new adventures

Here are some recent photos from the Torii Beach Wine Festival.

Kimono girl

Jazz all day long

Jazz all night long

hanging out on the grass

serious fireworks

John is back, yay!  Before he came back I got a chance to go rock climbing with some friends.  It was at an indoor "gym" here, and really fun.  I wasn't sure if I would be able to even make the first couple of steps, but it's surprisingly easy when you use your legs instead of hands to force your weight up.  The wall that I was able to climb was about 30 feet high, and straight up.  Most of the walls actually slant backwards, so you are not only gripping on the tiny rocks to keep from falling down, but to keep from falling backwards.  I made it about 75% up one of those more advanced walls before I fell backwards, but you have a friend attached to a rope that keeps you from falling to your death.  It was so fun that I actually found myself the following day kind of itching to climb a wall. We're going again next week and I', sure John will love it. 

Then, saturday, Lauren and I went snorkeling off the Kadena steps.  It was the best snorkeling spot I've seen so far - the fish were really diverse.  I saw a black and white striped water snake, which was apparently poisonous, although the sly little sucker swore he wasn't harmful when he was cozying up near me.  Then I saw a fish that was square around it's girth.  It was black with neon tiny spots of pink and yellow all around it.  It looked like a tacky-Pier-1-Imports-table-art-tchochky version of a fish.  I can't imagine how these fish evolve to be neon pink, blue, yellow, and square???  

Lauren swam up to me, and said, "are you getting stung?" and I was like "no, what are you talking ab.....ah? ouch! ouch! ouch! what is that?????" And I was getting stung all over my legs.  I couldn't even see what was stinging me, there was nothing there, but I hi-tailed it out of the ocean lickety split.  I had puffy irritated spots all over me.  Microscopic jelly fish?  Toxic nuclear waste from the Chinese subs??  I'm hoping it's the former, as I'd like to snorkel again soon.  Ironically, I had been mocking our friend Dave for wearing a full body wetsuit.  Needless to say, he did not get stung.

Camilla & Lee

Thought I'd share some pics of Camilla and Uncle Lee

The Haps

Just got home from my Japanese final.  Such a great feeling.   I remember when I got on the bus on the way home from my last final at UCSD - art history.  It was 5 years late, but like grapes left on the vine too long, it was only that much sweeter.  I rode the shuttle around the campus an extra loop, looking for ghosts who lurked amongst the eucalyptus trees....  DDcones, TylerCones and all the 80's guys, Andris and Ani and all the people who had been a part of that campus for me.  They had flown the coop back in 2000, and here I was, riding the loop in June 2005, extra unused bluebook in hand. It was my best accomplishment yet.  I did it alone - my only friend all year was my roommate Lu. 

So now, I'm starting my masters...here in Japan!  What unbelievable circumstances have brought me to this point?  Marriage? I thought that would never happen.  Living in Japan?  In my wildest dreams!  And yet...here I am.  Okinawa ni sunde imasu!

Had my first "driving-on-the-wrong-side-of-the-road" experience today. It was bound to happen. At least it was on base - I don't think the japanese police would have gone easy on me for that one.  People were looking at me funny, yes, but I thought they were just thinking, "wow, she must really like that song cause she's got no shame in singing it out loud."  Really they were wondering how drunk I was.  Anyway, situation resolved itself once I got to a stop light.

John is in Ohio on a TDY, and as much as I say that, I don't know what it stands for.  I'm thinking... Temporary Duty.....Y-something.  Acronyms have become a part of life here.  I can also identify the type of plane flying over head BY IT'S SOUND.  Yes it's true.  The F-15s are flying quite frequently these days.  Lets just hope they don't go the way of the B-52s and start falling out of the sky.  

Speaking of DDcones, I am beside myself with the time that has flown....her babies are no longer babies.  Here are some photos she was kind enough to share.

Oh man, Keira is going to cause her daddy to lose sleep - what a beauty.  I have not met Jaxon yet, but I feel like I have because he looks just like Marc.

Colbert Nation is on, must run.  Sweet dreams....

SHISAS!

In case you're wondering what those crazy looking dogs are in my header, those are our new shisa dogs.  Every house in Okinawa has them... We went shopping on Kokasai Street (big shopping district) to buy Clay some Shisa dogs before he moved off the island. I saw these and there was something about the bright colors and just the lunacy of these guys that made me think they'd fit in well at our house. And they do.

Natalia, my vigilant intellectual property watchdog back in the states emailed me from this photo she took in a store in Venice Beach - selling my trees!!!  Thankfully, these appear to be the designs that our partner company has produced for us, so rather than getting worked up, I am pleased to see they are out there on the market. Funny that the tree was the first thing I ever did in metal, on the first day of class.

Our new designs are looking spectacular, and I'll be sure to post as they come.  John's heading back to the states tomorrow for two weeks, and I'm jealous...i am itching to come home, but I think it would be best if I waited till Thanksgiving. 

There is a persistent rumor that our lovely ex-neighbor Vic is going to spend her precious vacation time and come to visit us this summer.  I've also been told that Andre might come and stay with us for a bit?  I'm thrilled at the prospect of both, and I'll tell you what - first one to reach the shores of Okinawa gets the fresh sheets!

Speaking of the shores of Okinawa, we were told that when the US troops came ashore during the Battle of Okinawa, they came up in a stretch of beach exactly where I live.  My grandfather was in that battle.  It is astonishing for me to think about. 

