Late Night Interviews and Watashi - Bad Mix

A Gal Walks Into a Bar

Friday night found me, starting off in a noisy Brazilian bar um, drinking beer.

In came an Okinawan friend of mine, with some young lady, I had never met before.

Some soft conversation (which I couldn't hear) took place and, he left her with me.

From the little bit, I could figure out, she was a freelance writer, wanting to do an interview.

Fluent in Japanese (because, that's where she's from) I tried finding this on my iPhone:

It was an interview, the Ryukyu Shimpo newspaper had done on me.

All in Japanese, I figured it would make things go much smoother and, I wouldn't need to talk.

But, whenever I get to drinking things like this, fail to appear on my cell-phone.

Today, I dug this up, out of my files and, am posting it, just for the heck of it.

The gal doing interviews, got someone else, to talk to and, I went back to drinking.

Along came a Brazilian friend and two gals and, we drank, talked and, generally had fun.

Pretty soon, along came the wife, who had been merrymaking in another bar.

Everyone got introduced and, off we went, to do a bit of barhopping.

At the next two stops, the "interview gal" showed up again but, I never got interviewed.

It's probably best, to talk to me, when the sun is still in the sky, not in a bar.

It was good to hear, from the wife, that this gal, was very polite and sincere.

In my case, I want to make sure, I don't get questioned, by someone with an axe to grind.

They have Pro-USA and Anti-USA folks, funded by groups, to interrogate Americans.

Politics, is something I avoid whether it's national or international. They are all funded.

The last time I saw the gal, she asked me if, I'd be out Saturday night, for an interview.

Maybe, I don't know.

Online Profile

It seems like a good idea, to create an iPhone accessible profile, for writers.

The gal, wanting an interview, couldn't access much about me on her smartphone.

And, I couldn't figure out how to show her, much about, where I've been published, either.

Tonight, I shot a photo of this old, Intelligent Travel article, I had done.

It just shows a bit from the National Geographic Intelligent Travel Blog.

Webmasters come and go and sometimes, links get broken, as happened to the article above.

Luckily, I shot and framed the headline of that article and, still have the story.

It can be tweaked, touched-up and, sold somewhere else, as an original story.

Some background, about this site, has been posted on this blog.

Tonight, I'll make a quick stop, at a few watering holes and, see if, that gal is still out there.

If, not maybe, I'll have a few beers and, tell everyone, I'm sorry I missed her !

Guy in a Green Hat Walks into a Bar

Not Seen in Okinawa Everyday 

 

Those John Deere caps are scarce and treasured items, in this part of the world.

And, I've never met a person, wearing one who I wouldn't consider a friend.

Back in my farming days, we used to say, "Nothing runs quite like a Deere."

That phrase could probably be twisted around and used for people who wear those hats, too.

Yea. Nothing runs quite like people topped off with John Deere headwear.

The animated character in the GIF above, I've known for more than a few years.

We bump into each other on the internet, all the time. That's how we came to be friends.

We cross paths, once in a blue moon, out in the field but, never drank together.

Friday night, we were supposed to get together, for some full moon photography.

The plan was, to shoot the moon then, do some bar hopping in my territory.

We live on opposite sides of the island so, he had to be careful about driving his car.

The rascal, showed up at my office with some young gal, as his driver.

The moon, was the only part of the equation, that didn't cooperate but, that was alright.

It gave us a headstart. That meant more time for us to, act like lunatics and go drinking.

Gotta Love Google Maps

 

 

People worried about privacy can turn their location OFF but, I keep mine switched ON.

That way if, I forget where I was the night before, I can go back and look at my Timeline.

It comes in handy for things like law enforcement, too.

Supposing, some guy with a white beard, throws a rock through the whorehouse window.

When the cops come around, I can show them. It wasn't one of us.

We were way over on the other end of town, too far away to throw rocks. Lookit my phone !

First Stop

 

 

 

It was close to 8PM when, we visited Bar & Cafe Brasil. 

Friday nights that place gets, standing room only, packed with customers.

They get Marines in there, who look like tattooed bodybuilding monsters, having fun.

Loud music is playing and, action movies are on a widescreen TV, too.

The crowd is always friendly and, some of the tattooed bodies are girls, with big muscles.

