Finally arrived in Japan!

Holy moley, it's been forever since I have written anything. Well, the ol' ball and chain and I arrived in Okinawa, Japan on 30 July. We took a 3 week vacation in the states after we PCS'd from Germany. It was much needed, especially for Kyle after being in Iraq for 5 months. We took the 11 hour flight from Ramstein to Reno, then spent the first part of the vacation in santa cruz. We loved every minute of the trip! It always seems that there is not enough minutes in a day to see everyone and do everything when we're there. I appologize if you did not make it on the to-do list this time around..
Anyway, on to Japan now. So everytime I mentioned it being hot in Germany, Kyle laughed at me, and kept telling me I won't even know the definition of hot until we land in Okinawa...he was right. The second I stepped foot off the plane, I felt as though someone was suffocating me. The air is so dense with moisture, that you feel as though you are forcing yourself to breathe. You instantly become sweaty, and your clothes cling to you, it's just a gross feeling. The temp. has been in the 90's lately, but the humidity makes it feel like an aditional 15 deg on top of what the weather says.
The thing that amazes me the most here are the locals. I had a bad taste in my mouth from Germany, so my mind tried to trick me into thinking that all other countries were full of the same type of people. I remember stanging at our gate in the SF airport, getting ready to board our plane. I was already starting to feel the culture shock. I looked around, and I stood out like a sore thumb, the only blonde female at the gate, not to mention the tallest. I started to observe the Japanese, and kept my mind open to what I was about to experience for the next three years. I noticed, while standing at the gate, that the only people that bumped into me, or shoved me outa the way so they could rush onto the plane were Americans. The japanese stand and let you pass, or they move to let you by. They never once bumped or shoved, never scoffed, never made nasty faces..nothing. Then I get on the plane, and see that I'm sitting in the middle isle, right next to 2 Japanese girls that couldnt be any older than 3. My first assumption is..great, this is going to be a long 10 hours..an hour into the flight, I don't hear a scream, or whine from the two children. They were so well behaved, and quiet. I now start to notice how humble the Japanese are! I took my headphones off, and usually on airplanes you hear the normal humm of voices and people chit chatting..well not on this flight. It was silent. I was hesitant to talk to Kyle on the plane because I felt it would be rude due to everyone else's silence lol. All and all, it was a nice plane ride, and all of what I was seeing was already starting to open my eyes.
Another thing that made me feel like an ignorant person was my assumptions on the "masks" they wear. Growing up, I always assumed the masks they wore were because they thought we were "dirty" or they were just paranoid. I now know they wear the masks when they are sick, and they don't want to contaminate anything. I am so glad I got to move here, it's really opening my eyes, and making me more open to other cultures. Believe me, when we got orders to move here, I freaked out, kicking and screaming. I so badly wanted to be back in the states, and now I'm glad we're overseas.
This island is incredibly beautiful. I would have been kicking myself in the butt if I really did end up turning it down. The oceans here take my breath away. The ocean feels like bath water, and the visibility is incredible! Kyle and I were standing on a bridge looking down into the water, and right there, swimming along the shore, were SO many tropical fish! I cannot wait to go snorkeling! We headed down to the beach the other day to snorkel, but on our way out the gate, we heard a typhoon warning. By the time we got to the beach, it was closed down because the waters were getting rough. Til' next time..well, after the typhoon settles.
Annnndd, im officially rambling. Off to sit on my government issued couch, in our empty living room, and watch tom and jerry with the hubs. Sayonara!