TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 5TH, 2024 THROUGH THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 7TH, 2024 – YES WE LOST TWO DAYS FLYING TO GUAM!!!
A rare treat today for my flight to be departing Nashville late afternoon instead of very early morning. Sort of threw me off on my “packing” to actually have some time at home until leaving for the airport at 2:45 pm. The amazing group “Chapel Hart” will be performing in Guam, mainland Japan and Okinawa – honoring our men and women serving in the military. On Veteran’s Day we’ll be at one of my favorite stops in Japan – Misawa Air Base. This is their first tour for the military and they are so excited. It won’t be their last! Thanks to Frank Tagatac at Armed Forces Entertainment for giving them this wonderful opportunity.
I travel with 3 of the guys out of Nashville to Atlanta and the girls and one other musician travel from New Orleans. The New Orleans flight was delayed but we have very long layovers in Atlanta and Seoul so no stress about missing our connection. Guam is one of the most difficult places I visit to get too. And probably the most expensive. I’m taking the Improv Comedy Group and Matt Scannell (from Vertical Horizon) there between Christmas and New Year’s compliments of The Gary Sinise Foundation.
My group arrived early at the airport and our flight departed on time. I did not realize that the Delta gate agent in Nashville made Zakk check his guitar even though it was in a soft case and would have easily fit in the overhead. Had I known, I would have shown her the copy of a letter I bring with me where the FAA mandates that musicians be allowed to carry on their instruments if it will fit in the overhead or a closet. Then, when we landed in Atlanta, the flight attendant told him he had to pick it up at baggage claim. Unbelievable. I was waiting for everyone after they got off the plane and he told me all this. They would not let him go back down the jetway to retrieve his guitar. We had to stand there and wait for everyone to get off the flight and then one of the staff members retrieved it for him. I told him to file a claim with Delta. The most he can hope for is they will give him some complimentary miles but at least it will be brought to their attention.
The girls were sitting at the gate when we arrived. I gave everyone their itinerary and discussed some tour details. Then I headed for the lounge to work for a couple of hours before our flight to Seoul. It is a 16 hour flight from Atlanta to Seoul! It’s been a long time since I took a flight that long. I actually prefer that to an 8 hour or less international flight. On a longer flight, I can eat, work, watch a movie and sleep. On the shorter flights, I have to choose.
The Lounge actually closed at 10:30 pm so I went to the gate a few minutes before I planned. Our flight to Seoul departed on early and for once, we have WiFi. I had sworn I would not look at the election results as they came in. Anytime I “pull” for someone or something (especially a football team), if I watch the process, they lose. If I ignore anything is happening and just look at the final result, they win. But the stress was killing me, so I checked several websites in the hours right after we departed.
Yes, I am a Trump supporter and yes I am relieved and happy that he will be back in office. It’s hard to read all the negative comments about him that I see non-stop on social media. And God Forbid that I should post anything in support of him. Well, those days are over. Because this is America, we all have the right to our own beliefs. I won’t criticize anyone who believes differently than me. I will listen to “why” you have your opposite opinion if you have “personal experience” and have “walked the walk, not just talking the talk”. I expect the same in return. I went to the Border and saw firsthand the critical situation that has occurred there since the current administration took over. I toured Iraq 39 times and Afghanistan 15 times and met the locals and still stay in touch with “friends” I made there. I worry about those left behind, especially the women who have now lost all their freedoms. I feel the same heartbreak they feel because ultimately, the administration changed and we let them down. My heart breaks every time I think about the young men and women we lost needlessly in the botched Afghanistan withdrawal.
I sat at home for 2 ½ years with absolutely ZERO income and watched everything I had worked for my entire life slowly disappearing while we were gaslighted by the COVID epidemic. It is heartbreaking to think about the loved ones we lost as they lay alone in a hospital because we were banned from visiting them. It’s impossible not to wonder if they would still be with us had we kept them at home instead of hospitalizing them. And, while I along with so many others were locked down, every single person working for the Government – City, County, State, and Federal – were sitting at home all those years drawing their full salaries. Many of them are still “teleworking” after all this time. Think of the thousands and thousand of dollars they saved during the lockdown – no gas to purchase, no childcare to pay for, etc. I guess they can afford the high cost of gas, groceries, and other necessities because they have a nest egg built up. I own my company and I can assure you I was not able to give myself a raise to cover the high cost of inflation.
