TYPHOON SEASON PREP: Preparing Dogs For A Storm

With typhoon season on the way I'm releasing a number of blog posts which will have information to help you prepare. This information is based on my past experiences going through typhoon seasons and I hope that you can find elements of these posts helpful. 

Typhoon season brings a lot of concerns but one that many people have contacted me in the past about, and that I have already received a question about for this upcoming season, is how to prepare dogs for typhoon season. Of course unlike cats and pocket pets dogs are taken outside to relieve themselves so how does on go about doing that when it's raining and heavy wind is blowing outside? In this post I am going to discuss some of the things I have done throughout the years to prepare my dogs for typhoon season.

Training: 

If you chose to have dogs during your time here in Okinawa one of the things that is most important is to ensure that they have proper training not only to be an obedient dog but also so that they can handle any situation which is thrown at them. In fact these elements of training your dog to handle these situations is why I chose to make this the first post in the series because it is likely to take some time. Regarding typhoon preparation the type of training that we will be focusing on today is the dog's ability to "hold it" until you can bring it outside. This will prevent accidents from happening in the house. This training usually starts very young but can be done by slowly increasing the intervals between the time that you take your dog outside. Maybe today you take him outside at 7am but tomorrow you take him out at 7:30am. This is not only helpful during the typhoon season but if for whatever reason you leave the house and don't get back home in time you can be confident that your dog is not going to relieve himself or herself in the house.

Another thing I like to do which helps me with this is training your dog not to "go" unless you're ready for it. This is a very simple concept and also will make your life a lot easier. Contrary to popular belief dogs do not need to go for a walk to relieve themselves. In fact there are a lot of people who think that this is necessary but mistake their dog's habit for marking as their need to urinate. Take your dog to the same spot every time you take them outside and allow them to establish that when we are here it's time to do your business. Also do not allow your dog to mark when on walks by preventing them from excessively sniffing. This will not only prevent your dog from pulling you and frequent stops but it will also teach your dog that marking . . . doesn't need to be saved up for (let's say). They will then relieve themselves all at once rather than feel the necessity to be out for long periods of time. We'll talk more about why this is necessary in the "During The Storm" section below.

Food and Water: 

Naturally the amount of food and water that you give your dog is going to determine the frequency of trips outside which is why if there is a storm in progress I limit my dogs' access to food and water. According to various dog experts dogs can go for about 2 or 3 days comfortably without food and with limited water. This is reflected in various sources regarding preparing your dog for a long flight. Of course being that I am with my dogs unlike if they are in transport via jet or what have you I can still give my dogs food, I just limit the amount. The way I decide how much to give is based on the severity of the storm and when it is hitting. (I suppose it might also be determined by your location as well). If the storm is going to hit during the time that I usually feed my dogs but will be over by the next morning I may only give them a few bites each whereas if the storm is not very severe I might not have a problem giving them about half a serving each. Another technique I use especially if a storm is going to last for quite a long time is to treat dog food like treats and give a few kibbles throughout the course of the day. This keeps the dogs active, playing and still with something in their stomach.

When it comes to water I have a slightly more structured but similar approach. There are two methods that I have tried and seem to work well. The first is that I leave the water bowl down but only put enough water to cover the bottom of the bowl. This gives the dogs just enough water to wet their whistle but doesn't promote nonstop drinking throughout the day. The second method is to pick the bowl up completely and only put it down about 3 or 4 times a day for about a minute at a time. This gives the dogs the chance to gulp up some water but not get too much where they need to immediately after head outside. Although this would not be an acceptable practice for long term use it is just fine for a few days while a storm passes.

During The Storm: 

Much like children dogs need to be entertained so I usually make dog treats/bones an item to pick up when I am doing my typhoon shopping. I try to pick up something that I do not give them regularly which keeps their mind off the noises from the storm and distracts them from the regular schedule that they might have. They chomp away at the bones or whatever and have something to concentrate on which is very helpful.

I also find myself paying close attention to the radar to see when bands are sweeping through. This will give me a good indication as to when there will be a break in the storm and we can run the dogs out briefly before the wind and rain picks back up. This is why it is important to ensure that your dogs are trained to use a particular area as a spot to relieve themselves. Bands and breaks in the storm come as quickly as they go so it's best to know that you can run out very fast and be back before conditions pick back up again.

It may take a little prep and hard work on your behalf but preparing your dog(s) for the typhoon season is worth every second of hard work. What are some methods that you've used in the past? Did you find anything effective or ineffective? Let us know in the comments below!

