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

Tokyo for Ten, Fashion for NO ONE!

It took three trains, two transfers, over an hour and more than a tad of patience, for all ten of us to get into Tokyo. What to see a bit of our journey? Here we go.

From our small base it is only about 25 miles southeast of Tokyo. But, as I have said in previous blogs, it takes quite awhile to go those 25 miles!

Driving that distance wouldn't be too bad. It's about an hour drive. The problem is TRAFFIC.

Traffic in Japan is unlike anyplace I have ever been. Literally. Traffic in Japan is not only cars, it is people! It's like you are an ant in an ant farm. No, that's not crowded enough. It's like Black Friday at Walmart in a large city. And...They are selling a new car for $1. And... there's only one Walmart in the whole world. It's like THAT.

There are people, cars, motorcycles, bicycles, walker, runners and even more people everywhere you look. I have no idea where they all come from. Or where they are all going. I just want to get out of their way. Plus, most of the time the kids stop to stare at us. So, then we cause more of a crowd. Have mercy, I never-ever wanted to know what it was like being an urban girl. Now, I know.  I don't like it.

 Tokyo is close, technically, but going for a visit is an all day affair. Travel time is totally up to the train traffic of the hour, how many events are occurring that you have no clue about and if there are any accidents along the way. It would probably be safe to say that you are no in control at ALL of how long travel takes you. It is simply easier once you accept that truth.

We are off for the day with loaded down backpacks. Yes, we travel with water & snacks even in a top notch town like Tokyo. If our previous travels have taught us anything, it is that we are whimps! And, by that I mean, I am a whimp! The kids are much better travelers than I am.
My hubby is a traveling machine. He could go all day long... and I do mean A-L-L day without water, snacks or even a potty break. It is just some sort of sick manly soldier thing that I cannot grasp. The kids are pretty great at putting up with the drama of traveling as well. They can go hours without anything but a sip of water. I, on the more spoiled side of the house, really like to sit every now and then. I enjoy a sip of water, or some good ol' Coke Zero, maybe a nibble or two on something you are supposed to eat only on your birthday. That's the kind of girl I am. Sue me.

Hubby hates to buy food while we are out. I live for it. The joy of learning the local food it is almost as much fun as actually visiting the place, for me anyway. We have always had this debate battle.  We work it out, but when we are going to be gone for a long time I try to keep the peace by packing well.

 We set out toward Tokyo at our local train station. It is open, very clean and laid out easily. We quickly found the handicap entrance for the wheelchair. We also discovered the elevators quickly. Our station is always busy, but rarely crowded.

We knew a ton before we left the house.  The fabulous app on our iPhones tells us: which trains to take, how much the tickets would be and the time of each departure. It even warns us if they are accidents on the tracks, and an alternate route to take.



Can you figure out which train you are supposed to take from the picture below? The little girl in the hat can and she is in FIRST grade! She is alone and not worried a bit about getting lost. Smart chick! (A few seconds after this picture the screen changes to a little bit of English, not enough to tell us everything, but it gives us a clue.)

Our goals when we arrived in Tokyo: visit a Hello Kitty for Little Miss A, cross at Shibuya crossing and check out Harajuku.

It sounds simple, but we are still in Japan where nothing is quite so simple.

We wanted to see the statue of Hachiko as well. Never heard of Hachiko? Clearly, you are not a 'dog' person. Hachiko, an Akita dog, was owned by a professor who took the train at the Shibuya station each day to work. The dog would wait at the same place, at the exact time, every day to be there when his owner would get off the train. Then, while at work one day, the Professor had a cerebral hemorrhage and died. He never returned home to the train station where Hachiko waited. Apparently, no one could convince the dog that his owner was not coming home. He came back everyday for NINE years waiting for his owner. He become very popular and well known by the locals, and then all of Japan when a reporter told his story. People would make special trips to pet the dog or offer him food and water. Hachiko died on his way to the train station. Hachiko's stuffed and mounted remains are kept on display at the National Science Museum of Japan. The story of Hachiko is taught in schools and passed on from generation to generation. It is Hachiko's legendary faithfulness are a national symbol of loyaly.

Part of our group is flashing the ever popular peace sign, that Japanese are so known for.  I'll get her for that later. 

