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From Our Home to Yours... We Wish you a Merry Christmas!

Only in Japan!

This coffee machine was at a rest area. I was so amazed- there was a video of it making your special order coffee. You could choose anything you wanted, and then you watch it grind the beans and make your coffee. ALL IN A VENDING MACHINE! Enlarge the picture by clicking it and you can see all of the different choice.




Okay- I'm only going to post pictures...there isn't a lot to say about these. At first, things strike you very funny when you see them. Then after living here for a while, you just chuckle, and say, "ONLY IN JAPAN!" Look at every picture carefully!

A Very Special Thanksgiving!

As many of you know, I teach English to a few groups of Japanese women offbase. This has been one of my favorite things about being over here. I get to teach them English, but each time I learn so much about the Japanese people and culture. It has been such a positive experience. One of my groups, 7 women in all, have been so much fun to teach- I think it is the mixture of their personalities, but nonetheless, they always make me laugh. Some of the women in the group have been getting together to learn English for over 10 years.

I decided I wanted to have them over to my house for a traditional Thanksgiving feast. Getting Japanese nationals on the base is a little time consuming. I had to get all of their information (birthday, height, weight, driver's license number, etc.) and take it to the pass and id office. It actually wasn't as hard as I thought it would be.

I had so much fun preparing for this meal. I wanted it to be perfect because none of them had ever experienced a true Thanksgiving meal. I do love to enterain, so this was a great excuse to decorate and set the perfect Thanksgiving table. I went as far as preparing menus, placecards, and chocolate truffles for each of them to take home.

On Thursday, November 20th, I met my seven students outside of the main gate, and surprisingly, all of their passes were waiting for them, and I got them on with no problems. We got to my house at about 10:30 am and had the best time talking about the different traditional foods. I served them some appetizers, their favorite being creme cheese with a sweet and hot pepper and onion relish poured over it. They loved this. We had sparkling apple cranberry cider, which the just raved about.

For the meal, I served all of the traditional foods- turkey, mashed potatoes, sweet potato casserole, cranberry sauce, green bean casserole, rolls, apple cranberry stuffing, and of course, homemade pumpkin pie. Their favorites were the sweet potato casserole and the stuffing. I did have to get very cheesy during the meal, and I had everyone at the table share something they were thankful for. We had fun because most of them ended up telling stories, which was great for practicing their English.

After we ate, we sat around the living room and talked about the history of Thanksgiving. I had the best time sharing one of our biggest holidays with these ladies.

So Much to blog about!

Well, now that I have finished writing about China, except for some pictures, I need to go back and finish some things I didn't have time to post before we left for our trip. I must get these things written because with Christmas fast approaching, I am sure there will be many things to share and many pictures to post.

Happy Reading!!

China -Day 4

Our last day in Beijing was a long and tiring day. We fit so much in to one day. I think we left the hotel at 8:30 am, and we didn't return until almost 9:45 pm.

The bus first took us to The Temple of Heaven. This was a really interesting place. Its layout symbolizes the belief that Heaven is round, and the earth is square. The Temple of Heaven was completed in 1420 and was originally a platform for the Son of Heaven (the emperor) to perform sacrifices and solemn rites. It covers an area of 273 hectares, smaller than the Summer Palace while bigger than the Forbidden City.

Even though the Temple of Heaven was beautiful, it wasn't the biggest attraction for us. The biggest attraction were the performers in the park leading up to the Temple. There were groups of people playing checkers, cards, dominoes, etc. There were also music groups and dance groups performers. They were playing instruments and singing. Also, at the front of the park, people were doing Tai Chi, a traditional Chinese Martial Art. Tai Chi is supposedly very good for your health. Our guide said people get to the park at 5:30 in the morning when it opens so they can do Tai Chi all day. No wonder there are not a long of overweight people in China. We saw many people doing Tai Chi with a racket and ball, so we bargained for one. We bought a set for the boys to play- it is a fun game.