Landslides: A real danger in some parts of Okinawa

Landslides are one of Okinawa's dangers especially during typhoon season and the rainy seasons. Today during a trip to the northern part of Okinawa I found myself encountering a great deal of damage from recent landslides and I thought that it might be a good idea to give you the chance to take a look at what you should be looking out for during the seasons when there is heavy rain. There is not too much to say about the landslides themselves other than the fact that they are dangerous and you should be aware of your surroundings especially if you are traveling along mountain roads during the rainy seasons.





 

 


 



 



 



 

 

A look back: Typhoon Season 2012

This typhoon season has been an interesting one. There were a good number of typhoons compared to what we are used to and they were pretty intense including one which came from the west which is never really good.

I have taken some of the videos that I posted during the storms and put them here so that you can take a quick look back.

 

Where was this weather yesterday?

Typhoon Guchol has passed by with less than anticipated strength. The storm gave us very little wind and rain which resulted in almost no damage. Of course we are extremely grateful for the lack of damage because it is important to keep everyone and everything safe especially during the typhoon season. This morning we even woke up with a clear blue sky which had shown us that the storm had passed and we would be able to go back to our very warm summery selves.

This was, however, very short lived when a thunder and lighting storm moved in a few hours ago. Although we are not experiencing and wind we do have a great deal of rain and thunder we are experiencing right now which has made a lot of people wonder. . . . where was this yesterday? I myself wondered the same thing and discussed it in the video below.

Typhoon Guchol passes without major damage

The very anticipated Typhoon Guchol struck Okinawa last night starting at approximately 5pm which is when the rain had started. At that time we had also started experiencing a little bit of wind but nothing too drastic. At this time we had started to recognize that the storm had been downgraded to a category three which meant that we could expect slightly less winds but it should have been a strong storm. Throughout the first part of the evening we had found ourself not really experiencing a great deal of wind. When checking the doppler it had shown that we were between two bands of storm which had resulted in the lack of drastic weather.

Over the course of the evening we really did not experience much wind nor did we experience much hard rain. I say this because my house if built like a house of cards and when we get rain or wind you can hear it clearly. There were two large gusts of wind that we had experienced over the course of the evening which had been surprising because with a category three it seems that we should have had more wind and rain. Either way it is a relief that we did not experience more wind and rain because it made today's clean up much easier. After going out and inspecting the outside of the house there doesn't seem to be much damage at all. The all famous palm tree which is often referenced in my storm videos seems to be fine.

Before I close this post I do want to thank all of you out there who had sent me and my family well wishes to stay safe over the course of this typhoon. It is incredibly kind of you. For those who showed concern know that we are well and there is nothing to worry about. For those of you who had wanted to see typhoon images and damage and the wrath of Guchol, I am sorry nothing exciting happened. Thanks for reading!

 

 

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Typhoon Guchol Update

Over the past 24 hours we have been keeping a close eye on the storm which is out in the ocean and heading towards us. The storm is still scheduled to hit us within approximately 24 to 30 hours at a category four which means that there will be a great deal of wind and rain heading out way. Today there have been a number of conflicting reports but finally by around 8pm all of the warning systems from the Air Force websites as well as some of the other weather sites have reported that it is time for us to get everything figured out.

Now that it is around 9:00pm we are starting to see that there is clearly a storm out there. The dark clouds have started to roll in and the weather has started to show signs of a storm. The wind has also started picking up and therefore we have made preparations to bring everything from outside into the house. We have taken down most of the screens and brought everything from outside inside. We have also checked the food and we are good to go for a few days if there is anything that for some reason does not allow us to get food at a shopping center.

Unfortunately there is not really anything else to report at this time. I will be giving information as I get more throughout the next week with both Facebook and Youtube. Please don't forget to "like" and "subscribe" for more information. :-)

Preparing for a Cat 4: Guchol kicked it up a notch

Waking up this morning I found myself making a regularly scheduled check on the tropical storm website that I check during this season. When I did I was surprised to find that the typhoon that is headed our way is now predicted to come at us at a category 4 (as of 0600 June 16). This was surprising to me because it is early in the season but nonetheless this doesn't change the fact that we have a storm headed our way. Before I continue on I feel that it is important for me to mention that there are a number of important facts to remember if you are reading this and are in Okinawa. First of all there is never a guarantee that the storm will follow the predicted path. We have these predictions to ensure that we have some warning and be prepared but there is still a chance that it could take a number of different paths or disappear all together.

