For me, one of the hardest parts about being a military family isn't the constant moving, or the long separations from my husband, or even the lack of control over our very existence. Rather, it's the fact that we live so far from our families.
Growing up, I lived a mile from my father's parents. My mother's parents were just an hour and a half away; my husband's lived across the street from him for most of his childhood. Our grandparents were a constant presence in our lives and we saw them often. My children have not yet had that privilege; it's not likely that they will anytime soon.
I often mourn that particular type of relationship on my children's behalf, but there are other, much more selfish, reasons that I wish our families lived near us: I hardly ever get a break.
Sure, we hire babysitters for the occasional night out and there are, of course, those two hours between the kids' bedtime and ours that we get to read uninterrupted, have a Very Important Conversation, or watch non-Disney television programming. <insert dramatic eye roll here>
But my husband and I have been parents for six years and two days now; in all that time the longest we've been alone together was four days, which we spent buying furniture and having our household goods delivered after our return from our first overseas tour in Germany. In the two years and three months since our son's birth, we've had no break at all.
Don't get me wrong - I'm not complaining. I knew what I was signing up for when I made the decision to become a parent. But my husband and I are ready for some time to ourselves again. We're ready for a much-needed chance to reconnect without constant interruptions. We need to be able to put our "parent brains" into hibernation mode, if only for 48 hours.
I only feel slightly bad for taking two days of my mom's two-week visit here to escape with my husband to Oura Wan. I'm looking forward to attempting the ropes course at Forest Adventure Park . To hiking up to Hiji Falls, and finding a few hard-to-reach geocaches. I can't wait to eat a slice (or three) at Pizza In The Sky without needing to cut it into minuscule pieces first. It'll be great to make a stop at Hiro Coffee Farm and not worry about what to do with our little ones while we get our caffeine fix. I'm looking forward to (hopefully) sleeping in past 7 am for the first time in six years.
Have you found yourself with a child-free break while here on Okinawa? How did you make the most of your couple-time... while you had it?
Do you need a little push to get in the spirit of Halloween? Try out the Spooky Sites Tour offered through Tours+ on Foster.
My husband and I ventured out on this tour in the rain and mist last Friday, and despite having fairly average expectations, we had a really fun time!
I say that I had marginal expectations because ghost tours have never really moved me in the past, and why would this be different? However, several aspects of the whole experience were really interesting. In fact, I can highly recommend it for adults and older kids. The tour is not that scary, but it is about 4 hours long, involves walking in the dark, and requires a decent attention span.
I won't give away all the fun elements here, since I'm a big believer in surprises and discovering things for oneself. But in case you're contemplating it, here's a general rundown of events.
First off, it should be mentioned that there are no scary ghouls or ghosts jumping out or haunting you along the way. It's not that kind of tour; instead, on this tour, you listen. (hence, the attention span)
Some of the content of the tour included:
1) Insights about differences between Japanese and American ghosts... just like the living, they behave in very culturally prescribed ways.
2) Myths about why those glowing orbs sometimes show up in photos as well as the real reason why that coke slides across the countertop. (hint: it's not a thirsty ghost)
3) Advice for shaking loose of a spirit that wants to come home with you. FYI, salt does the trick.
4) First-hand and distant accounts of creepy locations and paranormal activity around the island. I was pleased that not all the legends are about Okinawan ghosts. There are a few tales about US servicemen in WWII uniforms and American children thrown in for good measure.
The tour took us to three locations around the island including the lighthouse at Zampa Point, a Haunted House on Kadena, and an eery park that runs alongside the 58. At each stop, we learned about some of the urban local legends associated with it and we were given time to contemplate what happened.
Man, your imagination can really go crazy out there. For instance, I found myself pondering why in the world the Air Force would refuse to put a family in the Haunted House on Kadena due to repeated mysterious activity there and even go so far as to chop off the haunted portion of the home, but THEN build a child development center right next to it. Oh well, who am I to question these things?
