Ojima Beach BBQ

By the time the Koyo Festival was over, us ALTs were ready to relax on the beach with some grilled meat. Luckily, Kazuno and I were prepared.

(Especially Kazuno. Thank you for all the planning!!)

 We drove down to the beach on Ojima (O Island) and started the grills while the sun was still burning down on us. We were too hungry to wait! 

 Luckily, last weekend my friend Neave made some vegetable skewers soaked in Italian dressing, and I was able to do do it again this weekend. So delicious. 

 The sunset from the beach was lovely. 

 and the company was great! 

 Kazuno also brought some things along to burn in a bonfire, and we were able to gather some wood from a tree that had fallen during the typhoon. 

 It was warm and relaxing. I am looking forward to many more bonfires throughout the summer.

It was a fantastic time and a really wonderful way to start our post-weekend time off (Koyo didn't have school Monday or Tuesday in exchange for working Saturday and Sunday). 

Thanks again, Kazuno! You are a BBQ expert. :D 

BBQ Season

BBQ Season
Originally uploaded by ReBekha Michele

If the last two weekends are any indication, this is going to be an incredible summer.

I don't even mind working and teaching all summer as long as I can run to the beach afterwards to light things on fire, grill some jalapeño burgers, and throw myself into the ocean.




Nope. Don't mind at all.

In Songda's Wake

Here are some photos (click to view them larger) and stories from the day after Super Typhoon Songda. It was certainly the strongest natural force I had ever personally encountered. Hopefully the worst I ever will. 

The storm was so loud on Saturday night that it was impossible for me to fall asleep in my room next to the rattling glass windows. To solve that problem, I took the futon and slept on the kitchen floor. It was still unbelievable loud in there, but not as terrifying. It was kind of like camping. 

The next morning, I woke up to partially blue skies and birds singing happily.  

See the bird?

At that point, I'd been stuck in my apartment for about a million years, so I had to get out. Since I still didn't have a car, I decided a bike ride would suit me just fine. 

I set out and immediately started to note the damage the typhoon had caused.  

My how the mighty have fallen. 

Repairmen were out first thing in the morning to work on this roof. 

It was no match for those extreme winds. 

 About halfway through the ride, Wang joined me on her bike. 

My biking companion and coworker, Miss Wang. :)

Wang's door had only a small crack before the storm. 

My favorite walking/biking path was completely inaccessible. 

Trees weren't the only casualties, either.  I saw more dead birds than I care to count, but I won't post pictures of that here. Heh. 

I wonder why the power is out... 

 After taking a slight detour around all the blocked roads and paths, we finally arrived at Mibaru Beach. 

It looks nice without any boats in the water, huh?

 The whole area had lost power so it was nearly impossible to find something to drink. Of course the vending machines don't work when the power's out! But we got to watch the beach stuff put some of the boats back in the sea, and we eventually found a grocery store which would sell us luke-warm cola. Ahhh... refreshing. 

 At the end of the bike ride, Wang cooked me some delicious yakisoba (fried noodles). I still didn't have power at my apartment. So I was happy to accept her generosity. ;)  

 My power was eventually restored but I was out enjoying the post-typhoon weather (more about that later), so I didn't notice until after 10 p.m. I was actually pretty lucky to get power the next day! The students in the dorms had no power AND no water for two days! My poor, stinky students. 

Easter 2011

This Easter may have snuck up on me (and probably passed by unnoticed) if it hadn't been for the two wonderful care packages I received. Thank you, Mom and Kim! 

My mom sent a box full of these delicious homemade chocolates:

 I have been sharing them with a lot of people, and I still have plenty left for myself. :) 

My friend, Kim, sent me a GREAT care package

 filled with Easter goodies including:

some plastic eggs, 

these adorable hamster stickers...

 and tie-dye/glitter egg coloring sets!! 

 I shared all of these fun things with the little kids in my life: the children from 

Ishimine Baptist Church, and the girls in my little adopted Okinawan family. :) 

 They had a blast! 

Cute, huh? 

I completed the Easter weekend with a trip back to my first church in Okinawa: Central Baptist. It was nice to be in an English-speaking service and to see all the wonderful people I'd been missing there. It was also great to join in on the potluck afterwards and feast myself on some traditional Easter food! 

