Day 5: (Jan 5th) (Yes, we're running a few days behind... too busy having fun!)

Our new friend the Shisa!!!!!! CHIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIZU!

After getting Keely off to work and Maya off to school we had a laid back morning Skyping with family back home as they were getting ready for bed.

Jovan was kind enough to let us ride along for some errands to Keely's workplace, OIST (aka: Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology) (more on OIST in a future post). We stopped for lunch at a place with a particularly friendly-looking shisa. This was one photo op we couldn't miss!

We ordered one meal to share, which turned out to be more than enough to fill up all three of us - fried chicken, shrimp tempura, soba noodles, pearl onions (V's favorite!), Japanese croquette, salad, fries and "jelly" shots!

Who knew that slurping your noodles and soup is considered polite??!! Jovan had to give us lessons on proper slurping which we then practiced on with our "jelly (jello) shots".

the one you're really curious about?
that's melon soda.

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Next it was back home so we could let Jovan get some work done and we could go for a walk.

Typically, when you remember to bring an umbrella with you it doesn't rain, but when you take it the rain stays away. Well, we debated about the umbrella for a bit then decided to take it, and boy are we glad we did!

The rain came in the middle of our walk, but that did not stop us from taking lots of pictures and interpreting signs at will. Por ejemplo:

burger belly flop!

don't hang up on me!

the car see-saw

Our destination was the Family Mart about 950m down the way. It only took us an hour or so of wandering and diversions - we had to document everything, of course!

We bought a few necessities including Melonpan (which has become V's new favorite food) and Corn Cream Doritos which taste just like it sounds like the should and - this was the attention-grabber - they look like miniature Christmas trees!

Melon pan!!!! 

Oh Christmas Tree Doritos!

Beautiful views... conveniently located (EVERYWHERE) vending machines for beverages... and lots of fun (and totally accurate) sign interpretation filled up the rest of our day.

what?????

beautiful bouganvilla

Evening brought a team effort home-cooked dinner to the table, consisting of salad, stir fry (cabbage, carrots, cucumber), purple sweet potatoes, white rice and gyoza (similar to potstickers/dumplings).

and to wrap things up, here are a couple of fun shots of V :)