This was also where my friend Melissa witnessed something so disgusting that I have to blog about it. Some of the toilets in China do not have doors on them. So basically, you walk into this big area with a bunch of holes built into the ground, and there you have it- you have to go with everybody else, no privacy. So anyway, she took her daughter into the bathroom, and there was a lady squatting down doing her daily duty. Yes, right there in front of everyone. I am so glad I decided I would wait until our next stop to go to the bathroom. However, the next stop was the Hutong area, which is where I ended up going in one of these same toilets. However, I was not blessed by anyone else's presence while I was in there. :)

The next stop was the Hutong area, which is the oldest neighborhood in Beijing. This was a very interesting place. We started off by taking a rickshaw ride through the area. I rode with Matthew, and Patrick and Brian went together. The Hutong area has common housing areas where families share a courtyard and kitchen. They are by no means luxury. In fact, it looked as if it were a very poor area. However, Allen told us that just because these famlies live here doesn't mean they are poor. It is a very familiar and comfortable life for them. The older people who have lived there for years don't want to leave because it is all they have known. We had a local family make us a delicious Chinese lunch in their common eating area. It was great food but I don't know how they prepared it all because the kitchen was so tiny. We got to talk with the families and ask questions. Our guide, Allen had actually grown up in one of the homes when he was a child. He has moved since, but many don't choose to leave. So I decided after lunch that I needed to go to the bathroom, which was where I experienced the no door and no privacy toilets. NOT my idea of fun- I had to have my friend come in to take my picture. What an experience.

After leaving Hutong, we headed to the Olympic sites. We had about 45 min to walk around and take pictures. The line was too long to get into the water cube (Magic Box they call it) where Michael Phelps got all of his world records. The Birdsnest was really impressive to see as well. It was really neat to be there just three months after the games. It was a packed area, and many people still go to see the sites and take it all in.

Our last stop before dinner was Silk Alley. This is several floors of knock off clothing, purses, bags, electronics, coats, watches, etc. It is truly an experience. They are very pushy. We didn't haggle for a lot, but did come away with a Northface jacket (fake of course) for Brian, and some coats for the boys. I did not opt to buy a Prada purse like many ladies tried to get me to do. They said, "Hey lady- you want Prada- How about Gucci?" "I give you good deal." They act like we have been friends for years. One said to me, "I met you last year here- you bought bag from me. Want another? Your husband handsome- he need wallet?" It was hilarious. I never was there last year, so she was full of it! The boys got to haggle for small pieces of jade that they wanted. They were pretty good at it.

We stopped for dinner at an American food place, which was the worst dinner we had during our time in Beijing. It was a buffet and not very appetizing. After dinner we went to a Chinese acrobat show, which was absolutely amazing and a highlight for all of us. No wonder the Chinese win the gold in Gymnastics all of the time. I can't believe what they can do with their bodies. The contortionist really really impressed the boys. They were amazed.

We got back to the hotel around 10:00 and by 2:00 in the morning, Patrick and I were both in the bathroom with our heads in the toilet. We were sick as dogs. Not what we needed for our long trek back to Japan. We were sick all morning, and the whole plane ride home. At least it happened the last day so we didn't miss anything. It was definitely the flu and not something we ate. Many people had this 18 hour flu while we were in Beijing. Matthew and Brian escaped it, so they were lucky.

Okay- that is China in a nutshell. We loved it! I will post the pictures from this day soon. I just wanted to get this posted before I forget everything. Look for pictures soon.

Day 3... The Great Wall

This was by far the highlight of our trip to Beijing. Because it was about a two hour drive from the city, we left a little earlier from the hotel. After breakfast, we boarded the buses and started our way toward the Great Wall. It was interesting driving out in the country of Beijing. It is so much different from Japan- open fields, countryside, big spaces.

We arrived at the Mu Tian Yu section of the Great Wall by about 9:15 am. Allen told us this was better than the popular Badaling section of the wall where there are many more tourists. The first stop was the bathroom- no need to say anything else (not luxury in the least bit) I had my toilet paper handy though and I just took a deep breath and got out of there as quickly as I could. We took a cable car up to the climbing section. As we were going up, we just had to pinch ourselves- The Great Wall! Wow.

