Impressions

This island is a wonderful place. You can feel like you are in America one minute and then like the only American in a far away place the next. This past week we tried to learn more about the culture. We sat on the floor and ate with chopsticks about once a day. We went to various beaches and visited a number of shops. I would love to send you pictures but we are still living in a hotel on base. We can not modify the computer in our room so we will have to wait until we move into our apartment on the 19th to display any of the pictures from our adventure. Here are a few of the things we learned recently.

• Americans with cars here have different license plates. They have a "Y" on the left side (Yankee???). They seem to drive closer to the left side of the road. We noticed that most of the cars in the parking lot of the apartment where we will be living were "Y" plates.
• There are options off base for buying less expensive fruit. At the commissary on base apples are $2.89 lb and cantaloupe is $7.00. On the other hand gas on base is the same as in the US but off base is $8.00 per gallon.
• If you are not careful you might have to eat heart, cartilage, and fat for dinner. That is what Duane ordered. I on the other hand ordered electric eel. It was an adventure.
• It is perfectly normal and acceptable to slurp the noodles out of your soup. At one restaurant we were not even given spoons. We were supposed to drink it out of the bowl.
• At A&W they make a very good root beer float. They also make a sunday with beans on top.
• McDonald's big mac has an egg on it.
• We prepared for our first typhoon this week. It was expected to be as big an Ike. We were expected to grocery shop and bring the plants, grill, lawn mower... inside. Since everything on this island is made to withstand Typhoons, life hardly changed. Why don't they build houses and buildings like this in Houston, New Orleans...?
• Seems like everyone here is either Military or Japaneese so no one is over weight.
• They LOVE babies and our boys fair skin and red hair has made our whole family very popular. We have had many conversations with total strangers that want to touch Will's arms and legs and Grant's hair. Once they get that close they usually notice Grant's eyelashes and blue eyes. It is funny how excited they get. We feel like celebraties.
• Whenever we go off base which is a good portion of everyday, we don't see too many Americans. Maybe one or two families if any at all.
• A few people don't like the Americans but for the most part this is the most friendly place we have ever been.
• The closest we have ever been to a place like this is Cancun Mexico, and this is our home now. It's pretty awesome.
• For tons of information on our new home, visit www.okinawahai.com. You will find pictures of the beaches, food, housing and much more. This website changes daily so check back often if you need a little encouragement to come visit. You are welcome to stay at our home. We plan on having the boys share a bedroom so there will be a guest room waiting for you.