All in all, we had a really enjoyable time, and the settings were great for getting me in the mood for Halloween. What could be better than standing outside in a drizzly rain under an ominous tree with bats hanging in it?
And even though I'm not easily spooked by stories of ghosts or spirits or paranormal, I made my husband stop at McDonald's and buy me french fries on the way home.
The Spooky Sites Tour ($20/adults; $13/children) is being offered on various dates next week leading up to Halloween. It's my understanding that Kadena ITT also conducts at Spooky Tour, yet having no experience with that one, I can't comment on the content of it. If you do the tour, I recommend sturdy shoes, appropriate clothing, an umbrella, and salt packets, of course!
When a couple has children, “alone time” becomes a precious
commodity.Whether it’s escaping for an
hour or two together for dinner without highchairs and a movie with a higher
rating than PG, or getting dressed up in dress blues and gowns or tuxedos for a
military ball, we cherish those sacred hours of child-free adult time, few and
far between though they may be.
But what
about the other kind of alone
time?The kind that we manage to scrape
up here and there on nights when we’re both home and free of obligations, after
the kids have been bathed and put to bed for (hopefully) the next ten to twelve
hours?You know, that kind.The kind that too
often gets interrupted by hungry infants, kids asking for another cup of water,
and teens who stay up later than we do.The kind that got us those kids in the first place.
It’s issues like these that help promote the “Love Hotel”
industry.In Japan, both mainland and
here on Okinawa, several generations of families often live under one
roof.It’s highly common for couples to
visit Love Hotels in order to get some privacy for themselves when they might
not otherwise have easy access to it.Which means the pay-by-the-hour rooms that you can get here are a far
cry from those in the US.(And far
cleaner, too.)
This past week your editors and I took it upon ourselves to
debunk the mystery of the Love Hotel.In
an effort to figure out just how they work we visited not just one but four different establishments in an
afternoon.What we found was a little bit
of everything: the good, the wacky, the boring, and the ugly.Mostly we learned that not all Love Hotels
are created equal, and you truly do get what you pay for.
The Boring
Our first stop on "Love Hotel Alley" was at the Pirate Ship
Hotel.From the road they’ve got a fancy
sign; the exterior is in the shape of a ship (complete with painted-on waves on
the surrounding walls).We pulled our
van into one of the covered parking spots, pressed a button near the door to
lower the privacy screen from prying outside eyes, and opened a door into a
long corridor where painted signs on the floor and wall directed us to climb a
staircase to our room.Once inside we
found that the pirate theme was carried through only by the porthole window in the
wall; the rest of the room was a neatly decorated, regular hotel room whose
only interesting feature was the how-to sensual massage mat in the bathroom.
Deciding we didn’t want to spend an hour (or the ¥2200 fee)
in this rather uninteresting room, we turned right around and headed back down
to our car… only to find that we were locked in.After five minutes of sending in the bravest
among us to get us out of this place, she returned and pressed the garage door
button… we were free.“I picked up the phone that called the front desk for me, and told her
‘Cancel room!No stay, no touch
anything.Sayonara! Cancel!’, and she told me to go,” Tara told us.‘Cancel’ became a vital word in this process,
we later found out.
The Good
We ended up driving right down the road to Hawaii Hotel,
which was a far cry from its neighbor.For one, this hotel is much more easily accessible for those who have
trouble with stairs, as the trip from garage to hotel room was through an
outdoor terrace with tables and chairs for each room.
Inside, the room had Hawaiian music softly playing in the
background, His and Hers robes and bath products, a fully stocked mini-bar, and
an overall relaxing atmosphere.
In addition, there was a large screen HDTV with several
channels to watch (including one slightly edited adult channel), DVD player and
Wii consoles, and a selection of movies and games to borrow.Unfortunately, the staff at the front desk
here didn’t speak English and we never did figure out how to order those movies
or games.Nor did we stay long enough to
order from the breakfast or “Afternoon Tea” room service menus available to
us.The biggest downfall with this room
was that it smelled strongly of cigarette smoke, which for our group of
non-smokers was a bit of a turn off.In
the end we classified this establishment in the category of “classy” Love
Hotel.
