Friendship Festival

On August 18^th and 19^th our base hosted a Japanese American Friendship Festival.   176,000 Japanese Nationals flooded the base to view the planes, eat American food, and shoot pictures of all the blondes and babies. Yes, I had my picture taken at least 100 times over the weekend. No, I am not exaggerating. It is a very intense situation; as soon as the gates open people race towards the planes.

Look at em' go!

 Saturday Mark and I were part of the crew at the Hot Dog and Gatorade Booth. Mark also announced the planes in the mini air show, he did so good! 

We are ready to sell some hot dogs!

what a cute announcer!

There was an Obon Festival and a Bon Jovi cover band that night. Here is an explanation for the festival straight from Wikipedia:

Obon (お盆^?) or just Bon (盆^?) is a Japanese Buddhist custom to honor the spirits of one's ancestors. This Buddhist-Confucian custom has evolved into a family reunion holiday during which people return to ancestral family places and visit and clean their ancestors' graves, and when the spirits of ancestors are supposed to revisit the household altars. It has been celebrated in Japan for more than 500 years and traditionally includes a dance, known as Bon-Odori.

Bon Odori dance

BON JOVI!

I believe after watching this preformance a little seed has been planted in Mark's brain. He may now have aspirations of singing in a Japanese Bon Jovi cover band post retirement. At least being a roadie?

Sunday morning came and we now were on the flight line. I spent my day dressing Japanese people in flight suits and placing them in the cockpit of a helicopter. Now Japanese people are shy, they do not want to do anything that might make them stand out or be foolish… so it was quite a feat to get them to want to dress up, but we were successful. 

 Once we got started the young and old were on board!

There were some really awesome flybys during the weekend. We saw a U2 (this plane goes so high the pilots have to wear space suits), and a parachute drop out of a pair of C130s. Fred, the C5 made a late appearance on Sunday, prior to that he was, you guessed it, broke.  FYI for my non AF readers, C5s are constantly broken, it is kind of a big joke.

The C130 drop.

We worked hard, had a lot of fun and can't wait to do it all over again next year.

The Pacific Tour

Hello All,

Before I dive into this adventure I wanted to update you on Mark's and my new extension. we just received the official paperwork to extend out stay here in Japan until November 2013. So if you haven't come to visit yet please get a ticket, pack a bag and come out to see us! After all we just put new furniture in the guest bedroom. Don't forget treats for Rubinator and Lucky the Munchkin!

So I recently (well maybe not recently, but this post has been in the works for a couple weeks) arrived back in Japan from my 5 week long Pacific tour including Hawaii and Northern California. I cannot express how grateful I am to everyone who opened their homes, refrigerators and hearts to me on this trip. I have never felt so loved.

This trip started to evolve last year when Mark and I set a date for our Hawaii wedding reception, June 23^rd in Hilo on the Big Island. We booked tickets and were set out to fly on the 20^th. Well, as the trip got closer I learned that part of Mark’s family would be in Hilo early: my brother in law Jason, my sister in law Jacque, and her two little girls. After that I could not stay away so I changed my ticket for June 12^th and left poor Mark to fend for himself in Japan and make the voyage to Hawaii alone later in the month.

I spent over a week bonding with my new Mom and Dad, siblings and nieces. It was great to spend some non-rushed, real time with this part of my family. The funny part about this is that none of Mom and Dad’s “real” children made it out to Hilo until after the 19^th.  They only had their haole children in law - what I like to call The “J Team” or “J Crew” because all 3 of us have J names...Jessica, Jacque and Jason (as pictured below at our Tahoe wedding).  

 

The J Team and parents were able to have a lot of fun together - we went to the Farmer’s Market, fabric shopping, and to Kapoho with relatives to play on the beach.

Then the rest Enriques family children arrived on/around the 19th and we celebrated Mark’s and my wedding again at the Nani Loa Volcano Resort in Hilo on the 23rd. The food was good, the service was nice, the friends and family who attended were amazing. We were so blessed by how many people were able to come, including some of Mark’s and my family from the mainland. Thank you to everyone who pitched in to set up, put together favors, tables, ect., manned the welcome table, took pictures, made food and helped clean up. We could not have done it without you!

Much Dancing Ensued

Mom and Dad Enriques, they are so cute!

Table decorations.

Mount Fuji cookies for favors!

After the reception life in Hilo settled down, we were able to hang out, learn the water cycle boogie (see below), go on small adventures to Kona, participate in stand up paddleboarding (both Jacque’s and my new favorite sport).  Even my nieces did great and went out on the boards! Unfortunately I do not have pictures developed yet :(

The whole family in front of the Hilo house.

