Halfway Through July!!!

Lots of things have been going on since I last updated the blog, as it has been a few months...!  I made my trip back home to good ole Greensboro, North Carolina on June 3rd.  It was a huge culture shock when I made my first United States landing in Newark, New Jersey.  The biggest shock to me was the un-cleanliness of the airport.  Things in Japan are SO clean, and the people take pride in that, but things aren't like that in the states.  It was also just a lot louder in the airport, once again, people in Japan are very quiet people, they don't like to make big scenes or anything of the sort, Americans on the other hand, don't care much about that!  The plane ride itself wasn't terrible.  I began in Okinawa, then flew to Tokyo.  Then I had a long 13 hour ride to NJ, then on the Greensboro!  It seems like nothing looking back on it because I was so excited about seeing my family again after 9 months!
I had such an awesome time at home spending quality time with my family and a few close friends.  Andy and Ivy's wedding was very fun to attend, and I am super proud of Jessica for graduating high school!  The family packed up and went to Topsail Island for a week.  It was a nice get away, even though I was already on a get away!! The beaches here in Japan are very different than in the states, in fact it is more like going to the lake than the beach here.  So it was nice going to TI because there were waves, and I just love the sound of waves crashing.  After the beach, we traveled a few minutes south to Wilmington to get ready for Jessica's college orientation.  We got to do some sight seeing and fun things around Wilmington over the weekend, then Mom and Dad took turns on attending the orientation with Jessica.  I was the lucky one, I got to go to the beach both days with one parent or the other and relax a bit more.  I was glad to be able to go to the orientation, or rather be in town for it because I got to see Jessica's orientation dorm room.  It made me feel special since I won't be able to see her actual dorm room, for a couple more years anyways!  After orientation was over we zoomed back to Greensboro and a day later, I was back on a plane again.  It seems like a snap of a finger as I am describing the trip, and it did go by quickly.  My next trip home, I am planning on staying just a little bit longer.
The most exciting news I have to share came to me the day I left Greensboro to come back to Okinawa.  I got an offer for a Kindergarten position at the school I substituted at mainly! I was very, very excited to get that email.  Currently, I am still waiting on the paper work to be completed, and then I should be good to start setting my classroom up for the school year!  I can't wait for the adventures it will bring!
Since I have gotten back to Okinawa, Brian and I have been doing more exploring around the island.  My first weekend back, we went on a trip south of the island to the Peace Memorial Park.  This has memorials and a museum all about Okinawa, and focusing on WWII.  We did feel a bit strange about walking in there and reading about the history and the things the US Military did over here, but it was a really neat place to check out, and the view at the end was totally worth it.  Once you are finished touring the museum, you get an amazing view of the ocean!  That same weekend, we also found what we think will be our favorite Mexican restaurant over here.  It is very delicious Mexican food and we have already been back a second time!!  The other two weekends have mainly been spent checking out some stores close by our base.  It seems as though the Japanese are very interested in American culture and items.  They have US License plates for sale at many stores, old signs, Coca-Cola collection, barrels full of fast food restaurant toys, and much more.  It is fun to check out the stores and see what all they have.  This weekend we are planning to go about an hour up north to the Orion Beer Factory, and I want to check out a Pineapple Village while we are up that way as well.  The Beer Factory is self explanatory, and the Pineapple Village has all things pineapple as well as lots of souvenirs!
Piston is still a growing puppy! He is now 9 months old and just as crazy as ever. He loves sleeping and being lazy, but at night when it gets cooler outside, he loves playing in his big backyard fence! Brian and I have been in Okinawa for 10 months now, and just can't believe how close we are to our one year mark over here!! As neat as it is to be in a foreign country, we still can't wait to come back to the states!!!

Mom, me, and Dad at the airport!

Jessica and I at the wedding

With the newlyweds! 

After Jessica's Graduation

Mom and me in Wilmington

Me and Dad at the beach on Father's Day

I'm pretty sure this is the actual Peace Memorial

This "piece" was not marked, so we aren't sure what it is or the significance

The awesome view at the end of the museum!

Behind Brian is one of the cliffs where many Japanese jumped off during WWII.

