Honshu and Okinawa

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I am back. I spent 10 days in Japan, 5 days for work on the main island of Honshu and 5 days of solo adventure in Okinawa. Travel is so invigorating dispite the uncomfortableness. Jetlag, anxiety, crowds, and other discomforts aside, it is mind-expanding and rewarding. Work went well. I flew a new airline (Skymark) from Tokyo to Naha. I am always wary of strange discount airlines and all the traps they set. However, I had a great expereince with "Sky". I was actually shocked. Super easy checkin at the airport, no extra fees even with extra luggage. The primary mission in Okinawa was to visit the Peace Park and the suicide cliffs of Okinawa. From what I understand, at the end of WW2 the inhabitants were encouraged to commit suicide rather than surrender to the Americans and get tortured and eaten. Besides other types of suicide, they jumped off the cliffs at the Southern end of the main island. If you have seen the original color footage taken at the time, I am sure you ...

Wow. What an experience. I have been here only a couple of days and I cannot believe what I have done.

Work is off to a good start. I easily fixed my first real radio repair job, a Motorola MCX-1000. I then gut put into survival school unexpectedly which was good because I can't get in the helos or other aircraft until I get that under my belt. We spent two days training outside. The temps got down to about 25 below with 12 knot winds. The creating of the frosty beard photograph was just a little too easy. It will get posted. I learned a lot and there was a lot to learn in a short time. It was an absolutely unbelievable experience. I slept very well out there. Getting out of the sack is the painful part. We called one person in to get evaced with hypothermia. Other people in my class were with Sir Edmound Hillary in 1957. Yes, its True. Hillary is coming down this season, probabaly to campaign againist the new traverses, which another associate of mine is the crew supervisor. This experience is being in the middle of some very exciting stuff. If that wasn't enough, I was filmed as part of a documentary today and yesterday in my training class. My beard frost was very photogenic. The producer is an emmy award winning producer for documentaries and I heard here speak the other night. My brain is full and the galley just opened.

Best quote heard in out training debrief: "I made a pact with my body. I said; body, don't make me have to get up to pee tonight and I will get you beer tomorrow" Whoo Hooo!

Photos are coming.

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