Jennifer and Evan: HEY-YO!

So I need to make a quick post and get to sleep here.

If only Okinawa was like that...

ANYWHO... I recently attended SWOS ASAT, which stands for Surface Warfare Officer School Advance Shiphandling and Tactics. Now you see why the military loves acronyms. Basically it is to put all Ensigns on a level playing field in terms of being OOD (Officer of the Deck) and getting SWO qualified. It was cool. Alot of simulators that were something like this:

But not as cool. And telling the computer what to do tend to go like this.
"Right full rudder."
(LEFT FULL RUDDER AYE SIR)
"Right full rudder"
(RIGHT STANDARD RUDDER AYE SIR)
"RIGHT FULL RUDDER"
(LEFT FULL RUDDER ALL ENGINES AHEAD FLANK SIR)
Yay, technology! At least I don't have to worry about a Terminator scenario any time soon if the most technologically advanced military in the world can get a computer to listen to me correctly for $75,000.

While there I got to spend some time with my Mom in Boston, and we visited the USS Constitution and walked the freedom trail, which goes by a lot of revolutionary sites, like Bunker Hill and Paul Revere's house. Then I got to go again next weekend and hang out with some of my good college friends.

Once back in Sasebo, Jennifer and I went to the Sasebo Biopark, which is like this:

Except without a babbling fool and with interactive exhibits with animals. Essentially a super awesome petting zoo with Capabara and Kangaroos.

Then we went to Kumamoto. This was a cool experience, because it meant we got to experience the Japanese Expressway system. It only costs you an arm and a leg in tolls to do it, but whatever.

Kumamoto is really cool. Well, we specifically went to the Castle, though I want to go back and check out Mt. Aso and the city. The castle was awesome and was something like this (at least in my mind):