For Brittany: Cars!

There is a decent amount to learn about buying and owning cars out here.
1. Japan requires every car to be inspected every 2 years.  This is called JCI.  They look at the car from top to bottom and if there are any repairs that need to be done they will require you to fix them before it will pass.  This includes everything from the transmission to tires to brake lights... if it's on the car, they will require you to fix it. That being said, it can be expensive.  I am unsure of what the fees are if there aren't any repairs required, but I think our seller said our car is about $270.
2. Road tax is due every year at the end of May (do not wait until the end of the month-- the lines are insane).  I think the rate for our car was 19000 Y, which is $242.14  The cost depends on the size of the car's engine.
3. The military requires you to have private insurance.  It goes by your car size, sponsor's rank and age.  The Mr's was $370 for the whole year.

You will want to take all of this into account when you look for a car out here.  We found our car on www.okinawayardsales.com  You'll see most cars gor for $1000-$3,000.  You'll want one that has new tires because tires are expensive out here.  You'll also want the longest possible time left on the JCI.  We came in May, so our road tax was already paid and by the time you get here in November it will be taken care of.  There are also 'lemon lots' on each base where people who are PCS-ing park their 'for sale' cars.  We haven't looked at those yet, but we will once it is time to get a car for the Mr.

VERY IMPORTANT: Get a Power of Attorney from your hubby before you come over here.  They do not allow SOFA (Status of Forces Agreement, i.e. spouses, dependents, etc.) to own vehicles (or anything else, really) out here.  the Mr can own 2 vehicles, so everything is in his name.  The Mr and I both took (and passed) the driving exam on the same day, but they do not allow service members to get their license right away.  You cannot buy a car without a license.  You will have to get a letter from hubby's command stating that they know you are buying a car and that the service member will not be driving it-- only the SOFA-licensed wife will be driving the vehicle.  Then you will go to Vehicle Registration (on base) and register it in his name.  It's not mandatory, but life is easier if you have a power of attorney.

I hope this helps.  I know it sounds like a lot, but once you learn the terms JCI and road tax it's no big deal :)

Oh! Before I forget!  Check out the rules of the road/signs.  Japanese driving rules are largely the same as ours except for a few things:
1. DUI is .03.  Which means one drink and you're DUI.  They don't mess around with the fines/ jail time, either.
2.  No Left on Red.  (like right on red lights for the States)
3.  parking distances are in meters, so you need to know how many meters you can park from intersections, fire hydrants, passing/parking on one way streets, etc.

The signs aren't too bad, but they are different.

I think that's about it!  Let me know if you have a question about something I didn't cover.

New Car, New Rules

I got a car yesterday!!  woohoo!


I hated the Nissan Cube when we were in the States.  Now I own one.  I chose this car because it had very low kilometers and looks like it is in relatively good shape for being 7 years old.  The crazy thing about cars out here is that they all look so new!  Most of the cars for sale out here are 7+ years old and have 100,000+ km on them, so when I saw the Cube had 60,000 km on it, was in good physical shape, and reasonably priced I decided to get over my loathing and buy it.
I don't really like the boxy-ness of it and it looks like it's trying to be a shirt with only one sleeve.  Like it's trying to be sexy or something.  But it's boxy.  So, to me, it fails.  But, hopefully my car will treat me well for the next few years.  Also, a lot of cars out here looks like clown cars to me because they're so compact.  OH!! and the names of the cars!!!  Mine is a Nissan Cube, not too weird, right?  Well, there are model names like Note, Naked, Fun Cargo, Surf, Dion, Swift, Skyline... Idk, there's some fun names.
Anyway, so I was the proud grateful owner of a vehicle... Only one problem.  Everything is opposite.  We drive on the left side of the road on the right side of the car.  I proudly admit I did the "Okinawa wave" a few times yesterday.  It's what people nicely say when you accidentally use your windshield wipers instead of your turn signal because those controls are on the opposite side, too.  It's so bizarre driving on the opposite side of the road.  I didn't think it would be a big deal, but I have to consciously think about which side of the road I am supposed to be on.  I am very much looking forward to being able to be on auto-pilot again and not have to put so much energy into how I'm driving and instead learn where I'm driving.  For now, the Mr has to be in the passenger seat navigating.
BTW, the Mr isn't allowed to get his license for like 30 days or something ridiculous, which means all the getting around falls on my shoulders or his sponsor's.  I do believe a night in with a glass of wine is in my very near future!
The Mr isn't too fond of being the passenger because he constantly feels a need to remind me to slow down and stay away from the curb on the left.  Speeding tickets are very expensive out here.  In one of the briefs one guy said he knew someone with a speeding ticket for 4 km over the limit and it was $700.  Speed is photo enforced out here. And it's not clearly marked.  My. worst. nightmare.  Furthermore, speeds are very slow.  The fastest we've seen out in town is 60 km/h which is 37 mp/h.  This was on a road comparable to La Grange (Tinley Park) or Miramar Rd (San Diego) or  busier than Indianapolis Blvd (Munster)  ...
As far as the curb on the left... well, it's a learning curve.  As we were driving away from the seller she said, "Keep your heiny on the line-y!"  It clicked just a few minutes later when the Mr was yelling something about a curb and replacing rims if I hit it and yada yada yada :)
It's interesting and I'm getting the hang of it!

