Communication

I made this a separate post so it's easier to reference in the future.  The best ways to communicate with us are going to be through email, cell phones, web chatting and of course snail mail.

Email:
Me: b.a.alkonis@gmail.com
Ridge: ridgealkonis@gmail.com
Joint: alkonisclan@gmail.com

Cell Phones:
We both got iphones and downloaded a few apps that are pretty handy for free overseas communication.  You, of course, would have to download them as well in order for them to be utilized.

1. HEYTELL - it lets you send instant voice messages to people.  It's like text messaging meets a walkietalkie
2.  VOXER - kind of like HeyTell but you can also send normal text messages and picture messages along with the voice messages.
3.  SKYPE - lets you do voice chatting, video chat and instant messaging.  You'll want to download the app and then set up your account and stay logged in.  If you're not logged in then you're offline and we can't send you any messages.
4.  OOVOO - like skype it lets you do voice chatting, video chat and instant messaging.  Also, like skype, just set up your account and stay logged in on your phone.
5.  FACETIME - comes with iphones

Me: 011-81-80-4859-8870
Ridge: 011-81-80-4854-8870

Web Chatting
Web Chatting is pretty easy and it's free.  All you need is a computer with either a camera built in or a webcam; internet; and a Skype or Oovoo account.  Once you get that just search for our names and add us as your friends!

1.  Skype - this is the most popular web chatting service
2.  Oovoo - if Ridge's ship is like the Naval Academy he'll probably have to use this one when underway and on the government servers.

Snail Mail
The great thing about this is since we have an address on the base you still get to pay normal shipping prices!  The only mailing service you can use though is USPS.


Ridge and Brittany Alkonis
PSC 473 Box 259
FPO AP 96349-0003
* Do not write Japan anywhere on your package or envelope!  The base is still considered America and if you do your parcel will disappear forever.

We miss everyone so pick your poison and keep in touch!

First Week Summary

Hello everyone!  I thought for this next post the best thing to do would be to answer everyone’s questions from their emails, so here it goes…

Being here so far has been great!  Yes, we’re still in a hotel.  Yes, the ship with our stuff on it still won’t be arriving for a couple more weeks.  And yes, we still have to eat out for every meal.  Other than that though, everything has been going pretty smoothly and we’ve been able to get out and do some pretty cool stuff.

Our first week here we had what is called AOB training.  It’s five days in a classroom where we learn all about the base, it’s rules and laws, the laws of Japan, a lot about Japanese culture and how to drive on the left side of the road.  For the most part it was actually great and I was so glad that they made us go to something like that.  The only day that was a little painful was Tuesday.  They pretty much sat us down for six hours to learn how to not binge drink, drink and drive, do drugs, rape people, beat your wife, murder local taxi drivers, or do anything else that could subject you to spending life in a Japanese prison with the other 23 Americans from the base that are already there.  Needless to say I don’t think we really needed it but who knows, maybe it could come in handy one day.

Between 2-3 is when we got out of class.  Usually right after we had to spend a couple of hours running errands but once we finished we always had plenty of time in the evenings to explore by ourselves.  So far we’ve made a pretty good dent in Yokosuka (the city where we live); gone to Kamakura where we got to eat lunch with the mayor (he was trying to figure out how to make his city more “American friendly”) and see the Hachimangu Shrine; seen the Tokyo temple and seen another shrine in Tokyo that I’ll have to ask Ridge the name of. 

Yokosuka and the surrounding cities actually aren’t too bad to navigate.  The people here are used to having the 35k Americans from the base around so if you’re at a restaurant or at the train station you can usually figure things out, with some effort, by the few English words or pictures on the menu or map.  Tokyo was definitely a different story though.  If left by myself I would no doubt get lost and starve.  Luckily the Navy planned for such things and at the AOB brief we each got a stack of these:

At first I thought it was funny.  Now I’m holding onto them like they’re gold!

