Life As We Like It

Must Love Dogs....

2010-04-09T09:28:00.000-07:00

You remember this movie, don't you? :)

Well, since I'm still job searching, I've decided that I should use my "free time" and put it to good use. Yes, this means, I will be voluteering at my local animal shelter. The Ventura County Animal Shelter located in Camarillo is in desperate need for volunteers. Some of my duties will include walking dogs, cleaning cages, bathing, and umm....cleaning up poop. Before you turn your nose up, let me tell you about the facility.

I made a visit to the facility yesterday and was pretty impressed. All of the staff seem very friendly and dedicated to helping these animals. The cages and pens were all very clean and the animals looked well cared for. I've worked at shelters in the past and let me tell you, not all facilities are clean and maintained. Some are just downright disgusting.

That said, the Camarillo shelter is top notch and I look forward to lending a hand to help animals in need. Kevin is just worried we'll end up with a house full of animals!

I'll keep you posted. In the meantime, keep your fingers crossed for me in terms of the job search.

Love from Cali,

Chrissy

California Living....

2010-03-02T15:11:00.000-08:00

So we're here, in sunny California! I do realize that this means we do have to change the name of the blog, but alas, I haven't had any strokes of genius to come up with a name. Bad Chrissy. At any rate, life here in California is pretty nice. We are living in a fully furnished apartment in Oxnard, California right near the beach. We plan on staying here until our furniture and boxes arrive from Okinawa.

That said, we live about a 5 minute drive from Kevin's office at Port Hueneme, Naval Base Ventura County. I hope he doesn't get used to it, because I don't think we'll be in Oxnard forever.

I'm still looking for a job and have an interview with an independent production company scheduled for this Friday. In the meantime, I've celebrated becoming another year older, went to Las Vegas, bought a new car, and have become a bit more familiar with my neighborhood. Being so close to the beach, there are great places to go for a walk and run. I love it.

As I'm currently a woman of leisure, I've been able to spend more time cooking and experimenting with recipes. While I don't have my own backyard garden for herbs, I've been able to get some fresh produce and veggies. This area of California is full of farms growing everything from kale to strawberries.

Just last night, I made a pesto pasta salad. It was delish.

Grab some basil and make your own pesto and go to town.

In the meantime, if any of you have any suggestions for names for the blog, let me know.

Pesto Salad Pasta Recipe

Ingredients:

8 oz box of penne pasta

1 cup of homemade pesto or store bought.

1/3 cup of mayonnaise

1.5 cups of frozen sweet peas

1 cup of artichoke hearts, quartered

*Optional: 1/2 cup of freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:

In a small bowl mix pesto sauce and mayonnaise together and set aside.

Prepare penne pasta according to package instructions to al dente. Drain pasta well and toss in a large bowl. Add frozen peas to pasta and toss with pesto dressing until everything is well mixed and coated.

Gently fold in artichoke hearts and allow the salad to cool in the refrigerator for 20 minutes before serving. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese prior to serving. Enjoy!

~Chrissy

From Okinawa to California....

2010-02-14T22:42:00.001-08:00

Photo courtesy of Igougo.com

For all you readers out there,

I'm happy to report that Kevin and I have arrived in Southern California safe and sound. After spending a few days on base in temporary lodging on Camp Foster, we flew out of Okinawa and landed in sunny Los Angeles. From there, Kevin and I arrived in Oxnard, California, about a hour north of LA. Oxnard is located on the coast of southern California and this is where we will make our new home. Kevin will be working for the Navy over at the navy base in Port Hueneme.

It is very beautiful here, and we certainly are liking the weather. So far, it's been sunny and warm, and no humidity.

That said, we still have lots to do to get settled, so it may be a while before I post again. It has also come to my attention that the name of this blog may need to change....hmmmm....what shall we call the new blog?

I'm open to suggestions...so just let me know.

Until then,

Chrissy

Temple Raiders At Angkor Wat

2010-01-16T02:25:00.000-08:00

Well, things have been a bit hectic for us as of late, so I really do apologize for the delay in posting this. We have received our 'orders' and will be leaving Okinawa for Port Hueneme, California in just a few more weeks. So...we have a million and one things to do before we go....

Now that I've cleared the air...let's get back to Cambodia. Kevin and I arrived in Siem Reap, pretty late the first night, so we grabbed dinner (click here to see post titled Siem Reap) and hit the hay. The following morning, we got up to meet our personal tour guide and driver at 8am.

If you plan to visit the temples, make sure you plan accordingly. There are well over 100 temples at Angkor, so most tourists usually buy 2-3 day passes. These passes are great since they are also your entrance to use the facilities. As most of the temples are in the Cambodian jungle, toilet facilities are pretty scarce. What little facilities that do exist, allow foreigners to enter for free with a pass, but locals have to pay.

Kevin and I were glad to have a driver AND tour guide since there was a lot of ground to cover. Although we had done our share of reading up on the temples before we got there, we were both amazed by the sheer size of it all. On our first day, we went to visit some of the more major, popular temples like Ta Prohm, Angkor Thom, Bayon, and Ankgor Wat, to name a few.

Ta Prohm, in particular, is fascinating since most of the temple has been taken over by the jungle.

Walking around the temples, we both felt a bit like Indiana Jones.

Our tour guide informed us that we were actually visiting at an ideal time, as the weather was pleasant. Not at all like the summer when the mosquitoes and sweltering heat can make temple raiding uncomfortable. That said, although we agreed with our tour guide about picking the best time; I strongly advise you bring insect repellant, water, and wear comfortable shoes. Although we had a driver to take us to the sites, we did do a lot of walking.

The temples at Angkor Wat are really fascinating, while it is not one of the 7 Wonders of the World, it is in fact a UNESCO World Heritage site with thousands of visitors a year. Many of the temples were built (by hand no less) in the early 12th century. Unfortunately, today, many of the temples have fallen into disrepair. During the Khmer Rouge regime, many of the original blueprints and sacred texts were destroyed. As a result, the temple stones that have fallen off of the temples now litter the ground and must be put into place much like a jigsaw puzzle. International goverments like the goverment of France and Japan are just a few that have taken on the mammoth task to rebuild.

No problem; should only take about 1000 years....

After a hour or so at Ankgor Thom, we made our way over to Bayon, the temple best known for its multiple faces.

In addition to the many faces, our tour guide introduced us to "aspara"--a celestial dancer. Aspara is a typical decorative carving found on temple stones and walls at Ankgor.

Our tour guide also showed us other decorative carvings, like these bas reliefs.

We even saw monkeys frolicking.

Our final temple of the day was Angkor Wat. Built for king Suryavarman II in the early 12th century as his state temple and capital city, the temple complex was a significant religious centre.

Today, the temple is visited by thousands of tourists each year and is a national symbol of Cambodia.

Stay tuned for Day 2 of 2!*

~Chrissy

*Warning: Individuals who get bored easily (you know who you are!), should probably skip the next post. Day 2 of 2 consists of more temples.... If that doesn't interest you, this should....our last leg of our trip coming up: Vietnam!

So this is Christmas....

2009-12-27T09:02:00.001-08:00

Greetings and Merry Christmas All!

Hope everyone had a very happy holiday.

I leave you with a photo of the Millers on Christmas day....

Love, Chrissy

Walkin' in a Winter Wonderland

2009-12-21T16:10:00.000-08:00

Greetings Loyal Blog Readers,

Kevin and I are back Stateside visiting the inlaws (the Millers) in PA and we have snow! Lots and lots of it! Guess after 2 and half years, I've sorta missed it. Unfortunately, jet lag is causing some problems for us (awake at 4am, sleepy by 2pm), but hopefully it will pass soon.

In the meantime, just wanted to wish you all a very happy holiday.

Merry Christmas!

Love, Chrissy

Siem Reap, Cambodia....

2009-12-16T03:11:00.000-08:00

After a few days in Bangkok, Thailand, Kev and I headed on to our 2nd leg of our trip, Cambodia! We flew into Siem Reap, which has now become a major tourist hub due to its close proximity to the temples of Angkor Wat.

We were fortunate to have arranged travel from Siem Reap airport to our cute little boutique hotel (the hotel only has about 30 rooms). We stayed at the Auberge Mont Royal d'Angkor. Owned by a Cambodian man who emigrated to Montreal during the 1970's to escape the Khmer Rouge, most of the hotel guests were French or French-Canadian.

Our hotel room was clean and air-conditioned, and the hotel had a pool as well as a spa. Kevin and I received about 3 or 4 massages while we were here. After walking on your feet for several hours (believe me, the streets of Siem Reap as well as the pathways at the temples are pretty dusty), your feet really deserve a little pampering. The prices are very cheap compared to spa treatments back in the U.S, so both Kev and I felt obligated to tip about 20-30 percent.

On our first day in Siem Reap, we arrived pretty late, so we settled into our hotel room and then ventured out into the city streets to find dinner. Recommended by some friends of ours, we had a lovely dinner at the Viroth Restaurant. Part of the Viroth Hotel, this restaurant offered an outdoor dining terrace with excellent dishes ranging from fresh salads to several different kinds of khmer and amok curry.

With our bellies full, we returned to our hotel to get a good night's sleep. We were due to hit the temples at Angkor Wat the next day. Day 1 of 2.

Knowing we would have to meet our tour guide at 8am in the morning, we said good night.

Stay tuned for our adventures temple hunting!

~Chrissy

Good Eats In SE Asia

2009-12-15T02:27:00.000-08:00

Whenever Kevin and I travel to foreign countries, we usually end up stuffing our faces with amazing, ethnic, international foods and dishes. We are both foodies so we actually look forward to "eating out." While most travelers might be a bit leery of trying new things, we go off the "beaten path" to find new and interesting places to eat.

On our recent trip to Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam, we were fortunate to find a few dishes that we loved!

As Alton Brown would say, we found ourselves some good eats. Here are the highlights:

Folks, I give you one of the yummiest fruit shakes EVER!~

It was a pineapple-mango, ginger shake full of deliciousness. Behold!

Notice the parrot on the side of the glass!

While in Thailand, we also visited a floating market where we enjoyed some fresh, tasty exotic Southeast Asian fruits like lychees, rambutans, and pomelo.

Then in Cambodia, we took part in fine dining at the Meric Restaurant at Hotel De La Paix in Siem Reap. This fancy restaurant offered a 5 course dinner complete with entertainment.

Finally in Vietnam, while sailing on a junk ship in Halong Bay, we had some amazing dishes of seafood. There's something to be said about dining "al fresco" aboard a beautiful teak junk ship!

Once night fell, the chef aboard our ship prepared a dinner feast. He was something of an amateur artist as well, as he created wonderful artistic pieces from fruit and vegetables.

Now I'm sure you are all thinking: how much weight did you gain on your trip?! Guess what, I'm not telling.

~Chrissy

It all started with one night in Bangkok....

2009-12-14T03:27:00.000-08:00

Since I've been remiss in posting pictures from our most recent 3 country (Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam) trip, I'm going to do my best to get this post done as quickly as possible. Keep in mind, we have hundreds of photos (yes, we really do take A LOT of photos) so instead of boring you to bits, I'm just going to pick a few of my fave photos for the sake of this post. Here it goes!

Over the Thanksgiving break, Kev and I flew to Bangkok, Thailand to kick off our travels. We flew from Naha airport into Taipei, and then took a flight from Taipei to Bangkok. Unfortunately by the time we landed in Bangkok, it was well after 10pm so we didn't get to see much as our taxi drove us to our hotel (The Landmark). So on our first night of Bangkok, we crashed....

The next day, we got up early to take advantage of the delish breakfast provided to us by the hotel and took the train to visit some of the sites, including the Grand Palace, home to the Emerald Buddha and Wat Pho, site of the world's largest reclining Buddha.

Upon riding the train, we hopped onto a ferry. Then we saw it...the Grand Palace. Grand, doesn't really describe it.

The Grand Palace is grand and then some. It is also one of Bangkok's more popular tourist destinations, serving as the home of the Thai king for over 150 years. The current Thai king no longer lives here, but still, there are many gold gilded temples and pagodas, showing off the king's wealth and affluence.

With beautiful architecture and marvelous Thai statues, the Grand Palace complex actually houses several impressive buildings including the Wat Phra Kaew (Temple of the Emerald Buddha), which contains the small, albeit very famous Emerald Buddha that dates back to the 14th century. The Emerald Buddha is so revered by the Thai people, that photographs are not allowed. One interesting fact I learned while visiting the Emerald Buddha is that the robes that he wears change with the weather. He wears one robe during the summer, another in the winter, and even has a special robe for when it rains. Look closely at the pic below, perhaps you can make him out!

Since the Palace is still used for official ceremonies, there are Thai guards. Kevin noticed their weapons were unloaded though....Funny....

After the Grand Palace, we headed to Wat Pho, a Buddhist temple which is also home to the giant reclining Buddha and a Thai massage school. However, on our way to Wat Pho, we stopped at local Thai jeweler.

We saw these little gold piggies outside the store...

Then it was off to see the reclining Buddha.

While most visitors come to Wat Pho to see the Buddha, others come to get a Thai massage at the Thai massage school. Thai massage actually originated here and the massage school was the very first Thai massage school in Thailand. Eager to give it a go, both Kevin and I opted to get 30 minute Thai massages. Although a little painful (they use a lot of pressure and have you turn your body in odd, awkward positions), the massages were surprisingly cheap. It cost about $16 U.S. dollars for the two of us. Don't even ask what the conversion rate is between the Thai bhat and the U.S. dollar....

That night we ate at a great Thai restaurant recommended by one of our guidebooks--Baan Khanitha. Popular with Westerners and set in an old Thai house, I was a bit surprised at how spicy our food was. Kevin loved it, but for me, it was a bit too much even despite my efforts to keep everything "mild." Note to self: If a Thai person tells you something's not spicy, don't believe it....

The next day, we had made plans with a driver (Julie's Taxi Tours) to take a day trip out of the city. Our driver came to pick us up at our hotel and drove us about 2 hours outside of Bangkok to the Damnoen Saduak Floating Market. Here, we boarded flat, wooden boats to take part of a daily market only open during the hours of 6am to 12pm.

Designed to resemble the canals in Venice, the canals of Damnoen Saduak are a bit narrow, congested with many boats and vendors selling everything from fruit, noodles, soup, hats, and other Thai souvenirs. Although chaotic, it was a lot of fun to see all the colorful, noisy, vendors trying to grab our attention.

I got a kick watching the old ladies paddle their way through the throng of boats and people.

After a few hours at the floating market, our driver took us to the Rose Garden. I wasn't sure what to make of the place, but the gardens were certainly beautiful. Contrary to its name, the garden did not have roses, instead they had orchids. Many different varieties and colors of orchids.

After a short walk in the garden, we ate lunch at a Thai buffet restaurant. I lucked out and was able to eat my very first fresh rambutan. Similar to lychees, rambutans can easily be found in SE Asia.

For those of you who know me well, may recall that I enjoy eating dried rambutan available at Trader Joe's. Although I like the dried variety, fresh rambutan is definitely much better! For a bit more information about rambutans, click here.

Once we finished lunch, we walked around a bit and later got the chance to see some Asian elephants before watching a Thai cultural show.

Bothered a bit by the elephants (I felt a bit sorry for them), we sat down to watch a Thai cultural show complete with traditional Thai dances. The show was entertaining, and gave Kevin and I the opportunity to see Thai traditional and cultural traditions.

This is the famous Thai "fingernail" dance.

With two full days in Bangkok, we got ready for the second leg of our trip: Cambodia!

Stay tuned for our adventures in Siem Reap, Cambodia visiting Angkor Wat!

More to come on that later.

Travel on!

~Chrissy

Xmas in Japan means Xmas cake and KFC!

2009-12-07T16:36:00.000-08:00

Xmas is more or less a Western holiday, but here in Japan, it is celebrated with a twist. Of course, most of the celebrating is commercialism at its best. Japanese stores and businesses put up Xmas decorations all in the hopes it will attract shoppers.