Me and the guy in the green hat drank beers. The gal with us had Brazilian soft drinks.

We had to make sure, the designated driver, was taken care of.

So, whenever, she had to pee, I would escort her to the ladies room and, stand guard outside.

After a couple of beers, we decided to make room, for more customers and, left that place.

Off to an Irish Pub

 

 

The John Deere dude, decided some whiskey would be nice to have, next.

So, I showed him the way to Bingo's Pub but, told him, I'd stick with my beer.

The joint was fairly crowded but, friendly folks got us our own table.

Loud Irish music is always playing and, there's a jovial smoke-filled atmosphere.

When, I asked our driver if, she liked karaoke, she said "Yes."

That would be good. After 3 or 13 beers, I'm ready to do some singing. So, off we went.

Karaoke Time

 

Just a few doors down the street, we hit the Cafe 104.

It's rarely crowded in this bar and, the owner is always happy to see me.

We were the only customers and, it was quiet enough to hear each other's conversations.

Plus, I didn't have to worry about the young lady, going to use the bathroom.

Drinking and singing, was mostly what we did and maybe, some conversating.

The guy in the green hat, doesn't do things like this very often, I could tell.

We were having a blast but, I worry about folks, drinking too many different kinds of booze.

To me, it's like physical training. Drink regularly, to keep in shape.

Supposing a war broke out and, you weren't used to being drunk. That'd be dangerous.

But, if your body is used to it, you could put up a hell of a fight, anyway.

Stagger to Next Bar

 

About this time, I'm sure our driver was starting to worry about, us walking.

We shuffled down the road aways, to the Club Peace.

It's a good sized establishment and, wasn't overly crowded. Everybody there, knows me.

Sometimes, they have jam sessions and, you'd be amazed at the talent displayed on stage.

There may be local musicians, mixed with some of the military crowd, playing in the band.

Some young Marine, was singing and bouncing around and, he was really good.

When he finished his song, I told him, "You should quit your daytime job."

We were sitting on sofas and had two tables, all to ourselves, over in a corner.

It was kind of comfortable and, the girl didn't have to worry about us going to pee.

The young guy, kept going back onstage and singing 50s-60s type songs.

Unfortunately, we discovered some long-haired wigs, the customers can play with.

That was the first time, I ever saw the green cap, come off the John Deere dude.

Fooling around with the wigs and, dancing around the room, seemed like the thing to do.

Green hat dude, got onstage, wearing some psychedelic colored, long-haired wig and danced.

Not long after that, he discovered some serious back pain. Not a problem.

For some reason, I happened to be wearing a stretchy, back support and, didn't really need it.

Off it came and the gal, helped wrap the thing around, the now-groaning, green hat dude.

One Last Bar

 

 

Another theory, I have is, what's best for a wrenched back, when you're drinking.

That would be, find a comfortable spot to take things easy and, drink some more.

So, we sauntered across a field and stumbled into Bar Patra.

All the gals there, know where my favorite spot is, at the counter and, hooked us up.

They had some customers move, to get three bar stools for my guests.

It's close to the bathrooms but, they don't really know, why I chose that location.

Top Secret: The air-conditioning controls, are right next to me.  And, I know how to operate !

It was past the Cinderella hour and, we tipped a few more drinks before, calling it a night.

 

 

 

In Case You Were Wondering

 

  

Everyone made it home safely and, no one was seriously injured, making this episode happen.

Figure if, the guy with the John Deere hat keeps practicing, we'll whip him into great shape.

Five bars in one night is, no great accomplishment but, a good start.

Maybe, once a month or so, we'll get together again and, build up our portfolios.

The Guy with the green hat, who walked into all these bars, is known as Okinawa Soba.

Visit him on Flickr and, you could spend hours, learning from him.

Guy Walks Into a Bar Full Moon

April 2017 Full Moon Over Okinawa

It's a little bit late this month. It seemed like this, wasn't going to happen.

Normally, I get out the night before, during and after the full moon is scheduled to appear.

The evenings of the 10th and 11th, we had nothing but clouds so, it was impossible.

The meteorologists, said the sky would clear-up last night.  But, it didn't look that way, to me.

About 7:30 heavy, black clouds were blowing up the east coast of the island.

I messaged a friend and let him know, what time to start looking for the moon.

