okinawa hai!

CONTRIBUTED BY SUZIE SMITH Looking to expand your higher education while in Okinawa? Well look no further. The University of Maryland University College or UMUC is located right here on Okinawa and is ready to help you reach your goals. Of course you may have questions, but I’ll cover the basics for you. Only on [...]

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CONTRIBUTED BY ERIKA MEYERS Becoming a student on Okinawa is simple. There are several international universities on the island that accept students: Meio University Okinawa International University Okinawa University University of the Ryukyus For people living on Okinawa already, becoming a student is easy because you need to submit your application in person. As far [...]

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Derby Gang CONTRIBUTED BY ZABRINA “JerZee Stinga” Songui When I first got to this island, I felt so disconnected. I was newly married and this was my first experience living overseas. My day-to-day activities involved going to the gym, driving around the island, cooking and cleaning. Yes! I know…Snore! Then, I was lucky enough to [...]

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CONTRIBUTED BY SARAH FILLMAN My husband and I are new to Okinawa and really want to dive into some of the unique cultural experiences that are offered here (there are so many.) A great resource is the Schilling Community Center on Kadena. They offer a ton of great classes, excursions, ticket and travel information, big [...]

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CONTRIBUTED BY SARAH FILLMAN My husband and I are pretty new to Okinawa and we went by the Schilling Community Center on Kadena AB to grab some good maps of the island. While we were there, I noticed a table full of drawings and giveaway. I dropped our names into a few of the drawings, [...]

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MOPS Cards CONTRIBUTED BY MEGAN PARKER Your three-year old spilled his orange juice, and while you are on your hands and knees cleaning it up, you notice the stale Cheerios from days gone by hugging the floorline that meets the wall. You crawl farther under the table, promptly bang your head, and eventually pick up [...]

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CONTRIBUTED BY PENNY VA HEERDEN In the comments section of my Why Martial Arts? post, someone asked for links to local Martial Arts Association websites.  There are so many top notch dojos in Okinawa that I was, at first, a bit hesitant to list only one association.  However, since coming to Okinawa I have received so [...]

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CONTRIBUTED BY WENDELL JOHNSON Though I had been on this wonderful island for a year and a half, I had little ability to speak in Japanese to make a conversation. I knew basic complimentary phrases but could not engage in some meaningful dialogue. Several Americans and Okinawians informed me that to speak Japanese fluently takes [...]

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CONTRIBUTED BY AMANDA HARMS PLAY ROLLER DERBY WITH US… the KOKESHI ROLLER DOLLS! Part manifesto- part invitation, here is my proposition: So there I was… Thirty-one years old and pregnant with #3.  I could feel my body succumbing to the demands of pregnancy and as much as I love being a Mom and as much [...]

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CONTRIBUTED BY HEATHER SHAFER  Parenting is not always a bowl of cherries, especially when you have an energetic, in-your-face, rambunctious, and all around difficult five year old son.  Don’t get me wrong, I love my children, but they can be quite the handful. Recently, I stumbled upon the new Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu class at the Courtney [...]

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