I'm glad I found a little slice of Easter all the way over in Asia.

 And even though it isn't really a holiday here, the fish wind socks hanging up for Children's Day seemed festive on Easter, as well. :) 

How Happy was Halloween? THIS Happy.

I know some people balk at the idea of celebrating Halloween because of its roots in paganism, its dark and twisty side, or its consumerist emphasis, but I just can't help but love it. Modern Halloween doesn't have anything to do with pagan beliefs, and who doesn't like to be spooked by a ghost story now and then? Also, let's be honest, what holiday ISN'T commercialized by now?

 If you get past those complaints, how can you not love October 31st? A holiday that let's you pour out your creative energy, make (and eat) delicious treats, host and attend parties, and wear numerous costumes? Yes, please! 

Here are a few of the many, many, many things that made Halloween 2010 especially happy for me: 

 

From the top left corner:
1- Playing Dress Up: Angel 
     A simple, quick, and cool (read: not hot) costume for my 2nd year classes
2- Pumpkin Pancakes
     Oh. Yes. Yes. Yes.
3- Harry Potter Lesson
    An incredibly involved, super fun class. x10.
4- Carving Pumpkins
    with some special first year students and two amazing CouchSurfers. :)
5- Halloween Party
    at one of my churches. Super fun. :D
6- Pumpkin 1 
    which was carved at my...
7- Carving Pumpkin Party.
     Max looks good in a maid's apron, huh? We also carved...
8- Pumpkin 2
    The lovely Shisa O'Lantern.
9- Playing Dress Up: McGonagall
    For that Harry Potter lesson mentioned above.
10- Snickerdoodles 
    Baked and photographed by the excellent Angelo. Savored and devoured by me.
11- Costume Fashion Show
    Fun with 2nd year students.
12- My Angel 
    Crafts with my adopted Japanese family, including their youngest sweetheart. <3
13- Playing Dress Up: Poison Ivy
    I really, really love wearing costumes. :)

Published!

Well, kind of. :)

I've been writing cafe reviews for a local website, Okinawa Hai, and the first one was published to the site on Monday! To go directly to the review you can click HERE.

This review is for a local restaurant called Vegetarica. The first review was supposed to be for my very favorite cafe, KUGAFU, but there was a mix up with the photos so that review won't come out until next month. I was so sad when I found out... but I will survive. :) I still have my photos and words out there in the wide, wide web! It's a start, right? :D

Hanashiro Shisa Parade 2010

  Today is a typhoon day. I have mixed feelings about that fact. On the one hand, they cancelled the second day of our English camp which I put so much work into. On the other hand, I got the whole day off. :) I've been waiting since 9 a.m. for a good storm to entertain me, but the wind has barely even rattled the doors all day. Ah well. I probably shouldn't be wishing for trouble anyways. ;)

Well, since I have a lot of extra time today, I want to tell you about one of my highlights of each year in Okinawa. 

Each year during the Obon holiday, my little neighborhood, Hanashiro, holds many festivals to welcome the spirits of their ancestors home for a few days and then see them off again when the holiday is over. 

My favorite event of the week takes place the day after the ghosts have returned to the sea: The Shisa Parade. 

During the parade, this blood-thirsty beast (part lion, part dog) marches menacingly through the streets. He is hungry for one thing, and only one thing: the heads of small children. 

Parents, usually so protecting of their young children, don't hide them from this blood-thirsty monster. 

Instead, they carry them out into plain sight. 

They gather the little ones together and offer their offspring to the lion... like tiny little sacrifices. 

And when the Shisa selects his prey,

he attacks,

and devours the baby in one gulp. 

.....

...

.....

Okay, okay don't worry. 

The Shisa only nibbles on their head a little. 

The children are left alive and only minimally scared.

This process makes the parents happy, because being munched on a little is good luck for a long, healthy life. 

The parade continues all throughout Hanashiro, with music and dancing, baby chewing and crying, and general merry-making. 

We pause only for prayer,

to rest, 

and to fight.

Finally, we wind our way back to the town center to celebrate a successful Shisa parade 

with music and dancing

for everyone. :)