The Wacky
Our next stop was Mint House (which several readers have
written about on a previous short post with links here).When we first drove up to the gate we came upon a booth with pictures of
the rooms – lighted rooms were vacant; dimmed rooms were occupied – and once we
made our (¥4500) selection we pressed a button next to the desired picture.
We
followed signs that led to our chosen room, and when we arrived we parked in
the allotted spot and entered the staircase that lead to our suite.Unfortunately we didn’t understand the sign
that read Two People Only, and when
we entered the room the phone rang to ask us if we’d like to cancel.Which we did… but only after taking a few
pictures:
This room was two floors, and included a foyer:
A bedroom area with a karaoke machine
A hot tub
And a very fancy shower.
Other rooms at Mint House were much less fancy - just a few are multi-level - and cost ¥1500 for an hour. While the rooms are not as wildly themed as some of those on mainland Japan, they're certainly not just your average hotel room. It seems that Americans frequent Mint House because of its ease of use and the fact that the staff here does speak a bit of English.
The Ugly
We were fully prepared to head home after being turned away from Mint House,
but the youngest among us was getting whiny and needed a diaper change, so we
pulled into the driveway of Hotel 2001.
Because the one hour charge here was just ¥1500 we decided to
try it out.In reading over my notes of
this room this stands out: “Bed not suitable for sleeping”.It did have other interesting features,
though: a deep tissue massage chair, a bathtub with flat screen TV built into
the wall at one end, and a menu offering a selection of adult toys priced at
¥1000 each.There was also an extensive
selection of DVDs (Japanese and adult) and a food room service menu, none of
which we took advantage.
We did have an issue getting out of this room; by the time
we contacted an employee to pay (again, buy calling the front desk), it took her about five minutes to reach our
room, then another ten to return with our change.By that time we were feeling very claustrophobic
and were more than ready to leave.
What We Learned
Love Hotels are not for weekend getaways.They’re an easy escape from everyday life,
intended for couples who want to make the most of a few precious hours together.Depending on the hotel and the room, an hour’s
stay can range anywhere from ¥1500 to ¥4500.Some of the hotels we looked at had 2.5 hour options, and nearly all had
a ¥500 add-on fee for each additional half hour past the initial sixty minute stay.
Most of the hotels we saw had designated
fees for “extended” stays; off-hours (i.e. from 1100 to 1800) cost x amount of
Yen, while peak nighttime hours were a couple thousand more.
The four hotels here operated on a Yen-only basis; even the
Mint House with its much pricier rooms did not accept credit cards so bring
lots of it with you when you go.
With the exception of the Mint House, the three other rooms
we stopped in required us to lower the privacy screen on the garage door before
opening the hotel room to us, and that door did not reopen until after we’d
paid (or in the case of the pirate hotel, had gotten out of staying).All four establishments were under 24 hour surveillance
with cameras outside the rooms and in the parking bays.
We never really did figure out the correct protocol for
leaving our rooms; mostly we had Tara call the front desk, to which she did a
version of “Ready to leave – sayonara! Finish… cancel!”, and afterward a hotel
employee came to the small window in the room where only our hands showed; we
had no face-to-face contact with anyone other than ourselves.
Change was made at the window (or in the case
of Hotel 2001, took ten minutes to return to us), and the garage privacy screens
were opened.I think now that had we all
gotten directly in the car the employees would have raised the screens for us,
to help maintain the same level of privacy that was provided throughout the
stay.We were impatient and a bit
panicked, however, and didn’t give ourselves or the employees that chance.
All the rooms we visited smelled strongly of cigarette
smoke; I’d advise bringing air freshener spray or candles to help alleviate
those odors if you’re sensitive to them.As a whole, however, it seemed to me that the level of cleanliness and hygiene
in all the rooms were up to the standard I’ve come to expect from Japanese
establishments.Despite the nature of
the Love Hotels, I didn’t feel as though they were dirty or unclean in the
least.
