Banter

I'm totally out of original titles for each entry, but I was just listening to the Flight of the Conchords 'Banter', from their 'Distant Future' album, and it cracked me up so I made it the title....expect to see more song titles in the future that reflect my current feeling or whatnot!

Matsuri parade passes on the street by our home

Already we're over halfway through the year and as always it's just flying by. June was hot and a little bit wet, but now with the rainy season over it's gonna start getting real HOT!!!

Tug'o War; Ryo gears up for a shouting match of some sort; The last two teams of Kibasen; Nagi beats a couple of chubby kids in the sprint

We started the month by enjoying Ryo and Nagi's sportsday. It was the first time I'd been to a school sportsday (having attended some kindergarten sportsdays) and it was very different to NZ styles but very intersesting at the same time. I don't think to much emphasis is put on winning as the two teams (school split into red and white) scores seemed to stay the same even when one team appeared to be dominating! The event I enjoyed the most was kibasen. In this event their were about 8 groups in each team. Each group (of 4 kids) hoisted one kid up and walked around with them. The idea of the game is to take off the hat of the kid that's been lifted. The last team standing wins.

Talking of sports, the NBA season was one of the best in my lifetime. While the Lakers got totally outplayed in the finals, it was great to see the Celtics win in a fairytale finish. Moving to rugby, I'm finally out the World Cup mourning and enjoyed the All Blacks demolition of England. Can't wait for today's game against the 'Boks - it's gonna be huge!!! I fully expect the ABs to take out the Tri-Nations once again. I havn't been playing much ball recently as my ankle has succumbed to numerous sprains, but I finally had my first run in three months and went alright, but still feeling a lot of pain....I think my cartilage is about 50% scar tissue so even a slight slip is enough to cause me grief....I guess that's what getting old is all about!!

just like Cathedral Cove - only smaller; Well earned beer after a hard day at the beach; The hellish night in the tent; Tokashiku Beach; So hapy after seeing turtle; Crystal clear sea

Aki and I finally enjoyed a honeymoon as we travelled to Okinawa last week. This time round we went to Tokashiki Island, about one hour from Naha (the largst Okinawa city) by boat. After the first night in a Naha hotel we took the ferry for a rough ride to the Island. Both of us were feeling very queasy when we finally stepped on land. We took a bus to the other side of the Island to a place called Aharen Beach. There, we set up a tent at the campsite and went straight to the beach. The beach was stunning - white sand and crystal clear water. The snorkelling was good, but not great as the variety of fish was a bit limited. That night, after a meal of Yaki-niku, we went back to our tent only to realize it was going to be a long night......the air was thick with humidity and heat and we were so hot, so we went to the store to get a drink and some ice to cool down. The first downpour came just as we arrived back at the tent, but it soon stopped and an unbearable heat filled the air again. Another harder downpour, assisted by strong winds, came about an hour later, leaving our tent slightly wet (my feet were in puddles most of the night). As you can guess, it was a sleepless night...but we made one decision - first thing in the morning we would leave the campsite (a day earlier than planned) and find a nice room with air-con! The next morning we did just that, and feeling very relieved, we decided to try another nearby beach for the day. We went to Tokashiku Beach which is supposed to have sea turtles, although it can be hard to see them as they only come close to the shore (about 30 metres out) at a certain time (4-5pm) according to a friendly local. This beach was much better for snorkelling with more fish (maybe it had something to do with the dried plums in Akis pocket?) and shallower waters making it easier. Later in the afternoon as I went for a swim I saw a dark patch of coral that seemed to be moving. As I got closer I realised that it was moving - it was a giant sea turtle!!! I was so amazed I quicky surfaced to shout out to Aki, but I was too far out so she couldn't hear me. Fortunately, she happened to look up and see me frantially waving my arms around and she soon got the message. As I waited for her I watched the turtle some more. It was really big, probably close to two metres long. It had some small sharks that travelled underneath it. About once every 10 minutes, it would come up for air, and it was at this time that Aki and I touched it. It was truely one of the most amazing and serene moments of my life to see such a large and peaceful creature in its natural environment. Our only regret - not having an underwater camera. But the memory will certainly stay with us forever. Our last day at the beach was spent at Aharen Beah again, but this time at the other end. The snorkelling there was fantastic, with much more coral and different fish. I almost crapped my togs when I saw a deadly Umihebi (Sea Snake) lurking around the coral. I didn't fancy a venomous bite so I got out of that area quick smart. We returned to Naha later that afternoon and spent the night at Akis friends' place in Naha. She showed us a few sights the next day. To be honest, I really don't like Naha, but the small islands that make up Okinawa are truely paradise!

Aharen Beach shots; Aki enjoys sunset; Cooling down with ice; Sunset over Mt. Fuji from the plane