We need a strong leader – one that China, Russia, North Korea, Iran, the Cartels, and on and on – FEAR. We do not have that with the current administration. We need someone who tells us they care about the American people and mean it and follow through to show it. Obviously, I am now in the majority since the election results prove how many Americans feel the same way. As everyone knows, I travel to foreign countries pretty much every month. The people I meet there always talk politics and constantly asked what has happened to America. Thank you, God, for giving America a chance to prove we can return to being the Greatest Nation on Earth. Needed to get that off my chest. Feel free to block my Road Reports or on social media if my beliefs offend you.
I was able to eat dinner, watch a movie, and receive text messages from friends who were celebrating President Trump’s success. I was able to sleep for 5 hours – stress free! I got up when we still had 5 more hours to fly and started working. Of course, the minute I was ready to work, the WiFi went out! It has been out for almost 2 hours now and no idea when we will have service again. We are about to fly over Japan airspace, so I’m hoping it pops back on then. I set my Gmail so that I could access it offline but for some reason, I don’t see where I need to “click” to get to it!
We are staying at a beautiful Hyatt Hotel on the beach in Guam. We get the Government rate on rooms, so much less expensive to stay there. That is unless you want to stay there between Christmas and New Year’s. Then, even though this is a U.S. territory, the hotels and airlines more than triple their prices during that time period. A room at the Hyatt costs us $159 per night during this visit. Between Christmas and New Year’s for the very same room, they wanted $499 per night! Obviously, we wont be staying there.
We landed a little early into Seoul but had to stand in a VERY long line to go through a security check before going to our gate – even though we were on a connecting flight. We had about two hours before our flight to Guam. I found a lounge that was open and worked the entire time.
The flight from Seoul to Guam is on Korean Air – which is always “interesting”. I never eat the food because it is always terrible. I was trying to watch “Reagan” on my iPhone because I had downloaded it before we departed. But, I had a real problem trying to connect my new Air pods to the phone. By the time I figured it out, I was falling asleep so I gave up.
We landed on time and it was raining. But it usually rains for a few minutes every afternoon. We still had to go through Immigration but that was quick. Then it took forever for the bags to come out. We got in line for customs but I realized we needed to fill out a Custom’s Declaration Form before we could go out. Carly, Mike and several other staff members were waiting for us with a passenger van and cargo van. It only took about 10 minutes to get to the hotel. Mike pointed out several “points of interest” along the way.
I took the time yesterday to check everyone in on my Hyatt App so that the rooms would be ready when we arrived. Didn’t happen. Not only were some of the rooms not available, but I had to fill out another credit card authorization form which made absolutely no sense at all. I had already filled out one months ago. Plus I gave the desk clerk my credit card to run the payment! I insisted that they give me whatever rooms were available regardless of where they were located because the group had been traveling for 30+ hours.
The rooms are nice and spacious and the view is breathtaking. I worked for a while waiting for Frank to arrive. He didn’t get to his hotel next door until 8 pm and he was “wiped out” from traveling so I walked to the ABC store and purchased water and a famous Ramen Restaurant and got a bowl of Ramen to go. It is by far the largest bowl of Ramen I’ve ever seen. I wasn’t able to eat even a fourth of it. I stuck the leftover in the refrigerator knowing I’ll never eat it because there’s no microwaves in the rooms. But, I always do that because then there’s no “smell” in the room.
I am going to bed very early for me so I can get up early and work out before leaving for Andersen Air Base for our first show.
Jude
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 8TH – FIRST CHAPEL HART PERFORMANCE – ANDERSEN AIR FORCE BASE – GUAM;
I actually got some sleep last night. Six hours which is a record for me. Felt great this morning. I did keep waking up because the air conditioner kept shutting off. I finally figured out that it is “motion” controlled. So when I’m “still” and lying down, it thinks no one is in the room. I tried leaving the TV on with no sound but that didn’t work. The TV turns off automatically, too!
