brian? "I know you and Brian have been waiting on orders for a while now, and I wanted to let you know that the detailer will be getting those orders off to him soon as the N4 of Submarine group 7 in Yokosuka, Japan." I could barely speak. N4 where? What the heck is an N4? We had thoroughly discussed this before he deployed. Anywhere but Japan! Why would we want to go to Japan? We were settled in Chesapeake, VA, although most of our neighbors would tell you that they only saw Brian a handful of times during those years. It had been a long three years during the Engineer tour on the Newport News. We were looking forward to him coming home from deployment and living a "normal life". I told Commodore Carter how upset Brian would be with these orders and asked if he knew. He told me he had just sent off a message to the Captain. I stood there in my kitchen, looking at my boys playing in the living room and sobbed. How could this be? I didn't want to move to Japan- it was never in the plans. Little did I know that Brian was about to go stand a six hour watch that day when the CO pulled him into his stateroom and told him what the message said. The Navy certainly had other plans for us!

Meanwhile, by 3:45 I had called my friend Emily in tears. Of course, within minutes she was at the house, playing with the boys and ordering a pizza. I began the endless phone calls. What did this mean? When would Brian be home? They wanted us in Japan the first of March. The last I had heard from Brian, he wasn't being sent off the boat until end of February. To make matters worse, I had another month and a half until we would actually speak to each other, or for that matter, e-mail due to some secret thing the sub was doing. At that point I didn't care what the sub was doing. I felt the world revolved around me- I wanted answers.

Needless to say, within a week (it took me 3 days just to call my parents and tell them that the Navy would be taking their grandsons far far away) I had changed my attitude and was in action getting things ready. A house to sell/rent, an almost brand new Toyota Tundra and a Toyota Sienna to sell, a full blown medical screening for all of us, government passports, paperwork, paperwork, and more paperwork. All of this needed to be done quickly so that we were able to fly out in March. I had roadblocks because many things needed Brian's signature. I would get, "Maam, you can't get that done without your sponsors signature." How the heck can I get his signature when he is floating under the sea in a submarine?

I did manage to get everything done. I sold my car, rented the house, completed our overseas screening, etc. Thank you Patty!! Thank you Emily!! Thank you Brooke!! During this process, my kids had lots of play dates with Kasey and Kyle (and Miss Emily) Patty was an angel, flying in from Chicago to help out for four incredibly packed days of selling cars, countless trips to and from the Norfolk base, and most of all, being there for my kids to feed them, play with them, and just give me a break. Thank you to our families for being so supportive. Brian and Jill- how many times did I call you?

As many of you know, our story took a slight turn. On January 8, I was watching CNN when a news ticker came across the bottom of the screen. "Uss Newport News crashes into large Japanese oil tanker". What? It was 10:30 at night. The boys were in bed. I ran to the computer to see if any more info could be found. I did receive a call that night about a half hour later that everyone was okay and the sub had minimal damage. The sub pulled in a few days later into Bahrain, which is where she sat for almost three months before heading back to Norfolk. The damage was not minimal- it was pretty substantial. The good thing to come out of this was that they were stopped, they weren't going anywhere, and Brian's replacement had shown up. He was on his way home just 3 weeks after the accident. We would now have more than a month to prepare to leave and get everything done!!

By March 8 we were on a plane headed to Tokyo, Japan. We were excited! Japan has been everything and more than we ever expected it to be. Though I still don't like Sushi, and I'll never understand why dogs are allowed in restaurants over here (yes- they even dress them up and push them around in strollers), driving on the other side of the road has become habit now, and I carry more Yen around in my purse than dollars. In fact, yen is like play money to us. I'm lovin the 500 yen coin (yes- a coin worth about five dollars). The shopping is incredible here (if I buy another piece of pottery, I may have to find a full time job while I am here), the scenery is beautiful, and if I haven't said it before, the people of Japan are the kindest and most sincere people I have ever met.

Brian just looked at me tonight and said, "Can you believe we live in Japan?" I actually can- it is home for now. The boys have great teachers, and I get to walk them to school every day. Brian is home almost every day for lunch and rarely misses a dinner unless there is some huge problem at work. We have been able to enjoy most of our weekends together as a family, always looking for a new adventure somewhere. Last weekend to ended up at Ikea the day after Thanksgiving. We figured it wouldn't be packed because it wasn't a holiday for the Japanese. Little did we know that it was a holiday for them (their Labor Day) The store was packed solid and everyone was buying these little Christmas trees (blue spruce tree about four ft tall) for 1990 yen. We decided we'd buy one too, and it has added a perfect touch to our home for Christmas. It is not the way we normally would get a tree, but we're in Japan, and things are different here.

