The Fish Market at Tomari Port

Last weekend Jonah asked (well... pretty much begged) to go to the fish market to get some salmon. He is more adventurous than me when it comes to making your own sushi. I don't know why I doubt him, he always does a great job. This time I had even checked out a sushi book from the library to find out exactly how they make that rice so sticky. And I even learned what kind of solution the Japanese use to flavor the rice and keep the rice from sticking to their hands. So, with my book and Jonah's gusto we felt adventurous enough to finally buy something from the fish market.

Fish markets are great because they smell all fishy inside and kind of give you the heeby jeebies, but Japanese ones are even better because they have weird stuff like sea snakes in tanks.

Yikes.








And this.

 Yikes again.










But we make our way over to the edible stuff (by our standards) and pick out our fish for the day. Jonah decides he wants some dark red fish (I couldn't figure out exactly what it was) to go with his salmon. We buy our slab of salmon and decide we should leave before we lose our appetite  :)

So we take our salmon and mystery fish home and the sushi turned out pretty good. We just fixed nigiri, or sushi, depending on which you refer to this style of sushi with. Nigiri is basically a ball of rice with a slice of raw fish on top. While we were fixing it we were just cutting off slices of this raw salmon and eating it. It made me crack up to think about what we were doing and how I had never even seen sushi until I went to college. I have to say though that salmon is the best-tasting raw fish. It has a wonderful texture and a nutty flavor that tastes delish with the soy sauce. Yum. If you're hesitant to eat raw fish remember that adding just a little wasabi to your soy sauce might prevent food poisoning. You need wasabi "because the Japanese diet includes quite a bit of raw fish which, potentially, can contain parasites and bacteria and because of it’s strong antiparasitic, antmicrobial and antibiotic properties it [wasabi] could even prevent food poisoning," according to one website. You don't have to worry about it when ordering from restaurants, but when making sushi yourself it's VERY important to make sure the fish is "sushi-grade", meaning it meets the freshest standard. You usually can only find "sushi-grade" fish in groceries in coastal regions, where fish is caught daily. We finished our sushi off with some edamame with sea salt. It turned out to be a really good meal thanks to Jonah!

Other Sushi favorites....
Katie: Rainbow roll, Alaskan roll, Philadelphia roll, California roll
Jonah: Spicy tuna roll, Marine Boy roll (spicy tuna roll with salmon on top)

And thanks to my friends here I've just discovered that I really like Thai food, so I'm sure you'll be reading about that someday too! Hope you guys have a great weekend!! Love yall! Zeno and Tiffany, hope yall had fun in LA!!

The Rare and Glorious "Aha!" Moment

You know the kind... that rare and glorious "aha!" moment, the one that proves you're not crazy. I'm still coming down from a high of one of those that I experienced tonight. It's funny, I was just talking to my friend Monica this week about how I would segway this blog into deeper topics, ones that loom behind the shallow surface. Well, my "aha!" moment has inspired/reenergized me and now I will quickly post this before I run out of bravery!

First of all, let me start with the observation that sometimes God leads us toward something before we even know exactly what it is. So when you're doing it people may ask why and you may not have a good answer for them, but ultimately if you know in your heart that what you're doing is out of conviction of the holy spirit, you just need to trust God to bless you for it.

I guess that's the point of this post. But if you'd really like to know.... here's my BIG issue that's taken me TWO YEARS to atleast understand what it was I was dealing with. So, here's Katie in a nutshell: growing up people would ask me what I wanted to be when I grew up. I never really said a profession, I just knew I really wanted to fall in love and be a Mom. Out of God's grace, I was blessed with a really wonderful mom. I can't say enough about my Mom and what she means to me now that I fully understand the impact she had on my life. So, when I left home and went to college I was drilled with the idea that my career would be my purpose, my contribution to the world, my self-worth. I am so thankful for my college education, but one of the most backwards things I learned there was that my self-worth would be defined by my career.