Since we were not departing to the base until 3 pm, I had time to go to the gym and work out. It is a two story gym but doesn’t have a “lot” of equipment. But there was enough for me to get a good “arm workout”. Tomorrow I’m going to jog!
I met Frank (our AFE Manager) and Rachel (my POC at Guam Naval Base for the Gary Sinise Foundation New Year’s Eve Tour) in the lobby. First time I’ve met Rachel and she’s great. It will be an awesome performance for them on December 30th.
It took about 30 minutes to drive to the base and everything was set up and ready for us. Carly and Jenn are my POC’s here and I’ve worked with them many times. Got the bad news that Jenn is leaving because her husband who is in the Air Force has been assigned to Langley. Good news is I’ll see them the Friday before Super Bowl when I take the Gary Sinise Foundation NFL Tour there.
Patrick (my contact at the Marine Base for the GSF NYE Tour) and one of his staff members came by to meet me and talk about our show there on December 29th. He also offered to give the group a 6 hour tour of the island before our performance. And, he secured a van to take some of the Chapel Hart group on a shorter 3 hour tour tomorrow before we leave for the airport. I’m not going with them on that one since I’ll get the tour in another month and I have so much WORK to do tomorrow morning.
Sound check ran right on time thanks to Jeff and his production company. And, the show was outstanding! Everyone was out of their seats dancing and singing along the entire show. It was awesome to see them having so much fun. This might be a beautiful resort island but the men and women deployed here still feel the loneliness of being so far away from their loved ones. There were lots of young children there with their parents and they were up front dancing as well. Chapel Hart brought them a little piece of home and showed them some love. Everyone in the Chapel Hart group is so easy to work with. Frank was very happy with their performance and the Base personnel absolutely loved the show and the group. I don’t know how it’s possible but we all think there were more people in the Meet and Greet line than there were at the concert. LOL.
We had a nice hot meal waiting for us in the Green Room after the show. The girls told Frank they sure would like to perform in Hawaii. He’s the man to make that happen. LOL.
We were back at the hotel by around 9 pm. I’m sure they all passed out because jet lag is going to be bad for a few more days.
Our flight departs from Guam to Haneda (Tokyo) tomorrow at 7 pm and arrives at 10 pm. We are staying at a hotel where I’ve stayed before located in Terminal 3 at the airport. Convenient to just be able to check in without having to take a shuttle anywhere.
Going to bed now since it is 2 am! Great first show of the tour….
Jude
MONDAY, NOVEMBER 11TH – VETERAN’S DAY – MISAWA AIR BASE, JAPAN:
Did not have time to go across the street to the gym to work out this morning. Going to be a busy couple of days. Lobby call was 11:00 am for departure to the Lakeview Grille which is located at the base Country Club. It is a really nice restaurant right on the lake. Jared explained that they shoot off their 4th of July fireworks over the lake.
Everyone enjoyed lunch there as the food is really good. Next stop was a visit to the K-9 Unit. What a treat that was for our folks! They have never done anything like that. Sometimes they allow us to wear the sleeve but this time, we were not offered that and I don’t think any of this group would have wanted to do it anyway! The dog’s name that they use for the demonstration was Chaos and she was a beauty.
We dropped the girls off at lodging and Frank, Fab and I went to the venue with the musicians and crew to get set up for sound check. Jared’s production company here – Techno, Inc. – is excellent. Everything was running smoothly so we went to the base exchange for a few minutes. The little screw had fallen out of my sunglasses and I was hoping to get a repair kit and fix them. Unfortunately I could not find a repair kit so I purchased an inexpensive pair of sunglasses to get me through the tour.
We picked the girls up at 3:30 pm and sound check ran smoothly. The sound is great in the club. Everyone went back to lodging to dress for the show at 4:30 pm and then we all went back to the club at 6:30 pm for the show. We had impromptu visits with Leadership just prior to the performance. The FSS Wing Commander is from Mississippi like the girls so they “bonded” for a while. The Colonel was here when I was hear with Chingy and I remembered him.
The show started at 7:00 pm and it was another great experience for everyone in attendance. It was even more special because today is Veteran’s Day and we had a few Vets in the audience. Those attending danced and sang along with every song. There was a group of Japanese line dancers attending as well and lots and lots of kids.
