Thirty-seven Bicycles in Japan

37 (plus a few?) bicycles at the Japan Air Self Defense members dorm. Bicyclists are quite common in Japan....they can be a hazard to avoid.  Driving here can be quite scary come to think of it so can walking. LOL 


Choosing Joy!
©2010 D.R.G.
~Coram Deo~
Living all of life before the face of God...

Just in Case You were Wondering - Michael

I would have thought that this has something to do with "folklore," but I am, apparently, incorrect on this.  This must be a special kind of a dance. I am wondering if forks are actually used in the dance, and if yes, I am wondering if somehow the "lors" have something to do with the forks or perhaps come to a bad end because of the forks.  Maybe if I am not doing anything one of these Friday evenings, I will have to check it out.  Then again, I am not sure I could handle seeing a Greek "lor" or any other nationality of "lor" get forked irregardless of whether it was done in connection with a dance.  

Maybe more to come, maybe...
Blessings
Michael

Choosing Joy!
©2010 D.R.G.
~Coram Deo~
Living all of life before the face of God...

Visit from the Slovenian Chief of Chaplains - Michael

It was a surprise and a delight to meet Slovenia's Chief of Chaplains (on the right) as well as getting to visit for a little bit with one of the regular Slovenian chaplains.  I even got a coin out of the deal.  Pretty cool.

Blessings
Michael

Choosing Joy!
©2010 D.R.G.
~Coram Deo~
Living all of life before the face of God...

Look What They are Doing to My Neighborhood! - Michael

When I arrived, my "back yard" was fairly nice (all things considered, that is).  There were trees for shade and quite a bit of open space (you should see other places around the compound).  Then they began to change things.  First, they added four conex "hooches," but the backyard was still pretty much intact.

Now they are making a total mess of my back yard.  It has been months coming, but they are finally getting it done.  Ugh!  All of the trees are gone.  There are trenches going everywhere.  Soon they will be adding a whole line of conex "hooches" to this area.  "Cozy" is not going to describe it - more like "really crowded" or "crammed-full."

What a drastic change it will make to this area of camp, but it needs to be done.  They are just not safe where they were located.

And they call this progress...
Michael

Choosing Joy!
©2010 D.R.G.
~Coram Deo~
Living all of life before the face of God...

Farewell to SSgt B - Michael

It is with a happy, sorrow that I said farewell to my Chaplain Assistant from when I first arrived.  SSgt B has been a hard worker, a devoted chapel advocate, and a friend.  It has been a delight to have worked with him. 

Hopefully, our paths will cross again in the future.  Until then, The Lord bless you and keep you...
When I get some photos I will introduce my new Chaplain Assistant.  He is proving to be every bit as proficient and competent as SSgt B.

Michael

Choosing Joy!
©2010 D.R.G.
~Coram Deo~
Living all of life before the face of God...

Look, 38 Roses in Afghanistan - Michael

I was walking past these rose bushes and they are still blooming.  With roses coming and going, there were 38 of them.  I have enjoyed these roses all summer long.  They have been bright red to pink to white. 

It has definitely been nice to see.
Michael

Choosing Joy!
©2010 D.R.G.
~Coram Deo~
Living all of life before the face of God...

Road TRIP

Akikosan took us on an adventure last Saturday. We drove up to Goshogawara, over to Hirosaki, had dinner in Aomori at the Bikuri Donkey (Surprise Donkey), and then drove home to Misawa.

Some general thoughts (tourist photos in future posts):

Fairly early in our trip Akikosan was compelled to give me some driving instruction. ::snort::

"In Japan yellow means go. "

 Red means, "Go cautiously."

Green means, "Go FAST."

This cleared up a lot for me. She also informed me that you drive at least 20 klicks above the limit, but watch for the cameras as they'll send you tickets in the mail. I've never noticed the cameras before. GI Bill Pay pays our bills and so I routinely throw away anything that comes in the mail, looks like a bill and is all in Japanese. She said I may want to let her see those before throwing them away. ::snort::

Akikosan has a cool GPS AP on her cell phone....of course, it was all in Japanese...but I got fairly good at knowing to go straight, turn left or right.....wasn't always sure HOW FAR  before the turns. LOL

There are many long tunnels in Japan. Michael started a family game long ago of holding your breath while in tunnels. Stacia turned blue. This tunnel was over 2 miles long. I'm convincing her that we have a "Japanese by" on this game.  The family also likes to honk in tunnels. I think this is an American thing....as no one but Americans seem compelled to honk in tunnels. 

Ice cream is good on hot days - traditional Japanese isu (slushy in a cone) or modern isu (soft serve). Ice cream by any name may fall off the cone if you attempt to eat it on a teeter totter. ::snort::  Look closely - yes, I DID take a photo....and her tears were short lived. 

This wasn't the funniest moment of the day. That would be when Stacia insisted on going into a stall on her own. We waited and waited......"Mom, how do you make the music start?" We laughed. Waited.....finally....

"MOM! Akikosan! It's blowing hot air and won't stop."

I found this moment fairly funny too. 

From 2010-08-28roadtrip

Choosing Joy!
©2010 D.R.G.
~Coram Deo~
Living all of life before the face of God...