Can I borrow your dictionary?!

Today was my first full day of school - lions and tigers and bears, oh my! This is technically the foreign officer orientation week, so us ferners (4 of us) were introduced to each other yesterday afternoon, and this morning we met up with the other civilians in the class (6 people). We made a visit to the Ministry of Defense, received some briefings, had lunch with our Japanese sponsors and took a tour of the Ministry in the afternoon. My brain hurts already. See the scanned first page that I was hit with during the first briefing - There were 30 more progressively more complex and crowded slides to follow. The instructor essentially read the entire package, with LOTS of requisite molar sucking - that was just the first briefing. The next briefing was better only in that the instructor read faster than the first, and the briefing was over in 40 minutes instead of 60. The PAIN, oh the PAIN.

Good news is that there is one other woman in the class of 47! We spoke briefly today and she's very nice. She is a staffer for the Japanese Parliament. My sponsor is a Japanese Air Force Colonel - excellent English, so he'll be a great resource. He attended the U.S. Air War College a few years ago. The other foreign officers are from France and India. There's one other U.S. Army officer and his Japanese is fantastic - been here for about 12 years off and on. There are supposed to be two other foreign officers coming to join us later - one from Thailand and one from China. It promises to be an interesting and challenging year. Fortunately, the U.S. military has this right - we get excellent language training prior to attending this course - the Indian had 4 months of daily language training, and the French officer had 3 hours a week for the past year - really not enough to even begin to get comfortable with this language.

My head and feet hurt (lots of walking today in pointy and medium heeled shoes), and I need to go do some translating for tomorrow's classes. Wish me luck!

If there are any DLI instructors reading - thank you again for getting us as well prepared as we are. I complain, but I actually understand about 60% of what's going on - the military vocabulary is indispensible.

If there are any DLI pre-NIDS students reading - Cram as much military terminology kanji into your head as possible, and then ask for more!

Ja Mata!

2IC in beehive and go-go boots!

I wasn't quite old enough to vote when I attended a 1984 Geraldine Ferraro rally in Portland, OR. I remember looking at her and thinking, "hmm, President Ferraro, not quite buying it." Of course I was only 17, but she just seemed very unispiring to me, much like her ticket mate. Fast forward (and I mean FAAAAST) oh, 24 years (really??) and now I get to think about President Palin. Bee-hive-stylin'-schoolmarm-glass-wearin'-caribou-shootin'-beauty queen for President?? Add to that someone who stands up against corruption, takes on the old fogey establishment (and wins), and stands by her values. I am truly amazed at what she has accomplished in her mere 44 years. And, ok, what a hunk and dear of a husband. 5 kids and supportive of his wife - where in the world do they grow those kind of men? If you tell me they're all in Alaska, I'm getting out my Russian fur hat and taking the Bering Straits route.

The obvious bad news is....drumroll for the buzzword of this campaign....no experience. Obama has marginally "more" experience than Palin - but at least Palin is in the number 2 spot. We just have to hope that McCain doesn't choke on a pretzel or cheeto while laying down on the couch, with only his dog to save him (do the McCain's have a dog?) What VP candidate has had all the blocks checked? Dan Quayle, Al Gore?? Nope. And all things considered, I like Biden as well - an obvious contrast to Obama as Palin is in contrast to McCain. So, frankly all is canceled out and we're back to looking at the two candidates for President - that's what this is, right - a Presidential election year?

And to those critics who say that McCain is using Palin as his "hail Mary" - what else was he supposed to do? This is a contest to run our country, and he could have made a worse choice for different reasons by choosing Romney. I giggle at the sight of McCain just waiting for Obama to finish his moving speech in accepting the Dem nomination. And then, annoucing Sarah as his running mate - to the surprise and shock of everyone - especially the Obama campaign (didn't have any commercials ready for that one). Totally took the wind out of any dem sails, and I can imagine McCain with his strained grin, cackling, rolling back heels up in the air in obvious glee at his genius - and the ability of his campaign to keep their mouths shut to enhance the element of suprise. Pure political brilliance, I say! THAT's the John McCain I've been waiting to hear from again.

I say, "Go Sarah" - Juggle this all while you still can - you're about to become a grandma. Thank God you've got McDreamy husband to help. And please, oh please, keep wearing the go-go boots, all of those old fogeys need something to kick start their engines every once in awhile.

