Okinawa Santa Run

If you're looking for a fun, laid back event to attend around the holidays, the Okinawa Santa Run is for you.  The registration fee includes a one-size-fits all Santa suit for adults and a Santa hat for children.  The money raised goes to provide Christmas presents to children spending Christmas in local hospitals.


As with most things in Okinawa, the event is on island time.  We showed up about 1/2 and hour early to register and get ready for the run but the "run" didn't actually start until an hour after it was advertised.  This was actually fine by me as we didn't have any other specific plans until evening.


Besides, they had plenty of live entertainment to keep us occupied.  Among these were a band playing festive tunes, pop dancers, a jazz singer and many more.

I don't eat before a run so I didn't take part in devouring several of the local food venders stands.  However, the smells were divine.  There were also tents with local products for sale.

Also, participants were encouraged to walk in the "run" and enjoy American Village.  They even had incentive cards for participants to stop in various shops throughout as those shops were offering discounts and other goodies to race participants.


Parents with children in strollers were diverted from the run course or asked to turn around at one point because the course was not stroller friendly.  But there was free ice cream waiting back at the start/finish line and more entertainment lined up.

Our first Space-A Adventure

Steps to Space-A (in brief):
1.  Obtain your command sponsored letter for travel
2.  Sign up for the waitlist for your flight ASAP
3.  Show-up for role-call before the crack of dawn with ALL of your bags and EVERYONE that will be traveling with you (don't forget your passports!)
4.  Wait... Wait... Wait to see if you will actually be boarding the plane
5.  Go home or attempt another flight if they don't take you

*For more information, attend a Space-A brief or contact your Passenger Terminal*


Let the Adventure Begin!
Oh wait... that's right.  We have to make it there first, lol.
Let the attempt begin!

Day 1: Tokyo trip...

We woke the girls up at 4 am to go get on the plane. My husband's unit was scheduled to fly out that morning to Atsugi and we were going with them.

We arrived at the passenger's terminal and got checked in (bags and all) and were told we would be getting on the plane within the next hour or two as no one else was attempting to board the flight and there were plenty of seats available.  Yay!

We hung out in the playroom until we heard our names called.  Thinking it was time to board I gathered all our things and we made our way to the counter.  Unfortunately, another entire unit of Marines had showed up wanting passage to Atsugi so we would no longer be able to board our flight.  There it is... space available travel.  And now there was no longer space available for us.  Thus, My husband shipped out without us.

They put us on the top of the list for another flight to Atsugi that same day.  We spent a few more hours in the playroom and ate the breakfast I had packed.  Then found out we would not be catching that flight either.  There were no more flights to Atsugi that day, but there was one going to Yokota.

Since we were just trying to get to Tokyo and both bases are about the same distance away... sure, why not?  Sign us up for that flight.

Up until then, we would still be traveling with daddy once we got to Atsugi since their transportation to Tokyo had still not arrived.  Now, we were on our own.  I took the girls to get lunch and they fell asleep in the car.  While they napped, I went home and down-sized our luggage from 2 suitcases to 1 and lightened our backpacks.  We had a long road ahead of us and this momma knew she'd be carrying everything (if not everyone) by the end of it.  Not to mention trying to maneuver it all through public transportation.

We caught our third attempted Space-A flight to Yokota.  We were excited and happy to be on our way to Tokyo... until landing.  45 minutes of slowly lowering to plane for an extremely bumpy landing took it's toll.  2/3 girls got sick on the plane.

We picked up our luggage and cleaned up the best we could in the bathroom.  By the time we were done, we were the only people in the building except for two employees getting ready to lock up in 1/2 an hour.  After talking with the young service-member at the counter, he called us a cab to go to the train station we needed in Fussa.

So here we are in mainland (I've never been here before) at our first train station.  A mother with 2 kids just trying to get to Tokyo.  Someone forgot to mention that this far out of normal tourist areas there is literally NOTHING in English to help guide you and the station workers won't know how to communicate with you.

