Basil got neutered! Finally! I really hoped that the whole process would calm him down a lot, but that definitely didn't happen. He's still the crazy happy puppy he's always been! He had to wear the "cone-of-shame" and at first I found it entertaining and hilarious, but that quickly died as I realized how miserable he was in that cone. He would try to sniff the ground and get the cone suctioned down, try to sniff around and get (gross) stuff stuck to it and have to walk around smelling the grossness until I got home to clean it. I was also just starting work at Chili's at the time, which couldn't have been worse timing. The whole time at work I was worrying about my Basil. He also had some post-surgery complications like diarrhea and vomiting. I contacted the vet right away, but of course being a military operated place it took a long time for a answer, which wasn't even that helpful. But oh well, he's better now!
Chelsea and I ventured to Naha, which is like the Tokyo of Okinawa in a sense, and went to this indoor vender's place. It was pretty cheap and even had real designer's purses which I drooled over for a good amount of time. There was a LOT of clothes, shoes, and old video games and systems. Very cool place I must admit. I'm always looking for things for my husband, but he's just so picky and hard to shop for. Plus, this place wasn't selling American brands like American Eagle, Hollister, Abercrombie... so that made it difficult! My friend did however, show me this store on Foster in the "market place" that sells those brands and more! For extremely cheap! I bought two sweatshirts, one from Victoria's Secret and one from Abercrombie, for only $40! Once you're over here for awhile and live without these brands it makes finally finding them the most exciting thing ever. They even have guy's clothes! Christmas shopping just got a little easier for this girl.
The girl down the hallway has a french bulldog that Basil just LOVES playing with. We try to get them together once a day or even for just ten minutes to play. When it's nice we go on walks with them to ensure they'll sleep through the night. I can honestly say my dog has a best friend... He even runs to their door when I let him into the hallway. Even though Basil is a bit more enthusiastic and excited about almost everything, Castle, the other dog, definitely is learning to put up a fight! Hehe, it's adorable.
The weather is still hot, well into the 80's on most given days. Some days it'll be really nice, but the humidity will make you sweat like a pig (I'm not sure pigs sweat, but I believe I've heard that metaphor before). I'm so ready for this "winter" weather which is in the 60's and 70's like it was when I first got here. As much as I complain about this place, it's only when I'm homesick for the beautiful Iowan atmosphere I grew up in. I love the palm trees, the ocean views, the smell of the ocean, and the respectfulness of this place... But it's not Iowa haha. It's more of a vacation place. It's like, if you lived in Miami you eventually seem to lose excitement for the beach and all the wonderfulness there. That's how it is living here... I mean hell, I haven't even gone to the beach and laid out for a couple months! Now that I got my car back from the auto shop I've been trying to get out more and look around, but driving here still scares me a little. I'm ok on the main highway, but the small alley-like roads and the weird intersections intimidate me. I'm just ready for Ben to be home so he can do the crazy driving and I can enjoy the scenery and all that is Okinawa! If anyone ever gets the chance to come here the one thing I recommend is to try all the food you can. Okinawan food is so amazing, I can't compare it to mainland food yet, but it definitely beats the Chinese and Japanese food places in the states!
I'm also starting to get into the fashion here a little more. Being in Iowa... You are truly sheltered from what fashion really is around the world. I mean, if you live closer to the east or west coasts you definitely see diversity in clothes, but being in the Midwest really limits it all for you. All the Japanese girls here dress the par every day. They don't just wear a brand name sweatshirt and some jeans, and rarely ever just wear a simple t-shirt. It's all about huge tops and belting them. Leggings, hose, and skinny jeans... and AMAZING heels. Hats and a lot of really good hair accessories. Once I get my job squared away I'll definitely be getting even more into this.
All and all this place is treating me well, Basil and I are going great and will be even better once Ben gets home safe and sound. Lots of pictures and many more memories on the way!