But aside from the "merryment" of Xmas decorations, Xmas in Japan is anything but ordinary. Many Japanese families treat themselves to a special Xmas eve dinner from KFC. That's right. Colonel Sanders has made a killing here in Japan selling pre-packaged Xmas chicken dinners. I'm not really sure where this tradition comes from, some have said that Japanese eat chicken because they want to imitate Westerners who eat turkey with all the trimmings. Or perhaps KFC's popularity has grown due to the fact that Japanese homes do not have large ovens. You simply can't make a roast turkey or a roast chicken in a little toaster oven. KFC has come to the rescue bringing Japanese people pure finger-lickin' deliciousness.

So if you're inclined to eat some fried chicken on Xmas eve, keep in mind lines might be long. You might want to place your order in early.

In addition to the "grease fest" of fried chicken, Japanese also like to partake in Xmas cake. Many Japanese bakeries like Fujiya, even ice cream parlors like Blue Seal sell special Xmas cakes. The cakes are usually sponge cakes decorated with whipped cream, strawberries, and cute little edible Santa Clauses and reindeer.

I think the Japanese have something here, because these cakes are delish! The cakes aren't too sweet and are oh so pretty to look at. If you want to take a look at the Xmas cake Kev and I had last year, take a look here.

Have I mentioned how much I love Xmas in Japan?

Happy Holidays!

~Chrissy

PS: Unfortunately, this year we will not be celebrating Xmas in Japan. We're flying home to PA to celebrate with the family. However, before we leave, we plan to eat a little fried chicken and Xmas cake...

Photos Courtesy of Stippy.com

All the way to Thailand, Cambodia, & Vietnam!

2009-11-29T16:39:00.000-08:00

Hello Loyal Blog Readers,

Kevin and I have just returned from a 10 day trip to Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam! We are certainly glad to be back in Okinawa, no longer having to live out of a suitcase. Anyway, it was a whirlwind trip, but no worries, we have lots of photos to share and some interesting stories too, so stay tuned.

In the meantime, I wanted to wish my wonderful father a very Happy Birthday! Happy Birthday, Daddy! We love you and miss you.....

Love, Chrissy

Gotta love Okinawa....

2009-11-11T01:14:00.000-08:00

As today was Veteran's Day, Kevin and I decided to enjoy our day off taking in the sights on Kokusai street in downtown Naha. This street is very popular for tourists, since there are so many sights, sounds, and smells.

There is even a great fisherman's market complete with Okinawan seafood specialities...the market does have a butcher for all you meat eaters, but let me warn you...Okinawans love their pork, so it's pretty much "swine" all the way...

Seeing all the seafood, Kev and I couldn't resist....so we bought this guy.

"Say hello to my little friend...."

Dinner is served... :)

Taiwan, Part II

2009-11-10T00:27:00.001-08:00

Apologies for the delay, but here is the long awaited second installment of our trip to Taiwan.

After spending a few days in the city, we decided to head out to Wulai, land of beautiful green mountains, fog, and hot baths. However, before taking the train out to Wulai, we had one quick stop at the Fishermen's Market, home to Lover's Bridge.

There isn't too much to see here, but since the weather was pleasant, we decided to take a stroll and enjoy some of the sights. We did find a seafood restaurant on the 2nd level of the fish market. However, comparing this market to the one we went to in Seoul, we were a bit disappointed.

The next day, we headed to the Taipei Main train station to board our train to Wulai.

Wulai, is home to one of Taiwan's aboriginal groups, the Atayal. Wulai is also popular among tourists for its hot springs and baths. Naturally as Wulai is nestled in the mountains, it was very green and with two typhoons just off the coast of Taiwan, it rained...A LOT. As a matter of fact, we had nothing but rain the entire time we were in Wulai.

But we didn't mind. With umbrellas in hand, we walked all over Wulai taking in the beautiful scenery.

I couldn't resist. I got a kick out of this sign. Bungee jumping, anyone?

With all the rain, the Wulai river was very high...not to mention muddy. Ewwww....

After walking a bit, we came across a little train. This train was like the train at Disneyland, each car had room for two people. Upon boarding the train, we were taken to the Wulai waterfall.

From there, we got on the gondola to get an even better view.....Sooooo green!

Once we got to the top of the mountain, we took a walk around what was a park. There was even a hotel here.

Everything in the park was so green and lush.

After a day in the rain, we couldn't wait to get back to our hotel (The Hotel Landis). We stayed at a beautiful hotel complete with our own private bath.

And this was the view from the window in our bath. So peaceful....

We had a wonderful time in Taiwan....definitely worth the 5 days we were there. I leave you with this night shot of our hotel....

Happy Travels...

Love, Chrissy

No excuses....BUT....

2009-11-08T23:30:00.000-08:00

Okay, I know I've been a little slow to post to this blog, but lately, I've been feeling a bit pooped. Really. Will you forgive me if I tell you that I got the flu shot and think I've developed a slight reaction to it? I mean, I'm so tired....It was just a seasonal flu shot, but still....so tirrrrreedddd....Oh and let's not forget that I had final exams for my online classes with University of Maryland last week too....

But I digress...I'm out of excuses. I do hope to get a spring back into my step and eventually post Part II of our Taiwan trip shortly....

And....in the meantime, stay tuned! In just a bit, we should have even more photos to share!

Love from Oki,

Chrissy

Someone actually reads this blog?!?!?

2009-10-17T17:29:00.001-07:00

I received this lovely award from loyal reader, Heather! Thanks so much, Heather!

My blog has been awarded the “One Lovely Blog Award." Glad you enjoy reading!

Since I've accepted the award, here are a few rules:

Accept the award, post it on your blog together with the name of the person who has granted the award, and his or her blog link. Pass the award to 15 other blogs that you’ve newly discovered (although I chose some that I've known about for a little while). Remember to contact the bloggers to let them know they have been chosen for this award.

That said, here are a few blogs that I enjoy reading:

Peaceful Typhoon
Mary and Sean's Adventures Abroad
Travel TV Girl

That's about all I can think of for now.

~Chrissy

Taipei, Taiwan

2009-10-17T02:44:00.001-07:00

As promised, here is my blog post about our most recent trip to Taipei, Taiwan. Kev and I went for just a few days. The flight wasn't bad at all, about a hour flight from Okinawa to Taipei. We were hoping the weather would be good for us, but alas because of the two typhoons brewing in the Pacific, we did get some residual rain.

On our first day in the city, we checked into our hotel and then decided to visit the National Palace Museum.

The museum is mostly a collection of art from the many dynasties of China. Pretty cool stuff, but what was even more interesting for us was learning about the indigineous groups of people who lived on Taiwan. Prior to the Han Chinese coming from mainland and becoming the majority population of the island, aboriginal groups had lived on the island. These people are related to the same groups of people who lived in Australia, New Guinea, and Samoa.

Following our jaunt in the museum, we then headed to Taipei 101, currently the world's tallest building. We managed to get there late enough in the day to enjoy the beautiful sunset. The bottom floors of Taipei 101 are shopping floors, with other floors serving as business offices. Of course, the top level floors are observatories open to the public. According to Wikipedia, Taipei 101 is one of the 7Wonders of the World and has 101 floors, 5 of which are underground. The Burj Dubai in Dubai (visit our photos from our December 2007 trip for that) is trying to beat Taipei 101,but since it is still under construction, Taipei 101 still holds the record as the world's tallest building.

The following day, Kev and I decided to just walk about the city to see what we could find. We came across two beautiful temples. A Confucian temple and a Buddhist temple. Both were equally beautiful with their ornate designs and bright and bold colors. It was amazing to see how devoted the Taiwanese are. You can tell the community has put much of their hard earned money into these temples.

To the average person, there probably doesn't appear to be too much of a difference, but believe me, there is! At the buddhist temple, people were buying flowers, cakes, incense, and other offerings to well, you know, Buddha.

Once we paid our respects, I came across these fun figures outside.

Check this out!

What? I can't hear you....

I can't see you....

Okay, okay, so I'm a dork.....

Anyway, before leaving the city, we took a trip to Lover's Bridge and the fishermen's market before escaping to the quiet respite of Wulai. Wulai is about a hour train ride away in southern Taipei county. Nestled in the mountains on the banks of the large Wulai river, Wulai is famous for its hot springs and aboriginal culture. One of Taiwan's original aboriginal groups, the Atayal, still live here.

Stay tuned for the fishermen's market, Wulai, and part II of our Taipei Adventures!

~Chrissy

A typhoon, wait, there's two....

2009-10-06T18:55:00.000-07:00

Courtesy: NAVY NRL

Okinawa is prone to typhoons, that much we know. However, I'm not so sure that the island has had two typhoons (named Parma and Melor) come at once?? The good news is that for the last day or two, we've received mostly rain and wind. In addition to that, both typhoons have moved away from us. Thank goodness. We have plans to travel so we wouldn't want typhoons ruining our plans!

Stay tuned for more.....

Love from windy Okinawa,

Chrissy

Travel, travel, and more travel....

2009-09-23T19:02:00.000-07:00

Okay, I'm so excited that I'm not going to be able to contain myself. Chrissy! Sit. Down.

Well, I'm seated....Guess what? We are planning a trip to Thailand! Woohoo! I don't have all the details yet, but we're excited.

If any of you cyber-folks have some recommendations, then let me hear 'em!

~Chrissy

Taiwan Here We Come....

2009-09-19T05:00:00.000-07:00

Next month Kevin and I will be taking a trip to Taipei, Taiwan. With just a few more months left on Okinawa, we're trying to keep our schedules full of travel and good times....:)

We'll be staying in the city of Taipei and will also be taking in a few days in the beautiful countryside of Wulai where there are some natural hot springs...

If anyone has been to Taiwan, please feel free to share your recommendations. Remember, Kevin and I are huge "foodies" so if you have any restaurant recommedations, we'll take that too....

Stay tuned....

~Chrissy

To Work...

2009-09-11T18:10:00.000-07:00

I know it's been a while since a blog post, so here I am to tell you about a great feature a local blog called "Okinawahai" did on me. The feature is basically about my journey to find employment here on Okinawa, and some of the hardships I faced. I hope it's useful to other wives and spouses out there who may be struggling.....

Click here.

~Chrissy

The end is in sight...

2009-08-17T21:38:00.000-07:00

I've had about an entire month off from school and it has been heavenly!!! Of course, Kevin has been gone for two weeks of it; but still what girl doesn't like a little "alone" time?

Well, anyway, starting next week, I'll be back in school. Right now, I'm just five classes short of getting this Business degree...what?! Huh!?? Yep, that's right. Soon enough, I will have a Bachelors in Business Administration.

In other news, Kevin and I have reluctantly decided to return to the States the end of January 2010. Despite the fact we love Okinawa, we have decided not to extend.

Soooo between school and seeing as much as we can before we leave Oki, this means we're going to be real busy....

I'm sure we'll have some interesting posts in the very near future.

Until then....enjoy the island life!

~Chrissy

Engrish....Ahem...I mean English...no really, I give you ENGRISH!

2009-08-10T16:44:00.000-07:00

For those of you who live here in Japan; I know you can all appreciate this post. For those of you who don't know what I'm talking about, I present to you: ENGRISH! Yep, that's right. Engrish.

The Japanese absolutely go ga-ga over English words-- so they put it on EVERYTHING....t-shirts, packaging for food, etc. The problem is, it just doesn't make sense. Bad grammar, poor sentence structure, you name it.... I saw a sign recently that made me chuckle. STOP OF THE USE. Do you know what this means? The sign was meant to read NO ENTRY, but it said STOP OF THE USE instead. Sorta makes sense if you think about it. It's not entirely wrong.....

Unfortunately, I haven't had the chance to take too many photos of these funny signs (don't worry, I'll do it soon, I promise); but in the meantime, I thought I would hold you over with the following website dedicated to Engrish....

And before you reprimand me, let me just say; we're not laughing AT them, we're laughing WITH them....

~Chrissy

Yogurtland in Okinawa?!

2009-08-08T21:28:00.000-07:00

I have just found paradise on earth!!! Okay, not really, but I have to tell you about this new FAB place to get the best frozen yogurt right here on Okinawa! The U.S. based chain Yogurtland built a store in American Village in Chatan-Mihama. The store opened just last month in July.

I went there today and had the most scrumptious frozen yogurt. The nice thing about this store is that it's self-serve; so you choose your own flavor of yogurt (there's about 16 different kinds), you pick your own toppings, etc. I'm afraid I didn't get too many photos as I didn't want to make too much of a scene with my camera....

Speaking of scene.....I have a whopper of a story to share with you. Let me preface this story by saying that sometimes I am really embarrassed to be an American living here in Okinawa...you'll see what I mean in just a second...

Case in point. Today at Yogurtland. Yogurtland is a U.S. based store, the flavors of the yogurt may be a bit different to cater to local tastes; but everything else is the same. Including the pricing concept. Price is based on weight (per ounce in the States), pure and simple. And of course, here on Okinawa, the price is in yen. The price is 200 yen per 100 grams.

You would think people would read directions that are clearly visible in both ENGLISH and JAPANESE....that's what I thought until I was waiting in line behind this American family who made a BIG scene....(sigh).......

Instead of reading the directions at the front of the store, they each (there were four of them) filled their cups FULL of frozen yogurt. Then, they piled on the toppings. When they got their cups weighed at the cashier, they were utterly shocked when the cashier told them the total price. They were appalled and made quite a fuss about it. In the end, they paid the price and left.

Okay, I know, I know; they should get some credit for at least paying the bill and leaving...but really...it was ridiculous. I know we have all made mistakes as Americans living abroad in a foreign country at some point and that's fine. What's not fine is when you make a big scene and you are clearly the one to blame.

It just irritates me to no end when silly Americans super-size their yogurt and are shocked when they see the price....GRRRRRR....

Soooooo what's the point of my story? Well, it's this. Don't be ignorant. Read directions and follow what others are doing. If you notice that folks are not filling their cups to the brim with yogurt, why should you? SERIOUSLY.....

Anyway, I'll get off my soapbox now. I leave you with a photo of my yummy yogurt. I think my favorite flavor might be toasted coconut. Of course, you can sample as many flavors as you like, just remember, it's 200 yen per 100 grams!

Yum... :)

~Chrissy

PS: According to the Yogurtland Japanese website, there will be another location opening up on Kokusai Street on 8/19!

Pretty Okinawan Toes....

2009-07-31T03:23:00.000-07:00

Getting a pedicure here on Okinawa is an event....the nail salon (called Cocok's) serves you tea, massages your feet, and then paints them with beautiful nail art.

Now that's what I call pampering!

Isn't life on Okinawa, great!?

I leave you with a photo from tonight's sunset on Toguchi Beach, July 31, 2009........

~Chrissy

Sunflower Days....

2009-07-30T01:59:00.000-07:00

I love summertime in Okinawa....sure, it's hotter than heck out there, but the truth is the island is absolutely gorgeous this time of the year. It makes you realize just how lucky you are to be living on a sub-tropical island. Just take a look at this beautiful field of sunflowers near our house in Toguchi. On my way to work this morning, I saw several cars pulled over to snap a few pictures; so I decided to follow suit.

Nothing says summer like lazy days and sunflowers, right?! These flowers just brighten my day...

Here's a picture of myself, just for extra measure!

Happy Summer!

~Chrissy

The beat of the Drum:Obon Season

2009-07-17T04:56:00.001-07:00

Around this time of year on Okinawa, the sound of Eisa drums can be heard in Okinawan neighborhoods starting in the early evening going late into the night. Many of them practice months in advance....Even now as I type this, I can hear the drums....

If you haven't done so already, take advantage of this year's Obon season and make sure you check out this famous Okinawan tradition. The Eisa dance is truly an unique experience....

Just a tip: Obon is slated to be a bit later this year--with the peak expected to take place between August 8 to August 16th.

Enjoy the beat of the drum and make sure you take part in the culture of this wonderful island....

~Chrissy

Okinawan Visitors....

2009-07-11T00:00:00.000-07:00

Living on the sub-tropical island of Okinawa, there are just some things you have to get used to. The oppressive heat, the constant sweating, fruit bats, mosquitoes, even geckos! These little guys somehow manage to come into our house. I'm not sure how they do, but they do! I don't mind though. They eat mosquitoes so I allow them in the house since they do a pretty good job of getting rid of those pesky bloodsuckers.

