O-okinawa-ni October 1, 2010

It’s gorgeous out today. The sun is shining, the sky is blue and the temperature is at a perfect 25 – 27 degrees Celsius. Hallelujah, the intolerable summer has ended. The kids at K Senior High School are on their field trip, leaving the school quiet and peaceful. I’m sitting alone in the very big and very empty staff room, whiling away time, because, well, it’s a Friday, and it is a lovely day. Besides, my handful of readers need to be updated on my going-ons.

My subject heading is actually a pun. A play on words. Somewhat a だじゃれ (dajare), as the Japanese call it.

Now, in order for you to get the joke, I have to explain why it’s punny and funny, which will probably take the punny and funny out of the joke, but no matter.

This post is about my little jaunt to Okinawa.

In Japanese, the phrase “In Okinawa” is 沖縄に, pronounced “Okinawa ni”. Coincidentally, it sounds very close to the pronunciation of 大きいな鰐 (ookii na wani), which means a very large crocodile. Not that there are crocodiles in Okinawa, at least, I don’t think so………

I know, I’m lame. Shoot me.

 

Ebony and Ivory much? Forgive the very dry, in-need-of-moisturising hands. It's the sentiment behind the image, rather than the image itself, if you get my drift.

 

It is not often that the hubby and I spend an extended period of time together. How we manage to be apart and still keep our marriage going is a whole other story that I may or may not tell, but suffice to say, on the rare occasions that we are physically together in the same country, we treasure those times greatly.

Okinawa had always been on my travel list, touted as the domestic resort holiday for the Japanese. I’ve seen it on numerous travel and variety shows, and hey, what’s there not to love about resorts. By a stroke of good fortune, the hubby informed me several months ago that his friend was getting married in Okinawa, and more so for the purpose of seeing and going on a trip with his wife, my hubby happily RSVP-ed his attendance at the wedding. I guess it’s pretty apt and all, hubby and I just crossed our four years wedding anniversary.

There’s something to be said about having an intimate wedding at a chapel on a cliff overlooking the crystal clear ocean. I’m not one to be sentimental, in fact, I just made an observation to a good friend yesterday that I can hardly even remember my own wedding. However, this particular wedding at Aquagrace Chapel, which we had the honour of attending, had me thinking about doing some renewal of vows big do – it is five years next year after all – much to hubby’s shock and horror. Poor man.

 

 

The chapel, taken with my very basic point-and-shoot camera. It looks a little like it's in the middle of nowhere, and guess what? It is. Thank God for GPS, and an English speaking one, at that.

 

 

The beach and ocean that the chapel overlooks. It doesn't look like much, but the waters are breathtakingly clear, and it makes for a very romantic backdrop for wedding pictures.

 

 

Inside the chapel, at the altar. Can you imagine the bride, looking radiant in Vera Wang, and groom looking Mr Darcy-dashing in an all white ensemble exchanging their vows with the ocean as witness? Sigh. The photo obviously doesn't do anything justice.

 

 

Flowers, just cause they're pretty.

 

 

No recorded music was played. Instead, it was a pipe organ accompanying a lady who had a very robust, operatic voice singing Ave Maria as the bride walked down the aisle with her father by her side. It was very old school romantic. Beautiful.

 

 

The sunset, to end a very special day, taken from the poolside (infinity pool, no less) dinner reception at the Kafuu Hotel, which I highly recommend if you're looking for a pampering resort stay. No, hubby and I unfortunately did not stay there. Maybe next time, if there is a next time.

 

 

The wedding only took up 1 day of our 4 days in Okinawa. The rest of the time was spent exploring, eating, and well, lazing. Excuse my very pasty legs as I tried to enjoy the sun next to my hubby who positively bathed in the rays. I like the sun, sand, sea, but more sea than sun and sand.

 

 

The view from my deck chair by the pool of our hotel - the Sunmarina Hotel. It's actually rather not bad, and affordable too. It's not spanking new, but it'd do for its clean rooms, and sea views.

 

 

The beach was right at our doorstep at the Sunmarina.

 

 

Here's another beach, this time near the famed Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium. It's truly worth a visit because it is awesome!

 

 

Water, water everywhere. Check out how clear it is.

 

 

We drove to some cape to look at this rock formation. We kinda accidentally stumbled onto this one. We had intended to go to the one at the northern tip of the Okinawa main island, but instead, found ourselves at this one. No matter, we're both not nature buffs, so if we've seen one, we've seen them all.

 

 

What would a cabby trip be without food pictures? Not much for this trip though, because hubby is not a foodie, and we didn't really have spectacular meals, just those that filled our stomachs. Okinawa has some pretty eclectic cuisines, because of its rather eclectic history, I suppose. Tacos are ubiquitous in Okinawa, and it was our first meal on the island.

 

 

Yup, it's a Tacos restaurant, not the one that hubby and I ate at, but one with significance nonetheless - a significance you would rather not know about (ahem...KAT-TUN...ahem).

 

 

LONG TIME NO SEE!! Another thing that is ubiquitous in Okinawa is A&W! The reason why there is A&W in Okinawa and not in other parts of Japan (at least I don't think so) is because of the American influence, what with the base being there and all. Not that the "why" interests me, I'm just happy to see the familiar orange and brown logo of a dear childhood friend. Root beer float, oh how have I missed thee! We had this every single day we were in Okinawa.

 

 

This is called umibudou (海ぷどう), literally "sea grape" and is a kind of seaweed. I LOVE IT! It's slightly salty with the taste of the sea, and the little grape-like things pop delectably in your mouth as you crunch on them. YUMZ!

 

 

We chanced upon this very old-school restaurant while we were driving around aimlessly. The interior seems right out of a 1980s TV programme. This place served good ol' okinawan cuisine.

 

 

The hubby wasn't too keen on okinawan cuisine, so if I wanted to eat something, I had to be prepared to eat it all myself. Hence, this saw me giving up famed okinawan dishes like stewed fatty pork, and pigs trotters, but i HAD to have what okinawa is supremely famous for - the ごや; goya, which is essentially bittergourd. It was yummy, and reminded me of home. Okinawa has Chinese influence after all.

 

Indeed, Okinawa is a lovely place (even though it was ridiculously hot when I was there, but it’s better to be hot and sunny at the beach, than cold and gloomy). However, personally, I thought it a cleaner version of beaches in Thailand and Indonesia. I guess for the average Japanese, it is a different scene from regular Japan, but for people like me who have been to beaches in Southeast Asia, it felt like a trip to Phuket, Bintan even.

Nonetheless, I’m glad I went, if only to tick it off my list, and also, more importantly, for the time spent with hubby. I miss him already, and it’ll be at least another 3 months before we’re together again.

 

 

I leave you with this, because, c'mon man! It's a root beer float! Tell me you don't want some of that!