Schrager's Visit Okinawa

Well we must have been "pictured out" after Tokyo. By the time Jeff and Carol got here, we took very few pictures and didn't take ONE picture of the four of us. But, we enjoyed their stay all the same. Unfortunately I didn't keep up with the Japanese holidays and offered to take them to an antique store north on the island, but the traffic was horrible because it was the start of the 3 day Obon celebration. Due to an unexpected call from my boss in regards to a random drug test- we cut the day short and never made it to do antique shopping. Just as well-- since I learned Sacchi's was closed for Obon anyway.

Our first stop on Saturday was the Japanese Underground Naval headquarters. It's where the Japanese hid and coordinated their attacks before the battle of Okinawa. It was pretty impressive to see the tunnels that were dug- but unbelievable so many people were living down there. Later, we spent a HOT afternoon at the Peace Prayer Park, dedicated to all those who died in WWII Battle of Okinawa. Next- the Ryuku Glass factory/shop and I finally invested in some nice glass pieces (thanks Jeff). Finally we had a late lunch at an "off the beaten path" restaurant nicknamed by us American's as "Thai in the Sky".

We got to share all our favorite restaraunts and a nice little coffee place, the Hearth Cafe that serves great coffee, salads, and deserts. I'll have to order the "Double Cream Hearth Toast" the next time I'm there after I took a taste of Carols and it was so good!

Jason is in Tokyo now. He's with a tour group to climb Mt Fuji, but they have a few days in Tokyo first. He had one of the doctors he works with (who is Japanese) buy tickets to a minor league baseball game, but after a couple of innings the game was rained out. He's climbing Mt Fuji on Sunday. He has the camera, so I'll be sure to post some pictures from the top once he gets back. The pictures posted below are the view from Thai in the Sky, the Japanese Naval Underground headquarters and the memorial wall at the Peace Prayer park and Jason and I in front of one of the monuments.

Weekend in Tokyo

We had a great weekend with Jeff and Carol in Tokyo. A weekend just wasn't enough and I hope to get a chance to go back and see more. Our first evening there, we settled into our hotel and found a little Kirin beer pub to have a late dinner.

The next morning we were up bright and early for our half day city tour. The first stop was Meiji shrine. Next, we stopped at the Imperial Palace. Unlike the White House in DC, the Imperial Palace can't be toured or even seen by the public. We were able to tour the palace's east garden. After the palace visit, we went to the oldest Buddhist temples in Tokyo. They had street vendors set up selling everything from food to souvenirs. As you can tell from the pictures, the shops were packed. I bought a hand-made sucker which was a strawberry on a stick wrapped in syrup and then cooled on ice. It was a bit of a mess to eat, but yummy!

After a quick nap we were off to Casita restaurant in the "fashion district" of Tokyo. Jason found the place in a book and boy was it upscale and trendy! It just so happened, that one of Jason's Japanese interns, Hiro was staying in Tokyo this weekend interviewing for a position in a practice. Hiro was able to help us out by not only finding the restaurant but also communicating with the servers. Appetizers, dinner and finishing with dessert on the terrace.... it was perfect!! (Nice work baby!)

Our final day, Sunday, we enjoyed views of the city from Tokyo tower. Standing taller than the Eiffel Tower in Paris, the Tokyo tower is 333 meters tall. (Not as tall as the Empire State Building in NYC, though). Even though the day was a bit overcast, the views were spectacular!

Jason leaves to climb Mt Fuji in 2 weeks, but first we get to entertain Jason's dad and his wife here in Okinawa for a few days before their Japan trip comes to a close. I'm excited to share with them everything we love about this island.

My First Watercolor Painting!

After my first lesson from Mr Yoshi today, I produced my first work of art!! Sure, it looks like a painting you might see in a Best Western in Panama City Beach, but I'm proud of it!!