So...wanting to capture the moment of an Okinawan gecko, I quickly snapped this picture.

Excuse the poor quality of the photo....This little guy was in our kitchen...

How would you like to have these visitors in your home?

~Chrissy

La-La-Lobsta in New England & Much More

2009-07-10T03:29:00.000-07:00

Now that I've had a chance to settle down from my most recent trip to the States, I've finally been able to get my photos downloaded from our camera. Unfortunately, it looks like I didn't take as many photos as I expected. Huh?....how did that happen?

Well, can't complain now...Here they are for your viewing pleasure.....

Here are the boys (Ray and Jari) at an Irish pub in New Haven, CT. We all took a trip to New Haven to see my younger brother Julian perform in a dance show.

On our way back to Rhode Island, we stopped at Mystic, CT. As a huge fan of the 1980's movie...(c'mon, you know you've all watched it)...I just had to take a picture at the pizza place made famous in the movie....

We even got a chance to walk around a bit and take in the sights. The weather was rainy and gray, but we managed to be in good spirits!

After our quick visit in Mystic, we headed to the casino Mohegan Sun, where we enjoyed a delicious steak dinner at Michael Jordan's steakhouse.

Once we returned to Rhode Island, Ray, Jari, Kev, and I went to Newport to eat seafood (we even got a chance to meet up with my brother in law Greg). I think we all ate our own weight in seafood....but it was well worth it.

Ray says "how about some lobsta?"

Later in the week, I went to Boston to visit my best friend Courtney for a few days...

She is currently pregnant and is due to deliver her first baby any day now. Best of luck, I love you...

Well, Kevin and I had a nice visit, but next time we'll take more pictures.... :)

~Chrissy

New England Trip...

2009-06-29T19:40:00.000-07:00

Hi Everyone,

Apologies for the lapse in blogging, but that's because I have just returned from a week and half trip to the States. New England to be exact. Kevin and I had a nice time reconnecting with old friends, eating our own weight in lobster, and even managed to meet up with our siblings. Anyway, now that I'm back on Okinawa, I can tell that the hot, muggy, summer has officially began. It was so much cooler in New England...sort of refreshing, really. And here, well it's hot, hot, hot ! Okay, I'll post a few pictures from our trip just as soon as I can.

Ta ta.....

~Chrissy

MCCS Broadcasting...Meet the Team

2009-06-10T17:09:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone,

I know you are waiting with bated breath for the next installation of our trip to Singapore, right?! Alas, I've been busy with school (I go to class Monday through Thursday) so I haven't had much time to spend time on the blog. But no worries, I'll do it this weekend!

In the meantime, for those of you who watch MCCS TV here on Okinawa....thought I would let you know that our website now has a "Meet the Team" page! Woohoo. Read up on me and my crazy colleagues.

Enjoy!

~Chrissy

The End of our Singapore Trip Part III

2009-06-07T19:22:00.000-07:00

After an exhausting day at the Singapore Zoo, Kevin and I spent the rest of our time in Singapore visiting some other popular landmarks including the Esplanade, the Performing Arts Center, and the Merlion. The Performing Arts Center is quite famous in Singapore as it is designed to look like a giant durian fruit. For those of you who don't remember what a durian is, take a look here.

Here are some photos we took at the waterfront with the Singapore Merlion.

Since we had one more night left in Singapore, later that night, we went to the park to watch a theatre performance of Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing. Despite the oppressive humid heat, we did enjoy the show. We even brought some crackers and wine with us.

If you have the chance to go to Singapore, I certainly recommend catching a show!

~Chrissy

Singapore Continued Part II....

2009-06-06T00:37:00.001-07:00

Well as promised here is the continuation of our trip to Singapore.

After the first day at the museum and Chinatown, that night Kev took me to Geylang street to have dinner at "The No Sign Board" seafood restaurant. This was my first time to Singapore, but Kev has passed through several times on his way to Diego Garcia for work. As a huge fan of this restaurant, Kev has always raved about the gigantic crab with white pepper and chili sauce.

There are several restaurants now in and about the city, but Kev believes the location at Geylang street is the best. Here's what the restaurant looked like:

Nothing too fancy....we decided to eat outside so we could people watch.

Apparently, the crab with chili sauce is a Singaporean specialty, but naturally as a seafood restaurant, there are a few other seafood delicacies to choose from.

As recommended by Kev though, we decided to go with the prawns in chili sauce and the crab with white pepper sauce. It was all a bit messy, but very good....Yum....

The following day, we got dressed and headed to the Singapore Zoo. The zoo is located just outside of the city limits within the Malaysian rainforest. The entire trip we had been sweating, but as soon as we arrived at the Zoo, it started to rain...We didn't mind though, this meant it was cooler! Awwww....relief.

While we waited for the rain to stop, we went into a little spa at the main entrance of the zoo. Here, Kev and I decided to dip our toes and receive some pampering---Dr. Fish style. For those who aren't up to date on this new therapy, let me explain:

Dr. Fish are better known as Garra Rufa. They are a type of fish that live in fresh water and are often used for patients with psoriasis. Well, obviously, I don't have psoriasis, but more and more often, the fish are being used by day spas and nail salons since the fish nibble dead skin off of toes and feet. Sounds gross, but actually, I think it works. Kev and I were offered some tea and then we were asked to dip our tootsies into an aquarium filled with hundreds of the little guys. We both received shoulder massages while the Dr. Fish went to work on our feet.

The fish don't hurt, they mostly tickle, but every once in awhile I saw one large one really going to town on my icky callous on my toe.... :)

Here's a shot of Kev's tootsies with the Dr. Fish....

There were a few other guests enjoying their treatment.....

Once we were done with the Dr. Fish, we headed into the zoo. The zoo was full of so many animals...I mean, really, it was amazing. And since most of the zoo is built into the natural rainforest, many of the animals had enormous enclosures and habitats. In some cases, we could get very close to the animals....

I'm not sure how many animal species exist here, but just take a look at this cute road sign and you'll get an idea....

We saw baboons.....

Orangutans....just look at how close we were to them.....they are free-range so they are able to climb ropes and walk about the zoo.

Asian elephants.......

Rhinos and giraffes.....

And then we got to see a Mommy lemur and her baby! So cute.....

And last but not least, tigers...White bengal tigers.....

We had a wonderful day at the zoo, but later that night, the fun continued. Once night fell, we stayed at the zoo to take part in the "Night Safari" to view the animals at night....unfortunately we weren't able to take any photos due to the poor lighting.

Then we went back to the hotel to sleep as we were exhausted.....nothing like walking around for 8 hours! :)

Well, due to the long nature of this post, I think I'll reserve the rest of the photos for another post.

Stay tuned for part III!

~Chrissy

We interrupt this program with a special report...

2009-05-29T00:29:00.000-07:00

All-right....so I know shoes are MY thing. I own so many pairs of shoes, my Dad once called me Imelda Marcos. But despite the plethora of shoes that I own (most of which I wasn't able to bring with me to Okinawa....(sniff, sniff); every now and then I come across one pair of shoes that become a part of me...Can anyone relate? You know what I'm talking about. The pair of shoes that become a part of your pemanent wardrobe. You know the pair you MUST wear whenever, wherever, with whatever you can.

Case in point: My new Malindi crocs in Black.

I was able to purchase this fine specimen while vacationing in Hawaii. Hooray!

I know there are some folks out there who can't stand these "ugly plastic" shoes, but as a huge fan, all I can say is that they are soooooo comfortable, not to mention, sorta chic. :)

So before you knock them, give them a try. Did I mention they are washable? Yep, kiss those smelly shoes goodbye. Crocs can be washed in the sink, in the dishwasher, or even in the washer.

I *heart* them......

Okay, you can now go back to whatever you were doing before you read this post.

~Chrissy

Adventures in Singapore

2009-05-28T04:22:00.001-07:00

Kevin and I had a wonderful time in Singapore, we spent five days in the city over the long Memorial weekend. We knew it would be hot, but we weren't expecting it to be over 90 degrees the entire time we were there! Wow...

However, despite the heat, we enjoyed ourselves. We stayed at the Carlton Hotel which was centrally located in the city and allowed us to easily get around to visit all the sites.

On our first day, we walked into a shopping center to get some relief from the heat and decided to have our first Singaporean breakfast. Here I am enjoying toast with kaya. Kaya is a local jam-like spread made with eggs, milk, sugar and coconut. It is spread on toast and often eaten accompanied with runny eggs. I wasn't a huge fan of the runny eggs, but I did enjoy my toast with kaya. Oh...and the coffee was pretty tasty too. Definitely different from standard American drip coffee. :)

Later in the day, we headed to the National Singapore Museum. This museum has several exhibits within its walls, but our favorite had to be the History exhibit. The History exhibit chronicles the very international history of Singapore and all of its immigrants. Singapore has a rich history as it was colonized by the British and later occupied by the Japanese during WWII.

Singpoare, now of course, is a major cosmopolitan city with large populations of Malays, Thais, Chinese, Indians, and ex-pats. Although several languages are spoken here on this island state, English is the official dominant language. Take a look at a sign I found at the train station. It sorta made me chuckle.

For those who don't know, durian is a type of tropical fruit found here in Southeast Asia. It is often called the "king of fruits." Durian is a large fruit with a hard thorn-like shell and emits a strong smell. So horrible is the smell, the fruit is banned on trains in Singapore. I have to say, I've never tried it, but from what I've heard, it tastes like custardy garlic and milk....so I'm not so sure I want to give durian a taste. Anyway, I digress.

Back to our trip....after the visit to the Museum, we found ourselves in Chinatown for lunch. We were able to find a place where several hawker stands sold multiple Chinese dishes. I was a little wary with eating at a hawker stand, but Kevin assured me that we would be fine.

To be honest, the food was actually quite yummy. The above photo is BBQ Pork with Hainese rice.

While in Chinatown, we came across a beautiful temple, the Sri Mariamman temple. As we walked inside, we could hear monks chanting. We could smell incense burning and our eyes were amazed by all the Buddhist statues covered in gold.

It was an amazing place....

Unfortunately I'm going to end this post here, but do stay tuned for part II of our adventures in Singapore. More on that later....

~Chrissy

Back from Singapore....

2009-05-25T18:46:00.000-07:00

Kevin and I have just returned home after a 5 day trip to Singapore. We had a great time, although it was about 30 degrees hotter in Singapore than it was here in Okinawa. Thank goodness Kev and I are used to the heat, because it was soooo hot. If that wasn't bad enough, it was also humid. Yikes....we pretty sweat through our clothes just walking around the city.

However, aside from the heat, Singapore is an interesting city. Our favorite attraction has to be the Singapore Zoo. Nestled in the tropical rainforest, the Singapore Zoo allows visitors to get quite close with the animals. It was unbelievable.

I'll post photos just as soon as we unpack. For now, it's back to work.

Hope everyone had a lovely Memorial Day!

Love, Chrissy :)

The Japanese Cousins Visit Oki

2009-05-20T07:45:00.000-07:00

My Japanese cousins Kaori & Yumi (along with Yumi's husband Satoru) flew to Okinawa last weekend for a short visit. Both of my cousins had never been here despite the fact they live in mainland! We had a lovely time and it was wonderful to be able to show them our lovely island home. Although Kev and I live in Japan, we haven't had too many opportunities to see each other. The last real visit we had with each other was at our wedding in Maryland almost 3 years ago.

Waaaaaaay too long.

Anyway, I leave you with this photo of my cousin Yumi, Kevin, and I at Toguchi Beach....

More photos to come....

Kaori, Nene, and Satoru....Okinawa ni asobi ni kite arigato!

~Chrissy

Life & Culture of the U.S. vs Japan

2009-05-11T17:32:00.000-07:00

Photo courtesy: www.chinaculturaltoursuk.com/tours/japan-beijing

When Kevin and I have the chance to go back to the States, I often end up over-analyzing and making comparisons of every-day culture and life in the U.S. to life and culture in Japan.

Case in point: On our recent trip to Hawaii, we went to a fine-dining establishment at our hotel to have dinner. To be honest, this restaurant (I'm not going to divulge the name of this restaurant because the name of the restaurant isn't the point)wasn't a 5 star restaurant. But....still it was supposed to be a somewhat upscale restaurant as there were linen tablecloths and napkins at every table. The restaurant was crowded with guests, so I was greatly surprised when our waiter came to take our order. Let me just preface this by saying that I've worked in the restaurant industry myself. I know how important hand-washing is....so you can imagine my utter surprise (& disgust really) when I saw the hands and fingers of our waiter. His hands weren't covered with dirt or anything...but what I DID see amazed me....As our waiter took our order and brought a basket of bread to our table...I noticed that he had black dirt embedded under his fingernails....Most people probably wouldn't notice this small little detail, but I did. And all I could think of was how this waiter could not have not known his hands and fingernails were dirty. Did he not wash his hands? Did he not care that he worked at an upscale restaurant that prides itself on its reputation?

In Japan, presentation and appearance is key. You can walk into a fast-food restaurant and easily see how clean and orderly everything is...so why isn't this kind of behavior and focus on appearances present in the U.S? It's possible our waiter worked another job as an auto mechanic or something, but still....hand-washing is not only sanitary, it's important for appearances.

Kevin and I did end up ordering from the menu, but each time the waiter came to our table, all I could do was stare at his hands.

Now that I'm living in Japan, sometimes I can't help but make comparisons like this. If outward appearances and presentation are so imporant in Japanese culture, why can't it be important in American culture? Hmmmm?

If you have thoughts or comments on this subject, please share!

~Chrissy :)

Aloha from Hawaii (Part II)

2009-05-09T02:58:00.000-07:00

This is a continuation from our trip to Hawaii. Kev and I enjoyed a week in the sun, after spending some time at Diamond Head and the North Shore, we went shopping OF COURSE! Whenever we go home to the States, a shopping trip is usually a must! After we walked around the mall for several hours, we did go back to our sight-seeing.

We went to Pearl Harbor to check out the memorials. We even went to the Pearl Harbor Aviation Museum. Here are a few pictures of the USS Utah Memorial. This was a ship that was bombed by the Japanese in WWII.

This is the old air traffic control tower that was used in the war. You can see how it was damaged in the war. The Pearl Harbor Aviation Museum is right across the street.

And of course, here are some pictures from the USS Arizona Memorial. Hard to believe the ship still sits on the bottom of the ocean floor.

While Kev and I were at Pearl Harbor, we found this huge banyan tree. Since we have so many of these kind of trees of Okinawa, guess I was surprised to see them on Hawaii. This one had all sorts of carvings on it. Kinda cool.

After visiting the memorials, we ended our day at the movies! Since we don't have the opportunity to view movies on IMAX or 3D for that matter, we opted to see Monsters vs. Aliens--the animated film from DreamWorks. Here I am with my dorky 3D glasses. 3D technology has changed a lot since the 80's and the days of Captain EO. :)

The next day, Kevin and I drove over to Kaneohe Bay. On our way, we stopped at this park to take some pictures at the lookout.

The last day in Hawaii, we went to the Waikiki Aquarium. It's not as large as say the Churaumi Aquarium here in Okinawa or the Monterey Bay Aquarium in Monterey, California, but it's run by the University of Hawaii, so it's nice to support them.

Look! Moon jellies!

On our way home to the hotel, we came across this beautiful sunset.

Since it was Kevin's 31st birthday (imagine spending it in Hawaii!?!)--we decided to get dinner at the Yards Restaurant in Waikiki. This restaurant has about 80 different beers on tap. Not such a big deal for me, but hey, it's HIS birthday. They DO have this wonderful Hawaiian Ahi Poke Salad that is to DIE for though.....soooo good.

This is our plate after we finished the Poke salad. All done. :)

We had a nice time in Hawaii and can't wait to go back.

Enjoy the photos!

~Chrissy

Space-A Gets Us To Hawaii!!!

2009-05-05T02:02:00.000-07:00

Those of you who read my previous post titled "The Joys of Traveling on Space-A" may be quite familiar with the headaches we had to endure to try to get off this island of Okinawa....

