Tokashiki Island

This week we joined nine other families for an exciting stay at the Youth Friendship Center on Tokashiki Island...

Fair Maiden Aboard the Ferry

The ferry to Tokashiki Island departs Okinawa from Tomari Port (shown above) and the commute takes about 70 minutes.

Aharen Beach

We spent the majority of our time at Aharen Beach. The beach and swimming area were great for the kids and the snorkeling was AMAZING.

Cafeteria Food

Our group ate breakfast and dinner at the youth friendship center's cafeteria. The cafeteria food brought back fond memories of American public school lunch and was very similar with the following exceptions: 1) The food looked like it was actually homemade; 2) Rice was the main course of every meal; 3) Instead of Forks there were Chopsticks; 4) Instead of Spoons there were Chopsticks; 5) Instead of Knives there were Chopsticks; 5) The cups only held about 1/2 cup of beverage; and, 6) The hair-net toting rotund lunch ladies were notably absent.

The Gymnasium

One of the amenities of the Youth Friendship Center was the indoor gymnasium. The kids had a blast playing with the balls and the tug-o-war ropes.

Flag Ceremony and Morning Calisthenics
Our favorite part of our stay at the Youth Friendship Center involved gathering at 7:00 a.m. sharp every morning for a flag-raising ceremony followed by morning calisthenics. The morning calisthenics were AWESOME and we are totally hooked. We did our best to follow the lead of our Japanese instructor, but I don't think we will be starring in any Japanese exercise videos anytime soon. Since I didn't capture this on video, I've included a YouTube link below that will give you an idea how our excercise routine looked:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hWnneYILXUQ

Scenery Shots

McCall Making Friends

McCall Making a Mess

Ride Sharing

Since transporting a vehicle to the island is somewhat expensize (~$175.00), we teamed up and placed two families in each car. It is amazing how miniature a mini-van can seem when it is transporting 9 people and all of their gear.

A Touching Farewell

Our group had a great time and we really enjoyed meeting the people of Tokashiki Island. We were overwhelmed at the elaborate and emotional farewell ceremony they held for us as we left the island on our ferry. Each of the village children held a role of colored flagging that was fastened to the ferry at one end. As we pulled out to sea the flagging unwound to into colorful streamers that gracefully flapped in the wind.

Road Trip

Road trip this past weekend to Okuma Recreation Area with the 718th Civil Engineering Squadron's "Team Utah"...

Get Excited

The Ladies Enjoying Some Beach Time

Ready to Snorkel

This was Denver's outfit for most of the weekend. He was really excited to use his new fish net that he purchased with some piano recital dough that Grandma Linda sent him.

Our View of Denver

We included this picture so everyone could enjoy the view we had of Denver most of the weekend.



Some of the Kids in One of the Seven Bedrooms in our Condo
If the kids look tired it is because it is 11:05 p.m.

Denver Woods

Jeff and Mark volunteered to serve as Denver's caddies and take him golfing for the first time. Denver had a great time and we really appreciate Jeff and Mark showing him the ropes (or the clubs).

Okuma's Next Top Models

718th CES "Team Utah"
Featuring the Pinnua family, the Noorda family, the Kendrick family and, of course, the stunningly beautiful and handsome Dalpias family. Six of our group are were missing in action for this picture due to the alluring call of the beach.

Manly Bonding Time

This weekend Denver and Jason had some man time together at a district Father-Son campout at Okuma Recreation Area. Although the weekend was filled to the max with testosterone-packed activities such as chest-hair tug of wars, weightlifting competitions and walking on hot coals, they did manage to take a break for a few pictures...

Digging Holes

The main activity for many of the boys including Denver consisted of digging holes. Excavation of this particular hole began on Friday evening and resumed on Saturday morning. I would hate to see what these kids would do if they had a backhoe.

Swwwing Batter!

After partaking of some performance-enhancing drugs for lunch, Denver and Jason hit the batting cages and started training to become major league baseball players.

Karate and When People Leave

First of all, we would like to congratulate Holly-San as the newest 9th kyu yellow belt of the Ryukoku Seidokan Karate Kobudo Association

Bow to Your Sensei!

And the Yellow Belt Goes to...

When people leave the island it is a very sad thing to see them go, unless they have fun things that they are trying to get rid of...

Introducing the Clubhouse...

Complete with a sink, telephone, folding table and doorbell, this spacious 25 square foot plastic palace was recently acquired by the Dalpias family for an undisclosed amount of money.

Inside the Kitchen/Dining Room/Living Room

We don't know why our children are wearing their halloween costumes, but we do know that since our purchase of the "Welcome Home Cottage", they've eaten every meal inside of it.

Introducing Yuki-San (aka Fang)

Our friends the Frisbee's are leaving the island this week and we will miss them. In an unprecedented act of trust, they have transferred legal ownership of their beloved pet bunny 'Yuki-San' to us. Yuki-san received his new nickname "Fang" when the Frisbees brought him over this week. During our Bunny Briefing, the Frisbees explained that Yuki-san is very gentle and has never bitten any of the many children that have played with her over the years. Five minutes later, Jason stuck his tender hands in to take him out and received a vicious bite on one of his meaty phalanges. After this initial display of bunny testosterone, Jason conceded the role of Alpha-male to Yuki-san and they have gotten along much better ever since.

Yes -- McCall LOVES the Bunny!

Denver's First Piano Recital

After years (or at least months) of intense practice and training, Denver was able to showcase his sweet piano skills at his first piano recital. Denver played the song "Swinging Along" in two parts. Since tickets to the recital were sold out and the concert hall was hard to access from the States, we have posted videos of his performance below...

Swinging Along Part One

Swinging Along Part Two

In lieu of any congratulatory gifts, Denver has requested that donations be made to the Okinawa Chapter of the ACPPP (Association of Child Prodigy Piano Players).