Toys R Us and Vending Restaurants

Sing with me.

Come on. You know you want to!

"Over the river and through the woods town, to Toys R Us we go... " 

Alright, so the song is cheesy, but the mountains are beautiful! Now that the rainy season has ended we can see all the amazing mountains that surround us. It is a breathtaking day.

We needed to get a birthday gift for an upcoming party, so we headed out to see how Japan does Toys R Us.  Saturday is a great day to shop, but since the young children normally are in school on saturday we thought we would be fine. 

We were wrong. It was a 'holiday' from Saturday school. OK then. Good to know. 

When we got there we were surprised to see a very long line all the way outside of the store. We had no idea what the line was for. We stood in it anyway. (This is what happens when you can't speak or read the lanuage. There was a sign, but it was gooble-ly gook to us, so we stood in line.) 

When we got inside the store and got to the aisles we realized that the line was going straight to the cashiers. What? No one spoke any English so we were clueless to why they were standing in the long lines. 

Now, what? We broke off from the line and started shopping. Actually, Hubby and the kids went shopping. 

I followed the line and watched. The creepy chick you hear about on Japanese television who watches everyone while they go about their normal day.... that's me. 

Hey, I have to learn somehow!

I learned that we just happened to pick the one day this year that new Pokemon cards were being released in Japan. That is my typical shopping experience. Seriously, never get behind me in a line! I can just be standing there and the cash register breaks, the person's card doesn't work or the items need a price check, from .... Africa! I should probably buy a shirt: "AVOID MY LINE AT ALL COSTS!" So, of course, we pick THIS day to shop. It's my world.

Well, I was determined to ignore the line and shop away. I had Yen in my pocket and everyone knows that that doesn't last too long. Whatever shall we find in the aisles...

First thing we noticed is true all over Japan. I am not sure why we were surprised. They leave the toys out. No one steals the toys. Imagine that. A world where you can test something out first. What a concept.

Most of the shoppers stayed in the long line for Pokemon cards. It made the large store rather empty. 

The "Pocket Monsters", which was shortened to "Poke-mon" went it went international, section is huge. It is fascinating to see the different characters next to lettering I recognize but don't know. It makes my brain stop and think a second. 

Then, there was the random Godzilla figure on clearance for $35. I can't imagine why anyone would need one of these things! 

 My youngest son had told us about a farming game that has gotten a lot of attention here. The government actually sanctioned to have to made. Apparently, families used to pass down farmland from generation to generation. Now, young people are having to work office jobs in order to provide for their families. The generation the family is counting on to work the farms now work in buildings. So, how does the government teach the next generation to work the farmland if this generation isn't doing it? You create a farming simulator game, make it fun and cheap so every youngster wants to play it. Hopefully, it ignites a fire in the next generation to work the farmland of Japan. Brilliant.

There was the Shinkansen, or bullet train, car complete with sound effects. It was pretty affordable at only $28. There were some pretty expensive, and extensive, train sets that would make grown man drool. Not my hubby, thankfully.

Here in the Land of the Raising Sun, they have a special affinity to things that are "kawai", or cute. Grown men will wear "kawai" purses simply because everyone loves the 'cute' things around here. It is an... interesting... phenomon. Well, here are the "Matchbox" type cars that are produced in Japan. Aren't they, I know, cute?

When my crew of kids were little they loved their mini, fold-out sofas. They would even share the sofas to watch a show or make it out into a bed to nap. There were a ton of characters available in the States. The bonus for our large family was you could buy the sofas for $20.  Here is one of those sofas on clearance for $54! Did I mention how expensive things are here? 

We had not seen this kind of chair for sale, though we see it at traditional resturants often. The "high chair" it -literally- just inches off the ground. Note the 'walker' next to it and you can compare the height. It is just so short! It is a nice wooden product that would last through several children. Still, the cheaply made cloth sofa is almost as much as this chair. We have been told that items that are made from renewable resources are less expensive, but we rarely find that to be true. It is true in this case.

