My Announcement this Morning in Devotions was "I've Given Up!"

Catchy title, but not very profound. I'll explain in a moment.

I went for a bike ride this morning up to Zakimi Castle. I abandon my bike when the road got too rough and walked around the grounds. I explored areas I'd never seen before. It was beautiful!

Upon returning back to my apartment to get ready for school, I had a realization. I have just spent the past 3 years trying to train myself to remember to put on make-up, however, after only being here a little over a week I'm back out of that habit. My mascara runs due to the sweat and humidity (and I do wear waterproof), my skin is always glistening and I always wear sunscreen. My lip gloss ran out...so, I'm back to where I was before. Even worse, I worked hard on my hair this morning thinking that for the first morning it might have some potential. I straightened as much of it out as I could. By the time I walked over to school, I looked like I hadn't even combed my hair this morning! I also give up on doing my hair - - thus the announcement made in chapel. Someone commented on something along those lines, and I just said, "I have given up!" They all just smiled and said, "This is Okinawa!"

The picture here, is what has happened throughout the day. I'm attaching this photo not because I think it is good - to demonstrate the pointless battle I had with my "straight" hair this morning. I am clothed - - that is a shirt - not something else that I am wearing.

A brief note to catch you up

I have done a poor job of posting since Saturday, so your update will be brief. I have MANY pictures of these days however. Perhaps I'll add them as time (and energy) allows.

Sunday was still a rather rainy day with the lingering effects of the typhoon. I went to church down at Central Baptist again with Max and Aidy. After church, Randy and Kathy picked me up and we went south to a part of the island I had never been.

We shopped at a big mall area and then found a small farmer's market/fish market out near a port of some sort. It was very interesting and a good test of my ability to read katakana and remember Japanese words. I didn't do so great, but Randy and Kathy believed what I said anyway. They are great sports like that.

For dinner that evening we went to a Jusco near the airport and just bought bento items to share. We had quite the spread. I broke down and had to buy a bag of Japanese Cheetoes! Yummy!! I also enjoyed some great edamame and another package of the black sesame dango, my new favorite treat!

After dinner, we picked Kathy's sister, Geni, up from the airport and I made it home by about 10 PM.

Yesterday, we another grey school day. As a matter of fact, it was a smooth - running day. No big adventures at all. We took the students to a bowling alley in Mihama for the afternoon. Believe it or not (with the cheating help of the bumper rails) I got the third highest score of anyone there! That's a record, but it shouldn't count. Sadder still is the fact that I didn't even do all that well: 86 one game and 132 the next.

After school, I went for a walk along highway 12. I walked all the way out to 58 and then back to school along 6. I stopped in most Family Mart's and learned that they now see some basic "Muji" items. I also saw a sign that said "Charlie Henderson" - - something in katagana. I kind of think it might of said school - or study - or something. I regret not taking a picture of that so someone could tell me what it says, for sure. I guess I should just facebook Charlie to ask him!

Pancakes and Kokusai Street

The "typhoon" - or tropical storm - was at its worst early in the morning hours. Between 8 - 10 we had some moments of hard rain and strong winds. The soccer field has pools of water in it, but that didn't stop me from getting out.

Yoko - San took me to the pancake house just down the hill from the school.

I ordered Fu-Kuruma French Toast - I had no idea what Kuruma Fu was. Yoko had to teach me.

This is the Kuruma Fu in the store. Yoko says it is used to make champuru and cooked in stir - fry dishes often.

Sake jars with the habu snakes inside.

Gail and Joel Anderson invited me to hijack their anniversary outing. Instead of going North, they decided to go South to Naha/Kokusai Street. I'm pretty sure they did that for me. Very kind of them. We had lunch at a Japanese Vietnamese Restaurant on Heiwa Dori

- a traditional stand with all the Okinawan treats

Part of the meat market. This is honestly a pig's head for sale. Someone just put the sun glasses on him. There was another tray with all sorts of pig parts on it. Meat just sitting out in the open - of all kinds. Gail was not very fond of the smell in this room.

A colorful fish display.

Puffer Fish (I think called Fugu). They are examples of what Max found for me. The one with the pretty pink hat on is like the one we saw on Wednesday. Like a squishy pillow.

The dried fish. You shave off what you want or need.

Spam! What Okinawan display is complete without it?

The Okinawan "Beni - Imo Tarte" is apparently turning 50 this year. The signs are everywhere. This is the BIG THING here, so I needed to have my picture taken as one. 8 )

The end of week one - a typhoon - and some sushi

The week has ended and I can safely say, I am exhausted. I sat down at 5:00 this afternoon and found myself nodding off by 5:05. I decided I'd better not sit down quite yet then.

The week has gone pretty well. I have enjoyed getting to know my seven (yes, I got one more student) third graders. They are a great group of kids, but they sure have a hard time remembering to speak English.

Administrating I have found to be much more of a challenge. I'm not sure I am cut out for that job, but I will give it my all while the task is mine. I have had some discipline issues - some I have dealt with efficiently, others I'm still praying about how to solve. God is bigger than the issues I know and my faith is growing.

I got word yesterday afternoon that a typhoon was on it's way to/near the area this weekend. The whole summer school program (minus Kindergarten classes) was supposed to go to the beach today. It is very hard to go to a beach in the midst of a typhoon or pre-typhoon storm. So, yesterday afternoon was spent creating back-up plans for all of the kids.

Today, I learned:

#1 - Typhoon is probably going to share it's effects more tomorrow (Saturday), but we have been getting some strong winds today.

