1001 little visitors

We survived Halloween 2012!  Today RJ, Ryleigh, and Amy went to a Parade of Costumes at RJ's preschool.  Here are some photos from the event (note that the truck had undergone some damage and was missing some pieces which were later glued back on).

Yay!  We're having fun, Mom.

I'm super cute with my Dalmation outfit and Halloween bow.

RJ had to be front and center for this picture, but the fun might have work off by this point.  He doesn't exactly look like he's having the time of his life.

Quite the GQ-ish pose, RJ.

This evening, the trick-or-treaters came in droves.  We handed a single piece of candy to 1001 kids and actually had to close up shop early since we ran out!  It was nutty.  The base lets the Japanese employees bring guests and family onboard for the evening to go trick-or-treating.  They all had a blast along with the American kids from the base.  RJ, Ryleigh, and I wandered around the neighborhood for a while doing some trick-or-treating ourselves.  RJ is still not hip on going up to a stranger and saying "trick-or-treat," so we only visited some of our friends who live nearby.  After that, we came back and RJ played with our neighbor's son for a while (Quinn is about 6 months older than RJ and they make quite the pair!).  Here are some not-so-good photos from the evening.

Candy from a real firefighter.

A little better picture except RJ's eyes are closed.

A picture of the real fire truck as it passed.

I was trying to get the fire truck in the background but was struggling with the camera.

Back at home.

A rare time when there were no children waiting for candy.

It was a good Halloween here in Japan.  We hope that yours is just as good wherever you are.
-Jip

Work humor

Work.  I have a good job.   It would be better if it were in the States, but that's another blog post.  Most of the time, my work is pretty serious.  We routinely execute $3-5 million maintenance availabilities on the ships.  We ensure ships that, on a moment's notice, are ready to deploy and to fire weapons in defense or, heaven forbid, in offense.  There's no room for error or miscalculation.  Technically, everything must be exact and to the specification.  This may sound boring or not fun, but actually, for someone like me with a practical, engineering type brain and okay management skills, it's a good job. 

Keeping it so grounded and serious at work can sometimes be a drag, so I have look for the funnier sides of the business here and there.  I maintain a list of quotes that my coworkers have uttered that strike me as funny or amusing (in a geeky, nerdy sort of way).  I laugh as much as I can and crack jokes where it's appropriate.  I never yell and hardly ever get angry--I'd rather smile and have a "glass half full" outlook on life.  Being able to bridge the gap between the Americans and the Japanese and have them both laugh at you brings about a feeling of accomplishment and camaraderie. 

I thought I'd share a couple recent lighter sides of my job that made me chuckle the other day.  I'm not sure if you all will find this amusing, but I do.

First, in no way am I making fun of my Japanese coworkers.  They work extremely hard, do phenomenal work, and for those who are bilingual do their absolute best to communicate clearly.  I, on the other hand, have not learned much Japanese.  I can't write any Kanji characters.  If I tried to write an email in Japanese, I'd end up writing gibberish. 

This brings me to my first story.  I had written a Shop Head (a Japanese National who has worked at SRF for 30+ years) to ask a question about a string of work that his shop is executing.  My question: "On another note, what is the status of the bottom blow piping fabrication?  What is the new completion date?  Was a QA-14 written for the problem?"  (A QA-14 is used to document a quality issue).   

The response: "Fabricate through on going truck that stilll our goal is 5 or 6 hydro date.  So I don't think issued QA14!  Because too much difficult fit up alignment on bbp process works.  So We must effort against that on goal as well."

I see emails like this quite a bit, by the way, but this one really made me use my best deciphering skills.   Here's my interpretation and summary: "The fabrication is on track to be done to support a hydro date of the 5th or 6th.  I don't think a QA-14 is necessary because the work is difficult and the alignment has to be perfect."  

Well, after a few reads through the email, some head scratching and a couple assumptions later, I did the best thing I could think of--pass the message on to the Officer who works for me and who needed the information more than I did.  And what did I write in my email to help convey the message more clearly and be the best leader/manager I could be?  I simply wrote, "FYI???" and hit Send.

Okay, so that may not be very funny to you, but it brightened my day.  Moving on...

The other thing that made me laugh that day was the following sticker handed to us by a paint company representative who was touting "We supply American paint to be put on American ships!"

It's just too bad that they didn't use an American spell checker!

Be proud to be an Amercian!
-Jip





 

 

There's Pumpkin Stuff in the Pumpkin

We carved pumpkins tonight. It was the first time we've carved pumpkins with our kids. The last time we carved pumpkins, we helped Keene, New Hampshire set a Guinness Record for the most lit jack-o-lanterns in one place. And, last time we had power tools--this time, we had cheap tools from the commissary and an old Pampered Chef knife. But, I digress.

