Pacific Odyssey - Leg 5

I am writing for yesterday and today as we are still waiting in Okinawa.
We had a beautiful spring day yesterday, a true gift after all the wind and rain.  I was in the park with the boys and the warmth of the sun was such that we could have worn shorts and a T-shirt.  I felt encouraged to make the following crossing.  Many of us are anxious about what the crossing to Shanghai will be like, it has been so cold and windy, so different from any weather we´ve had in a long time.  There were kids in the park to play with; the little girls enjoy practicing their English with us and the little boys tag my boys to initiate a game of chase, no conversation needed.  I had a chance to sit, be warm, and read my book and play catch with Simon, a perfect moment.  Today the weather has switched to its former ugly self and we have gale force winds again.  The weather forecast predicted one day of calm before a renewal of the winds.  Shanghai is having good weather right now so hopefully we will leave tomorrow if the storm warnings are over. Trainees and crew are continuing to fill their days hanging out on the ship and walking the streets of Naha.  We had a wonderful and long walk along the canal with the boys yesterday; there are so many small and narrow streets to explore.  Everything here is small and narrow, the roads, the sidewalks, the buildings, the stairwells, the alleys, the entrances . . . all intriguing. The Japanese people are also interesting to watch.  There is a big interest in fashion and how one looks, much more so than at home. We feel quite under-dressed here and ´gypsy-like´ in our appearance, even when we put on our best, non-wrinkled clothes.   The women wear several layers on their upper body, most of them made of thin fabrics and often quite delicate and fine, sometimes lacey.  The younger women like to wear tight, short skirts, shorts, or knee length shorts with tights or snug-fitting leggings underneath.  On top of this they wear a thigh-length coat, sometimes with fur around the collar or down the front.  They look quite stunning; I don´t think the fashion is the same at home, but it is not something I´m usually on top of and we´ve been away for sometime.  The men look smart in black suit jackets and black tighter fitting pants with a white shirt underneath. The younger men keep the shirt un-tucked, with the collar standing up and the jacket open, while the older men wear the suit more traditionally. Hair is often styled with both the men and the women.  Both sexes like layered hair and both wear it long.  Bangs are popular and there are some Japanese who dye their hair auburn.  There are some fantastic ´beehive´ hairdos from the 60´s being worn as well. The children look very cute and look smart in their ´trendy´ kids clothes . . . layered dresses, tunics, shirts and leggings for the girls and longer shorts and t-shirts for the boys, also with often a longer duffle-type coat over top. I have seen many very fun, fashionable and impractical shoes.  Like I´ve said over and over, there is always something to look at and notice; it is enjoyable and a good way to pass the time.  Drew, our volunteer watch officer, left us today to begin his job as mate on the Pacific Swift. His flight takes him to Shanghai where he will spend a day before flying home to Victoria.  It has been fun to have Drew aboard for the past 5 weeks and we´re thankful for all his help and input into the program.  There are several trainees struggling with sore throats and runny noses.  This extra time has given them a chance to rest and hopefully get over the worst of their cold.  Last night quite a few crew and trainees ate at a Sushi restaurant that had a moving train displaying the different food offered.  All the tables were in close proximity to the train and you took off the train what you wanted.  Each item was on a different colored plate that represented a different price.  At the end of the meal, the plates were counted up and the total amount presented.  There was a hot water tap and an endless supply of green tea.  We tried raw squid, raw octopus, raw salmon, fish eggs, California sushi rolls with cucumber, deep fried prawns, and deep fried oyster. It was quite delicious. There were so many to choose from; some looked very slimy, they nearly walked off the plate.  It was a wonderful experience.   This will be it for today; we are happy and mostly healthy, ready to leave Okinawa soon.  Good night, Bonice.