Ken here in Japan, been a while.
Yes folks its been a while since my last entry, things just been really hectic around here, work, class, and then the small fact that i had to go to another base on the island to hook up my room with a phone and internet.. finally. At least now i'll be able to keep in contact with the people back home. So for those of you who didn't know, they've sent me to japan, this place is definitely amazing, and the nightlife is great (that is if you go to the club and you know how to speak skoski japanese, "a little", cause most of the girls there are japanese. go figure.) Actually all japanese people are impressed when an american learns their language they really think of it as an honor thing.
Hmmm.. let's see... oh yeah lol the first couple of times that your trying to speak it you gotta work on the pronounciation, cause one they'll look at you like what the f@#$? or you'll get the other expression, when you talk to one of the girls and she's hanging out with her friends; they'll start laughing at you and then with their friends and then back at you, lol. I think we get the pattern there. So quick recap, i finally graduated from field medical service school in north carolina, and then that same day they flew me out to japan, nice..
Oh man the plane ride was 14 hours plus, i spent 14 hours sitting down until i woke up at the some time at night or morning couldn't really tell what time it was, but it was dark outside. When i finally woke up i was all cramped up, and my legs were in extreme pain not to mention my back and all, walking was a freaking mission. I was almost about to jog it out around the aisles in the plane, but i don't think the captain would've approved. "Please fasten your seatbelts". I don't think so. Yeah and then i decided that maybe i didn't need any more sleep, so i stayed up through daylight of the next day, i watched about 7 movies, and then finally we had made it to OKI.. wait hold on, no not really, lol.
We had made it to yokuska, another japanese town that was 2 hours away from okinawa by plane of course. There will be no rowing of any boat whatsoever or a massive swim to "oki". So we sat there for a couple of minutes and then when they had the plane all cleaned up we got on and watched another three movies. We finally got off the plane and onto to our base at camp foster. I spent two weeks at camp foster wearing only 3 sets of clothes, don't worry people "operation heavy suds" was under way (laundry detergent that is..), because apparently from north carolina to los angeles all my clothes had been lost, ALL!!!!. lol. Everytime i called the airport to check on the damn bags they always had an excuse, i'm sorry sir, no we don't have time just yet, no please don't sue us... oh yes that was about 3,000 dollars worth of stuff. Let's keep it real there.
One time i called and they said well sir we've never heard anything about your situation, lol. I think they had finally given up. I on the other hand had to buy some more clothes with no money in the bank, kinda makes it near impossible. I came to camp kinser, which looked boring as hell to me when i first got on base, but things have turned out alright. There's nothing really to do on base, except a couple of bars and some tennis courts oh and of course running. I run every night, 12 miles and up, lol i think one of these days i'll make it to the other side of the island, who knows.. So there's this rule in the navy that whenever you go to check in to a new command, your susposed to be in the uniform of the day, with the exception of me, i only had the clothes on my back. The people at the office were nice enough to give me money and some clothes, i felt like a bum, straight up out da ghetto.
Well work is great, and i usually have to be the medic for about 30 marines or more when they out to do some dangerous practice run, or an event. I've already helped several people and it feels great. The only thing i wish i had right now is a car because its kinda hard to get around outside of base, paying for a taxi.. oh hell no it'll become pretty expensive. I'm really loving the culture and art, not to mention speaking the language. I've already made several japanese friends, and we can have conversations, small ones but still good. The only thing is that it sucks that most of the people here don't respect japanese people, especially the marines, and they own half of the okinawan life and parts on the island here. Oh yeah! i just remembered i just signed up for a karate class, to be taught by a sensei who's been training all of the muay thai fighters, the best ones ranked out here. Looks like training's going to be a little rough.. heh.
