Ramen Noodle Restaurant

Hair Designs by Autumn

Yes, I have only been in Japan 2 weeks and I have already found a place to get my hair cut and colored! It is important to find a good hair stylist right away and I started my research before I even got here!
I found Hair Designs by Autumn on www.okinawahai.com, we have found SO many things on this site! http://www.theautumnleaves.com/index.html
It was quite difficult to find her place, but it is only my second day driving my new car here in Okinawa and I had to drive about 30-45 minutes in traffic along some back roads! She had great directions on her website, I was just unfamiliar with the roads and how long it would take me to drive them. I was actually proud of myself for not only finding this place, which overlooks the beautiful ocean as seen in this photo, but also my way back to the Westpac Lodge!  
Autumn has been doing hair for 20+ years and did a fantastic job of coloring and trimming it. I will definitely return!

Shopping in Okinawa-Living Design Square in Awase

 Mitch found this place on www.okinawahai.com as a place to shop for furniture and other household goods. I have been looking for a round kitchen table and chairs and can't find one anywhere here! Ok, so I looked at the Marine Base Furniture store and they didn't have one. I was convinced I would have to order one from Pottery Barn, because that is where I get most of my furniture, so Mitch did some research to find some places to look here in Okinawa. This is a three store facility including MaxPlus (like a Bed Bath and Beyond), The Grace (upscale Ikea), and O!K which was like a cheaper version of The Grace. We wondered around and the kids enjoyed pushing the shopping carts around. I found a few things, but no round table and no yellow or purple bedding for the kids.
I wish I had taken a photo of the dining/kitchen tables here at The Grace, they were like miniature versions!  Smaller proportions and lower to the ground. 
We did work up an appetite from the shopping so we ventured into the restaurant Soup Soup upstairs near The Grace store. I will definitely be back! They had 8 different soups and all the rolls you could eat! Yummy!  Mackenzie has the kids meal which we split with Cooper, they ate the rice and sipped the broth from the soup. 

 I ordered the curry and gumbo soup which was very good. This curry was a sweeter version than I've had here with more clove in it.

 Cooper enjoyed his rice, juice and some bread.

 Another great meal in Japan!

Cooper's First Japanese Haircut at Good Boy

First haircut in Japan. Mitch found this place called Good Boy that does kids and adults, so we went today while I had some time. They did a great job with Cooper and just trimmed it.  His hair was getting so long it was in his face and tangled all the time, had to cut it.  The cost was 1050 Yen which is about $13.50.
He loved driving this car and watching Tom and Jerry while getting his hair cut and sat so still for her!

 Reading a Japanese book while getting his hair cut

 So long when it is all brushed out and not curly

 Just a little trim so it won't be so tangled

 Mackenzie intently watching Cooper get his hair cut

 Good looking trim

 All finished and they got lollipops. Hurray!

Ahara Beach or Pirate Ship Beach

After a great dinner at the Jamaican restaurant we walked out back and through the alley to explore the park and beach behind. Interesting windmill in the below photo that is probably generating some great power today as the winds are blowing hard!

I thought this sign was really funny, but maybe signs like this prevent the bystander apathy that we have in the US.

Little Miss Independent leading the way. You can start to see the swimming area outlined with black in the water. These are nets they put out to prevent the harmful sea life from interfering with swimmers! 

Swimming area and beach. We may check this out later. The kids really wanted to go swimming yesterday but we didn't bring swimsuits.

Argh! We found the pirate ship! Cute play area for the kids.

Climbing with some of the other kids.

Of course Mackenzie wanted to go on the Tarzan rope like the other kids! She loved it! 

Cooper wanted to do it too, but didn't like it as much as Mackenzie. He only went once.

Taking the rope back to the next kids in line.

She wanted to do it herself. It is so hard as a parent to "let them go" in so many ways, but I am trying my best and finding the balance between caring for them and helping them grow.

Eisenberg Mobile

 Yeah, I officially own a new car in Japan and it isn't a box or a minivan!  I was pleasantly surprised to find a car similar to what I was driving before and like it :)  There are some differences and it is an older car, 1999, but no car payment for three years! Yippee!

The seller had it listed for $6000 but Mitch was able to talk him down to $5,500. He paid him $500 the day we test drove it and then I had to get the $5,000 in cash out of an ATM. See prior post!  Selling a car and getting it registered here isn't the easiest thing to do, but Mitch and Jerry (seller) had it all figured out. After signing many pieces of paper and paying Jerry the $5,000 the car is mine! It was a good thing we talked him down $500 because I had to pay $470 today for car insurance here and $50 for the service fee to buy the car!  All worth it to OWN A CAR!  
(I did know the price range cars were selling here, so I knew to have the extra money before coming.)

Jamaican Restaurant

 Mitch found this place on the www.okinawahai.com website and decided we should try it. Why not have Jamaican food while in Japan?????  Cooper fell asleep in the car while we were looking for parking and Mitch hasn't been this happy in weeks! His sweet boy, asleep on his shoulder, while he eats his favorite food.  Life is GOOD! 

 To make things even better........Mackenzie joins in the snuggle time :)

 Photo of the bar and kitchen area. Are we really in Japan?????

 Mackenzie having a temper tantrum or "melt down" on the floor of the restaurant because I wouldn't let her hold my camera. Nope, my kids aren't angels!

 She was happier once we had a talk and decided to be a good girl. She loves these juicies! Cooper slept for about an hour on his daddy and got a little hot.

 Hippo enjoying some of Cooper's juice while he was sleeping.

 Mitch is SO happy, sleepy boy and Red Stripe beer.

 I ordered a frozen banana drink.......NO idea why it was green but it tasted FANTASTIC!  Love Mitch and Cooper in the background.

 So happy to have his food! My curry shrimp dish was delicious! Definitely getting it again :)

Photo of the jerk chicken that was very spicy and good.

 Jerk pork which was good but not as good as the chicken. We also got fried chicken that was yummy!

 Both kiddos awake and eating. Twins?