Karaoke: My Way!

I can't believe I didn't try karaoke sooner in Japan! I know what you must be thinking. "Really? Karaoke? You?" Yes, me. And five other very fun friends!


Something must have gotten lost in the translation of karaoke to America. Because in Japan--the birthplace of karaoke--they know how to do it right! At a karaoke bar in Japan, each party of people gets their own (hopefully sound-proof) "studio" with couches, a sort of TelePrompter, and free drinks delivered right to your door. Once they deliver the first round and switch the computerized song search tool to English, you're free to let loose.

And let loose we did, in honor of Kathleen's birthday this month. Kathleen, Kathy, Kim, Mimi, Robin and I belted out song after song for nearly four hours. And although karaoke translates to "empty orchestra," there was no lack of instruments in our studio! Luckily there were nearly enough tambourines for each of us to have our own. But there were only two microphones...

We shared them fairly for the most part. After all, one person's "Total Eclipse of the Heart" is another person's "Bohemian Rhapsody." Although, we decided there's something very unifying about Frank, despite the fact that none of us are from New York, New York.

Nevertheless, I found it somewhat suspicious that whenever a mic was passed to me, it just so happened to be turned off.

I guess you could say I learned I have an inner rock star that was just waiting to come out. And I should probably take the hint to stifle "her." Not a chance! We'll be going back for more...I don't want to let my fans, I mean friends, down.

Sushi and Sake: Two Reasons to Love Japan

Last weekend, my Japanese friends took me out for sushi as they know it at Sushi-ei (YRP Nobi station). It was the freshest, most sophisticated sushi I've ever eaten! Here are a few things to know about sushi, some of which I just learned:

#1: This is a haran leaf, which is placed alongside the sushi. It is a "barometer" for the freshness of the sushi. If it is wet and moist, the sushi is fresh and safe to eat. However, the leaf dries quickly, within about an hour. So if it is dried out and wilted, the sushi is not fresh. Most take-out sushi contains a plastic version of this leaf.

#2: Hot sake goes well with sushi. However, it is customary to toast first with beer. So, bring on the beer before swallowing any sake. Kompai!

#3: Speaking of beverages, green tea goes by another name in a sushi restaurant; people who are "in-the-know" order agari at sushi restaurants.

#4: It is okay to eat sushi with your hands, as Keiko demonstrates here.

#5: Dip the fish (not the rice) of the sushi in the soy sauce to keep it from falling apart.

#6: Wasabi has some antibacterial properties, which is why it was originally served with sushi. It is also for good flavor, of course. It is used by the sushi chef in making the sushi, but in Japan is never served alongside the sushi to be mixed with soy sauce.

#7: A sushi chef trains for more than 10 years. (Here he holds the aji before serving it to us.) He also makes his own fresh pickled ginger.

The lunch menu included one piece of the following types of sushi:

• Madai, a red sea bream or snapper (from Akasi)
• Tsumi ika, a type of squid (from Tokyo)
• Tyutoro--a medium-fat tuna (the more fat, the more desirable)
• Akagai--ark shell (from Fukuoka in Kyushu)
• Tamagoyaki--sweet egg omelet
• Kasuko (sounds like "Costco")--baby snapper (only available April to June all around Japan, so very special)
• Ebi--shrimp (I ordered mine boiled, but my friends ate it raw and it was still moving when served!)
• Ikura--salmon roe (this is the only one I couldn't choke down in its entirety...I tasted 2 or 3 of the roe, but its slimy fishy taste was unappetizing, so I politely offerred it to Emiko, who then felt lucky!)
• Uni--a sea urchin (from Hokkaido)

These pieces were special order:

• Anago--a conger or sea eel
• Aji--horse mackerel (from Awajshima, Hyogo Prefecture) topped with Negi onions
• Tekka-maki (tuna rolls)

We finished our meal with white miso soup, which was also the best miso soup I've ever eaten. If I wasn't so full, I would have eaten the take-out sushi they sent me home with for Brian...although I would've happily left him the ikura.