I really don't even know what to say other than BREATHTAKING! To be standing on the wall and see it strech on and on and on is truly amazing. The Great Wall stretches from Shanhaiguan on the east coast to Jiayu Guan in the Gobi Desert, which is more than 4000 miles.

We walked for just under two hours, mainly taking pictures and stopping to just take in this awe inspiring World Wonder. There were many towers where soldiers stood watch and guarded the wall. The boys had fun hiding in these towers, pretending to shoot the enemy.

The pictures say it all!

On the way down from the wall, there is vendor after vendor of people selling things- t-shirts, watches, trinkets, food, stuffed panda bears, chopsticks, etc. We started walking down and one women said, "Hey lady, I remember you. I give you good deal. How much you pay for this. You want t-shirt? How about table cloth?" It was hysterical. They haggle with you. They even haggle with the kids. Matthew ended up getting a little stuffed panda for $1.50 US. Patrick wanted a piece of Jade in the shape of a dragon. I don't think he got the greatest deal, but it was a fun experience for him. The whole way down they run after you to get you to buy things. We had been told this was how it would be, so we had fun with it. We played along with them, and bought a few little things, but nothing big. The boys just loved bargaining and got pretty good at it by the end. Patrick would walk away and say, "No- too expensive!" They would say, "Come back- I give you better deal!" It was comical!

We left the wall and stopped for lunch at a Cloisone factory, a unique art form of bronze casting, originating during the Ming dynasty. This was yet another tourist trap, but not my thing, so I didn't find a need to buy anything except two panda bear Christmas ornaments for the boys.

The next stop was the Ming Tombs, which is the final resting place for 13 of the 16 Ming emperors. It is a 40 sq km area of rolling countryside dotted with tombs and small villages and farms. This was not really that impressive to us after being at the Wall earlier in the day.

We were ready to crash at the hotel, so we had another quick dinner at the hotel and hit the hay! Our last day in China would be a long and busy day.

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China- Day 2

Day two on our adventure in Beijing began at 8:00 am after having a western style breakfast in the hotel. We boarded the buses, and we were off. First stop- The Forbidden City, the home to the emperors for over 500 years. I really should have watched The Last Emperor before going on this trip. We stepped off of the bus, and we were attacked by people selling trinkets, like watches, hats, chopsticks, etc. They wouldn't stop, and they followed us, and hounded us. Someone who had been on this trip had already warned us of this. The Forbidden City was absolutely huge- 9999 rooms. Nine is a good luck number in China. All of the doors in the Forbidden City had 81 knobs. Everything relates to nine. It is very easy to get lost in the Forbidden City, so we stuck close to Allen, our guide. One very interesting fact is that before the Olympics, there was a Starbucks in the Forbidden City, but while preparing for the games, they decided to take out the starbucks, and they have not put it back. They wanted vistors to see how old this place is, and having a Starbucks in the center of it would make it seem modernized.

While we were at the forbidden city, we all had to go to the bathroom. Now this is another experience in China. We were told to bring toilet paper with us, so I did. Thank goodness I had several rolls because I ended up passing out a few in the bathroom to some poor ladies on the tour who hadn't been told to BYOTP (bring your own TP). Also, you don't flush the paper in China. You throw the toilet paper in a waste can. We are spoiled in the good ole USA.

We moved on to Tiananmen Square, which was built in 1417 as the front door to The Forbidden City. The square is huge, about 440,000 square meters. Mao Zedong Memorial Hall is at the South side of the square, and this hall contains the crystal coffin for Chairman Mao, the founder of the People's Republic of China and the Communist Party. The Chinese National Flag flies high in the sky at the Square. We walked around for a while and took pictures and then we bargained for our first items in China- Beijing Olympic knit hats for the boys. It was getting colder and windier, and somewhere along the way, Patrick had lost his hat. Of course, we couldn't get Patrick one without getting Matthew one. I think we haggled a little, but walked away with two hats for about $3.00 total- not bad (except for the fact that they are totally falling apart now and the stitching of the Olympic rings is coming apart).