I would recommend bringing drinks and snacks and your own
DVDs with you, unless you know how to order from a menu in Japanese.The hotel employees we encountered spoke
little to no English, and we spoke little to no Japanese, which made for a
language barrier that was tough to conquer when unable to see the people to
whom we were speaking.
In all, visiting these Love Hotels was a fun
experience.If you’re interested in
taking a look for yourself – but don’t want to commit to staying in a
particular one before seeing it – contact Army Community Services on Torii
Station or MCCS on Camp Foster for information about their Love Hotel
tours.Or just take a drive,
particularly at night.Several months
ago, Mary posted this travelogue video she and her husband made of “Love Hotel
Alley” near Awase Golf Course… this will give you a good idea of what this area
looks like all lit up at night.
This is by no means an extensive review of Love Hotels,
though.In trying to keep track of the
ones we passed in Love Hotel Alley itself, I lost count at fifteen. There are many other Love Hotels around the
island… and they probably fall somewhere in the spectrum between The Good, The
Bad, The Boring, and the Ugly.
Directions to Mint
House: From Kadena Gate 2, go straight through the 330 intersection.At the 6th stoplight (after the
ENEOS gas station) take a right.Follow
this street until you pass a golf driving range on your right; on your left you’ll
pass Birdland Café; take your first immediate left.Follow this street for about a kilometer;
after a pink and white apartment building on your right you’ll take a very
sharp right hand turn into the Mint House entrance.
From Foster: Get on 330 heading east.Follow to intersection with 20 (Koza Music
City; Kadena Gate 2 to your left); take a right. Follow directions as above.
Directions to “Love
Hotel Alley” From Kadena Gate 2, take a right onto 85 toward Chatan.Follow to intersection of 23 (gate 5); take a
left onto 85.Follow for several kilometers
past Camp Butler and through the intersection of 330, past Awase Golf
Course.Street will begin to narrow and
get hilly; follow until you get to a small T-intersection with a stop
sign.Take a right; you’ll see many Love
Hotels on both sides of the road as you continue on this road.The Pirate Ship and Hawaii hotels mentioned
in this post are accessible from this road.
From Foster, go out the Macaroni Grill gate or the PX gate
and head east on 330.At the Awase Golf
Course take a right; follow directions as above.
I love eating out - clearly a fact known by all my friends. It's even better when eating out in Okinawa becomes more interesting than eating out in the U.S. Have you ever had to ask what Cracker Barrel means? Or why Chipotle's named themselves after a pepper? Have you ever even thought of the reason behind the name of any of your favorite U.S. eateries? I hadn't until I moved here. Now, I hardly have a clue as to why we have a restaurant named Coco's, a bakery named Coco's and a popular salon named Cocok's. And, I'm not so sure I have totally grasped the name behind today's post. It has been explained to me that it means surprise - as if the scales were coming off of your eyes. Not sure what that has to do with eating yummy food on the sea wall but I will go back no matter the why behind the name! I have a friend who calls this the "eyeball" restaurant, next to Transit Cafe. That works for me, too!!
Whatever you call it, this restaurant, with a view of our beloved sea wall, is worth a visit or two. They have an extensive drink menu to start your evening off and an incredibly tempting, English menu. You can enjoy a bottle of pineapple wine for Y2,500 or sip it by the glass at Y600. The drink menu is separated by types of alcohol - beer, awamori, whiskey, etc. Their food menu is equally organized with items being separated by appetizers, Okinawan food, fried food,salads, etc. One item on the menu that we did not try was Tofuyo - a traditional Ryukyu Royal Delicacy for Y380. I'd love to know what I'm missing - or not!!!
Fried Garlic Gyoza Y580 - in my opinion, all restaurants on Okinawa should serve this yummy dumpling.
Seared Beef with Garlic Sauce Y680 - my husband enjoyed this dish.
