It's been a music sort of week...

After coming off wonderful Summer Sonic on Sunday, we learned that Gym Class Heroes (a rap/pop band) would be giving a free concert on the American base on Tuesday night. Gym Class Heroes performed at Summer Sonic, but John and I were busy seeing so many other bands that we didn't have the time to catch them.

The cool thing about American military bases overseas is that military morale offices (MWR, USO) are constantly trying to bring big name acts to the base. For this concert, the base was not "open" which means that only personnel allowed to be on the base were allowed in the concert. It was outdoors and the night was perfect.Oh, did I mention the concert was free?

John and I arrived about 30 minutes after the concert started. There were only about 200-300 people gathered around the small stage. For those that don't know, Gym Class Heroes is a fairly big name band. The lead singer once dated Katie Perry (big name pop artist). This band was giving a concert to only a couple of hundred people. Getting to the front of the stage was no problem since the crowd was so small. The band had a great time entertaining us. They talked, sang and joked around with the audience for more than an hour. Afterwards, they stuck around to take pictures with people.

It was a really cool experience and very much what I imagine a private show would be like. The band stated that they got to tour some of the Navy ships before performing and they were really impressed with the massive pieces of machinery that are the Navy boats. I have a feeling they didn't get paid their usual concert fee to do this, but instead did it out of their love of performing and desire to entertain the "troops." They seemed like genuinely nice guys.

It was a wonderful evening and we really enjoyed dancing and singing to their songs. Here's some pictures:

Shipping to an FPO/AP address

I thought I'd write up a short blog post about shipping to an FPO/AP address. There seems to be a lot of confusion from sellers out there and to be honest it's a little annoying for me. Some sellers won't even ship to an FPO/AP because they think it's like shipping to a foreign country (it is kind of, but not really). It would be nice to see more eBay and private sellers ship efficiently and without problem to my address. Hopefully this can help anyone who may be confused. This information can also apply to someone who is simply shipping a package to their military friend or family.

1. What is an FPO/AP address?

This is a US ADDRESS assigned to military personnel stationed on American military bases around the world. It is most often used as a residential address for people living on American military bases overseas. It is also sometimes used by service members who are living on a boat or in the field without access to a normal mailbox. (Other variations of this address include: FPO, AA, and FPO, AE)

2. Is the FPO/AP address a US address?

YES.

3. Do I need to complete a customs form to ship to an FPO/AP address?

Sometimes. Check with the post office or the buyer to see if the FPO/AP address is overseas. If yes, you probably need to complete a customs form. Customs forms can be found at the post office and are quick and easy to complete. I NEVER fill in the weights on my customs forms. This makes it easier for me to fill out the form. The post office employees can usually step in and complete any information you may have missed. I think too many people get hung up on this form, trying to answer every question as if it was a pop quiz. KEEP IT SIMPLE. Answer what you can and the post office can help with the rest. As a side note, customs forms are not needed for small, light packages (cards, letter, etc).

4. Can I print the customs form at home?

I have only seen one pre-printed customs form and it was from a large company. They probably had the shipping software needed to pre-print these customs forms. I do not think normal citizens can print the customs forms at home. Here's a hint: If you want to ship to FPO/AP addresses regularly, go to the post office and grab a handful of these forms to keep at home. This reduces the amount of time you have to spend at the post office filling it out.

5. Do I have to go to the post office to ship the package?

Most sellers print their shipping labels from home and never enter the post office to complete a transaction. However, when shipping with a customs form, you do need to go inside the post office to have the form stamped. If this is a hassle for you, charge the buyer a nominal handling fee upfront (say $2 - $3). Most of us are more than happy to pay it to receive our item.

6. Is it expensive to ship to an FPO/AP address?

The cost is usually the same as shipping something within the US.

7. What is the best method of shipping to an FPO/AP address?

Use a USPS priority flat rate box/envelope. This gets the item to the destination in about 1 - 1 1/2 weeks and is very cost effective. Shipping a large size flat rate box to a military address actually saves money as they USPS gives a military shipping discount on that size. Do not ship parcel post or choose any economy shipping option. These methods are shipped on a "space available" basis, which means when there's space on the plane/boat headed to the destination, the item will be sent. Economy shipped packages can sit around for months in a storage facility before actually being shipped. Additionally, this significant delay can cause packages to never arrive or become lost.

Do not use UPS or FedEx economy shipping options as these companies can take much longer to get an item to its destination.



