Konbanwa=Good Evening in Japanese

I spent the day in Japanese orientation class and had my listening ears on all day. I learned more on how to behave off base and for the most part I think I am doing well not to offend the Japanese. I have been practing my bow and trying the few basic words I know with a local shop owner. Today, I practiced my greetings with him, I need a lot practice. Whenever you go into a store all the workers it at one time say Sumimasen. This is where I freeze and pretend I am mute because I have no idea what to say next. So I will work on that because it really hinders me going into stores. Speaking of stores, I left base and walked to the five story mall down the street. I managed to find the 100 Yen store aka dollar tree and their version of Big Lots. However, all the stuff was so overpriced I could not believe people would buy it. It seems the only thing that is cheap here is food. Everything is like double what we would pay in New Orleans. Luckily, this does not effect me since I can shop on base. I walked all five stories and ended up in the grocery. It was a madhouse due to people getting off work and sushi being discounted after 4 PM. After 4 PM, they start discounting all the sushi because of the strict food laws here and they cannot serve it the next day. I ended up buying what I thought was grapes, but they were blueberries. I don't know they were the biggest blueberries I had ever seen and some sushi. I am trying with the sushi, but I do think I get it yet. Anyway walked outside and saw the very polite protesters outside whom were protesting the USS George Washington due to the ship having nuclear weapons on it. The ship gets here tomorrow and apparently the base population will double. I walked home feeling homesick and understand while some never leave the base. Now I do not want a pep talk from anyone that reads this, but really it is just so hard to do anything here. I mean everything even the bathroom. I walked into the mall bathroom and what did I find, but a Japanese style hole in the ground squat while you pee toilet. I had to go and I managed not to pee on myself. Well I have decided to wait on Tokyo Disney due to I do not want to be that person riding rides by myself. I have decided to go to Yokohama and ride the largest ferriswheel in Japan by myself. However, I was tempted to go to Hello Kitty Land, but I am sure I will make it there soon. Oyasuminasai !!!