Making new friends everyday

It's funny the places you end up meeting some of the nicest people. I've basically been just meeting the people that are on the smoke deck since that is where the largest groups are. Well, I wanted to know where the library was and what the hours were. Means had been going there since she hasn't had her Internet installed yet but I did give her the number for it.

Outside the library I met a young woman who looked as lost as I did. She was looking for the hours too. We were wondering if it had closed (it was about 5pm) but we walked around and found the front door was on another side of the building.

She was looking for CLEP test materials so she can test out of some classes. She said she already had some college before going into the Air Force. It gave her some extra rank which is how it works in the Marine Corps too.

She walked off and I never did get her name. I walked around the library some more seeing what they all had and how big it was and I ran into her again. This time I properly introduced myself and she said her name was Alisha. All the Air Force folk go by first names... it's weird being called Mike to my face. I'm too used to "Ski".

I guess they didn't have what she wanted. I had gotten the hours from the desk so I was good. She had one more stop so I asked to come along. We went to the arts and crafts store so she could buy a sketch book. I guess she's some sort of artist but I've never seen her work. She said she was going over to a friends to "sketch his wall". I still don't know what that means but I'm pretty sure it's not some innuendo.

We rode back my building and I noticed a ring on left hand's ring finger. Typically reserved for wedding rings, right? Well she wears a cheap ring she found out in a parking lot as a semi-joke but to keep the Air Force boys from following her around like dogs. I'd do it if I were female too. These Airmen walk around as if looking for scraps to be thrown to them.

We talked about what we'd like to end up doing in life and then I ranted about Sarah Palin and left soon after. Now this isn't a political blog, but really? Read up about Palin and you decide.

For anyone out there reading this please do remember to vote. Not only are you voting for your president, the most powerful man in the world, you're also voting for my boss. Not too often do you get to vote for who you want as a boss in the civilian world.

Servicemember Profile #1 - Daniel Joseph Malta

Lance Corporal Daneil Joseph Malta started Marine Corps boot camp in Parris Island, South Carolina June 25, 2007. "Most people join the Marine Corps to find a identity. I joined because I knew myself and wanted to be sure of that."

More than a year ago now Malta walked into a Marine Corps recruiting office with dreadlocks and a tie-die shirt on. He was forward with the recruiter. He was a self desribed hippie back then. He didn't want to be on the front lines killing people and he had a big mouth so he didn't want to do anything secretive.

After looking through jobs they decided on the combat correspondent field. The next day a Marine from the public affairs office for the district came to talk to him.

Malta came to Okinawa July 15, 2008.

"I love it. I'm what they call a neophilliac. I am a lover of the new. New things, new people, new places. That is what I live for."

Malta will be stationed here for the next 2 years.

He is a broadcaster for the Armed Forces Network, a group of military ran radio and television stations that can be heard and seen throughout the island. He works with 16 people, 9 being Marines. The others are Air Force and some of the Okinawans that have jobs there.

The broadcasting billet usually takes additional 3 months of classwork at the Defense Information School located in Fort Meade, Maryland but Malta was allowed to come here and do on the job training instead.

"I do commercials and tell the TV what to play pretty much."

Malta has a full work day starting at 7:30 a.m. and ending at 4:30 p.m.

For right now Malta works behind the camera. He creates 15 second spots for television. They are basically billboards. They consist of one frame with a moving background and sometimes a voice over done by Malta.

"Every day we get these things called readers for the television and radio. People have things they send in and want advertised. It's pretty much my decision what gets advertised."

For example, Malta did a spot for a dog first aid class.

Malta doesn't really think much of the 1.5 million Japanese and the 40,000 American audience.
"I think it's cool. I love being in front of people. I've been an actor since I was little."

When Malta isn't working he likes to work out, paint and watch movies.

He's traveled the island including a couple trips to the capital of Okinawa, Naha.

"I've been to Naha. Naha is just a strip of places to shop, drink etc."

Malta likes traveling and hanging out with his friend Cerna. Malta met Cerna in JRC.

"Now we're really good friends. Our personalities don't clash. We get along."

While Malta is stationed on Okinawa he hopes to learn Japanese and become better at his job in hopes of being a radio DJ.

A Sunday Afternoon

Sunday I went over to Camp Foster to hang out with Birk. She's still in that JRC. I don't know what it stands for but it's receiving for the Marines that come to Okinawa. She needed a day away from the perverts from the sounds of it. I guess some of the Marines don't care about her "comfort bubble". Stupid Marines can't respect a females space. Birk and I left and walked to the Spot. The place with the Internet cafe I talked about earlier. We both ate some Pizza Hutt. They don't have very good breadsticks, by the way.

After that we hopped into a taxi (even though we could have easily walked) to the PX. I need new green shirts and I also need to get my dress blues blouse fixed and put new buttons on. I guess they sell uniform items in another building. After some ice cream at Baskin Robbins we went to the movie theatre, which is actually very large but only one screen. We saw the House Bunny. The movie is about a Playboy Bunny who is kicked out of the mansion and in order to find some place to live she becomes a house mother of a failing sorientity. She does her thing and makes the girls all popular... but at what price? It really wasn't so bad. I liked it, I guess. It had the redhead from Superbad in it. The one that Seth (fat one) wanted to kiss, Jules. She kinda looks like a sober Lindsey Lohan. Sorry, I like redheads, if you didn't know.

