Cherry Blossom Festival

Because of the warmer climate, the cherry blossoms bloom earlier here in Okinawa than they do in many other places. The cherry blossom, or sakura, is very important to the Japanese... they use the blooms for foods, teas, and there is even a picture of some on their 100 yen coin. Every February, there are festivals all over the island to celebrate the cherry blossoms. I went with Jenni, Kristen, and some girls from my church youth group to a festival in the northern part of the island at the Nakijin castle ruin site. We got to see the beautiful cherry blossoms as well as the castle ruins.

traditional Okinawan music at the festival

McKenzie and Jenni

It was a little chilly and damp... so I bought a fun cherry blossom umbrella there.

cherry blossoms and the Nakijin castle ruins

the Grayson girls, left to right - Marsala, Marina, Maddison, McKenzie

so beautiful

the pathway and stairs were lined with cherry trees

one of my favorite pictures from the day

so beautiful and delicate

once we hiked up the steps, we could see the ocean, it was a gorgeous view

the cherry blossom accented countryside

shrine at the castle site

Jenni

she's a funny one :)

yay for friends!

very large tree with cherry blossoms

sisters

the road was also lined with cherry blossoms... it was beautiful!

Birthday Karaoke

For my birthday this year, some of my girl friends from church and I went to Karaoke. It was a lot of fun just to hang out with some friends and sing some fun and crazy songs.

Jenni and I - it was Jenni's first time at Karaoke in Japan

Bethany and I singing something... who knows what we were singing though, we had a very eclectic variety of songs that night.

Jenni singing with her beautiful voice

the group... we had a lot of fun.

Koza Flocking

The youth group at my church had a fundraiser during the month of January called "flocking." People at the church paid to put a bunch of flamingo's in other people's yards. They would be removed the next day and moved to the next yard, migrating through the yards of the church all over Okinawa. It was quite the adventure and made for some funny stories when the youth got caught setting them up or came up against obstacles. I was flocked the last night of the month... and the funniest part about it was the fact that the night I got flocked, was the one night that I went with the youth to help flock other people. When I showed up to help, they had to devise a plan to pho-flock someone else and then get me later, after I thought we were done... it was quite a night!

Well, because it was the last night of the flocking anyways... I decided that I would birdnap one of the flamingos and hold it hostage. I left a ransom note and kept the bird for a month, until the next youth group event. At the next youth group event, "Final Friday" (we get together the last Friday of each month for food, games, a message... etc.), I set up a scavenger hunt throughout the church to find the flamingo. They had to follow my clever clues around the church, eventually leading them to hop around the outside of the church on one foot like a flamingo. The first group to get to the front door were the rescuers of the flamingo. The prize... the bird and bragging rights. What I didn't count on was the weather change... it went from beautiful and sunny that day, to pouring-down rain that night. The students (and some of the leaders) got soaked while on this bird-hunt... which made it that much more competitive and fun for them. At the end of the day, the bird was rescued and I had several requests to make another scavenger hunt for the next Final Friday.

flocking with the girls on the last night

the traditional flocking picture...

the girls in front of my apartment after I had left... I had no idea this was going on. I wasn't home, but when I got home I was sure in for a surprise.

The next morning, I took a few pics of the pink damage.

I've been flocked! I felt so loved.

The bird I kidnapped

The ransom note I left for the youth to find when they came to pick up the flock...

A month later at the church: the first clue was inside Joel and Jenni's car in the parking lot... I wasn't planning on the rain but it sure made it interesting!

the kids ran all through the church looking for the clues!

One of the leaders was one of the clues, and he was hiding in that closet on the left

yep, I put one of the clues in the elevator. the great part was that one of the rules was that the entire team must stay together, so they all had to cram in to read the next clue!

reading the clue in the elevator

waiting to give the bird to the winning team

The winning team... soaking wet after hopping around the church on one leg like a flamingo in the pouring rain! They were very proud of their accomplishment

Garlic House and Karaoke

Meagan, A girl from my church was leaving Okinawa to go to college in the States. As a send-off for her... some of the girls from church went out to dinner at the Garlic House and then went to Karaoke. It was my first time doing karaoke in Japan, and it was quite the adventure. The Garlic House food was very good... very garlicky... mmmmmmmmmm.

Garlic House

Garlic Pizza... so good!

karaoke time! In Japan, where karaoke originated, you go to a karaoke place and get your own karaoke room for however long you want. It is great because you get to choose all the songs and just enjoy making a fool out of yourself in front of friends... instead of complete strangers.

Meagan was excited that they brought us a tambourine

Kourtney and Meagan looking through the song book

Bethany and Andrea - sing it!

fun times at Karaoke

The group - Andrea, Bethany, Shoko, me, Meagan, and Kourtney