Irasshaimase...to Okinawa!

Tropical island, palm trees, fishing boats -- just a few of the immediate words that sum up Okinawa. My sister is stationed in the US Naval Base on the island, so I came out here to spend a month with her. She has a cool little rice rocket for a car, and she lives in an apartment two blocks from the sea wall in Chatan (a short 15 minute or so drive from Okinawa's capital, Naha).

After spending the first couple days getting over my jet lag, I now divvy up my time between walking around the little city, trying out the various sushi and yakitori spots, and attempting to pick up some Japanese. I've learned that basic tasks are alternatively frustrating and amusing - I spent a good hour and half at the store just trying to find 5 ingredients because I can neither read labels nor recognize most of the goods on the shelves! The Okinawans find a way to package everything in neat little sterile packages. Doesn't matter if it's a couple tomatoes, a garlic clove, or a pound of meat -- it all gets covered in plastic. Then decorate all that with Japanese writing, and you'll understand why I can't recognize a thing.

View to the ocean from our porch
I can't be too upset considering this is my daily view, though. I take the dog out and we walk along the beach a couple miles until we reach the convention center and baseball field. The Okinawans love their baseball, by the way. There are always tons of kids playing and a good group of onlookers no matter what day it is.

My partner-in-crime, Scooby dog
Scooby has been my willing exploration companion and everyone loves this little dog. The poor thing does get pretty hot on our walks in this humidity, though, and I always end up carring him on our way home.

Lunch on the beach doesn't get much better than this