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 ...
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Yesterday and today we are having some significant comms (Antarctica speak for radio) issues to deal with. The diversity of equipment I have to work on is great. Everyday I get to learn about a new radio of some sort. Today I worked on complex NASA equipment for monitoring spacecraft telemetry.

Last night at dinner I was laughed at by a janitor (with a degree) by saying that we are doing all this for science. He thought I was joking. I was not. There is a purpose to all of what is done down here, the dishes, the toilets, the radios, the aircraft are elements of a grand mission of discovery. It is to push human understanding forward. I suppose if you didn't see or appreciate that fact this might be a tough place to work. If you do see it... it is a calling. I spent some time trying to figure out his purpose. Sure the program can not all be perfectly focused on science (no human endevor of science could ever be), but the overall thrust is clearly and sincerely focused on science of many different disciplines. We are here for the same reason we send spacecraft to other planets. This is a special place on earth in this regard. The best place to get the reasons why we are here is the official website www.usap.gov

The vehicle show is a 1957 Tucker Sno-cat. This one unlike the previous one I took a picture of it is fully functional and an original to the program. Much of the stuff here that was brought here since the early 1900s is still here. If it is useful there is no need to retrograde (send back to the US). The other picture shows an exciting sight... Far off on the bulding top there is a bird. This is exciting for experienced people. This is a sure sign of summer. It is a Skua (Skoo UH)

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Honshu and Okinawa

-
Image
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 ...
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