Freedom!

We had a busy day today!  We were out the door and at the newcomer's brief by 7a.  It was 6 hours of a lot of information.  Most of it stressed how we're ambassadors and that any incident that might be considered trivial in the States could become an international headline quite easily.  Kind of seems like a no-brainer, but they stressed it over and over, so it must be an issue.
What I loved most today was the culture segment.  We learned just a few things, but it is so interesting to me!  For instance, they have different ways of pointing to themselves (they point to their nose instead of to their chest), calling people over to them (we wave palm up; they wave palm down, as though they were looking through a filing cabinet) 'saying' excuse me (no one says excuse me, you just put your hand up perpendicular to your chest and bow your head), as well as some common phrases:  Konnichiwa (good afternoon), Doomo arigatoo Gozaiamsu (Thank you very much), Itadakimasu (before eating) Sumi masen (excuse me) and how to say McDonald's, cheesburger (cheeseborger lol) and a few other random things.
We took the Japanese driving test today.  I was so nervous and I studied. a lot.  I hate "rules of the road" tests.  I had butterflies the entire time I was taking the test.  Somehow, I passed.  The Mr did not study at all.  He passed.  Show off.  But passing means we are closer to FREEDOM!!!  Our sponsors have been incredibly supportive and fantastic, but nothing compares to being able to get in your own vehicle and just go and do and explore!
After we got our licenses taken care of The Mr and Sean (The Mr's sponsor) went and got haircuts while I wandered around the 'market' at the PX (the exchange).
I have been terribly guilty about not being very descriptive about what exactly we're experiencing over here-- more just listing what we're doing.  I know I am not conveying how much I am falling in love with the culture here.  It is so laid back here yet they are respectful.  Okinawans tend to be rather conservative and as much as they are trendy they are traditional.  I wandered the exchange and with every kimono, tea set, rice bowl set, coin purse, and piece of furniture my interest and desire to learn more about where I am grew exponentially.   I am sad that I am away from our friends and family, but at the same time I feel like 3 years just won't be long enough. crazy.
This morning the speakers also lightly touched on the million and one things there are to do here.  Between the snorkeling/scuba diving, castles, cultural events, and traveling we have a very full and exciting 'to do' list.  I really hope we make the most of our time here!

K did really well with Cheryl (Sean's wife) today, which was a huge relief and made me hopeful that we'll be able to have a social life.  Seems silly, but I've pretty much relied on family and wives from our last office (Cheri or Katie) to babysit.  When I had someone other than my parents watching K she was usually sleeping.  So leaving her for 8 hours when she was to spend most of that time awake today with someone we just met (we have really enjoyed our time with her) was rather difficult.