Alright then that's it for now, time to give your eyes some rest. I'll write later. ken. (Sorry guys, i'm really tired, last night i had some sake, habu and wine spritzer, lol. I'm really not a heavy drinker at all. Looks like this week was just a little stressful. Oh yeah habu is this beer made from the habu japanese snake, this snake happens to be poisonous, yes toxic, yes venomous, do you see a pattern. Yeah its a good drink, heh, just a little rough on the tonsils at first. Not for the weak at heart my friend. lol, later...
Hmmm.. let's see... oh yeah lol the first couple of times that your trying to speak it you gotta work on the pronounciation, cause one they'll look at you like what the f@#$? or you'll get the other expression, when you talk to one of the girls and she's hanging out with her friends; they'll start laughing at you and then with their friends and then back at you, lol. I think we get the pattern there. So quick recap, i finally graduated from field medical service school in north carolina, and then that same day they flew me out to japan, nice..
Oh man the plane ride was 14 hours plus, i spent 14 hours sitting down until i woke up at the some time at night or morning couldn't really tell what time it was, but it was dark outside. When i finally woke up i was all cramped up, and my legs were in extreme pain not to mention my back and all, walking was a freaking mission. I was almost about to jog it out around the aisles in the plane, but i don't think the captain would've approved. "Please fasten your seatbelts". I don't think so. Yeah and then i decided that maybe i didn't need any more sleep, so i stayed up through daylight of the next day, i watched about 7 movies, and then finally we had made it to OKI.. wait hold on, no not really, lol.
We had made it to yokuska, another japanese town that was 2 hours away from okinawa by plane of course. There will be no rowing of any boat whatsoever or a massive swim to "oki". So we sat there for a couple of minutes and then when they had the plane all cleaned up we got on and watched another three movies. We finally got off the plane and onto to our base at camp foster. I spent two weeks at camp foster wearing only 3 sets of clothes, don't worry people "operation heavy suds" was under way (laundry detergent that is..), because apparently from north carolina to los angeles all my clothes had been lost, ALL!!!!. lol. Everytime i called the airport to check on the damn bags they always had an excuse, i'm sorry sir, no we don't have time just yet, no please don't sue us... oh yes that was about 3,000 dollars worth of stuff. Let's keep it real there.
One time i called and they said well sir we've never heard anything about your situation, lol. I think they had finally given up. I on the other hand had to buy some more clothes with no money in the bank, kinda makes it near impossible. I came to camp kinser, which looked boring as hell to me when i first got on base, but things have turned out alright. There's nothing really to do on base, except a couple of bars and some tennis courts oh and of course running. I run every night, 12 miles and up, lol i think one of these days i'll make it to the other side of the island, who knows.. So there's this rule in the navy that whenever you go to check in to a new command, your susposed to be in the uniform of the day, with the exception of me, i only had the clothes on my back. The people at the office were nice enough to give me money and some clothes, i felt like a bum, straight up out da ghetto.
Well work is great, and i usually have to be the medic for about 30 marines or more when they out to do some dangerous practice run, or an event. I've already helped several people and it feels great. The only thing i wish i had right now is a car because its kinda hard to get around outside of base, paying for a taxi.. oh hell no it'll become pretty expensive. I'm really loving the culture and art, not to mention speaking the language. I've already made several japanese friends, and we can have conversations, small ones but still good. The only thing is that it sucks that most of the people here don't respect japanese people, especially the marines, and they own half of the okinawan life and parts on the island here. Oh yeah! i just remembered i just signed up for a karate class, to be taught by a sensei who's been training all of the muay thai fighters, the best ones ranked out here. Looks like training's going to be a little rough.. heh.
Alright then that's it for now, time to give your eyes some rest. I'll write later. ken. (Sorry guys, i'm really tired, last night i had some sake, habu and wine spritzer, lol. I'm really not a heavy drinker at all. Looks like this week was just a little stressful. Oh yeah habu is this beer made from the habu japanese snake, this snake happens to be poisonous, yes toxic, yes venomous, do you see a pattern. Yeah its a good drink, heh, just a little rough on the tonsils at first. Not for the weak at heart my friend. lol, later...