Marine Corps Ball

November 10th marks the 233rd birthday of the Marine Corps. It's celebrated every year at parties all around the world. I was Jessica's date to her company's ball because KC and Malta didn't want to go to ours. Oh well. It started off with a ceremony inside the building. There was marching, a few band members were playing music, and the General Legeune's birthday message is read (a document that dates back to 1921). We also watched a video from out commandant General Conway and Sergeant Major Kent talking about the enemies we face. All really motivating stuff. What could be any more motivating? Food. I had some very delicious chicken.

After eating there was dancing. Everyone was looking like they were having a good time, everyone was drinking and having fun. I had to work the next day, they didn't. By the time the dancing had started was when I usually lay my head down to sleep. So unfortunately, I wasn't a lot of fun for Jessica but I did dance some slow songs with her. She looked very beautiful in her blues. I even got to show off my new ribbon and rank.

Chilli's Fest

I called Jessica after I got back from the radio show and promotion. I invited her to Chilli's Fest. I knew it was supposed to be big and I knew a singer with a few hits a few years ago, Ashanti was going to be performing.

That night it did really get big.











We walked around and saw this crazy, impossible game. You're trying to stand the bottle up with a fishing pole. I didn't even bother trying.











We watched some Okinawans doing hip hop dances. It was really quite good. I loved the young ones. They were very well choreographed.


We saw Malta who had a camera because he was filming for AFN. He didn't feel like getting interviews he said. Jessica and I had some cheese sticks inside the restaurant while Ashanti took the stage. There was a large crowd at first but after we ate we watched from my room as people slowly started leaving her concert. I wasn't impressed.

Promotion

First of all, I'm not allowing Malta to take anymore pictures. He just cannot take a good picture with my camera. Grr.

When I got home after winning the concert I had to get the blue off. I was being promoted that day in about 8 hours. I had time to sleep a little and get my make up off. In the shower I got most of it off. It turned all my body hair blue but after a lot of scrubbing I got that off. When I got out of the shower I looked in the mirror and my ears and top of my head were still quite blue. I had taken a long shower too! I knew I had to q-tip my ears so I did that for awhile and got the paint off. I then scrubbed and scrubbed my head but it was taking too long. By this point, I was pretty scared. My gunnery sergeant hadn't been so happy with me that week and I would be promoted by my first sergeant (my gunny's boss) and my captain (the officer of my company) - in other words - I COULDN'T BE BLUE! I did the desperate and unthinkable. I called the people I work with. No one was picking up. I stopped by Castillo's room but she and KC couldn't help. I took the emergency number out of my wallet and called the new corporal, McAdam who would be promoted the same day as me. I woke him up at 2am. He was pretty angry and after explaining everything he seemed to understand but told me there was nothing he could do. He didn't know of any magic cures for de-bluing. So basically, I made the new guy mad and wasn't anywhere closer to normal. I kept scrubbing for an hour and eventually just went to sleep.

I woke up and looked in the mirror and I still kinda looked blue. I took a long shower and I think I got most of all the blue off. KC had a radio show he had to do because there's always someone who does the radio show on Saturday so he was my ride. Malta came too. They didn't think I looked blue. I guess I got it all. Castillo came by with doughnuts and drinks.

We did the radio show for awhile and then Corporal McAdam and Corporal Hunter came in. They noticed I didn't look blue and said I was stupid for calling. I just told them I was scared and desperate. We drove to the officers club and the party for the Marine Corps ball was set up. It was a very small and unspecial ceremony. I didn't have any of my friends around. I was the first to be promoted. I had gunny promote me.

I now am a lance corporal in the US Marine Corps.

Sergeant Hunter made a lot of sense when he said this driving back, I never feel any different when I have a birthday, but everytime I get promoted I do.

True words.

Halloween Part 2

After I dropped off Jessica I went to the Airmens club, the Banyan Tree. I figured they'd be doing the same things as the Globe and Anchor. The place was quite busy because this was the place where Ashanti was doing her first concert. She'd be doing another concert the next day at Chilli's Fest. As soon as I walked through the door I saw many people in costumes and everyone loved my costumes. I got a lot of great comments and weird looks. I made it a point to be like a real blue man and not talk.

I started taking pictures of all the good costumes.

My favorite picture of the night: The Blue Man with the Blues Brothers. Turned out the Blues Brothers were Marines and had spent the last month going to every corner or Okinawa to try and find the pieces to their costumes:














Okinawan Witches:














Panda:














Osama Bin Laden - made with actual clothing from Afghanistan:



















Granny with baby on back:














Met a guy from boot camp:














Mario and Space Ghost, sorry blurry picture for whatever reason:














Best couple contestants: Won by the Blues Brothers














Most creative costume: Tied with the guy with the store bought costume - creative, pfft:














Most scariest costume contestants:














The winners!:

Halloween At Work

How could I forget? My coworkers brought in their costumes on Halloween.

