Friday, June 27, 2008

Pre-Goodbye Weekend

This past week has been busy for both Joey and me!

Joey moved out of the dorms and into our new apartment! He got the government furniture (until we receive our shipment) which isn’t that bad because the couches and bed are new, got a cell phone because the internet and landline aren’t hooked up yet, went food shopping, bought curtains, and running around doing other things to prepare the apartment and for my arrival. I miss him!

I, on the other hand, have been everywhere! On Friday, I had my PGRAD (Pilipino Graduation) Ceremony held by an organization I’m in at UCSD, where each graduate is recognized individually. It was a sit-down dinner, with a speaker for each graduate, and we received our stoles for our graduation gown. The design is of the Philippine flag with Alibata writing, which is a Tagalog script or pre-Spanish Philippine writing system (says Wikipedia). I have no idea what it says.


On Saturday, I went with my family to the San Diego Fair, originally known as the Del Mar Fair. It’s a huge fair that last for three weeks, with fattening foods, many exhibits and shops, and rides. There is one food vendor that sells all things FRIED – fried oreos, fried frog legs, fried twinkies, fried cola, etc. Last year, I tried the fried oreos, and they weren’t bad. This year, I had the Krispy Kreme Chicken Sandwich – it was a glazed, raspberry filled donut with honey and a chicken patty inside. Some people like it, but I didn’t!

Sunday was my actual graduation at UCSD. UCSD is split into six different undergraduate colleges, and I go to Revelle, which was the last college to graduate that weekend, which was fine because it was at 5:00 p.m., when it wasn’t as hot. There are a total of 6,000 graduates at UCSD and I survived! I am officially an UC San Diego alumna with a B.S. in Pharmacological Chemistry!

Then, early Monday morning to late Tuesday night, I went to Las Vegas with my older sister and two cousins! The main purpose was to see my other cousin, the one in the purple who is pregnant! The trip was also a mini celebration for me and my cousin, in the yellow, because we both graduated from college.



Three more days left in sunny San Diego! I’m going to miss my family and friends, but I can’t wait see to Joey!

Saturday, June 21, 2008

We're Not Homeless

We have a place in Japan! Joey has been running around the past week looking at off-base homes and we found one that we both love! He probably looked at 25-30 places, and the one we got was one of the first places he saw. It’s an apartment in Yomitan, just north of Kadena. It’s tiny, or as Joey likes to call it, cozy, but most newlyweds start off with a small place right? It has three bedrooms, one bathroom (Japanese style - toilet and shower in separate rooms), AC ready, oven/stove ready, refrigerator ready, and washer/dryer ready. We’re going to convert the smallest bedroom into a computer/study room, and have one guest and one master bedroom. It has an ocean view, one of Joey’s requirements, and it’s brand new. It’s so new that we’re the first people to live in the apartment complex and its going to take a week to install the phone/internet, as well as the gas. Therefore, I can’t talk or see (via webcam) Joey the week before I arrive in Okinawa. I just hope he remembers to pick me up!

Here’s a glimpse of the ocean from our balcony. Beautiful, isn’t it?
I’ll post more pictures just as soon as we get settled!


We opted to live off-base because we want to LIVE in Japan, and you can’t get the full experience living on-base. Plus, we’re young, have no kids, and we’re newlyweds! It’s going to be like a three or four year honeymoon in Japan, haha! And I’m so happy Joey found a place before I arrive. It’s going to be so much easier to arrive and have a place to call home, rather than being bombarded with paperwork and obligations right when I land. Plus, the stories about the TLF (Temporary Lodging Facilities) aren’t so appealing.

Thursday, June 19, 2008

Stuff-less and Organized Messy

The movers came yesterday and picked up my things for my express shipment. They told me to be home between 8 am – 5 pm. When do they show up, you ask? At 6 pm! I didn’t have much, about 300 pounds. I got rid of A LOT of things and keeping some stuff at my parents house, so it took them only 50 minutes.

My mom walked in my room later and said, “Wow, it doesn’t look like you’re moving.” By that she meant my room looks like it threw up clothes, which it does. Even if I’m living out of my suitcase, clothes, bags, and shoes are everywhere.

See what I mean? Am I embarrassed? No. Who is clean when they're in the process of moving?

Which reminds me, I need to be more organized. Joey’s in the military and he is clean. I would call myself organized messy - the word organized needs to be before the word messy, cause if its messy organized then it'll seem like I'm a slob, haha. I’m organized in a messy way that I know where everything is (most of the time). I do clean though. Usually it’s because I’m PMSing and I need everything in order or else it drives me nuts! Or (when I was in school) to relieve my stress and avoid homework or studying for an exam the next day, I would clean, or paint my nails. Yes, I admit it, I’m a procrastinator.

Tuesday, June 17, 2008

PCSing is ...

… time consuming, difficult, and expensive. For those non-military, it means “Permanent Change of Station”. This is my first PCS, and Joey’s second.

It’s time consuming because my express shipping weight limit is 500 pounds (I think) since I’m leaving from a different location than Joey’s leaving base in Georgia. It shouldn’t be a problem because I’m taking mostly clothes and books. I’m leaving all my furniture because apparently my two sisters already called dibs on my room and all its contents. So, I have to sort through all my stuff and figure out what I want to bring, leave behind, and donate/throw away.

It’s difficult, plain and simple. I’ve only had to move once in my life, from my old house to my new house. All I did was load my drawers in my car and unload them. It took about half a day to move my room. Now, I’m still only moving stuff in my room, but it’s hard (read above). Anyone who had moved feels my stress, haha!

It’s expensive. I feel like I need to buy all the things I would need for the next three to four years as if I’m never coming back home and I can’t buy it in Japan. Don’t worry, I didn’t. The only thing I stocked up on was make-up from Sephora because I LOVE that store and a few more clothes! But since I got rid of more than half my belongings, I know that when I get to Japan, Joey will have to take me shopping!

I’m going to miss San Diego! I came across some pictures I haven’t seen before when Joey and I went to SD’s Wild Animal Park in the Fall. We’re a weird couple and I love it!


Yes, they're fake giraffes.
I would never let an animal drink from my straw,
but Joey would let a giraffe lick his ear!

Saturday, June 7, 2008

Oki, Here I Come!

I finally have orders! After almost four months of getting my paper work done for my screening clearance, I am officially command sponsored! Why did it take so long? First, because Joey left his leaving base unaccompanied, came to San Diego, we got married, and then left for Kadena AB. Second, because I kept getting the run around from the Air Force saying I could not get my paperwork done at the Naval or Marine bases, which are located conveniently in San Diego. They told me that I had to go to an AF facility, which is completely out of the way … two to three hours out of the way. All the clinics close by 4:30pm, and I go to school full time. I was finally given permission to have the Navy sign off my forms, but I had to fulfill both Navy and AF requirements for screening clearance. There was a lot of back and forth issues!

But, I’m done! I finally get to join Joey, who has been in Oki for four months already. I miss him so much! I’m set to leave by the end of the month! Let’s pray that I do well on my finals, start packing to get my express shipment ready, and have a great graduation!

Here's a glimpse of the Coronado bridge in San Diego. Joey took this picture when we took the Harbor Excursion tour a while back. Not that I go to Coronado often, but it's just one of the many landmarks in SD.