Kokusai dori

Kokusai Street wasn't what I was expecting. I don't want to say I was disappointed, because that's not the correct word, but perhaps let down is a better way to describe. Anyways, here are some pics.

Also spotted

In my nearly 18 weeks of pregnancy, the oddest "symptom" I have had is aversion to smells and gagging. Nearly everything has made me gag-brushing my teeth, drains, smells (great when you work with gassy kiddos) and reading about icky bathroom related subject matter. Thank goodness I am across the hall from the teachers restroom, because if I had to use the students bathroom like I did at Scottsburg Elementary, I'd be utterly miserable.

Something I neglected to read in my Frommer's Japan guide is how Japanese men will just whip it out and urinate wherever they please. Seriously! Back in September when we are at the Motumbo Port Ferry for our trek to Ie-shima, I saw an older man with a Louis Vuitton purse (I call 'em murses) near our vehicle and his friends snickering when Jared and I were obviously heading towards our car. Now I know why-he marked his territory like a dog does!! Men pee everywhere here!!

Today while getting un-lost in Naha, just past Naha Port, I saw this man peeing under a pedestrian walkway above street level. In public, on a street corner, in a nice section with fancy hotels and such. It was gross. This is a photo of him getting his act together after he was all disgusting and stuff and I stopped gagging.

Spotted on the Sunny Sunday

I found another Hoosier today! This gentleman was born in Henryville, Indiana.

He is VERY popular in Okinawa (probably the most popular American).

He even delivers (or de-rivers as the locals say)

Sunday, Sunny Sunday

Internationally recognized sign.

Big ferry at Naha Port. The camo tractor is considered a "good size" back home and you can see the scaled comparison.

You know how I try to type words to replace the lyrics? I'm totally channeling U2, but just so much more cheerfully!!

The sun made an appearance this weekend, the first time 4 weekends!!! I've had cabin fever and begged Mr. Jared to go out on a stroll this weekend if the weather cooperated. He had to work a good chunk of yesterday (hello overtime pay when you are already salaried!!!) so today was our one chance. My sometimes-grumpy boy was quite cheerful (thanks to his new Okinawa hobby) and suggested we stop by the fishing store (source of new found hobby) and head to Naha and Kokusai Street. We had heard about Kokusai street and the vendors and how it was a "must do" and also wanted to scope it out before our first guests arrive in a couple of weeks.

Tree lined streets, felt more Euro than Asian. No streets like this in our 'hood (I'm attempting to get street cred as I am now a city dweller).

As this was my first official time in Naha, and Jared's second in as many days, I was happy to see it LOOKED different than Okinawa City. More metropolitan, worldly, not as run down. There was even a monorail, like Disney World (as per earlier post, this place is way Disney-ized).We call these Okinawan hearses. They are really a plain old car.

A perk

One cool thing about living here:

You get to see fighter planes "play" with each other. They remind me of my dog, Socks, and any dog friend she finds. This is a F-22 "Raptor" as my kiddos call it. They've been here temporarily and are way cool to watch. It's kind of like the Thunder Over Louisville air show, but it's reality here.

I could've gone my entire life without knowing about this community.

You know how things happen for a certain reason in life? I believe that more and more each day. Back when I was skinny, my appendix decided to go kaput right before my birthday. I was way bummed, especially as I had to re-schedule my student teaching interview, thus pushing my student teaching back a semester. Goodness, I miss the days when THAT was a big deal! Anyways, then I found out about this AWESOME opportunity to student teach overseas on a military base. I fell for it hook, line, and sinker. That opportunity exposed me to a community that I never knew existed-the overseas military community.

Jared and I have that ESP thing where we are often thinking the same thing at the same time. Sometimes it's mundane things like "I really want tacos for dinner tonight" (fyi-he's browning the meat as I write this), and sometimes we actually get deep. This weekend we independently were thinking of the communities that form overseas that mimic the communities we know and live in back in the States. It was a Sunday early evening and we were driving home from the grocery store-pretty typical for us. Families were out for a walk, some kids were dressed up from going to evening church services, and Mom's were in the kitchen windows washing dishes. This I am completely familiar with!

It's funny how these communities extend into every aspect of life as we know it-schools still have problems finding quality substitute teachers, insurance (Tricare for those serving, Blue Cross or something else for the rest of us) still "screws us over" in some way. Women still meet to gossip and men meet on the golf course for a round and watch the big game on tv (although a major time delay). We could've gone our entire lives without knowing about this community, and now it is the community to which we belong. I find this stuff fascinating.

Happy Monday, and good luck adjusting back to Daylight Saving Time, my midwesterners!

Boy or Girl?

Let's take a survey (plus I can know who reads this thing!)


We have no clue what we are having.

Do you think Skeletor is a boy or a girl? I think my mom can't wait for us to know because she HATES how we refer to her grandchild.

Thanks in advance!!

They thought we'd never make it

Well, if they did at least they didn't tell us to our faces!

My beloved and I celebrated our second wedding anniverary this past week. What a great party! Thanks Mom and Dad and Vicki and Dale!!! Thank YOU to all of our friends and family! We didn't have extravagant plans, so we headed to the Macaroni Grill on Camp Foster (yeah for American chain restaurants!), which is similar to what we would've done at home. It was lovely.

We decided to skip gifts this year in lieu of trying to put back a little for when Skeletor arrives. Goodness, have we entered THAT phase? You know, there is one when people get married ("We can't join you all for dinner after drinks on account of saving money for the wedding!" a blushing bride BRAGS about to all her singleton friends), but is there one for a couple expecting a baby? Not that we have a lot of social opportunities here (okay, none outside of work), but we are really trying to be prepared for The Kid. Plus, we aren't gift-y people. I'd rather just spend time with my loved one and laugh, that is priceless and what I get the most out of. Sounds disgustingly Hallmark-like, but it's true.

J and I talked about going to Okuma, the military resort on the northern part of the island, over this wknd. It simply was too yucky-overcast weather and chilly winds. We stayed in Takahara, rented Captain Ron (never seen it before-now I love it!) and I attempted to make soup (honestly, the first thing I have ever prepared that I myself would never eat). It was a lovely weekend to top off a very nice week!

It's a bit like Disney around here

There are loudspeakers in the various neighborhoods around Okinawa that go off with random messages throughout the day. We know at 5:30, right when Jeopardy comes on, the announcement with the feminine voice comes on for a good minute or more. Random six a.m. announcements of soft lullaby type music goes off in the morning, and on weekends, and occassionally throughout the week, snippets of "Doe, A Deer" from the Sound of Music play.

Garbage trucks are also equally as melodic. They play Fur Elise on a track whenever they pick up the trash. They also have pretty hibiscus painted on the sides.