Our eyes, and our minds really had to adjust to this display. The game of "Life" in Japanese. I know, what language did I expect it to be in? What can I say, it just looks vastly... different!

I'm not sure you heard, but recently the creator of Hello Kitty announced that Hello Kitty is actually a GIRL and not a kitty. 

Huh??  Mind Blown. 

Well, if that is true, and I'm sure it is since he is Japanese and had no reason to lie, then what is on this girl's head? 

Another girl? Weirdness. I'm just not sure what to make of that. 

It is such an adorable Barbie outfit we would have gotten it for our girls. I mean with the traditional "Kimono" clothes, shoes and ribbon. 

But, the $20 price tag stopped us. 

We would have to buy two of those puppies. Nah. Maybe for a birthday gift, but not just for a normal Saturday. 

Random tidbit of the day: "kimono" literally translate into "a something to wear". 

You can often tell if a woman is married by the length of the sleeves on her kimono. 

When a girl turns 20 she has a celebration for 'coming of age'. At that ceremony she is given a 'furisode'. The garment looks like a kimono, but has longer sleeves. The sleeves can be almost as long as the dress itself. 

As we were leaving we saw how people were using their new trading cards. (Each buyer was limited to 5 packs of new Pokemon cards.) There are computer consoles after the check out where you can 'play' the trading game against the computer itself, or against others across Japan. These machines were packed. (Come on, how many of you would stand in a long line for a playing card so you could stand in another long line for the kids to play with those trading cards. Not this girl!)

The other 'news' we saw when we were out and about was... in the bathroom. 

Now, there's a statement I never thought I would make!

There was a "No Smorking" sign in the restroom. Smorking.... I guess I will avoid doing that. Whatever that is.

Little C went to the restroom and ran out to say, "There are jackets on the toilet paper." 

"Umm....wait... What did you say?"

I went into the bathroom with my camera to investigate. Another statement that should never be said. 

Things you don't see everyday. Toilet paper in a fur coat. Check that one off of my bucket list. Ha!

The next fascination was a dual faucet. Have you ever seen one? It dispenses both the soap and the water. (Soap on one side, water on the other side.)

G washed her hands 

twice so I could get  picture. She is that sweet. The only bad part for us continues to be the height of the sinks. Can you tell how far she is bending down?

After we spent some yen at Toys R Us, we found a new place to eat. 

Wow, we do that a lot don't we? Well, that's what you do when you live in a new place. You 'test drive' all the new stores and restaurants. 

We went to a noodle place that seats 18 people. It is a 'moderate' seating place here. Places are truly that small! We are a family of 6, squeezing into tiny stores all over Nippon. (Nippon is what Japan calls itself, much like Germany calls itself Deutschland.) Yes, we are an oddity. But, come on, if you are reading this you already knew how ODD we are!

Today, we tried a "vending" restaurant. You order your meal at a vending machine that is actually in the entrance of the store. The machine spits out tiny little receipts (one for each dish you order). You take the receipts to a waitress who processes your order. The waitress and staff never touch money. Talk about keeping the money 'germs' away from the food! How about you don't allow money in the restaurant at all? That will keep the 'germ police' from bugging you. 

The labels on the machine are changed everyday to reflect the fresh fish that came in that day.

We are trying to educate the kids as much as possible. It is kinda the blind leading the blind at this point. Here,  A&M are deciphering the numerous entree and side dish options.

The girls don't eat too much. That makes them the easiest to order for. They always get the kid's meal. It's great because we get to see how the different establishments view kid's food. Plus, they often times get a little toy or sticker. They love that part.

In Japan, a 'combo' meal is called a 'set'. The "kids set" at this eatery was about $3. It came with ramen, juice and "dessert". The "dessert" was chips, but whatever. The girls loved it! Their meal comes with a separate bowl so they can 'cool' the noodles or separate them from the broth. As you can see, our little prissy chick was thrilled with her food. 

