first floor is a grocery store. I picked out a ramen sandwich, a small serving of sticky rice topped with salmon and black sesame, a bowl of siamen noodles and a pack of Mochi pastries. I am about the only one here than brings my own lunch. I also brought a liter of water a Georgia MAX Coffee (can of coffee made by Coke) and a Japanese energy drink: Oronami C Drink. This is pretty typical. I figure since I’m over here I should eat off the economy as much as possible. It beats eating mid-rats at the galley. I can only eat so many ham and cheese omelets, chicken cordon blue and canned/frozen carrots, Brussels sprouts, squash, etc. About the only
really stellar food at the galley is the soft serve ice cream, or as one of my friends refers to it… auto dog.
Just before I finished my watch yesterday I was having a conversation with toe people on the oncoming watch. One is a LtCOL that is part of the full time USFJ staff. He is one of the people who was scrambling to react to the emergency from day 1 and attempting how to organize all the augmentees before JTF 519 showed up two weeks later. Talking to him I realized all my frustration with JTF 519 should be set aside. My real focus needs to be on USFJ and providing them feedback necessary to move ahead of this as an organization. I have seen how the JTF works in crisis and am not impressed. USFJ on the other hand has done amazingly well considering their significant limitations. So for my last week here that will be my focus.
Just had another earthquake (I wrote that a few days ago). It didn’t shake much. I was looking at my computer screen and it seemed as if my vision were a bit off. Then I realized it was a small tremor…at least small here at Yokota. Well it turns out the “little” quake was a 7.4 off Sendai! Luckily it was 40 km deep so hopefully it won’t cause another submarine landslide and tsunami. Well it’s been a half hour and no tsunami so we’re good! Peoples reaction to this post on FB has been amusing. Some are amazed that a 7.4 could be considered an aftershock or can’t understand my understated reaction. Seriously though it was no big deal way down here in Yokota. The shaking was nominal. 40 Km deep is really very deep. My personal worry is for Alaska and California. We’ve had multiple quakes around the edges of the Pacific plate (Chili, New Zealand, Baja California, Japan and major volcanic developments on Hawaii. It’s clear the plate is making some major movements. Who knows where it will settle out?
More Random Thoughts…
• After my visit to Kamakura I realize just how provincial Fussa is... Too bad.
• When did it become fashionable for Japanese girls to wear incredibly short shorts with stockings in the winter? Isn’t that cold?
• I am amazed how isolated Americans willingly keep themselves when in foreign lands. I was speaking with a Colonel yesterday and mentioned I didn’t want to move to the other side of the base because it’s too far from the main gate. She then asked almost incredulously if I had been off post. WTF? Don’t these people know too much time on post leads to insanity? The really sad part is how common it is for the military to remain voluntarily cooped up on bases.
• Walking around Shinto shrines from the Middle Ages while listening to NIN and Primus is a very surreal experience.
• Japanese are fun people to party with. They have a great since of humor and are quite generous.
• Mr. Donut still makes the most amazing buttermilk old fashioned chocolate dipped donuts on the planet!! They melt in your mouth and are just sweet enough without being sickly. I’ll take one of these over anything Crispy Cream can produce any day!!
• For a people living in very dense towns the Japanese are amazingly well integrated into nature. Community gardens abound, nature trails abound, I am quite content here.
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