Now that this is out of the way let's talk about what a typhoon is and what you should expect if you are here in Okinawa. To make it as simple as possible a typhoon is a wind storm which usually comes a long with rain although there are times when it doesn't and let me say that is an incredible interesting storm to experience (which I did the summer before last). They are incredibly easy to prepare for and are very survivable unlike some of the storms that you may encounter in the US or other countries. They are categorized according to the power of the wind that is traveling with the storm. There are tropical depressions and tropical storms which are the very basic warnings that there may be a typhoon on the way and then there are typhoons category 1 through 5. Category 1 is predicted to have approximately 90 mile per hour winds where a category 5 have winds over 156 miles per hour. All are possible and about 3 or 4 years ago we did have a cat 5 over here (which is also known as a super typhoon) but again you can prepare for these storms. In the case of this particular storm we are looking at winds to be approximately 130 miles per hour.

Being that you now understand what a typhoon is (roughly) let's talk about what is necessary to do in order to prepare for this type of storm. The first thing that you are going to want to do is ensure that you have enough supplies to get you through at least 7 days. These foods should be capable of being eaten with little prep time and should also be nonperishable. I understand that this may be difficult and therefore might not be as healthy as what you are used to but trust me when I say it is important to ensure that you have these foods. I am sure that there are some people out there who feel that 7 days is too long but the fact of the matter is that there are cases when you may be without food for this amount of time and so you want to be prepared. There was one storm a few years ago which had sat over us for 4 days and once it finally went away there was still over 24 hours before the roads were safe to drive on again and about 48 hours before the stores were open again. For some families, including my own, typhoon food is nutritious and as healthy as possible but I also take the advantage of getting some fun things to keep morale up because the fact is when you are in the house for more than 3 days non stop without being able to leave it can be difficult to handle and sometimes oreos are welcome. Of course it is also important to ensure that you have water available also. In some cases it is a good idea to ensure that you have the bath tub filled as well as bottled water.

There is also prep that needs to be taken care of outside of the house. When we have a storm, especially one cat 4, it is important to ensure that everything is taken into the house and/or storage rooms. There are also other helpful and interesting ways to put your outdoor items away like putting them in a car of van or in cases where you can not bring them in the house or put them in a secure area you can tie things down. Personally I feel that tying things down is not the best option because with steady winds of 130 to 140 miles per hour a cord is not necessarily going to keep things in place. I cannot stress how important it is to pick up your outdoor items. Any little doll or screw driver can be deadly during a storm like this and it is so important to ensure that you have taken care of your items in order to ensure that your assets are protected as well as the assets of those around you.

Overall preparing for a typhoon is relatively simple and can be done within a few hours (and your yard will look wonderful in the process so talk about a win win!). The most important thing to do, however, is to stay focused calm and do not worry about the storm. If you are going to focus energy focus it on the preparation and the rest of the storm will be a piece of cake!

Typhoon season pushes on

[caption id="attachment_223" align="aligncenter" width="252"] Currently a category 2 the storm is expected to hit us in 96 hours at a category 3.[/caption]

It's Friday and a quick check to the weather forecast this morning shows that the typhoon season is showing no mercy this year. We are already into our 2nd storm of the year. This is Guchol and although the storm is still very much south of us the projections say that it is expected to hit us here in approximately 96 hours which. The storm is currently a category 2 (as of 2:16pm Friday June 15 2012) and is projected to come at us as a category 3 if it does not pick up any speed in the coming days.

This is an interesting storm because not only is it scheduled to hit us head on which is something we tend to have the ability to avoid but it is going to be coming at us from a different angel than we are used to. Of course this does not seem as though it would cause any more problems however at times when a storm comes from this way it could mean that there is slightly more damage because of the direction of the winds. Either way Okinawa will be ok. As I have said before Okinawa is built for typhoons although when a storm does come from this direction you start to see some things moved around like you wouldn't necessarily expect because of the change in direction.

I will be posting more as I hear more information and as I see more. Thanks for reading.

 

 

High expectations the reason for bad travel reviews?

I have been doing a lot of research recently for my Tokyo trip. I am not looking for a great deal of information but just a few things that would make the trip easy like if the hotel has a laundry service so nothing big. During my research I ended up spending time some time reading reviews which I found were interesting and at times surprising.