#2 - The beach would be open, however, if they took down the nets (to keep out the jelly fish) the Okinawan people are very worried about the jelly fish. I find that odd because people snorkel and swim outside the barrier all the time - - Max and I did yesterday even. Oh well... I was told if we went I had to bring vinegar along.

#3 - Showers are a frustration at a beach and getting 70 people changed and clean enough to ride a bus in an hour's worth of time is hardly possible. This is made even more frustrating when I am given the wrong departure time and we wound up only having 30 minutes to swim!!!!!!!! Who knew the bus drivers had to be back 45 minutes prior to the end of the day all because they "needed a break" and I hadn't even found time to use the bathroom. Can I just say . . . I am quickly remembering all about OCSI life?

However, the week has ended with no major injuries or incidents. That is a success. God held off the bad weather and we DID go to the beach.

Wednesday, my friends - Randy and Kathy - and I went to the old Royal Restaurant for dinner. It doesn't look the same at all!!!

The new exterior and fancy hotel at the Royal

"Chicken Hot Source"

The new improved menu.

This tomb is right outside the gate to the school. There are many old tombs throughout the streets, housing developments, and even downtown areas here on Okinawa. This one is a classic shape. The Okinawans honor (and worship) the deceased. This tomb is horseshoe shaped because it is intended to resemble a woman's birth canal. As a person enters the world, so they return to it in death.

Shisa dogs - these dogs are placed at the entrances to many buildings and homes. The Okinawan people belive they are good luck. One has an open mouth to let in good spirits - or let out the bad ones. The other dog has a closed mouth to keep out the bad spirits and keep the good ones in.

Soda machines are EVERYWHERE! I have even seen one in the middle of a sugar cane field.

A Shisa Dog

This is the apartment building where the "Elephant Cage" used to stand.

Another view of that apartment building.

At the end of the day, Judi Rush (a current missionary teacher here) suggested we go celebrate the end of the week with some sushi. My plan was to order something "new" but fully cooked. I decided to order the #1 best-seller plate - Rainbow Sushi (shrimp, a white fish, salmon, tuna,crab, and avacado). IT WAS SASHIMI - raw! I decided I should experience it and enjoy it.

It was good! I got home thinking I might still be hungry, so I decided to bake one of my beni imo (purple sweet potato). There is a new farmer's market down the hill across the street from Max Value. I baked it, but I'll have to eat it (and take pictures of it) later.

One last little update. Yesterday, after school, Max took me out snorkeling. We caught (I should say Max caught) a rubbery - HUGE - puffer fish. I squished it some and then we released it and let it swim away. We caught - and killed - his dinner for another night, Octopus. This Octopus put up a bigger fight than the other ones I've watched him take. I woke up with some ink on my leg still this morning - never mind the fact that I was too tired to shower last night.

We also saw brightly colored corals, angel fish, many other brightly colored fish, a crown of thorns, and more! Max encouraged me NOT to take my camera or bag down to the beach, so I just got these photos from where we parked.

The road we bounced in on.

After snorkeling, Max, Aidy, and Hazel had me over to their home for a wonderful dinner. What a nice evening!

day 2 - a little slower so I have pictures.

The day starts with faculty devotions in the library.

The kids start their school day with chapel in two adjoining classrooms. We have several unexpected issues causing some shuffling at the school: 1. Typhoon knocked out AC in classrooms, so the rooms have been shuffled and moved around. #2 A sewer pipe is leaking/broken, so the kids cannot use the bathrooms ont he elementary side of the school. #3. The school is building a kitchen in the cafeteria (instead of using a trailor outside to cook in), so our cafeteria is out of commission - meaning no lunch in there, no chapel in there, and no usage of it for afternoon sessions. #4. Thanks to the construction in the cafeteria, the jack-hammers made it very hard for about 5 of our classes today. The teachers had to yell to be heard by students. It was not a very good educational situation.

My class. I was originally told I would have around 20 students. Then, it dropped to about 12, and now . . . I have 6! I have, by far, the smallest summer school class.

The First Day of School - "Double Dip Day"

The first day of school went pretty well! I have 6 wonderful third graders in my class, well, I had 7 on my list but it seems we had 3 students show up in the wrong classrooms yesterday. Mine was one of them, however, she actually went to the right class and was registered for the wrong one. The chaos of trying to figure out the errors in the afternoon was a little stressful, but hopefully just a one day error. In addition we had one little boy not get on the bus, so his mom had to come pick him up. Just confused messages. In spite of that, the day went pretty well!

To celebrate, a group of us went out to eat to celebrate. I stopped in my house quickly to change clothes before leaving and found this lovely little pet on my bathroom wall. The most disturbing part of that is the fact that I forgot to kill/catch it, so I know it is still somewhere in my house. Hmmmmm...

These are a few of the missionary staff that went out to celebrate.

Noriko has a VERY COOL little truck - - however, this is a standard Japanese "pick-up" truck.

At CoCo Curry!

My spinach curry. My goal was to try new things, so this was new. I got a level 2 and can safely say that I don't feel the need to try a level 3. 8 )

Chicken Cutlet Curry is what I usually get, but I enjoyed what I did get instead.

Not sure what the message on the boy's bathroom door is all about. I found it amusing.

Which button would you push? (Answer, to flush . . .none of the above. You use the handle on the right side).

My Double - Dip (for the price of one scoop) of "Blue Seal" ice cream. I got Ube (purple sweet potato) and Okinawa Sugar Cane. Yummy!!!