Home, Sweet Home...

So I've been here in Florida for two weeks exactly... how nice it is to be home, enjoy some of Mom's cooking... (which seems to taste better lately for some reason... :D ), talk to and see old friends, and just get back into the groove of being back in the States.  One thing that I've noticed really is how CONVENIENT everything is here... I mean... a giant retail store open 24 hours a day??  A Gas station open 24 hours a day?  A Starbucks on every corner?  With my new GPS from Garmin, my iPhone from Apple... it's just too easy... Anyway- I've had a nice time the last couple of weeks- started off with a canoe trip down the Suwanee river on 7/7/7 that was a great trip... of course, I burned the top of my legs with probably 2nd degree burns... I mean, it was bad... but they are now recovering, finally... after having lost about 3 years of growth on my epidermis... I managed to peel sheets of skin off of my legs above my kneecaps... all because the convenience store I stopped at was out of sunscreen... well, so much for conveniences... anyway- after that I stayed with Jenny and William for a couple of days- checked out their church- really enjoyed the service- I mean, a great message.  It was so refreshing to be able to hear a solid message again.  Anyway- then I spent 3 days with Mom and Dad- then went to Jenny's house and spent the night before we drove down to see my Nana and Papa to celebrate their 60th anniversary... We watched a Yankees/DevilRays game on Friday night, Dad and I played a game of golf on Saturday morning, and Saturday afternoon we celebrated the 60th with my Nana and Papa.  It was so good to see them, especially to celebrate this huge milestone... they are both 83 or so, but Papa is doing really well, and still loves to fish and go to his lake place.  Nana is looking really good, but unfortunately, she has been diagnosed with Alzheimer's...  I spent a few minutes just sitting by her side, and I was really saddened to watch the disease in action.  Unless you've ever really spent some time with an Alzheimer's patient, it's really difficult to describe... but I'll explain it like this- it's like talking in an infinite loop... the conversation seems to be repeating itself over and over... but it happens so smoothly, it's like there is literally no interruption, and the transitions seem as natural as any other reasonably well spoken individual... except you realize 10 minutes or so into the conversation that you are hearing the exact same thing you heard 10 minutes before... it's kind of unnerving, because it sounds so natural, yet... she has no idea she just told you the exact same story just minutes before...  I was trying to get her to talk about some of her travels that she's taken over the years... I asked her where her favorite destination had been... just because I wanted to get her thinking and exercising her memory... and she told me Jerusalem had been her favorite place.  Specifically the streets where Jesus had walked she told me.  Because she visited in the mid-eighties, at a time when there was a relative peace between the Jews and Palestinians, she was able to travel all over Israel as well as Palestine.  She also travelled south and saw the Pyramids of Egypt... because I was just a child in those days, I'd never really considered the significance of where she had gone... but she was happy to tell me a few tidbits of her trip this last weekend as I sat by her side and just spent some time talking with her... some very specific memories that she had managed to hold onto after 20 years... stories of her at the wailing wall, how she informed the guide that told her that prayers that where written on a piece of paper and placed in the wall would never be removed, and being the precocious woman she was, and always has been, told him, well, that was really impossible, because the wind or rain could blow or wash them away... surely he couldn't be that naive... well, she didn't exactly say that, but that's how my Nana can come across sometimes... and of course, how she managed to talk her guide into letting her go to the bathroom there, even though there was no public restroom... and how he told her not to pick anything up on her way to the restroom, but she picked up some rocks and put them in her pocket anyway... it was good to hear the mischievous side of my Nana... she's always had that little side to her, and she seems to relish in it these days... she also told me how she went into some rooms in the Great pyramid that were off limits after she flirted with the guide a little bit... probably a small embellishment, but it was good to let her relive the moment... until suddenly the story of the wailing wall resurfaced... I diverted the conversation once I realized she was repeating herself... it was painful.  Most of all though, it was good to just be with her, and give her frail little body a hug and remind her how much her Grandson loves her.

From there I drove up to see my Aunt and Uncle outside of Fort Walton Beach, Florida.  Wow- I forgot how nice that place is.  He is one of my favorite Uncles, and has recently added a very nice pool to his backyard.  It's almost like sitting at a 5 star resort on his back porch... he has a nice porch, a pool with a fountain flowing into it- I nice patio off to the side with a gas grill and a charcoal grill (separate from each other...) three nice gardens- a beautiful green lawn... and of course, the salty, fresh air flowing from the ocean less than a mile away... it was almost heaven.  I stayed with them three nights, and every night, I was out there relaxing and enjoying the evening... 

Anyway- I came back to Jacksonville yesterday, and am spending the weekend with Mom and Dad... of course, tonight, Mom is at her monthly scrapbooking party... and Dad is working, so I'm home by myself... it seems I've been so busy with visiting everyone, I haven't had much time to myself... so I had to get one post in... just tried Billy Blanks Boot Camp for the first time... I've been promising myself I'm going to be getting in shape soon... so I got the DVD and resistance bands today, after looking at them for a week or so, and went at it tonight.  We'll see how it works out for me.  I want to get down to 180 lbs... I was at 197.2 tonight.  I can't wait to get to Hawaii.

