Mystery Solved

As you may have noticed in previous entries, we went through a panic that our furniture wasn't going to fit into the house we leased.  But, as we moved in, we noticed that the furniture was going to fit after all.  It looked like I had measured the furniture wrong in Bremerton (I wrote down 67" for the entertainment center and it was actually 57", and I'd measured the bed too big as well!)  I only checked two of the items that I'd measured in Bremerton, but they were both wrong!  

Well, I finally figured out what happened.  Here is the story:

I measured all the furniture in Bremerton with my standard measuring tape.

They packed up our stuff including my measuring tape and sent it to Japan.  Since we were spending a few months in the Navy Lodge and occasionally working with metric measurements, I went to the hardware store to buy a metric measuring tape.  I found this cool tape that had metric on one edge and english on the other.

We'd used my measurements of the furniture in Bremerton and the house lay-out they gave us to figure out where each piece of furniture would go.  Partly for our own edification, but also because the movers will only place a piece of furniture once.  The house lay-out had a disclaimer on it that it was just approximate and actual measurements may vary.  So, after we got the keys to the house, I went over and measured with my new tape measure to make sure the rooms were the correct size in our model.  I was shocked when the room sizes were nearly 20% smaller than advertised and everything was no longer fitting in the rooms! I measured the Tatami room to be 87" wide when it should have been close to 9 feet wide.  We were changing which bedroom we were using, figuring out where to get rid of Caroline's couches, and even thinking of getting rid of the entertainment center I'd built!

On the moving day, we'd asked the movers to take the entertainment center upstairs. They set it down to investigate whether that was possible or not.  I had my tape in hand so I did a quick measure to see if it was truly too big.  I measured it with my new tape and then measured the space I originally wanted it and it fit with room to spare!  I then went and measured the bed and it would fit in the smaller room we wanted to place it in!  It was all fitting like the original model!  We chalked it up to rushed measurements in Bremerton, but it was nagging at me that I was 0 for 2 for measuring stuff...

Yesterday, William found my original tape measure and was playing around measuring things.  He asked me to hold the tape at the edge of the tatami room and he pulled it out and proclaimed that the room was 115 inches!  "No it's not William, I measured it several times and it was 87 inches."  "No, Dad, it's 115 inches... Look!"  Sure enough it was 115 inches.  I thought I was going insane!  After thinking on it a bit, I took both my new tape measure and the old tape measure and compared.  I was flabbergasted to see that my new tape measure wasn't showing the english units in inches, but rather tenths of a foot.  It was a decifoot tape where 10 "Inches" make a foot!  No wonder my measurements were off by 20%!

I can stop looking for my straight jacket on e-bay now...

Update:  I've asked around about the "Decifoot" units on the new tape measure and it appears that it isn't English units at all, but a pre-metric Japanese measuring unit whose 10 units pretty closely match 12 inches...  Buyer beware!

In Da House

We are moved into the house.  Which means we are living amongst a lot of boxes, with no idea where to store all this crap that apparently we thought was too important to put into storage back home. 

I still have my purple couches!!!  They fit!  Apparently, while the movers were literally packing us up and carrying things out to the truck in Bremerton, Tim was scribbling down measurements.  A 5 was interpreted as a 6.  50 inches versus 60 inches is a lot of room!

We discovered this once the movers here had brought in the speakers and the entertainment system.  Everything was going to fit!  I was over-joyed.  Tim said that it made the move go so much smoother, especially since our expectations were so low.  

The antique dentist chest (literally has drawers where the goop to fix teeth was mixed in the wells) took a hit, and our large computer won't start up, neither will the HDTV large screen monitor.  Oops.  They say it's insured to full value.  Tim will do a bit of trouble shooting before we start the big claim.  

Other than a few plastic items that crunched under the heavy pressure, everything else seems to have arrived safely.

We helped the movers heave-ho the king sized mattress and box springs up over the balcony.  We'd always been told to keep at a queen sized bed size here in Japan.  But I had said that I wanted to remain married.  Sleeping space is so important.  At the Navy Lodge we slept in separate beds.  So, now Tim and I are sleeping together again!

 

I met with the Realtor representative today.  She is very nice and married to a Navy guy.  She went through the house with me and described what all the kanji means on stuff.

I'm kinda intrigued that I can fill my bathtub with a few presses of buttons from the kitchen.  We'll keep that fact away from our son.  I love the video monitor on the front gate when people ding dong us.  The giant water drop on it today obscured everything, but it's still cool!

