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?

Just Beachy

After two days of clouds and storms, the sun decided to return to Okinawa on Sunday. To celebrate, Katherine and I headed to nearby Sunset Beach in Chatan. I slathered myself in SPF 45, donned a bikini, tank top and shorts and packed a beach bag full of the requisites: towel, straw mat, chapstick, bottled water, snacks, girly magazines and more sunscreen. We found the perfect place on the light beige sand to spread our towels and spent the afternoon chatting and enjoying the sun. There was a great breeze that kept spraying us with sand because the granules are so fine. We were practically covered from head to toe – it was even in our ears!

After we had soaked up the sun for a couple hours, we walked along the end of the colorfully graffitied Sunabe Seawall which runs from Chatan to Sunabe. The wall, which serves as a barrier to the East China Sea, is a popular hang out for an interesting cross section of the Okinawan population. We passed both teenagers in trendy clothing and elderly fishermen in traditional Japanese hats and robes as we walked along admiring the sun glistening on the water. We hoped to see the sunset and possibly the enigmatic green flash on the water, but cloud cover interrupted our plan. Instead, we headed for Yoshi Hachi’s a famous sushi restaurant located just blocks from our apartment. While we savored our rolls and nigiri (a ball of rice topped by raw fish), we looked around at all the autographed pictures of famous Americans and Japanese (some including our chef, Yoshi Hachi). It was a tasty ending to a fun and sunny day!

When The Wind Blows You Off Course

(photo courtesy of NASA, October 5, 2007)

I can't change the direction of the wind, but I can adjust my sails to always reach my destination."

- Jimmy Dean

It has been a gloomy day in Chatan-cho. The normally vibrant blue, sunny skies have been overcast with thick, gray clouds, thunderstorms and heavy winds. About 235 nautical miles southwest, Typhoon Krosa is traveling across the Pacific. It is expected to reach landfall in Taiwan tomorrow with winds of 114 miles per hour and gusts at over 140 miles per hour. The storm itself is not expected to hit Okinawa, but it will cause high winds, heavy rain and thunderstorms throughout the weekend. According to the Kadena Air Base storm watch site, the winds on the island are currently at 64 miles per hour and may reach upwards of 90 at points during the weekend.

These forceful winds have also brought some changes in the course for Matt and I in the next few weeks. I found out this morning that because of Typhoon Krosa, he will not be coming home in two weeks as originally planned. Instead, his return will be delayed at least a week because of transportation issues caused by the rough weather. For the past four weeks, I’ve been counting down the days, and a couple days ago I was ecstatic because having two weeks left really felt like his return was within reach. Matt said he, and everyone he is stationed with, is very frustrated with the news and they just want to get home.

Like the weather, I’ve been feeling pretty dismal since I knew the change in schedule was definite. However, I also know that I’ve survived a lot of uncertainty and changes of plan over the past few months. I just have to step back, survey the options and change my course. Though I would much rather have Matt home, I am optimistic that I can manage to plan my days in a way that will be positive until his return. The “destination” is for us to finally be together, and after this brief setback, I just need to refill my sails and move along.

If you don't feel like cooking...

...it’s time to order Japanese carry-out. This afternoon, I was feeling sort of tired and bummed (more on that later) and I decided that what I really wanted was to spend some quality time on my big comfy couch with some CoCo curry and mindless television. CoCo Curry House is a five-minute walk from our apartment. As you may have guessed from the name, the menu primarily consists of curry. By pointing to items on a large illustrated menu, you order the type of meat or vegetable you want in your curry, the amount of rice and the heat of the curry spices. The heat level ranges from -1 to 11 and you aren’t even allowed to order levels 6-11 unless you have previously finished a full portion of level 5. Matt ordered and was happy with level 2 when we ate there several weeks ago. Last time, I ordered a -1, but this evening I decided to brave a level 0 and it was just my speed. While I was waiting on my order, I was offered a place to sit and a glass of ice water. Japanese service is excellent, even in fast food, and I was quickly out the door with my takeout bag.

