Couple Friends

[Morgan]

Hello all, this is my first official post and to echo many of you out there... I'm lonely! Well, not lonely per se but DEFINITELY ready to branch out and start making some new friends now that all the work of finding a place to live is over. My husband (Moe) and I have been here one month exactly. We came from Travis AFB, CA (although I'm originally from Kansas and he's from SoCal). I'm 25, a CNA (working on that here, I hear it's difficult to get into any job on island) and working on finding a Master's program in psychology (also difficult on island, I might have to go with Troy's Int'l Relations). He's 32 and works at the Kadena Clinic. We have a five year old, but he's not on island yet.

So far Moe and I have discovered Araha Beach (yay! no sea urchins!), the gym (jiu jitsu-him, yoga-me), JiJi Cafe (right down the street from our new apartment), Torii Beach (waterslide woohoo adults can do it too!), the Rose Garden (I feel like a cheater enjoying Italian food when I'm supposed to be discovering Japanese cuisine), Okinawa Hai (lifesaver so far), Okinawa Yard Sales (his FAVORITE new activity), this website (hi everyone!), and I'm sure I'm forgetting some things but it's late so I'll stop rambling.

I have a million questions, so I'm sending them out into the ether hoping to get some good comments/make some friends. Where are your favorite places to go for the weekend? For a haircut? For mani/pedis (that don't cost a million dollars)? For yoga (Foster or Kadena)? For clubs/bars (where it's not all young airmen and it's not $10 for a decent glass of wine)? For scuba lessons (remember I'm from a landlocked state and DON'T like stepping on living things in the water ick)? For jet ski rentals (does that exist)? For scooter, motorcycle or moped rentals to drive around the island (or anything else with less than four wheels and seat belts-I promised him we would)?

Okay I guess I can't post everything all at once even though I want to meet all of you and pick your brains for the reasons why everyone I've talked to LOVES Okinawa. Please reply, let me know your fav things to do here, it doesn't have to be one of the questions I listed! Any tips are appreciated.

And, if anyone out there loves to laugh and wants to be friends with someone that would post a pic of themselves holding nipple tassels (bachelorette party, so much fun! :)) then please reply and let's hang out for the next 3 years! Sayonara (I think I said that right....)

[Julie Moore]

Well I am not on the island yet and can give you no advice (althought i expect you to give me some when I get there ha!) But you sound like tons of fun and I know you'll get some answers to your questions here!
Good luck :)

[Morgan]

Hi Julie thank you for your reply...let me know when you get here and we will hook up! If you have any questions, I probably found out the hard way, so let me know! My email is [e-mail]. Good luck to you too!

[Annastasia]

Hello and welcome to the island. I am Annastasia (31). I am married and have 3 children (which is what prevents me from having friends). My husband is 29, my oldest daughter is 11, my middle one is almost 4, and my son is 7 months. I am actually "from" vallejo, born there anyway and 12 years or so growing up. I came from Portland Oregon to here.

To answer your questions -
Where are your favorite places to go for the weekend?
I have kids, I don't get away for the "weekend" - though we did stay at Okuma for the night once in the cabins. It was alright. ( http://kadenaservices.com/okuma/index.html )

For a haircut? Well, I do hair myself out of my home, so I color my hair myself. ( www.freewebs.com/hair-by-annastasia ) I wish I could cut my own hair, but since I can not I go to EARTH out in town (to machido) though I pay $65 every 3 - 4 weeks for a cut. ( http://www.okinawahai.com/my_weblog/2008/08/hair-salon---ea.html )

For mani/pedis (that don't cost a million dollars)?
I was going to Cocoks, the nail place on 23 for awhile, but they had a fungus issue (or so I heard) a while back, and I havn't been since. ( www.cocok.net/menu_e.html )

For yoga (Foster or Kadena)?
I wish I had time for Yoga!! I used to love it.. . . everyone I know go's to gunners gym on Foster for stuff (could be because I live near foster). ( http://www.mccsokinawa.com/mccs.asp?id=204 )

For clubs/bars (where it's not all young airmen and it's not $10 for a decent glass of wine)?
I have yet to do this (I have kids). If you find a place, please let me know. My Mom will be here for 3 months, so we can go out from July - Sept!!

For scuba lessons (remember I'm from a landlocked state and DON'T like stepping on living things in the water ick)?
I have not personally tried scuba diving yet, but that is because I have 3 kids (lol, I am seeing a pattern here) but most people I know of go to Tsunami Scuba. ( http://www.mccsokinawa.com/mccs.asp?id=119 )

For jet ski rentals (does that exist)?
I know they rent them at Okuma - http://kadenaservices.com/okuma/wateractivities.html
and at White Beach - http://www.time2pcs.com/2%20-%20Outdoor%20Recreation/White%20Beach.htm

For scooter, motorcycle or moped rentals to drive around the island (or anything else with less than four wheels and seat belts-I promised him we would)?
I am not sure about this one. Sorry.