He lives south on the western coast. I hoped, he'd get some good photos if, the moon showed .

Just getting over a nasty cold, I decided beer would be better than photography.

If the moon appeared before I got too relaxed, I could go back to work and shoot it.

Positive, I made the right decision, I walked out after my first beer and looked for the moon.

Nothing but black skies, was all I saw so, another beer got in front of me.

Relaxing, while watching the movie "Jaws" was all I had left to do for the day.

In the Bar & Cafe Brasil, they have a Reserved sign in a corner of the bar, just for me.

Now, that I think of it, every bar I go to, in this town, has a special seat, just for me.

It's probably because, I look lots older than, I really am or, it could be my drinking habits.

Anyway This Guy Walked Into the Bar

He's the same guy, who wanted to know if, I could use a brand new toilet seat, a few years ago.

We've been friends for more than a few years. He knew exactly where to find me last night.

"Mike, I figured you'd be out there shooting the full moon," he said as he walked in.

He had just finished some ungodly miles of night bike riding and, was excited about the moon.

"Look, I'm watching Jaws and drinking beer, I told him. Somebody else can shoot the moon."

He kept telling me, it was the biggest brightest moon, he ever had seen.

Well, I told him, my camera shooting friend, down in Naha, would shoot it for me.

Off he went and, I finished my beer so, I could go outside and peek at the moon.

There it was. Not a cloud in the sky. I told the bartender, I had to go back to work.

Quick Moon Shots

Normally, I would climb up to the roof of my building for moon photography.

After a few beers, I didn't think it would be a good idea so, I stayed down on earth.

The tripod, camera and lenses are heavy, expensive and, not drunk proof.

A few shots were taken with 420MM of lens and 700MM of lens.

The photo above was shot with the Sigma 50-500 and a 1.4 converter and, I like it best.

A mild HDR image was created to smooth out highlights and shadows.

Everything got downloaded and put away for the night and, by 10:30 I was back in the bar.

If I ever go drinking downtown again, I think I'll buy that biking guy a beer !

Best Burger in Town -- Kin Para (きん ぱーらー) I Found Out Today

Things Just Happen to Me

The past week I've been busy shooting nightlife attractions, until the wee hours.

From this weekend on, I'll be more busy, doing festival photography.

Bar scenes, supermoons, gals prancing, in what looks like underwear, can wear a guy out.

So, I've been getting to the office, a bit later than normal and, skipping  breakfast.

Iced coffee keeps me going for awhile and, I forget about lunch, I'm so busy catching-up.

Around 2:30 this afternoon, I decided to go to town and find something to eat.

Chef Making a Kin Burger

Kin Para, is a fairly new restaurant and, I had never eaten here.

There were no customers waiting so, the guy let me shoot in the kitchen.

There are some small tables and chairs, to sit at but, I wanted a takeout order.

It's blazing hot, for October. I hurried back, walking on the shady side of the street.

Sitting outside in the shade, looking at the rock garden, was where I wanted to be.

It's like 3:30 by now and the smell of that hamburger, got me drooling.

I decided to put the camera away. Noticing a cat watching me, the burger had to go, too.

They don't think nothing of stealing a starving man's lunch. Animals.

The few little, non-absorbent napkins, they give you around here, wouldn't work, for me.

So, I sat at my desk, where there's a box of tissues, that's supposed to be handy.

Japanese folks can eat a hamburger, out of that wax paper wrapping and, not make a mess.

Not me. I'd have cow drippings, splattering all over the room.

Well, I grab the hamburger and, started devouring it. It was terrific. Delicious !

Nobody else, around this town, makes hamburgers like that one.

Munching away, I hardly noticed the cholesterol, sliding down to my elbows. 

When, I was finished the desk looked kind of oily so, I wiped it clean with those tissues.

For now, I'm designating the Kin Burger the best in Kin Town.

Where Is this Place?

Well, I'm trying to get it on Google Maps but, it's so new, it ain't there, yet.

Late afternoon wasn't a good time to photograph, the sign outside the establishment.

So, I might go back over tomorrow morning, to get a better shot of it.

By then, it may be on the map, as well and, I'll do a review.

Meanwhile Check These Places Out

Seventailz is a Gentleman's Club.