Pie Pizza is what this is called on the menu. You have three choices - Teriyaki Chicken (pictured above), Tomato Basil or Spicy Sausage. The crust on this pizza was incredible. It is best described as a pastry crust. At Y1,100 it was worth it and a fan favorite with our crowd!!!!
If that isn't enough to get you off-base then they also offer a Caesar salad, a shrimp and avocado salad, a variety of fish, other meat dishes and dessert.
This hip place competes for both the let's-meet-for-drinks-crowd and the meet-us-for-dinner-crowd. Either crowd will leave satisfied. Happy Eating!!!
Special Note: This restaurant takes Yen, American Dollars and credit cards.
Hours: They are open 7 days a week from 6 p.m. until 1 a.m.
Location: Chatan-town / Sunabe Seawall area
Directions: Me Kara Uroko is located along the Sunabe Seawall. From Kadena Gate One take a left onto 58 and then your first quick right by Family Mart. Follow that road until you hit the sea wall and make a right. Me Kara Uroko is right next to Transit Cafe. Pass Transit Cafe and step into the courtyard area where you see the "eyeball" sign.
Who knew that creating your very own frozen treat could be so fun? I was turned on to this concept while visiting Southern California recently - make your own frozen treat and you pay by the weight. This could be a very dangerous new obsession, especially if you have several people in your family. I thought I was safe because I was visiting California and I live in Okinawa, Japan. Then Yogurtland arrived!
The concept is simple: Grab a cup, dispense yogurt, add toppings, weigh, pay and enjoy!!! I love the enjoy part and enjoy we did!
Remember, this isn't 31 Flavors, they only have 16 choices, unless you count the numerous combinations you can create when you pull down the mix lever. You will be more than satisfied with 16+ choices as each flavor is incredibly intense. Here were our choices today: Pistachio, Mango Tart, Green Tea, Tiramisu, Toasted Coconut, Vanilla Wafer, Fresh Strawberry, Vanilla Bean, Vanilla with Salt (I have no idea why), Dutch Chocolate, Peanut Butter, Double Cookie and Cream, Pineapple Tart and Pomegranate & Raspberry Tart. One recommendation we all had when choosing your flavors is to choose only one. Two flavors or more, with toppings, can get overwhelming in the taste bud arena. Just FYI!
The first time I visited Yogurtland I tried the N.Y. Cheesecake flavor and loved it! Unfortunately it was not available today. Also, the first time I visited they were offering samples so you could taste how tart the Pineapple Tart truly was. Today, they did not have the sample tasting available. I'm not sure if that was a special deal because they had just recently opened or not.
Once you have dispensed your yogurt you move on to the buffet of fresh and dry toppings. This is when the real fun begins. My partner-in-crime, Dasha, said it reminded her of the Cold Stone Creamery back home - only this is self-serve.
Some of your fresh topping choices included kiwi, passion fruit, persimmons, mango, dragon fruit and nata de coco. Some of the dry topping choices included brownie bites, cheesecake bites, mocha cake, fig, Oreo cookies and assorted nuts. My favorites were the cheesecake bites and the Koala Yummies - you can buy the chocolate-filled Koala Yummies at most Y100 stores. Once you have created your masterpiece you take your cup to be weighed. You are paying Y200 per 100 grams of frozen yumminess and it's amazing how fast the weight adds up. Our totals ranged from Y573 to Y827. Can you really put a price on your own creation though?
Happy Eating!!
Special Note: Yen and American Dollars accepted. No credit cards. They do not accept bills larger than a $20 and your change will be given in yen.
Interesting fact: Their spoons are biodegradable. Check out nutritional facts and stateside locations here.
Hours:Open 7 days a week from 11a.m. until 23:00
Location: On the 2F of the Ferris Wheel area in American Village.
Directions: Leave out of Kadean Gate 1 and make a left onto 58. At the Kuwae signal make a right - across from Camp Lester. Follow a short distance until you get to the large American Village intersection. Make a right at the signal, heading towards Makeman. Pass the two-story building with the Ferris wheel and make a right, entering a parking area. You can park anywhere but this will get you the closest to Yogurtland without having to cross the street. If you are lucky you will even be able to park in the shade - outside of the Dragon Palace.