To be completely honest I read only the English comments because I wasn't into translating. During the time that I was reading I started to see a pattern and that pattern is that basically I think people have high expectations when traveling to another country and in some cases feel that that country should accommodate to what is part of your particular culture or it simply is not up to good standards. This is best illustrated in the example of bedding. Now here in Japan it is most common for people to sleep using futon. Futon can be closely compared to a long thin mat that is rolled out on the floor and from there a sleepy person would sleep upon it like a bed because. . . . it is a bed. If you were to go to home shops you might also see the same type of thing where the futon is rolled out on a raised level which looks similar to a bed or in some cases a mattress is used although it is usually firm. Knowing this you might only assume that it is natural for the beds in Japan to have a similar build where they are firm. Unfortunately there are a great deal of people traveling to Japan who don't seem to know this and therefore feel extremely disappointed or even distraught about the fact that the beds are firm or "feel as if you are sleeping on the floor". The comments that I had read were absolutely relentless stating things like "Japanese obviously hate Americans" just for the feel of the bed. It actually makes me wonder if these people had ever traveled to another country ever before. My thought is no and the reason that I say this is supported by something else that I found myself reading during my research and that was that no one spoke English and "staff was extremely unhelpful because of it". Wow. This is always one of the things that surprise me the most when I hear it from people who travel to countries which do not have English as a primary language. Of course English may be available from time to time, however, just because a hotel has "english speaking staff" for example does not mean that everyone on staff at all times speaks English. Truthfully I do not feel as if there is a lot of explaining for me to do in order to try and help others understand that when traveling to Japan it might not be possible to communicate in English but I suppose that there are some out there who just feel this way and that saddens me. In fact the reason that I am most sad about this is because the way that these comments are made almost make it seem as if these families were traveling to Tokyo and going to certain destinations and then having no assistance whatsoever. It seems like they are made to figure out everything on their own and fend for themselves which I do not think is the case. What I can do is explain what I have experienced in the time that I have been here. I have been in Japan for approximately  6 years now but my language skills are not the best especially because Okinawa is not the best place to learn Japanese but I will get into that during a different post. Regardless my lack of language skills I have never encountered a problem doing anything here in Japan be it Tokyo, Osaka or Okinawa. I Have also take a number of steps to ensure that I do not run into problems. I have a great survival vocabulary and when I do not know I have taken time to make accommodations for ahead of time. Anyone can do this and I encourage anyone going to any country to do something similar.

There were other things that I had read about and just thought was amazing that people were not considering these things when they left on a trip to Japan. I suppose some people are just never satisfied. Thanks for reading.

Katventure: Tokyo Prep

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This morning I had found myself doing something that I usually do a few weeks before I go on vacation. . . . packing my bag with all of the things that I plan to bring with me on the trip. So I pulled down my suitcase and pulled out some of the things that I had been planning on bringing to Tokyo and began to put some of these things into my suitcase. Thank goodness that I did because I realized a few things but mostly that I am not as prepared for this trip as I thought I was.

So let me start from the beginning. Basically what I do in the event that I want to travel is that I take everything I plan on taking with me and put it in one place. Once that is done I find myself taking the clothing and other stuff, putting going through it (and testing it out in the suitcase) and seeing how much I can fit and if my outfits were not planned in the proper direction or not. This is basically what I did today.

As you might see in the photographs above some of the stuff that I have to be packed is not clothing related at all. In fact as I had mentioned my plan was to bring foods like snacks and other treats on the trip with me. This would allow me to ensure that I have some things to snack on and eat for breakfast when I get to tokyo rather than trying to find something at a local konbini or having to pay more buying from a kiosk. . . . at least right away. I have these snack bars called "Lite Meal" and I also have some other instant oatmeal and drip coffee which will assist in the breakfast part of the day. FInally I also have some sports drinks packets which can be added to water bottles to ensure that we are getting the proper number of electrolytes when being out in the summer heat for most of the day. Of course this is not to prevent us from buying anything when in Tokyo but it will allow us to save a little bit of money and be able to use bubblers rather than having to buy bottles of sports drinks. There are various other products that I am bringing with me to include some different types of wipes for keeping clean and cool as well as a few other fun and interesting snacks like Salty Pocky. Not sure whether that will be a fan favorite when I get to give it to Mom (who will be meeting me in tokyo) or not but either way it is going to be fun. I also have a few fun treats for my mom which I am bringing with me. These items do take up a lot of space in my bag but I do plan on these spaces being cleared out for when I travel back which will allow for me to have more space for fun things I might purchase during my time in Tokyo.