The girls sang for 90 minutes instead of 75 minutes which was a nice treat for those attending. There was a M&G for 75 people after their performance and that moved quickly. The Japanese line dancers were in that group for photos and I talked to them for a few minutes about Country Gold. Fab thanked the girls for an excellent show and for being so sweet to everyone they met.
We had pre-ordered dinner at sound check and it was waiting for us after the M&G. We quickly packed up and headed back to lodging as we have an 8 am lobby call tomorrow. The food was really good, too.
Going to get in bed by midnight as I’ll have to get up at 5:30 am for that 8 am lobby call. UGG!!
Jude
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 12TH – PERFORMANCE AT YOKOTA AIR BASE:
Got up at 5:30 am and met everyone in the lobby at 8:00 am. It was a short 10 minute drive to the Airport. We made one quick stop at a plane stationed at the very front of the base so the girls could take a photo with it. The airport is TINY…only one gate. And, we had to put our checked bags through a scanner before we could check in.
Once again, we did not have to pay for excess baggage which is highly unusual. They did have the padded boxes at the Misawa Airport which are used for the guitars since they absolutely will not allow musical instruments to be carried on. Not even something as small as a fiddle!
Our flight was late leaving and we arrived late. After picking up our luggage, we took the bus to Terminal 3 so Fab could retrieve her lost luggage. Since it is an hour and a half drive, everyone grabbed food to go for the bus ride. We are going to be late getting to sound check but I’m sure they will make it up.
Seems strange not to have Spike taking care of us this time but he has some health issues and isn’t on base. VG is great, though, and it was really nice to see him again. He’s taking care of us.
When we arrived at lodging, I thought we were already checked in and someone would have our room keys waiting for us. Didn’t happen. We had to wait to get checked in and secure our keys. We were rushing to get to sound check and when I got to the third floor, my room key didn’t work! I sent the musicians a text and told them I would be there in about 2 minutes because I had to go to the front desk and get anther key. I actually found a really nice worker and he was able to let me in. I rushed downstairs to meet the guys only to realize they left me! I found VG and got him to take me over to the venue where I proceeded to fire them….Just kidding.
Sound check went quickly and we had about 1 ½ hours to go back to lodging before coming back for the show.
I realized my room is freezing. I called the front desk and basically they said the air and heat do not work again until November 15th. Until then, they have some extra blankets. I asked for a space heater but was told that Housekeeping has those and they are closed. The front desk said they would bring one tomorrow which won’t do me any good since we depart tomorrow morning! Going to be a very unpleasant night.
There were lots of families at the show tonight with young children. As they did at all previous shows, everyone danced and sang along the entire show. We had one person attending whose birthday it was so the girls sang “Happy Birthday” to him. The Meet and Greet line was very long and took as long as their performance. Those girls can TALK!!!
Trea had injured her ankle before we left and tonight she was visibly “limping”. Once they finished the very long Meet and Greet, everyone but Trea went back to lodging. We sent Trea to the military emergency doctor to figure out what’s going on with her. Fab and VG volunteered to go along with her. X-rays indicate a ruptured Achilles! I have the oven cranked up to 500 degrees and the hot water running full steam ahead just to try to get warm.
Going to get in bed and hope that the sun comes up early tomorrow and warms the room early. We have a 10 am lobby call to drive 1 ½ hours to Yokosuka tomorrow.
Jude
Wednesday, November 13, 2024 – Performance at Yokosuka Naval Base:
Well, getting in bed early wasn’t exactly as I hoped. Trea was at the walk-in clinic on base a lot longer than I thought she would be. She, Fab and VG finally got back to lodging at 2 am. She is on crutches with instructions not to put ANY weight on her left foot. Healing takes anywhere from 1 to 6 months. It is crucial that she follow instructions if she wants to heal as quickly as possible.
Our lobby call was for 10 am but I received a message that the bus picking us up from Yokosuka was running late because of traffic. While we were waiting for the bus, VG took me to the base exchange so I could pick up some ice packs for Trea. She has to ice her ankle at least 3 times a day. There were out of the kind that you just break and it activates the cold. We did find some that are reuseable so I got her several of those. The bus was over an hour late picking us up because there was a truck turned on it’s side and all the contents spilled on the highway.