So... we're completely lost.  COMPLETELY LOST.  I mean, I have absolutely no clue what to do now and no way to find out in the place I am.  A very nice lady eventually offered to help us, but even she couldn't get the station worker to understand where we were trying to go and eventually had to leave.  Thank you for trying nice lady!

I ended up calling my husband, whose friend is married to a Japanese woman from Tokyo, and he sent me step by step instructions on where to go and which transfers to make.  As you can imagine, she is now one of my favorite people ever!  And I still haven't actually met her.

We finally got on the trains and made all the connections. 1/3 girls sick on train. AND O almost fell under the train on our last switch over and her shoe had to be rescued from the tracks.

We arrived at hotel at 11:30 pm. Everyone was settled and asleep by 12:30 am.

Today project reclaim this trip for happy fun begins! Got my shower so we're off to a good start.  grin emoticon

TCM: Eating Goat

If you are currently pregnant and overdue, Naomi-San says, "Go eat goat," which is tradition to bring about labor. The meat is very good, like a stew meat. Naomi-San says it is very similar in taste and texture to deer meat.

Goat meat benefits the heart, spleen, digestive system, kidneys, reproductive system, fights fatigue and weakness, gives strength, nourishes body and brings warmth. It is also well-known for arousing sexual desire.

TCM holds that goat meat is especially good in winter as it contains hot energy, warming and powering your system. The infusion of yang energy can help relieve blood stasis (poor circulation, menstrual irregularities). 

**Do not eat goat meat if you have high blood pressure or other cardiovascular conditions.  The locals always come across people who have high blood pressure eating goats, and say they almost felt like their veins were going to explode.  So if you have high blood pressure, goat is not recommended. **

(Info taken directly from Okinawa Natural Herb Meal FB page - words adjusted slightly.)
(Photo from https://s3-ap-northeast-1.amazonaws.com/okinawaclips3/ja/images/2508.jpg)

Okagesamade

There are many Beautiful Japanese phrases that cannot be translated. 美しい日本語でなかなか通訳できない言葉のひとつ『お陰様で』 の解説。"Okagesamade" (Oh-kah-gay-sa-ma-deh) is one of them.

Generally it is translated as, "thanks for asking" but the true meaning behind it is,
"With everyone's help, being in our shadow, everything is going well or everything went well" 

This phrase is used on a daily basis for answering, "How are you doing?", "How is your work?" or "How is someone's condition?" The Japanese will say "okagesamade".

This phrase encompasses gratitude for the efforts of everyone involved.  For example, a Japanese Traditional Dance Performance (Nihon-buyo).   There are many things that require attention to detail. It is not just about the performers but also the sensei's efforts in teaching and the master teacher's guidance. There are so many people involved including those doing hair and make-up, those who set-up for the event, and the guests who came to watch. Without all of these people, the performance would not have been possible.

So when asked how the performance went, the Japanese will say "okagesamade" ("with everyone's help being in our shadow, everything is going well/everything went well." ).

You can tell that this phrase has a very deep meaning but unfortunately it is translated simply as "Thanks for asking."

(Info adapted from a post by Naomi Ohara on Okinawa Natural Herb Meal's FB page.)
(Image from https://c1.staticflickr.com/7/6106/6883412552_0dfd4bd8df_z.jpg)

Medical Evacuation to Tripler Army Medical Center

So you or someone you know has joined the ranks of those who need to be medically evacuated from a Pacific Duty Station.  Now what?

Well, the process is slightly different depending on your individual situation.  I'm going to try to be as general as possible in this post so that it might be helpful to you.

Recap:  Our 3 month old was diagnosed with GBS (Group B Strep) that presented as bacterial meningitis.  They were able to handle her condition on base until she started having seizures.  As Okinawa has no pediatric neurologists on base, she was sent to a Japanese PICU in Naha until she could be medically evacuated to Hawaii.

1.  Packing / Family Care Plan

Once you know that you will be evacuated, start packing immediately.  This is particularly important if you have several people to pack for.  Even if you have a scheduled flight, it can change at any time.  (This is the military after all.)  Our plane was grounded for maintenance and we ended up flying out a full day early.