Wednesday night Ridge got to play on his ship’s softball team!  I think that’s been his highlight of Japan so far.  They stuck him in as catcher to see how he would do – to put things in perspective the other team put their 1 girl and worst player in as catcher – and he actually did pretty well!  So well in fact that the other team pulled out the rulebook and tried to make them forfeit.  Apparently you’re supposed to have played at least one regular season game to play in the playoffs.  After much bickering though the other team conceded and The Fightin’ Fitz went on to win!   Needless to say, however, Ridge is banned until next season.

Sunday we went to church.  We had met another LDS couple in AOB and they had already made it one week to the ward.  It was just like they described: a few adults and TONS of kids!  Holy smokes!  Ridge and I counted and there were 31 adults and close to forty kids.  Who knows, there could have been more.  They were running and crawling all over the place, it was hard to keep track.  Most of them were young too.  I saw 3 young women; maybe a couple of 9-10 year olds and that was it.  The best part is, apparently once the families that left for the summer are back, the ratio is going to be worse!  As a whole though the ward seems great.  I think almost everyone came up to introduce themselves and offer us help.  They all seem like really nice, awesome, solid people.   

To sum things up, life here is pretty darn cool.  I imagine I’ll have days where the culture shock is a little more hard to bear than others – probably during those months when I don’t have my translator and best friend with me :( - but it’s definitely worth it and I can’t wait for people to come and visit! 

Curry Man

Lunch with the Mayor of Kamakura

Shinto Gate to Hachimangu Shrine

Hachimangu Shrine, dedicated to the god of war

Market on the way to the Shrine in Tokyo

Me "cleansing myself" in incense before we went in 

Outside

Inside

Latter Day Saint temple in Tokyo

Home Sweet Home

I know I have a lot to update you all on but I'm tired so this is all you get for now:  WE FOUND A HOUSE TODAY!  It was the first one we looked at in person so we may be a little crazy, but it's exactly what we wanted so we're taking it.  It's close enough to base where the commute isn't a hassle but far enough away to where we don't feel like we're in little America, it's Japanese style but can have an American oven, we have a patio for a BBQ, and miraculously we have lots of storage space!  The neighborhood is the cutest thing I've ever seen but I didn't get any pictures so you'll just have to enjoy these until I get some... or until you come and see it for yourself ;)

 Lots of storage space!  Dining Room / Living Room

 Living Room

 Traditional Tatami Room

 Shoe area.

 Master bedroom (not so "master" but actually larger than 99% of other Japanese "master" bedrooms)

 2nd upstairs bedroom

 Sink in the middle of the upstairs hallway (this is normal).

Konichiwa

Well, we made the impossible happen and as of 7:15pm today (July 22) Ridge and I are both in Japan!  After two weeks of hard work, relentless nagging, constant prayers and many tender mercies we have accomplished what everyone told us was unfeasible; instead of me getting to Japan five weeks after Ridge I made it in just under five hours!  This is such a blessing.  Our past seven weeks have been pretty awesome; like Suzi (Ridge's mom) said, we definitely have had rainbows over our heads.  We’re ready to start our real lives though.

To catch everyone up, since we saw you at the wedding and open houses we have:

Partied in Park City

Driven all of our stuff to California

Spent days upon days upon days shopping to furnish and stock a house that doesn’t exist.

Shipped everything we own to Japan (pray for fair seas!)

Broken a toe.

Returned to Utah to attend Andrew and Deina’s wedding and to spend time with family.

Improved our tans on the Mayan Riviera in Mexico and seen Chizinizza

Returned to Utah again for one last goodbye.

Drank many a milkshake.

Eaten many a Sprinkles cupcake.

Run the Claremont Fourth of July 5k

Spent lots of time playing, surfing and tanning at the beach with our families.

Gone to 5 baseball games: 2 Dodgers, 2 Angels and 1 Padres (we couldn’t tip the scale)

Run into and hung out with lots of old friends

And caught a foul ball!

We love you all and can’t wait to see everyone again!  I’m not sure when our next trip the US is going to be but we’re going to make sure we have plenty of room for visitors out here ;)