Thanked VG for all his help with Trea and taking such great care of us. Hope to see him again soon. It took us approximately 2 hours to drive to lodging at Yokosuka Naval Base. I was able to work end route and got a stool, handicapped accessible room, and boom mic stand confirmed for our last shows for Trea. Trying to find her a walking knee crutch but not having any luck. I’ve stayed here many times and love this base. Natasha is our POC now after Gregg – who has been here for decades – retired recently. But Natasha is leaving in a few days, too, to go to Monterey.
Got everyone checked in pretty quickly and we dropped bags and the guys and I headed to the venue. We’re performing in the Fleet Theatre. The last performance I had there was a couple of years ago with Runaway June. It’s a beautiful theatre and Yoshi and his production crew had everything set up for us. Because Yoshi is so great, the girls aren’t even going to sound check today. The guys were very happy about that because they were wanting to rush into town and eat at Coco’s…a curry chain restaurant.
The girls went to the base exchange and were able to purchase a new suitcase for Trea because the wheel broke off hers on the last flight. She got a great deal on a 3 piece set and is just going to leave the old luggage here.
Frank, Fab and I walked into the city – straight to Hamasushi! Frank definitely put away more than Fab and I. Mine cost a little over 8 dollars and Franks cost approximately $14! CRAZY!!!!
The guys had trouble getting back onto the base. The guard sent them to another gate and they were denied access there, too. They made them secure a Visitor’s pass before they would let them on. So strange because I came on base about 5 minutes after them and showed my passport and orders and they barely looked at them before waving me through.
I had less than 1 hour to dress, type up the dinner order, write out the thank you list and pack my show bag. Trea sat on the stool during the show and did great. She obviously couldn’t stand up at all but did a great job of being very “active” just using her arms. The entire audience was standing in front of the stage and dancing almost the entire show. Again, there were lots of families with young children – all having a great time. Also, again, everyone who attended the show seemed to stay for the Meet & Greet.
The guys had grabbed their “to go” dinners that we pre-ordered and rushed back to lodging. They wanted to walk into the city and look around. There is a midnight curfew for the military on this base so we have to follow the same guidelines. That still gave the about 3 hours to spend in the city.
We were back at lodging by around 8:30 pm tonight because the show started an hour earlier than our other shows. It was another great night with the men and women serving our country and their children.
We fly to Tokyo and then connect on to Okinawa tomorrow. Only 2 more shows left.
Jude
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 14TH TRAVEL TO OKINAWA
Lobby call was 10 am and we made a quick stop by Starbucks for coffee and breakfast before taking the one hour bus ride to Haneda Airport. We were told that our flight was delayed by 25 minutes but we still had to be in the gate area at the original time just in case we got back on schedule.
Check in was relatively easy. My travel agent had requested wheelchair assist for Trea and the airlines had that reserved. We had a little time before our flight boarded and we went on search of Sweet Potato Ice Cream. Never found it. I think it is in a different terminal. Maybe we’ll find it when we depart to the USA.
The flight took off about 25 minutes late and we landed approximately that late as well. Our POC Ray was there to meet us with the bus. He had gotten our hotel keys for us and that always makes everything so much easier. We arrived at lodging and everyone was just going to drop their bags and Ray had generously offered to drive us to American Village so we could find something for dinner.
My room key did not work so I had to walk across the street to get a new key. Two other people had keys that did not work either. I hiked back across the street only to find that the new key didn’t work either. The staff member at the front desk seemed to think whatever was wrong with the key was my fault. He kept asking the craziest questions and wanted to walk across the street with me so I could “prove” to him that my key would not work! Finally another staff member intervened and I was given a different room.
We drove down to American Village and then split up. A couple of guys went in search of Ramen and the girls and a couple of guys ate at the Hawaiian Pancake House. Frank found a Wagyu Beef “all you can eat” restaurant and I ate there with him and Fab. There was a grill in the middle of the table and we had to cook our meat and veggies. The meat was as soft as butter and had an excellent taste. We kept ordering more and more of it along with some other “delicacies’. Total cost was less than $45 each!