Thanks Dasha for letting me post To Eat instead of To Do this week! Hope you all enjoy this restaurant as much as we do!
Izakaya Jazzra is one of our favorite eating spots in
Okinawa. We happened to try it out one night while exploring and were so
thrilled to find a solid neighborhood place to come back to time and again. Moreover,
it’s easy to find, practically right next door to the Awase Toys R Us in Okinawa
City.
We love this place for several reasons.
First off, the restaurant has a fun jungle atmosphere décor.
Ever seen a stuffed tiger as table centerpiece before? It's so fun to walk into a new place without any expectations and then find all this!
Second, the restaurant welcomes children and childless
couples alike. We’ve seen little kids and babies in there many times. The
seating areas include tatami mats for large parties and cozy private hidden
booths and the bar for more intimate parties.
Next, the food is consistently tasty. We like to sample a
few new concoctions every time, but we have some standards we always order.
Cheese and bacon yakitori-- tell me out there, who can resist melty cheese?
Bacon Salad- can you tell there's a bacon lover among us?
Sizzling plate of noodles
Tuna and avocado tower- Would you believe I crave this one at times?
Also, we don’t have a picture of it, but I recommend the roasted whole or half chicken. It comes with a savory Thai-inspired sauce.
Finally, for the service, quality and presentation of food, and overall atmosphere, I
think the prices are reasonable. We usually order a couple Orions and four
or five plates, but never seem to pay more than about 2500- 3000 yen.
They do have an English menu, though be aware there seems to be weekly and daily specials that are not on that. However, don't be afraid to point to other people's plates and say, "Onaji mono" (same thing). Go early
as it tends to fill up. Sadly, we were turned away once!
Hours: 5:00 ~ midnight
Directions:Take a left turn out of Sgt Major gate (where
Westpac is) and keep going downhill and curvy roads. Turn left at the 329
intersection and go straight. You will pass Living Design Square on your right
and keep going in the direction of Comprehensive Park, but not all the way to the park. You will come to a big
intersection with a McDonalds on the right side and a Hotto Motto on the left.
Turn right at that intersection and continue straight towards Awase Shopping
Center. About a fourth of a mile down before you reach Awase shopping, you’ll see Izakaya Jazzra on the left side. It's in a typical Izakaya style building with lanterns in front, drawings on the side, and a big sign on top. The post office is next to it. If you end up driving past and see on your right Awase Shopping Center with the Toys R Us, you’ve gone too far.
Mary has agreed to come back again this week to tell us what TO DO. Lucky us!
Round 1 is a super sports/game complex near the Convention Center. My husband and I checked it out last Sunday. We have no children, so it was kind of a date. We had a great time. (Understatement, I had to pry my 40- year old husband away from the arcade at the end)
Truly, you’ll find something you enjoy there:
Floors 1 and 2: Arcade games and photo booths Floor 3: Bowling Floors 4-7: Roller skating, mini-bikes, billiards, more arcade games, mechanical bull, archery, badminton, basketball, mini-golf, ping-pong, karaoke, darts, batting cages, golf driving ranges, and more. Floor 4 also had a sectioned off children’s area with slides, jumpy areas, and other things for little kids.
There are two fee options-- 1,280 yen for 90 minutes or 1,700 yen for 3 hours. (Prices slightly cheaper on weekdays) Both options let you participate in anything on Floors 4-7. The bowling costs extra. We went with the 3-hour option and bought a member’s card for a nominal fee to get a discount each time we return.
Since my husband wanted the most bang for the buck, we had to do every sport and game this place offered in only 3 hours, and I mean everything. Can you relate?
Some of the highlights:
Getting out work frustration at the Kickbox station
Reminiscing about grade school skate parties in my “old-fashioned” skates.
Archery
Jealous of local bus drivers who barge out in traffic and make other cars slam on their breaks? Try it for yourself with the Tokyo Bus Driver video game. There was a wait to get on this one….
