Three Months in Japan

Today my friend Jason pointed out that it has been three months since we got to Misawa. Mostly I think he just wanted to make sure we liked it here since he talked it up so much that we volunteered to come here. It got me thinking that I really haven't posted about any of the things that we have done here in the last three months. So I thought I would post about some of our adventures here.

Our first weekend here in Misawa was the Lantern Festival. I have no idea what they were celbrating, but the streets outside the base were lined with paper lanterns and booths selling food, so we went to take a look and get some dinner. We all decided that the yakisoba was pretty good, some of the other things weren't such a hit with the kids though.

The next week we went on the mandated tour to Hachinohe. We went to the fish market, an Shinto shrine, and a mall. At the fish market they let us try all sorts of things. I ate my first salmon eggs (very salty), jelly fish salmon jerky and lots of vegetable I couldn't name if I had to. I have come to the conclusion there is almost nothing that the Japanese won't eat.

Well, I am out of time for the night. I will try to post some pictures and stories of adventure to Ajigasawa and the Sea of Japan soon.

Playing Doctor

I suppose most of us have pretended to be a doctor at one time or another. I, for one, still am. As I recall, it usually goes something like this: The doctor takes a temperature, listens to your heart and lungs, and maybe bangs on your knee with a toy reflex hammer. The doctor then pronounces you sick and gives you a shot or tells you to go home and take some medicine. I never realized how my profession would change that for my children.

A couple of weeks ago Di overheard Aubrey and her friend Natalie playing. Natalie was the doctor and Aubrey the nurse. One of the dolls was going to have a baby. Jonathan overheard this and decided that he wanted to be the doctor, which Aubrey protested because Natalie was the doctor. Trying to keep the peace Di reminded them that in a C-section there are two doctors in the room. That seemed to placate everyone.

A little while later Di overheard Jonathan announce, "This isn't a C-section, it's a breech. This is very dangerous--the head could get stuck." Apparently, he has been listening to my talk about work.