God gives us callings and purpose. Many of us are blessed when the two align and we can use our career to glorify God. You don't have to be a minister to minister to others. It's wonderful to have a job that you enjoy and provides for your family, just don't let it become your self-worth. That was my problem. 10 days after graduation I got married. I was wonderfully whisked away to FL, where I would be for an undetermined amount of time (with the Marine Corps I could count on it being short). I did enjoy taking photography classes, working for a photographer and starting my own photography home-business. Then as I was wonderfully whisked away to California I struggled with what to do with myself for the short 6 months I'd be there. I cringed (literally) when people asked me: "what is it that you do?" Isn't that one of our first questions for people, after the "what's your name...," "where are you from...," "what do you do?" I have struggled for two years with my self-worth because of  a stupid question that I get asked everytime I meet someone new. I struggled because in college I started to define my self-worth in a career. When I graduated and entered into the military lifestyle, my hopes of a big career quickly went down on the priority list. All of a sudden I had a wonderful husband that I was crazy about, a new adventurous life, an interesting string of family issues and grievances, all of which helped me put my priorities into perspective. But one area of my life was a mess, my self-worth. I lost confidence in myself when I felt like my self-worth was missing. In some ways it has been harder than dealing with my father's abandonment. It took a long time for God to get it through my hard head that I didn't have to define my self-worth by a career. My self-worth comes from Christ alone. If I am never anything more than a child of God then that's okay. Maybe as I write these words I'll start to really believe them.

As some of you know, I'm not on facebook anymore. I felt like God had put in my heart that I needed to get off facebook. After comparing myself to other people and realizing I cared too much about what people thought than I wanted to let on, I eventually got fed up with myself enough to pull the plug. I felt like a huge burden had been lifted and I knew right away God would bless me for it. Now, there is NOTHING wrong with facebook. There IS something wrong with comparing yourself to other people (coveting) and caring too much what people think. I was embarrassed to tell people when they asked why in the world I would be off facebook. I could tell them the symptoms but I didn't even really know myself the true reason I let it go, the core of the issue. Finally tonight at a conversation after bible study it just came out of my mouth before I even knew what I was saying; my "aha" moment. I just said "I got off facebook because I didn't want to define my self-worth based on what people thought of me." Boom. Roasted.

Not really though, because I still struggle with it. I'm not saying everyone should get off facebook- I personally did because of my problem. And I'm sure the next time someone asks me "what is it that I do," I probably won't say "oh, well, ya know I'm just a child of God... that's what I do..." Even as I type this it sounds (reads) weird to say that what I do is what I am. That's my problem, I've somehow intertwined the two, but to borrow a phrase from one of my husband's favorite childhood shows, GI Joe, "knowing is half the battle."At least now that I know the root of my big issue I can deal with it. No earthly role, whether it be a mom, wife, business woman, etc. should define who I truly am. God gives us desires, biblical priorities, passions and gifts that make us who we are and we should unashamedly use those, but with one purpose: to glorify him and nothing else. Ultimately our identity is in him... when we boast, we should boast in Christ alone.

1 Corinthians 1: 20-31

 ²⁰Where is the wise man? Where is the scholar? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? ²¹For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe. ²²Jews demand miraculous signs and Greeks look for wisdom, ²³but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, ²⁴but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. ²⁵For the foolishness of God is wiser than man's wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man's strength.
 ²⁶Brothers, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. ²⁷But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. ²⁸He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are, ²⁹so that no one may boast before him. ³⁰It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption. ³¹Therefore, as it is written: "Let him who boasts boast in the Lord."^[d]

Under the Sea

Well, it's safe to say we need some practice with our underwater photography. The fish are quick! This was our first time with our underwater camera. Jonah was scubadiving while I was snorkeling so most of what you see are my pictures and a video he took deeper under the water (about 70 feet under the water).

