Still on sale?

Distracted while working on grad school stuff, I came across this online.


I had no idea I could still buy a Kishu Rangers Wunderlich jersey! (Oops, pardon me - Wunderich! They forgot the L on this one!) I just might have to get me one! Click here to get to the page.

Cousin Cometh (Part 2) - LINKS APLENTY!

So here's the rest of Sheila's time here, all in one condensed post. Tuesday was a slow morning... we went out to Joyfull (a family restaurant that's open 24/7) and just sat and enjoyed the drink bar (soft drinks, of course!) while playing cribbage. Sheila got beaten quite soundly in the first two games, but came back to skunk me in the third game.

We went to Yomitan in the afternoon and checked out the beach and cape, and then had a delicious dinner and time of fellowship at Glenn and Farah's. We played Mille Bornes, a fun card game that I never even knew about but now want!

Wednesday morning I had to get some grad school work done, so Sheila helped at our church's VBS while I studied at home. We went out for Chinese for lunch (awesome gyoza there!) and then headed up to Nago to check out Pineapple Park. Oh man, that place never gets boring! We actually were going to hit up PP the next day, but a typhoon was set to hit, or at least pour rain on us for a few days. So we ate a lotta pineapple snacks and then returned to Ginowan for church service. I was the translator, so we had to get there at least a little early!

Thursday was a rainy day so I think we pretty much hung out at the house, watched Planet Earth and played backgammon during the day. Then at night the church had a little "movie night" so we went there and watched Back to the Future. Got a little bored so we broke out the backgammon board. (I think Sheila's addicted, really.)

Friday the weather cleared up a little, but it still wasn't perfect. What did we do, Sheila? I forget! Oh, we went shopping, I think - hundred yen store and Kokusai again (to get the shirts). And wasn't Friday night the night I made delicious curry for us? Hmmm... kinda foggy.

Saturday morning I had my online class, so Sheila just chilled until I was done, and then we headed up north to at least do SOME of what we couldn't do on Thursday/Friday. On the way we stopped in Gushikawa for a Hakugaijin concert, but we didn't stay too long. We had to get up north! We checked out the Churaumi Aquarium and Pizza in the Sky. 'Twas awesome, I tell ya!

Sunday was double-church day, and I think in between we... went shopping? Probably! Then Monday morning we headed out to the airport, had breakfast, and that was it! A wonderful week getting to know my cousin better. One thing we did a lot of was a "Krahn quiz." (My mom's side of the family is Krahn.) So we took turns making up questions like "Which of the 9 Krahn siblings do you think had the most interesting childhood?" or "Which Krahn grandchild outside your own family looks the most like you?" Good times!

Cousin Cometh (Part 1)

My wonderful cousin Sheila came out to visit me from August 2-10. Can you believe it? All the way from Canada just to see me! I was so blessed. So the first night we went to On Dish for dinner and all-you-can-eat ice cream. The next day we headed south, beginning with...

Sasoriza! Those of you who have never been down to the Okisho area and don't know about this shop... what are you waiting for? Milk tea with tapioca balls in it - such an awesome drink! (Actually we stopped in again another day - I think it was on Saturday.)

Then we went to Okinawa World, a.k.a. the caves. It was actually my first time there... it's kind of a kitschy touristy place but the caves are some of the longest and oldest in Japan. So it was cool seeing all the formations down there. It was also real cool down there! I'd love to build a summer home down there... well maybe.

After that, we went to the Peace Memorial Park in Itoman. I've probably been there a dozen times, but it never fails to move me. It makes me sick to my stomach when I think about just how brutal the war was here in Okinawa. Oh that reminds me, we met an 82-year old man at Okinawa World, and he told us about his experience in the war. He said he was 18 (story checks out, as the war was 64 years ago) and was actually among the bodies strewn everywhere (mostly dead bodies). He found a grenade and wanted to pull the pin and end his life... but he lacked the physical strength to do so because he hadn't eaten in 3 weeks (or was it months?). Heart-wrenching story.

Well anyhow, the night ended with some homemade taco rice and a trip down to Kokusai Street at night. It was a packed day... but Sheila said she wasn't jetlagged so I decided to really push it!

More in the next post - I don't like writing novels when I update!