Finally, relaxation areas with chairs that massage you for like 30 whole minutes…
About food…the concessions inside were pretty awful (basically frozen food heated in a microwave). Other people brought in their own lunches, and we saw a group of teens with a Birthday cake. I recommend you do that, or else eat at the one of the restaurants outside the center including A&W, Coco Curry, or Baskin Robbins.
To get there: 58 South towards Naha. Take the Convention Center access road that veers to the right past Foster. Pass Tropical Beach and Convention Center on your right. Continue straight and ahead on the left, you’ll see Round 1.
Hours M-F 10 am to 6 am Sat 9 am to 6 am Sun 8 am to 6 am
My parents instilled a love of live theatre in me from a very young age. My family has always been involved in local community theatre. At first it was just my Father and then my sisters began to act in the plays as well. While I was never able to overcome my intense stage fright I enjoyed being there to support them. I loved watching their plays unfold as they worked towards the finished project and clapping profusely on opening night. While I was living in New York I was privileged enough to attend the theatre often. I saw many Broadway Plays and a few off Broadway plays and they were all wonderful. As much as I enjoyed the more professional plays I have seen there will always be a place in my heart for community theatre. There is something magical about community theatre. The curtain rises and before your eyes your neighbors, friends and family change into wonderful characters. They are able to weave a magical tale and transport you to another place and time. At the end you stand up and applaud not only because the play was entertaining but because you know how much hard work went into it. I was overjoyed to find that we have our own community theatre group on the island - POPs. POPs or the Pacific Okinawa Players groups is a non-profit volunteer organization. They are dedicated to providing quality live theater to Okinawa and they try to put on 4-5 shows every year. The money they raise from their performances is used towards future performances and to award the Ed Kirstein Memorial Scholarship to deserving High School seniors who wish to pursue "the arts" in college.
Chrissy Miller, a local actress shared the following thoughts about POPS with me. “I first joined POPS in December of 2007 when I auditioned for the show "I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change." Back home in Silver Spring, Maryland, I had been actively involved in community theatre taking part in numerous productions (actually my very first theatre experience was as "Molly" in the musical "Annie" when I was 7 years old :)). It seemed only natural for me to join a community theatre group when we moved here to Okinawa in October of 2007. If you're new to the island, it can take some time to make friends, so POPS was perfect for me as it allowed me to meet new people and gave me a creative outlet. I wasn't working for the first 8 months after we moved here, so being involved in POPS gave me the opportunity to find some purpose. You have to remember: people who participate in POPS (whether it be as an actor, a crew member, or a production staff member) don't do it for the money (this is a volunteer organization after all) they do it because they HAVE A PASSION and love for the theatre. Everyone here is very professional. I think that's my favorite part....everyone is serious about the theatre. They are dedicated to making quality theatre available for the public here on Okinawa to enjoy. If our audience leaves enjoying our performances and feeling inspired then we have fulfilled our duty. Furthermore, theatre is not just for the elite. Everyone should have the chance to watch a quality production.”
Another local actress Caroline Dees was also kind enough to tell me how she felt about performing with POPs. "I can't believe I get to do this! I can't believe I get to do this!" That thought has been running in my head since I was first cast (after a knee knocking audition, seriously they were knocking together) and rehearsals began for Ragtime, POPS current production. Everyone needs an outlet and for many of us this is it. I'd done a show with community theater just one time before but that was 12 years ago. This is the first time since that it worked out for my family. Now we're trying to figure out how to get one or two more shows in before we PCS in June. There is something so exciting about watching a show come together from start to finish. Between the directors, production staff, crew and cast members, there is a constant striving for our best, individually and as a group. I'm a firm believer that we all crave connection and the theater has just that. In the end, to give the gift of your best to an audience is a privilege that is thrilling.”