Either way, Welcome to the island. I hope my answers have helped some, and I hope you have a great time here making friends and exploring!!

[Morgan]

Hi Annastasia, Vallejo misses you! Did you know they went bankrupt a few years ago? I didn't know cities could do that lol.

Thank you for the tips! I will have to schedule an appointment with you, I think I'm going to go shorter very soon because of all this humidity. Oh and I heard about the fungus issue, one of my husband's patients mentioned that the podiatrist is having a field day here. I don't know if it's still true, but maybe I should do my own for a while!

I haven't made it to Foster's yoga yet, I go to Jennifer on Monday's and Wednesday's from 11:30 to 12:30 at Risner on Kadena. This coming Monday will be my third time, so if you or anyone else wants to join me I would love to meet you there.

Okuma is sounding better and better, a few people have mentioned that. I think we will have to schedule a weekend getaway. Do you know if any groups here go at all? Or if anyone would be interested in putting a group trip together? Hello beach volleyball!

Thanks for all your tips, hopefully we can meet someday!

[Annastasia]

My hair was past my shoulders when we got here - then 6 months in I went to a short A line, and now, it is super short like PINK (the singer). I love it, and wiht this heat and humidity, it is SUPER easy to take care of!!!

Adapting to the local heat. . .. . awww, what fun!!!

[Charity]

Hi Morgan! Welcome to Okinawa. My husband and I LOVE it here! We have two dogs and no kids. Here are some to my favorite things, so far:

I have yet to find good wine but have stumbled across a good Cosmo at Niche martini bar and some good margaritas at Mike's Tex Mex. I also love the mango shake at Su Su Soon.

Jet bar on Gate 2 Street by Kadena has an awesome weekend house band, if you enjoy music.

We have been to Okuma before and are actually heading back up this weekend. We're going to with a large group and we always have the best time up there!

I do yoga on Camp Foster, which I adore. The teacher is awesome and it's a great workout.

I'm definitely more of a beach goer than my husband and for quick trips I love Araha and Kadena Marina. I'm into exploring new, quiet beaches, as well.

That's all I can think of this early in the morning! :-) I am free for brain picking, as requested!

[Morgan]

Hi Charity thank you for the welcome post!

I saw the Okinawa Hai post on the Niche martini bar, that place sounds pretty cool. They were covering a theme party, that would be blast to do! As far as wine, do you know how good the Nago Pineapple Winery is? We should go!

Oh and the Jet Bar, ok we will check that out, we both love music. I'm more jazz/alternative, he's the hip-hop afficiando, but I'm getting better :).

The next time there is a group trip to Okuma, count Moe and I in! It sounds like so much fun and it would be even better to explore it with a group. Maybe this weekend we will go to Mike's Tex Mex and try that out.

Ok so we are off to US Land, so I will reply more later...thank you for all your help!

[Jen Shue]

Hey, and welcome to this little slice of paradise. I got really tired of not knowing anyone also, and have been lucky enough to meet some lovely ladies from this website. We started a group called Finding Friends, if you want to check it out. We actually do stuff together. But anyway . . . .
There are so many great beaches here. I think it is great to just hop in the car and see what I can find. I'd like to go visit Toguchi beach sometime soon, if the weather could make up it's mind (and the forecasters could, as well) as to whether it is going to rain or not. Araha is great, but very popular. You can walk from Araha, up the sidewalk, to Chatan Sports Park, up through American Village (when it's chilly out I usually stop in somewhere for a cup of tea, when it's hot I break for ice cream or whatever that frozen thing is they're serving up at Quickly), then keep going around to Sunset Beach. Then walk back. It is a nice walk. Bring plenty of water though. Also when you're at Araha, Mike's Tex Mex is a short stroll away and you should definitely stop in. It is extremely delicious, just don't expect it to be just like Mexican food back in the States.
I took the yoga class on Foster at 9:30 and it was great. the MWF class is much more rigorous than the T/Th, but both are great. After I went on Monday (once upon a time), I woke up the next day thinking "OMG, breathing, it hurts, but it is sooo necessary. Agh." But I felt like a million bucks. I highly recommend it.
I can't really give you any reccomendations about various vehicle rentals b/c it is something that I jsut haven't looked into.
Here is some random information/opinions:
Hedo Point offfers some great views and it is a very scenic drive up there. Definately a trip where you have to enjoy the drive as much as the destination. Don't go if you are afraid of heights or of falling off a cliff and being crushed by waves on the rocks below. Otherwise, be sure to bring your camera.
Shuri Castle is pretty and you should go so that you can check it off of your list, but I like the assorted castle ruins (like Nakagusuku Castle) better.
I do not like the Four Seasons restaurant that apparently everyone else likes. Very expensive for second-rate food. I would much rather spend half as much and go to an izakaya or even Hotto Motto. But japanese food is so much better than japanese-for-americans-food. Not to mention there are so many extremely ecclectic little eateries here that you would never find back home. Enjoy it while you can. There are loads of japanese steakhouses back in the states and Four Seasons is no different.
Kokusai Street is an interesting place to start an evening or afternoon, but don't be afraid to wander off the beaten path and down some of those alleys. Things here are crammed so close together and I think we tend to forget about that. The other night I walked from the big Blue Seal on 58 all the way down to the Round 1/Bunny Store/Union Grocery on the 58 bypass and I was surprised by how not long of a walk it was. I carried my 3 year old all the way back and that did get a little old, but it wasn't bad. Being on foot is a great way to explore the island. Go park your car in the big parking deck of the San-A Mainplace and go for a long walk. There is a ton of cool stuff in Naha and it is all closer than you think.

