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Tuesday, September 14, 2010

Weird things you may or may not see everyday!

The photos below are in no particular order. They are simply snapshots the kids or I have taken over the past couple of weeks. I'll do my best to explain what they are... some are weird; others just part of everyday life on Okinawa.
The Ryukyuan people are known for ancestor worship. This is a family tomb. Sometimes there are several lined up (Mark's says those are like an American cemetery), in other areas they are just scattered all over the landscape. They range from beautiful and exquisite to old rundown and unkempt. These are found on the side of a twisty old country road that we take often near our home. Look at the color of this drink, it's Melon Soda. It's very popular over here, tastes pretty good too. The locals make eating at a fast food restaurant a pleasure. They serve their drinks in glass glasses and fries in ceramic bowls. It's so quaint. This particular place is called Mos Burger! The kids loved it, we loved it, it's our new favorite fast food place! Their burgers were soooo yummy w/ just a hint of local flavor.
This is a local farm. Many of the farmers cover their crops to keep them safe from all the bats. I've seen uncovered crops lined with lights to scare the bats away. I can't wait to hit the local farmers market next week... it's harvest time.

It's a Hover Round... we take this crazy tight side road to church and to get to other parts of the island (saves us 10-15 minutes off our commute). I was driving home from Kadena the other day and discovered this extremely elderly woman climbing this steep hill on her Hover Round. It was hilariously scary!

Here is the beginning of the crazy road shown above. I don't know if you can tell how narrow the road is... but two cars are supposed to fit down here! I also passed a semi on this road earlier this week, I practiced my Lamaze breathing techniques!
Kids are the same no matter what country they are from... I love this photo, because I know what happened right after I took it. Two boys started fighting, all the others gathered around and cheered on the underdog. I didn't get to stay to see how it turned out, my light turned green and I had to keep moving. If you notice many of these kids carry what look like hard or solid looking backpacks. Those cost about $100 each, but they have a GPS tracker built into them. The parents can look anytime on line and see where their children are, which is very important. The local children ride public buses to and from school or they walk, there are no school buses around here.
Out driving around I found this store, I believe it's a "fancy smanshy" lighting and interior design shop. I also knew my son would love this photo... just had to do it!
I think I shared with ya'll before about these stickers, but in case you have forgotten. The green and yellow stickers that look like a book are placed on the cars of all drivers who have had their license for less than a year... beginner drivers! The upside down tear drops (orange and yellow) are placed on the cars of all elderly drivers (I do not know who constitutes elderly but Mark almost slept on the sofa for trying to get me one!) This car scares me... they are both old and new!
Everyday in Okinawa is a new adventure filled with the unexpected.
I hope you enjoy the journey as much as we do...

1 comment:

Robin Marie said...

MELON SODA is my favorite!!!!!!!!! :) When I was in Tokyo I could not stop drinking it, and I crave it every now and then, but it is no where to be found! Enjoy it while you can :)