A&M both went with ramen in various flavors. I went with Tappen Rice. It is a skillet dish with a fried egg on the bottom, rice and meat on top. They pour soy sauce on it as they put it on your place. It was delicious. Typical to most places, we all recieved miso soup as well.  

Another adventure in our new country done. 

Another day where the locals were probably scratching their heads about those 'silly Americans'. 

We didn't solve world peace. I wish we could. Only open hearts and prayerful attitudes can do that. But, we gained a little confidence in ourselves and in our surrounding.

We were watched and wondered about when the six of our bowed our heads before we ate. It is hard for locals not to stare when our blond haired, 8 year old proudly talks to Jesus. She loudly blessed the food, prayed for the people at the table and asked for forgiveness for running into someone at the store. (We are working on having Japanese manners, but we still have some American tendencies at times.) Her heart is full and she is not ashamed to be a Christ follower.

What did you do that got you noticed today? I did not do as much as that little girl did. I need to up my game.

I am praying for you. Where ever you are right now. My family is praying for you. That you would be blessed and feel the love of Jesus today.

Until next time sweet readers, this Southern Belle needs to research.

I am off to find some donut recipes. The Japanese are wonderful, but they have not conquered the sugary, sinfully sweet, finger licking goodness of a hot Krispy Kreme.

Peace be with you,

~Aggie Amy

Fuji Park, Family Pool and Foreign Policy

Off to the Zoo we go!

At the base of Mt. Fuji is a random, but kinda neat, Safari Park.  Doesn't this look like the typical Zoo entrance?

We went on a bus with the church, for free, so hubby was thrilled. 

When you arrive you pay the admission is a bit confusing. You can pay to go through in your car or pay more to ride in one of their 'feeding' buses. Well, somehow, there was a mix up with the prepayment and we ended up going through the safari park on our Zama Tour buses. 

The bus was a bonus we thought.  Our bus had a restroom. Yeah. The bus also has some good ol' American style air conditioning. Plus, we could look out both sides of the bus. On the 'feeding' buses the seats face only one side, so if the animals come to the other side you are out of luck.

The other issue with the 'feeding' buses is seen in this picture. The animals are trained to come to the buses and get food through a tube on the sides. So, you can often see the animal VERY up close. I'm good without all that.

While we had a nice time talking to everyone and enjoyed the trip. We were a little shocked at the condition of the animals. They seemed quite thin. Several of them had pretty major scars from fighting each other. In the Lion cage alone there were several males with a what seemed like a dozen females. I mean, did these people not watch The Lion King? Don't they know they can only have one male at a time without some fighting? 

The "Danger" signs as you go into each new section are enough to keep our kiddos from trying to pull down the windows on the bus. Come to think of it, maybe it was the watch towers over the 'more dangerous exhibits' that made the kids behave.


It is a beautiful park in terms of green space and views. It is just a different experience that a typical US Zoo.

The lions seem perfectly comfortable on their large trees, don't they? Certainly, we got close enough for my taste.

There were the typical lions, tigers, elephants, bears and giraffes. It was just surreal to be that close to each of them.

Can you tell what the kids are looking at? They have never been this cloth to a hippo before. They were amazed at both the size and the smell of most of the animals. 

None of us had ever been this up close and personal with a porcupine! This just wouldn't happen in the States. The minute the porcupine got upset and someone got stuck with a quill,  an American decided to sue the zoo would be shut down. I had forgotten that a porcupine is part of the rodent family. I can't lie. It grossed me out a bit.

Part of the Safari Park is like a 'larger' animal petting zoo. Or maybe not 'larger' animals, just different animals than we would see at typical at a petting zoo back home. I will tell you all about the animals, but first look at the picture closely.