Well, I'm here to tell you, patience pays off. Yes, folks, the good news is that despite the fact we tried to fly Space A a total of 3 times in one weekend, we kept our eyes open for flight schedules and destinations; and we were finally able to get two seats bound for Hickam AFB in Hawaii. We had originally thought of going all the way to the West Coast to Travis AFB in California....but of course, after spending close to 11 hours on a military plane (it was a freezing KC-135 aircraft) enroute to Hawaii, we decided to just stay put.

If I can offer any advice for Space A travelers, let me say this, it pays to organize and plan several itineraries and be flexible to several destinations. Kevin and I had researched hotels, places to visit, and rental cars at two different destinations (including Hawaii and the San Francisco bay area) so when we found ourselves too tired to travel any farther after getting to Hickam, we were fine with it.

We spent about a week in beautiful and sunny Waikiki. Using Space A to fly to Hawaii, Kevin and I easily saved about 3 thousand dollars on airfare. Guess when you figure that Space A allows you to travel for free, you realize sitting on a freezing military aircraft isn't too bad. Kevin and I were prepared. We brought hats, gloves, fleeces, as well as a small blanket to keep us warm on the flight. Space A isn't designed for comfort-- no peanuts or free movies here. But....so long you're prepared with blankets and ear plugs, you should be fine. :)

Our first few nights we stayed in a hotel right on the Waikiki beach strip. The Outrigger Ohana Beachcomber resort. The hotel was nice, but since it was the midst of all the tourist attractions, it was a little too busy and noisy for our tastes. We were able to secure a nice room at the Hale Koa (the hotel/resort for military personnel) in a much quieter and secluded location of Waikiki.

This above photo is a view of Diamond Head from Waikiki.

This above photo is a statue of "Duke." Apparently, he's famous for bringing surfing to Hawaii.

We drove over to Diamond Head to do some sight-seeing and was even able to find a microbrewery on our way. Don't be so surprised, you should know my husband is always on a lookout for these places. ;)

At Diamond Head, Kevin led me through a secret tunnel with close access to the water. We were even able to spot a few sea turtles! You may need to enlarge this photo to see him!

We also spent some time at the North Shore of Oahu. This area of the island is famous for surfing. We don't see waves like this in Okinawa!

Here's a photo of the road sign for the historic town of Haleiwa.

Haleiwa is home to Matsumoto's. This place is an icon, well known for its Hawaiian shave ice.

Just look at all the flavors. Azuki beans with condensed milk, anyone?

Stay tuned for part II....more to come later.

Aloha!

~Chrissy

The Joys of Traveling on Space A.....

2009-04-19T21:45:00.001-07:00

For those of you who are non-military, let me first explain what Space A is. Space A is a way for us military folk to travel by air for little or no cost. It's a nice little travel benefit, but it takes A LOT of time, patience, and most of all flexibility. I'm fine on the time part, it's just the patience and flexibility part that really gets me. :)

Space A stands for "Space Available" and that's exactly what it is. Passengers are only allowed to fly on DoD (Department of Defense) flights when and if there are seats available.

We are currently on EML leave (for you non-military folks, this is environmental morale leave), so we are authorized to use Space A to fly to the States. So with that, we decided we wanted to fly to Seattle to attend a friend's wedding. Well, it didn't work out so well. We went to the air terminal on Kadena AFB 3 times over the course of the weekend, trying to catch flights to the States. Flights either were cancelled (not allowing any passengers) or had no seats available.

Sooooooo frustrating. Not only did we miss the wedding, we spent three days getting up at 3am just to be told, we couldn't fly.

Grrr.....you would think I would be used to this.....considering my Air Force father used this nice benefit to travel our family to exotic destinations like Korea and the Philippines when we were stationed at Yokota AFB in Tokyo. I'm not entirely sure how my mother and father coped with two small children in tow. Unfortunately as an adult, I think my own patience is waning....

So with that, let me offer my two cents on Space A.

Space A can be a bit frustrating, so relieve your stress by understanding the rules. Just because an aircraft is flying, doesn't mean there are seats. Keep in mind there are categories. Certain folks get priority. Active duty usually go first and then folks with EML leave. Families with children, dependents, and retirees all follow suit. The other golden rule? Remember, the military mission comes first. Plain and simple. Most of all be patient and flexible. You can't just decide on one location. If you want to fly to the Pacific, pick more than one location to fly into. Be prepared to wait. Try to use Space-A during non-peak times. If you plan to fly during the summer, remember that's when everyone else wants to fly as well. There are also certain destinations that are more popular than others. Keep in mind that you may get stuck somewhere, so plan ahead.

Another tip is to find out what kind of aircraft you are flying. The terminal may not be able to give this information to you over the phone, but they should be able to tell you in person. Some aircraft are designed only for cargo, so if you fly on this, you may be errr...uncomfortable.

Hope you enjoyed this installation of "The joys of traveling on Space A."

~Chrissy

Finally, dinner for two!

2009-03-29T05:16:00.000-07:00

I've been in non-stop rehearsals for the show "Children of Eden," so naturally I haven't been home for dinners for the last two months. Well, now that the show has opened, my evenings are opening up again; which means DINNER WITH KEVIN! Don't get me wrong, I love to perform and the show is just great (read about it in the below post)....but I do miss having dinners with my husband.

Since today was pretty much a lazy day, we lounged around the house for most of it....we decided to stay in and have dinner at home.

For my birthday, my mother in law bought me a great cookbook, "Barefoot Contessa Back to Basics." I've always loved Ina Garten's show on the Food Network, so I never worry about any of her recipes. I looked in the fridge and freezer to see what we could make. Garlic cloves, check! Fresh green beans, check! Hmmmm....we have bay scallops....Why not scallops gratin served with oven roasted green beans? Sounds delish.

I must preface this by saying it can be hard at times to find fresh seafood like scallops and other shellfish here on Okinawa. I know, I know, we're an island! But.... unless you buy fresh seafood off base or at a fisherman's market, it's not readily available.

The base Commissary (both at Kadena and Foster) has probably about the worst fresh seafood around. Most of it is previously frozen....Ick.... There is one alternative that I've found and this is Coleson's Catch in the frozen food section. All of the seafood is flash frozen and then vacuum sealed. All you need to do is defrost it properly and voila....perfect seafood. Just make sure you look at the packaging before buying...you want to avoid any seafood that might look freezer burned. This means the vacuum seal is compromised.

Anyway, back to our dinner..... Ina Garten's recipe for Bay Scallops Gratin is as follows. I made a few changes to it:

Bay Scallops Gratin
makes 3 gratins (we didn't make individual gratins, I just used a shallow casserole dish)

1 tablespoon unsalted butter, at room temperature
3 large garlic cloves, minced
1 medium shallot, minced
1 ounce thinly sliced prosciutto di Parma, minced (We didn't add any...one of those food items we can't get here on Okinawa...)
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley, plus extra for garnish (we didn't have any fresh, so I used dried parsley)
1 tablespoon of lemon juice
1 teaspoon of kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon of freshly ground pepper
3 tablespoons of olive oil
1/4 cup of Japanese panko bread crumbs
3 tablespoons of dry white wine (If you don't have any white wine, use a white lager beer....sounds strange, but actually it adds a nice flavor...)
1 pound of bay scallops (We used Coleson's Catch frozen scallops)
Lemon, for garnish

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Place 3 (6-inch round) gratin dishes on a sheet pan. To make the topping, place the butter in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. With the mixer on low speed, add the garlic, shallot, prosciutto, parsley, lemon juice, salt and pepper and mix until combined. With mixer on low, add the olive oil slowly as though making mayonnaise, until combined. Fold the panko in with a rubber spatula and set aside. Place 1 tablespoon of the wine (or beer in our case) in the bottom of each gratin dish. Pat scallops dry with a paper towel and distribute them evenly among the 3 dishes. Spoon the garlic butter evenly over the top of the scallops. Bake for 10-12 minutes, until the topping is golden and sizzling and the scallops are barely done. If you want a crustier top, place the dishes under the broiler for 2 minutes, until browned. Finish with a squeeze of lemon juice and sprinkling of parsley and serve immediately with crusty French bread.

In our case, we served the scallops with oven roasted green beans tossed in olive oil and fresh ground black pepper and sea salt. We served the scallops with some plain white rice....

Dinner was great and it was wonderful to be able to spend the night with my husband! Finally, dinner for two!

Bon appetit!

~Chrissy :)

Children of Eden.....

2009-03-27T18:48:00.000-07:00

Well, last night was opening night, and we opened to a fairly large crowd! Usually, we have some problems filling seats on opening nights, but NOT last night....The show also went surprisingly well.

So on that note, let me just put in a brief plug and ask you all on island to come out and see it. We'll be performing Children of Eden for the next two weekends, so come out and see the show! For more information on show times, be sure to check out our website.

~Chrissy

An Okinawan Weekend

2009-03-22T01:14:00.001-07:00

This weekend, Kevin and I went out to enjoy the sun. It's currently the rainy season here on Okinawa, so you really have to enjoy the nice weather while you can. With the sun in the sky, we headed north to Cape Zanpa to do a bit of exploring. We climbed around on the rocks, found a cave, and even enjoyed the sea spray in the air.

On our way home, we stopped off at the Onna Village market(off of Route 58 near the Renaissance Hotel). This market is unlike any other fruit/vegetable markets I've been to (it's open all year round) and they have the most AMAZING assortment of local produce. A friend of mine who owns a home based business delivering vegetables turned me onto this place. Funny thing is, I had no idea it existed until she took me here. Kevin and I are real lucky because, it's only about 15 minute drive from our house. So now, whenever we are in need of fresh local vegetables or fruit, we come here.

It's also a nice thought to know that Kevin and I are supporting our local farmers by buying the vegetables. And you can't beat the prices, especially when you compare them to the lousy produce we often find at the base Commissary. Today, Kevin and I bought some salad greens, tomatoes, and even some zuchinni. Last time I saw zuchinni at the Commissary, it was $6.00 for two. Yikes. Compare that to the $2.00 I spent for three of them today. Needless to say, we try to buy most of our veggies here. It's just much cheaper and better this way...

The best part of Onna Village Market, however, has to be the outdoor vendors/food stalls. They have an Okinawan soba food stall, a place where you can get the most yummy Okinawan donuts (known as "sata andagi"), an ice-cream stall, a place for other Okinawan goodies, as well as a fisherman's market, and a Parisian boulangerie. Sound strange?! Believe it! Actually, a local blog here on Okinawa called "Okinawa Hai" wrote about the boulangerie already, so I'll let you read about it there.

The Fisherman's Market is a pretty cool place. Most of the fish items are already cooked, but for those of you who like raw stuff, don't worry there's plenty of that! You can either buy the stuff to eat there or take some for the road!

All in all, we had a nice weekend. We even got home just in time to close all the windows before a huge rain storm hit. Whew...Did I mention how much I love the rainy season?

~Chrissy

Emmy is here! And other news....

2009-03-19T00:12:00.000-07:00

Okay, I know it's been a while since my last post....BUT please let me explain.

My term with University of Maryland was coming to a close, so my eyeballs were deep into my books. On top of that, rehearsals for the next POP's show I'm in, "Children of Eden" were really starting to pick up (we open at the Foster Performing Arts Theatre on March 27th by the way;)...so needless to say, I was a bit preoccupied. The good news is I'm here, I'm posting something now. So how about some updates?

Earlier this week, we heard from my MIL Donna (back in PA) that my Emmy statuette had arrived! Woot! Woot! For those of you who don't know, during my Discovery Channel days, I served as "supervising producer" for the channel on the game show "Cash Cab." In 2007, the show won "Outstanding Game Show/Entertainment Program" in the Daytime Emmys. As a member of the production staff, I was fortunate to be eligible to receive my very own statue! So flashforward almost 7 months--and the statue is FINALLY HERE! Okay, so it's not HERE in Okinawa, but hey, that's okay. My MIL Donna has promised to take very good care of it. :)

In other news, my very talented brother Julian, has a HUGE show/dance piece titled "Sound Memory" debuting in NYC this weekend. Unfortunately, Kevin and I will not be able to make the affair, but we send our love! Apparently, Julian's show is a good excuse for a family reunion of sorts...My mother has travelled all the way from Abu Dhabi to make the show and my MIL and FIL (Donna and John) are making a special trip from PA!

Knock 'Em Dead, Julian! We love you.

Love from Okinawa, Chrissy

Izakaya "Tonneau"

2009-03-06T20:19:00.001-08:00

Last weekend, we went out to dinner with some friends at an "izakaya." An "izakaya" is Japanese for a bar/pub establishment where drinks are served along with heavy appetizers. Usually if you're in the mood to try your hand at a variety of different kinds of Japanese food, an "izakaya" is your best bet. You can order the standard pub fare of fried foods like french fries or you can even be daring and order stuff like sushi, yakisoba, grilled skewers like squid, chicken, etc. It's pretty similar to "tapas" where you can share the plates with your friends. "Izakayas" are quite popular in Japan and it's not uncommon to see places full with employees socializing with each other after work.

The "izakaya" we went to last weekend was a little unique. It's exterior is shaped like a gigantic barrel. Yes, that's right, a barrel. Don't take MY word for it, take a look!

The place is called "Tonneau" and despite the funky exterior, the food was delish! We were all surprised by how good the food was. They have quite a list of "awamori" so next time we go, we'll have to try some...

Kevin and I had a good time with our friends. Unfortunately, they are set to move back to the States in another month.

Thanks for a fun night, Natalia and Adrian!

~Chrissy :)

Japanese Baseball: Yokohama Bay Stars

2009-02-28T04:28:00.000-08:00

Kevin and I went to see a Japanese baseball game today. For those of you who don't know, Japanese professional baseball teams from mainland come to Okinawa in the spring for training. Okinawans don't often get the opportunity to watch games, so while the teams are here for training, they hold practice games. We saw the Yokohama Bay Stars vs. the Nippon Ham Fighters at Ginowan Stadium/Okinawa Convention Center. And yes, if you're wondering why they have odd names, this is because in Japan, baseball teams are named after their sponsors or corporations that own them.

Here are a few photos from the game.

After the game, we came across an auto show (also being held at the Convention Center) and saw this Pikachu car!

You gotta love Japan!

~Chrissy

Do I "really" want to know....

2009-02-26T05:21:00.000-08:00

That is the burning question, isn't it? Okay, so for folks who can't read my mind, what I am talking about is my upcoming Microfit Fitness Assessment scheduled for March. I've been really trying hard to get back to a regular fitness routine so I can get back to my slim 20 something body (**insert sneering laugh here**). That said, I've made it a personal mission to go to the gym every day. So I'm going to get tested! Yep, the process is called Microfit and apparently it's all the rage at gyms all over the country. Here on Okinawa though, I believe only MCCS owned facilities are offering it.

During the test, your body fat and heart rate are measured, your blood pressure monitored, even your flexibility and core strength are evaluated. Cool, huh?

Long story short, hopefully, this assessment will tell me what areas I need to work on. So like the title of this post, do you think I "really" want to know? Inquiring minds say "YES!"

I'll let you know how it goes...and hopefully I'll see some good results from my frequent time at the gym. And if not, at least, I'll know what to work on! :)

For more information about Microfit, check out their website at http://www.microfit.com.

~Chrissy

See Me In Action (well....only if you want to....)

2009-02-24T16:47:00.000-08:00

Greetings to all you faithful readers out there,

I apologize for the lapse in blog posts. I'm afraid things have been rather crazy lately. My mother was sick and in the hospital for a bit; and with rehearsals for the musical "Children of Eden" and classes for school, I was just too pooped to write anything. Anyway, the good news is that Mom is fine and now I actually have something to write about!

Introducing MCCS TV.com! This is a new website that was created for the cable access channel that I work at here in Okinawa. Now you have the opportunity to see me in action as a producer, director, on-camera host extraordinaire!

Take a look! Hai Sai Okinawa is just one of the programs that I produce.

Enjoy!

~Chrissy :0

My thoughts on getting older....