I have also decided that I am going to travel with some of my electronic devices in my bag rather than on my person. Of course because airport security will require electronic devices to be taken out of the bags and put in different containers for screening it seems like there are some which are not necessary to take with me on the plane such as my camera. With me iPad and cell phone as well as my video camera there is really no reason to have the still shot with me. This will most likely be carried in my bag although I am still not sure what I am going to do quite yet and it all depends on space.

Finally we get to the clothing which is the most important part of the stuff I pack. Of course most of the stuff that I need to take needs to be ready for the warm weather but also needs to be what is considered appropriate for the different things that I will be doing during the time that I am in tokyo. I want to ensure that for the days when I go to certain places I look appropriate and on other days I can move comfortably and have a good time. A good way that I do this is to supplement some outfits with the use of scarves. I have three scarves that I will be bringing with me to tokyo all of which are basic and can go with any of the color combinations that I am taking on the trip with me. I will also be bringing some cover ups for my arms. The reason for this is because seeing as how I have a tattoo that covers my arm I want to ensure that I am being appropriate for times when it is needed but also I need to ensure that I also am protecting my expensive asset from the very harsh sun. This is not difficult and will only require a bit of sunscreen at most times although on some days a long sleeve or three quarter length sleeve shirt will also do the trick.

What I seem to notice from going through my clothes, however, is that many of the things I am packing are in need of some bottoms. I have the tops ready to go but no pants. This is really not to much of a problem because I have the pants lying around I just need to get them and put them in the pile of stuff for tokyo but at the same time the fact that I haven't set them aside yet and thought I was almost ready to go is a bit concerning. I will also need to ensure that I am bringing some night time clothes which I have not set aside yet as well as some under garments which also have not been set aside.

Overall today's mock up was very successful because it allowed me to find out what I am going to need but it also allowed me to see how much space I have left in this little suitcase of mine which turns out to be about half of the suitcase left and that doesn't count my carry on bag so I seem to be in good shape. Hopefully it all turns out well and I can get everything I need to tokyo.

Thanks for following! More soon including tips on saving space.

"Racism" in Japan: My take on this topic

There have been a few videos recently by some various people in the JVLOG community regarding racism in Japan. As I have never talked about this topic before I figured that today was as good a time as any. To begin this post I should mention that although I have spent short periods of time in other parts of the country most of my experience comes from being in Okinawa so please keep that in mind while you are reading this post.

I am going to just cut to the chase; I don't really think that racism is a "thing" here in Japan. That is not to say that it is not out there but it is truly my belief that the term "racism" is used almost as a buzz word rather than a truly descriptive term of what is being experienced by a particular person. This is why you will see the word in quotes in the title of this post. To be honest I feel that most cases of "racism" here in Japan by foreigners can be broken down as follows:

90% People who misunderstand you.

9% People who are just jerks regardless your race

1% People who are actually racist by definition

The 90%: People who misunderstand you. 

When I say "misunderstand" I am not simply talking about language although that part does exist. I am talking about people out there who do not understand your intentions as a person, your abilities or your culture. This could be for a number of reasons but the ones that I believe (from my past experience) are the most common are stereotypes of a culture and examples being made by the "louder and prouder" (let's say) of our culture. One of the common things that people will say is that they were given a fork at a Japanese restaurant rather than chopsticks like everyone else. Another example of this might be given a limited menu which is in english and more catered to the palate of an American. Neither of these cases are because of a person thinking you are incapable of doing things like everyone else but rather giving you a helpful hand rather than watching you suffer through eating a salad with chopsticks. While we are talking about restaurants let's talk briefly about "Japanese Only" signs that may be on store fronts or on the doors to restaurants. From experience this does not mean that you have to be a Japanese person to enter, what this means is that Japanese Language is the only thing that you are going to find behind this door, chances are they do not have any English speaking staff and please know that before proceeding. This is especially important when you go to various restaurants because once you sit down to that table you may receive a menu that does not have a lick of English on it or even photos. This not only turns out embarrassing for you who is sitting there without a clue (if you don't speak or read Japanese) but it is uncomfortable for the staff who are not prepped to handle English speaking customers.