But before I left I did happen upon this little gem, "Hilo's Ofiicial Tsunami Lookout Tower," one of many reasons I love Hilo.

 

The time came too soon when I had to depart Hilo and head to the mainland for the second half of my tour.  I landed Friday night, June 28^th, and some of my favorite girls picked me up the next morning for a wine tasting tour ending at the Robert Mondavi Winery for an O.A.R. concert.

On our way to OAR!

 Yes, you read that correctly, O.A.R, at a winery, with great girlfriends. This obviously evolved into an epic time. Much wine was purchased, much dancing ensued, much picnic food was eaten. It was such a blast.

The next day, Sunday, was the busiest day of my trip. First off I stopped off at the one year birthday party for Luke/going away party for the Sherdt family. They are really good friends of ours who were recently reassigned to Germany and they have a one year old little boy named Luke.  I pray for them daily that they settle into their new German life!

Next, I drove over to Lincoln where my best friend’s (Cortney) little brother Travis, fresh in the Navy, married his highschool sweetheart Emily. They did a cute little ceremony wearing personalized jerseys. They are young and in love - we wish them all the best. They are currently based near Fresno, CA.

Also during that event my nephew (at least by love), Cortney’s son Andy, was getting his 1 year pictures taken. Isn’t he adorable?

 

Lastly on that day I drove to Loomis where I had the pleasure of attending Morgin Fraser and Jesse Records' wedding held at the flower farm. Morgin took my breath away in her gown. The whole reception was beautiful.  After the wedding they honeymooned in Hawaii then Morgin moved to Washington to be with Jesse.

 Yes, that was all in one day.

 

The next week was filled with visiting friends, shopping, eating good American food. One of my best friends, Krista Veal was in town visiting from Michigan so I was able to spend a lot of time with her.

I don't know why we are making this face.

Here is the list of Merchants I shopped at while in the US:

Target, BBB, Nordstrom, Nordstrom Rack, Victoria Secret, Macys, REI, Wal Mart, Best Buy, Joannes, Lucy, Ross, Petco, Sunrise Foods, Barnes and Nobles, Old Navy, Trader Joes and Ulta.

Here is the list of Restaurants I ate at:

Lucilles, Chevys, Chipotle, Old Spaghetti Factory, Old Town Pizza, Jamba Juice, Starbucks, Inn N Out, Cold Stone, Mikuni’s Sushi (American sushi and Japanese sushi is very different), and Toby Keith’s I Love this Bar and Grill in Folsom. Now here is the thing; TKILTB&G is also in Vegas, they have the best burger I have EVER eaten. I would not recommend the restaurant in Folson, the food is nothing like the one in Vegas.

Whooo, the best of California right there. Now I normally wouldn't write the above list out, but when you live overseas it is a common question "Where did you shop? Where did you eat?" We, as overseaers, lust over American shopping and resturant establishments.

That weekend I was able to spend time with my family as we celebrated my sister Rachel’s birthday at a BBQ. I truly love good old American BBQ’s.

My sisters and I

Greg even gave a lecture on the growth of corn! How very American.... and cool!  Don't worry Greg, everyone is having corn crop problems this year :(

On July 11^th (7 11) I celebrated Slurpee Day with my sister Rose.

As the weekend of July 14^th, my last weekend in California and my friend Shelley’s wedding approached there were many preparations made and on that day. I was lucky enough to stand by Shelley's side as she married her best friend Erik. It was a beautiful wedding followed by a very fun reception. The entire evening was set at the Forest House Lodge in Foresthill, CA.  I would recommend this venue to anyone.

What would a wedding be without KARAOKE????

On the 15^th I was able to see my Loomis girls one last time, and BBQ again with my family before heading back to SF to fly to Japan.  At the end I was so grateful to have been able to spend that much time at home, but ready to get back to my husband and dogs.

Thank you everyone for loving me so well on this trip.

In Other News

In May the cherry blossoms finally bloomed! We were able to partake in the Japanese tradition of picnicking in the park under the beautiful trees, Mark and I also had some photos taken of new family as a whole.

In other news we have been staying very busy! I have taken a job as a English teacher at a preschool/kindergarten off base. Yes, I am teaching Japanese kids. Yes, it is the most mentally exhausting job I have ever done, and yes, the kids are ADORABLE! 

Lunch time!

Typical bento lunch.

We wear hate when we go for walks/to the park.