What a difference a year makes!! I'm sorry for the long post this time. Oh- to my dear friends back in Chesapeake, Virginia (you know who you are), this is no indication of a Christmas letter to come. I will not be sending one for you to critique and tear apart :) Just keep reading the blog- now it is updates all the time, not just once a year:)

Happy Holidays to you all!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Well this is obviously a first for the Nowak family. We've never spent Thanksgiving anywhere but in the good ole USA. Thanksgiving in Japan- stores are open, and schools are in session. Of course, the base is all closed. You would think it doesn't feel like Thanksgiving, but it does. I can look outside my balcony and see the tree color and feel the brisk air. I have been busy in the kitchen since yesterday, and the kids are still in their pajamas this morning, lounging on the couch watching movies. I went to turn the Macy's parade on for them and realized that oops- it hasn't even happened their yet. I forgot about that slight time difference of 14 hours.

We are having Thanksgiving at our place and having some neighbors over (another family of four with two boys). We have a 20 pounder waiting to be cooked. I have done all of the regular fixins, and there won't be a touch of Japanese for our meal. The thought of ramen and sushi on Thanksgiving just doesn't appeal to me.

We wish you all a very Happy Thanksgiving this year and hope we see many of you over the Christmas holidays. We are looking forward to being back on US soil after nearly 10 months in Japan. The Target and the mall better be ready for me. Ahh- to be able to buy something right in the store instead of via internet. Poor Brian can absolutely not buy a shirt or pair of pants here. We tried once- the Japanese men's large went to his bellybutton and the sleeves were 3/4 length. Then there are the pants- he would be waiting for a flood if we got him pants here.

Needless to say, we love Japan, but there are things we miss from home. We are so thankful this year to have this opportunity to live in this country. It has become our home away from home! Happy Thankgiving to all of you and best wishes for a very blessed holiday season.

Make a slide show, scrapbook or ecard

Make a slide show, scrapbook or ecard

What a day!

Today was our Field trip to the Japanese Elementary school, so on the bus, I prepared my group to be on their best behavior. Once we left the gate of the base, they were now ambassadors. That seemed to go right in and out of the ears of second grade boys. Second grade boys- now that is a different breed. The volume levels are turned up to the maximum volume, anything they eat or chew is always done with their mouths open, and every thing they say is done is some distorted voice, accompanied by sounds from their mouths that produce so much spray that you feel like you've gotten a second shower.

We arrived at the school and had to take off our outdoor shoes and put on different ones (most kids had crocs or mocs of some sort). We were escorted into the gym where they welcomed us with an applause. Both school (Sullivans and the Japanese) sang their school songs. We were then put into a group with about four Japanese students to take us on a tour of the school. None of these children spoke any English. This did not seem to be a problem. The kids seemed to mix well and had enough body language to act like the best of friends. Hiroki, a nine year old boy, was Patrick's friend for the day. Hiroki was your typical boy. I thought maybe that these kids would be much better behaved and quieter than ours. This was not the case. Hiroki taught Patrick how to flip his eyelid inside out- this being done while they were suppose to be listening to the teacher speak.

The school was organized, clean, and the facilities seemed very new. There were not any walls to separate classrooms (just some sort of wooden screen)- it was very open. One things that was neat was the fact that the children have a garden where they grow fruits and vegetables, which are then used for their lunches at the school.

I was not a huge fan of the lunch they served- Yakisoba and fried squid. I like yakisoba, but this was different and very cafeteria style. The Japanese kids slurped it down and ran for seconds. Our kids picked and poked and complained how starved they were after lunch. They served Mikans (clementines) in a bowl for dessert. Patrick ate his and then asked, "What are we having for dessert?" Of course, when we got home, I fed him an entire lunch and some Halloween candy. What a sucker I am.

It was really a great experience. However, I learned that it doesn't matter where you are raised- second grade boys are second grade boys, whether you live in Japan or the United States.

The magic of Fall

Well, the leaves are changing in Japan. The air is crisp, and fall is here. There is something about fall that I love. I have always loved it. I love decorating the house for it, and I love putting on a favorite pair of jeans and a fleece. There is not another season that makes me feel the way fall does. When I walk into our home, I smell the smell of pumpkin pie and fresh apples because there is not a day that goes by that I do not have a candle lit to make it smell good in the house. I asked the boys on the way to school today what their favorite season is. Patrick said Fall, and Matthew said Winter. I am not sure why Matthew said Winter because he has never really been through a real Winter. I think the only snow he would really remember would be at Nana and Papa's house, but even at that, last year we didn't see any while we visited Michigan over the holidays.