She did tell us to ask for a larger microwave from the base.  DARN!  We thought this microwave was COOL!!!

It has little icons for things like re-heating a bowl of rice.  This must be their version of the popcorn setting.  And our favorite?  A pre-set button for heating sake to the right temperature for drinking!!!  Is that cool, or what?

Meanwhile, William is doing really well in his swimming class.  He jumps in and kicks to the top.  He even did an epileptic version of a backstroke today!  

He figures it is his job to watch for the postman.  He came today with a letter from the water company for T Putaansuu.  We're officially getting BILLS already!  Actually, it wasn't a bill, just a confirmation that we were indeed the ones in the house and responsible for the water meter readings.  They turned it on automatically, nobody showed up at the house and asked for a signature.

At 8 a.m. on moving-in day, our power came on, and our water came on.  The gas guy showed up in the middle of things and showed us how to work the stove.  The cable guys came the next day.  One played with William.  Tim remarked that you would never have seen that happen in the states.  He was playing hide and seek and picking him up.  Nothing weird, just having fun.

The appliance guys from base showed up.  They installed our washer and dryer (stacked on top of each other) and our fridge.  They dropped off our satellite dish for the Military TV channels, and the microwave.  It's kinda nice that they give you these larger items, so you don't have to go buy them.

Our Japanese fridge has 3 levels, the freezer being on the bottom, and the vegetable bin in the middle.  It even has an ice maker.  There is a small container that you put water in, and it makes ice.  No hooking up to anything!

Since we have a fish cooker (it is so small, you could maybe cook one small trout in this thing), we don't qualify for a stove.  Japanese don't usually have stoves in their houses.  So, tonight we went and bought a counter-top oven that claims it can fit 2  12" pizzas in it!  It is a convection oven, and it was 1/4 the price of the Japanese ones.  So, our next move is to go and figure out a counter top space for all our items.  Japanese kitchens are only half-done by American standards.  The sink and stovetop are all one counter.  The rest is up to you to install!  Ikea, here we come!!!

William is happily set up in the master bedroom (and toy room).  His 'ducky' bathroom is set up as well.  Since the sink for the upstairs in in the hallway (the toilet room is right next to it), it is on a little more display than we once we had it.  He is happy, and loves to take people on this 'tour' of the house.  He shows them his picture in one of the ducky picture frames and claims himself really cute.  Groan.  Now we're explaining why you should not  claim to be cute.

Tim's kegerator is in and he is happy.  The realtor lady wanted to know what it was.  :)  Tim says he'll put a complete blow-by-blow on the kegerator conquest when he has more time.  I dunno.  I think he's going to be too busy building IVARs and BILLYs.

MOVIN ON

We'll be off the internet for a few days, as we're moving!  The house has only been without power for 3 days and already it smells dank and musty.

We went there tonight after the realtor had the owner over at 3 p.m. to view his property, and I'm assuming he was also there to pick up the $3K 'gift' we had to give him to get the house (regardless of how long we rent it).  The realtor pocketed $3200 as his 'gift.'  That is just to get into a house.  There was also a first month's rent, and a deposit of a month's rent.   It costed roughly $12K to get keys.

We waited until the owner had gone before we showed up... to set up the kegerator.  Yes, it's true.  Tim is the proud owner of a kegerator!  For those who don't know, it is a small refridgerator designed to house a pony or half keg.  The tap comes out of the top.  We figured it would be best if the kegerator wasn't set up when the owner came through.  Even with the bonus $3K, he might have been a bit nervous as to what he'd signed up for!  

We have the j:com people coming on Tuesday.  Our experience with Japanese internet is that it wants you to put preferences in in kanji.  So, we're not banking on how quickly we'll have it up to speed.

For those of you who want a little laugh at our expense, read on:  The realtor advertises this house as larger than it actually is (our working theory is that they get to include the balcony square footage in their advertisements).  Even on the floor plans, it looked bigger than it is.  We signed the lease on Friday.  Tim went in on Saturday and got keys.  That is when we actually took measurements.  Our stuff will not fit.  Currently, we're having to get rid of MY couch and love seat (Tim would never claim it, as it was purple, and very classy old-lady-esque).  We're going to try to find some place for the entertainment center that Tim made.  And there are no walls to hang the pictures we brought.  I mean, there are sliding shoji screens on every freakin' wall!!!  Plus, we're not supposed to put up anything on the walls, anyway.  I'm thinkin' the kegerator is just desserts.