Next stop was Shibuya crossing. The famous pedestrian crossing at Shibuya ("sh-boo-ya") forms an "X" on the road. The crosswalks, literally, crisscross the roads allowing hundreds, if not thousands, of people to flood the road for every crossing. At lunch during the week, on average, 3,000 people cross the road EACH time the light changes. Can you imagine crossing the street with 3,000 of your friends? Here's a picture of part of the crossing when it is not crowded.

Here we are crossing. Clearly, we avoided the rush times and had a leisurely stroll across the station.

We found the Hello Kitty store! Hooray for Little Miss A. This is a typical 'store' in a 'mall' here. You walk into a building and walk directly into a 'store'. There are no doors or ways to 'lock up' the merchanidse. Often, shoppers roam around from 'store' to 'store' and then make their way back to pay for the items they want to purchase. I have tried to get pictures to show how the stores are laid out, but not many people let me take the pictures. It is so different from shopping in the US. 

While Little Miss A was thrilled, we were... shocked! Look at these prices! Shoes for $144. Cell Phone covers for a whopping $264!

Miss got a few of the reasonably slightly overpriced items. She couldn't wait to show of her new Hello Kitty goods!

As we walked around Tokyo, we were reminded that smoking and walking are not allowed! These signs are on the ground around crosswalks. Smoking is only allowed in 'hidden' areas. It cracked us up! Seriously, at Disney and all over Tokyo, smokers are hidden away from view and out of the 'public's smell. Awesome protection.  The yellow 'raised dots' on the street tell blind Japanese not to step too close to the road. Just part of the amazing system of accessibility the country of Japan has set up. 

We stopped to get some grub when the snacks were gone. What can I say, I talked hubby into it. I can be very persuasive.  Then, we passed by the 1964 Olympic Park. We saw the Meiji Shrine entrance, but we decided we were all shrined out.  

We wanted to see Harajuku, which is considered a 'birthplace' of Japanese fashion. It is a district in Tokyo where shopping and crazy, wild fashion are a site to behold.  Along the way we hit a snag or two. I convinced the group to go a certain way. It ended up the only option for crossing the street was a very large stairway over the busy street. Luckily, our men and big & strong. They carried Little Miss up and down the stairs. The locals just passed by and watch our crazy actions, not understanding. We are so thankful for their muscles :)

We finally found the way to Harajuku, which most Americans only know about because of Gwen Stefani's line of crazy clothes at Target. Harajuku is such an interesting place. First of all, this is the entrance of an alley-like walkway that has  crazy, fashion stores off of it. Now, we aren't really in to fashion. Still, when in Rome do as the Romans do.

So, off to look at fashion we go???

Check out some of this "fashion".


We saw more Caucasians in Harajuku than we have seen in all of Japan. Apparently, it is a tourist trap. There were a ton of locals as well. And, quite a large group of Africans with a French accent selling shirts? Life is just a little strange.

 Would you want to shop at a store where teddy bear heads had been put on the mannequins? Strange...

 Have you ever seen a creepier shirt than that? The people have three eyes each? What is that about?

We did find some pretty awesome crepes though. And, as you know, I am keen on snacks. The 'sweets' are not nearly as 'sweet' as they are in the States. That is a good thing in my opinion.There were 84 options! We avoided the 'fish' ones and stuck with typical dessert flavors.

 We ate our snacks standing in one place. I did tell you that it is considered rude to walk AND eat, didn't I? You can do one or the other, but walking while eating is a no-no. Even if it is water. It just isn't done. You have to stop and eat or drink, then continue walking. OK, I will follow instructions.

We loved Tokyo, but we were exhausted. Off to the train station to find our way, through three transfers this time to get home. Can't you tell by the map? God Bless that App we use!

It was starting to get crowded. Don't worry, we don't stick out or ANYTHING? Every time we were stared at I started humming, "One of this things is not like the others...." from Sesame Street. The adults rolled there eyes and the kids didn't get it. But, I did and it made me smile.

We, finally, arrived home. I won't tell you about the unfortunate event we came upon by the train in our town. (Kids read this.) Let's just say people got there in time.  Japan has an awesome country, but they still need to work on helping those who suffer with mental health issues.

Our sweet friends left shortly after this. It was a ton of fun showing them around, and learning more about the Land of the Rising Sun. Now, we have to actually plan for our next adventures instead of just asking them what they want to see. 

And, just in case you wondered, we didn't actually buy any crazy fashion. I'm NOT that crazy.... yet!

Living Life in my Jammies,

~Aggie Amy