An Okinawan Festival

Even though Jake worked ALL weekend, I was able to stay pretty busy. On Friday night, my friend and I went to an annual event hosted by the spouses club on our base. Basically, it is a progressive dinner. We loaded a bus Friday afternoon and went to the first house, which was a New England theme. We had salads, clam chowder in cute little bread bowls, Mac and Cheese muffins, and drinks. Then we boarded the bus and went to the entree house where we had cider and a turkey dinner. We got back on the bus and headed to another house. We pulled up to the biggest base house I had ever seen (relative to what is seen here on the island, so still not that big). It even had a garage, which is unheard of for the base houses here. I then found out it was the commander of the division's house, which explained a lot. At that house we had southwestern style desserts. It was a lot of fun event and nice to get dressed up and get out. At the end of the night we opted out of the after party with the husbands, and ours just picked us up instead. We went home and played catchphrase, our favorite game.

Such a good idea for a party. Miniature bread bowls

cider on the party bus

I won this cute little ornament from the raffle

Saturday morning Jake had to go into work pretty early, so I slept in a bit and then made breakfast for our friends. They were nice to come back up later that day to go to the festival on our base with me. Each base has a festival throughout the year with food, games, and entertainment. Locals are invited to come and really love enjoy them, especially the pizza! Our base has a Christmas festival every year. There was so much good food, tt was hard to decide exactly what to try. I ended up getting a potato cheese ball and potato pancake. I also brought a shiskabab of BBQ home for Jake. We also played a shooting game which I was horrible at. I'm usually a pretty good shot, but I was struggling. It was supposed to be just a fun game, but the guy running it was kind of yelling at me for being bad, which made me even worse. Excuse me for not practicing my shooting very often. 

All of the kids were walking around with these cute things

reminded me of Greece!

Sunday Jake had to be at work REALLY early. I brought him and his coworkers breakfast. It was weird being up so early on the weekend, but I usually don't mind being up early. I got so much done, it made it worth it. I ran errands ALL day and got our Christmas cards printed and addressed. Since we were down to the wire with getting out pictures done and back, I didn't have time to order the ones I wanted and had to make our own. I like how they turned out, but would have liked the perfect ones I had picked out better. I also had a hard time finding envelopes to fit our cards and ended up using not very pretty ones. You win some, you lose some. I was just glad to have them done and on their way. When Jake got home, I made him breakfast for dinner since I had bought so much stuff for our weekend breakfast that he missed out on. 

breakfast for dinner and Christmas cards

It was a good weekend and I am so glad I have friends who are nice enough to keep me company, but I've got to be honest, I will be SO glad when Jake doesn't have to work so much. Our trip to Thailand at the end of the month will be very deserved and very needed by my hard working husband. 

Have a great week!

Linking up with Logan, Sami, Kimberlee, and Carissa

Buying a Car in Okinawa

When you are PCSing to Okinawa, you cannot bring your vehicle with you. That means when you get to the island you will have to buy one, if not two cars upon arrival.

When you get to Okinawa and have started to settle in, you start getting antsy to learn how to drive on the other side of the road and to get out on your own. First things first, you have to take a driving test in order to get a license. Just study the packet that they give you and you will be just fine.

Then, you need a car. Buying a car is super easy here, but it does take time and knowledge. Think about it, tons of people are leaving the island and can't take their car with them. They are in a huge hurry to sell, since they can't have cars in their name when they leave. 

So how do you go about finding the right car? First look at Okinawayardsale.com (bookoo). It's basically a Craigslist for Okinawa. 

This way, you know what the prices are like, what kinds of cars are available, what kinds of features are important, etc. 

Start by determining how much you want to spend. You can get by with spending very little if you don't care about how nice your car is. If you feel like your time on the island would be more enjoyable cruising around in a nicer car, that's fine too. 

Decide what kind of car you want. Do you want something small and great on gas milage? Do you want something big to haul people and gear (scuba) around? Do you want something with 4 wheel drive so you can explore? 

Once you have the big factors down, you can look at cars individually to see the pros and cons of each.

Things to consider: JCI, mechanics, exterior, interior, AC, tires

When considering the exterior, remember the conditions that cars on the island face. There will likely be peeling paint, rust, dents, etc. due to typhoons and salty air. 

JCI is very confusing but neccessary. JCI means Japanese Compulsory Insurance. JCI is a must in order to drive the vehicle. It must be renewed every 2 years. They will inspect the car and you must fix the things on the car that don't meet the standards before you can be issued a JCI. JCI can be very expensive, so it is ideal to get the longest JCI when purchasing a car. You want to at least have a year left on the JCI, so you will only have to pay for it once while you are here on the island.

