Nagoya Aquarium

We bought a year pass to Nagoya Aquarium! It's only about 25 minutes away from our hotel, and now we can go whenever we want. :) We got to see penguins, sharks, sting rays, giant turtles, a tornado of sardines, tons of species of fish, dolphins, beluga whales, etc. There was also a dolphin show where we got to see them perform different tricks - such as playing catch, jumping through hoops, waving, splashing, and much more. We had a great time and are looking forward to going back soon.

A trainer giving the beluga whale a treat. It was fun to see what
tricks these guys can do! There were about 4 beluga whales.

This dolphin liked to jump in the same spot over and over.
I guess he was practicing his jump for the show ;)

Dolphin show

Tornado of sardines during feeding time

Nagoya Zoo

We made a trip to the zoo last weekend on Valentine's Day. It's only about 20 minutes away from our hotel by subway and it's only $5.00 for adults (and kids are free)! Visiting the zoo was a very bittersweet experience for us. On the plus side, it was really awesome to see a variety of different species from Asia. The zoo had tons of animals, reptiles, birds, etc. from all over the world. It was surprisingly large, and took us most of the afternoon to walk through. The major downfall to the zoo was that the animals were not kept in their "natural habitat" - meaning, a lot of the animals were caged or kept in pretty small areas. It was sad to see the animals pacing back and forth with no where to go or hide. Many of the cages were dirty - bugs everywhere, dirty water, & coins tossed into their environment. But on the other hand, we were able to be right next to the animals and see them up close. So if you can get over the sadness of seeing the animals in dirty & small environments, it's a really great experience. Not quite sure if we can or not, though. This spring we'll go back to see the botanical gardens.

Just going to post a few of my favorite pics....

There were a couple different species of Rhinos

This monkey was trained to count 1-5 on this machine to get a treat. He would sit there and push 1,2,3,4,5 over and over again to get snacks!!

Polar bears loved to play

We got to see the penguins SO close up

Our favorite species... the "Procyon lotor"... also known as the "Common Raccoon."
Just kidding.

Valentine's Day in Japan

People in Japan love commercial holidays! If you remember our photos from our pre-visit trip in November - the city decorated for Christmas even though they don't actually celebrate it. Valentine's Day was pretty similar.... stores and restaurants decorated for the day of love.

But Valentine's day is actually different in Japan. It is a day to buy men chocolate. Women are expected to buy boxes of chocolate for all of the men in their lives - friends, family, and coworkers. Sounds simple to buy a box of chocolate - but it's actually not. It's important what type of chocolate you buy, how many pieces, and how you wrap it. It all depends on what the woman's relationship with the man is. Women literally waited in lines wrapped around the store to buy specific types of chocolate.

There is a day in March called "White Day" - where the men are supposed to return the gift and buy chocolate for all the woman in their lives. What the men buy is supposed to be at least 2-3 times more valuable than the gifts they received on Valentine's Day. Again, this little detail deeply matters in Japanese culture. The man's status and relationship with the woman depends on it. Apparently if this gift exchange is not done properly, it can cause the relationship between the man and the woman to change.

I followed the tradition and bought Joe a box of chocolate - but I have no clue as to whether it was the correct type! Joe bought me a plant for our new apartment. It may look like sticks in a pot - but it's actually a cherry blossom tree. The tree only blooms once a year, in late March or early April and lasts for about 2 weeks. I can't wait to see what it looks like when it blooms!! :)

New Apartment!

We found an apartment! It's downtown, right by the International Center and Nagoya Station. Bigger and more open than our previous apartment. It's filled with large windows, for great natural light. Top floor with a nice view and has two bedrooms & two balconies. New, modern, heated floors, and lots of closet space. Let's hope Boeing Legal approves this one!!!

Kitchen & living room

Kitchen - door leads to balcony

Bedroom #1, walk in closet & sliding door with balcony

Bedroom #2, with a large window and also a small balcony

Floor plan - sorry for my measurements all over the page

Apartment Update

Joe got a phone call last night with the news that Boeing Legal and the apartment owner cannot reach an agreement. Therefore, Boeing withdrew from the leasing process.... which means that we are back to square one! Boeing authorized Joe to take another day off work to find a home - so we are going apartment shopping all day on Friday.

It's really a stressful situation for us. Not only do we have to find a new apartment, but we also have to return/exchange appliances, furniture, light fixtures, and curtains that we bought back in November, and stay in the hotel another 4-6 weeks. But despite all of that, we're trying to look at this situation as an opportunity! We have been in Nagoya for a month - so we know the area much better. Hopefully we will be able to find a bigger and better apartment in an area that we really like. :) In the meantime, we will continue to rack up Marriott points and eat free food!

Right now our biggest debate is: downtown or suburb!? There are so many pros and cons to each area - and we are having a difficult time making a decision! Any advice???

Meet & Greet

Yesterday I went to a "Meet & Greet" at a local American restaurant/sports bar. It's a monthly event put on by the staff that helped us with our relocation services. What a wonderful way to meet over 50 expat wives from all over the world!! Many of the women at the event were either from Boeing (Seattle) or Toyota (Detroit) - so it was great to have both cities in common with them!! And finally, I met women my age... that don't have kids! :) Not that I have anything against kids of course, but it was just nice to meet a group of girls in similar situations as me. I was fortunate to have another Boeing wife that has been in Japan a couple of years introduce me to her group of girlfriends. I'm already looking forward to going back next month... and I might even join a flower arranging class with the group of girls I met.


To top off the day, we went to the Hard Rock for dinner! Oh how I've missed chicken sandwiches and fries!...we might have to make this a monthly event. People in Japan don't like chicken - so it can be difficult to find.

