Not for Herbivores

One of the most fun things about our time so far on Okinawa is trying new restaurants. Not only do we have to decipher the menu (occasionally with the help of English and often only with pictures and numbered entrees), but sometimes we have to figure out how to eat the food when it gets to the table. Since I am an avid people watcher, I have a pretty good system of watching the tables around us to figure out how to utlitize the numerous plates and condiment containers. Of course, chopsticks are the utensil de rigueur, and since my arrival, I've become pretty good at wielding them properly (though not yet a master by far :) ). Also important to Japanese dining are the cool, damp towel and table buzzer: the towel is for wiping your hands before the meal (perfect for stickiness from the humidity) and the buzzer summons the waitstaff when you are ready to order or need something during the meal.

The other night, we decided to try the all-you-can-eat Korean barbeque restaurant a few minutes from our house. As you can see from the picture above, the protocol was to cook your own food over the open flame in the middle of the table. Matt and I quite enjoy this type of restaurant on occasion (Melting Pot, anyone?) and had a great time cooking soy and miso marinated strips of lamb, tenderloin, chicken and squid and wrapping them in delicious pieces of nan bread (think fluffy pita). At the push of the buzzer, more food would arrive for our enjoyment. We quickly learned that one order of meat included several pieces, whereas a single order of vegetable returned exactly one slice of the chosen food. Our solitary green pepper and leek pieces looked very lonely by themselves on the big white plate.

The meal ended, as all-you-can-eat meals are apt to do, with just enough room for soft serve ice cream from a machine at the front of the restaurant. Since I was ridiculously stuffed and barely mobile (this almost never happens to me, but has twice in the same week!!), Matt was kind enough to bring a small portion back to me and let me know that the directions on the machine were worthy of inclusion in my "amusing translations" collection. See for yourself:

"When you want to take out soft ice cream, please pedal a step. When you want to stop soft ice cream, please avoid means of transportation from a pedal."

Matt's Pictures From Korea, Part One

Korean War Memorial

Monument at Korean War Memorial

Ancient Uniforms of Korean Warriors

Korean War Ship

Gigantic Sword (handle is over 2 feet long)

Street in Osan

Matt's Pictures From Korea, Part Two

Boarding the Transport Ship

Countryside On the Way to the Base

Running Path - Not a good idea to veer off the road

It's not the Ritz

Sunabe. Sunset. Sushi. Sublime.

Wedding Announcement and Settling In

Our wedding announcement was in The Intermountain this past weekend. I thought I would include the link for everyone since I know only a handful of our readers are in circulation range: Langford-Shreve Wedding Announcement.

Life in the few days Matt has been home has been busy but wonderful. I think we are finally starting to settle down into just married bliss. It is SO WONDERFUL to be together again!! Over the weekend, we rested and relaxed and caught up on all the things that happened during our time apart. You've had the opportunity to see how I've been occupying my time, and in the next few days, I'll be posting some of Matt's pictures from deployment. Thank you everyone for all of your welcome back wishes! Stay tuned!

My Husband is Home!!!!!!!!!!!

(And as soon as he gets out of the shower, I'm going spend the rest of the weekend right next to him :) )

Have a great weekend!! Mine is starting out as the best ever!

On the Richter

Last night, I unknowingly experienced my first earthquake. I was sitting on the couch watching a movie on television (Proof with Anthony Hopkins and Gwenyth Paltrow - very good by the way) and I felt the couch vibrate for about twenty seconds. It wasn't anything remarkable, just like vibration from clothes dryer spinning or a car starting downstairs. Nothing rattled or fell or did any of the other dramatic things you see in the movies or on TV. In fact, I didn't even think to mention it to Matt when I talked to him less than half an hour later.

This morning, when Brittany picked me up she asked me if I had felt the earthquake. Until she said it happened just before 8 p.m. our time, I had shrugged my shoulders. I told her about the vibrations and she said that is what a tremor feels like and that they occur all the time on the island. According to the National Earthquake Information Center, our quake measured a magnitude of 5.3 on the Richter scale - which is considered moderate-sized.