Other fees: Yearly road tax, title transfer, yearly insurance

The number on your license plate gives you an idea as to how much your taxes will be. You want your number to be high. It is ideal to buy a car with a 500 plate as opposed to buying a car with a 300 or lower plate. 

So, when you are ready to find a car, start by looking on Okinawa Yard Sales(OYS) and the lemon lot. Some vehicles on OYS are also at the lemon lot. The lemon lot is a lot on base where people have paid a small fee to leave their car there to sell. The lemon lot and Okinawa Yard Sales are both good options. You can also go off base to a used car lot. We found that the prices at the used car lot were a significant amount more than the ones on OYS. The one good thing about used lots, all the cars come with a brand new JCI.

The key to buying a car on Okinawa is to negotiate. No one is actually trying to make money off of their car (except on the used car lots). They just want to get it sold without going to far under what it is worth or what they paid for it. Most people will take around $500-$1000 under asking price. Look for good deals. Some people are really desperate and will give you a great deal.

Before arriving on the island, Jake and I set our budget at $7000 for two cars. We thought that was pretty reasonable after doing some research on OYS. When we got to the island, we started by looking at the lemon lot. This gave us an idea of what was on the market and what different types of cars and features cost what. Jake and I agreed that we wanted one small car to zip around in and have low gas milage and one bigger car with 4wd to do some exploring.

We scoured OYS for about 4 days straight. We met with quite a few different people to look at their cars. Some people would not come down on price to what we thought was reasonable. Some cars were not worth the money or did not seem mechanically sound when we test drove them. After looking for awhile, we realized $7000 was way more than we needed to spend. That was a very nice surprise. We realized neither of us needed a super nice car, as long as it was mechanically sound.

We first found a 01' Toyota Will for $1,600 on OYS. After test driving it and checking it out, we offered $1,200. The paint on the entire car needed work, but it was mechanically sound and had very little miles on it. The seller agreed, and so we bought it. 

A couple of days later, Jake heard back from a guy he had been in contact with about a 97' Mitsubishi Pajero. He had test driven it at the lemon lot and really liked it. It had a bit of wear and tear, but we thought it was a good car to have for rugged activities. The guy had originally been asking $3,500, and Jake offered him $2,200. We thought this was a good price because of the exterior damages and the JCI would be up soon. The guy told Jake he had an offer of $2,700 and would get back to him. The offer fell through and the guy had to get it sold because he was leaving the island that week, so he sold it to us for $2,200.

So if you do the math, we got two cars for the whopping price of $3,400. We were incredibly happy with this price and we are happy with our two cars so far. We have had a need for both in different situations. 

So here are my overall tips for buying a car on Okinawa:

-Do your research. Know what cars are going for and how much you want to spend

-Take your time. Don't rush it or you may spend more than you need to.

-Look for deals. People here get in a crunch and need their cars gone. Wait for one of these deals to come along.

-Consider JCI (not like we did with the Pajero) so that you only have to worry about it once

-Negotiate aggressively. You most likely won't offend anyone, the worst thing they could do is say no.

**I know this post was long and boring, but I wanted to share this information with anyone PCSing to Okinawa

Off-Base Housing in Okinawa

Finding a place to call home in Okinawa can be exciting, yet daunting. Most people live on base, due to the rule that you must live on base until your area that you qualify for is at 98% compacity. We had heard our area was at 100%, so I started doing research before we even got to Okinawa. I looked up our housing allowance and then scoured available properties on a website that lists all of the government approved properties from all of the agencies on the island. 

Shisa Housing Network

or

AHRN.com

I made an excel spreadsheet of all of the properties that were in our price range and met our other standards. I listed all of it's features such as beds/baths, square feet, pet friendly, agency, appliances, etc.  This helped us 1.) see what our priorities were in a place off-base and 2.) what agencies had multiple properties that met our needs.

Once we got to the island, we immediately headed to the housing office for a brief. We were informed that we were allowed to go off-base since what we qualified for was 100% full. We were very excited about this, even though we had originally thought it would be better to live on base. There are definitely pros and cons of both, but we wanted to live out in town to get the full experience. We also wanted a place that wasn't boring and the same as everything on base. 

After the brief, I began contacting the agencies I knew would fit our needs. I was so glad I had done research, because there was over 100 agencies to chose from. If I hadn't know anything about it, I would have been completely overwhelmed. The first agency picked me up that day while Jake was at work. The very first property definitely caught my interest. It was updated, close to Jake's work, and had an ocean view. After doing research, I did not think we would be able to find something so new with an ocean view. At this point I was thinking this would be our place. It's only downfall was that it was pretty small.