The last one is the video Jonah took under the water. I promise we'll get better and add more soon : ) We hope to do some diving/snorkeling this weekend as long as the weather stays nice. Anything to get into the water is a good idea because it's averaging 90 degrees with 80% humidity!!! The water temperature is about 81 degrees right now, which feels like bath water, but it's a nice escape from the muggy weather.  

Hope you enjoyed the pictures and we'll see you next week!
Love,
J & K

A quirky and charming little island

I feel like my blog thus far has been a checklist of things to do in Okinawa but I will start expanding into different topics in the future, like more Japanese language lessons, recipes and culture. I also want to personalize the blog with what's going on with the Warren family below the surface- basically whatever God's showing us at the moment. This week I'm going to veer of my usual post of some attraction review and just give you some glimpses of Okinawa's quirky and charming personality.

Maybe today's topic will be the first in a series because there are A LOT of unusual, cute things about Okinawa, some that I'm still learning about so I'll keep you updated!

• Quirkiness #1- Toliets

Toliets are very adventurous here in Okinawa. On the one hand, you've got a very simple, foreign design that causes American ladies to wait longer in line in hopes of there being atleast one western toliet in the female bathroom. These are what I'll refer to as "squatters," insert exhibit A:

On the other hand, some places have "smart toliets." I wish I had a picture of one, I will put one up soon. But basically they just look like regular toliets with a panel beside them with buttons where you can adjust the seat temperature (yes, warm toliets), shower yourself (funny story on that...) and even add noise for that wonderful Japanese politeness, which by the way is the sound of birds chirping. I do have a picture of the panel of the toliet, insert exhibit B:

• Quirkiness #2- Unusual Food Pairings

Unusual food pairings exist in Okinawa. I guess the stereotypes that surround these food types just don't exist to Okinawans because they will group the "American" foods together. Some of these pairings don't make sense and some of them just sound bad together. I've seen several restaurants pair tacos and pizza together. One burger joint I really like pairs burgers and coffee together. MOS burgers also have rice buns for their burgers as well. Here's a link to their menu... http://www.mosburger.com.sg/mos_menu.php and about the fast-food chain: http://www.okinawahai.com/my_weblog/2007/06/mountain-ocean-.html

• Quirkiness #3- Pets in Hardware Stores

What about a hardware store that sells puppies and kittens?  That would be Make-Man Hardware store, also known as "the monkey store" for obvious reasons. This was so funny to me because my mom owns a hardware store and I was just imagining her installing a pet store inside of the store and the reactions she would get from that. Can you imagine the pet windows next to the plumbing department?

But while we're on this topic, I should also point out that pets on Okinawa cost a fortune!!! Dogs are usually around $1,000 and cats $600 and bunnies $250... yes, $250 bunnies.
Insert Jonah's proof:

 Well, that's it for today... more random glimpses into this funny little island soon! We love yall and have a good weekend!! : )

Happy Independence Day!

Jonah and I are getting away for the weekend, so there's no post today. However, I thought I'd leave you all with this goofy picture to in case you need a good laugh. This picture has a story behind it; one that I'll be sharing soon! Until then, everyone have a Happy Independence Day! God Bless!
Love,
Jonah & Katie

Pizza In the Sky

Have you ever eaten corn on your pizza? In California I learned that avocado is good on everything: burgers, sushi, mexican food, salads, etc. Maybe corn on my pizza will become one of those things I'll take back to the states with me when I leave Okinawa.

The northern part of Okinawa is mostly rural, but there's some neat things up there. There's an aquarium that I've posted about before, a pineapple winery, this restaurant, an antiques store, Okuma Beach, etc. I'm still discovering new places everyday and I think it's safe to say that it might take me 3 full years to see all of the island. It's kind of exhausting to visit new places on the island. You google whatever crappy directions you can find in English to the place you are going, you follow landmarks instead of road signs to get there, you take in all the new sights and sounds, occasionally you luck up with someone who can speak English, you navigate aisles, menus and social customs as best you can, hope you don't offend anyone and if you're feeling brave you can throw some Japanese phrases you've learned out there and see what happens. One of my goals during Jonah's deployment is just to wonder around the island aimlessly with friends and stumble on some lesser known island treasures.