February-Beginning of April

I will try to fill in on the last few months of our lives over here....
Brian was gone most of February on a training exercise.  During this time, I finished my "Culture Substitute Teacher" position because they hired someone full time.  My last couple of days, the new lady came in to observe and get her things together.  It was a lot of fun talking to her because she is a native of Okinawa.  She was extremely nice, and even made Brian and I Kanji signs with our names on them.
After finishing this position, I am just a "normal" substitute now, so I just get called in for odd jobs here and there.  I have been able to work a couple of longer jobs rather than just the day jobs.  One was for about a week, and another was for two weeks. I like working in the longer term because you can connect more with the kids, and it gives me ideas for my own classroom in the future!  During my week long job, I got to experience my first earthquake.  I was sitting grading papers while the students were working and I noticed that I was rocking back and forth gently, like I was sitting in a rocking chair. I looked up at the students, and they just shrugged it off saying, "It's just an earthquake Mrs. Clark!" I found that quite amusing that it is just second nature for the students.
I have been able to get out and see a lot more things near to us on the island with one of my friends.  She has taken me to different restaurants and stores, all of which have been very enjoyable.  I have tried Indian food for the first time, and it's quite delicious!  Another one of my new favorites is the 100 Yen Store, aka, the Dollar Store.  They literally have EVERYTHING there, it's a little overwhelming, but I can't wait to go back again!
Another thing that has happened that I'm not so proud of is getting my first ticket, ever.  The rule over here (and I think on any military base) is that you can not talk on your cell phone, and we also can't off base in Okinawa.  There aren't many MP's (Military Police) on the bases since they are pretty small, and usually you don't see then when you are driving around.  Well, they caught me by surprise.  I got a ticket for talking on my cell phone, and it is yet to be decided what my fate will be for that.
The weather has gotten extremely nice within the past week here. Lots of sun and 70 degree weather! I can finally work on my tan now!!!  We have been trying to put a fence up in our backyard for Piston for close to a month now.  The ground here is very tricky though because it is mostly made of red clay.  We have finally given up the battle and are having someone come to put it up for us at the end of this next week.  Piston will be very happy to have a fence to play in once it is all said and done.
Piston is still growing at a rapid pace and is a lot of fun for Brian and I both.  He will be 6 months old in just a couple of days, and we have had him for 4 months now.  It seems like we have had him for a lot longer than that though!!! Brian used to say that I spoiled him to death, but now Brian does the spoiling, Piston gets a new toy almost every week because we just can't resist it! Piston now knows a total of 6 tricks including: sit, shake, jump, lay down, high-five, and crawl.  We are still working on the crawling, but if he is focused, he can do it pretty well. 
Brian and I are celebrating our One Year Anniversary today, we can't believe it's been a year already.  We have been through a lot so far, and we've made it!
I am officially coming home in June for Andy and Ivy's wedding, as well as for Jessica's High School Graduation.  I am very excited about coming home to see family and friends.  I know I will miss my new home too though.
Last month, as everyone knows, there was a huge earthquake and large tsunami's in Mainland Japan.  Brian and I are very appreciative of all the thoughts and prayers we got from the natural disasters.  We were extremely fortunate to be so far away from all of the things going on, but are still thinking about all those up in those situations now.  It has still affected us in some small ways.  Brian was supposed to go to help with the relief efforts, but that was cancelled for some reason or another.  Also, DoDDs schools have a transfer program where teachers can request to transfer to a different school or location.  This program is supposed to announce transfers for the next school year around this time, but because of the issues in Japan, this process has been frozen for the time being.  They are not sure what the situation will be for the schools or bases up there in the next school year.  Many of the classrooms up there now are operating with only a handful of students coming to class as it is.  This is affecting me getting a job for now.  Until the transfer situation is under control, I will have to continue being patient to hear about whether I will get a full time teaching position next year or not.
Last week, I went with some of my friends to get a pedicure.  There is a place here called  Cocoks that is famous for their pedicures.  I would say they definitely lived up to those expectations.  We all sat in nice leather recliners and were brought buckets of water for our feet to soak in.  Once that was done, the rest of the pedicure was done with our feet up and leaning back in the recliner.  We each got a glass of Jasmine Tea to sip on that they refilled throughout the two hour process.  They do awesome artwork on pedicures too.  Everything is done to perfection, it is really amazing.  It was an awesome experience, and I can't wait to go again!!
Close to a month ago, we went out to White Beach for a function with Brian's work.  This beach has campers and cabins to rent out.  The campers sit right in front of the ocean with an amazing view.  We had a great time and plan to go back many more times.
I'm not quite sure if I have covered everything that has been happening here, but I did cover a lot of it!! Enjoy, and I'll try to update again before I head back to the states!!!

