Bazaar

I was approached several months ago to take on a position on Yokota's Bazaar Committee. I knew very little about it, and the extent of my knowledge was that it was a biannual event held here on base which hosted many vendors from all over Asia to sell their antiques, jewelry, furniture etc. to the Americans here on base. When I went in the fall it was fun browsing around seeing the Japanese pearls, art, amazing samurai swords (to the tune of 13000$), antiques, kimonos...you name it. I knew such an event was a major undertaking, and well, now that I have been closely involved in the planning of one, gives me a whole new level of appreciation for such events. I have been going to weekly meetings for months, and together with my good friend, Heather, we were in charge of the facility where it was hosted. Permits, electrical, internet, anything building related came to us. Unfortunately, that also meant we held the keys, so we were the first ones there, and last ones out... It was fun and stressful...but I worked with some great ladies...

The bazaar is held in one of Yokota's hangers.  When we arrived for set-up Thursday morning this greeted us.  It was not there the day before on my last walk through, and set us back a little bit...

Leaving...

Setting up

Unloading

Over 60 vendors later...

This booth, beauty from brokenness, is a group of Japanese women who lived in the area of the 2011 Japanese tsunami.  With little work afterwords they started making jewelry from the pieces of broken pottery and china left in its wake.  It was a very popular booth.

I am exhausted, but it was a great learning experience...!

So that's been my life recently...