Week ending 12-13-15

This week we fed the missionaries, and went

• bowling with Tatyana and Richard
• a Camp Zama Army Band Christmas concert (We are friends with the Castilles; he's the pianist and she is the cellist in the band)
• our base Army vs. Navy flag football game (Navy won)
• a holiday bazaar at Ranger Gym where I got some fun Japanese items
• a Christmas party hosted by Ernestine Bowen (Read 180 teacher at Lanham ES)
• had Sunday dinner with the Randalls and Chapmans and
• attended a Christian Christmas Couples get together. 

We had a busy, happy week as we start getting ready to come home for Christmas.

December 2015-Week 1

This week began with the sister missionaries joining us for dinner and a game of bowling.  Sister Cheney and Sister Neff are cute and we love them.

This week's  highlights include:

Greg assisting the 5th and 6th grade teachers as they hosted a Japanese school's students in a multi-cultural day.  Greg taught the kids crab soccer which is a oldie but goodie game in PE.

Crab Soccer at Ranger Gym

Atsugi NAF also celebrated its 65th anniversary.

Before and now

However, the highlight of the week on base was the return on the sailors who had been on the USS Ronald Reagan for the last 6 months.  (They came home for 2 weeks in November but returned back to boat duty.)  These sailors will be here for the next 5-6 months before going back out to sea duty again.

Thanksgiving 2015

This week went by fast with work because of the long weekend.  Some highlights from Thanksgiving include going to Yokosuka with the Randall family, running the base turkey trot, bike riding around town and church on Sunday.

Robot Restaurant

Anytime we go to Tokyo, we find overload sensory experiences.  This week did not disappoint as Hoai My went on a girl's night out with Katie and McCall to the Robot Restaurant.  

This is a must for those who visit us, if for nothing except to see how over the top entertainment is in Japan.

The Switchfoot Week

The week ending November 15, 2015 was buzzing on base as people were talking about the concert Friday night.  We had no idea who Switchfoot is.  We knew we wanted to go to the concert giving in to 1-nothing else to do 2-it's free and 3-peer pressure.  We started to brush up on our Switchfoot the day of the concert listening to their music on Youtube.  To our delight, they are awesome.  The concert was absolutely amazing.  It was held at Trilogy, which is a small venue.  It was full of families and very personal.  Often, the band came down from stage, walked and sang among the crowd.  One band member paid an awesome tribute to the military, particularly, the Navy.   Greg took a video of one instance when they came down and sang and I was right behind them.  Excuse my lunatic fan facial expression.

As if Friday wasn't fun enough, Saturday was my school's staff Thanksgiving potluck.  We ate like pigs!

Until next week, Sayonara.

Week ending November 7, 2015 - Mt. Nikko Autumn Hike

This week ended with a trip through MWR to Mt. Nikko.
This trip was a 4 hour bus ride from Atsugi NAF.  The pictures once again does not do justice to how beautiful this visit was.  We also could have spent days there and not explored all the different trails and points of interest.  On this trip, 2 fellow teachers went and it was great fun to be with them - Ms. McCarthy and Roddie.

29th anniversary weekend in Tokyo

We were excited to be able to get reservation at the Sanno Military Hotel in downtown Tokyo for our 29th anniversary.  (Thank you Richard Batimana aka Batman.)

The trip to Tokyo from Atsugi NAF includes 3 different transfer from trains to subways and a mile walk altogether. (It took 90 minutes) We spent the first evening in Roppongi so that we could try another Pho restaurant.  The waitress spoke Vietnamese so it was fun to practice speaking again.  Later that night, we took a bus to Shibuya to see the people crossing.  Greg was in shock to say the least.  We both did laugh at the onslaught of people.  This coupled with it being Halloween weekend made for a spectacular experience.

Saturday morning we walked from the hotel (1/2 mile) to the Tokyo Temple.  This has been our tradition for the last 29 years and we are so grateful that we were able to go again.  

Across the street from the Tokyo Temple is a most wonderful park.  Pictures really do not capture its beauty.

We spent the rest of Saturday enjoying the hotel pool, sauna, and gym.  We hope to be able to stay there again.

Week ending October 25, 2015

Sunday, October 25, 2015

Hello from Japan!

This week was busy with school fall carnival, stake conference and work.

Monday night we had dinner a great Mexican place right outside of base called "Mike's".  We had seen it before but it was never open when we walked past.  Restaurants in our little town are not open except for a couple of hours a day and we can never figure out when because  the signs are all in Kanji (characters).  We were able to finally try it out because we went bowling with a fellow teacher and her husband who had lived here awhile. 

Thursday night was school carnival.  The gym was converted in to an obstacle course thanks to Greg and fellow sailors who came to volunteer.  It was a fun yet long night.  This coupled with staff development the next day made for a welcomed weekend.

Friday night we went out to dinner with Richard and the missionaries at Shabu-yo.  It is basically a hot pot buffet.  You choose your broth and cook your meat along with vegies.  We also tried Japanese curry and both liked it. 

After dinner as we were heading to the bowling alley on base, we saw a football game at the field and stopped to watch Zama High School play against Iwakuni High School.  Felt like home.

This is a picture of us with the Randalls.  The children, Clara and Jackson, are students at the school as well as being in our ward.  Brother Scott Randall is the dentist on base.  They arrived about a month after us.  His wife, McCall (yes, that’s here first name, love it!) and toddler-Oliver are home and not in the picture.  They are from San Diego. 

Saturday morning we took our newly fixed bikes and explored Yamato, the town right outside the East gate.  (Our base borders Ayase City and Yamato).  On the ride home, we stopped at the bakery right outside the East gate, Bun Bun, and had sweets for breakfast.  The bakery was just about standing room only.

Saturday evening was spent at the adult session of stake conference at our church building.  Speakers used webcams from various buildings in Tokyo and which was streamed live in to our building.  This is our stake counselor President Nathan Frost.  He was Jesse’s 11-year-old scout leader in the Eastridge ward.  He and his wife Elizabeth have been our friends for many years.  As a matter of fact, he came to take us to church our first Sunday here from Yokoda AFB where he lives, about 90 minutes away.  Great man. 

Nathan served his mission in Japan and now is an attorney for the Armed Forces.  He has been in Japan the last 8 years. 

Sunday Hoai My was sustained as the Relief Society first counselor for the Tokyo South English Stake.  We are excited to visit the 5 wards and 2 branches (ours included) as part of her calling. 

Next weekend can’t come soon enough as it is our 29^th anniversary.  We will ride the train to Tokyo and spend the weekend at the New Sanno military hotel.  We plan to go to the Tokyo temple and explore more of the city. 

Until next week,

Our love always,

Greg and Hoai My

PS.  While writing email, we enjoyed another light earthquake.  It lasted about 20 seconds.  Not bad.  Still bizarre though.