Above: Araha Beach

Above: White Beach

Above: Kanji from Friend

Piston with his monkey...

Family :)

January

As of the last month.....
Well, we got through our first holiday season over here and survived.  I think it was harder than either of us wanted to admit.  Only 2 more to go though!  Things definitely aren't very exciting at the moment over here as they were in the beginning.  We both have been working throughout the whole month, with a few long weekends because of holidays.  I had another job interview a couple of weeks ago.  I didn't get the position, which was fine with me, it just didn't feel right.  I have still been substituting as the Japanese Culture teacher though.  They finally hired someone new for the job and she will be starting at the beginning of February, so I will only be working in that class for 3 more school days.  I am both excited about that and a little sad.  I have been in there for almost 2 months now, and now I'm just leaving it.  I am hoping to be working most days once this job is up though.  I am also trying to scout out for a job next year.  I would like to stay at the school I am subbing at now because I like the atmosphere and the people there, but there is also a school 5 minutes away from our house that I would like to check out. 
The weather here has been "cold" for Okinawa.  Sometimes it dips into the 40's at night, and during the day it is in the 50's or 60's.  I was quite jealous hearing about all the snow back home, but the only consolation I have is that I will have a full spring break!!  We found out at the beginning of January that they don't turn the heat on in base housing over here.  That was a rude and cold awakening.  And the store was all sold out of heaters, so we ordered one from Lowe's at the beginning of the month and have yet to receive it.  So on really cold nights, I just turn on the oven and stay in the kitchen till I am warm again.  I keep saying that I am sure our heater will finally show up with the weather starts getting warmer, which I have heard that around now the temperatures start climbing back up again.  And apparently the rainy season is in the early months of the year as well.  That, I am not looking forward to.  Who likes rain that much??
Another thing I always mean to blog about is the driving here.  I think I am used to it, and it is basically second nature to me now.  It is very different though.  The highest speed limit here is 80 km, and that is on the expressway which I have only been on a couple of times.  On the other roads, the speed limit usually is around 50-60 km.  KM's of course are "slower" than mph, so I might be driving really slow when I get back to the states.  There is always traffic out here too.  Since there are so many people in such a small space, there are tons of people it seems always driving.  A popular vehicle to ride here is a moped.  Mopeds do a thing called "white lining" which is like it says, riding the white line.  They squeeze in between cars, and when we are all stopped up, they can just keep on trucking.  So while in the states, they are a silly and slow thing to drive, they are very popular and sensible here.  When driving, you have to learn how to weave in and out pretty well....or I did anyways :)  I have also found that it doesn't matter if you get stuck behind a regular car or a dump truck, both lanes will get you there in the same amount of time.  I think I mentioned this in one of my first blogs, but when it is raining, it is the worst time to be out driving.  The roads are made of coral partially, therefore when it rains, they get extremely slippery and you have to be extra careful when driving.
Another thing that keeps me very busy over here is Piston.  He is now about 3.5 months old and crazy as ever.  He is a jealous dog, he doesn't like it when I am on the computer, he comes to push my arm off the mouse and he doesn't like it when me and Brian are talking and not paying attention to him. I have taught him a few tricks, such as sitting, shaking his paw, and my newest trick is for him to jump or stand up.  He basically has the potty training down, unless we don't pay attention to his "signs."
I believe I have covered all that needs to be covered for now....enjoy!!

Tis The Season!