1st property

The second property the housing agent showed me was almost exactly like the first property but in a single family home version. It even had a small yard. It was also slightly bigger. It didn't have an ocean view, though, which I couldn't get over after the first property

2nd Property

The next morning we had an appointment with another housing agency. Jake got to come along this time. The first place she showed us was a traditional Japanese apartment. It had a great yard, but we could not get over some of the Japanese style features, particularly the shower. We are not tall, but we could hardly fit in the tiny shower room (top left picture in collage). This apartment helped us decide that American style was an important feature for us. 

3rd property

The next place the agent took us too was a HUGE single family home with a nice yard. The first thing we noticed was the beautiful hard wood floors. It also had a brand new kitchen. This place was nice, but not the place for us. The bathrooms were still not what we were looking for.  It also did not have a view and was not in the best location. 

4th property

Later that day a different housing agency came to pick us up. The first place he took us to was a place he referred to as the "fancy apartment." It was quite fancy, with glass chandeliers and a crazy looking shower. It was a beautiful place, but it had no outdoors space and was not in a location that met our needs. 

5th property

The next place he showed us was a bit closer to where we wanted to be. It also had and amazing view and a small yard. It was very nice, but a very weird layout. It had a fair amount of space, just not much usable space. 

6th property

After this property, we were feeling better about our options. The agent took us right down the street from Jake's work. When we pulled up, we were unsure. The duplex was on a pretty busy road and didn't look like much from the outside. As soon as we walked in, we completely changed our minds. The view and the yard were INCREDIBLE. There was tons of space. It was clean and airy. It was exactly what we were looking for. Going into this process having done lots of research, I knew there would have to be a compromise. With this place, there didn't seem to be one. There was not only a great view, but a yard. It was big and American enough to help us feel at home. Oh wait, there was a catch. The price. After we fell in love, he dropped the bomb on us. 

7th property

The agent told us he may be able to negotiate with the owner. In the meantime, the previous housing agency sent me an email for a beautiful property that had just opened up. We called her and she immediately came to pick us up. She took us to an area of the island that I knew was wonderful. It was where I had wanted to live from the get go. We hadn't seen any properties there, yet, because it was about 40 minutes from J's work. As we were driving to the area, we really liked it. The property was the top story of a high rise. The usually means one thing, a gorgeous view. We were right, the view was incredible. The apartment was just as much space as the duplex we fell in love with. It was in a much more populated area and had much more of a city feel. It had a large balcony, but no yard. All of the sudden, we were torn. This place was in our budget and was just as great. One major thing that really got me thinking about this place is that we would see a glorious sunset EVERY.SINGLE.NIGHT.

8th property

After seeing this last property, we talked to the agency with the duplex. They were able to get the price down a little bit, but not exactly where we wanted it. So, here we were with two great properties: one was over budget and one was far away. After we talked it over, we decided to go with the house that was slightly over budget, but only 3 minutes from Jake's work. We figured what he saves on gas money somewhat cancels out it being over budget. We also decided that being close to Jake's work was a huge priority. It was easy to give up seeing the sunset every night to see my husband a few more hours a day. 

This process was fairly easy for us (minus the tons of paper work and admin stuff once we decided, but that's a different story). I had done my research; I knew our priorities, what agencies to use, and what areas would be best. So far, we are so happy with our choice. It already feels like "home." We feel so lucky to live in such a beautiful place and are amazed everyday when we wake up and look out of the window. 

So here are my tips:

-RESEARCH ahead of time so you are prepared

-Narrow down the list of agencies to ones you know will work for you

-Have a list of non-negotiables

-Go at a pace that works for you. If you want to see 20 properties before deciding, go right ahead.

-Write down features and your thoughts on each place. This will help you compare. (I made a housing worksheet to fill out at each house. I didn't ended needing it since the choice was so easy, but I was glad I had it)

-Trust your gut

There it is, the low down on off-base housing here on Okinawa! 

Double High Five For Friday 9/27

This week has been a wild one (do I say that every week?)! Because I have so much to share, I am cheating a bit and giving you more than 5 things. Don't tell anyone!

