Lip Dub competition

This summer my supervisor is having a lip-dub competition for all of Japan Camp Adventure.  This is my staff's entry.  The theme was Disney, everyone had to be in it, and at least 2 mins long.  I'm not in most of it because I was the camera person but that's fine with me! Although, since I had all the footage, I also became the editor so this is my first video I've ever made! Hope you enjoy :)
-Kasey

https://www.wevideo.com/hub/#media/ci/213078929

First week of Camp

The first week of camp was themed Under Water Ocean Commotion.  The numbers of the children are ridiculously low, the most we had was 40 and that was a field trip.  We have 5 camp A staff in ratio plus me if needed and some center staff.  The usual ratio is 1::12-15 kids.  We got to go to the pool on Tuesday which had some problems getting us snack and picked up by the bus on time but it was a good learning experience.  Wednesday we went to Yokohama Sea Paradise for our first field trip.  We went to a huge aquarium and they had some rides as well.  I was with the kids who wanted to go on the big rides.  The weather did not cooperate and we had to leave early although we did have time to go on a huge drop ride and a roller coaster.  I've realized that rides at amusement parks in the United States are so different from those in other countries.  The Blue Fall is 107 meter drop.  I did not really see how high it went before I went on it but I should not have gone.  They only took 1 adult and 3 kids at a time and I wasn't too nervous before I went.  We got in and it started to go and it just kept going.  Every time I thought it was going to stop it just kept going higher. Finally we got to the top and they just leave you there and then start a countdown. It was awful! Then you drop and drop and drop.  I couldn't even open my mouth I was so scared something would come out of it.  I know now I do not ever need to go skydiving free falling is not my thing!
Photo from http://www.themeparkreview.com/japan2004/sp1.htm

On Friday we got to go to DisneySea!!! It was great but with traffic we were only there for about 3 hours and only got 2 rides in- Tower of Terror and Storm Rider.  Luckily the center director let us know our tickets were good until 10pm so we all went after work.  Looking back it wasn't the greatest idea since it took 3 hours on the train so we only had 2 hours when we got back and we were all exhausted from our first week of camp! Anyway I did have a good time. Again I was with the kids that wanted to go on big rides.  As soon as we got to Tower of Terror 5 out of 14 of the kids chickened out so the director took them so we could all go on it.  Once inside it took about 1.5 to wait and halfway in one of the little girls with us started to freak out.  We were too far in to turn around so we spent the next 45mins trying to do everything we could to keep that girls mind off of the ride. She hid in my arm the whole ride but she went and afterwards said it wasn't too bad.  I have a picture but cannot figure out how to crop it right now.  When we went back we got to walk around.  I wish we could spend a real day there but none of us want to pay for it! Here are some photos from the day

It was a lot of fun but I couldn't walk by the end of the day!
-Kasey

First few weeks

So things are still going really great.  I'll just catch you up on the first few weeks while getting internet was such a pain.
-The flight over was alright.  I went from Sacramento on Saturday the 7th to San Francisco to Narita arriving Sunday afternoon.  I met up with a fellow Camp Adventure Project Coordinator (PC) in SF. We're the one's who where black shirts instead of the normal white camp usually wears.  Once in Narita I was able to meet 3 of my staff and the Point of Contact (POC) Mr. Chance, who is great.  We had to wait a few hours at the airport for the other 3 arriving from Iowa. I am supervising 4 day camp counselors: Josh, Emily, Danielle, Victoria; and 2 teen/middle school counselors: Zac and Bianca.  Once everyone had arrived we rode a bus back to the base 2ish hours away.  We all tried to stay awake for the trip home so we could get on Japan time as fast as possible but I think I was the first one out.  Once on base they dropped off all the girls, we have a house on the family housing base near our School-Age Center (SAC) where we are working.  The boys had to take the bus another 20mins away to the actual Zama base.
-Housing: The girls housing is good.  It's a 2 full bedroom and a tiny room with 1 and 1/2 bath.  When we arrived there were 2 real beds and 4 air mattresses.  I quickly claimed a bed.  After a little finagling I was able to get us all a real bed then it got a little more interesting deciding where everyone was sleeping.  Only 1 girl works with the teens so she works later so I wanted her to have her own room so we didn't bother her while the 5 of us are getting ready.  She also couldn't have the tiny room because we'd need it in the morning since the 1/2 bath is attached to that one.  Which left us 1 regular sized room and the tiny room for 4 people.  I decided I'd just move things around and I am now living in the dining room.  We put the table in the living room and I moved the hutch so it blocks half of the room off.  I got a shower curtain and just like that I live in the living room.  We also have a nice kitchen and washer and dryer so we're very happy with housing.
-Orientation week: We had a pretty normal orientation week. Getting to know the center, staff, and children was fun.  The center is beautiful! It's only 2 years old. I'll post some picture soon.
-First weekend: Friday we went to the town right off base for ramen. Saturday we went to Yokohama, the second largest city in Japan.  I really had no idea what was going on in Yokohama when we decided to go and just went with everyone.  I did not realize it was a full day thing so after walking around aimlessly for a few hours me and 2 of the girls went home to rest.  Sunday we went to the center to do laundry (the washer was broke but is now fixed) and hang up posters.
That's the first 2 weeks - I'll start a new post for the first week of camp :)
Kasey 

Internet

I got internet in our housing so be expecting a lot more blogging soon! First week of camp with kids down and already working on our second.  So far so good! Talk more soon.
Kasey

I have a mailing address now!

So if anyone is interested in sending me a postcard, letter, or even some artwork from their child (to decorate my room) I finally have an address to send it to! Address anything exactly:
Kasey Alderson
(School Age Care)
U.S. Army Garrison, Japan
Unit 45006
Attn: IMPC-JA-MWC-SA
APO AP 96343-5006

Also put your address so I can write back!!
Thanks-
Kasey

I made it!

So I made it to Japan! Everything has been pretty great so far... except no internet in our housing.  We've have to walk about 5 mins to the "club" to get wifi.
I did eventually get all packed in case you were wondering from the last post.  I think I've figured out how much 50lbs actually weighs.  My check in bag was exactly 49.5 lbs, although my carry ons were extremely heavy with paperwork.
Here's a pic...

My extremely small (although the plane to Key West was much smaller) plane to SF

 

Sorry I cannot figure out how to rotate it! My fellow Camp Adventure PC that I met up with in the SF airport.

 

 My first meal off base... that's all chicken on the sticks and then some noodles.

The main area of the town

My staff... don't they look snazzy in those uniforms!?!?

Sushi go around!

My favorite dish from sushi  (the french fry things in the background are NOT french fries but some sweet cold nasty thing)

Paid a total of $8 for my meal

Cute watermelon ice cream

did not taste as good as the packaging was cute

My military point of contact Mr. Chance and how they drive on the wrong side of the car and wrong side of the road.

I plan on writing some actual things later but for now I'm cold and tired so goodnight and I'll write more soon! 

-Kasey

I've got to pack

The thing I hate most about traveling... is packing! I came home yesterday to start to pack. Since then really all I have done is paint some presents for my staff and do some of my laundry, not even all of it. Not only do I need to pack for my 3 month trip, which is hard enough, but also pack up my room in case my brother buys a house while I'm gone.  Although I have not really packed anything I have caught up on some naps which was nice. Wish me luck for tomorrow!!

Currently this is what it looks like :(

and this is just a small part of my room the rest looks the same.