One treasure we've found together is called Pizza In the Sky.  It looks like a traditional Japanese home with a gorgeous view, but as you walk up the hill you realize it's a pizza place, Okinawan style pizza. The menu is pretty neat and there's only one type of pizza made each day. The day we went the feature was pizza with corn, sausage and green peppers. It was delish.  The picture above shows the indoor Japanese-style seating but there's also outdoor picnic-style seating, which is where we sat.

We ordered a large pizza, salad [the Japanese really know how to make good salad dressing!], and tea. I put this picture up for Monica because the cute pottery plate was in the shape of a heart : ) They serve sugar here in liquid form (instead of the packets) and the brown cubes are brown sugar. The tea came with a small bouquet of flowers; the presentation was really delightful.

Jonah and our friend Brett, chowing down. 

The view from the restuarant

To battle homesickness, one thing that works for us is to find our favorite things about a new place. So while we miss restaurants like Apollo Flame, Harbor Inn, J&S, etc. we can start a list of restaurants in Okinawa that we like that aren't at home. We'll be adding Pizza In the Sky to that list!

Have a good weekend everyone! We love and miss yall!

Warrens Snorkel the Kerama Islands

Hi Friends!! Happy Friday to you all! Jonah has duty today and I'm thinking of starting a paint project on the house but before I do I thought I would update you all on life in Okinawa!! We went snorkeling over Memorial Weekend in the Kerama Islands. About 20 miles southwest of Okinawa you'll find this string of small, uninhabited (with a few exceptions) subtropical islands. We took a boat from a port in Naha early in the morning and ended up snorkeling at three different sites.

The picture above was taken from our boat, but gives you a good idea of what our boat was like. It had an upper deck that you could do cannonballs off the top of, which Jonah and I took advantage of! When we got to a good dive spot, the crew just anchored down and we would throw on our snorkel sets and fins and hop off the back. The water was so calm and clear. As soon as you looked underwater you'd see pink and purple coral and an immense variety of fish in different colors and shapes. We saw a sting ray and a sea snake which did not seem to pay us any attention as they swam by (not that I'm complaining). We did not see a sea turtle, but enjoyed looking at some pictures of them that one of the women snorkeling had captured with her underwater camera. Maybe next time we'll have an underwater camera in case we see one, or just so that you can see what we saw underneath the water! The snorkeling and diving here has been compared to the likes of the Great Barrier Reef, and is considered some of the best snorkeling/diving in the world because this part of the East China Sea supposedly contains the greatest number of corals and marine species.

 This picture shows our view from our spot on the boat. You can see some of the Japanese boat crew members as well as an American getting ready to get in the water. The islands you see in the distance are in all shapes and sizes but have similar green hills and white beaches. It is absolutely gorgeous out there.

We are wearing wetsuits here because the water was about 68 degrees, but in June the water is warmer (70-75 degrees) and feels like bath water. Jonah went diving last weekend in just his swimsuit and felt comfortable. I'll have to snorkel while he dives until I get my scuba certification.

I'll leave you with this funny picture of Jonah that I snuck (/sneaked, evidently there's a debate on the past tense of sneak)  before he realized what I was doing. On our way back to Naha pretty much everyone on the boat fell asleep. This was our "nook" on the boat, where Jonah curled up underneath all of our gear and wrapped up in a towel. The only thing not covered was his head poking out of the top. He's such a cutie!


I'll leave you with a mini Japanese lesson on the word "sayonara." I pronounced this wrong when I first got here, making the mistake of pronouncing it like most Americans do with an emphasis on the wrong syllable. The correct way to pronounce this word, which means goodbye, is (sa-yoh-nah-rah). The word has short a's and the emphasis is on the "yoh" part. Sa-yoh-nah-rah.

So, until next week,  SAYONARA! And have a good weekend!