Sep 8, 2008

Just a Few Things...

  • Every day at 4:30 they play the National Anthem over loud speakers all over the base.  If you can hear it, you stand still with your hand on your heart.  Even the kids know to do it.
  • Every single time I need to drive somewhere, I walk to the passenger side of the car to get in.  Every.Single.Time.
  • Yes, I do occasionally forget and drive on the wrong side and I have been honked at.  (And laughed at.)
  • I really really really really miss Target.  And Costco.  And huge grocery stores with lots of selection.
  • I didn't know I had a retail addiction until I got here and didn't have Target anymore.  The lack of Target COULD be the reason for my continual eye twitch.  (I tried bananas.  No help.)
  • Max is NOT going to Japanese school.  He's going to school on base and they learn SPANISH as part of the curricuulum.  (Though they will learn about their "host nation" as well.)
  • The base schools are taught by teachers who work for the Department of Defense.  Max's teacher just happens to be Japanese and very cute.
  • He loves her.
  • Doug wants to put Sam in Japanese preschool.  I'm undecided.
  • Living on base is like going back in time 20 years.  Kids play outside with their friends (unsupervised) and people leave their doors unlocked.  (Don't get any ideas, Bad Guys.  You can't get on base, and even if you could, everyone here knows Karate.  Including my 16 month old.)
  • I'm taking a Pottery Wheel (throwing) class.  YIPEE!!!
  • I'm not currently pregnant, but plan to have a girl sometime in the future.
  • I honestly don't know if it's "on base", "on-base","on-Base", "On Base" or "On-Base".  (Anyone?)
  • We STILL don't have our stuff and it'll be at least another TWO WEEKS!!!  
  • I've been wearing the same 10 t-shirts for the past 2.5 months.
  • I'm procrastinating cooking dinner (in my minimally equipped kitchen) by writing this post.
  • I'm hungry.

16 comments:

shauna said...

I love, love, love reading abt. your experiences in Japan. Plus, my heart did a little happy dance when I saw the flag on my stat counter.

I'm LOL at your car confusion. I had some trouble when I came home from Japan.

I say go for it on the Japanese preschool. They are such little sponges and he will soak it all in. Then he'll come home and teach you.

Good luck on the girl AND getting your stuff.

Carina said...

Do the Japanese preschool. Where ever we went in the world my parents always put us in the local schools; it really does help with language retention (not to mention formation.)

Michelle Glauser said...

I'm all for going as local as possible. And I would say "on base."

The Royal Family said...

I found your blog through the guest post you did on light refreshments anyway I have always wanted to go to Japan and know lots of people that have been there... so I like read your blog, so i can live vacariously through you.

Beeswax said...

Spanish DOES seem sort of a waste, at the moment. But it will come in handy when you move to AZ someday.

Anonymous said...

At least you have 10 t-shirts Emmy! And I think you are the bravest japanese sister-in-law that I have.

Rachel Lynsey Duncan Sanford said...

I just came across your blog, and I'm delighted. You're lots of fun!

So, a very quick (boring) answer to your grammar question:

"On-base" would be used as a hyphenated adjective before another noun. "The on-base security is so good that the kids can play outside unattended."

"On base" would be used as a preposition and a noun. "On base, the security is so good that the kids can play outside unattended."

Capitalize only at the beginning of a sentence.

Keep writing. You're just my kinda gal.

acte gratuit said...

Dear Rachel,
Thanks for stopping by! I'm going to read your comment about 67 more times and try to make what you told me stick. (Or would that be, "make stick what you told me."?
Sincerely,
Grammatically-Challenged Emily

Anonymous said...

That reminds me of the good old days at BYU when they would play the national anthem every morning at 8:00 am and all the people who were late to their classes just stood there with their hands over their hearts. What good times! Go Cougs (we just went to their game against Univ of WA this weekend!) They won.

Jennifer said...

My heart goes out to you Em! I just got back from Target and I sooooo understand how much I depend on them!

TJ said...

hello. found you over at lanie's blog. i'm assuming you guys are active duty military??? we are too. not sure what branch you are, but we just say on base. or on post. it is pretty much the same thing.

and you should have an APO or FPO address. so, online shopping is where it's at. seriously. when we lived in germany, we became best friends with ebay and amazon. i think you'll become good friends with them too. :)

TJ said...

oh, and one more thing. here they have reveille every morning. not to mention listening to all the soldiers doing PT and doing their cadences. every day at 1700, 1707, and then 1715, we have something that goes off. then something at 2245, then at 2300 every night. i am finally getting used to it. at least our loudspeaker system works here so if there ever are tornados i'll hear the siren.....:)

acte gratuit said...

I forgot to mention they play "Edelweiss" at 1200!

Rachel Lynsey Duncan Sanford said...

You're response to my boring grammar lesson made me laugh out loud!

And, like Marissa, I thought of the anthem playing at BYU. But since I've never read your blog, and I'm not sure where I found the link, I wasn't sure you'd relate. Now I know!

Go Cougs!

Bartimaeus said...

I did know you had a retail addiction. That's why I requested Misawa! j/k

Bella said...

Okay, so one, I love your new 'themed' blog design and two...I would go crazy getting used to driving on the opposite side of the car, on the opposite side of the road! I would be sure to be doing it wrong all of the time!!! Good luck!