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

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?!

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....

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....

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

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....

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

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