Singapore

Jason and I experienced beautiful Singapore! While our trip was cut a day short due to a last minute flight cancellation, we made the most of it! We packed in all the sightseeing and enjoying all Singapore has to offer in 2 days instead of 3. Like Hong Kong, Singapore was under British rule for many years, so Singapore's national language is English. It has a diverse culture and ,multiple dialects of languages from Malaysia, China and India. We stayed at the Rasa Sentosa Resort on Sentosa island 2 nights and then transfered to the Carlton Hotel in the city 1 night.

Friday, July 4th- We arrived late in the evening. We flew from Okinawa to Taipei and then on to Singapore- which was about a 4 hour flight. Considering our layover in Taiwan, it was a full day of travel.

Saturday July 5th- We woke up early because we knew there was a lot we wanted to see. After breakfast at the resort, we took the metro into the city to make our way to the zoo. The MRT system was really easy to follow. It helps when everything is in English! It is so interesting to see all the brands from the US and how American culture influences the entire world. From KFC to Ben and Jerry's, 7/11's and Long John Silvers! After making our way into the city, we made our first stop at the Singapore Zoo. It is huge and rated one of the top tourist destinations in Singapore. For a mere 5 Singapore dollars, I had my picture taken with a group of Orangutans. After the zoo, we went to a Thai restaurant recommended to us by our cab driver. That afternoon, Jason went off to a World War II sight (Fort Silosa) while I pampered myself for 2 hours at our resort Spa!! It was heaven! Later that evening we went to Clark Quay and had dinner on the water.

Sunday July 6- Woke up early again!! We headed back into the city for a half day city tour. We walked down to see up close the most recognized landmark in Singapore- the Merlion. It's a half lion and half mermaid statue in the downtown city park. It usually shoots water out of it's mouth, but it appeared to be under repair. We visited Chinatown and the "Little India" sections of the city. I bargained with an Indian shopkeeper and bought a hand carved wooden Merlion statue. It was marked $38 and I managed to bargain down to $22. Jason was pretty impressed with my strategy! Jason and I transferred to our city hotel. I sat on the patio by the pool and read a book, while Jason went by foot on the city... except for the brief bicycle ride he accepted from a local who offered to take him around. Later we met up again and went to a night safari tour. The tram passed through the zoo at night while the animals were asleep. It was really cool! Some of the animals were close to the tram, but I never felt in danger. After the safari, we went to the Raffles hotel for drinks. The first Singapore Sling was invented there, so we had to try it! A little pricey, but well worth the experience!

Of course there is so much more I could write about!! While we could have used an extra day there, we definately made the most of our limited time. We were already planning future trips in the airport on the way home. Thailand, China and Austrailia are all on the list. We are spending a weekend in Tokyo next month. I'll be sure to post photos of that trip too!

Jason in Thailand

For those of you who missed it, or would like to see it again, here is the link to the brief AFN news cast that featured Jason when he was training in Thailand(May 2008) .

http://www1.apan-info.net/cobragold/Videos/VideoPlayer/tabid/2814/VideoId/144/Default.aspx

Mom and Dad come to Okinawa

We really enjoyed having my parents visit Okinawa. We had a great time showing them the places and culture we have grown to love on this side of the world. The highlight of the trip was a visit to my friend Aiko's house. Her mom prepared a traditional Okinawan meal and she is a great cook! Other places we showed them... the Southeast Botanical Gardens, the Churaumi Aquarium/Ocean Expo Park, Shuri Castle, Kokusai street, "Pizza in the Sky", Okinawa World (known by the locals as Gyokusendo Cave). We enjoyed Eisa dancers and a presentation about the Habu- which is the most poisonous snake here in Okinawa. Mom actually touched a yellow python from Thailand!!! For those of you who don't know, my mom is terribly afraid of snakes. Just goes to show anything can happen once you step out of your comfort zone! We leave for Singapore on Thursday, and I'll be sure to post some pictures from that trip once we return. In the meantime, we are working hard to stay cool here! The summer heat and humidity is as hot as I remembered it to be when we got here last August!