Now you don’t need to be an actor or an actress to get involved with POPs.Good plays take much more than actors and actresses. They also need help with everything behinds the scenes like sets, lights, sounds props etc. There are so many ways you can share your talents with community theatre. If you would like to get involved with POPs then you should attend their General Meeting on Monday, Oct. 13th, 6:00pm at the Camp Foster Performing Arts Auditorium. As the POPs website says “Bring your ideas. Bring your friends. Bring your enthusiasm to Okinawa's Community Theater!”.
POPS current production Ragtime The Musical is going on right now at the Camp Foster Performing Arts Auditorium. Performance days and times are: Friday, 3 October 7:30 PM Saturday, 4 October 2:00 PM and 7:30 PM Wednesday, 8 October 7:30 PM Thursday, 9 October 7:30 PM Friday, 10 October 7:30 PM Adult Tickets are $10.00 and Child Tickets are $5.00. You can purchase tickets at Kadena ITT or at the box office starting an hour before show time. To read more about the play check out Caroline’s blog on Hai Society. Please come out and support all of our local actors and actresses I promise you won’t be disappointed. I hope to see you there!
Since I was little I have loved to watch people bowl. There is something about watching the ball roll quickly down the lane and knocking all of the pins over – it really is a beautiful sport. Now if I was the one bowling it would be more like “watching the ball roll down the lane and then right before it hits a pin plop into the gutter”. I am terrible at bowling. So bad that my 5 year old beats me at every game even when I use bumpers. I still love to play and have been enjoying the various places to bowl on base.
I was really excited to find a bowling alley off base as well. We ventured over to Seaside Bowling Alley in Seaside Square which is at the back of American Village. It is a really neat little bowling alley located on the second floor above Sega. The atmosphere is wonderful and has a very retro vibe to it. They have windows along the wall so you can at the ocean as you bowl. You rent your shoes from a nifty vending type machine. Written above all of the sizes are their US equivalent. They do run small though so you may want to bring your own shoes if your feet are large. If you work up an appetite after bowling a Turkey (three strikes) you can grab a bite to eat at the restaurant located inside the bowling alley. They were not open when we went during the week but the menu did look good. There is also your usual assortment of vending machines full of drinks and tasty treats. If the kiddos get bored while bowling there is also a small arcade. Seaside Bowl was a lot of fun and not too far away.
I also heard that they do cosmic bowling at night - has anyone every been?
This is my favorite time of year I love the fall. I love feeling the days get cooler and watching the leaves change. I love snuggling up in a warm sweater and sipping hot cocoa as I flip through my fall/winter catalogs. Then I step outside and realize that it is still feels like summer here and probably will for awhile. I received a wonderful email the other day as I was longing for cooler weather. In the email Kimberly Kadiasang told me about Southern Hill Sports World or the Okinawa Sports Complex as locals refer to it. After reading it my spirits were lifted and I was intrigued by the prospect of enjoying a cold weather activity on this warm island. Plus those mittens and hat that I accidentally packed will find some use after all. Thank you Kimberly for sharing this wonderful information and pictures with us. RememberI would love to hear about things you have done or things you would like me to do. So please send your thoughts and ideas or just your love to todoinokinawa@yahoo.com I look forward to hearing from you.
Southern Hill Sports World
The is an amazing place for families to have a fun day out. Okinawa Sports Complex has various activities such as: Ice skating Bowling Batting Cages Video Arcade Pool Hall Kitakeisan
The prices vary with the different activity you choose to do. The great thing is that if your family chooses to go ice skating first then bowling; they can ice skate, hold their skates (in a locker) while they go bowling & then return to ice skating after wards.
NOTE: It is freezing in the ice arena so I would suggest you bring your sweaters. Also you need gloves in order to be in the ice ring, they sell them for 300yen or you can stop at a local 100yen store & buy a couple before heading out there.
Directions: -Get on the expressway going south (400 yen max) -Do not exit anywhere stay on the expressway until it ends -After exiting take a left at the light and stay in the left lane -You will go through 1 light and soon the left lane merges left -You should be going up hill after turning left (240 Yonabaru) - At the stop sign turn left The Sports Complex is the grey building on the right side. The parking garage is under the arena.
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