First Full Day

ok, so I've spent a day in Japan... allbeit moslty on the U.S. military base, it's still a day in Japan, so it counts! Work is already quite busy with the new job and preparation for flights next week, but we still certainly have enough time to enjoy the town. Last night we went out for sushi (great stuff, although it didn't "sit" very well with me this morning). Today was mostly spent getting to know the base and the rest of the guys in our detachment. We had a party including the group we are relieving and with about 60 sailors and 10 officers, an empty room turns into a great party before you realize it. 2 kegs were gone in around 3 hours. Not fast by Frat-Boy standars, but enough to loosen everyone up by the time we all hit the town. First up was a small "irish" bar where the entertainment consisted of darts, music videos, and Jenga. . . yes, Jenga. The officer I"m relieving (Mike) and I played probably the greatest game I've ever witnessed. Especially considering we were a few beers into the night (including one Guinness on my behalf which wasn't bad considering the location) I'd say our performance was quite extraordinary. We had a Jenga Tower 30 rows high before my turn (the 37th of the game) toppled the blocks before row 31 could be started. Yes, I lost, but by the time the game reached 26 rows, it was a new "bar record" so neither of us really cared who won. After that, the gang moved on to a true Japanese Karaoke bar. A few notes into "Mack the Knife," the old guys knew that I'm going to be good competition to the established karaoke champ of our detachment. The Marine Corps rules state that we've got to be back by midnight, so we had to rush back toward the gate after a stirring rendition of "Here I Go Again" by White Snake. Yeah, by stirring, I mean it unsettled most stomaches in the audience. We walked back through the gate at 1159 and now here I sit in my room, ready to fall asleep. Tomorrow we're planning on exploring Hiroshima. I'm looking forward to it, so of course, I'll be relaying that story tomorrow. For now, I'm off to sleep. I suppose I'll leave you all with a few pictures from the last couple of evenings.

Sushi Group

Hector posing with an old-school "mini cooper"

A game of concentration with SEVERE consequenses.

The last turn of the game. Count the rows if you can. . . that's right - 30.

Hector, Dan 2 and Dan 1 singing to "Ret it Be"