And the Zone is a place famous for spicy BBQ chicken and hot women !

Time to go now. I think, I just heard a cold beer calling me !

Long Days and Nights Doing Research

Mabuni Cliffs of Itoman

 

 

Friday morning the mission was, to get some photos of the cliffs along the beach in Itoman.

Leaving the office in Kin at 9AM, we arrived here, around noon.

It was sunny and blazing hot so, Doc and I took our time climbing the hills of Mabuni. 

Two cameras, were hauled along with me and, I took a grand total of six photos.

After running some errands, I was back in the office, enjoying some air-conditioning.

The cameras were downloaded, images processed and, I began my research.

It's nice to find a historical link, to help explain, what took place at a site like this.

The link, explaining the cave on yesterday's blog, got thousands of views.

And, it saved me from telling everyone, all the gruesome details of what occurred here.

 That allowed me, to get out of here early last night and get refreshed, for the evening.

It's Called Nominication in Japan

 

Take the Japanese word for drinking (nomi) and, communication.

Put them together, go drinking and communicating. That's nominication.

It's usually done by workers of the same company. Or, it could be family and friends.

Me, I just call it researching and, I'll research with almost anybody.

On the circular route, I take after a day in the hot sun, there's a few bars along the way.

One of them closed at midnight so, I went upstairs to another establishment.

I was sitting at the counter, nominicating with a guy who works at the body shop, downstairs.

All of a sudden, the door flew open and, in came a bunch of  young ladies.

And, one of them was Aki, a favorite performer of mine.

We did some serious nominicating, singing and dancing until the wee hours of the morning.

For example, the photo above was taken at 5:13AM.

 The next all of a sudden thing that happened was, daylight arrived.

This photo was taken at 5:45AM and, I didn't want the wife worrying about me.

So, I ordered one more beer and drank it deliberately. I got home around six.

The good lady, asked me if, I needed any breakfast and, I said, "Nah, I'm not hungry."

It was time for me to get a good 8 hours of sleep, to prepare for Saturday night.

See, I plan on going out to do more research during the cool hours of evening, again !

12 Photos From a Wide Angle Sunday Night in Kin Town

Choosing a Favorite Won't Be Easy

 

 

This is something which has been procrastinating, for a long time.

There ought to be an English language Restaurant and Bar Guide for Kin Town.

Probably, every town in the Ryukyu Island Chain could use one.

Somebody needs to out there and getterdun.

So, I grabbed a camera and 10-20mm lens and did some walking last night.

The first place I visited was Izakaya Jin Jin.

I went before 6PM so, I could shoot the place before crowds started arriving.

That way you don't have to worry about people moving around, blurring the scenes.

This couple, Adam and Veronika, were dining at one of the tables.

 I wouldn't shoot, that part of the room without their consent.

Asked if they would sign a model release, they agreed.

 I got them to switch tables.

That put them in better light and, I asked them to watch the TV for the shot.

When people watch TV they don't wiggle so much.

My kids taught me that a long time ago.

If you happen to have kids with the wiggles, buy them a TV.  It works !

They were a friendly couple. I thanked them and went on my way.

On the way out, I shot this image, from Jin Jin's front door.

Once the evening crowd starts arriving, a photo like this would be impossible.

My shutter-speed was 6 seconds.

Next: Geisha Girls !

 

 

This is a place, I've been meaning to visit with a camera for months.

The last time they saw me in that restaurant, I was Santa Claus.

The owner showed me a photo, he snapped with his iPhone.

Feast your eyes on the Restaurant Ohana.

Luckily, I was the first customer to come through the front door.

The designer of this place should get an Architect of the Year Award.

It's peaceful and quiet. Nominate them for the Nobel !

If you don't like to sit at those wooden benches, go in here.

Your fanny goes on the tatami mats and you can stretch your legs out under the table.

The sushi bar is where you'd most likely find me.

That's because, I think, food and beer, come to you quicker, over there.

It's fun to watch the chef, whack fish with his knife, too.

Customarily, it's always a good idea, to joke with the sushi chef and, buy him drinks.

If a big barroom brawl ever breaks out, it's good to have a friend with a sharp weapon nearby.

 At least, that's the way I figure.

Leaving the sushi bar, this is the view leading back to the entrance.