The past (almost) month has been quite busy for me, which is a change I have gladly accepted!  I like to be busy, it helps the time pass, and I always sleep a lot better after a busy day.
I have been substituting for a month now, and I have really gotten used to teaching in the Japanese Culture class.  At first, it was a bit of a challenge because it was completely different from what I was used to teaching and how I was used to teaching.  Japanese Culture is a "specials" class, equivalent to P.E. or Music class, so I see each class in the school at various times during the week.  I have made up enough lesson plans already that should get me through the rest of this assignment.  I have been told now that I will probably be needed through the middle or end of January.  I am perfectly fine with this, because like I said before, it keeps me busy!
Last Friday, I went into a different elementary school on the island for a job interview.  This was for a fourth grade position.  This was my first job interview ever and I felt nervous because I still wasn't refreshed on some things I learned in school that might have been helpful in answering interview questions.  On the day of the interview, I wasn't as nervous as I expected myself to be.  I didn't end up getting the job, but I am taking the positive outlook on it that it was good interview experience for me.  On my next interview, I will be a lot more prepared...and hopefully land a job. :)
As I mentioned in my previous post, Brian and I got a dog.  We picked him up on December 7th, and he is the sunshine in my days now.  Piston is about 10 weeks old now and is a fast learner.  We think that we basically have him potty trained unless he decides to be rebellious inside.  I have also already taught him how to sit.  Piston and I take a couple of walks each day which I enjoy very much.  So far he hasn't done much tearing up in the house.  He knows what his toys are and usually sticks to them.  I keep a pretty close eye on him to make sure he doesn't do anything bad though.
Today is Christmas Eve Eve here.  It still doesn't feel like Christmas.  I suppose there are a couple elements contributing to that effect.  Element number one is that the temperature only lingers barely below 55 at night and sticks in the 70's during the day.  Element number two is that we are both away from our families and things just aren't the same.  We are both trying to manage and hopefully we will be able to make some Christmas traditions of our own here!
Until next post....
Merry Christmas to everyone back home!!

I GOT A JOB!

Finally, I got a job as a substitute teacher!!  Last Monday morning, I got a phone call around 7 am.  It was the secretary from the elementary school I had been volunteering at.  She asked me if I could come in to work that day, I was a bit confused, but she told me that my application had gone through and I could work a half day!!  Of course I said I absolutely could work.  About an hour later, she called me again to ask if I could work the next day as well and the principal wanted to talk with me about a longer term substituting job.  To top my morning off, Brian called me from the field (we hadn't talked in a week since he had been out of cell reception) and said he was coming home a day earlier than expected!!
I went to work that day and had an okay experience.  The long term job is subbing for the Japanese culture teacher as the current teacher is leaving and they need time to find another teacher.  A native Okinawan has to be the teacher in this class so that the students can learn more about the culture from someone who is from that culture.  I was told that I would have to do my own lesson plans and that as of now, I would be working up until Christmas break.  I thought about it for a night and the next day I told the principal that I would take the job.  I will start that job tomorrow.  I am a bit nervous, as well as excited.  It will be a different kind of teaching than I am used to, but I am sure I will be able to figure it out and as a bonus, I will learn more about the culture along with the students!

Last week was Thanksgiving.  It was a little bitter sweet for both me and Brian.  We were really glad to be spending the holiday in each other's company, but we both missed our families.  We had another couple over for dinner as well as some single Marines.  It was a really good time for everyone, and the food was yummy! :)

On exciting and relatively big news, Brian and I are getting a dog soon!  We are getting a husky, he is on his way over from main land Japan.  It is exciting for us both to have our own dog.

Things are a lot better now that I have a job.  The house was getting pretty boring for me.  Life seems a little more normal now that I am working.
I still am not too excited or open to going out in town.  It seems like it is more of a hassel than it is worth.  It is hard to communicate with the natives out in town and it is always so crowded on the streets.  Sometimes it is just more fun (and easy) to sit at home and eat a "home cooked" meal.

The weather here has definitely cooled down and I think it is here to stay.  It is nothing like the cold back home, we have been stuck in the 70's and upper 60's for the past few weeks.  I definitely am enjoying it though because I was missing the cold weather!
Brian and I also set up our Christmas tree the day after Thanksgiving.  We tried to go shopping that night for more decorations and ornaments, but the stores were basically all sold out.  We were told this would happen, so we will just wait until next year to get more decoration.  We have enough to get us through this Christmas season.
These are all the highlights for now!!  Updates again soon!