Do you see the way the youngest child is looking at my kiddos?  This is the face we often recieve. In this series of pictures the whole family of Japanese took turns staring at the kids. It is quite funny to blow up the pictures and see that when we feel like we are being stared at, it really is true.  We don't mind at all. It felt strange when we first got here, but we have become used to it now. We see it as a way educate the locals who would never have much interaction with non- Japanese. ( Did I tell you that 98% of Japan is homogenous? Outside of major cities, the local citizens just don't see many- if any- people who are not Japanese. Much less, a big ol' family of tall white folk who speak Texan!) Even the Mom can't help herself. She has to stare at the kids as well. Can't you just hear her saying, "Who are these people?"

Anyway, back to the animals. The kids loved petting the kangaroos, llamas and whatever that thing animal is that Carson is petting.

Overall, the Safari park was interesting and worth seeing. We won't go back again and again, since it is a one trick pony kind of a thing.

We were hot and tired when we returned. On a day like this we are blessed to have a wonderful- and free- community pool to visit.

This is, by far, the most crowded the pool has ever been. There is a zero entry area, a basketball net, a lap swim part, a covered BBQ place and a separate kiddie pool. It is awesome! The lifeguards speak broken English, but enough to get the point across. My kids are great swimmers, and I watch them. Still, having a lifeguard there to keep an extra set of eyes on them is wonderful. We are normally the only family there! (There have been times when the three lifeguards only were watching only my four kids. Talk about personal attention.)

Daddy was trying to decide if he was going in. The second the kids asked him to play basketball with them, he was in that pool.

The Army, and all the services in Japan, have tried very hard to make living here as 'normal' as possible. The facilities, food and facilities they bring in are all in an effort to support the troops and their families. There are trials that come when you are in another country that simply can't be avoided. But, the military tries to ease the burden. I applaud the Japanese for giving the military the level of support they do. They provide the funding for a lot of the things we enjoy.

The biggest lesson we learn when we are overseas is that people are people. It sounds silly, but it is often forgotten. We create a "we" verses "them". It makes foreigners seem, well, foreign.

Give me a break, anyone outside of Texas seems pretty foreign... pretty different... to this chick. Even those orange lovin' Austin folks keep me questioning humanity. But, I am too narrow minded.  I naturally think that the way I think is the 'best way'. I fall back on to the way I was raised and the views embedded in my soul.

My truth is not the truth as God sees it. That is the truth as Amy sees it.

God's truth is much easier to see if I only open my eyes. After all, God's truth is the only truth that matters.

He made us all. He didn't make Americans better than Japanese, or Russians better than Ukrainians. God didn't say He would love Germans more than Chinese or any other stereotype we want to belive.

If you read His instructions, He says He will protect Israel and those who bless Isreal. His book says nothing about the USA. WE are the 'foreigners'. Oh my.

At the end of the day, being in someone else's land has made me see what I should have known all along. We are all foreigners on this Earth. We were created for Heaven. This is not our home. We are simply passing through. We are all trying to do the best we can. We raise our kids, do our jobs and love our neighbors. Hopefully, we seek God and put Christ first. He's waiting either way.

Until next time Sweet Reader,  we will be learning our way around and conquering new things.

What will you be doing?

Live in Peace & Be Well,

~Aggie Amy

The Truth Behind the Moving Game

I have a confession.

It is one most military wives won't say, but I'm a rebel.

We are at that point. 

We are homesick.

We are longing for Texas Aggie Football, Chick-fil-A, and our fabulous Temple Bible Church. We miss our sweet neighbors and friends, our routines, and our wide open spaces.

We have moved 11 times in the last 16 years. ELEVEN times. That's a lot. So, how do we get over the homesickness? How do we make each new place feel like 'Home'?

The truth is we have a lot of techniques that we try. I wanted to share a few with you just in case you are feeling 'stuck' in your routines or bored with your area. You don't have to move 7,000 miles away like we did to 'spice things up'. You can revive your love of "home" in very simple ways.