Random Japanese law that I LOVE: If you get into a car with someone who is legally drunk (BAC is .03 ... yep, point zero-three!!) you are just as guilty of a DUI as the driver!  Also, DUIs .03-.08 are punishable by up to 3 years in prison and $5,000 fine and the punishments only get more severe as the BAC increases.

Random USMC admin policy that I LOVE: If your juvenile is assigned community service for a 'bad behavior' the Inspector General views it as a cry for attention from the child and requires the parent to 'supervise' their child's community service.  They even assign parents to have 24 hour supervision of their child, which means if the child has school then the parent goes with them or the child goes to work with the parent.  How awesome is that?!  I wish they did that in the States.  I think a lot of bullying and YouTube videos would come to a halt rather quickly.

Our next couple weeks are going to be very busy.  What kind of things are you all interested in reading about? If anyone reads this, that is :)

Tomorrow:
Commissary
Assemble Typhoon Preparedness kit
BUY MY CAR!! woohoo!

Coming Up:
Go to Housing Office-- hopefully get our new home this week
Go to Tricare office
Hoping to get over to the FRO and through LINKS
Basic Japanese class (starts June 5)
Oshibana class (June 15)
Origami class (June 25)
Uruma Grocery Store tour (June 14) I'm all about trying to get local produce!!
Fridays is 'lapsit' at the library.  Not sure what this is, but it's for K's age and that little girl needs some friends!  They also have Play mornings on thursdays, but I am unsure where that is.

I really want to find a farmer's market in the very near future.  I'm really nervous about driving on the left-hand side, especially off-base!

ok need to go to bed.  g'night!

Toto, I've a feeling we're not in Kansas anymore

Japan is crazy and beautiful and wonderful and I feel like we're really going to enjoy our time here.  Saturday our sponsors, Cheryl and Sean, took us out and about a little bit and we had so much fun!  First we set up our phones (woot, woot we finally joined the iPhone crowd!), got some yen, then went to lunch out in town.  We went to Chatan Linya and had some pretty awesome ramen.  I cannot wait to go back!  It was so yummy!  We took our shoes off, sat on the floor and ate at a small table.  I found that I'm gong to have to become a pro with chopsticks very soon!
Afterwards we wandered American Village, which has a massive store.  It was kind of like a mall, but it's all open with very few shops having their own walls.  I found some decently priced produce.  Fruit at the commissary is so expensive: $3/lb for bananas, $4 for 1/4 pint (quart)of blueberries, $2.50/lb peppers, $3.50/lb apples... The fruit at the mall thing was like $2.50 for 1/4 thing of blueberries, $3 for strawberries... still kind of expensive, but better than the comm.  I'm looking forward to going to their farmer's market.
We wandered around the shopping center for quite a while looking at all their fun stuff.  I was kind of nervous about taking photos, so I only took a couple.  I don't know the customs yet, so I am trying not to be rude.  Side note: apparently tipping is considered rude.  I feel like I'm stealing when I walk away from the restaurant without tipping.  It's so strange.
After the market, (OH! we had some AWESOME juice with boba- so yummy) we went over to get frozen yogurt.  They have a shoppe that's a lot like the yogurt heaven we had in SD, so the Mr. is happy.  Then we wandered around the rest of American Village and by the sea wall/ beach.  You can see a 'flash mob' they did in 2011 here.
K loved every moment of it-- there was so much for her to explore.  The people here love her.  It's so cute how much attention they pay to her.
The (native) children here are so polite.  When we went to lunch K saw a little boy (about 6 years old) and walked up and stood behind him.  He turned around and accidentally knocked her on her bum.  He immediately picked her back up and spoke to her apologetically.  I have no idea what he was saying, but you could tell he felt badly.  He bowed his head and comforted her.  It was so cute.
Sunday we took it pretty easy since we were still jet lagged.  We went on another run to the commissary, played in the playroom and went to dinner at Macaroni Grill (yuck).  Monday, we went to this mega thrift store, then to dinner at this fantastic place where they bring you all-you-can-eat meat/veggies that you grill yourself.  I love dining out here.  It's so different from home.  Then we had ice cream and wandered American Village again.  It seems more festive at night because there are Christmas-like lights everywhere.
Today, we took it easy, looked at a couple cars, went to the px, did some laundry...
I am really looking forward to getting settled and getting into a schedule.  I really miss having a routine.    I'm also really looking forward to getting a license.  It's so hard not having a car and freedom!
Tomorrow, the Mr and I are going to the Newcomer Orientation Brief.  K is being watched by our sponsor and I'm a little nervous because it's the first time she will be left for that long when she's not being watched by my family.  I hope it goes well, but I'm going to have to get used to my family not being around.