I was cleaning up dinner and Ryleigh when Jip and RJ went out back to get started. A few minutes after they went out, RJ pounded on the door and yelled, "Mom, there's pumpkin stuff in the pumpkin!" The declaration was made because when RJ asked Jip why he was cutting a hole in the bottom, Jip told him it was to get the pumpkin stuff out. So, RJ just had to make sure I knew what was in the pumpkin.

How RJ and Ryleigh helped carve. At least they were out of the way most of the time sharp objects were being used.

"Dad, you need to cut over there, too."

"This pumpkin carving is hard. I need to take a break."

Working on our silly face.

And, the final result. They aren't anything spectacular, but they delighted RJ. And Mom and Dad had fun!

T-R-O-U-B-L-E

The other day, I saw a child's t-shirt that said, "Mischief is my business, and business is GOOD!"  That t-shirt can be worn by both of our kiddos.  They are slick sometimes.  They quietly get into what they shouldn't, and before you know it, something is wet, dirty, broken, or otherwise not as it should be.  Two cases in point:

What do you get when RJ wants to wash off a couple of his matchbox cars and a new bottle of Bath and Bodyworks foaming hand soap?  This.  At least it smelled yummy.  And, the cars were clean. 

Ryleigh loves the dishwasher and fridge.  Today, I was trying to put groceries away and she stealthily came in behind me and tried to help me take them back out.  She grabbed applesauce, yogurt, soda, and if she could have reached it, I'm sure she would have tried for the beer, too.

At least so far the trouble RJ and Ryleigh have caused has been harmless.  I wonder how long it will stay that way?

"Hole in the Potty," Part 2

Another night.  Another Halloween Party.

Tonight was the CFAY Halloween Carnival at Purdy Gym. We went to this same thing last year and it was just as nutty this year as it was last year.  For $3 per child, we entered on the first floor, got some glow-in-the-dark necklaces, proceeded down a dark passageway, got some candy at a couple stops, and then climbed the stairs to the second floor where we entered the gymnasium.  In the gym, there were several game booths set up as well as some bouncy-bouncy houses.  The booths and bouncy houses could have been a lot of fun, but there were TONS of people and long lines existed for everything.  Regardless, we managed to play a couple games and spend some time bouncing (which is a way more than RJ did last year).

The photos aren't great, but here are a few snapshots of our evening.

The firetruck was a hit once again.

Ryleigh wasn't enjoying her costume tonight.  She kept tugging at the ears and ended up being very hot.

Just about the only photo we got of them both quasi looking toward the camera.

RJ playing a game where he was supposed to toss three balls into a milk can.  He got two in.

Once out of her costume, Ryleigh was cooler, but still quite cranky.

RJ enjoying the bouncy house.

 A wiffle ball game.  RJ didn't win the grand prize, but he got some candy.

Tonight's "hole in the potty" was okay.  We have a reprieve now until Wednesday when we have his school party and then the actual trick-or-treating around the neighborhood.  Our little firefighter will have to keep his uniform hanging on the wall for a few days.

-Jip

"Hole in the Potty," Part 1

RJ was very excited all day to go to the Halloween party at the CO's house this evening. When Jip came home, RJ came running up and started yelling "Halloween Party, Halloween Party!" But, Jip heard, "Hole in the Potty, Hole in the Potty!"

We had a great time tonight! I wish I could say I got great pictures of the kids in their costumes, but alas, that didn't happen. Maybe at tomorrow night's hole in the potty (Halloween Carnival). Until then, 3 pics for your enjoyment.

And....done!

We finished la piece de resistance (said with my best French accent).  We had to do some re-gluing tonight after a quick trip to the Autoport for more super glue, and we attached the suspenders.  Next time it will be out of the closet, it'll be on a little boy dressed in a firefighter outfit headed to a Halloween Party.  Thankfully, we bought Ryleigh's outfit so we didn't have to build it!  They are going to make cute pair this Halloween.

We'll send more pictures of the costumes on the kiddos later.

Have a wonderful day/night!
-Jip

Head First

This afternoon we headed to the little playground near our house. Ryleigh had fun in the swing for awhile, but she was itching to crawl around. So, I set her loose, and up the stairs, toward the slide, she went. I glanced away to look at what RJ was doing and when I looked back at Ryleigh, she was halfway down the slide--head first. She did it just like a pro, with arms stretched out in front of her and flat on her belly. She stopped in plenty of time, turned around to put her feet on the ground first, and then proceeded back to the stairs to do it all over again. Ryleigh was so delighted with herself.

RJ, believe it or not, has never headed down a slide head first. But, after he saw Ryleigh do it, he tried it. The look on his face afterward made me think he was wondering why he hadn't thought of that before, because it was so fun. Of course, it helped that he was chasing his plastic cell phone down the slide.

What could it be?

As Halloween nears, parents' artistic and engineering skills are put to the test.  Neither of us claim to be a great artist or engineer, but we'll do our best for the little kiddos.  Besides, what criticism can a 1 and a 3 year old give?