Once at home, I lit a Yankee Candle, grabbed one of my blankets (made especially for me by Becky :) ) and settled on the couch with my takeout and the remote. I must say that I am proud that I was able to connect the TV and cable all by myself. I haven’t quite figured out the bilingual decoder, so I only have around 7 or 8 English language channels, but that is enough to keep me entertained for the moment. I can even use the remote with the help of a paper with the English translations for the Japanese-labeled buttons. For those of you who know me, you know all of this is a major accomplishment because I am normally technologically clueless. But back to my evening in.....I watched some Powerpuff Girls (great show!) until Matt called (an awesome surprise since we had already talked briefly earlier) and now I’m getting ready to watch the classic Gene Kelly/Marilyn Monroe movie Let’s Make Love. All parts of the evening remind me of many I spent in my apartment in Portsmouth on nights that Matt was on call. I wish he was just on call tonight :).

Stocking Up at 100 Yen

Brittany has done a fantastic job of getting me out of the apartment since my return to the island. Today, we went to breakfast at Rose Garden, a Japanese-run Italian restaurant located near Camp Foster. The French toast was awesome and everyone else’s plates of eggs, bacon and toast looked pretty good as well. After, we headed to the mega-huge 100 Yen store just south of Mihama. They had pretty much anything you could imagine – food, gardening supplies, dishes, crafts – almost all for 100 Yen (not quite a dollar). I was able to stock up on many supplies I needed to set up our household and get it running properly. In my basket were: office supplies and organizers, some Japanese dishware (a rice server and soy sauce set) and art supplies for a special project I’m making for Matt’s return in two weeks (YAY! HOORAY! YIPPEEEE! I CAN'T WAIT TO SEE HIM!).

Back in Okinawa: Making Myself At Home At Last

I’ve been so busy since I touched down in Okinawa last Friday! Brittany, Faith and friends met me at the airport. I was so tired and dazed from over twenty-four hours of travel that their familiar faces were a welcome sight. We had dinner and then I was home and in bed before nine o’clock. It felt wonderful to walk in our apartment and know that I could finally settle down after three tumultuous months of changing locations every few weeks.

The past three days, I’ve kept busy stocking up on groceries, making arrangements for the delivery of our washer and dryer and our furniture shipment, paying our Japanese bills (quite an experience, but a nice challenge), unpacking my suitcases, finishing up the Scotland blogs and trying really hard to fight the urge to curl up on the air mattress for a nap (a no-no when trying to adjust to a new time schedule). On Monday, I felt like I was back in an office job making phone calls, marking on my planner and organizing money (two currencies!) and paperwork. Matt kidded me about my businesslike efficiency when we talked on the phone that morning, and I told him that if I was going to be in charge of organizing the house, I was going to be the most proficient house administrator I could be. Maybe I need business cards ;)?

It hasn’t been all business though. Saturday afternoon, Katherine (one of the other doctors at Matt’s clinic) called to see if I wanted to go out to dinner with her and a group of people. We went to Sushi Zen, which is fast becoming my favorite restaurant, and dined on delicious fresh sushi, edamame (steamed soybeans) and piping hot miso soup. And this afternoon, Britt (a newlywed Navy doctor’s wife like me) and I went to lunch and browsed in a few shops in Mihama. I found a neat set of chopstick rests that will go well with the chopsticks Matt bought for us before I got to Okinawa.

The best development of the past few days is that I set up our furniture delivery for this morning. Shortly before eight in the morning, a team of Japanese movers arrived and our long missed and eagerly awaited belongings began making their way up the stairs. The movers were really kind and even though there was a language barrier, they made sure everything was just where I wanted it. They worked amazingly fast and had everything unpacked in well under an hour. Watching our apartment fill with a mixture of Matt’s and my belongings was a special thrill – this is our first home together. Perhaps the most poignant blending of this union is the presence of my bust of Thomas Jefferson next to Matt’s model of the Millennium Falcon in our study.

Hana Mansion: Apartment Pre-Furniture