I can't believe it's been 6 weeks since I last wrote.  So much has happened that I won't do any of it justice.

Saying goodbye to our friends and family was difficult.  We actually got to Skype with my family today and got all teary when I saw how excited K was to see them.  It made me think of all that they are going to miss by being away from each other....


But, back to the beginning of our journey here:
K and I left San Diego at 10a wednesday morning.  I cried when the dumb TSA agent told me my carry-on luggage was too big and had to be checked.  Then cried again when some random lady came up and asked if she could pray for me.  Sometimes God lets me feel His presence, sometimes I need Him to speak directly to me.  Her random kindness reminded me who exactly is in control and I pulled myself together.  Normally, bossy TSA lady wouldn't have reduced me to tears, but I had to repack my backpack  (in the middle of the terminal) so I could include what I needed from my carry-on.  Plus, I was just a little bit emotional leaving SD.  I love that city.
K cried most of the way from San Diego to San Francisco.   Then she fell asleep during the landing.  We got off the plane (did I mention I was carrying K in the baby bjorn, lugging a carseat, backpack, and camera bag? it was a bit of a pain) and hurried to our connecting flight.  Our flight to Tokyo was pretty uneventful.  I had read a few blogs about how to keep your child entertained on international flights and I am so ever-loving-grateful for them because they suggested things I never would have thought of like small, wrapped gifts to give K when she was bored.  so smart.  love them.  I had a happy baby on the way to Tokyo.  **sidenote: United Airlines is terrible.  ab so lute ly terrible.  ***
Then in Tokyo we transferred to All Nippon Airways.  Got a little lost, but our awesome flgiht attendant directed me to customs.  Got to our gate just in time to board our plane and we began the last leg of our trip.  K and I were so worn out and I am so grateful that she slept most of this flight.

I get all emotional telling this next part of our story.  Everyone we've been in contact with out here has been over-the-top helpful and kind.  We've had complete strangers offer rides, groceries, and every kind of help we might possibly need.  It's been wonderful.  There's this 'we take care of each other' mentality out here that I absolutely love and cannot wait to return.  So, back to our journey...  I'm waiting at the baggage claim with K in the bjorn and a very full cart with a backpack, carseat, and camera bag in it.  I see my four bags twirling around the carousel and am wondering how in the world I am going to keep an eye on my stuff and somehow go get the remainder of all the crap belongings I have.
I look to my right and there's a gal in an Air Force uniform standing there, so I ask her if she'd mind just watching my things for me.  She says, no problem and I go and get my 2 pieces of luggage, my carry-on that wasn't carried-on and K's pack-n-play.  I'm cursing myself at all the crap stuff I had to bring and lugging all this stuff back to my other pile of stuff when the Air Force gal goes and gets another cart for me AND rearranges my stuff.  I thank her and am about to try to maneuver these carts out when she calls her friend over to cart my stuff and all 3 of us walk out to the departure lobby.  I ask her where she's coming from and she nonchalantly says she's coming home from AFGHANISTAN! Seriously?! Not only is this woman just back from deployment, but she's pushing MY cart over to my waiting welcoming party when her son comes running into her arms.  I should've been the one helping her.  I was blown away that she took her time to help me when she's been separated from her family while on deployment.  She must have been dying to get on the other side of that glass.  I will be forever grateful for her kindness... She was completely selfless and I really admire her.  I wish I knew who she was so I could say thank you or do something nice for her or her family-- she disappeared before I got her name.

Anyway, I hope to write soon about our first full day out in Okinawa.  We had a ton of fun! We've learned so much already and can't wait to see and do more!