We stopped for lunch on the way to the Summer Palace. Lunch was good- more beef, chicken and vegetables on a lazy susan table to spin around for easy access to everyone at the table. The Summer Palace was the highlight of the day I think. It was so beautiful surrounded by the largest man made lake in the world. The Palace is where the Emperor would spend the summers. There is a 700 meter corridor which leads to the steps of the palace. This corridor has thousands of painted scenes as you walk through it. Each scene is different and so detailed. If we had stopped to examine each painting, we would have been there for three days. When we got to the entrance to the actual palace, the boys were mobbed by tons of Chinese tourists. We must have spent 15 minutes with them so they could take their pictures and touch their hair. Sometimes they just stare at us. For some of them, they have never seen a westerner, so the just stop to look at our faces and our big noses. They refer to us as "The Big Nose". This is what Allen told us. He actual called us his big nose friends during the whole trip. The Chinese have very small, flat noses, so they are quite intrigued by ours.

On the way back to the hotel, we stopped at the Silk Factory and watched how silk is made. It was actually very interesting, and the boys got a kick out of it. Of course, it was also a tourist trap. We managed to get trapped- we bought a few items, one being a silk duvet. (after bringing it home and replacing our down duvet with it, it is so awesome. It doesn't shift in the cover like the down one always did). Brian really wanted to get measured for a suit, but time didn't allow. They are really cheap to get custom made over here.

We got back to our hotel just in time to catch some dinner at the hotel and head to bed. The highlight of the trip would be Day 3- The Great Wall.

China- Day 1

I am going to do my blog posts for each day we were in China. I really want the boys to be able to have this and remember all that we did and experienced. So here goes.....

November 26, 2008- We woke up at 4;30 am to shower and get ready to meet the bus for Narita. Our flight was to leave Tokyo at 10:30 am. We managed to get out the door and to the bus on time and we were off. The plane ride to Beijing was uneventful and seemed quite short. We had the most beautiful view of Mt. Fuji as we were leaving, so I was able to get some great pictures. Once we arrived, we had to go through immigration with our visas, but all in all, it was pretty easy. We met our guide Allen outside and got on Tour Bus A, which would be our bus for the remainder of the trip. Allen was Chinese (so I am still not sure why his name was Allen, but oh well, stranger things have happened.) One of the first things we noticed on the way to the hotel was the space, the trees, the grass, and oh, they drive on the right side of the road. Allen told us that the entire way from the airport to the downtown area where we were staying was completely redone for the Olympics. No wonder everything looked well kept and beautiful. We arrived at Joy City hotel at about 4:00, and we had exactly two hours before we had to meet in the lobby and go to our first Chinese dinner, Peking Duck.

We were amazed with our hotel room. We are so use to Japanese hotel rooms- very tiny, twin beds for each person, and just not a lot of space. Well, this room was huge. We had a huge living room and kitchen plus two bedrooms, one with a king size bed and the other with two twin beds for the boys. Each room had a big bathroom with a tub and a shower, plus an outside vanity area. Not too bad!! We could certainly handle this for five days.

The Peking Duck dinner was a lot better than I had imagined. In typical Chinese style, the food was all brought out to the center of the table in bowls and there was a great big glass lazy susan so we could all turn it and help ourselves to the food we wanted. There was beef and vegetables, yummy cooked celery, pork dishes, chicken dishes, noodles, and even french fries. They eventually brought out the duck and carved it. It was actually good- it tasted like chicken to me. Both boys ate just fine and Patrick tried almost everything. Matthew is our pickier one.

After dinner we headed back to the hotel and got ready for bed. Day Two would be a busy day- The Forbidden City, Tiananmen Square, The Summer Palace, and the silk factory.

Home from China!

We are home from our trip to Beijing. We had an amazing time seeing all of the fabulous sight in Beijing for five days. I plan to blog about each day and post pictures, but for now, the picture of us at the Great Wall will have to do. It is not the best one at the wall (I can't give away our Chrismtas photo yet :))

I have so much to write about, and I am so behind. More very soon......stay tuned!!