There is another commonly used example "racism" in Japan is the denial of getting an apartment here in Japan. (DISCLAIMER: If you are one of my readers who is in the US Armed Forces what I am about to describe does not apply to you because there are agencies who are here in Okinawa and elsewhere I am sure designed to work directly with you because of your Military affiliation.) There are many people out there who have discussed this but I wanted to add in my experience with this topic. When I was looking for an apartment I was denied the ability to to rent from various places here on island. In most cases the agencies were very open with us, not in a disrespectful way, but in an informative way because we had inquired about it and they were openly honest. Every agency that I spoke with explained to us that it is risky to have (non military) foreigners live in their houses and apartments. Keep in mind that many of the apartments and houses here are owned by private parties and not big corporations there fore when foreigners don't properly understand how to take care of tatami or do not follow rules such as how to put out trash the price often has to be paid by the landowner. There is also a problem here in Japan of foreigners picking up and leaving without following the proper processes or paying bills and then disappearing. The person who then has to pay for this is the landowner. Of course it is important to look at this from the eyes of a business owner rather than immediately feel as if you are being singled out. After all would you take that type of risk?

You may even find yourself denied service from certain companies, usually high end, which might require you to sign paperwork. If this paperwork is all in Japanese the company will be hesitant to work with you because the documents that they you to protect themselves and you as the customer won't be understood. This is one that I had experienced in the past with a jeweler. I wanted to get a ring resized and I knew that it was something many people are hesitant doing because of the design. Unfortunately I was told that they could not do it, although I was aware that they could from referrals. It wasn't because of my race/culture or otherwise but rather because they most likely didn't know how to communicate what was required and the risks and likewise I didn't know how to communicate that I understood that there would be risks and it was ok. Thusly both parties respectfully withdrew from the situation. No hard feelings, no problems.

The last thing that I want to touch on in the "misunderstood" category is being stared at. This is another one that I hear a lot about. The fact of the matter is that yes there are people out there who are going to stare at you but to be honest in my opinion that is not without good reason. If you are of European decent in any way you need to consider that your chances of being a giant over here are pretty good. I'm 5'7" and I can easily see above a crowd and that's if I am not wearing heels or anything that brings me closer to sky scraper status. Then there is the matter of if you are very overweight or if you just simply have curves you are going to be looked at because you are different. People all over the world do the same thing and in fact I can say for sure that in the US if you saw someone like Dita Von Tease walking down the street as if she came out of a 1950's magazine you would give a second glance too. It's something you are not used to seeing and likewise it is something that the people here are not used to see and you stand out. The truth of the matter is that you can make this better or worse for yourself based on how you choose to alter your appearance. For example if you are of African American descent and you choose to wear blond hair I imagine you are going to get a lot of looks just as someone like myself who chooses to die their hair a dramatic red is going to get looks. You are outside of the norm. Does dealing with these situations ever get uncomfortable? Maybe. I think that it honestly depends on  your personality. If you are the type of person who is not used to standing out in a crowd this is going to be difficult for you. Of course there are things that you can do to prevent the number of looks you get but that is part of adapting to your new environment. More about this later.

The 9%: Jerks Without Boundaries

Japanese people are just people like anyone else on the planet and that being said there are jerks who are out there just like you would find anywhere else. Although we like to think sometimes that the culture of Japan prevents people from being out right rude and disrespectful to human kind they are out there. I have encountered some of these people in various situations such as at the airport recently when I was standing out of the way and yet still run into by about 5 to 6 people who just simply did not want to deviate from their path. Of course the first reaction might be "wow this person is picking on me in particular" for some people but as I looked at that person continuing down the lobby I noticed that they were ramming into other people as well. Racism? No just a jerk. There have been other situations when I have noticed this type of thing as well where a particular person simply treats others with disrespect regardless of race. It's rare but it's out there.

The 1%: Actually Racist

Truth is I can not say that I have ever encountered anyone who is just for no reason whatsoever racist towards myself or others I have been with. Being that as I said above Japanese people are just people I can guarantee that there is racism out there but I just do not feel that it is something that is in any way widespread.

The Conclusion

The fact of the matter is that your perception of how people are treating you is the biggest factor in whether or not you consider yourself a victim of racism. From most of the stories that I have heard and researched it seems that this idea of racism was almost created to somehow explain something that wasn't fully understood in the first place. The unfortunate part about this in my opinion is that people continue on the path of creating these bad situations for themselves which gives them a bad attitude and the way they most likely act fuels the stereotypes that may have been created causing this problem in the first place. This is what I mean when I describe this situation as a vicious cycle.

My opinion is that the first thing to do is take a step back and self reflect before making and judgements. Do you speak enough Japanese to explain to that waiter that you don't need a fork and that chopsticks are just fine? Is the way you are dressing going to cause you to catch the eye of some who might think it's out of the ordinary? Is the group of people you are with being loud and disruptive or making the people around you uncomfortable? And the most important in my opinion: Am I creating an image of foreigners that others may not want to be portrayed as?