We stopped by the ice cream shoppe for some sweet potato ice cream and then headed back to the base. Made another quick shop at the Shopette before going to our rooms. I was dead tired once we were back at lodging and for once, got in bed before 3 am!
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 15TH, 2024, PERFORMANCE AT CAMP SHIELDS:
I met Trea in the lobby and Ray took us to the Base Exchange where there is a medical supply company. Trea rented a little scooter for $7 a day to use the rest of the trip. While she was filling out the paperwork on the scooter, I looked around for a better brace for my thumb and wrist. I found one that seems to be working better now.
Was back in lodging before 11 and I got a little work done before having to meet the guys in the Lobby at 2:15 to go to sound check. I walked next door to the Oficer’s Club where Café Latte is located. What a great menu they have. It’s possible to order breakfast all day long which is what I did. And, it was really good, especially the grits!!!
Went over with the boys at 2:15 pm for load in. The girls won’t come to sound check because Yoshi is providing the production. The room is small with a very low ceiling so J.T. has his hands full just trying to make it sound good. He decided the girls should come over for sound check but they had just sat down to eat lunch.
After sound check, we drove back to Kadena Air Base and had a very hard time getting the guards to let us back on the base even though we had all the paperwork with us. Once we finally go in, I had the van drop me off at the Base Exchange because I had broken a pair of my reading glasses. I picked up some Kit Kat while I was in the BX because they had some that I had never seen before. Then when I started to walk back to lodging, I realized that I had no idea how to get back. I turned on my Google Maps but it kept sending me in circles. I finally had to stop and ask someone. The “bats” were already waking up in trees and making a lot of noise.
I had about an hour to work before lobby call for the show. Al and Jackson from MCCS came to watch the girls and see me. So sweet of them to do that! The crowd was unusually small for a Friday night but the girls made up for the size of the crowd by delivering one of their best performances of the tour. Can’t believe we only have one more show to go.
The girls took photos with everyone in line and then we went back to lodging. Fab, Frank and I had not ordered to go food for after the show because Café Latte was supposed to be open until midnight. Unfortunately, that was incorrect since they actually closed at 9 pm! The guys decided to go right outside Gate 2 where all the clubs are located and the 3 of us went to American Village in search of dinner. Even most of the clubs in American Village were closed – which is strange for a Friday night! We decided to walk down to Hamasushi and eat there. It was excellent!
It was after midnight by the time we got back to the room and pushing 3 am now. Going to bed!
Jude
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 15TH – FINAL SHOW AT KADENA AIR BASE, OKINAWA:
I was up and ready to go for a jog by 8 am. Only when I went downstairs, it was pouring rain. I checked the radar and it’s supposed to rain most of the day. So I didn’t get to jog even once while in Okinawa. Our call time tomorrow is 7 am, so definitely can’t jog then.
I was up very late last night tracking the three typhoons that may hit Hong Kong. I am supposed to go to Hong Kong “for a day” so see my dear friends Anders and Loretta Nelsson. But I don’t want to fly in hurricane force winds! By the time I got up this morning, one typhoon had dissipated and was only rain. The second had turned towards Vietnam and the third “may” just hit the Philippines. Still something I have to watch closely.
I worked until 2:15 pm when it was time to go to the venue. We are using a different Production Company today – one I’ve never heard of or worked with before. I knew we were in for a long day when we walked in and a lady introduced herself as the owner and immediately asked for our “list”. J.T. and I thought she was asking for the input list because they had not wired the FOH console as they were supposed to do. I knew we had sent the input list months ago and Ray confirmed that we had. He went to his office to print off another copy while the lady kept insisting she need the list. We finally figured out that she was asking for a SET LIST! J.T. told her she didn’t need a set list at this point and there were lots more serious problems. It took J.T. two hours just to get everything to a point where the girls could sound check. Then when they got on the stage, everything again fell apart.
The FOH console had been set up on one side of the room behind a wall. J.T. explained that he could not mix from that position but the sound company argued with him and I had to get Ray involved. They finally were able to run a couple of songs and departed with instructions to move the FOH position. The production company techs do not speak or understand English. It made getting their monitors correct practically impossible!
