Greetings from Kadena Air Force Base in Okinawa, Japan! We are finally getting over our jet lag from the long flight here. Our plane flew in over the beautiful island right before sunset and we were immediately greeted with a welcoming reception from the military at Kadena Air Force Base. Each athlete from the Paralympic Swim Team and the Track and Field Team was paired with a military "sponsor" who took us to our room (with our luggage) and who assured us that they would get us whatever we needed during our stay.
The military staff has been incredibly friendly on base and the accommodations (and food!) are really great as we prepare for the Games. To swim, we are driven to the nearby Marine Core Base, Foster, which houses a great outdoor 50 meter pool. On the way to Foster, we get to see a bit of the local Okinawa culture. The Japanese writings are everywhere along the street, but there is some English scattered here and there (like at a Starbucks!) since there is supposedly a lot of tourists who visit this part of the island.
We have not been able to venture off the base yet, so our days consist of training, eating, and hanging out with teammates. But this weekend we will probably take a team trip to see more of Japan...and hopefully eat some genuine sushi!
I promise pictures on the next post...
Sayonara!
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3 comments:
beth you're so good at japanese already. i expect you to be fluent when you return. eat some sushi for me! (minus the roe).
Ohio Gozaimasu,
Hope you are enjoying Japan Beth. I recommend the eel and spicy tuna sushi. Stay away from the squid and octopus they are really chewy. We are all cheering for you back home.
Phil Clement
hey there...sounds like your time in japan is going really well! i just saw a press release today that events from the games will be available online. i hope to watch some of them, especially yours! keep up the updates :) talk to you soon!
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