Here is Shota-san waiting for the boat to pick him up.
This is Saki-san.....she always has a smile on her face! She is very good at Wake Boarding. I was impressed!
Here I am !! I was able stand up on top of the water on the first try. I hope we go again soon!
This weekend, Dave and I had a BBQ at our house. The BBQ lasted about 8 hours!!! We had an awesome time just hanging out with our friends. 
This weekend was Namiko-san's show at Mod's (Okinawa Live House). Namiko-san is starting to learn how to play the guitar and Saturday night she performed a Four-Non Blondes cover of "What's goin on?". It gave me chills! Her voice is amazing! She also called Hisano up on stage to join her for a song. Afterwards, we all hung out chatting until about 4am. This last picture is of Chika-san, Me, Namiko-san and Hisano-san. Watashi-tachi kawaii desu! (We are so beautiful)... haha!
Toguchi Beach
Typhoon Ewiniar hit last weekend. However, it turned more west than expected, so the winds weren't as bad as they had originally predicted. Within the first 2 hours of the storm though, we heard a loud bang outside. We couldn't figure out what it was because it was night time and hard to see. Dave finally realized that it was our AFN satellite dish. Part of our balcony railing broke, where the brace for the satellite dish is attached, causing the dish to crash into the side of the house. Dave tied it up so the dish didn't fly away.
Our BBQ planned for that night was changed into a typhoon party. We all stayed up late waiting to watch the Germany vs. Portugal world cup game( 4am), but by the time the game started it was only Dave who showed enough love for the game of soccer to stay awake for the entire match.
Ah! What we wait for every year! The Peaceful Love Rock Festival was held the first weekend of July in Okinawa City. This year was a hot one! There wasn't a cloud in the sky and the humidity was off the charts. Luckily, our friends had a spot reserved under a tree. Shade!!!!! We had a great time with awesome friends and awesome music! 
Even though I don't look too happy in this pic, the three of us gals had a blast!
I took Hisano-san to her first Pedicure! My choice for this month's nail art was Hanabi (Fireworks)!!! Tonight we will BBQ, then go see the fireworks that will be launched from Kadena Airbase. Happy Birthday America! 
This is my best friend in Okinawa. Her name is Hisano-san. We started hanging out in January with neither of us knowing each other's language. We both have been studying hard and now we can totally communicate! We both have the same sense of humor and personalities. We always have a great time when we hang out. This picture, taken a few weeks ago, is of us supporting Japan for the World Cup. 
After leaving Tokyo, Dave and I made our way to Kyoto by way of the Shinkansen or "Bullet Train". It only took about 2.5 hours to get to Kyoto on this train versus the 9 hours it would have taken had we tried the regular train. After checking into the hotel, Dave and I walked around the city for a bit. That night we decided to check out the Gion District of Kyoto. We started by seeing the popular Gion Corner's traditional performances. We saw the Maiko (apprentice Geisha) perform a Kyoto-style dance, followed by a traditional theater production (kyogen) and famous puppet drama (bunraku). Afterwards, we participated in a tea ceremony where two women explained how to properly partake in this Japanese tradition. The Macha (type of green tea) was delicious! While looking for a place to eat dinner after the show, Dave and I saw a few Maikos walking down the streets dressed in their kimonos. This picture is of Dave as we arrived in the Gion area of Kyoto.
The next day, we decided to take the bus tour again, as we did in Tokyo. This time we took the full-day tour however, which kept us moving all day! Kyoto is filled with beautiful temples and shrines. Although we only stopped at the most famous of these temples and shrines, we were able to see tons of shrines and temples hidden within the modern city as we drove from site to site. This picture is of the Kinkakuji Temple or "Golden Pavilion". 
For some reason, Japanese school students love talking to me. This is a picture of me with the group of Jr. High School students who interviewed me in English for a class assignment. I think I totally confused them by saying that I came from Okinawa, but they appreciated me helping them by giving my answers in both English and Japanese. haha. 
Here is Dave at the gardens of Nijo Castle! Kyoto was spared during WW2, so much of the old castles and architecture still remain. Dave and I both enjoyed all the wooden stuctures throughout Kyoto. The rest of this day was spent visiting the Imperial Palace, Sanjusangendo, Heian Shrine and gardens, and the Kiyomizu Temple. Since the night before was spent trying (for 2 hours) to satisfy Dave's craving for a tunafish sandwich for dinner, we decided that we should finish our time in Kyoto with a great meal. And that we did! The hotel manager recommended an awesome Yakiniku restaurant! We both agreed that it was probably the best beef we've ever had. I dare say it was better than the famous Kobe beef! 
Next on the agenda was Nara, Japan. Nara was about a 45 min. train ride south of Kyoto. It rained the entire day, but we felt fortunate that this was the only day that we really had any rain (we took the trip during the rainy season...not so smart). We checked into the hotel early and found that I had booked a twin room instead of a double..... oooppppss!!! Dave was not happy, but I found it rather amusing! haha! The mistake was worth it though because the view from the room was awesome! This is a pic from inside the room. The five story pagoda looked like a painting on the wall. So cool! 
Inside the Todaji Temple (one of the largest wooden structures in the world), I had the opportunity to paint on a tile that would be used to restore part of the roof. They charged about 10 dollars to raise money to help restore parts of the temple. I wrote my name in Kanji and Dave's in Katakana (a few mistakes... oopps). Also, I added the date, "Okinawa" and a wish for "Long Life". 