I just filled out my absentee voting request, so couldn't help but feel a bit politically inclined this morning.

Ja Mata!

Who cut the cheese?

This will be short and full of dairy references. We had our inaugural dinner party tonight. Nothing fancy just a neighborhood family for a little Italian Lasagna rolls, with a side of baked artichoke dip, and squash. I've been craving a bit of Italy for some reason. It was probably the horrible spaghetti from a side walk vendor soon after we arrived in Tokyo. The undercooked spaghetti, and unrecognizable orange "tomato" sauce had my subconscious screaming for something a bit more American in its Italian taste. A very long trip to the commissary at the U.S. Navy base in Yokosuka gave me every opportunity to find the ingredients necessary for such a meal. Lasagna noodles, frozen spinach, parmesan cheese, ricotta cheese, etc. I remembered everything, except the ricotta cheese. Ok, no problem, I'll just go to our local market and see if I can find some. 5 different markets later, still no sign of ricotta cheese. Perhaps it was my pronunciation? I looked it up in my electronic dictionary, and it didn't exist, so I tried several different variations - REE-CAW-TAH, LEE-KA-TAH, RI-KO-TA - I was getting no where. Everyone kept directing me to cottage cheese. Ok, I know I can substitute, and I finally broke down and accepted the fact that ricotta cheese is probably too far out there and scarcely used to warrant actually stocking it. So, two-200g containers of cottage cheese please.

Side note: Everywhere else in the world uses the metric system except for the states. Why do we have to be so pig headed? My oven is in celsius, all of the food products are in grams, the speed limits and distances are in kilometers, measurements, etc. I can't do the math to figure out 18% tips (so I always give 20%) much less subtract 34, and divide by 1.8 to get Celsius. I now have a Celsius and gram conversion chart next to my stove so that I can cook recipes from my American pig headed cookbooks. But I digress...

Dinner prep began and things were going smoothly. I open my cottage cheese to find...?? RICOTTA cheese? It certainly looked like ricotta cheese, tasted like ricotta cheese, and acted like ricotta cheese. By golly, I think the Japanese have confused cottage cheese with ricotta cheese. I re-read the container, and could not misread the ENGLISH spelling of cottage cheese. who should I call? Is there a special number for this type of food labeling error? I'll let it go this time, and will completely understand when I meet a Japanese person in the U.S. who may be baffled by the consistency of American cottage cheese. Now, I just hope I don't have a recipe that calls for cottage cheese.

Good Medicine

It's amazing how great minds think alike - I picked up my mail today, and there was a letter from my good friend, Susan. She included an article from the Washington Post that featured the different types of ramen you can get in Tokyo!! Go figure that IPPUDO was mentioned in the article! So, really friends, you must try those noodles. I'd prefer it if you came to visit me here for them, but they'll be just as good in New York.

So back to our other adventures. A great source of stress for me in raising these two boys has been their education. David obviously has his legitimate medical and behavior challenges. Since the age of 3, Chris however, has also been having his own set of behavior challenges. Granted, our lifestyle and recent familial upheavals have not contributed positively to their own biological challenges. Psychologists, doctors, therapists, teachers, etc. for both children have intervened and tried to help us get through these challenging phases. My goal has always been to raise boys who will be independent thinkers and contribute positively to society. Pretty simplistic in concept, pretty stinkin hard in reality. I implied in an earlier blog that both boys were attending the same school. That was not always the plan. One school in Tokyo would accept David with his academic and physical limitations, so I always knew he would attend this certain school. I was reluctant to also admit Chris to this same school, because I believed he would get a better academic education at say the American School in Japan, Montessori International, or the British School in Japan, even. Well, while that may still be true, the problem is that none of those schools would accept Christopher based on his disruptive and unattentive behavior. So, the day before school was to start, Chris was rejected from our "back up school", and my only other option was to place him in the same school as David. That's the background.

Of course, every cloud has a silver lining. The smaller classroom sizes, and the ability of the staff to work with special kids also provides an opportunity for them to focus in on and correct Chris's weaknesses while nurturing and building on his strengths. Chris came home the first day relatively happy and in a good mood.