2009-02-03T16:12:00.000-08:00

In about 16 days, I will be one year older. Yep, that's right, I will be celebrating a milestone, my 32nd birthday.

February 20th is the day of my birth; while I ordinarily enjoy celebrating birthdays, this is one that I'm not all that giddy about.

Perhaps it's the fact that for the first time in my life, I actually feel (shall I say it?..*gasp*....)....OLD.

You know, there was a time, when I was the "young" one. I was the "youngest" producer in my office when I worked in TV news. I was the "youngest" grad student when I was in grad school at BU.... And when I was at Discovery/Animal Planet, I was successful and accomplished for a producer my age. What happened?! Wah!!

Now that Kev and I live on Okinawa, I no longer feel "young." I know that sounds pretty silly to blame an island, but if you think about it, this island is full of military personnel (some of whom are young, enlisted, and unmarried), so it's no wonder I feel the way that I do.

I just have to remember that while I may be getting older, the good news is that I have accomplished SO much in my life.

I have been fortunate to travel to exotic locations, study at university in a foreign country, have a successful TV producer career, and snag a great husband as my other half. Isn't that great? I did ALL that! All that and I'm only 31....oh wait....

I'm 32....I'm 32 years young.... :0)

Here's to celebrating another milestone.

Love, Chrissy

The secret of staying young is to live honestly, eat slowly, and lie about your age.
- Lucille Ball

Seoul, Korea--ski, ski, ski!

2009-01-23T19:12:00.000-08:00

We enjoyed being in the city of Seoul, but both Kev and I were excited to go to Yong Pyong ski resort. This resort is about a 2 and half hour bus ride from the city. Since it had been over a year and half since Kevin and I last went skiing, we couldn't wait to get there!

Yong Pyong is a nice ski resort (even if you're a snowboarder), they have a large number of trails for beginner, intermediate, and advanced skiiers. They have a large number of ski lifts, including a gondola that takes you to a peak, called Dragon Peak.

We opted to stay at the resort at the Dragon Valley Hotel. There are several options for sleeping accommodations at Yong Pyong. There are a large number of private condo residences as well as a hostel. The room at the Dragon Valley Hotel wasn't too fancy, but since we would only be spending time sleeping there, we didn't mind.

Yong Pyong likes to boast and call themself an "all-seasons resort." If you don't want to ski, you can certainly spend a day at their indoor water park complete with a breaker pool, water slides, and more. During the warmer season, the resort hosts several golf tournaments.

Here's a view of the ski resort with our hotel.

The above photo is a view of some of the condo residences at the resort.

We had a great three days of skiing at the resort and even managed to put in a nice hike/stroll at the Dragon Peak.

Self taken portrait of Kev and I on the gondola.

The weather at the resort was cold, here's just a sample of exactly how cold. This is in Celcius, but still, this is COLD...

So what do you do to keep warm? Drink beer, of course!

Here are a few photos from our hike/stroll at the peak at Yong Pyong.

After our hike, we had lunch at the restaurant at the Peak. This is "tonkatsu"-Korean style. "Tonkatsu" is pork cutlet.

Here's a poster from a Korean drama "Winter Sonata" that was filmed on location at Yong Pyong.

All in all, we had a great 10 day trip to Korea. I leave you with this last photo of the huge crowds at Yong Pyong. Hope we can go skiing again soon!

If you want to see more photos, don't forget to check out my Facebook page!

Love, Chrissy :)

Seoul, Korea Part ii

2009-01-23T17:51:00.001-08:00

As promised, this is a continuation of our trip to Seoul, Korea. While in Korea, we also went to the N. Seoul Tower which is a pretty popular tourist attraction. The tower measures 236.7 m (777 ft) in height (from the base) and tops out at 479.7 m (1,574 ft) above sea level. The tower (similar to towers in other international cities) has several restaurants and observation decks. The top decks charge a small fee.

This above picture is a photo of urinals in the mens' bathroom at the top of the tower. Kevin got a real kick out of being able to "pee" on top of Seoul. I did visit the womens' bathroom, but unfortunately, it just wasn't as exciting.

A night view of the city lights of Seoul.

Once we got to the top of the tower, we noticed all these locks on display. I'm not sure what the significance is of the locks, but I've heard the tower is very popular with couples. I think the belief is that if you place a lock on the tower, your relationship with your significant other is expected to last (be locked in other words) and not be broken. Kinda of a nice thought, don't you think?

This is Namdaemun market. This is one of several outdoor markets in Seoul. You can buy everything here and the prices are real cheap. Always make sure you negotiate!

Due to the fact it was so cold out, I didn't feel much like shopping. I think Kevin may have been glad about that!

We also went to the National Museum of Korea. This museum was built in 2005 and features large exhibitions on Korean archeology, history, anthropology and art. Cool place!

This above photo is a photo Kevin took during a coffee break. I was surrounded by all these hungry pigeons! They wanted a piece of my SoyJoy bar. No, miiiiiiine!

Here are a few photos from inside the museum, the museum had some really interesting architecture.

Following the museum, we headed over to the Noryangjin fish market. I have to tell you, this market has to be one of the largest I've seen!

Look at the size of these shrimp!

Of course, no visit to a fish market would be complete without eating some seafood!

With our bellies full, we headed back downtown to see a musical theatre performance called "Nanta." It's funny, the audience in the theatre was a mix of Koreans, Japanese, Europeans and Americans. No worries if you can't speak Korean, this show did not contain any dialogue. Laughter is universal. The best way I can describe this show is to say: combine the Blue Man group with cooking and you get "Nanta!" I'll leave it at that! We both enjoyed the performance.

After four days in Seoul, it was time for skiing! We took a bus and headed to Yong Pyong ski resort. This is one of the largest and most popular ski resorts in Korea!

More on that in a later post.....

~Chrissy

Our Seoul, Korea Trip

2009-01-23T04:53:00.000-08:00

Sorry for the delay, but things have been a bit busy this week since Kev and I returned to Okinawa, so it's taken me longer than I expected to get our photos from our 10 day Korea trip onto ye olde blog.

Korea was so much fun. We knew from having a 8 hour layover in Seoul last year, that it was going to be cold, but I think COLD was really an understatement. It was FREEZING. I don't think the weather ever got above 32 degrees the whole time we were in Korea.

Anyway, enough whining, let's get to it....Kevin and I had booked this trip on our own. After visiting the various tour/travel agencies on island as well as on the bases, we figured it would be best for us to create our own trip. The U.S. dollar is very strong against the Korean won right now, so instead of staying at budget hotels, we decided to put up the cash and stay in 5 star hotels.

We flew to Incheon airport in Seoul from Naha on Asiana airlines. The total flight was about 2 and half hours. Upon arriving in Seoul, we took an airport shuttle bus into the city where our hotel was located. Our first hotel was the Sofitel, located in the Myeong Dong district of the city. We decided to stay in this area of Seoul because we wanted to be within walking or subway riding distance to some of the more popular tourist sites. Thankfully, our hotel was just a 5 minute walk to a subway stop. **As a sidenote, I should add that after the ski resort, we spent one last night in Seoul. We stayed in the Gangnam district at the Ritz Carlton (I think I prefer the Gangnam district more as there were more restaurants and shops there.)**

Here's a photo of a billboard we found in the subway. Western fast food chains in Asia including McDonald's, KFC, and Burger King usually customize their menu to meet local tastes. How would you like to try a Honey Potato Burger? Sounds appetizing, no?

On our first full day, we decided to visit one of the many palaces in Seoul, the Gyeonbok Palace (also known as the Gyeongbokgung Palace). This palace was originally built in 1394 by King Taejo. Unfortunately part of the palace was destroyed during the Japanese invasion in 1592. Thankfully, it was restored during the reign of Daewon-gun in 1867 and still stands today for tourists to see. The palace also has two museums on site.

We felt real sorry for the guards they had dressed in Joseon era costumes. This is one job I don't think I'd want. Standing outside in the COLD!?!?! No, thanks.

The palace is quite cool, it's amazing to see the Korean architecture.

We also went to a traditional Korean village where several houses were built from the Joseon era. Looking at the houses, you can sort of imagine what life must have been like for the people living in that time period. Koreans have a underfloor heating system called "ondol" which uses direct heat from a fire to the underside of a masonry floor. Of course, during this time, the only way to heat the floors was to keep a fire burning outside of the house. So one had to run outside and stoke the fire to keep the floors (which were made from stone) heated. The exhaust from the fire is vented to the outside.

These clay pots below are used by Koreans for kimchee and soybean paste. Usually the kimchee and soybean paste is placed into the pots and then buried in the ground to ferment.

Kevin and I had a funny encounter while we were in the Korean village. We were approached by a small crowd of Korean elementary students who wanted to use their English with us. There's nothing like having 10 to 15 Korean kids yelling "Hello!" They were so fascinated by us "fair skin" people, they asked to have a photograph taken with us. Perhaps because we live in Okinawa (where there is a large foreign population) we haven't had this sort of thing happen to us. However, I certainly didn't expect to stick out as much as we did in Korea!

Well, I'll post some more photos from the rest of our trip soon! That's about all I can handle for tonight.

Nighty-night.

~Chrissy

Back from Seoul, Korea

2009-01-19T17:25:00.000-08:00

Kev and I have just returned from a 10 day trip to Seoul, Korea. It was a great trip, although it was very COLD! We just got in yesterday so I'll post photos just as soon as I can.

In other news, tomorrow is inauguration day! Time for change, everyone!

Let's wish our new president Obama, all the best.

~Chrissy :)

Happy New Year!

2009-01-05T03:18:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year, welcome to the year of the ox! Kevin and I hope that 2009 is full of much happiness and joy....

Good luck to all of you with New Years' resolutions! I know I'll need it for mine. :)

Love, Chrissy

There's a fine, fine line between together and not.
And there's a fine, fine line between what you wanted and what you got.
You gotta go after the things you want while you're still in your prime...
There's a fine, fine line between love...
And a waste of time.
-From the musical 'Avenue Q'

Christmas in Okinawa....

2008-12-31T17:55:00.001-08:00

Kevin and I celebrated our very first Christmas holiday alone....just the two of us. And what better way to celebrate than with a small little Charlie Brown Christmas tree? Here is a photo of our little tree lit up with lights. It wasn't much of a tree, but we liked it. :)

We even had a little train at the base.

For Christmas dinner, Kev made beef tenderloin with a bordelaise sauce. We also had roasted red potatoes with garlic and steamed green beans.

At the end of our dinner, we celebrated with a small Christmas cake from a local Japanese bakery.

And that was our Christmas in Okinawa.

Hope you enjoyed your holidays!

Happy New Year!

Love, Chrissy & Kevin

Merry Christmas!

2008-12-24T19:55:00.000-08:00

Or as they would say here in Japan, "Merry Christmasu!"

It is Christmas day here on the lovely island of Okinawa, so from our family to yours, have a wonderful, holly, jolly Christmas!

Love, Chrissy & Kevin

School's Out

2008-12-18T21:03:00.000-08:00

Woohoo! Can I get a "Woohoo!?" Yes, I'm a bit excited that this term with the University of Maryland is over. Now I can relax and actually enjoy the holidays. And my goodness, Christmas is next week, eeek!

Kevin and I will be here on Okinawa for the holiday, but we plan to have a good time when we go to Seoul, Korea next month.

Yep, we'll get to do a little sight-seeing in Seoul and then spend a few days at a cozy ski resort.

Should be fun....

Happy Holidays, everyone!!!

Love from Oki,

Chrissy :)

Better late than never....Yoron!

2008-12-13T01:17:00.000-08:00

Sorry for the delay, but you know how it is, you take pictures and then it takes you forever and day before you download them, right?

Back in early November, Kevin's best friend from high school, Jari came to visit us. He was only here for a week but we were able to take a small weekend getaway trip to the small island off the coast of Okinawa called Yoron. After a 2 and half hour ferry ride from Motobu, we arrived on the lovely quaint island of Yoron! We stayed at a resort called Pricia Resort there. During our trip, we biked around the island, ate lots of great food, and even went snorkeling!

So without further ado, here are the photos from our trip....

Enjoy.

-This is Yurigahama beach. This beach has a sandbar which is only visible several times a month. You can walk out to the sandbar when it is exposed. Unfortunately when we were here, we did not see it.

-Another view of the beach, the water here was a bit colder than what we were used to. Perhaps this is because we live on the East China Sea and this was the Pacific Ocean?

-We biked a bit around the island and came across a very strong 'alcohol' smell. Then we found the source! Awamori....Awamori is a type of liquor made here on Okinawa. It's made from rice and is pretty much 100% alcohol.

-Here's a photo of the beach condo we stayed in.

-A shot of Jari and I on our walk down to the beach.

-Our last night, we had a BBQ at our table.

-Take a look at the spread. Soooo much food!

Thanks for visiting Jari! Come and visit us again soon....

~Chrissy

100 Things About Me

2008-12-06T17:27:00.000-08:00

There is a new survey going around, so I figured I should join the bandwagon. Here it goes. It's "100 Things About Me."

1. I am not a morning person, get me up early and I'm one grumpy lady.

2. I love the color purple. I also like green. Wouldn't you know it, I found ways to incorporate these colors into my wedding.

3. I live within minutes from the beach. When I'm having a bad day, all I need to do is go for a walk and watch the waves.

4. I don't like spending a fortune on getting my hair cut. Call it old age or whatever, now that I'm a married woman, I can't justify spending 200 dollars on a haircut. (Alas, I use to spend this small fortune when I was single....don't tell Kevin!)

5. I would like to get Lasik, but don't think I'm a good candidate. :( I have an astigmatism.

6. I never wore braces as a child.

7. My husband and I love to travel.

8. I have a small circle of close friends.

9. I have expensive taste.

10. I love to cook elaborate meals and entertain. Appetizers, wine, entrees, you name it.

11. I tend to be judgemental at times.

12. I'm back in school working on a Business Administration degree. This means, by the time I'm done, I'll have 2 Bachelors degrees and one Masters.

13. I'm more of a dog person, than a cat person. Although, I love both.

14. I am neat freak, I sometimes clean the house from top to bottom. Perhaps it's OCD?

15. I love the smell of clean clothes, just out of the dryer.

16. I still talk (email now) to my parents every other day.

17. I didn't eat any red meat for 3 years while I was in college. I did it for health reasons and actually lost a considerable amount of weight.

18. I voted for Obama.

19. I am a military brat.

20. I fell in love with my husband in one month.

21. I think the feeling was mutual :)

22. I love to shop.

23. I love Trader Joe's.

24. I plan to have two children.

25. Once we return to the States, I would like to go to culinary school.

26. If I wasn't a TV producer, I think I would work as a food critic, a writer, or an event planner.

27. I don't drink much alcohol.

28. I don't smoke.

29. I bite my nails.

30. I love to get pedicures. Since I live in Okinawa, I try to get them done at least every 3-4 months.

31. I did not have to take out any loans for college, I had a free ride with a private scholarship.

32. I am trained classical singer and somtimes dream of singing at the MET.

33. I love my inlaws. My inlaws treat me like their own daughter.

34. Christmas is my favorite holiday.

35. In the States, fall was my favorite season.

36. I own an insane amount of shoes.

37. I only wear M.A.C makeup. I don't like the cheap stuff.

38. Real whipped cream is 10 times better than Cool Whip.

39. I sometimes have bouts of insomnia.

40. I like to read books, but don't have the time for it.

41. I go to the gym about 4 days a week. On weekends, I like to go for walks or for a short run.

42. I would like to lose 15-20 pounds and get back to my 110 pound, 20 something body.

43. See above. Who am I kidding? Losing weight is a lot harder now that I'm older. :(

44. My husband and I love to try different foods. We are both foodies.

45. I went to an all girls Catholic boarding high school in Monterey, California.

46. I have met quite a few celebrities in my life working as a TV producer.

47. I secretly wish I was taller.

48. I can't stand rap music.

49. My husband and I enjoy walks on the beach and often go for walks at sunset.

50. We are both up before 9am on weekends.

51. We take turns cooking each other breakfast on weekends.

52. I can't seem to get Kev's 'dippy' eggs right.

53. My husband knows me better than I know myself at times.

54. I listen to NPR.

55. I was a huge fan of New Kids on the Block when I was younger...Guess what? They're back!

56. I like to take long, hot, showers. Kev says I like to boil myself.

57. My feet and hands are always cold.

58. My favorite thing to wear is a sweater with jeans. Wear with some great boots and you're set.

59. I think I'm better suited for the heat than the cold.

60. Kev and I like to ski, but often don't have the opportunity to go.

61. I love finding sales. Although at times, I admit I'll buy something even if it's not on sale.

62. I love eating fresh vegetables and fruit from a market stand/farmer's market. I love to support the local farmers. At Assateague, there was this farmer's market that had really fresh veggies. Yum.

