Japan to see Doranda and family

We had a wonderful opportunity to fly to Japan and visit Doranda and her family.  They are in Japan for a few years on a work assignment Bob has for the government.  We got free flights on Delta from Tianna.  We left Lancing, Michigan at 7:29 AM, got to Minneapolis okay, and left on an 8:15 AM flight for Japan.  We arrived at Haneda Airport in Tokyo at 2:35 PM after a 12 hour flight.

We were so excited to see them.  Doranda and the kids picked us up at the airport and we went straight to the Navy base at Yokosuka.

Scarlett and Penelope had a soccer practice that day.  It was fun to see everyone and to be in Japan.  The fields on the base were really nice and immaculately kept.  All the players were children of Navy personnel or contractor personnel.  After practice we went to the NEX, which brought back some old memories for Jacquelyn and I, of when we were in the military.  After that we drove to their home and got to see where they are living.  It's a two story house in a nice neighborhood and is all new and modern.  Very nice.

The next day we went to Kannonzaki Park which is not too far from their house.  Doranda drove and it was interesting to watch because they drive on the opposite side of the road in Japan.

 The park was large and very green with paths going all over.

 One of the main features is this slide that is ridiculously long.  It goes way down the hill and you can pick up a lot of speed.  Doranda and Calista demonstrating.

 Scarlett on the slide.  You have to put your feet down to brake yourself or you'll go way too fast.  You sit on pieces of plastic and really zip along.

They also had some other toys to climb on.  The weather was real nice.

 We were lucky because the Bon-Odori festival was going on.  We drove back out to the Navy base that afternoon after Bob got off work.  The celebration was on base near his work.

 They had a part of the base set up with food vendors and music performers.  Some of the people dressed up in traditional Japanese costumes, including Doranda.

 Tucker got to go up on the stage and they taught him to play the drums.

Then Scarlett gave it a try.  They did pretty good.

 Then later that evening we walked from Doranda's house to a nearby town square where they were also celebrating the Bon-Odori Festival.  They carry these shrines to the temple and play music and beat drums.

 It was packed wall to wall with people.

They also had a lot of food vendors.  You can see us walking down the steps from a shrine.

Japan Obstacle Course

The next day was Saturday and Doranda and Bob took us to this obstacle course park.

 It didn't look like much from the front but they said it was going to be fun.  It was a privately owned park.

 The first obstacle seemed pretty easy.

 But they got harder.  The obstacles all involved some type of climbing and were composed of wooden logs and ropes.

 Jacquelyn and I were doing all the obstacles right along with the kids, as were Bob and Doranda when they weren't holding Calista.

 Some of them were pretty hard.  This one was high.

 I counted over a hundred obstacles.

 It was pretty hot to so we were sweating and getting really tired.

 The kids have unlimited energy though.

 Some of them you had to swing on.  There were a few that were even too hard for me.

 Then we got to some water obstacles.  This is where I had trouble and fell in the water.  You ride in this bucket and pull yourself across.  However I was too heavy and the water started pouring in over the side and my bucket filled up.  I got soaked up to my waist.  Even my camera and wallet got wet.  Luckily it wasn't too deep and I waded out.  Jacquelyn fell in on a different part where you had to run across rafts which tipped and dumped you into the water if you weren't fast enough.

 The kids were very nimble.

 It was fun to watch them climbing all through the obstacles.

 This one you had to swing and run across.

Tucker found a lizard.

Japan church and Kamakura

We were having lots of fun but the next day was Sunday so it was time to take a break and observe the Sabbath day.

 We rode the trains to get to church.  That was how we got around a lot of the time.  Calista liked riding the trains but never wanted to sit or stay in her stroller and would get very upset if she couldn't get up.

 This is the sign for church, fourth from the top.  It was in a building just outside the base where they rented the 3rd, 6th, and 7th floors, I think.  The Yokosuka Military Ward.  It was a service members ward so it was all in English.  They also have a Japanese speaking Ward at this town that meets in the same building.

The girls had matching dresses.  They attract a lot of attention from native Japanese people as we travel on the trains and walk around town.  The next day Doranda, Penelope and I rode bikes to the base to Tucker's school for a practice run, because he will need to do it by himself.  He's home schooled but takes a band class on base at the junior high school.  It was a hard bike ride, almost an hour in the hot sun, then back home.  It was hard.  Later in the day we rode the bus to town and ate dinner at a ramen noodle restaurant in a mall.

 The next day we drove to base and then walked to a train stop and took the train to an old Japanese street that is a tourist atttaction. - Kamakura.

 At the shrine they have this place to wash your hands and say a prayer if you want.  Tucker, Penelope, and Scarlett showed us the tradition.

 The temple was up a steep set of stairs.  They have lots of temples like this all over Japan.

 Then we when to the old section of town, Kamakura, where they have all these interesting shops and stores.

 At one shop Doranda bought an ice cream cone what was covered with real gold leaf.  We all got to try it.  I didn't think it was very good.  Tasted kind of metallic.

 Penelope, Tucker, and Leon at one of the statures.

 Then back to Yokosuka by train.  It's right by the harbor where they have docks and shipping.  You can see an old submarine here too.

 Aircraft carrier.

Some old ship guns in the park.  We made it back to the base in time for the girls soccer practice.

Japan Modelling Jobs

The kids sometimes get modelling jobs for Japanese magazines, but the studios are all the way up in Tokyo.

 Scarlett had a modelling job while we were there.  They were looking for some children with red hair.  I went with Scarlett, Doranda, and Calista.  I helped by watching Calista when Doranda was needed to assist Scarlett.  She did real good and was very patient while they did her hair and makeup.

 We were at the Mansard Studios.  They dressed them in funny outfits and posed them just how they wanted.

 Then take the pictures.

 Scarlett in strange outfit.  She doesn't look real pleased.

 She did so good and didn't even complain.  Fortunately they don't want them to smile because Scarlett was not in the mood.

This is her balloon outfit.  It was for the Milk Magazine of Japan.  While we were gone Jacquelyn was watching Tucker and Penelope.  They went on a bike ride to a park.  At the park Tucker fell off a climbing wall and hurt his arm pretty bad.  Fortunately it wasn't broke.

Japan Glass Beach

On day Doranda took us to Glass Beach.

 We were busy in the morning with an appointment with the owners of the house Doranda rents.  They were doing inspections and Doranda got to show them some things that needed fixing.  The main problem was mold that has been appearing on some of the walls.  Then we went to Glass Beach.  Scarlett at the beach.

 Leon at the beach with Penelope in the background.  The shore was kind of rocky and not real good for swimming, but the water is too cold anyway.

 The kids had fun playing around on the shore.  There were even some tide pools.

 Pretty scenery.

 Of course the girls like searching for sea shells.

 Calista kept Doranda busy.

 Penelope on a rocky outcrop.

Tucker contemplating life.