November

Since my last post, a few new things have happened.  As I left off, we were about to get our second and last shipment of our belongings.  This went very smoothly.  Unfortunately, Brian wasn't able to get the day off from work so I had to stay at home and direct the movers where the boxes should go and such.  Like the first shipment, the movers were very quick and were done in about 45 minutes.  Once they left, I spent the better part of the day unpacking and organizing.  It is kind of a funny thing to go without a large portion of your belongings for two months, you forget a lot of the things you have.  I guess this can also show a person how much they can live without.  I got most of the unpacking done and put away, but there was still a significant amount left once I stopped.
The next day was the Marine Corps Birthday Ball.  I was extremely excited about this.  I went and volunteered for a few hours in the morning at the school and spent a while in the afternoon getting ready.  We had to be at the banquet hall at 5:30 in the evening.  It took about an hour after that for the festivities to begin.  There was a guest speaker and the cake cutting ceremony which were the "main events".  After all of that, dinner began to be served.  There were appetizers, salads, the main dish as well as dessert.  This by far was one of the nicest things I had ever been to.  After the eating was done, most people headed for the bar for drinks.  There was a dance floor and DJ as well.  Me and Brian opted not to crack any moves on the dance floor, but just hung out with friends instead.  Over all, it was a really nice night.
On Wednesday, I decided to go to the Human Resources Office for the School System on the bases.  I had a few papers to turn in for my teaching application and just wanted to show my face and see what else I needed to get done to finish my application.  There wasn't a lot that they could tell me, except that I had one piece of my application to get finished and then I will be selected for an interview at their office.  After this, I will be good to get a job in one of the schools when one opens up!  While I was in their office, I also asked to speak with someone from the Substitute Teaching office to ask about that application.  The only news that I recieved is that I had to keep waiting because the paperwork was between the school and the office still.  This was a bit of a discouraging trip, not to mention the fact that it was located in a place I had never been before.
The next few days were pretty normal and uneventful.
The following week, I volunteered the first two days as school was out for the rest of the week for teacher workdays as well as for the holiday.  Brian had a long weekend and we went to a cookout with friends on Thursday. It was nice to get out and socialize with other people for a night.  Friday, we went shopping for some things for the apartment.  Brian picked out a nice painting and I picked out some candle holders for the wall.  Slowly but surely, we are making this place into a home.  As we were walking in the parking lot back to the car, we realized that we didn't even get the one thing we really wanted to get at the store.  We still haven't purchased a grill over here and were really going to get one at the store, but completely forgot.  We practically lived off the grill back in North Carolina, so we are craving some good grilled food now.  Soon enough, we will remember to get one.
Last week, Brian and I finally finished a puzzle that was started about a month ago.  Once it was finished, we decided it would be cool to frame it and use it as decoration.  I bought another puzzle at the store so we can keep doing that to fill up the walls.
Brian also has picked up a new hobby of playing the guitar.  He used to take lessons for it, and decided that he wants to learn how to play again.  He got a guitar this weekend and so far has really enjoyed learning to play.
It has hard to believe we have been here for two months already!  I am getting excited for the holidays coming up soon.  It will be fun to spend our first holiday season together as a married couple, while at the same time we will both be missing our families a whole lot.
Hopefully the next time I write, I will have exciting job news!!  Fingers crossed...

As Of Lately

Monday October 18, 2010

It has been a couple of weeks since I have updated my blog.  Not a whole lot of exciting things are happening anymore.  Things have calmed down enough where I don’t feel as though I should do a day by day blog.  I will try to just hit some of the highlights of the past 2 weeks.

I am still waiting to hear back about substitute teaching, but I am expecting to hear from them within a week or so.  I am very ready to start working a little bit so I am not as bored as I feel some days. 

Our 6 month wedding anniversary was last week, which for me was a mini-milestone.  It’s hard to believe we have been married for 6 months, but with everything that has happened in the 6 months, it feels like a lifetime!

Slowly, Brian and I have been adding things to our apartment to make it more homey feeling.  We have purchased a lamp for the living room, curtains for the kitchen or back door, and curtains for the living room and our bedroom.  Putting curtains up provided quite a challenge for us.  Our windows are quite large and not many of the rods were long enough to fit, and then we had to decide on the curtains we liked best.  Brian’s pick got to stay in the living room while mine are in the bedroom.  The ones in the bedroom are a bit too small, so they might not be there for long.  One of my favorite purchases lately has been the patio set we got!  It is black wrought iron, a circle table with four chairs.  Now we are almost ready to entertain!  We just need to get a grill for Brian!

