Halloween storytime and gymnastics....

We had a fun weekend! We took Mika to enjoy a special "Halloween storytime" at the Camp Foster library and she wore her Snow White dress that Max gave her for her birthday. The librarian read three stories and then we made a pumpkin mask. It was lots of fun.

Mika loves going to gymnastics class every Friday morning and she's very good at it. She loves to tumble and use all the equipment. Her favorite is the uneven bars.

Max goes to his first Homecoming dance....October 9, 2010

Max went to his first Homecoming dance on October 9th! His school chartered a bus and all the students rode the bus up to Camp Hansen to The Palms where they had the dance. He really likes Kadena High School and has excellent grades this year so far. Six A's and One B!! He didn't have a date for the dance, but went with a bunch of friends. He had a great time. He also ordered his class ring this week. Yikes, lots of milestones lately!
After Max left for the Homecoming dance, we took Mika out for dinner to "Kentucky Colonel." (Kentucky Fried Chicken) The menu is VERY different in Japan, but the food is very good. We especially like the corn soup.
We stopped at the supermarket on the way home and bought some steamed buns to take home. Mika loves them and they're very yummy.

A visit with Hsin Hui: September 23, 2010

Hsin Hui came to Okinawa for a vacation and we were able to spend a few hours together. (she was a foster sister to Mika in Taiwan) We went to Ryukyu Mura and then enjoyed a delicious sushi meal together at Ichiban Tei.
We were happy that Mika remembered her because she hadn't seen her in 17 months. Mika definitely remembered her though and was happy to see her again. It was a very good day. We feel very thankful to have such a good relationship with the Foster family that Mika lived with in Taiwan.

Okinawa Shisa on a rooftop.

Feeding the Koi fish at Ryukyu Mura.

Mika LOVES sushi!!!

This sushi is a specialty of Okinawa and has "sea grapes." It's a plant that grows in the ocean. It tastes like little salty pebbles that pop when you eat them.

enjoying Okinawa sushi...

A royal Ryukyu dinner at Ryoutei Naha Tea House: September 23, 2010

Today was a very special day. My Ikebana Sensei invited us to a traditional Okinawa dinner at the only remaining tea house on Okinawa. We joined Yori, Kojo San and Keimi San once we got there. They serve traditional royal food from the Ryukyu kingdom and perform dances and songs while you eat. This tea house has been open since 1963 and is very famous. It was so beautiful and very peaceful and relaxing. It's amazing that just outside the beautiful building is a noisy city! It was like being transported to another time once we stepped inside.













Pig bowel soup and steak with bitter greens and corn. Thank goodness for the steak!

Seaweed in vinegar sauce, tofu in peanut sauce, shaved pigs ear in peanut sauce, and a variety of sashimi. The pigs ear was actually tasty!
Raw abalone in vinegar sauce with ginger.

Kojo San had told the restaurant that it was Max's birthday the day before and they gave him a gift. It had giant Okinawa donuts inside!

They gave Max a birthday cake....yummy.

Mika and our waitress. They liked each other and she gave Mika a small keychain at the end of the evening that she carried attached to her kimono. It was very nice.

This was the most interesting thing we've ever experienced since living on Okinawa. We'll never forget it. It was really wonderful and very special.