After that we went into the PX again and I saw the Jewish chaplin from a week ago. He had me give him my e-mail address. Even though I don't live on Camp Foster. Haha. Oh well. Then we toured the little shops around the PX and went into a small mall of stores.
This is Habu Sake. Habu is a poisionous snake in Okinawa. It's 4600ml, 35% alcohol and costs $650.00. Yikes!














Here is me next to some of the vases they sell there. They look very impressive. There was an auction going on too. I didn't bother to go in. In the case you don't get it... Life Cereal... "It's Mikey he likes it!" I made this shirt a few years back. I also made a shirt that had me on a box of life cereal but an ex-girlfriend took it and never gave it back. Grr.

There were a lot of these blood red carvings around. A lot of them were of Buddha but there were dragons, dogs, even some Marine Corps stuff too.




























There were a lot of shells around too...

















Not your standard letter opener.
















Oh God. Each and every one of those blades is sharp... and being sold to Marines. I can only imagine how many people get hurt with these.

Look at me. I'm so cool. I'm in Japan and within a week I'm playing with Katanas and nunchucks.

















This was the largest Buddha I saw. I still need to find out why they are all red.

Sergeant Major

Living on Kadena is nice in a lot of ways. Marines are not allowed to drive vehicles for anywhere from 6 months to a year. It is easier for the Armed Forces Network Marines to get vehicles because we have to travel for our job. Since I don't have a car that means I have to walk everywhere. The people around here are quite nice about giving rides though if you run into them. Sometimes they make it a point to run into you...

I was walking back from the commissary where you buy food. I had just bought a few things, about two bags worth. A man in a car pulls up to me and asks if I needed a ride. I wasn't too far from my barracks (the Airmen call them dorms) but I hopped in for the conversation.

The man driving looked older, probably in his late 30s, early 40s. He was wearing a t-shirt and you could definitely tell the man had muscle. He had a traditional Marine's high and tight. Then the corner of his windshield caught my eye. Sergeant major chevrons. Are you kidding me?

He introduced himself as Sergeant Major Ploskonka. He joked about being Polish and then I told him my name and he laughed. We missed the turn to my barracks but he was free to ride around. He wasn't from Kadena, obviously. He was the sergeant major for the 9th Engineer Support Battalion out of Camp Hanson which is northeast from Kadena.

We parked next to my building and started to really talk. I mean REALLY talk. We probably talked to each other for an hour. He was telling me about how leadership works, how he made it and the mistakes he made along the way and how he overcame them. He explained the Marine Corps is like a fire, we start out as embers, privates, we're giving oxygen (training) and we start piling on the tinder, small sticks, branches, logs eventually we become a fire, combined with our officers, a fire in itself, we become an unstopable forest fire.

I did a quick google search on him and found he made sergeant major in 23 years. That is very impressive. There are only 500 sergeant major in the entire Marine Corps. He has 800 Marines under his leadership. from this website it said his personal awards include the Purple Heart, Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal with combat distinguishing device and 2 gold stars, the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal with 3 gold stars and the Combat Action Ribbon.

And he took the time to give me a ride.

I love the Marine Corps

Where I've Been

I found this website thanks to Facebook. It's pretty cool. When I find the time I'll list what cities I've been to.I've noticed that mostly all of my traveling has come from in the last year and a half. Basically after high school I let loose on the world. Three continents down, four more to go.

First Night Off Base

It's nearly been a week I've been "on island" but since I've been on Kadena I haven't been able to leave because while the airmen have very few rules the Marines have a lot. One of the rules is that all Marines must carry a red liberty card so they can go on and off base. They must also have buddies to go out into town.
Saturday night I went out to Gate Two Street. Obi Wan Kenobi from Star Wars sums it up pretty well, "You will never find a more wretched hive of scum and villainy. We must be cautious." This is where the homeless and prostitutes appear. and the paychecks disappear. So I decided to see what it was all about.

Lance Corporal Malta (blue shirt) went with his buddy Pfc. Serna from Marine Corps Air Station Futenma. Serna works as a air support operations operator. He didn't really say what he did exactly.
As soon as we jumped out of the taxi we saw a group dressed up. A ghostbuster, Superman and Batman. A little early for Halloween. But it did get my brain working for what I'll be for Halloween and how I'll make up it up for missing Halloween last year since I had boot camp.

The picture is dark but this is basically what you see on Gate Two Street. A lot of neon and people walking around.

First stop was Zen's Bar. I was taking it all in while Malta and Serta had their drinks. They were having fun While I was trying to think of how I would solve my lack of gum problem.














This is Malta (blue shirt) and Certa (red shirt) with the bartender. (barmaid?)

Malta definitely is a character.











Zen's Bar is pretty small. We went to another bar named "29 Palms" - it's Marine-themed. It's a karoke bar. The thing is, there's girls there that will try and get you to buy them drinks. Some guys just enjoy their company and don't mind. There were two older gentleman, my guess at least late 60s, who were singing, drinking and dancing with these young 20 Okinawan girls. Malta and Certa couldn't stop talking about it.

This sign was just freaky looking.













Yes, it is true. There are vending machines everywhere. Very odd sizes of drinks too. It's all metric. Yeah... metric... that measuring system the entire world uses for everything but us.

My drink of choice that night was good ol mountain dew... in an abnormally sized can.

Yikes!

This sign freaked me out. If you can't read it, it says, "ATTENTION: Drinking water violation. In July 2008, the water system on Kadena AB (Air Base) exceeded established action levels for lead."That was in July but needless to say, I didn't take a drink.