FAQ

So many of you have been asking similar questions... so I decided to make a FAQ post. :)



Where are you exactly?
NAGOYA. Southwest of Tokyo - see map.

What is the weather like?
This really depends on what area of Japan you are in. The southern islands of Japan are in a tropical climate, while the northern part of Japan is known for its mountains, ski resorts, and national parks. Here in Nagoya though, I would say it's pretty comparable to the Northern part of the USA. Cold in the winter (but it doesn't really snow in Nagoya), beautiful in the spring and fall, and hot & humid in the summer.

How do you get around town?
Public transportation here is incredible! The subway takes you wherever you need to go! We are also going to purchase a couple of bikes - so that we don't always have to rely on the subway to go short distances.

What do you eat? How do you order?
Right now we have been pretty much staying on the safe-side. We choose places with English menus, or at least pictures to choose from. We are willing to try new things - but are not into eating raw meat. Ordering is fairly easy as long as there is an English menu or pictures - if the waiter doesn't speak English, then you just point to the items you want. We have been eating quite a bit of: ramen (Chinese noodle soup), curry dishes, rice, and believe it or not - there are SO many pasta places here! I can honestly say I'm just about spaghetti'ed out! I will post some pictures of the food we're eating soon.

Is it safe?
Yes, very safe! Japan is one of the safest countries in the world. In fact, Japan is almost entirely a cash society... so people carry around hundreds of dollars in their wallet all the time and there are never any problems. The only bad thing I've heard is that creepy guys may try to cop a feel on a crowded subway. There are even "women only" cars on the subway during rush hour. Fortunately, I have not had any issues or felt unsafe in any way yet.

What does Emily do during the day?
Since we are still at the hotel, I have a lot of free time! I've been using the fitness center almost daily, visiting the International Center to look for ads for used items and check out library books, I'm taking Japanese classes and studying the language, and I go out to lunch with other Boeing wives. During the past month, practicing for the "waffle show" has also taken up quite a bit of my time.

Do people speak English?
Children in Japan are actually required to take English throughout their school years. So many people can understand English, and some speak it a little. Of course it's not widely spoken, but communication is not as difficult as you might think. It's pretty easy to get your basic needs met because many people here understand basic English.

Can you drink the water?
YES! Water is completely safe.

Show Time!

This was one of the scariest - yet one of the most rewarding experiences of my life! I got to meet girls from Japan, Switzerland, Ukraine, & China. It took me out of my comfort zone.. and let me be someone else for the day! I'm not going to lie - I was a nervous wreck and beyond relieved when it was over. But I can look back on the experience and say that I met some wonderful people from other cultures, and learned how to be apart of a fashion show. :)

So here's how it was set up....
There were four groups. Each group was assigned a country - and they were to create a theme and then design a costume, hairstyle, and make-up to match their country's theme. Each group had to find 2 people outside of their school to fit their theme and model in the show. They then chose a song and designed lighting & choreography for the way they wanted to present their theme/models on stage. The 4 countries represented in the show were: Italy, Morocco, Germany, and China. And now... here are the pictures....

Getting ready....

My group! The nicest group of girls I have ever met :)

She was part of the Morocco group - and I think she is absolutely beautiful.

The 2 girls on the left are the ones that did my hair. The girl in the middle is also the one who made my costume and always made sure to take care of me. The girl on the far right was the group leader in charge of coordinating everything. She also did my make-up and nails.

Chocolate waffle hair!

The final product....

Germany group! I got to hold the Belgium sign, while Victoria held the umbrella. Victoria is from Ukraine and was my partner on stage.

Bavarian Chocolate Waffle girls! And no.. that's not Victoria's real hair
(her hair is actually platinum blonde... she is wearing a wig!)

Full length picture. It took them 5 hours to do this!

Close up! Now you can tell how much detail they put into it.

All the other groups/countries.....

Morocco

China

Italy, China, Morocco, Germany

Other random photos....

Update

We were supposed to move into our apartment on February 1st. We are now aware that there are problems with the lease - so we will be staying at the hotel until there is a compromise between Boeing and the Apartment leasing agency. Even though we're ready to get settled into our apartment and finally unpack - we are certainly enjoying the perks of hotel life!... access to the fitness center, free food/drinks all day, a clean room everyday, not to mention we're racking up Marriott points!

We have a busy weekend ahead: Joe is going to Tokyo on Friday for a meeting and I'm participating in the fashion show. We are taking a Japanese class, visiting the Asahi Brewery, and having dinner with friends. Looking forward to sharing those experiences with you soon :)

Ciao Ski Resort

What most people don't know is that Japan has over 600 ski resorts! Those people that do know you can ski in Japan assume is that it is expensive and crowded. Actually, it was similar to the price of Boyne Mountain in Michigan - and less than what it would cost for a lift ticket in Colorado. Food was reasonable... and the resort we went to was not crowded at all.

We started out at 7am - taking a train for an hour and a half, then a 45-minute bus ride to the resort. We arrived around 9:45, skied the whole day, and left at 4:30. The day actually was perfect... until we got on the wrong train to come home! LUCKILY the train was going to Nagoya - it was just a slower train that took 30-minutes longer to get back. It could have been a lot worse, so we were very thankful that the train was going in the right direction!!

The resort was right in the mountains, which were absolutely beautiful! On the down side, it was a very small resort - only 3 chairlifts and a gondola. Total of about 6 runs... which were all "blues" - so pretty easy and smooth. About 80% of the people on the mountain were snowboarders.... and 100% of the people on the mountain were not good skiers/snowboarders! In the U.S., Joe and I feel pretty confident about our skiing abilities but we are by far not the best ones on the mountain. Here, well... we were the best ones out there.

Overall, it was an awesome experience! Next time, we will try a different resort. :)