Each family member is permitted 2 bags and a carry-on.  Do not ignore the weight limits for luggage on military flights because they will not allow you to go over.  Also, talk to your case manager to find out if there is a possibility that you may not be returning to your duty station.  Packing for an extended "vacation" requires a different type of packing than when you're packing for a PCS.

**It is always a good idea to pack copies of the medical records for all individuals traveling. **

Remember that pesky family care plan you were required to complete within 30 days of arrival?  Now is when it comes into play.  Did you somehow get away with not turning one in? Well now things are going to be that much harder for you.

Every care plan is family specific so it's up to you to determine what's best.  Who will your kids/pets be staying with while you're gone?   Who will watch your house so it doesn't mold?  Who's going to sell your island car for you if you aren't coming back?  There are so many things you will need to think about and take care of before you leave.

Just remember, stay calm and try not to worry or stress out.  What doesn't get done are the things that are less important.  Your command will be able to help you with some things.  Your awesome military friends will certainly help you with the rest.

** Marines on Okinawa who still need to complete a Family Care Plan can take the Family Care Plan class through Marine Corps Family Team Building to help them figure out what needs to be done for their family.  It's not an all inclusive class because all families are different and they don't want to keep your there all day long.  But it does go step by step over the process of what all you'll need paperwork wise to make your care plan functional (POA's, wills, etc) and different categories and topics you'll need to consider that you may not have thought of. **

2.  A flight has to be secured.

In a true emergency, they would be able to obtain one within several hours.  The patient has to be stable enough to make the 8+ hour journey.  In our case, she was in good hands so this was not necessary.  As Okinawa has a routine medical evacuation flight scheduled to leave every Thursday.  

3.  Non-Medical Attendant

The command will assign a non-medical attendant tot he patient if they are a child or in a state they will not be able to make their own medical decisions.  In the case of families, it is up  to the command who will be assigned.  They may allow the service member to go, assign another family member to be send, and/or send the entire family.  No matter how many people they send, there will only be one non-medical attendant assigned at a time.

Our command assigned my husband (the service member) to be the non-medical attendant for the duration of our daughter's hospital stay but also sent the entire family which is an exception to policy.  I was sent because I'm a breastfeeding mom and the patient was our baby.  My older daughter was sent because both of her parents were going.

Upon discharge, my husband will be returning to Okinawa to facilitate paperwork and potentially check out.  At that time, I will become the non-medical attendant and oversee all of my daughter's post-hospitalization care until we are either sent back to Okinawa or my husband "picks us up" on the way to our new duty station.

***** Important Post Update:  If additional family members are sent that are not specified non-medical attendants, ensure that they are listed on your medical evacuation orders not just the medical flight manifest.  If not, they will be required to fly space-a or you will have to purchase them a ticket in order to return to your original duty station.  No joke.  They tried to make our 4 year old Space-A home by herself.......*****

4. Medical Team Assembled

The hospital will assess the patient's individual needs and assign personnel and equipment as needed.  Each patient has their own staff attending to them.  No sharing.  That way if anything should happen during the flight they are up-to-date & knowledgeable about what they are dealing with and won't be stretched thin with multiple patients.

We had the privilege of being escorted by the Neonatal Transport Team: 18th MDOS/USNH Okinawa.  Although I hope no one ever has to use their services, know that you are in excellent hands.  They are extremely friendly yet professional and really know the in and outs of their jobs.  I especially liked how well informed they kept our family throughout the process and loved on our little one.

5.  Aero Vac Brief

All travelers are required to attend the Aero Vac "Brief" before departure.  This basically consisted of going line by line over the safety paperwork and a short description of what the flight would entail.  Then you sign your life away and shuttle off to the runway.

6.  Depart for Hawaii / Tripler Army Medical Center

Let's Recap:  

You find out you're being medically evacuated and you have to...?

That's right.

Pack / Carry Out Family Care Plan

Wait and try not to stress.

Go to a brief and leave.

The hospital takes care of everything else.