Japanese lesson of the day

9/28/11

So I've been trying to learn little bits and pieces of conversational Japanese...I've had very limited success. By "very limited" I mean, I can say good morning, good afternoon, good evening, I'm sorry, please, excuse me, and count to five (which is slowly increasing since I now also know 6 and 8 (7 is way too tricky)

Tonight during a venture to the hotel lobby, one of my favorite hotel staff (the guy with almost no English who always wants to practice his English, as I try to dissect what he is saying to me) was trying to assist me in getting a new pillow for my room (long story short, the pillows they provide feel like they have locusts inside them) In doing so he then quickly said my room number in Japanese. Since my room is 821, I knew 2 of the 3 numbers in that sequence already...with a little help from my "English speaker" I was able to learn that my room number is:
Hachi ni ichi (8 2 1)

So, to dazzle you with my Japanese language skills thus far (or just my counting)...this is what I know

1-ichi
2-ni
3-san
4-shi
5-go
6-roku (which sounds like loku when pronounced)
7-?
8-hachi

I'm not really sure what being able to count to 8 (by skipping 7) will do for me, but I hope to find out!

Perhaps some day I will learn more useful things to say in Japanese. Maybe I should look into those Japanese language classes while I'm over here!

My ride

9/28/11

I meant to take this picture a while ago, since it's become tradition to photograph the various vehicles I drive on assignments. I'd love to snap a pic of say a brand new sports car, or even just a boring old Audi...hasn't happened yet!

On a side note (haha, that's what my car is called!) cars here in Japan have funny names, here are some of the ones that I've seen while driving:

Move
Getgo
Fit
Inspire
Freed
Naked
Mirage
Boon (which I thought for 2.5 months was called the Boom)

My bad a$$ ride is the Nissan Note. Much larger than the "Boon" that I have last time around. This car is like the mini van of vehicles here on Japan. Especially since the roads are the size of alleys (and those are 2 lane roads!)

All in a days work...

9/28/11

Days like today I'm reminded how much I love my job! I went to the zoo as part of my work day. Yes it was 90 degrees, but still, how can you beat the entertainment of a zoo in a foreign country?

And sometimes your dinner arrives on a flaming sword. No big deal

9/23/11

Tonight I went to dinner with a group...always an adventure when coordinating the schedules of 9 people, but it generally works out, one way or another. When I was here last I went to this restaurant a couple of times. Sam's by the Sea is the name...good menu, good food...and how do you turn down a flaming sword?! Really makes the steaming plate of fajitas in the US look like old news!

This restaurant not only has a parrot (? I'm no bird specialist) out front, but it also has all kinds of crazy decor on the inside. From a beautiful/colorful dragon in one corning of the ceiling to a rickshaw to netting with shells, to the wooden man with penis that seems to be in close proximity each and every time I dine there. I'm guessing he is some kind of fertility token because surely the Japanese do not want you dining in the presence of such obscenities. I mean, I am in a country where it's illegal to possess porn (for Americans) and vibrators. Kind of funny when many of the streets are filled with prostitutes and "massage" parlors.

And we're off topic! So here are some photos of this evenings adventures. I didn't order the flaming sword but someone else at the table did (how can you resist the flaming sword?!)

Bird in front of the restaurant

Proof that the flaming sword exists!

Dragon on the ceiling (Shisa dog on the wall)

Close up of the dragon

Flaming sword in action

Happy times for all!

Pick your own seafood

Good Morning Okinawa!

9/23/11

How can your day be bad when it starts off with this?

All of the photos were conveniently taken from my balcony this morning! The sunrise was gorgeous, my pictures don't do it justice! Happy Friday!

Books Read:

Start Something That Matters

9/20/11

Tour my Japanese accommodations (tilt your head to the side, my video skills apparently suck!)

Wish I had video toured my housing the first time I traveled to Japan (mainland)...this place is like a mansion!

9/19/11

Checking in safe and sound from Okinawa...more to follow when I wake up from my jet lag slumber (in approximately 2 weeks!)

Books Read:
Hunger Games

Going back to...

9/14/11

I've been getting a lot of lip from some of you...you know who you are (ahem, BRad) about my lag in posting...but let's face it, a summer of unemployment isn't really that exciting, and most of the other stuff really doesn't belong in a public blog!

So here we go. About to embark on another adventure. This time though it's a little different. For the first time in over two years of doing this work I will be returning to a place I've been before. It's pretty exciting because it's definitely my MOST favorite place of all, if you haven't guessed it well you clearly aren't a loyal blog reader. That's right. Okinawa!

So, in an attempt to prepare myself for the adventure, here are some of the things that I'm looking forward to most about my return trip...

1. The food
2. The people/culture
3. Cheap spa services (laser hair removal hello!)
4. Cocok's out of this world manicures and pedicures
5. Ziplining at Forest Adventure
6. Crossfit (although taking stock of my current fitness level, this will very much be a love HATE relationship!)
7. The ridiculous lost in translation moments that I seem to get myself into

So loveys, I promise to be much less boring...at least for 3 months!