Just remember not to judge everything as if it were American. This is Japan/Okinawa and you just have to remember to make your decisions with that in mind. It seems so obvious (please don't take offense by it) but it seems that so many forget that.

Anyway, I've said quite a bit. Hope it was useful. Feel free to drop me a line or ask me any questions.

[Amanda Schaeffer]

Hi,
My husband and I just arrived on the island in May so I am interested to see what some of the ladies here suggest in answer to your questions. We came from Camp Pendleton, CA. I am a CA native and he is originally from TN. No kids yet we are still in the "newlywed" phase. We have yet to do a lot of exploring because of his crazy work schedule and our new puppy but we are both very adventurous and really want to see as much of this area as possible.
By the way great picture :)
Amanda

[Kristin B.]

I've been here for almost four years now and only found OkinawaHai recently. My husband and I found almost all our favorite spots by just hopping in the car and going exploring. Since it's an island there are TONS of pretty little beaches and coves and pretty coastlines that are not advertised (or at least not advertised in English) and therefore not crowded. We find them by getting in the car, picking a direction, driving until we run out of land, and then parking and walking along the coast. You can also find lots of pretty little parks the same way.

I agree with what Jen said about just taking a walk. They don't seem to have zoning regulations here so you could discover anything from good food to good shopping to a pretty garden to a museum to a WWII bunker just from walking around the block.

I'm on my way off the island (in theory) so I'm probably not the best candidate to be your friend for the next three years, but you're welcome to pick my brain about stuff to do here!

[Shauna Collert]

Hello my name is Shauna. I am 25 years old. Me and my husband moved to Okinawa 4 months ago. My husband works on Kadena AB. We have no kids yet! We are also looking to make friends...which seems really hard I'm a little shy but my husband is totally opposite! A Friend of mine told me about this website. Me and my husband love to get out and see and try new things! We told each other when we got here that...when are 3 or maybe 4 years are up that I didn't want to leave and someone ask us what did you do in Japan?...I don't want to say while nothing really I want to say we did everything! LOL!! There's this place in Nago (north) place called pizza in the sky we loved it and the view was awesome and just beautiful! The base hair salon I didn't have a good experience with. =(
Shauna

[Rebecca Ramaglia]

Hi all,
I have just arrived on the island a few days ago. While I'm not lonely yet because my husband has off for the holiday weekend... I can see how when he's working can get kinda lonely. And I know I will need female friends also. My husband and I have been married a year, but we're still in the newky wed stage because this is our first time living together. And while we do not have kids yet, I love kids (hence why I'm a certified K-6 teacher).

I have posted on this site before and while I was waiting to come here back in the states, I did a bunch of research on things I want to do here. I get most of my stuff from either here or the mccsokinawa on island tours page. Which is where I saw the get skiing (that I would love to do also):
Okuma and Kiji Falls (hiking, jet skiing, and swimming) $18 July 31’09 830-5

I'd love to meet people who like to do things and go exploring with... anyone really who wants to go. reasonable clubs would be nice also. My hubby and I do anything really.

Morgan, I also wanted to get my Masters in psych so if you find a way please share with me. My hubby is going to UMUC and they used to have a program threw another college but the contract was not resigned for th fall :/ I was already diverted once from what I really wanted to do with my minor in my Bachelor's so if there is a way I can not be diverted again I would really like that.