63. I make "To Do" lists but often find myself adding things to it just so it makes it look like I've accomplished more...

64. I am the one in our family who sends out cards for holidays, birthdays, etc.

65. When we retire, Kev and I want to live on a tropical island where he can work as a scuba instructor and I can work as an owner of a little cantina serving fish tacos.

66. I love singing karaoke.

67. I love singing Broadway and opera best.

68. I've performed as a vocalist in several weddings/functions.

69. I tend to go to bed between 9 and 10:30pm at night.

70. I am an active member of community theatre.

71. My first stage experience was when I was 7 years old and played the role of "Molly" in the musical "Annie."

71. Since then, I have performed in over 30 theatrical productions.

72. I idolize Kristen Chenoweth.

73. I hardly ever carry cash.

74. I tend not to drink enough water and get headaches.

75. I've been in love twice. Thankfully, the 2nd time, I married him.

76. I believe there is someone for everyone.

77. I am a Pisces.

78. I don't go to church although my Irish-Catholic father would like me to.

79. My brother Julian and I are quite close.

80. When we were kids, we made up our own language.

81. We had a Golden Retriever named 'Lady.'

82. I believe things happen for a reason.

83. I also believe all good things come to those who wait.

84. I have a subscription for Real Simple magazine.

85. I love the beach. Kevin and I were engaged at Cape Hatteras in North Carolina.

86. June 10th is my wedding anniversary.

87. Kevin is a very hard person to shop for.

88. I love going to museums and libraries. I can spend hours in either location.

89. I won an Emmy.

90. I love to knit. I find it quite therapeutic.

91. I once received a ticket for speeding.

92. I miss my parents, I wish they didn't live so far away.

93. I'm addicted to Facebook.

94. I loved my job at Discovery Channel, but I worked way too much and spent way too much time away from my family.

95. My ultimate dream would be to perform in a role in a Broadway musical.

96. I'm not very good at keeping house plants alive.

97. I like tea and coffee. Although I can't drink either after 4pm or it affects my sleep.

98. My favorite restaurant in Washington, DC is Bistot Du Coin.

99. Kevin and I own a condo in Silver Spring, Maryland.

100. We can't wait to start our family.

MCCS Headshots

2008-12-01T20:33:00.000-08:00

Here are just a few publicity photos from a trial we did. Not sure if I like my hair....oh and I'm not sure if I like what I'm wearing. Note to self: Don't wear a turtleneck, it makes you look like you have no neck.

Sheesh.

Photos by Ashley Yaggi.

~Chrissy

Thankful...

2008-11-27T22:53:00.001-08:00

I am thankful for many things in life....but most importantly, I am thankful for my husband, Kevin, who is my rock, my soul mate, my best friend, and confidante. This Thanksgiving season, I want him to know how "thankful" I am to have him in my life.

I love you, Kevin.

Yours, Chrissy

Happy Turkey Lurkey Day!

2008-11-27T21:27:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving was yesterday for us here in Japan, but for those of you at home in the States---Happy Thanksgiving! Kev and I had a Thanksgiving dinner at his coworker's house. I was tasked to bring a side dish and a dessert so I made a pumpkin cheesecake that turned out to be a big hit! I'm not a huge fan of cheesecake, but for some reason, I did like this one. Perhaps the pumpkin makes it less rich or something. Anyway, here's the recipe, courtesy of Food Network.

And let me admit it now, I did not make my own crust. I didn't have the time, so I used a store-bought pie crust..... I also used my huge Kitchenaid Stand Mixer which helps with the cream cheese. :)

Pumpkin Cheesecake

Ingredients
Crust:
1 3/4 cups graham cracker crumbs
3 tablespoons light brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 stick melted salted butter

Filling:
3 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, at room temperature
1 (15-ounce) can pureed pumpkin
3 eggs plus 1 egg yolk
1/4 cup sour cream
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon fresh ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
2 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

For crust:
In medium bowl, combine crumbs, sugar and cinnamon. Add melted butter. Press down flat into a 9-inch springform pan. Set aside.

For filling:
Beat cream cheese until smooth. Add pumpkin puree, eggs, egg yolk, sour cream, sugar and the spices. Add flour and vanilla. Beat together until well combined.

Pour into crust. Spread out evenly and place oven for 1 hour. Remove from the oven and let sit for 15 minutes. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 4 hours.

Now if only I could find a way to get rid of all these leftover slices....And don't say to eat them because it will defeat the purpose of me going to the gym!!!

Happy Turkey Day everyone!

~Chrissy

The Holidays...

2008-11-17T22:53:00.000-08:00

A few of you have asked whether Kev and I will be returning home to the States for the holidays--and well--although I hate to say it out aloud, here's the truth: NO. We are not returning to the States. Last year, we flew to Abu Dhabi/Dubai to visit the Barnett's (my family). But this year, Kev and I figured we would just stay put.

I'm a little bummed about it all but Kev says we'll be going on a vacation in January just the two of us....That lifts my spirits a little. :)

We haven't quite decided exactly where, but I'm sure whereever we go it'll be great!

In the meantime, I have this term with University of Maryland to finish up, work, and singing carols with POPS. I've been asked to sing in a quartet. When I was in high school and college, I frequently performed in choirs and madrigals singing and loved it--especially around the holidays. It really helped bring people together in the holiday spirit.

Now remember Okinawa is a subtropical island, so whatever "holiday spirit" I can get, I'll take!

Next week is Thanksgiving and Kev and I have been invited to one of his co-worker's house for dinner. Then, it's my turn. I'll be making a small Thanksgiving dinner for a few Japanese colleagues that work with Kev.

Sounds like fun!

Talk to you all soon....

~Chrissy

Jari's Visit

2008-11-12T17:15:00.000-08:00

Kev's best friend from high school Jari is here visiting us for about a week. He arrived last Saturday and sadly, the weather here on Okinawa has been less than stellar. With the Veteran's Day holiday, Kevin took a few more days off from work and was able to take Jari around the sites. They went to the Nago Pineapple farm as well as the Churaumi Aqaurium. On Tuesday, the rain let up a little, so we all drove down to Naha to visit the World War II Memorial Museum. From the museum, I think we all have a greater understanding of the role Okinawa played in the Pacific during World War II.

On another note, it's funny to watch Jari try all the different food here. He's pretty adventurous and is willing to try anything.

This coming weekend, we are all heading to a small island off the main island of Okinawa, an island called Yoron. We will be staying at the Pricia Resort there. I'll try to get some pictures!

~Chrissy :)

Work Hard for the Money....

2008-11-04T18:10:00.001-08:00

Since it's been a few months in my new job as TV producer/reporter/editor/writer extraordinaire for MCCS broadcasting, I figure I would post a few photos of me in ACTION!

This job is nothing like my producer job at Discovery (just being honest here, guys)...but at least I do look pretty "cool" with my camera! I do manage to have fun at times as well....

These are two photos from a recent event we had here on Camp Foster.

~Chrissy

Kevin in PA...

2008-11-02T03:48:00.000-08:00

Kevin is still in PA after a whirlwind week of watching the Philadelphia Phillies win the World Series, he's due to come home on Tuesday.

In the meantime though, my mother in law was kind enough to send me some photos. I miss Kevin, but from the look of things, I'm not so sure I would have enjoyed sitting in the stadium in cold, freezing temperatures.

Glad to see that someone enjoyed the game though.... :)

Yay Phillies!

~Chrissy

My body doesn't like me...

2008-10-29T21:50:00.001-07:00

When my wonderful husband Kevin proposed to me three and a half years ago, he chose a beautiful platinum 1 carat diamond engagement ring from Bailey, Banks, & Biddle in Virginia. Kevin had picked this ring all by himself and I have to say, when I first saw it, I LOVED IT!

For our wedding, I chose a platinum wedding band with 1/3 carat diamonds in a channel setting. I have worn both of these rings for over 2 years now and suddenly (as if overnight) my body is responding with an adverse reaction to my rings.

For the last several months now, I have developed a very itchy, red, scaly, bumpy rash on my "ring" finger that just doesn't seem to heal. I've tried topical creams including hydrocortisone, Neosporin, you name it---but the rash just keeps coming back. As the rash gets better, it dries, and then peels. Lovely, I know. :)

The rash has gotten better recently, but that's because I started using my own hand soap (Avalon Organics, Rosemary Glycerin Hand Soap) in my office. The office bathroom soap must be made from "lye," because it just strips my skin, leaving my ring finger rash just burning....Oww...

That said, the fact remains that I am unable to wear my rings.

I've "Googled" this very problem on-line and it appears I may be suffering from bacteria growing on my rings. The increased humidity here on Okinawa is probably a culprit as well. Sooooo....that said, I am going to try the "home remedy" I read about which includes soaking my rings in 2 parts white vinegar, 1 part hydrogen peroxide and then boiling the rings in water for about 20 minutes. What you say? Scared of boiling ? Yep, I am.

I'll keep you posted on how it goes. For now, all I have on my ring finger is a bright yellow waterproof "Put on a Happy Face" band-aid. HA! The irony....

Does anyone else (this is for those of you out there in cyberland) have this problem? Anyone else develop this rash two years after wearing their rings without any problem? What gives?

~Chrissy

Sunday Dinner with the Girls

2008-10-26T04:58:00.000-07:00

With Kev gone, I invited two girlfriends (Leah and Naomi) over to dinner for some wine and pasta. We had sundried tomato hummus and polenta with sauteed spinach with garlic and bleu cheese for appetizers. For dinner, we all pitched in to make the following recipe from Emeril....So yummy. We didn't want to use heavy cream so we used half and half instead. We had a great time, dishing and enjoying wine with our pasta. Although I think the wine may have gone to my head....Enjoy!

Pasta with Peas and Bacon
Serves 2

Ingredients
1 pound cheese filled tortellini
3 ounces fresh bacon, julienned (about 1/4 cup)
2 tablespoons chopped onions
6 ounces heavy cream
1/2 cup fresh peas (blanched), or 4 ounces frozen peas
2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan
Salt and black pepper
Chopped parsley, recipe follows

Directions

Place tortellini in the pot of boiling water.

In a large skillet, cook the bacon until crispy. Remove bacon with a slotted spoon, place on a paper towel to drain. Pour out all the bacon grease except for 1 tablespoon. In the same skillet place the onion and cook for 2 minutes, or until golden. Pour in the cream, and reduce until lightly thickened.

Remove the pasta from the water when it is al dente, about 8 minutes. Drain and add the pasta to the cream mixture. Add bacon back to the pan along with the peas and cheese. Reduce for 1 minute. Toss and adjust the seasonings. Spoon into a large pasta bowl and serve. Garnish with additional grated Parmesan and chopped parsley, if desired.

**we doubled the recipe, but ended up with lots of leftovers....not sure whether the original recipe would have been enough...Guess I'll try next time.**

~Chrissy

That's Amore....

2008-10-24T06:58:00.000-07:00

Kev is heading back home to PA today to spend some time with his family. Kev is a huge "Phillies" fan and I know that this kind of opportunity to go see them play in the World Series may not happen again--so how could I not let him go? He cashed in miles to get his tickets so it's not like it cost anything.

School starts back up again for me next week, so even if I wanted to go, I couldn't. Kev said the sweetest thing to me though...he said "thank you" for letting him go. I'm glad to see him happy and I know a trip back home will be good for him. Guess I AM a good wife. :) Nah, I just love my husband, that's all....

Anyway, I wanted to let you all know about an injured kitten my friend Jamey and I found last weekend. Jamey was driving me home after a party when we found the little kitten in the middle of the street. It had difficulty moving, so I got out of the car to help it and that's when I noticed that its hind legs were not working. We took it in and drove it to a vet hospital. Well, two days later, the kitten has fully recovered and is healthy! The kitten is a sweet little girl, about 8-9 weeks old. She loves being held and is absolutely adorable. We are now looking for a loving home for her. If anyone is interested in adopting this sweet girl, let me know and I'll have Jamey send you photos. Of course, this is only possible for those of you in Okinawa....:)

Well, hope everyone has a good weekend.

~Chrissy

Missing Fall...

2008-10-17T05:54:00.000-07:00

This time of the year is one my favorites back home....In Montgomery County, Maryland, October is the start of the fall season. This is the month that all the orchards and family farms open up their pumpkin patches. Usually this time of year is when Kev and I would go to the orchard to pick apples for pie, go on a hayride, choose a large pumpkin (for carving of course :)), and buy some homemade jams.

Don't get me wrong, I like Okinawa, but I sure do miss the smells and taste of fall. I miss the fall foliage as well...

I was at the Commissary the other day (the grocery store we have on the military bases here) and saw Commissary staff unloading and unpacking pumpkins. I thought about buying one, but then decided against it. The pumpkins were wet and when I asked a staff member as to why, I was told it was from the shipping. That's when I realized that the pumpkins probably had to be "frozen" in order for them to make the trip from the States to Okinawa!!!! Can you believe it? Even worse were the prices. One medium sized pumpkin was about $15-18 bucks. Errr...maybe not.

With the high humidity here, our "previously-frozen over priced" pumpkin wouldn't last more than a day anyway....

So.... with a heavy heart, I left the Commmissary "sans" pumpkin. We will have to celebrate fall here on Okinawa another way.....

Well, hope you folks at home are enjoying this autumn harvest. Happy Fall!

Love from Oki, Chrissy :)

One Year Milestone

2008-10-12T22:34:00.000-07:00

Well, believe it or not....Kevin and I have now been here on Okinawa for a FULL year. Crazy. We moved here in October of 2007 and now an entire year has passed.

We are supposed to be here for a 2 year tour, so that means we have one more year left. A lot has happened in the year that we've been here, I've gone back to school, we've traveled to some exotic places like Dubai and Hong Kong, but one thing is missing. Let's hope this year will be the year that it will happen. Think positive thoughts! Bring on the "----" dust.

~Chrissy

PS: Kevin is leaving for a work trip to Hawaii tomorrow. And he's leaving me behind. Life is unfair, I tell you. Instead, I get to stay home and take my Accounting final. Boo....Anyone interested in taking it for me? :)

Opening weekend of Ragtime....

2008-10-04T19:27:00.000-07:00

Well, we did it! Our opening weekend of the POPS production of the musical "Ragtime" was a success! We opened officially on Thursday, had an evening performance on Friday, and a matinee and another evening performance on Saturday. Needless to say, I am very tired. I think my voice is as well, I feel really congested and my throat hurts a bit.... The good news is that we had full houses for all the performances.

I did hear that a few people got up to leave in the middle of the performance due to the adult nature of some the dialogue, but there's not too much that can be done about that. Ragtime is a musical based on the novel of the same title by the author E. L Doctorow. It is a fictional story with some historical accuracies and facts weaved in. The novel AND the musical deal with some "thorny" issues such as racism, prejudice, womens' rights and liberation, free speech, child labor, money, sex, love, violence, and war.... Some of the themes and topics may be a bit difficult for young children to understand, but I think for the older children, this musical has a very important message. Parents should explain the nature and the historical back story of this time period (early 1900's) before taking their children. That way, when people hear offensive language, they won't be offended. It sort of irritates me that people would come to our show and then leave in the middle of it. I understand the show is long, but really, open up your mind and understand that this is a "dramatization." No one on stage condones the language or behavior in any way. This is my blog, so I can say what I think. I'm sorry if you think I'm being a bit harsh.....