We left to go back to lodging and get dressed for the show. I had hoped to go to the BX to pick up one more bag of Kit Kat that I wanted but the extra long sound check prevented that. We departed at 6:30 pm for the 7:00 pm show. Dureil – my friend and business associate form MCCS Marine Corps was there. His son works at the venue where they are performing tonight. Always great to see both of them.
Tonight we have a much bigger crowd. And very “enthusiastic crowd. It was the perfect ending to this tour. The girls had a great show and so did the attendees. As we were leaving the stage area, Frank noticed a bag that looked like Trea’s. I picked it up to take it with us but the lady who owned the production company said it did not belong to Trea, so we left it.
The M&G line moved very quickly because a staff photographer took all the photos for everyone in line. My friend Micah – who works with Dureil – came by a the very end of the evening. She had just gotten off a plane from Tokyo. It was so good to see her!
The van took the guys back to lodging while the girls packed up and some of them ate their “to go“ dinner. They made a stop at the Shopette and then we were back at lodging before 10 pm. I had ordered a wedge salad but when I opened it, there was no dressing. Oh well, good way to lose weight!
Going to bed so I can get up at 4:30 am!
Jude
SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 17TH – LEAVING OKINAWA:
4:30 am came much too quickly. Everyone was at the bus on time at 7:00 am. It was about a 45 minute drive to the airport. Thankfully we were first in line because it took a long time to check us in. The biggest issue was that J.T.’s passport was stamped as “military” when he entered Japan. This required several Japanese “committee meetings” before we finally got him approved to fly!
We had less than an hour to kill before heading to the gate. Our flight departed about 30 minutes late and landed 30 minutes late. All of us slept the entire flight! We had to go to baggage claim to pick up the guitars in soft cases that the airlines make us check. Then they can carry them on the flights from Haneda to home. The wheelchair they gave Trea is tiny and it’s not made where she can roll it herself. So a staff member was having to roll her around.
After collecting the guitars, we had to go pick up boarding passes at Delta. We took the monorail over and it was so much easier than trying to ride the bus! A nice staff member helped us all secure the boarding passes. Everyone decided to go on through to the gate area. The Nashville passengers and I only has about an hour before we would begin boarding. We all said our good-byes and I ran into the lounge for about 15 minutes then had to go to the gate.
We boarded on time and Cathay Pacific has always been one of my favorite airlines. Not so much anymore. The aircraft was very old. I told the flight attendant that I wanted to only eat the cheese and fruit – no meal. Once we took off, I pulled out the tray table and waited to be served. And waited and waited and waited. At one point, I dozed off. I finally got up and went to ask why I could not be served. They said I was asleep so they didn’t serve me. Good grief! I tried to take some photos as we were landing but the windows were so dirty, I couldn’t get any good shots. There was a great one of Mt. Fuji as we were leaving Tokyo but I couldn’t get that one either.
The Immigration line was very long and Anders and Loretta were waiting for me when I exited Customs. It was so great to see them both again. Loretta never ages! Anders is growing his “Santa Claus Beard” for Christmas.
We ate at a really nice restaurant in the airport. They ordered noodles and grilled pork and vegetables and it was all excellent. They drove me to the hotel and I was amazed at all the construction and new hotels and malls everywhere! I am staying at the Marco Polo Hotel where I have stayed previously. Very nice hotel right on the harbor. Only my room is on a side that only faces building. Room is nice and big enough for me to open my luggage. I walked out of the hotel for a few minutes just to get my bearings. I was really disappointed to see that the Harbor is not decorated for Christmas yet. The lights usually go up in October.
Going to g in bed early for me because I want to jog before I start a very full day with Anders and Loretta. Trying to get in all the things I usually take a week to do!
MONDAY, NOVEMBER 18TH – SHOPPING DAY IN HONG KONG!
I got up at 6 am and was out jogging by 6:30 pm. I jogged along with harbor and there were dozens of other joggers out this morning. The weather was perfect and I quickly remembered my jogging path from years ago. It did take me longer coming back because I kept stopping to take photos of the harbor and amazing skyline. I also stopped in the Tourist Bureau to see if a “visa” was still required to go into Shenzhen, China for the day. It is but you can apply when you arrive. It could take two hours or more to secure it so that’s not an option. When Hong Kong was ruled by the UK, it was the greatest place ever to shop. Once China took control, that all changed. Hong Kong is a lot more “designer” shops now and you have to take the train one hour across the border into China to get the deals. With only one day in Hong Kong, that wasn’t feasible.