Castillo was planning as going as a bee (which she went as last year - laaaame)

KC went as some combination blue man (he took the mask that wouldn't fit me right) and a scream costume.

Malta went as a ghoul. He did a pretty good with make up that night but I can't find the picture to post here.

Halloween Part 1

Halloween was on a Friday this year so I worked that day. I had to go on a video shoot with KC in Naha, the capital of Okinawa. We drove for hours but couldn't find city hall. We found a place called "city offices" but when we asked the lady at the information desk about the conference she made calls and said it was in another building. There must have been a translation issue or something because when KC went back to Naha a week later for a similar shoot it turned out that was the correct building. Oh well.

I got home that day and put on my black dress pants, black long sleeved shirt and grabbed my make up and left with my roommate to Foster. He dropped me and off I went to Jessica's room. Of course, there is this whole signing in process and all these rules that don't exist in my barracks (and base) like keeping the door open and all the girls living on the first floor so they can basically be watched.

Jessica and I took some before pictures (which are posted) and then put on the make up together. She got the back of my head and neck and I did my face. It was pretty thick make up. Means had told me to put a coat on, let it dry and then put another coat on. The thing is, after I put the first coat on there wasn't a problem with patches.

I did wait for it to dry. I let her get into her costume while I walked around. I came across a group of guys dressed up. The one I thought was the best costume of the night was the teenage mutant ninja turtle costume made out of Marine Corps clothing and cammy paint. Awesome.

I went back to Jessica and she had her costume on. She went as Princess Leia from Star Wars. She said her wig didn't fit quite right. Her hair stuck out in the back instead of being all in the wig. I told her just to have fun.

We went to Taco Bell for dinner and my make up was coming off my mouth and lips. There were some cute kids in costume and after their mother took a picture of me I took a picture of them. Thankfully, I thought ahead and brought extra make up and gloves.

After Taco Bell we went to the Globe and Anchor, the bar for the enlisted on base. I had heard they were having a costume contest at work and games etc. We showed up early and no one was really there. We ran into a Spock without the pointy ears and met Darth Vader sitting at the bar. The geeks were out in full force. I talked to the man who was in charge of checking IDs what time the costume contest was. Midnight. I couldn't do it. I had to be on base at Kadena by midnight. There wern't many people around and most everyone wasn't in costume so we left and got a taxi (or honcho as they call it here) to take us to American Village.

There were many more people dressed up at American Village. The funny thing was most were Okinawan! A lot of the kids and teenagers were dressed up. I saw a lot of the store workers were dressed up too. We suddenly became very popular. They knew who I was and of course knew who Jessica was. Many many many Okinawans asked to take our pictures. I took a lot of pictures too. I'll post a few of them that I liked. Peace signs a plenty.

A lot of the Okinawan girls just wore their school uniforms out and went as "Sexy Schoolgirl". You know what the difference between normal schoolgirl and sexy schoolgirl? Pigtails. That simple.

Here are some ninjas and other scary kids.

Some of the local store workers. There had apparently had been a costume contest a couple hours earlier I had missed. The guy in the white coat with all the make up did a really good job. I don't know how he placed in the contest.

Finally, I loved these kids. I love the Superman pose. I think the girls were twins?

It started raining so we got a cab and headed to Gate 2 Street to see if we could see any Marines and Airmen in costume. Jessica had been complaining she was tired most of the night. Her roommate had a room inspection that kept her up. Instead of hanging around Gate 2 Street I took her back so she could sleep. It was still "early" in the night for me though. I had other plans...

ETWS

There is a store near base called ETWS. Now the directions to find this place look easy to find. A simple right turn down a street called "Hamby" and you'll see it. The directions I could find made it look quick and painless. My roommate, Jessica and I tried to find it one day and we had to give up. A week later I went again with my roommate and his "friend" Brooke and after driving all over the place we gave up. I ended up finding a cab driver and getting directions that way. I went through the store and found a Blue Man mask, even found a bald cap and blue paint. Something would have to work. There selection was kinda limited by that point. It was only a few days before Halloween. I bought a lot of the blue paint and left.

When I tried to put on the mask I realized that my head was just too big. It was a struggle trying to get the eyeholes to come down. I was seeing through the nose.

The bald cap was interesting. It made me look bald enough. I'm sure with the blue paint it would have worked but something about it I just didn't like. It was kinda tight but I think that was the point. Malta was making me laugh and was trying to "artist" or something because that picture came out bad. DINFOS would be ashamed.

I thought to myself, "My hair would only take a few weeks to grow out anyways. Why not just shave it? I never have actually shaved my head and pretty soon I'll be too old to do crazy things shave my head for the fun of it." I called and asked Jessica if she'd get mad. She said she'd just tease me. So I did it. I then went a step further and got a shaving razor and got it down to my skin. Completely bald.

The blue paint I would try out Halloween day. I talked to Means who was in all sorts of plays and she said to put 2 layers of it on and it should be fine. I thought I'd be good. I ended up with one of my most favorite but simplest costumes ever.