Anyway, I'll get off my soap box now. For those of you out there who want to see a wonderful and powerful show, please come out to the Foster Performing Arts Center to see it.

I leave you with a few photos.

Love, Chrissy :)

Ragtime!

2008-10-02T18:30:00.001-07:00

-Caroline as "Evelyn Nesbit" & Chrissy as "Mother"

Last night we had our opening night of the POPS (Pacific Okinawa Players) production of the musical "Ragtime." Here are a few photos that my friend Caroline took back stage. I promise to post lots more soon. :)

Come out to the Foster Performing Arts Center to see it! You'll be glad you did.

See you at the show!

~Chrissy

PS: If you can, take a look at Okinawa Hai.com. The link can be found to the left. The very popular blog based here in Okinawa recently posted a story on POPS and the musical.

-Randy as "Grandfather" & Chrissy as "Mother"

Last Day In Hong Kong

2008-09-13T21:04:00.000-07:00

Our five days in Hong Kong were drawing to a close, so on our final day we decided to head to the island of Lantau (the largest island in Hong Kong) to visit the Buddha and the Po Lin Monastery. The Buddha is actually quite close to the Hong Kong airport, so we headed to the airport in the morning, dropped of our bags in a coin locker, and then headed off.

We rode the bus to Tung Ching and then boarded the Ngong Ping cable car (I'm used to calling them gondolas) which took us on a 30 minute ride over mountains.

The cable car dropped us off in Ngong Ping village and from there, we walked to the Buddha.

It was pretty hot out on this day, but we still managed to climb the 268 steps to the top!

At the top, there were several other small statues.

This above photo is the entrance to the Po Lin Monastery which is at the base of the Buddha.

All in all, our trip to Hong Kong was so much fun! I leave you with this self taken photo of Kev and I....Hope you enjoyed the photos!

Love, Chrissy :)

More Hong Kong...

2008-09-13T19:35:00.000-07:00

After quite a full day, Kevin and I decided to take it easy on Day 3. We woke up late and skipped breakfast, so we could enjoy some "Dim Sum." We found a restaurant called the Jade Garden located near the Central Ferry pier.

The Jade Garden had an English menu which made things so much easier for us. You know, it's funny. Although Hong Kong was ruled by England for 99 years, there are quite a few people who don't speak English. Aside from the upscale restaurants and hotels, it can be hard at times to find people who speak English....

Anyway, here are a few photos from our "Dim Sum" brunch.

After our brunch, we headed to the train station to go to the Hong Kong countryside (if there is such a place)--to an area in the New Territories called Sha Tin.

For those who follow the Olympics, you may be aware that Sha Tin is where the equestrian events for the 2008 Para-Olympics are being held.

Once we arrived in Sha Tin, Kev and I took a nice walk through the Sha Tin Garden Park.

Here's a photo of the two of us "goofing" around....

While in Sha Tin, we visited the Hong Kong Heritage Museum.

The museum had some great exhibits on Chinese ceramics including glazed vases from the Ming dynasty. I was an East Asian Studies major in college-- so most of the exhibits were quite interesting to me, I'm not so sure it was Kevin's cup of tea.

Following the museum, we visited one last stop in Sha Tin. A restaurant that had been recommended to us by Kev's best friend, Ray Kung.

Ray's family is from Hong Kong so they told us that we absolutely could not go to Sha Tin WITHOUT eating the roast pigeon. Yes, that's right. You read that correctly. Roast Pigeon.

One restaurant in particular is quite famous for the roast pigeon. A restaurant called Lung Wah. Lung Wah may have been a hotel at some point, since the signage still reads hotel. The place wasn't too easy to find, but after walking a bit and making a few circles, we finally found it.

This place reminded me of Chinese movies...it was like a throwback to 1930's China. The walkway leading up to the restaurant was lined with these bright Chinese paper lanterns...

Once seated, we ordered and then waited for our pigeon. Finally, ta da!

Looks pretty tasty, doesn't it?

We tried to eat with chopsticks, but Kev and I had to (of course) follow local customs and eat the pigeon with our fingers. The restaurant provided a "finger bowl" with tea for you to rinse your fingers when finished. All in all, the pigeon was delicious. It was juicy and full of flavor.

So the next time you visit Hong Kong, be sure you head to Sha Tin for the roast pigeon....

The next day, we headed to Hong Kong island to go to Stanley Market and Victoria's Peak. On our way to the Market, we rode one of Hong Kong's famous double decker trolley cars. These are a bit different from the ones in San Francisco.

To get to Stanley Market, we also rode a double decker bus, similar to the ones you see in London. Here are some photos Kev took on the bus.

Here we are at Stanley Market. Stanley Market doesn't have too much to offer but shopping, but the bus ride there is quite interesting as you can see all the beautiful houses built on the hill overlooking the water. This area of Hong Kong is where the mega wealthy live.

At Stanley Market, Kev and I grabbed a quick bite to eat. We had sliders....look how small they are....

After our snack, Kev left to go to the Maritime museum and I went shopping. Walking around by myself, I found this small little shrine.

I got bored with shopping after a bit, so I went into this McDonald's Cafe called "McCafe" and waited for Kevin. Kev took this photo because he got such a kick out of it...

After Stanley Market, we went to the Peak. Our visit to the Peak was fun, but I'm not sure if the Peak was really worth the money. The ride on the tram car was quite expensive and once you get up at the top, the Peak itself is highly commercialized. They even had a "Bubba Gump Shrimp" restaurant up at the top.

But if you want to get a great skyline view of Hong Kong and be able to say you went to Victoria's Peak and rode the old fashioned tram car--I guess that makes it slightly worth it.

The ride on the old fashioned tram car was pretty fun. Before the days of power engines, the tram ran on coal and steam....

Once at the top, the view was incredible....

After the peak, we headed back to our hotel in Kowloon but not before stopping at the Promenade to watch the "Hong Kong Symphony Of Lights." This is a nightly light and sound show held at 8pm. Believe it or not, this event is actually part of the Guiness Book of World Records for the world's largest permanent light and sound show. We were able to snap a few photos before it started to pour!

Hong Kong Continued...

2008-09-13T18:14:00.001-07:00

I told you we walked a lot on our first day. The first post was only half of Day 1 on Hong Kong. This is the 2nd half. Needless to say, you can understand why after this day, our feet were aching....

After spending the morning in Kowloon, we decided to go to one of the outer lying islands of Hong Kong for a small break from all the chaos of the city. We decided to take a ferry to the island of Cheung Chau to spend the afternoon there.

On our way to the ferry pier, we took a stroll through some more open air markets.....

We came across a small temple....This temple is called Tin Hau temple.

Buddhist temples and shrines can be found all over Hong Kong. This is a view from inside the temple. These incense coils are made to burn for 10 days....

Once on the ferry, Kevin took a few photos as we approached the island of Cheung Chau. The island is about 10 kilometres away from Hong Kong island and does not have any vehicles.

This island is a small fishing island community known for its seafood, pretty evident by the number of junk boats and sampans visible in the harbor.

Once we arrived on Cheung Chau, we walked to the beach.

And stopped at a small cafe. I had a refreshing iced milk tea while Kev enjoyed a beer. For some reason, the beer San Miguel is very popular on Hong Kong, despite the fact it is imported from the Philippines.

We found another temple and had our fortune read....I am expected to have a fruitful and prosperous year end....

This is Pak Tai temple, considered to be one of the oldest in Hong Kong.

Does this look familiar? I'll give you a hint....rhymes with "Lisa."

After the temple, we headed back to the harbor to scout out our dinner. Did I mention how much Kevin and I love seafood?!?!?

Can you see what these are? Don't worry, Kev and I didn't eat any of these guys...

Once back at the harbor, we decided to eat at a restaurant recommended by our Lonely Planet guidebook-The New Bacarrat. We are so glad we did, the food was absolutely delicious!

Here I am enjoying the view and trying to find out what to do next according to our guidebook. This dish is steamed whole fish with onions and garlic. I was able to choose the fish I wanted from the aquarium. Of course, I couldn't tell you what the fish is called....I just pointed to it... :)

These are actually called "mantis shrimp." Boy, they were tasty. They are prepared by lightly frying them and tossing them with some chili oil and spiced salt. You peel off the shell and eat....I know they look a bit odd and somewhat "bug like" but really, they were SOOOO good. I think they were my favorite.

We ordered so much food...the steamed vegetables were another favorite.

With our bellies full, we decided to call it a day and head back to Kowloon to go to sleep....

Hong Kong!

2008-09-13T17:11:00.000-07:00

Kev and I have just returned from a 5 day trip to the island of Hong Kong. Things have been a bit hectic since we've returned, so apologies for the delay. So here we are...I'm going to give you all some highlights from our trip....

We had booked the trip through HIS travel here on Okinawa, so all of our airfare, hotel accomodations, and some meals were included (actually Kev and I enjoy eating out so the only meals that were included were breakfast). Hong Kong is a mere 2 hour flight away from Okinawa, so we were able to fly direct on Hong Kong Express. The HIS guide was supposed to meet us at the arrival terminal but after waiting about a half hour, we started to wonder whether we had been forgotten. I went over to the airport information desk and was told that guides usually wait at another arrival terminal. Terminal B. We were waiting at Terminal A. So after gathering our belongings, we walked over to Terminal B and that's where he was! Our guide didn't speak any English, but he did speak Japanese, so I was able to act as translator for Kevin. Our guide drove us to our hotel which was in Kowloon (about a 45 minute drive from the airport).

Hong Kong is pretty much like any large metropolitan city, it has several different neighborhoods (all densely populated). Hong Kong island is where most of the luxury hotels are, it's the heart of the city. Kowloon is very much an urban area with tons of people, but since it offers a lot of great sites to see, that's where we opted to stay. Our hotel was a 5 star hotel called the Royal Plaza Hotel. The hotel was located within a shopping mall and had a subway station close by so it was very convenient.

The first day, Kev and I walked around Kowloon, following a "walking tour" we found in our Lonely Planet guidebook. Let me warn you, if you plan to come to Hong Kong, make sure you wear some comfortable shoes....Kevin and I did A LOT of walking, I mean A LOT. We planned to walk, but when following the guidebook, we noticed that some of the routes we were told to take didn't exist or were under construction. Hong Kong is one of those cities that has a lot of construction. They are building new hotels and new buildings for all the foreign investment that is coming in.

Anyway, I digress. The point I wanted to make is that just expect you have to walk. Yes, Hong Kong has an excellent public transportation system, but still you will have to walk. So back to our tour, we decided to visit some of the more popular sites in Kowloon. Our first stop was the Flower Market. This is an area of Kowloon that has flower vendors selling exotic fresh cut flowers and plants. It was amazing to see all the trucks unloading the flowers. The fragrance in the air was amazing!

I couldn't help but take this photo of this kitty who seemed to enjoy hanging out at the flower market!

After the flower market, we headed over to the Fish market. Like the flower market, this is an area of Kowloon where local people go to buy golfish and other various fish. These fish are not meant to be eaten, rather the Hong Kong Chinese enjoy keeping them as pets....

The next stop was the Yuen Po Bird Garden. Again, these birds are not meant to be eaten, they are kept as household pets. It's quite a sight to see older Hong Kong Chinese men walking around with their bird cages airing out their pet birds....

This gentleman was here to pick out a bird. He was listening to all of them sing before he made a decision. How's that for finding a pet?

Kevin and I walked around some other street markets. Hong Kong is just full of open air markets. They sell everything!

I did not know my husband was taking a photo of me shopping...Yes, this is me shopping for underwear from a large bin. How can you not at only $2 a piece?!

We couldn't believe the size of the dragonfruit...I mean look at this, twice the size they are here in Okinawa!

Here are a few photos of the streets in Kowloon. This will give you an idea of how densely populated it is.... There are neon signs everywhere and some of them are quite low so public buses have to constantly watch for clearance...

Here are some other random photos I took on Day 1....

Shark fin for sale....In case you are curious...One U.S dollar is roughly equivalent to about 7.80 Hong Kong dollars. So that means, these each cost about $475 U.S dollars! Yikes.

Barbequed pork, roasted chicken and Peking duck on display at a local shop.

So let's move on to the 2nd half of Day 1!

My very first....well maybe not...

2008-09-10T22:53:00.000-07:00

Kev and I have returned from our 5 day trip to Hong Kong. We had a marvelous time. I promise to post all the details of our trip soon....so more on that later.

The big news around here is Typhoon Sinlaku. We were told on Tuesday that the typhoon was out there and could be making its way to Okinawa. As soon as the announcement was made, all of military folk here on the island went into a flurry rushing around getting water and supplies from the Commissary. I came home from work yesterday to find even my own husband preparing the house...all of our camping supplies were out on the floor of my living room. It was kinda cute.

Well, as it turns out...the typhoon is now making its way AWAY from our lovely island. This means, now there is a very good chance we will be safe from the typhoon. Now I know I shouldn't be so bummed about it, but I was really hoping to experience my first very typhoon. Maybe next time....
BOOO!

~Chrissy

Catch up....Eisa Festival and Orion Beer Festival

2008-08-30T22:03:00.001-07:00

I know, I know, I've been remiss in posting the photos from last weekend's Eisa festival and Orion Beer Festival.....So without any further delay.... Here they are...

These two photos above were taken at the Eisa Festival at Toguchi beach, across the street from our house.

Awwww...pretty fireworks at the Orion Beer Festival....

As a sidenote, I wanted to mention that this weekend Kev and I bought a brand new camera! So hopefully, we'll have even better pictures to share!

~Chrissy

Thank goodness for long weekends...

2008-08-28T18:12:00.001-07:00

This weekend is a long weekend and let me just say, I'm SO GLAD.

This week has been particularly long. Classes have started up again with the University of Maryland and that might be part of it, and then there are the rehearsals for "Ragtime." I've also been stuck in an edit suite for the last two days putting together a piece on a kids' horse camp. I guess I'm just wanting to whine and vent...

Anyway, not too much on the agenda for this weekend. A friend of ours, Natalia, is coming over for dinner tonight and tomorrow night, I'll be one of 3 judges for the MCCS Mega Karaoke Finals at the Globe and Anchor at Camp Foster. Should be fun. Let's hope that the finalists can at least carry a tune.

So the weekend is almost here...and I'm so glad....

Okay, vent and whine over.

~Chrissy

Hong Kong Here We Come!

2008-08-25T19:03:00.000-07:00

As some of you may have heard, Kev and I are going to to Hong Kong for a short 5 day trip the first week of September and I have to say, WE ARE SO EXCITED. Kev has had it a bit rough with work lately, so I think the nice holiday will do him some good. He has just been a ball of nerves as of late... :( Anyway, I think touring the sights, eating some great Chinese food, and staying in a luxury hotel complete with 1000 thread-count sheets will be just what he needs.

Aside from that, we had a great weekend. We went to a POPS beach party at Torii beach on Saturday and then went to the Eisa Festival and Orion Beer Fest in Okinawa City. I have some great photos from Saturday night, which I'll post just as soon as I can. Sunday was equally nice with the two of us spending some quality time at our own neighborhood beach...we swam, I snorkeled, and we both got a bit pink. :)

I've started school again....ah...the joys of being a college student....

I'm taking Accounting, so please feel sorry for me. Your sympathy is much appreciated.

Love from Oki,

Chrissy

Paper or Plastic?

2008-08-21T22:18:00.000-07:00

Well, here in Japan you may not have a choice. When you shop at grocery stores in Japan, you need to provide your very own shopping bag to carry your groceries. These shopping bags are called "eco-bags" and it's Japan's way to get people to be more "earth-friendly."

It's really a good idea because it encourages people to bring their own "eco-bag" and discourages the use of the disposable plastic/paper bags which end up in a landfill somewhere.

If you fail to bring your own "eco-bag"-you have to pay a nominal fee. And the truth is, despite the fact that some argue that plastic is biodegradable, it takes FOREVER for the bag to disintegrate.

I was reading on CNN about the city of Seattle imposing a fee for shoppers who use plastic bags. Good thinking....