We are working on a costume project for RJ.  Here are some photo hints as it's being built:

As it comes together, we'll keep you updated with photos. 
-Jip

Picnic Pics

Jip is super busy building RJ's firetruck costume, and I am at a loss for what to blog about tonight, so here are a few pics from the two picnics we had last week for Jip's work.  The first picnic was for all the military folks after they completed the semi-annual PRT (Physical Readiness Test).  The second picnic was an employee appreciation picnic for all of the employees, US and Japanese, in Code 330 (Waterfront Operations).

Something lacking at both picnics were tables.  So, Ryleigh got to have lunch in her stroller both days.  I think she was okay with that.

One of the rare moments RJ was contained at the post-PRT picnic.

Dad's cover is just a little too big, but it sure made for a cute picture.

RJ and Ryleigh hung onto every moment they could with Dad -- literally.

 

RJ telling one of the translators all about his blueberry banana "applesauce."  RJ was totally in love with Nomi-chan after she listened to his story, and RJ followed her around the rest of the afternoon.

And, a rusty staircase is where RJ got to have lunch at the Code 330 picnic.

The kids had so much fun getting to have lunch with Dad 3 times in one week--two picnics and our weekly lunch.  I don't think we'll be able to top that this week!

Mikoshi Parade

Today was the annual Yokosuka Mikoshi Parade.  A mikoshi is a divine palanquin.  What is a palanquin?  I had to look that up!  A wheel-less transport of people, by people.  The mikoshi look a lot like little Shinto shrines, so we westerners often mistakenly say mikoshis are portable shrines.  Anyway, Shinto followers believe that the mikoshi transports a deity between the main shrine to a portable shrine during a festival. 

Yokosuka's Mikoshi Parade is an open base event that allows members of our host country to come onto base.  It means big business for our food vendors, too!  The parade starts at the top of Blue Street, which is the downtown shopping area in Yokosuka.  They then "march" down Blue Street for 10 or so blocks, take a right, go one block, then take a left and head onto base.  The parade of the mikoshis, the bands, and other performers takes over 2 hours.  The parade ends in the high school's faculty parking lot.  The "marching" is slow.  But, it has to be--mikoshis often weigh over 1000 lbs! After the parade participants leave their mikoshis on the stands they bring with them (often pushed on wheeled carts by children), the people wander the base, eat lots of pizza and ice cream, and just enjoy. 

Jip and I wondered aloud at about the same time today whether the people who carry the mikoshis get excited to do it or if they think to themselves, "Ugh.  Not again!"  We think it is more excitement than dread, as it is a joyous time.  You'll see in the videos that the "marching" is more like dancing.  Sometimes, they spin and rock the mikoshi up and down to amuse the deity inside.  They sing.  They chant.  They pull people out of the crowd to help when they are tired or just to get people involved and in on the joy.

The people carrying the mikoshi actually pull the mikoshi down onto their shoulders--the opposite of what you would think you would do if you and a bunch of friends had to carry something heavy.  A friend of ours who helped carry one last year said the reason is that with all of the dancing and bouncing, if you don't pull it down on your shoulder, you will end up with a seriously bruised collar bone.  We were at the end of the parade route, so that is why everyone looks tired.

It is fun to see the different styles of mikoshi.  The mikoshis in the Yokosuka parade are from different shrines around Yokosuka and represent the neighborhood they are from.

 

Most of the mikoshi teams have a caller of sorts, calling out chants that the carriers repeat or giving direction and helping keep everyone motivated.

And, still another style of mikoshi.

 

There are street performers, too.  This is a little boy, I'd say around 11 or 12, who had just taken off his mask to cool off.  But, as soon as he saw Ryleigh, he put it back on and came over to give her a kiss.  She didn't even flinch.

A clown.  Jip didn't get a picture of his backside, but I can attest to my view of him last year that he has a bare bottom and jingle bells hanging from the middle of the derriere.
 

There are a few smaller mikoshis that children carry.  You can see here that they pulled a few kids from the street to help out.

Kids also participate in the parade by providing music.  There are a number of human-powered wagons that pull taiko drummers and flute players.

RJ was starting to misbehave about midway through the parade, so I stepped into the street to take this shot before we left.  The parade and the people just kept coming and coming.

And a few videos for your enjoyment. 

This first mikoshi doesn't actually belong to a shrine, but to the Japan Maritime Self Defense Force.  And note the extra marchers not carrying the mikoshi--they rotate in and out of carrying to give each other a break.

 

Some drumming and flute playing.

 

 

 You can see the enthusiasm they all have, despite carrying so much for so far. The second mikoshi I focused on is another mikoshi that doesn't belong to a shrine, but it is our base's mikoshi.

The base's mikoshi carriers are doing their best to keep up with the "professionals" by spinning the CFAY mikoshi.  It may be hard to tell, but all of the lanterns at the top of the mikoshi name the various commands here at Commander Fleet Activities Yokosuka, including ship names, SRF, the hospital, and more.

It was a beautiful day for a parade and we are so glad we made it out for this fun event again this year.