Indoc

February 28th, 2007
Today has been busy again with class running from 8:30 to 3:30. Most of today was a continuation of yesterday's briefs. One person after another came in to tell us about the services their department offered. It was frustrating because not everything was something you would need. For example, Zack and I already have an account at Navy Federal, and have spent a good bit of time there since we arrived trying to sort out a few things, so we already knew all about them. The people without pets could care less about the vet (and we already knew all of that too...). And single/unaccompanied sailors don't need to know about spouse services. This would not be such a big deal except that class hours pretty much coincide with when every other office on base is open. Since we only got 20 minutes for lunch today because the morning briefs ran over, it was very difficult to accomplish any of the things that all these briefs have told us we need to be doing, like getting a PO Box or a cell phone or submitting medical insurance information and so on. The to do list is getting crazy long. The afternoon was better, though, because we started into the cultural section, which is far more interesting than the list of phone numbers and office hours. Tomorrow we'll be playing with chopsticks and learning a little Japanese, so that should be fun.
In what little time we did have after class, Zack and I chose to divide and conquer, first we both went to housing so he could get a copy of our dependant entry approval form (the one that tells everyone on base that I'm allowed to be here) to take to the post office to get our box. I hung around at housing to set up an appointment to start paperwork on our house! It was on the board this morning, so YAY! About the only downside to the place is the system kitchen, meaning no real oven for the next two years, but our friend Jorge, who hates to cook, assures me that I can borrow the one in his apartment any time I feel the urge to make cookies... for the price of a few of the results, of course. :-) We will not have access to American TV because the Satelite at the house doesn't pick it up, but Zack and I agree that less TV is good for us. We're assured that we can have high speed internet, so that's good. The only other down is the potential lack of a dryer. The realitor thinks it will fit. Housing isn't so confident. There are, however, plenty of lines on the patio to hang stuff, and there's a laundrymat on base if we just can't take it anymore, sooo... we're going for it.
Our appointment for paperwork will be on Monday, and we'll probably sign the lease 3-5 days after that, so may be by the weekend after that we'll be moved in.
Monday is also the day we take the driving test. I am getting my come uppance for picking on Dad when he'd study the road signs before getting his license renewed. I always used to tease that driving around should be enough to learn them. Now, I will be spending whatever free time I have in the evenings staring at the kanji on the Japanese road signs which compose about half of the written test. The driving part is supposed to be very easy. No parallel parking, so I'll be fine.
In other news, I got an e-mail from my potential future boss today. He works at Nagasaki Junior College and was writing to set up a meeting. That's going to happen in mid-March, which is about perfect as far as our schedule goes. We'll get moved in and then I'll interview. Classes start in April. He has 2-4 hours of work available for me. After hearing what the people on base had to say, my current plan is to do a little of everything: I can take the job at the Junior College, sub at the Department of Defense High School on my days off (rumor has it they pay WAY better than Forsyth County did), and may be start taking some classes towards my masters. I'm going to talk to another Navy wife here who has a masters in ESL to see what she thinks about it. So I have a basic plan, and I'm looking forward to getting on it.
So much to do!!!