I met Anders and Loretta and we drove a few blocks to have an amazing lunch of Dim Sun. Then it was time to shop. Loretta and I found several things on Lindsey’s, Zac’s and Zoe’s Christmas lists. Anders accidentally found a shop where an artist draws pictures of individuals with their pet(s). I got those as Christmas gifts and they are adorable. Zoe loves cats and Hong Kong is all about cats so I found a lot more for her than I did for Zac.
We finally made our way over to the Star Ferry and took the quick ride across to Hong Kong. Forgot to say that I am staying on Kowloon because that’s where the shopping is located. I’ve been here so many times throughout the decades and have special memories with every entertainer and friend I ever brought here. Hong Kong kept reclaiming land and building out the harbor to the point that it’s a very short ride on the Star Ferry now.
Anders had to go to a friend’s birthday party for a few minutes so Loretta and I found a Korean BBQ restaurant. They brought the grill to the table and left the meat cooking but never came back. The beef looked like beef jerky! We asked them to start over and they agreed.
After dinner, we met back up with Anders and went to the famous Night Market. I had looked all day for “name cards” that shows an individual’s name in Chinese pictures. I used to buy these all the time for friends and family. But no one was selling them. I believe the only place to get them now is up at Stanley Market. Again, no time to go there. Anders has a friend who’s going to check to see if they can get these for me.
I got back to the room after 10 pm and had to pack all the “gifts” I purchased. I was in bed by 1:00 am and had to get up at 3 am. When we arrived back at the hotel, a water main had broken right in front of the hotel and flooded the area. They began repairing it at around 2:30 am and it was LOUD.
The hotel called a taxi for me and it was supposed to be about a 45 minute drive. Only there was no traffic and the driver drove like a mad man. There was also no shocks on the taxi. I had to take a nausea pill before we got to the airport. Took 13 minutes from hotel to airport!!!
They don’t take AMEX in Hong Kong except at a few locations. I had to use my Visa to pay for the taxi and it was rejected. No idea why since I had been using it constantly. I called the credit card company and got the charge approved and hung up and tried again. Rejected again. The taxi driver agreed to accept U.S. dollars because I didn’t have enough Hong Kong Dollars.
All the shops were closed until 8 am so I went into the Lounge for about 30 minutes before going out to shop. Flight to Tokyo Haneda was on time (thankfully because I have a short layover) and I slept for about an hour. Once we landed in Tokyo, I had to rush to go through security and get to the gate. Had about 10 minutes to try to find Kit Kat and make it to the gate. I forgot that Hong Kong to Tokyo is an international flight, so I wasn’t allowed to go into the Arrivals area and buy all the Kit Kat I had planned to purchase. I did purchase a nice bag for all my airport purchases.
When I got in line to board the flight, they wouldn’t accept my boarding pass that was issued in Hong Kong so I had to stand in line for a new one. By the time I finally boarded, all the overhead space was gone. Finally found an empty spot several rows back.
Surprisingly, WIFI worked on the flight even though the flight attendants said it would not. I watched a movie while I was eating lunch and then slept for 5 hours. Still had 5 hours to work after I woke up.
Connection in Detroit was a similar situation. I had to rush to make the flight. I did check the bag of goodies I had purchased before getting on the flight to Nashville. I taped the zipper closed and taped my business card on the front of it. When we arrived Nashville on time, the zipper was open and the tape was gone. Thankfully, nothing fell out.
The Chapel Hart tour could not have gone any better for the military bases we visited. The girls and their musicians are excellent and all the POC’s at the various bases were fantastic.
I was reminded “why” Hong Kong is my favorite place to visit in the entire world! The food, the sights, everything is exactly like you see in the tourism photos. The only problem is, I needed to stay a lot longer than one day. But, the purpose of my visit was to see my dear friends – Anders and Loretta – and I’m so thankful the typhoons changed direction and I was able to spend time with them. I have to visit again soon!
Jude