Yochien slide

I have been visiting Yochiens for William.  I figure it's the most costly way to teach him Japanese.  By the time we buy uniforms, do the entrance fee (big bucks) and the monthly fee, it is probably equivalent to a light load at a community college.  Oh well.

I am torn by which one to send him to.  There is only one that helps send home things in English.  An acquaintance, whose husband is an interpreter says she has problems because her husband is so tired when he gets home, he won't interpret the stuff!  And you know how much wah comes home with children from school.

This person sends her child to a Catholic Yochien (preschool and kindergarten are together here).  I really liked the teachers here best.  It is next to base, and convenient for that factor.

However, the one that supports English speaking parents is further off base, and quite a distance.  It has a choo-choo train bus, however!

Oh well.  We should make a decision by next week to reserve a place for us!

You should have seen William at this one.  He was looking so leary at this little boy who was trying to help him with a craft.  Cute.

Godzilla

William and friends of his went to see Godzilla.  Inside it's a slide, so you get to slide out of it's... tail.

William and girls (friends) had a blast.  They played and played on the playground equipment, rode down the roller slide, and got to ride the 'pink train.'  This was much to the chagrin of William, who would have rather ridden in the green train.  The girls were elated.

We had such a wonderful day.  It is called Kurihama Flower World, but last year's typhoon took out a lot of the flowers, we're told.

They're re-planting, and I imagine by fall, it will be spectacular.

It's starting to get warm here.  William has his new hat, and has been wearing it, and not complaining too much about getting sunscreen on.  Notice he's hanging out with cute cheerleaders, already!  Of course, he always has to be the clown.  

Earthquake - We're Fine

Usually, Caroline feels the earthquakes and I don't notice them.  Caroline always goes to the computer to show me that there really was an earthquake.  This time, I noticed it and was trying to tell William and he wouldn't believe me.  Caroline didn't even feel it, though, she was taking a shower at the time.  Anyway, William and I looked at the web site where it takes five minutes to update and we saw this:

Japan Metrological Agency 6-14 0845 quake

It was apparently a 7.0 Richter earthquake in Northern Japan.  Caused land slides and collapsed houses up there.  Here... just a father trying to convince his son that the building was moving...

Anyway, I figured some of you might see the news and wonder about us.  Just letting you know that we are fine.

Yoga Yogi

William loves our new Wii Fit.  He's doing yoga on it in this picture. 

It helps you with balance, and working out.  It has a way to measure your weight and track your BMI.

Skiing is kind of odd because you lean on the foot for where you want to turn, rather than the opposite foot to turn (which is what you do when actually skiing).  I figure it'll make William cross his tips a few times once he starts to learn to actually ski this next year.

What we love doing is to do ski jumping.  Crashing is a lot less painful in the virtual world!  :)  It is fun to watch William 'stand up' at the right time for the jump.  I don't know what I look like (nor do I want to know), but I'm proud to announce that I am the #1 ski jumper in the Putaansuu household!

What is cracking me up about the whole thing is that William, our little informer, is now prepped with the information that I am 'obese.'  So, he goes around and asks, "So why are you obese?"  Oh joy.  The latest game is ratting on me!!!  He never seems satisfied with my answers as to why I am fat.  He also is never satisfied with our answers to why he is 'normal.'  But now, he's obsessed with jumping 100 times on the bed to do exercise.  I'm assuming it's normal for a 4-year-old boy to jump on the bed!

Preschool Graduation

We're excited that William has graduated preschool!  It was a lovely little ceremony, and as soon as I learn to edit on this computer, I'll upload the video bit where he crosses the stage to center and gets his medal.  Sadly, when taking other folks' pictures, I made sure their kids had the medal fronts showing.  With William, I was lucky to get a picture where he wasn't hamming it up.  The little doo-dad around his neck is a lei.  They took regular saran wrap and wrapped up small toys, markers and candy.  Then, they used curling ribbon to decorate at each juncture (keeping the candies and gifts securely wrapped).  It made a really terrific lei.  WHAT A GREAT IDEA!!!

William keeps asking, "Why did I graduate?"  I told him it was because he did all his work, worked hard at doing it right, and did everything the teachers asked.  To that he replied, "Then why did Christopher graduate?"  

Yokohama Go

The Go class I was taking on the Yokosuka Base started out with 20 people, but over the course of a couple of months, it dwindled down to just me.  Although I need lots of help, we didn't think it was fair to take 4 intructors' time with such a small class, so they invited me up to Yokohama to play with their club.  