Cheers-

I'm in the states...

Wow... it's hard to believe I'm actually here.  I'm sitting in the C concourse of Chicago's O'hare airport... there is a guy yelling into his cell phone and seeing so many Americans make me think I know half of them.  It's crazy... I wonder how long it will take how long to get over that.  Anyway- long lines at McDonalds, Fat Americans everywhere.  Ahhh... it's good to be home.  The language is the best part.  Anyway- the guy behind me is yapping on about his latest lady friend, and he's going to be in Boise, Idaho on the 11th of August- hilarious.  Anyway- I love my country for all it's strengths and weaknesses... and I'm glad I'm here.

Cheers-

This American Life and the Yoshida Brothers...

So since the iPod gained it's ubiquitous status as the ultimate in mobile entertainment... I've really gotten into podcasts.  Especially with the fact that living in Japan, there is only one full-time english station, and it's run by the military- so it's slightly akin to heavy doses of propaganda in between songs.  It literally gives me dry heaves sometimes when I listen to it... I mean, the messages sound harmless enough... you know- public service announcement type commercials... don't use tobacco, be nice to the locals, don't get into debt, don't sexually harass your co-workers... you know- average rules of normal societal living that most humans abide by.  Of course they throw in the Orweillian messages in there with it as well... pay your government credit card on time... don't talk about your ship or units movement etc., etc., but after about 2 days of driving around listening to that makes a person of average intellect want to go insane... so fortunately for me, right around the time I was about to go postal after the 2,245th 'be nice to the locals' message, I discovered this beautiful device called the iPod, as well as the plethora of media offered by the iTunes music store (for free!) called Podcasts.  My daily intake consists of CNN and ABC News Nightline Podcasts, and my weekly intake consists of mostly NPR shows... This American Life, 'Wait, Wait, don't tell me!', the Car Talk Guys, and All Things Considered.  The greatest part about Podcasts, is that they don't have commercials, I can pause them for whatever reason, and well, I can take them anywhere on my iPod.  It's great.

This American Life with Ira Glass is probably my favorite right now.  If you haven't had a chance to check him out- do so the next chance you get.  It's an amazing and insightful look into the lives of Americans.

Also- the Yoshida Brothers- the guys that play the music for the Nintendo Wii Commercials.  They rock... I just bought one of their CD's here in Narita Airport.  Well, I'm signing off for now- time to go fly back to the states, and restart 'My American Life'

Cheers-

My Last Night in Japan...

...is actually much like my first night in Japan.  The skies are mostly clear, the moon is a little more than half full... the difference being that instead of sitting on the Officers Club patio with throngs of other air-wing officers drinking the night away as I did that first night, I quietly walk back to my BOQ room from seeing a long time friend here in Japan off for the last time.  The O-Club patio was silent, all the air-wing officers are in some exotic port of call, and the base in general is silent.   It was sad, as I considered the closing of this chapter in my life.  And somewhat fitting at the same time... interestingly enough, on the way back in, I ran into 'Maki-san' the landmark bartender at the Officers Club Bar walking his bike out the front gate... it's funny how you get to know so many people through your normal life over here.  Maki-san was a great fella- my girlfriend always liked him... it was strange though, because that was the first time I'd ever seen him out of his Bar Room garb... he had a close-fitting helmet on, shorts and a t-shirt... instead of the usual tux shirt, bow-tie and jacket with so many pins and wings on it.  I told him farewell, and said this would be the last time I'd see him before I departed Japan.  We exchanged our pleasantries and went on our way, and I reflected back on my first night here as I walked the 300 yards back to my room.  That first night, I had tried to get some sleep because I was exhausted from a 14 hour flight, but was awoken by one particularly memorable member of my squadron who basically told me I didn't have a choice but to come to the Officers Club.  From there it was drinks and cigars and Karaoke galore... from the O-Club to the Pine Tree... huddled in a 7x7' bar (really) with about 10 other people or so staring at a big screen and singing their lungs out... passing around cordless mics and plates of Yakisoba... I think the esprit' de corps is not nearly what it is today that it was then.  Of course... all those guys are long gone, and to a man, everyone of them that I partied with that first night had been over Baghdad that fateful night in March of 2003 to kick off OIF (while I was watching it in a T-2 simulator building in flight school in Pensacola).  That would do something to a group of warriors I'd imagine.  Fortunately, we where much less restrained by rules in those days as well.  Due to a number of high-profile drinking incidents involving US service members here in Japan, the authoritarian hammer has crushed more than one mans career here, and more than one party's moxie.

From midnight curfews to a moratorium on driving, to 'khaki patrols'... all has been done in the interest of reducing alcoholic incidents.  Has it helped?  None of it.  Just today I found out that a sailor from a boat in Yokosuka attempted to kill two Japanese girls with a knife.  Sadly, some things just won't change.