Miranda is 5 months old!

Look at all the things Miranda's accomplished in her short little life!

She loves working in "the office."

She found her feet. Yay!

She already has enough hair for two little pig tails (or horns, as Brian calls them)!

She's discovered the world of food. Well, rice cereal. And it's not all it's cracked up to be. With a look of shock she seemingly asks, "What's THIS?!"




And best of all, she laughs hysterically with her big sister Sydney!

Ship of Fools

Last weekend Brian took the girls, our friends Doug and Zelig, and me sailing on a 22-ft sailboat. It was a gorgeous spring day and a fine idea. Although, sometimes we set out on more adventurous agendas than we should with two small children...

Don't worry, no one fell overboard. Although Sydney came close several times while searching for fish.

In fact, you never would've guessed from this--our first photo on the sailboat--that initially we couldn't get Sydney on board! It started with donning the life jacket, but then the unstable rocking of the boat freaked her out. After a major hissy fit, and only when Brian left the dock to help me carry some things, Doug and Zelig were able to coerce her onto the sailboat for the duration.

Once we got settled at sea, I set out the take-out lunch I had not-so-easily purchased off base with two children in tow. Brian made fun of me and called it a "seven course meal," since there were several containers. But in actuality, for the adults there were two sandwich wraps cut in four small pieces each and a bento box to share. For the kids, there were two skewers of chicken pieces on a stick, three pieces of sweet tofu wrapped rice, and pineapple chunks. I figured it beat McDonald's, which shares a building with the sailing center. Truth be told, I think it was because Brian sampled a little bit of everything that it only seemed like a seven course meal!

As you can see, Sydney enjoyed the potato chips that we all shared the best, of course. (Okay, I guess if you count these, there were indeed seven courses to our meal.)

Brian: "I wonder if Doug really doesn't like the cut of my jib."

Sydney: "I wonder how long I have before they take this bag of chips away from me. I really like chips."

Sydney also likes sailing as it turns out. She got adventurous and explored the cabin and even wanted to sit up on top of it (after she saw Zelig do it, that is.)



What we didn't capture on camera--thankfully-- is Miranda's blow-out diaper and my sea sickness. Yes, we are a family of fools on this ship. But I'm guessing you already knew that about us.

Welcome Home IA's!

Last Friday, the United States Naval Hospital (USNH) in Yokosuka welcomed sailors who had returned home during the past several months after serving as Individual Augmentees (IAs). These IAs were deployed to Iraq, Afghanistan, and Kuwait, and on the U.S.N.S. Comfort, a hospital ship that frequently provides humanitarian assistance to developing countries.

During the ceremony, each sailor was presented with a Blue Star Service Banner, which was customized to bear their name. While sailors stationed at USNH Yokosuka are away serving, the flags are purchased by our Oakleaf Club and are hung in the hospital quarterdeck until they return.

Blue Star Service Banners were first displayed in front windows of homes during World War I to represent a son or husband serving in the Armed Forces. Today, the Service flag may be displayed by an organization to honor service men and women during any period of war or hostilities. The blue star represents hope and pride. A gold star, which replaces the blue star in the event a service member is killed in action, represents sacrifice to the cause of liberty. There were only blue stars today, thankfully.

Brian's friend and fellow pediatrician, CDR Craig Martin, is presented with his Service flag in this photo. Craig was deployed for four months on the U.S.N.S. Comfort last summer, serving in a South American humanitarian assistance effort.

Sydney decked out in her red, white, and blue, sits with Craig's wife, Sue (my friend and fellow dietitian), and their kids, Travis and Emma (or "Elmo" as Sydney calls her.)

In Search of Cherry Blossoms...

It's that time of year again!












Kosano Park, Yokosuka Navy Base










Verney Park, Yokosuka City

Tsurugaoka Hachimangu Shrine, Kamakura

Wakamiya Oji-dori, Kamakura