We met at, what is essentially, a pool hall for playing Go.  I paid 1000 Yen (about $10) and met up with our small group in the back.  Luckily, one of the group was waiting for me at the elevator.  If I'd walked into this room without some idea of what to do or where to go, I might have turned around and headed home.

We played the full sized game (instead of the 9x9 or 13x13 training games I had been playing in class) and was able to squeeze in two full games.  I lost the first one and won the second.  So a pretty close match.  

Afterwards we headed out for a drink.  

I'd driven to the 12 hour parking lot on base to catch the train, so I had to settle for Cola while the rest had beer.  I'm looking forward to living in our house where the train station is just a 6 minute walk away and I can have a couple of beers since I can take the train all the way home.  The next get together is in Tokyo.  I'm looking forward to it.

Bowling

We went bowling with friends the other night.  William has become accomplished at bowling on the Wii but was excited to try it for real. William's excitement and the invite were enough to overcome Caroline's inherent distain of the sport!  We all had a great time, though none of us will be playing in leagues any time soon.  

The bowling alley on base is pretty nice and kid friendly.  I was looking for a light ball for William when one of the guys mentioned that the six pounders are kept behind the counter since they get broken otherwise.  Something about over-hand bowling...

You can program the bumpers to come up automatically for any particular player.  We nearly reconsidered that option for William after he won the first game.  But he loves the bumpers, so we kept them going.  They even have a ramp you can set up for the really young kids.  You pull the ramp over from the side and set the ball on the ramp and the kids come up and give the ball a little shove and the ball is off down the alley.  William wanted to try that one too, but he was competition enough already!

 

90 days in the Lodge

I now know what '90 days' feels like, and I don't have a record!

If you'll notice, the schlock has grown on our countertops here.  The items we've purchased, we've kept some of the cardboard boxes, for now.  Once we are out amongst the Japanese, the recycling and sorting becomes an issue.  So, we'll be sure to pitch those out before we move into our house.

Tim will sign the papers on the 20th, and we can move some things over on the 22nd.  The 23rd, we'll move out of the lodge, and our stuff will be delivered to our house.

I am so excited, but am worried that I have Stockholm syndrome, and won't know what to do once I have a life 'on the outside.'  

Being on base has been wonderful because I have made friends, and have gotten a good lay of the land.  Now I'll get to go off base and enjoy some of the things that Japan has to offer.

I am making a long list of places to go and things to do.  I think it's going to be a blast seeing some of these places.  The fact that 1/12th of our time here has past already, we need to get busy getting some of these places seen.  We were figuring it out, and by the time we get into our house, 1/10th of our time in Japan will have past.

So, our first milestone has passed!  

Birthday Party

It is the beginning of birthday party season.  

Lots of William's pals are turning 5.  There must've been some military reunions about the same time because almost all of his classmates are having their birthday this spring.

Peyton (cool mom and his party is on Monday-- bowling), Mary (her mom, Chieko, is a particular friend of mine), Angel (birthday girl... she seems to have a sweet spot for William (who is clueless), Bishop (Will and him play together a lot on the playground and mom Hiromi is always very nice), Nina is squeezed in (mom has been super at keeping me a part of the pre-school mom group), Grace (Mary's sister, table-mate to Wm at school and her party is on the 22nd), William and Ethan Welch (his mom is a good friend, too).

Angel had the McDonald's extravaganza.  William seemed to enjoy himself from what little I saw of him as they played games and had a ball.  It was fun for the mom's, too.  I sat with Kim (Peyton's mom) and Chieko (Grace and Mary's mom) and chatted.

Ring Me

William asked me the other day if I was married.  I said, "Yes, I'm married to Daddy!"

He then asked, "Where's your ring?"  

I had to laugh.  I love the reality of children.  A ring means you're married.

I showed him my rings, which I rarely wear.

We have had fun this past weekend meeting up with friends and going out to eat.  It is strange to be making new friends.  One of our engagements was with our new neighbors.  The lady is so energetic.  She likes to cook and makes everyone in the neighborhood dinners.  She claims every woman who moves in gains 20 pounds from her cooking.  

One of the neighbors (a woman) said that Jandi was like her wife, and I wasn't to steal her away from her.  I thought that was funny.

I am busy with putting together English lessons.  I am substitute teaching for the next few weeks for a friend.  This is a lot of work!  Wow!

William watches the Tokyo Disney video about 6 times per day.  The jumping off the dive board is still a big deal.  It's kinda cute.  It's one of the first things he wants to do in the morning!