Okay, I think that's it. I hope someone out there finds this helpful. I don't know why people make this harder than it is......

Step 1: Get a USPS priority flat rate mailer.
Step 2: Complete customs form at post office.
Step 3: Ship.

It's almost the exact same process as sending something within the States, with only the added step of completing a customs form. I know sellers (and some shippers) like to do everything from home, but unfortunately with an FPO/AP buyer you don't have that option. Instead of deciding not to ship to FPO/AP address (you're missing out on sales if you do that), charge a small handling fee if going to the post office is a huge hassle for you.

Summer Sonic 2012

Yesterday, John and I attended Summer Sonic, a Tokyo music festival held in Chiba (an area of Tokyo) featuring big name artists. The festival lasts the entire weekend, but John and I only went on Sunday. Musicians this year included: Ke$ha, Rihanna, Foster the People, Green Day, Jamiroquai, Tears for Fears, Garbage, Pennywise, Franz Ferdinand, Pitbull, Hoobastank and many more. John and I went mainly to see Foster the People. If you don't know of them, here's a piece they did for NPR's "Tiny Desk Concert" series:

http://www.npr.org/event/music/140256900/foster-the-people-tiny-desk-concert

They're kind of indie, kind of hipster, a little bit pop. They put on a great show and it was wonderful to see them play! The festival itself was also amazing. First, the cost was a little outrageous. John and I pad nearly $400 for two one-day passes and that was with a military discount. Two-days passes cost about $700 for two people. We also paid $66 for a round trip bus ride to the venue. We could have taken trains, but the cost was the same and the train does not drop us off right in front of our car at the end of the day. We stayed at the festival from 10am to 10:30 pm. It was a very long day.

In the US, when we hear "music festival", we automatically assume it is going to be outdoors. John and I were in our outdoor gear and slathered with sunscreen. Imagine our surprise when we arrived at the festival site and found it was mostly indoors. A few stages were outside and there was outdoor activities, but you could stay indoors for the entire festival if you so chose. The indoor venue was large enough to host several thousand people, food stands, souvenir stands, bars, and about 5 or 6 stages. I don't think in the US we have indoor venues quite so large.

I think I'm going to let the pictures speak for themselves. Be prepared for a long post!

The Summer Sonic festival is a place where local artists can showcase their talent. Lining the halls and sidewalks were large artworks by various Japanese artists. Some artists painted while the crowds watched. Here's some of the artwork:

As I mentioned earlier, the venue was enormous! The inside stages were so large that the crowd could move to the front and there was plenty of space in the back of each stage area. The back of the different stage areas were full of people sitting down and enjoying the music from a distance. Additionally, many concert goers decided to lay on the concrete floor and nap while they waited for the next concert to start. If you tried laying down in the back of an indoor venue in the US, you'd be kicked out. Here's some pictures of the venue:

The back of the venue where you can see people laying down and sleeping.

Stage decorations.

One of the interesting things about this event was the fact Marlboro, the cigarette company, had a huge presence there. They had several "smoking" areas set up where women in short shorts serve you free cigarettes, lighters, and other corporate merchandise. Additionally, the Marlboro areas had fun activities people could try before grabbing their free pack of smokes. I'm not a smoker, but some of the stuff they had was irresistable to try. It's very interesting to see the amount of money these cigarette companies dump into advertising in foreign countries since cigarette advertising is so tightly regulated in the US. Here's some pictures from the Marlboro areas:

This was Marlboro's main area. Pushing a series of buttons would cause a blast of ice to come out from around the shiny globe. Tables in the water give the illusion of sophistication.



The picture we got for free while being shot with an "icy blast" of air. It now hangs on our fridge!

The next set of pictures is Foster the People. An hour before they played, they signed autographs for fans. The autograph area was extremely regulated. They were scheduled to sign autographs for an hour, or for the first 50-75 people, whichever came first. John and I waited in line for 45 minutes only to be told, "Too bad." once they had seen the first 50 people. Fans were not allowed to take photographs during the signing session AT ALL. If you wanted something signed it had to be something you bought at Summer Sonic and it could not be on your body. I watched as security made a girl switch shirts because she wanted Foster the People to sign the shirt she was wearing. They agreed she could have the shirt signed, but it could not be on her body while the signing was happening. Additionally, during the concert they do not allow any type of pictures. Japanese law is very strict when it comes to using people's images. However, like any culture, they will find a way around the rules. If you stand in the middle of the crowd, they can't get to you fast enough to tell you to quit snapping pictures....this is how we got our pictures...:

Their background.