But I digress... walking home this fine evening here in Japan, I realized that I am indeed a changed man from the man who first showed up here three years and five days ago.  If anything that three years in a squadron full of men equal your wit, candor and intellect.  (well most of them anyway... :)  I've learned that I'm not as smart as I thought I was.  I've learned that putting others first will get you a lot farther in life than trying to make yourself look better than others... I've learned that making people feel like a million bucks is much more productive in relationships than making them feel like an ass... especially when they've done something stupid.  I've learned that deep down, no matter how much I dislike someone, at the end of the day, I can still be a professional and get done what needs to get done.  And really, if you stick with it long enough, most any relationship schism can be resolved.  And this last one really goes without saying, but I've really learned that I'm not perfect.  And I'm OK with that.  I guess most of all, just accepting myself for who I really am is probably the most important lesson I've learned from these three years.  Not trying to put on a front, just being me.  And being happy with me.  Probably a little more psycho-babble than you where expecting when you started reading this post, but bear with me- I'm alone, the TV is off, my bags are packed, and I'm reflecting on the longest chapter of my life thus far... but anyway- I'm really going to miss this place.  I may bitch and moan and complain about this, that and the other, but I'm going to miss it.  Although the 20 pounds I've picked up here are welcome to stay behind.

They say when you leave here you have culture shock going back to the states.  I'm interested to see if that happens to me.  It took me about a year to accept the fact fully that I had to deal with Japan, so I wonder how long it will take for me align myself with the culture and ways of the west.  It's funny, but I was thinking tonight about how I read somewhere that when you live in a foreign country, a part of it stays with you forever when you leave.  I'm happy to take a part of Japan with me... I'm just interested to see how it will fit in back in the states.  Farewell Japan.  Farewell.

Karaoke...

One thing I'm going to miss about this country... Karaoke... no matter where you go, no matter what bar or club or whatever joint you find yourself in... you can always find yourself with a cordless microphone in your hand, words to your favorite Bon Jovi song on the screen, and you singing at the top of your lungs like it's your job.  It's almost like a rite of passage for living in this country.  And you know what?  It's fun.  It really is- who doesn't like to get a little buzz on, and just sing... inhibitions lowered by the low lights, a couple of drinks, and well, before you know it, you and your friends are belting out your favorite songs at the top of your lungs.  It's also different here in Japan because they don't put you on stage like some cheesy wanna-be... they just pass out the cordless mics and you sing where you are... if you suck, people don't have to watch you... if you don't suck, they want to find you and say 'wow...' or not.  They also have these dedicated places where for a small amount of Yen, you can get your very own soundproof room... it's got a phone on the wall for ordering drinks, a high-tech sound system and Karaoke system, and 4 cordless mics or so.  I can't count the number of times I've ended up in one of these places drinking and singing the greatest Rock Ballads known to man.  Seriously, it's just plain fun.  That is one thing the Japanese folks have figured out, is a way to escape the realities of their daily life, and just SING.  It's fun.  Really.  Take my word for it.  Some of my favorites:

Bon Jovi:  It's My Life, Someday I'll Be a Saturday Night, Dead or Alive, Bed of Roses

Aerosmith: Crazy, Amazing

U2:  Pride, Where the Streets Have No Name

Duran, Duran: Hungry Like the Wolf

etc., etc., etc., 

Anyway- I just went out to the 'Pine Tree' a very popular, tiny little watering hole, right out the front gate of Atsugi, with my old friend Evan... we drank Rum and Cokes and sang to our hearts content.  And had a blast doing it.  Inhibitions have a way of getting lost over here sometimes.

Right now I'm watching "Lil' Bush" on Comedy Central... "This shopping experience is turning into a quagmire..." hilarious.

Leaving Japan...

is going to be pretty easy for me.  But nothing in Japan is ever easy.  So far things look like they are going pretty smooth- but this morning- a friend of mine thought he was going to need to rent a truck for the day to move some stuff- it turns out that he didn't need it... well, he goes to the 'Mini-Nex' (where they rent cars and sell gas and service cars) and tells them he doesn't need the truck anymore.  Well, they tell him, you have to give us a 24 hour notice or you don't get your deposit back.  (he had deposited $30 with them, but they charge $7 an hour...) with the minimum being 3 hours.  So, he says, OK, I'll rent it for 3 hours... well the Japanese girl at the counter knew him, and said, tell you what, just rent it for 1 hour, and you'll be OK.  Sounds good he says, so he goes through all the paperwork to rent the truck, inspects it and everything, then goes to leave and says alright, here's $7 for my one hour.  You can keep the keys.  But wait, she says, you have to come back in 1 hour.  So, he says, how about I just leave the truck here (because he was still going to go move some furniture) and you can check it back in in 1 hour- no, she says, you still have to be back in one hour.  Fine he says... I'll see you in an hour... 

I asked him if he was going to be back in an hour... no chance he said.

Funny thing was, he ended up dropping me off (I'm car-less myself right now because I sold mine) and he says- I've got to go get some gas- (it's been 40 minutes into his hour at this point) I wonder if they'll let me get by with 40 minutes worth?

This is just one small example of the stuff you deal with on a daily basis when you live here.

That's why leaving Japan is going to be easy for me.