Our second shipment of things will be coming in about two weeks, which we are both pretty anxious to get.  That will definitely complete our home.

Last week, Brian’s work had a beach party cookout for someone who was leaving to go back to the states.  That was pretty fun for us because that allowed us an easy way to meet new people.  Also last Monday, we decided to venture out in town to go eat as well as walk along the “strip”.  We had a really good time and can’t wait to go and explore different parts of the island like that.

Last Friday, I went out with a friend to go dress shopping for the Marine Birthday-Ball on November 2^nd.  This was a lot of fun and I found a dress that I can’t wait to wear!!  Of course, all good things come with a little complication.  That day, I ran over a screw in the road and had to get a new tire put on.  That wasn’t a major ordeal, but I definitely could have gone on in life if it hadn’t happened!!

Sunday was our one month mark for being in Okinawa!  It is slightly hard to believe we have been here for that long already, in some sense, it seems like we just got here!  On Sunday, me and Brian went out to the beach.  Brian bought some flippers, goggles and a snorkel (I just got goggles and a snorkel) to explore some of the ocean with.  The water is pretty clear, but where we swam at, there wasn’t much to see.  It was pretty crazy how far off the ocean dropped.  There was a netted swimming area, but once you went outside of that, the ocean dropped off deeper than we could see!  I wasn’t a huge fan of this, but it was still a fun and new experience for us.

Friday, October 29, 2010

Once again, I have put off writing my blog and putting it online.  Once again, there really isn’t a whole lot of excitement going on.  Last weekend, we went to a comedy show with some friends.  It was pretty funny and a nice way to get out of the house!  It is really cool all of the opportunities that we have over here.  The comedy show was free for us which made it even nicer!  On Sunday, Brian and I decided to try snorkeling again.  We were supposed to meet someone who was going to show us to a really cool snorkeling place, but that didn’t work out.  Eventually, we found the place on our own.  Once we got to the parking lot, it was another adventure trying to figure out where to snorkel at!  We walked down a couple of trails and up on a huge rock and finally found where we needed to go.  Unfortunately by that time, the sun was starting to go down so we just decided we would come back early in the day another time.

On Monday, I volunteered at the Elementary School.  It has been Red Ribbon Week for schools here (and back home) and on Monday, all of the students participated in a parade with the Marine Corps band leading them off.  Afterwards, I helped some students in a fourth grade classroom.  Overall, it was not the experience I was looking for, but it was only my first time at the school.

On Tuesday, some interesting news was brought to my attention.  One of our neighbors informed me that a Typhoon was headed our way and was due to hit in a couple of days.  There wasn’t much for us to prepare for.  Our apartment is a very sturdy building, as it has to be because of all the bad weather they get here throughout the summer and fall months.  We had plenty of water and food to eat as well.  Tuesday there were many gusts of wind coming and by Wednesday, there was rain added on to an increase in the wind gusts.  Thursday morning, Brian left for work, but about 5 minutes later, was back home because his higher-ups didn’t want him traveling to work since we live on a different base from his work.  If he had gone to work and the weather had gotten bad really fast, he may have been stuck there throughout the storm.  Therefore, Brian stayed at home and we just relaxed all day and listened to the whistling wind and the down pour of rain.  By this morning, the storm was basically all gone.  This shocked everybody, we all figured it wouldn’t be over until maybe tonight or tomorrow morning.  Sure enough though, there hasn’t been any rain so far today, there are only mild gusts of wind every now and then.

After Brian got ready for work, we both headed over to set up an appointment to get our second (and last) shipment of our belongings!  We were able to make an appointment for it to be dropped off on Monday which made both of us very happy.  After this, Brian headed off to work, and I headed off to volunteer again.  I worked with the school nurse to help her organize some papers.  While this again isn’t the experience I was looking for, I was okay with it.  When you start out somewhere new, you have to start at the bottom, and it certainly won’t hurt to make connections with all employees at the school.

Speaking of the school, I STILL am waiting to hear back about substitute teaching.  When they told me it takes a while for the papers to get processed, they were not joking around.  For now, I’ll keep volunteering so people will know who I am.