Ben Foster, lead singer.

The end of their performance.



The foam hand we bought for them to sign. It did not get signed.

Lastly, I wanted to share the story of how I got two free towels and a free t-shirt. During the summer, the Japanese people carry these long, thin towels with them everywhere to wick away the sweat. These towels are HUGE sellers and almost every artist had a sweat towel as part of their official merch. Unfortunately, all the towels sold out on the first day and when we went to buy one we were out of luck....or so we thought...Summer Sonic was sponsored in part by Daiichi, a gambling company in Japan. They had an area set up where people could play Pachinko and slots (not for money of course, because gambling for money is "illegal" in Japan).

John and I watched as people walked away with free sweat towels and we badly wanted one.The sign explaining how to get a free towel was all in Japanese, but through the power of common sense, we figured out you had to take a picture of a code and send the code to a specific e-mail address. Then, you had to show the e-mail to the employees and they would give you a towel. I did this and was able to get the e-mail I needed for the towel. The employee handed me my free towel and a ticket.

I didn't understand what the ticket was for exactly, but I watched as Japanese people carried their ticket around the corner and played a large slot machine game. No one won anything, but for trying they were all given a free t-shirt. "Why not?", I thought as I got in line. The grand prize winner could win a trip to Las Vegas.

I didn't win the trip to Las Vegas, but I did get to spin the big slot machine and get a free t-shirt. It was really fun and I'm glad I did it. I was nervous because you had to stand on a platform while everyone watched you press the button.

The slot and pachinko machines.

Yup, that's me on the platform.

Collecting my t-shirt.

John and I wearing our sweat towels appropriately.

The t-shirt and towel.



The area was called "Sonic Vegas"

Alright, I think that covers everything. Summer Sonic was amazing and John and I would definitely return next year. We discussed getting a hotel near the venue and going both days. And yes, the Japanese do enjoy the same music we enjoy in the US, many of them were singing along to every Foster the People song. They knew the songs so well that Ben Foster stopped singing for a moment and the crowd took over to finish the song perfectly. They also had Japanese bands playing and they were amazing. One particular one I enjoyed was called Polysics. Polysics had a female bass player who was extremely talented. It was such a fun day and I can't wait for next year!

Monkey Island

Yesterday, John and I decided to get out of the house and explore a part of Japan we had never seen. We made the decision to go to Monkey Island (also called Sarushima Island). Monkey Island actually has no monkeys, but was given that name because long ago a monk was drowning off it's coast and a silver monkey saw him and pulled him ashore to the island.

Today, the island boasts a popular beach, food house and hiking. To get the the island, you take a ferry from the Yokosuka waterfront. The ride is about 10 minutes long and costs about $31 for two adult round trip tickets (1200 yen each).

Once there, you can decide to hang out on the beach or go exploring (or both). The beach is popular amongst the locals. You can rent chairs, tarps, barbeque grills and floats once you are on the island. I didn't inquire about the price, but I can guarantee it's probably more than $40 to rent all items for the day. The island itself covers about 12 acres. The walking paths are paved, but it is hilly and there are several times you may have to climb stairs.

The island was used as a fort pre-World War II. There are lots of 19th century structures that remain on the island. The walking paths all connect so it's very hard to get lost or turned around if you stick to the trails. There are also signs (not in English) that show the layout of the island, so it makes getting around easy. Before you start hiking, you can grab a walking stick to help you around, just remember to return it as you leave!

Here's some pictures of our day out:

The small ferry that takes you to the island.

You can see the island in the distance.

The ferry dock is right next to a Japanese naval museum.

John and I stood on the top deck. The island is in the background.

John relaxing on the way to the island.

The small beach on the island. The beach gets pretty crowded during the summer.

The welcome sign.

The start of the walking trails.

It was very green.

The gun storage area/building on the right.

Walking around the island.

The walkways were so pretty!

Some winding stairs.

Down at the tide pools.

Adventure!

Some of the tide pools.

The trails were connected via old tunnels.

Lots of walls built during the fort times.

Even though the buildings were boarded up, we caught some adventerous Japanese going in and out of the broken boarded area. I wouldn't go in because there's probably spiders in there....

One of the biggest tunnels.

It was so pretty.

This isn't an earthquake warning as much as it is a tsunami warning.

We had shaved ice to end the day. Delicious!

On the way back to Yokosuka.

This was an old lookout building. The whole thing was chained and roped off. There were a lot of spiders and spider webs inside the building.