1. Be a Tourist. We have meet countless people who don't know, or even seem to care, about the treasures in their own backyard.

Well, get off your duff and go explore! How can you love your area if you don't even KNOW your area?

* Is there a famous historical landmark in your area? I'm from Dallas. I am always shocked that locals have not been to JFK's Memorial. Really? Why not invest an afternoon and learn about the town's most historic event?

 * Is there a restaurant that people from hours away travel to try? We walked into the amazing Gristmill Restaurant in the Gruene district of New Braunfels, Texas. It was so wonderful! I posted where we were on Facebook and was shocked that everyone else had already heard of the place. We had happened upon a famous landmark and not even known it. 

Now, we try to 'stake out' new places to eat by using urbanspoon.com or other websites that recommend the 'hole in the wall' places that locals love. Hey, I never thought my kids would dive into sushi, but they do now! Then again, they think all pancakes should come with ice cream like they do in Japan.  

* What about a new activity that the kids are a tad hesitant to try, but that they would embrace if given the chance? Have you tried the iFly places that let you skydive inside? What about the painting places that are popping up all over the US? Or the local theaters, craft centers or community centers? They often offer mini class sessions that teach you how to knit, put on a play or dance a tango. Come on and admit it. You have always wanted to learn a new dance with your hubby. Jump in!

2. Change your attitude. Ouch! This is the hardest one for me. The truth is my attitude sometimes stinks. 

Come on, take a little walk with me through my day.

Imagine, I'm tired after a trying day. Here's what I would do to feel better when I was In Texas. I would grab some Tex-Mex (Mexican food for those of you not from Texas) on our way home from an event. I would chow down with the kids and talk about our days. We watch some recorded shows (DVRs are awesome). Then, I would send everyone to their own rooms to get some downtime. Finally, I'd grab a hot bath and a good book before I hit the bed.

I loved it. I felt recharged after I finished this simple 'routine'. I felt like "Amy" again and not some alter ego who was ready to scream at any moment.

In Japan, most of that routine is not possible.  Reality hits hard. Time for an "attitude adjustment" and a routine reinvention. Here are the 'tweaks' to my beloved routine.

       a)  It's impossible to just 'grab' any kind of food. It takes forever to get anywhere. Just running in and grabbing something to eat is pretty much out of the question. I can make some mean Tex-Mex though. It just requires some work and hours in the kitchen.
     
       b) We still can eat as a family.
     

       c)  When we go to watch TV, there is certainly not any recorded shows. We barely have TV! (I heard you gasp at that one!)  We only get shows that are several years old and that someone has donated to the armed forces. We are still on Season 1 of Castle here. We also don't get commericals. At all. It cannot appear that the military backs a certain company, so our "commercials" are Public Service Announcements, Country/ State trivia or military tidbits. They have taught me a ton about random state facts.
   
      d) The girls have to share a room here. The boys have to share a room here. Hubby & I have to share the smallest room ever. So, clearly there is no sending anyone to their own rooms. Headphones are a requirement in this house!
   
      e) I can get to take a hot bath. The baths in Japan are very deep, the water very hot. It's awesome!
   
      f) I can still get books here. The libraries on base are quite impressive. They have the newest best sellers and tons of classics. Also, the internet is fast enough to download ebooks. Score.

Yes, my routine has changed. I have to adapt to the Japanese way of life.

Most of all, I have to adjust my attitude! The kids are watching.  They will follow my lead. They will adjust their attitudes and routines, when they see me leading the way.


3. Find new Friends. Your new home will never feel like "home" until you find new friends.

* We start out by finding a new church home. That usually means going to several services and finding the right fit for us. In Japan, we go to a full Gospel service. It is completely different from our church back home. That's not a bad thing. The people are amazing and the doctrine is sound. The music is new, but the choir is skilled. The people are not afraid to share their hearts, say "Thank You Jesus" or clap their hands. They love on our kids, which is always a good thing.