There are so many other things that I would like to comment on but I feel that this has gone on long enough for one entry and to be completely honest I think it's time for me to head out to the grocery store and get some food so I can eat breakfast. Thank you so much for reading and considering what I have said above. I hope that what I have said allows those of you who might be experiencing something like this to take a look at the situation in a different light and hopefully make your experiences more enjoyable.

 

 

 

 

Typhoon season is here. . . . bring on the typhoons!

June 1st marks the beginning of the typhoon season here in Okinawa and this year Mother Nature has wasted no time in reminding us of that fact. Marwar is this season's first tropical storm out in the ocean and that means that it's time to bunker down and get some of the items you need to safe during this season.

The fact of the matter is that I honestly have not been the picture perfect example of what should be done during the typhoon season this year. I have found myself not stocking up on what I should be and truthfully that is just not a very good thing at all. Nonetheless I do will do what I have to do here shortly to ensure that everyone in my house is safe in the event that there is a big storm and we can't get out.

Today's weather is also reminiscent of the typhoon season. We are experiencing off and on rain which is something that we experience anyway in the rainy season but that being said I suppose that is why the two seasons go hand in hand. So yeah that's basically all that I have to report on the typhoon. I apologize for this not being the best blog ever but I will have to make up for that at another time.

 

 

Fan Mail Friday!

Today is Friday and you know what that means. . . . it's FAN MAIL DAY! On this day I will be taking time to discuss some of the comments and other "mail" that I have received from viewers so here we go.

On my video talking about outdoor activities in Okinawa I received a comment that said:

nice to know Ive been stationed here a few weeks and only have been visiting bars, im a look into all the outdoor and water shit, sounds fun ! where do u live in Okie ?

I live in Ginowan. Short sweet and to the point but a question answered nonetheless.

I also received a comment on my Youtube page which said

Hey, K! My wife and I are visiting Okinawa in November, I've found several ryokan online, but since you are kind of a local, I thought I'd get your opinion: can you recommend any traditional, futons-on-the-tatami lodgings? We were thinking of Naha and then doing day trips.

I am so glad to hear that you are planning on coming to Okinawa. Truthfully, however, as much as I would love to offer advice on a good ryokan to stay in I honestly don't know of any. Okinawa is small and many of the places one might visit don't require overnight stays so I never find myself in the market. The only hotel that I have ever even had experience with was the Beach Tower Hotel in Mihama which is beautiful. When my parents came out this way they stayed in this hotel and loved it so I can mention that, however, I do know that it is western style with beds and such so not necessarily what you are looking for.  The only piece of advise that I can offer is have a good idea of what it is that you would like to do while you are here. This will allow you to determine where you really want your hotel to be. I personal would go for a location in the central Okinawa area only because the travel distance to some places like up north or down south is literally cut in half where as if you are in Naha and want to go to Hedo for example you will find yourself exhausted from the long trip and traveling through traffic at the end of the day. So that is just something to think about.

I have also been getting various questions regarding weather in Okinawa which you can see I have responded to here in this blog post. In the upcoming VLOG that will go along with this post you can also hear me talking about the weather also. Thanks so much for reading and thanks so much for the messages and mail. If you would like to shoot me a message in the future please feel free to at okininjakiity@yahoo.com or check out the Facebook page. Have a great weekend everyone!

Visiting Okinawa: Weather in June

Today I received a message from one of my followers on Facebook asking about traveling to Okinawa in June and thought that I would take this opportunity to talk about the weather here in Okinawa during June.

First of all I should say that almost any time is a great time to visit Okinawa. The island is beautiful and has so much to offer that even after 6 years I find myself still unable to say I have seen everything. There are some seasons that are "better" than others depending on where you live and what weather you are used to but overall I believe that it is basically a case by case basis. My main point is that regardless when you come to Okinawa you are going to get those coffee table book quality photos and memories that will last a lifetime.

Overall most people will say that the summer months (June through September) are the hardest months to acclimate to when here in Okinawa. For me I would agree but as I said before I came from the north east where it snows in April. June is the month where the summer starts to get into gear although there are still days where we experience the tail end of the spring. The weather is in the mid 70's to 80's and the humidity is starting to remind us that it's here. One day you might find that it is cool and damp and the next day you can't seem to get to your car without working up a sweat. Luckily at night it cools down a bit and likewise it is cool in the mornings. The unfortunate part is that June falls within the rainy season which means that there is a 90% chance of rain at least during some part of the day. This is honestly not much of a problem because no matter where you are you can get an umbrella for really cheap (about 300yen) and continue on with your day. June is also the start of the typhoon season. Typhoons are basically hurricanes here in the Pacific and during Typhoon Season we see quite a bit of them. If you are traveling here on vacation I would recommend to purchase tickets that are changeable or refundable and if you are coming here to stay for a while (PCS or Move) it is important to make sure that you have everything that you need in order to sustain in the event that a large typhoon comes through.