{ONE}

The movers brought our stuff on Monday! It had been sitting in storage for about 3 months, so I was a bit worried about what we would discover. Mold? Mice? Let your imagination run wild. The movers showed up in this fancy truck(like I've said before, the Japanese are so efficient about everything). There was only two of them, which worried me because two guys came to move us in the States and it took over 10 hours. Yep, I was not a happy camper. The movers here arrived with our stuff at 8 a.m. and had it all in the house before 9. I was thoroughly impressed. Then, they were gone and I was left staring at unopened boxes. I had been under the impression that they unpacked for us as well. That's when Jake informs me that he thinks he accidentally waived the unpacking while signing the papers. Ok, there is a language barrier. And it is nice to be able to put things where you want it. But, I am so sick of looking at boxes. We finally have everything unpacked and the house is starting to look put together. We have a huge mountain of boxes and bags of paper outside. The trash man might hate us, not the best first impression.

Coolest truck ever

Our stuff, finally!

Let the madness begin

So much trash. Sorry Planet Earth!

{TWO}

We got another car! Jake wanted something a bit more rugged for outdoor activities. If you saw our other car, you saw how tiny it is. We wanted something bigger incase we ever needed to haul anything/anyone. I actually haven't driven it yet. I am scared to drive it on the little roads here. I will stick with my itty bitty mobile. 

{Three}

Our government furniture was delivered on Tuesday. Since they restrict the amount of stuff you can bring to the island, the military loans you furniture and appliances for your time on the island. The furniture is very plain and boring, but we appreciate it since we have more space than we have ever had before. They pay for one delivery and one pick up of furniture. While they were moving in what we had ordered, I realized we didn't order a washer and dryer! Big WHOOPS. We had to go to the housing office the next day to request them and then pay to have them delivered. It can't believe I messed up like that. Like I said in yesterdays post, I have been quite the space cadet over here.

Oh hey there cutie. NOT

A washer and dryer!

{Four}

For our first meal in our house, I grilled pork chops on our stovetop grillpan. I wanted to share this with you because it worked out great and might be a good option for some of you! We have lived in lots of apartments that don't allow grills and we haven't wanted to invest in one yet. We got this grill pan that sits on top of your burner and works like a charm! The pork chops tasted just like they were from the BBQ. I got this one for around $35 at Bed, Bath, and Beyond. The other side is flat for pancakes and such.

Perfect first dinner

{FIVE}

As we were sitting on the couch, this little cat poked his head up at the back door. I screamed, out of surprise, then went to go check on him. He/she was very small and skinny. It was making this horrible meowing noise. It didn't go away for a couple of days. It sat around on our patio making that same awful noise. It made me super sad that I couldn't do anything to help it. They don't have animal control here. I haven't seen it in about a day, so maybe it found a new home. We were also visited by a cockroach and several lizards.

Just make yourself at home, why dontcha

{Six}

So we went to take a shower the first night we were here and realized there was a problem. Can anyone figure out what it might be??

 Darkness Outside. Light Inside. Large Window. Naked Person.

We did not want everyone seeing us in our birthday suits.

Problem.

Solution. Hang another shower curtain. 

It works for now. And we can still see our wonderful view whenever we want!

{Seven}

We watched our first sunrise in our house from the comfort of our bed. I might actually be a morning person now. 

{Eight}

After 4 long months, we are no longer living out of suitcases! It feels so nice to be able to walk into my (very own walk in) closet and pick something out from my entire wardrobe. I was sick of wearing the same things over and over. I was also sick of everything being wrinkly and have to rummage through everything to find something. It's the little things.

Goodbye, suitcases

{Nine}

Jake went back to work on Wednesday. He was so ready to get his job started and I love seeing him so excited. It was also time that we not spend every waking minute together. We, in general, do so much better when we have a routine. On the other hand, I already miss my partner in crime. I feel like I have a million things to tell him, want his opinion on everything, and want to show him stuff. Wah, wah, cry me a river, right? I will get used to not having him around and being my old, independent self, but right now, while every creak of our new house scares me, I miss him. 

{Ten}

Since Jake did go back to work, what did I do? Shop, of course! I have been running around the house organizing, cleaning, and starting to decorate. I wanted to get out and explore and pick up some items we needed (and some we don't). I went to our favorite dollar store and got some great stuff! I seriously love that place. I also went to a couple of clothing stores. I wanted to see what they have to offer here. I found some really cute stuff. I didn't get anything, though, because I am in a need-to-buy-stuff-for-the-house and it's-too-hot-for-fall-clothes-but-I-don't-want-to-buy-summer-clothes phase right now. Clothes shopping will just have to wait. I did, however, snag a cute porcelain deer head on sale at a boutique. I figured Jake would like it since he couldn't bring his real ones with him. 

Couldn't wait to style him on our uglier than sin  lovely dresser

So there you go, double high five for Friday! Hope y'all have a fabulous weekend.