Critters

We were driving to Japanese class last night at dusk, and a huge black bird was flying along side the car.  No. Wait.  That's a....oh my god, that's a BAT.  Bats instead of birds.  They are everywhere.  This one was like a Gunner bat, nice and round around the belly, no doubt from sucking children's blood.  They hang out in the trees, come out at night. 

In other trees, the cicadas loom large.  These are knarly bugs, although I haven't actually witnessed one up close.  By the sound coming from certain trees, you'd think there were thousands and we are being visited by a plague.  Here's a video of the sound.

John has a 4 day weekend for the fourth.  We're off to the Tori Wine fest and AMERIKA fest. Photos to follow.  Happy fourth of July!!!

Nihongo

Today we spent a good many hours studying for our Nihongo (Japanese) midterm on Monday. A couple weeks ago, I made the mistake of articulating out loud that I was really getting the hang of the language, and that it was starting to click.  Then something tragically unclicked, as I seemed to have reached saturation point.  I had to beg Miyagi Sensai to please stop repeatedly calling on me as I had no idea how to answer her socratic badgering, and the jeers from my 19 year old class mates did not help.

Mostly we are learning the types of things you would need to use in every day conversation... "John walked from home to work yesterday"  =  "Johnsan wa kinoo uchi kara kaisha made arukimashita."  But occasionally, there's the odd phrasing that has somehow slipped on to my vocab list... "Omikoshi o katsugite, kudasai"  which translates to "Will you please carry my portable shine?"  This makes me recall the portable training potty I used to use as a two year old, but I don't think this is what it means. Now you can understand why I'm at mental capacity.

After one too many flash cards this evening, we decided to take a stroll around the block... the seawall is lovely this time of night. And the locals are quite handsome....

You'd think we were in Mexico.....
Little buddy must have gotten baked in the sun.

John's mom and Maurice gave me a sewing machine for Christmas two years ago, and unfortunately, I hadn't gotten to use it much until recently. I'm teaching myself to sew which means no patterns and a lot of improv. I made some pretty curtains and two dresses so far. Project Runway here I come. You think I'm joking.

Our friend Clayton, the one who went to Korea with us, left on Wednesday (for good!)   I drove him and Homer, his dog, to the airport. It's sad, since he was one of our better friends here.  I guess this is how it goes in this lifestyle...but in a way, it's really amazing, because there are people that you meet, become great friends with, and then they go, and you always have a friend that lives in ... Qatar, in Clay's case.  Ok so I'll wait till he gets back to the states to visit.  Booster, who has graced the pages of this blog several times (so photogenic) has left us for Saudi Arabia, although he will be back in about 6 mos. 

I'll try to keep up on the blog more these days.  And more photos of Gunner for Captain Ron!

  Dewa Mata! (until Tomorrow!)

Taco Rice, Cosmopolitans and Political Incorrectness in the Jungle

Thank you to everyone who sent birthday wishes!  On Sunday we went to watch some dragonboat races down the block from our house.  It was steaming hot out, and there was a festival going on. They had booths selling tasty sweet-potato flavored icies, and ramen.  Hot ramen.  I don't know about you, but when I think of summer festival in 90 degree heat, the last thing I want is to slurp some ramen.  But then, I'm not Japanese. 

Our motto on this island is, "Why not?"  Why would you put a car dealership on beach front property? Why not?  Why would you sell tacos in the form of sushi rolls, wrapped in seaweed and rice instead of tortillas? Why not? 

After the dragon boat festival, John and I had a little Cocktail party at our house and then about 10 of us dressed up in dresses and heels to go see Sex & the City the movie.  There were cosmopolitans. There were tears shed. Mainly female tears. It was a grand ole time. 

Feeling like crossing into a new decade is cause for reflection, I was looking for bits of wisdom in the subtext of the movie and came to a couple conclusions:

1. Laughter really can cure any ill. 

2. Loyal friends are truly a blessing and not to be taken for granted. 

3. Truly fantastic fashion, although superficial, really does make me happy. 

4. Life is not linear, it is wonderfully spherical. Life is wide open in ways you can't imagine if you just step from the path you thought you should be traveling 

5. 30 is soooo far from old. It's not even in the same area code.

We finished boot camp last week, and I can't believe I did it.  Final results - 1.5 mile run in 14:02 (and that was in asthma-inducing 85 degree humidity) - and I went from 35 push-ups in a minute to 80, brandishing me the PUSH-UP CHAMPION...ROAR!!  Okay, I admit these were girl-pushups (knees, not toes), but I can bust out at least 30 real ones in a minute, and that is better than my before-bootcamp number, which was zero. My victory won me a lovely Nike purse.  I loved my group and trainer, and we really supported each other a lot, which is the only way we made it through 8 straight weeks. I may have an athletic gene after all.

Our friendly neighbor Lauren was recently promoted to 1st Lieutenant, and she threw a fantastic Jungle themed party.  Relishing any opportunity to don some body paint, I did a cheetah/Wilma Flinstone combo.

John, preferring the thinking-man's costume, dressed as a traveling Mormon, tragically wounded with an native's arrow.

There was some debate as to where his costume ranked on the political incorrectness scale, but we determined that it was like the proverbial tree in the forrest - if no Mormon's were at the bar to be offended, it wasn't offensive.

1st Lt. Lauren Calhoun on the left.

We're off to the Tsuboya district of Naha to check out the Okinawan Pottery. Then perhaps some afternoon snorkeling at high tide. Cause why not?