Sefa Utaki: The Most Sacred Place

Today, I went on an outing to several historical sites in the southeast with a few of the other doctor’s wives. After an indoor day of sweeping and scrubbing our hardwood floors, venturing out into the bright sunshine and breezy (but still scorching) Okinawa air was a pleasant change. Our destination was Chinen, which is located on a peninsula that is surrounded by the Pacific Ocean. It was a very important location in the ancient history of the Ryukyu Islands (of which Okinawa is a part), but faded in significance at the end of the Ryukyu Kingdom.

The first place we visited was Sefa Utaki, an ancient prayer site that is listed as a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage site. All of the Ryukyu kings visited Sefa Utaki for a special ceremony performed by high priestesses when they ascended to the throne. The kings also returned yearly to pray for the wealth and strength of their kingdom. The site was considered to be so sacred that it could only be visited by the high priestesses and members of the Ryukyu royal government.

Though the site has long been ruins, it is still possible to see evidence of several altars, a stone corridor and kitchen quarters. The design relies heavily on natural stone formations and linked by well-worn limestone walkways. Another natural phenomenon incorporated into the sacredness of the site is the water that drips to the ground from stone formations that look like stalactites. The water was considered holy by the high priestesses and collected in stone jars for use in religious ceremonies and prayer rituals.

Next, after a little creative navigating, we visited the ruins of Chinen Castle. Not much remains besides carefully constructed stone walls surrounded by jungle-like vines and trees. However, we were able to get a sense of the former majesty of the castle from the size of the foundation and its amazing cliffside views of the ocean. We had to be careful while we explored – there were many gigantic spider webs spread between the trees along our path with equally as gigantic, fuzzy spiders. A little more pleasant were the vividly colored butterflies fluttering around the multitude of large pink hibiscus.

My favorite part of our tour was lunch at Cafe Kurukuma, a restaurant located on the mountain top. The cuisine is considered some of the best on the southern part of the island and the owners season the food with herbs grown in the adjacent gardens. The food was outstanding – I had a lunch special of a cabbage-like soup, steamed whitefish and vegetables glazed with herbs and garlic and iced lemongrass tea. A post-lunch stroll through the garden revealed many stone statues and unique plants and trees. This spot is definitely on my list for places to take Matt when he gets home.

Stone pots for collecting holy water, Sefa Utaki

Castle Wall, Chinen Castle

Shisa Statue, Cafe Kurukuma Gardens

Mama Said There'd Be Days Like This.....

As you might have guessed, my cupboard became the scene of a calamity again. When I opened the cabinet and reached for a cereal bowl, the shelf with the dishes dumped forward and everything on it came crashing out onto the floor. Almost everything was shattered – only one dinner plate and a handful of other pieces survived unscathed. I’m a little scratched and bruised, but I managed to get out of the way before the broken glass hit my feet and legs. Mostly, I was just upset that all of the perfectly good dinnerware was ruined. When I told Matt during our video chat, he immediately asked if I was ok, and then teased “Honey, if you wanted new dishes, all you had to do was ask!”

And That's Why There Are Pedicures

Katherine and I already had appoinments for pedicures for that afternoon. Following the morning's incident and it's subsequent clean-up (thank you again Brittany!!), some pampering was exactly what I needed. Katherine, who had been on call the night before, agreed. We sat in big reclining chairs, sipped lemon water and relaxed as the aestheticians treated our feet with special soaks, hot towels and amazing massages. When it comes to polish in Okinawa, decorative is the key. In my few weeks on the island, I've seen a creative mix of everything from goldfish to I Love Lucy on women's toes. Often, "what do you have on your toes now?" follows "hello" in conversation. I'm usually a pretty predictable neutral or traditional color type of girl, so I was hestitant to have anything but plain polish, but I decided to live a little. I picked out a white stenciled flower design for my frosted pink toes. What do you think?