Lost in Translation: April 2014

Tink loves the beach, too! But she always seems to sit on top of the sea glass or treasure that I am about to pick up....

A dear friend gave us an ice cream sundae kit! Nicole couldn't wait to break into it! Every night!!

My spoils...

And more!

I wish you could see this video! Tink is Freaking out because she misses her daddy!! Doesn't she look.... Desperate?

Easter bunny came by!

She thinks she's too old to find eggs... I hid them REALLY good! Took her almost an hour to find 10!!

This is the sparkling conversation I get when we go out to eat....

Karaoke box?!?

A tipsy bar?!?

I attended a spring luncheon, it was fun!

We did some flower arrangement called Ichibana...

And I won this keychain pocket watch? I set it on doc's time zone!

Friends!

Moni and I!!

More spoils!

And some more!

Kim and I made some suminigashi. It was fun!

This is the Japanese cooking group I am going to take over. The ladies are so sweet!!

Then, we went to this karaoke place outside the gate everyone calls La La La's... Cause that's what the sign says!!!

They have these little rooms that you reserve and you can just sing karaoke in your small group.... While ordering food and drinks. They delivered them right to us!

We had loads of fun! Even the ones that weren't in the mood to go out!!

The next day we drove to Horosaki for the cherry blossom festival. The cherry blossoms were beautiful!!

Oh wait, these were in base, but they were still beautiful!

We drove 2 1/2 hours to Hirosaki...

And saw the castle with the cherry blossoms!!

These bridges are my favorite, I think they're so pretty.

The festival was lots of fun.

But it's extra memorable because we got to go inside the castle this time! Word on the street is that it will be closed for 10 years while they renovate and repair it... It's very plain inside, it has displays of artifacts and local features. But still cool to say that I got to go inside while I was there.

On the way home I saw this less-than -appetizing restaurant...

Before church yesterday I walked downtown to the civic center. They were having a craft bazaar with blotch Japanese and American crafts. On the way I was reminded of how unique misawa really is...

The little memorial or plaque or whatever it is plays music 24/7.... Like vibrato male folk singing!

Ooooh, look at the cherry blossoms on base!

They have littered their petals like a flower girl before the bride! Should I feel honored that I get to clean them up?

And today's spoils!

But I also found a new beach and brought home a dozen or so more sanddollars!

I love misawa!!!

Since I love sea glass, have so much already, and couldn't figure out what to do with it, I decided to put the smaller pieces in this clear wine bottle. I have a small cast iron wine rack with 6 spots for bottles, I'll just display them thT way! The larger pieces are in a square based vase, and some tiny slivers have been put into a tiny test tube (also with a cork) that I found at one of the 100¥ shops on town! Oh, I love the collection! I can't wait to go out and find more!!!

These mountains are visible from certain parts of base. Aren't they beautiful? Kind of like the mountains I could only see across the flight line in Alaska! I love seeing this view in the mornings... When it's not cloudy... Or hazy... Or foggy!!!

I've also decided what to do with some of the 'broken' sand dollars! I use that suminigashi technique and dip the sand dollars, then glue on a pearl to cover the erosion!! They're too fragile to make a magnet, but I'm sure I could figure out something else to do with it!

Look at that sun! I have to be careful so I'm not fried at the beach!!!

In the morning, the JASDF are on all corners at both gates... I'm not sure why. They don't direct traffic, they don't take roll... Maybe I'll ask the boss's wife!

Sunsets are amazing here! Breathtaking! Unbelievable!

Look what I saw in the clinic! I walk past this every time I'm there, but never noticed! Next time I'll read it and figure out what it says/means!!

Mini and I went to Pizza Curry! Cute entrance ;)

Cute restaurant overlooking a part of town ;)

And really good curry! I had level 10 on the spice-o-meter... Maybe I could go to a 15 one day, but 10 was pleasant! Whoever goes up to a 50 is insane!!!

They had this retro pay phone at their register!!!

And this retro register!!! It was very co!!

Then we stopped by the farmers market on the way home and noticed they had one of these phones, too!

Just the other day I went to the salon on base. A friend had given me a certificate for a mani and pedi right before she PCS'd to Alaska... I had to use it! I only had til the end of April or it would have gone to waste! It was lovely...

And purpley!

I often get distracted here, it's so beautiful!!!

We had dinner with friends... Taco Tuesday on a Thursday! We took this (goofy) panoramic to send to the Dave guy!

Friday I got to join Midori Kai again, this time we went to a farmer's market in another town. Once on the bus, the interpreter folded down this funny seat into the middle of the aisle!!!

We started with a delicious buffet. I don't know what anything was! I recognized the acorn squash because of the color and the peel, but it had a gratin of some sort on top... And I also recognized that tiny red jalapeño slice in that broth, the puff pastry in the middle (which had a 'broth' of cream and mushrooms inside.... Japanese mushrooms are just weird!!!), and the pita on the left... And the orange! I just nibbled... Everything else was a gamble! Anyway, all produce you see on the plate or even the herbs are grown at this farmer's market!

Surprisingly enough, I had enough to make me full! Well, I actually went up to get some curry and rice! Then I was full!

But not too full for dessert! I just took a couple bites! Japanese desserts are not sweet like American desserts. It felt like I was just eating more food, so I was done!!

Then we went into the greenhouses! We saw their hydroponics, the herbs they grow for the restaurant, and then some pretty amazing things!!! The climate is very warm and tropical inside these greenhouses...