Hey Alaskan - glad to hear you are enjoying Japan so far. I'm
down in Okinawa, but am thinking about requesting a transfer to
a mainland school in the future. I'm curious as to what your
impressions are about off base housing. Okinawa gets close to
$20K more per year in LQA than Misawa, and we are able to rent
sparkling new - spacious by American standards - houses with
yards and often ocean views. What kind of place would you be
able to rent with your LQA up there? I expect I'd lose the
ocean views and a little bit of the spaciousness, but can you
afford a new house with room for a king-sized bed, oversized
Levitz sofa, and a couple kids with their toys?

As far as maxing out your 90 days in billeting, there could be
worse things. I look back fondly on my 5 weeks in a hotel,
eating out every night on my TQSA. You won't get that again
unless you transfer somewhere - and in my case it was worth the
wait to get my dream home. I understand it's rough living out
of suitcases though. Hang in there - once you do get into a
place you will incur some pretty massive expenses (at least
that's the case in Okinawa - about 3 months rent up front), and
the reimbursement can be slow. Sometime in the 2nd year you'll
finally catch up with all your debt and life will start to feel
better.

On 9/21/09, Alaskan wrote:
> On 9/20/09, Sugasmile wrote:
>> New Hires...How's it going?
> So far it's been a dream job. Small class sizes, nice
> students, all the equipment I would want to teach with, a kind
> principal, hardworking and helpful faculty that do care about
> their classes, WONDERFUL tech support for computer stuff I
> want to do...my only criticism would probably be that a good
> chunk of the staff is more cynical about professional
> development than I am. I have plenty to learn. Expect to
> take extra duty contracts as a noob.
>
> I haven't ridden a bike in many years but I am loving my new
> $100 Japanese mommy style bike with a basket and built in
> lock. Wonderful weather and now my son and I can get to most
> offbase restaurants for dinner and it's quick to tool around
> the base now. I am supposed to pick up the used car I bought
> this Friday. Japan has the best used cars I have ever seen.
> No luck finding the offbase Japanese style house of my dreams
> yet. Pickings are VERY scarce. I think I'm going to be in
> billeting for close to my full 90 days if I hold out for the
> dream.
>
> I bought an unknown bright purple figlike fruit and an unknown
> warty zucchini with huge seeds to eat and a pepper plant that
> has tiny multicolored spicy peppers yellow and orange and red
> and purple called Namba...it looks like a miniature gumdrop
> tree from a Candyland game.
>
> I got to go to a local festival a couple weekends ago and see
> men hoist and balance a huge sail of lanterns into the air
> weighing 100 lbs and balance it in the breeze and switch
> positions and lifters...brightly dressed well-rehearsed
> musicians and dancers...
>
> Life is good
>
> Alaskan

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