Japan's fall reminds me of the midwest. The colors are beautiful. It is amazing to go all the way around the world, yet still have the same seasons as I am use to. It is a small touch of home so far away. What I miss are the pumpkin patches and apple farms. I remember being in Groton, Ct a long time ago in September, October and November. Every mile we drove there was another orchard with maple syrup, fresh apples to pick, and pumpkins galore. I haven't found those here.

This season does not last long enough for me. The day after Halloween, we were in the Daeii (a mall close to the base), and I walked into a store, fully decked out for Christmas, and heard Silent Night playing. I wish this season could last longer, but the fall decorations are down, and now it is red, green, silver, and gold filling the stores. Even the Japanese need to learn to slow down and enjoy the seasons.

I went to Costco yesterday with a friend. A Japanese Costco is quite an experience. They had a lot of similar items that our Costco's have in the states, but they also had some really different looking things. I couldn't convince myself to buy the pizza with shrimp and mayonaise on it. That just did not look appealing to me. Now, I could have spent an hour in the produce department looking at all the neatly packaged fruits and vegetables that looked so fresh and tasty. It amazed me that all the books and cd's were in English. When have you ever gone to a Costco in the states and seen books written in Japanese? And, what kind of food were they selling to eat at the store? They had American pizza, hot dogs, and churros. Exactly the same stuff you would buy in the states. I figured they would have sushi, noodles, etc. It was a fun experience, and I am sure I will go back again soon.

Tomorrow is a big day for Patrick and me. I will be going along on a field trip with his class to a Japanese elementary school. We both have to bring an indoor pair of shoes. They will be serving us Yakisoba (fried noodles and vegetables) for lunch with a mikan (basically a clementine) for dessert. I am excited to go on this, as it is truly a once in a lifetime opportunity. We will be spending the entire day at the school, so I am interested to see what we will be seeing and learning. I will write more about this later this week.

Well, that is all for now. I'm off to clean my house.

My first blog

So I have been wanting to do this for a long time. I have wanted to keep a journal about our experience in Japan, but it just hasn't happened. So, here goes- I am going to try blogging to keep everyone up to date with our lives in Japan.

What an experience it has been so far. We have seen and done so much that I don't even know where to begin. I hope this blog helps to share those lifetime experiences and capture them in photos for all of you. I wish I had started from the beginning.

To start- I want to share something that we did on Halloween. Matthew's preschool, Yokosuka Co-op Preschool hosted a fundraiser called the Harvest Festival. It was geared towards preschool aged children on the base because there is never anything for that age group. Hours and Hours of work went into this event. I had a few responsibilities, but none as fulfilling as taking around our guests for the night. We had invited the orphans of Kobo Cottage to this event. Kobo is an orphanage near Yokosuka that has been operating for over 50 years. It started off to take in Amerasian children (children from American sailors and Japanese women) . Now it is all Japanese children who may or may not have parents. Some do but the parents are not able to care for them due to drug use, abuse, etc. Most do not have parents.

Anyway, they were guests at our event. Through donations, we had 30 Halloween cosutmes for them to use. They arrived at the event and from then on, Patrick and Matthew went into action. They escorted them through all the games, tried their best to communicate with them, gave them prizes that they had won, and best of all, at the end, they sat down and ate pizza with them (after helping to pass out their plates and drinks). It was truly amazing to see these boys in action. I didn't ask them to help me- they just did. Patrick had won a big balloon, and he gave it to the man from the orphanage and asked him to take it back to the orphanage to have for all of them. I am not sure what made our boys act so special that afternoon, but we are certainly proud of them for all they did.

The next thing (after the event) was home to go trick or treating. I stayed to pass out candy while my astronaut and Darth Vader went with Daddy trick or treating. In an hour and a half, I went through 16 bags of candy. My neighbors, who started earlier than us, stopped passing out after they went through 30 bags in an hour. The base opens up for all the Japanese to come on and trick or treat. Thousands come through to be a part of this Halloween tradition that we have. They come to your door and after politely saying hello, take only one piece of candy. The American children stick their hand in and grab moundfuls. It is amazing how different children from different cultures can be. We can learn a lot from the Japanese.

The whole afternoon and evening was a memory to last a lifetime. I hope this blog has captured that just a little bit. Please continue this journey in Japan with us.