* We start new activities. Whether that is sports, dance or whatever else the local area offers. One of my sons LOVES basketball. He was relived to know that they had it here. Well, when we got here we found out it was cancelled. Man was he bummed. It took him a bit to decide he would play soccer instead. We pumped him up and went shopping for some new cleats. He's excited and starting to make new friends.

* We volunteer at church, help out with Girl Scouts and host our new neighbors for a BBQ. 

Did a new family move in down the street from you? How about you take over some brownies or even those slice and bake cookies? I have been the new neighbor. The moving truck pulled up and the work started. Hours outside in that Texas summer heat. Then, like an angel, I thought I saw someone coming towards me. They were carrying... wait, what is that? Oh man, they were carrying gallons of Blue Bell Ice Cream!!! Seriously, they brought the new family ICE CREAM! They didn't stay or ask a lot of questions. They just left me with Blue Bell and their contact information in case I needed anything. We are still close friends to this day. 

* We talk to people. Sounds simple enough, huh? 

Well, let me tell you a little story.

We met a couple recently and the woman is very shy. It took her a few days to open up and ask us about something that had been bothering her. She said, "I keep thinking about you guys. I just have to ask you a question."

Normally, this is where we get asked about how we meet, or why we have so many kids. Or, we get teased  asked about my hubby being shorter than I am.

It was none of the typical questions.

She asked, "Did you guys take a class somewhere on how to be extroverts? Or how to talk to strangers?" 

Ummm... how do I answer that one?

Hubby and I laughed. No one has ever asked us that.

You see, we are both talkers and friendly. But, we decided a long ago that we wanted to value people. 

We had noticed others talk rudely to the waiter, act like someone not dressed in the finest clothes didn't deserve a smile, or use an attitude with a child. We had both seen it. And, we both hated it. We were going to put others ahead of ourselves.

It isn't always easy when we are tired. Or when we are new. Sometimes we want to stick out heads in the sand and hide. What are we teaching our kids when we do that? We are teaching them to be afraid of the world around them.

Instead, we make the effort. We push ourselves.

We TALK. We ask others about their 

lives. We love on the kids in the neighborhood by giving them high fives or asking about their new shoes. We act silly. We let them be silly.

We teach our kids to talk to the new kids and to sit with someone who looks lonely. Our oldest son helped lead someone to Jesus at lunch one day because he sat at a different table where a boy looked sad. All because he had the courage to TALK to someone.

Now, this is where it gets sticky. We are very hard on our children. We ask a lot of of them. We pick up our junk and go a ton. We  move across town, the state, the country, the Earth every couple of years. If not more often that that. We make encourage them to try new things. They pay a high price to be 'brats'. Somedays they don't want to be nice. Somedays they want to be shy. That's okay too.

At the end of the day, the truth is moving is tough. Reinventing yourself at every new place, trying to find a new circle of friends so you have an 'emergency contact', learning to drive on the Left-hand side of the road... it's just trying at times.

Still, it is so worth it. The girl I thought I was when I met my soldier has completely changed. I no longer 'has to' live in a certain place, or eat at my favorite restaurants to be happy. I don't mind being the only Caucasian in the room where no one speaks my language. I can handle a flight on a Russian airline, a train ride in Japan or a bus to Poland. I am wholly at peace where ever I am because I am safe in the Arms of Christ. 

I can conquer being 'homesick'. It keeps me pushing forward. It means that I have not worked hard enough to make this new place 'home'. I have work to do.

I hope that you have a passion for your hometown. And a passion for others. I pray you try something new at 'home' this week.

Truly, don't we all need a little more adventure, a lot more friendly faces and a dash of grace to get us through the day? Be that for someone today.

Just like the words of our closing song at the Gospel service each week, "I'll pray for you, please pray for me. "

Until next time dear reader,

Talk to a Stranger & Love on Your Neighbors,

 ~Aggie Amy