Anyway, let me just say that this trend is already in effect here in Japan...they thought of it first.... :)

Okay, well I have to pick up some groceries tonight...so I better get my "eco-bag" ready. Maybe if you're lucky, I'll post some pictures of my nifty little bag. Kevin has a green "eco-bag." I have two. One is orange and the other has a pictures of a cat on it. SOOO cute....

Heck....maybe "eco-bags" are the next big fashion accessory?!?!?!

~Chrissy

Should I do it?

2008-08-17T18:06:00.000-07:00

Gunners Gym at Camp Foster is offering a "Body By You" boot camp starting the first of September. I've been thinking about doing one of these kind of "hard-ass" boot camps for a while ( I have a few girlfriends who loved it and happened to lose about 10 to 15 pounds), so maybe it's about time I get my butt in gear and have someone push me. I go to the gym about 2-3 times a week as it is, but I don't think it's enough. Should I do it? What's your vote??? At $330 dollars, it's not cheap...

I'll let you know what I decide in the next few days. Of course, if I do it, it will mean getting up real early and we all know that I'm NOT a morning person.

Sigh....

~Chrissy

Obon....

2008-08-15T19:36:00.000-07:00

It's Obon festival season here on Okinawa....According to About.com, Obon is one of the most important traditions for Japanese people. It is a Buddhist event and is the period of praying for the repose of the souls of one's ancestors. People believe that their ancestors' spirits come back to their homes to be reunited with their family during obon. Obon is an important family gathering time and many people return to their hometowns.

Last night around 10pm, Kev and I went on a walk in our neighborhood. It was cool out, a nice escape from the humidity and heat we've had for the last few days. As we were walking, we saw fruit bats flying about and heard a small crowd of high school kids practicing with their Eisa drums.

During Obon, the streets are full of the sights and sounds of Eisa drummers, bright red paper lanterns, and families gathering arond their "Butsudan" (a family altar) to worship their ancestors.

It's nice to be here and witness it all...

Enjoy your weekend.

~Chrissy

Another Survey....the magic number 4!

2008-08-11T21:12:00.000-07:00

Here's another survey....

Enjoy!

~Chrissy

Four Jobs I'd Had In My Life
1. TV Producer
2. TV Producer (gee, no reason I do this for a living).
3. PR assistant for Boston University's PR office
4. Waitress/Hostess
**For one month, I did work as an University of Maryland field representative here on Okinawa helping students with registration.**

Four Movies I Can Watch Over and Over
1. She's Having a Baby
2. Monsters Inc.
3. Breakfast at Tiffany's
4. The Shawshank Redemption

Four TV Shows I Like to Watch
1. Heroes
2. The Office
3. Cold Case
4. CSI, Law & Order (any of the Law & Order spinoffs) and ER reruns

Four Places I Have Vacationed
1. Tahiti, Tahaa, & Bora Bora
2. Hong Kong (does it count we haven't gone yet? :))
3. Dubai and Abu Dhabi, UAE
4. Oregon and Washington

Four Websites I Visit Daily/Weekly
1. thenest.com
2. blogger.com
3. cnn.com
4. msn.com

Four of My Favorite Dishes
1. Ramen
2. Mussels a la Provencale (Moules a la Provencale in French. This dish is basically mussels prepared with tomatoes, herbs, garlic and white wine...yum!)
3. Curry Rice
4. Kev's Spaghetti with Meatballs

Four Places I'd Rather Be
1. On vacation
2. On the couch watching a movie with Kevin
3. Closer to my brother Julian so I can see him perform
4. Anywhere but working : )

Naha and Okinawa World

2008-08-05T01:46:00.000-07:00

Now that Mom and Dad Miller have left us to spend a week in mainland Japan, I figure I would post the photos from last weekend's trip to the capital city of Naha and our visit to Okinawa World. We went to Naha to see the 10,000 Eisa dancers, but unfortunately it was so crowded and hot we couldn't see much. Instead, we decided to walk around and check out some of the sites on Kokusai Street and Heiwa Dori.

Here is a photo of the Naha monorail!

Take a look at this....This is a Kewpie doll dressed up to be a "goya." "Goya" is a staple of Okinawan food and cuisine. Goya is a bitter melon, something like a cross between a zuchinni and a squash...but bitter. It's actually doesn't taste too bad. :)

The bright "neon" lights of Kokusai...

Here we are at Heiwa Dori, a covered market right on Kokusai street.

Mini pineapples, anyone? You don't eat these, you plant them.

Or how about some sea grapes, better known as "umibudou." Naturally, sea grapes aren't really grapes, it's seaweed!

Here are some photos from our trip to Okinawa World. At Okinawa World, we visited Gyokusendo. Gyokusendo is an underground cave with thousands of stalagmites and stalactites. Since it was pretty hot out, going "underground" for a bit was a nice escape....

My hubby with his Dad.

Here are some more photos of the awesome formations.

Once outside, we enjoyed some of the other sites at Okinawa World. Here is a photo I took of a "shisa" on a roof.

Everywhere you go on Okinawa, you're bound to see "shisa"....

Gotta love it.

Thanks for visiting Mom and Dad Miller. Come back to visit us soon!

~Chrissy

And so it begins....

2008-08-04T23:29:00.000-07:00

Rehearsals that is. I've started rehearsals for the musical "Ragtime." In this production, I am playing the role of "Mother." The show doesn't open until October, but I can tell there is a lot of work ahead....

Speaking of mother, my inlaws- Mom and Dad Miller- have left us after some 4 weeks. They are now on their way to mainland Japan where they will explore Tokyo and Kyoto before heading back to the States.

Well, that's about it. Hope everyone's summer is going well. It's hotter than %#& here on Okinawa....

Talk soon,

Chrissy

Survey says...

2008-08-01T19:14:00.000-07:00

Got the following survey from a friend of mine. She put it up on her blog, so I figure I should do the same.

Enjoy.

____________________

10 years ago: Ten years ago, I was a junior in college studying abroad at Waseda University in Tokyo, Japan. I lived in an international dorm and made some great friends!

5 years ago: 5 years ago, my 'now' husband Kevin and I first met. We met and fell in love in 2003 and the rest is history. We got married in 2006!

5 months ago: I took the plunge and decided to go back to school. I started studying at University of Maryland to get another Bachelor's degree. I am now currently working on my degree in Business Administration.

5 things on my list of things to do tomorrow:
1. Sleep in.
2. Clean and do laundry.
3. Go to Naha to see the 10,000 Eisa dancers.
4. Go out to eat some "tonkatsu."
5. Go to sleep early and snuggle with my hubby.

5 bad habits:
1. Biting and peeling my nails...still do it, at 31 years old.
2. Being too sensitive, I take things to heart too easily.
3. Being judgemental at times.
4. Nagging.
5. Procastinating.

5 places I’ve lived:
1. Silver Spring, MD
2. Capitol Hill, DC
3. Arlington, VA
4. Brighton, MA
5. Okinawa, Japan

5 things people don’t know about me:
1. I am half Japanese, people often notice that I'm different, but they can't pinpoint what it is.
2. I used to wait tables and work as a hostess at a restaurant. I hated it. With a capital "H."
3. I love Hello Kitty. You are never too old to love Hello Kitty.
4. I was born in Madrid, Spain.
5. I can't whistle very well.

Adventures at Yomitan Pottery Village & The Aquarium

2008-08-01T18:48:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I took the day off from work and spent the day as a "tour guide" for my inlaws. We had a really full day. First, we headed to the Yomitan Pottery Village where we visited several small pottery shops and Ryukyu glass shops. We were able to watch as the potters molded the clay and used a potter's wheel. Here are some photos from the Pottery Village:

(Mom Miller checking out the merchandise at Pottery Village).

(Some cool clay tea pots!)

(I really liked this "crab" inspired bowl.)

(I need one of these, soy saucers.)

After the pottery village, we headed north to Nago and visited the Pineapple Farm and the Churaumi Aquarium.

(Here is the view of the large tank in the aquarium with the three whale sharks.)

And here's a photo of Mom and Dad Miller in the mouth of a shark.

We ended the day at Pizza in the Sky-the American name for the restaurant "Kajinho." Unfortunately, we were all so hungry we neglected to take photos. This is the only one we got!

Oh well.... We had a good day at least!

~Chrissy

School's Out!

2008-07-30T01:38:00.002-07:00

School is out for the summer. I just finished my term with the University of Maryland. Now I have about a month before I start classes again. Sheesh....

~Chrissy

Battle of Okinawa Tour

2008-07-27T01:32:00.000-07:00

With Kev gone, Mom & Dad Miller and I went on a MCCS tour of some of the sites from the Battle of Okinawa (from World War II). On the tour, we visited the Japanese Naval Underground Headquarters and Peace Memorial Park. Here are a few photos from our trip.

"This is a photo of "Senbazuru", 1000 origami cranes. They are said to symbolize peace. According to Wikipedia, the Thousand Origami Cranes has become a symbol of world peace through the story of Sadako Sasaki, a Japanese girl who contracted leukemia as a result of radiation from the atomic bombing of Hiroshima during World War II."

"Cicada!"

~Chrissy

You joined a what?!?!?!

2008-07-23T05:57:00.000-07:00

Yep, that's me. I'm now a member of a *gasp* book club. Before you start making assumptions, let me just say that this book club is not your ordinary book club. This club meets every 3rd Wednesday of the month at the Foster Library at Camp Foster. The women involved are of all ages, mostly women my age, and a few women a little older. It is NOT a group of old ladies and spinsters. The best part of this group is that they ask the members to bring a dish to share. This dish is usually based on the "theme" of the book that we are reading. This month we read a Russian book, so people brought pierogies and such. Next month's book is a collection of short stories titled "The Laws of Evening." It's a collection of stories about the influence of Western culture here in Japan. Should be an interesting read....So what does that mean? Do I bring a Japanese or Western dish?

Okay, so go ahead and laugh...but at least I'm well-read.... :)

~Chrissy

Kevin is in California

2008-07-22T00:17:00.000-07:00

Well, Kev is away again, this time for a week. He's in California on a job related trip. Kev is a civil engineer working for the U.S. Marine Corps. While in California, he will be meeting up with his best friend from college, Ray Kung. Since Kev and I will be going to Hong Kong for a week in September and Ray's family is from Hong Kong, Kev is on a mission to get a list of all the good "dim sum" restaurants to visit.

Can't wait for that trip.

More later,

Chrissy

Japanese TV Commercials....

2008-07-16T22:10:00.000-07:00

Every now and then I come across something here in Japan that I feel I have to tell all you State side folks about. Everyone hates TV commercials, even back in the States, every 20 minutes of our 1 hour long programs are eaten up with commercials. The same holds true here in Japan. The only difference? Japanese TV commercials are actually pretty FUNNY. Here's just one example. Softbank, which is a Japanese cellular phone company, has a series of TV ads with a talking dog. Sound strange?

Just wait, it gets better.

The dog not only talks, but he also happens to be the "patriarch" or father of a Japanese human family. For some reason or another, "otosan" as he is called, is a white Shiba Inu. The human family consists of a mother, a daughter, and for yet another strange reason, the Japanese "son" has been interchanged with an African American man. Even if you don't understand the language, you can't help but chuckle. It's almost cute....

It's too difficult to explain, so take a look at the Youtube videos to the right.

If I have to watch commercials, I hope that they are all Japanese, at least then, they are FUNNY.

Enjoy.

~Chrissy

Mom and Dad Miller Experience Yakiniku

2008-07-15T05:14:00.001-07:00

My in laws John and Donna Miller are here to visit us for 5 weeks! They recently celebrated their 34th wedding anniversary so Kev and I decided to take them to experience "yakiniku."

What fun!

Happy 34th Mom and Dad Miller!

Love ya, Chrissy :)

Courtney's Wedding

2008-07-15T05:06:00.001-07:00

As promised, here are some photos from Courtney's wedding in Maine. Enjoy!

I'm back....it's been awhile

2008-07-14T00:05:00.000-07:00

After a whirlwind tour in the U.S. I have returned to my lovely island home of Okinawa. My best friend Courtney's wedding was a lot of fun and I promise to post photos just as soon as I unpack my suitcase, do my laundry, clean the house, you get the idea. Right now, I'm in the midst of finishing up my term for school at University of Maryland so I'm might be out of pocket for awhile.

To add to all the craziness, my inlaws are here. John and Donna Miller from Schwenksville, PA. Of course, at the moment, they are trying their hardest to get over their awful jetlag. Last night, we celebrated their 34th wedding anniversary with a "yakiniku" dinner...Yum. Nothing like grilling up vegetables and beef on your very own tabletop grill.

Anyway, I promise to post photos soon. Right now, it's back to studying and back to work.

Love, Chrissy

On the Road Again

2008-06-29T04:10:00.000-07:00

On Wednesday, I will be boarding a flight bound to the United States...13 plus hours later I will be landing in my old stomping ground-- Boston, Massachusetts (I went to grad school in Boston and lived there for a few years).

The reason I am flying to the States is because my best friend Courtney is getting MARRIED in Maine!!! Unfortunately I'm not going to be in the States long, but I'll be there just long enough to visit my brother in law Gregory (he attends the same school I went to-Boston University), visit with my cat Murphy (who has been living with his grandparents in PA), see my best friend and "kindred spirit" (we both love Anne of Green Gables, that's where this is from... sorry if you don't understand what I'm talking about) get married, make a toast, sing a song in the ceremony, and inhale the crisp New England air. Sounds like fun, no?

I'll be sure to post pictures when I return. Speaking of return, when I get back to Okinawa, my in-laws will be here. Wow...There is a lot going on....

Did I mention that Kev and I just booked a 5-day trip to Hong Kong for September??? We are both very excited.

Anyway, hope everyone had a good weekend.

~Chrissy

Okinawan Wildlife....

2008-06-27T02:03:00.000-07:00

Okinawa is a tropical island, so that means we have some interesting flora and fauna. Case in point, see the photos we got of an Asian long-horned beetle we found on our tangerine tree up on our rooftop terrace. Here's some information from Wikipedia:

The Asian longhorned beetle (Anoplophora glabripennis) (ALB), sometimes called Starry Sky (Sky Oxen in China) beetle, is native to China and other areas of eastern Asia, where it causes widespread mortality of poplar, willow, elm, and maple trees.

Asian longhorned beetles are big, showy insects. They are shiny black with white spots dashed irregularly on their wings. Adults are typically 1-1.5 inches long. The distinctive antennae that give the beetle its common name are as long as the body itself in females and almost twice the body length in males.

The Asian longhorned beetle, or ALB, is an invasive species in the United States and it is a serious threat to many species of deciduous hardwood trees. During its larval stage the ALB bores deep into a tree's heartwood, where it feeds on the tree's nutrients. This tunneling damages and eventually kills the tree. Tree species considered ALB host species include all species of maple (Norway, sugar, silver, and red maple) as well as horse-chestnut, poplar, willow, birch, London planetree, ash, mimosa (silk tree) and elm.

Take a look! These guys are real "pests" back home in the States....

On another note, here is a photo I took of a road sign off the Okinawan Expressway. Okinawa is known to have wild boar, some of the locals actually go out and hunt them. I've never actually seen one, perhaps the sign is the closest I'm going to get...

Hope you enjoyed your first exposure to some of the wildlife of Okinawa. :)

XOXO,

Chrissy

Typhoon Season on Okinawa

2008-06-23T19:58:00.000-07:00

When it's summer time in Okinawa, it's also typhoon season. We haven't had one hit us yet, but we did have one (Typhoon Fengshun) come very close. Fortunately for us, it veered off to the west, but unfortunately for the islands of the Philippines, the storm made a direct hit.

Typhoons are just like hurricanes, except since they originate in the Pacific Ocean, they call them by a different name.

Last summer, Okinawa was hit by Typhoon Man-Yi. However since this island is used to storms, the island weathered through the storm without any major damage. Ironically though, Man-Yi was one of the worst storms to hit the island in over 50 years.

I guess this is when you are very thankful that buildings are made from concrete. Thank goodness.

Hopefully, our summer will be free of typhoons, but I'm not going to hold my breath.

Be well...and be safe out there....

~Chrissy