I have started a garden, it is very hard to find good produce for a reasonable price here in Japan, so I decided to grow my own. After much research  I decided to forgo the traditional garden and plant in containers. I had most of my containers donated to me and shopped at the Japanese Hardware/Home Store for my soil, fertilizer, plants and some of my seeds. It was kind of a guessing game deciding on what to purchase because I really had no idea what exactly I was buying (because it is all in Japanese!). But the pictures looked good, the numbers on the fertilizers looked good and it seems to be working. Everything is growing and flowering. Mark and I have been eating lettuce and herbs already! We ate our only strawberry the other day, and I hope to have more soon! I am also growing tomatoes, squash, peppers, carrots, garlic, cucumbers, beans and a variety of herbs. I have had some insect problems but everything is growing and flourishing.

grow tomatoes, grow!

On the long Memorial Day weekend Mark and I were able to get out of Fussa and head to Tokyo. We went to the Edo Tokyo Museum and the Tokyo Tower. We were also able to head out to Fuji Five Lakes, which is the are around Mount Fuji. It was a beautiful day and we were able to picnic in a small park area by one of the lakes. Fuji is huge up close, I realized that I better be training harder if I expect to climb that mountain in July!!!

Famous Sumo Wrestlers!!! Random walk by shot.

Tokyo Tower.

We also have an upcoming trip to Hawaii and then I will continue on to California. I cannot wait to see all your smiling faces, eat good American food and shop in a store where I am not a XL.

Until then we love and miss you all, better post this before my lap top runs out of batteries!

Apodaca Sisters Take Japan

Hello All,

We have been VERY busy lately, I am sorry I have fallen behind on my posting.... again! But right this moment I am stranded at the Narita (Tokyo) airport with nothing to do but finally finish the last 3 posts I have been working on. So sit back and enjoy some news from Japan.

In April Rachel came to visit. She was such a trooper; the evening she got off the bus we took her to dinner at Yakiniku, a grill your own meat restaurant. Now I don't know if I have mentioned Yakiniku before, it is one of Mark's and my favorite things to eat... we usually wear sweatpants and gorge ourselves until we can barely roll home. We even belong to a Yakiniku club. But I don't think poor jet lagged Rachel was up for it, but she came and with a smile!

Then the next day we were out shopping! I took her to the Daiso and our recycle shops (thrift stores are AWESOME in Japan) just to help her warm up to Japan. Then the real adventure began, we visited many places all up and down Honshu (the main Island of Japan). 

Not sure what this is, but you can buy it for 105Y!

We were able to visit Kamakura and see the big Buddha and the Shrine by the Sea. We ate at a Hawaiian restaurant (it was SO good). There were some amazing gardens in bloom during this early spring time, the plum blossoms were also in full bloom but it was still too cold for the cherry blossoms (which are very special to the Japanese people).

This "god" washed ashore in Kamahura many years ago, this is one piece of wood carved and painted with gold.

watch out for the kites.

One of my favorite Buddhas!

Then on the weekend Mark, Rachel and I were able to take the bullet train to Kyoto, then onto Hiroshima and Myajima Island.

Mark's mustache, can you see it?

Kyoto was the capitol before Tokyo, this small city is very special… you walk down the street and there is a modern coffeehouse on you left and the gate to a 1,000 year old shrine on your right. Some of the most amazing sights I have ever seen.

Golden Pavilion

10,000 Torii Gate Shrine

Fighting like the Samurai

We did visit the tolerance museum while in Hiroshima, this experience was informative and heartbreaking. Below you will see a picture of the only remaining building standing after the bomb was dropped.

We also had time to visit Miyajima, which is an island that is considered to be sacred. Women were not allowed on the island until recently. There is a HUGE "floating" torii gate to welcome you onto the island and many great shrines and temples.

FIVE STORY PAGODA <3 <3 <3

This torii is HUGE!

Another really interesting about this island is the deer, at first they seem cute and domestic… but in reality they are sneaky thieves! They will walk right up to you and steal your bento. Of course I couldn’t resist feeding them!

We got home to Fussa and sent Mark back to work while Rachel and I headed to Tokyo to see what trouble we could get into. The night we were supposed to leave we headed to the train station, got a comfy seat on the train but then the wind started up… very strong wind! So strong that parts of the railways were shutting down, Rachel and I were almost stuck somewhere in Tokyo with no way out!  But luckily I was able to re-route us to our destination.

In Tokyo we were able to visit the Edo Tokyo Museum, do MORE shopping and see some of the beautiful gardens that the city and the palace had to offer.

Rachel’s visit was awesome and I want to thank her for making her trek across the big pond to have an adventure with us.

Favorite pic of Rachel from the trip. I <3 green tea kit kats!