David, on the other hand, came home complaining of torture. He said the school was "stupid", "horrible", "terrible", and he didn't want to go back under any circumstances. He got on the bus the next day under considerable duress, trying to do anything BUT get on the bus, and while on the bus, he had to be physically restrained by the aide. Not a good feeling. I went to the school at the owners' request to observe the training that he was undergoing. The owner and developer of the school is a woman who had two children of her own with cerebral palsy. I got to meet her oldest son who is 13-yrs old and completely independent. He walks tall, and speaks Japanese, English, and Chinese. He is the sweetest young man, and I believe just 6 years ago, he was wheel-chair bound, and barely functioning. This woman travelled around the world to find appropriate therapies to help her child. Came back empty-handed, and started her own "training" based on everything that she had learned from everyone else. They have David in what is to him very intensive physical therapies. They've quickly identified and pinpointed his physical weaknesses. And as the brain, posture, and body are all interrelated, they are working to help center and balance him. One of the exercises he performs brought me to tears with empathy for how hard he was working. It was a simple exercise of having his body completely centered by the therapist - arms behind his back, on his knees, shoulders centered and straight, and David had to move his head from back to front - only using his neck muscles. For a kid with a noggin the size of David's, this is no small feat. He did 10 repetitions, and the last 3 WERE like absolute torture. He was struggling so much, and giving all of his best effort. I know it sounds simplistic, but I just couldn't bear seeing him struggle physically so much. But you know, it all makes sense, and I've seen an improvement in behavior and strength in just three days. So have they - he even slept for 10 hours the other night - something he's only ever done when he's been sick!

So, I've got to put my overprotective mom fears aside. They are loving, yet firm. The next day, when David was talking to his dad, he said, "Hey Dad, guess what? School is great!" I still get a few grumblings about not wanting to go to school on Monday, but those will soon subside, and I fully believe that this is where God wants us all to be - David, Chris, and I. Kind of a heavy blog, kind of a heavy topic. Thanks for hanging in!

Stay tuned for some more light hearted blogging. Joe has found info on speed dating in Tokyo for those 30 and over. He says he'll babysit the boys so that I can take part in that experience! whoo hoo, I can only imagine...

Ja Mata...

Aliens and Ramen

Bird of Meguro city - Shijukara (Great Tit) - I don't make these things up

What to focus on for today? So much happened yesterday, that my brain is still processing it all. Should I tell you about the absolute unexpected joy we found while going through Meguro City Hall to get Joseph registered as an "alien", and finding a psuedo-socialized medical system that will be much more convenient and inexpensive than my TRICARE military insurance? and that while in city hall we were greeted with such genuine friendliness, concern, and competency? Ok, so I'll tell you about it. This ain't your local DMV. Everyone was thoroughly helpful, gracious, and bent over backward to make things clear. This is one place where the regimented rules and regulations actually helped move things along. And get this, they actually seemed happy. No grumpy fat old ladies with overapplied makeup and smokers cough to tell you to go someplace else for assistance. So, Joe is now registered, can get a Japanese bank account, and has Japanese health and dental insurance. (all happened in less than 2 hours - much less than my previously experienced two days for everything!) We also found out that our city has an "international friendship association" that offers classes in learning Japanese, sports, outings, culture, cooking, etc! I had never been so happy to be in a city hall before. Never would have gone there in a million years if it hadn't been for Joe!

There was more joy to be had afterwards - our dear friend and neighbor, Yoko, took us to what is now my most favorite ramen restaurant - EVER! There is one in New York, if you can't make it here to Tokyo - it's called IPPUDO. One bite and I wanted to devour the entire dish. I only took a picture after I had already gobbled up most of it. No curly Top Ramen type noodles here. No, they make their noodles nice and straight with just enough "chew" and none of the slime to give you satisfaction. Then, the soup base, ahhh the soup base. Pork based, with I think Miso, black pepper, red pepper, various veggies, a few slices of pork. Don't let the pepper throw you off, it isn't spicy peppery at all - just a wonderful fusion of all those flavors (and more that my palate cannot determine), perfectly balanced to make you cry out in frustration that you ever wanted to be on a rice ball diet.

I want to write more about the other thing that happened, but will save that for another posting. I know you all don't have time to dilly dally in my blog all day, so I'll sign off and save some for later!

Ja Mata...