Over the course of the past 6+ years I have experienced quite a few typhoons, however, only two of these were worth noting. The first was Manyi which happened over 4 years ago. The storm was categorized as a "super typhoon" and took about 4 days to pass by us if my memory serves me right. This was the most devastating typhoon that I have ever seen in my time here. It was impossible to drive, trees were down and in cases they had blown through the fence lines at the bases. Yes that's right imagine a tree taking out a hole like a cannon ball through the military base chained link fence. It was THAT bad. In fact the storm itself was stronger than Katrina. Now with that being said it is important to note that Okinawa is built for typhoons. I have spoken about this in my video Okinawa is built for typhoon and have documented various typhoons on my youtube channel. To put it short and sweet Okinawa can take a hit. Even with Manyi the buildings were mostly ok and most of the damage was to other things such as awnings that were not properly stowed, cars that were struck by trees and similar.

Basically to sum it up expect temperatures of 70 to 80 degrees with it cooler on the morning and evening. Also plan for a rain shower on most days, because it's rainy season it's not a bad idea to have an umbrella. Finally stay alert for typhoons. You can stay tuned to a variety of news sites which will offer you information regarding the hazardous weather.

Thanks so much for reading and I hope that this has offered you some insight of what to expect traveling to Okinawa during the month of June. If you have any further questions please feel free to leave them in the comments below or email me at okininjakitty@yahoo.com

Golden Kings, Ferris Wheel and Much More: This Is Current Events

Welcome to the first of hopefully many segments where I write (and talk if you watch www.youtube.com/okininjakitty) about current events. Although I am not 100% sure on what the name of this segment will be called I am going with "This is current events" which has a nice little ring to it and I think that it will provide me with the appropriate feel of what I would like to discuss about. In this blog post I am going to talk about various things that I have found throughout the news in Okinawa in the past week. I will talk a little bit about the "event" and let you know how I feel about that particular item. So here we go!

Golden Kings Win Championship

For those of you who might not be familiar the Golden Kings this is Okinawa's basketball team. They were known as the Ryukyu Kings but recently for a reason that I honestly do not remember they had changed their name, uniform and everything to golden. This team is the pride of Okinawa as far as I have come to understand. In fact I have not met anyone yet who wasn't a fan of this team in one way or another. I truthfully do not know the details of the championship as I was not watching but the fact of the matter is that it was the big one, so big in fact that families gathered throughout my neighborhood and most likely throughout Okinawa to cheer on the team.

You might be asking why this is something worth noting. I mean it was only a game right? Well for me yes it was only a game. I personally am not too involved with sports but for those who were watching this game it was above the level of anything I have ever experienced here in Okinawa in my 6 + years. The families were chanting and cheering in their houses. It was actually startling because this is not something that one ever really experiences here in Okinawa. It was exciting just to listed to and what was surprising is that it lasted for two days. It almost felt like I was back in the US on Super Bowl Sunday.

Ferris Wheel Operational Again

If you have been following my videos or Facebook page you know that the iconic ferris wheel in Mihama has been closed down. This was sad for a lot of us here in Okinawa. Fortunately information has been released that the ferris wheel will continue to be operational dispute the recent claims that repairs were too costly. There have been some changes, however. The coke logo in the center of the wheel is now gone and I do not know if this has changed the theming of the inside of the ride which had also been themed with Coke products. Please keep yourself posted on the Facebook page for more information when it becomes available or if you have visited the building recently please post in the comments below.

Festival Season Kicks Off At Schwab

It's that time of year again, festival season. Each year throughout the summer and into the holiday season the military bases open up to the local public one weekend a month for various festivals which will feature local and state side entertainment. This year the festival season kicked off at Camp Schwab located in Northern Okinawa with a live performance by Candlebox.

These events are a lot of fun and allow something interesting for all walks of life. If you like it. . . . they most likely have it. For the kids there is a kids carnival area where they can take part in various activities, like any other festival food is abundant and don't forget the alcohol for those who want to drink the night away. If you want to take part in one of these festivals keep an eye out on the various web sites for the bases and local papers. The information is everywhere.

See the video by clicking here!