friday nite fun

So tonight I went out with my boyfriend and his friends Geoff and June. We started the night out with dinner and drinks at a local izakaya. It was amazing! The entrance was very low so we had to duck to walk in the door. The reason for that, I am told by June, is so that every customer bows before entering. We then took off our shoes and put them in these wood lockers. The keys for the lockers were small squares of wood, which I thought was totally neat. We were then escorted through a narrow dark hallway. When we got to our booth I assumed that we were sitting on the floor because the table was barely one foot high. As I looked closer I noticed that there was a hole under the table to put your legs. Between the four of us we ordered sashimi, edamame, garlic rice, taco salad, shrimp dumplings and fried chicken bites. Not to mention the drinks. I started off with sake! Delicious. The boys all had kirin beer. It was so neat for me because I had never experienced izakaya dining until tonight. We all shared the food, just putting portions onto our individual plates. Man I love shasimi!! The fish is so fresh here. I am definitely in love with "taco" (octopus) and squid. After our meal was over we had a few drinks and joked around in the dark setting of the izakaya. My favorite drink was the dita and tonic that June picked out for me. It's lycee liquor and tonic water. Very tastey stuff! After we had our fill at the izakaya we journeyed down the street to June's bar, The Bar Beenie. I had a Japanese margarita, to die for!! June gave me a box of Ghana chocolates, which are definitely my favorite. I could tell that June wasn't so happy to be working after such a fun time. Suddenly he yelled, KARAOKE!!! And within 2 minutes we were on our way to the karaoke complex. This is extremely exciting for me. I had heard about how the locals love to sing karaoke, but I wasn't ready for what I was about to encounter. As we walk in I notice it's quite silent for a karaoke bar. But this my friends was karaoke on a whole nother level. We walked down the hallway to entered our own private karaoke room. Flat screen TV, booze, large speakers, sound proof walls.... Need I say more? I think not. At first I was shy but warmed my vocals to the likely of Sublime and Queen in no time. Ahhhhh.... what a great time. I love OKINAWA!!!!

ginowan city, okinawa.... home sweet home

one week before golden week

The intermission from the boiling heat has been absent for long enough to make me suddenly forget where I am. I use my hand to visor the sun's piercing rays as I pan my tropical surroundings. Okinawa? No. Too hot. California? Not even close. As soon as I start to relish in my forgetfulness I hear a warm, familiar voice. "Do you want to get in the water with me?" I look to my left and smile as my eyes caress his face. I answer with a lazy nod and loving smile as I catatonically saunter towards the sound of a waterfall and wade into the most refreshing feeling to touch my skin in hours. I REMEMBER NOW! I'm in heaven. I'm back in America. I'm in Guam. I am suddenly flushed with a large amount of felicity and energy from my discovery. I leap on my love with an attack of affection, then kick my way past the cool mist from a gush of wind rushing through a near by waterfall. As I wade through the fallen tropical flower blossoms that delicately kiss the crystal blue water with their petals the sweet smell of honey infects my senses. I hear some splashing and let out a shriek as I realize my other half has decided to counteract some recent hugs and kisses and is in full on attack mode. I jump out of the pool and race towards the beach, then carefully tip toe over the small crushed pieces of coral and various shells that hug the shoreline. Just as I think I've made it to safety.... BOOM! I'm underwater... As I surface I gasp on the heavily salted water that I managed to swallow from my overwhelming giggles. This is completely fine with me, for I will continue to play the role of the wounded mama bird until he gets close enough to plant some kelp right on his kisser. Then he looks at me with his sparkling lady killers and says "God you're so beautiful when you're choking." We start laughing so hard I think we might be offending some of the Japanese tourists. Then I realize its one week before golden week! We have the whole beach to ourselves and float off to the wave break on our backs and argue over which type of massage we will get at the end of the day. Shiatsu or lomi lomi?