This is really a high class establishment.  Almost sacred, to me.

So, I usually only go there for special occasions, with friends.

All by myself, I figured, what the heck, get a beer.

And, I sat down awhile soaking up the air conditioning and some smokes.

  

One more look at the geisha girls, seemed like a good idea.

We really don't have many people, running around town, dressed like that.

 

So, I nabbed a few more photos of them before leaving.

Some real live beauties, were expecting me, in another part of town.

They had the Grand Opening of Snack Turquoise, Saturday night and I missed it.

For less than the cost of a case of beer, you could party all night long.

What I'm talking about is food, spirits and karaoke.

It wouldn't take a degree in Psychology to figure out what I did.

A photographer shouldn't be drinking while working.

So, I quit and had a grand old time, singing songs and drinking Orion Beer.

Beer makes me happy but, I was worried about my camera.

There was one more spot, I had to visit.

No photos were taken there. That will happen on another excursion.

By 1AM, the tripod, camera and watashi, had rolled down the hill, to the house.

And, everybody was done for the evening.

There Are All Kinds of Bars and Restaurants in Okinawa

Devising a way to rate or, rank them, might take me awhile.

One of the sites, I submit to asked some questions:

What is your favorite restaurant?  I answered: Undecided

What is your favorite drinking establishment ?   My Answer: Still working on that one

Atmosphere and a friendly staff, rate fairly high on my list of expectations.

Certain times of the year, heat or, air-conditioning, become a priority.

Toilet facilities, there are every kind you could imagine.

Some places have co-ed toilets.  Others, make you feel like you're in Las Vegas.

So, I have to figure out what readers like to know before visiting a restaurant or bar.

Folks like me, don't really expect marble tiled restrooms.

We're happy with pretty girls, karaoke and cold beer !

Shadows and Lights in Kin Town Last Night

Live Matsuri Number Three

 

 

Names have been intentionally omitted, just in case.

A long time ago, I learned, arrive on the scene early for an event like this.

At 7:30PM the bars participating, were open and ready for business.

There wouldn't be any customers showing up for awhile.

So, I told these gals, if they stopped wiggling, I'd take their picture.

 By 7:45, I was back on the streets.

The bands were scheduled to start at 8:30 and, I had to keep occupied.

So, I shot some off the wall street scenes.

Two grandsons showed up, while I was in the middle of the street and said "Hi."

I said something like, "Grandpa's busy, SCRAM."  And, they went away.

 Okinawan Mineo (folk music) is my favorite part of any festival.

 It's hard to sit still when you hear somebody, twanging away on a sanshin.

And, if you throw an electric guitar, in the mix, everybody starts dancing !

Here is an Izakaya, I pass on the way back to the office.

It was 11:24PM when I decided to take a few shots of the place.

But, before I got to the front door, the lights went out.

  I left the camera in the office and, had to walk all the way back downtown to get a beer.

Shouldn't have yelled at the grand-kids.  Huh ?

In Search of the Elusive Ruddy Kingfisher and Barhopping

This pair of birds are sitting, stuffed in some museum.

Sometimes, I shoot wildlife like that, just to help with identification, if I ever see one in the wild.

The label, under the bird on the left, says Akachobin (アカショウビン).

That tells me, it's a Ruddy Kingfisher (Halcyon coromanda). 

Here's one I shot with my cell phone. It's sort of in the wild but, dead.

After tying the dogs to a guardrail and snapping the photo, I email it out.

Animal control folks might want to know what killed the bird.

Now I Want to Capture a Live One in the Wild with a Real Camera

 

Shooting wildlife in museums, zoos, or, dead alongside the highway isn't much fun.

The Ruddy Kingfisher isn't on the endangered species list, yet.

But, the are becoming scarce, in Japan.

According to the Wiki folks, these birds are hard to spot in the jungles.

They say, the birds more likely to be heard than seen.

Not trusting the Wiki Dudes, as reliable for more than a Latin name, I go on.

Neighborhood Bars Are a Great Resource

 

The internet has some trustworthy resources, too. I'll list them later.

Armed with the photo, saved to the cell phone and, the word, Akachobin, I went to town.

The first guy who saw the photo was wondering how I got it.

"That's an Akachobin. Where did you find it and how did you catch it on a cell phone?"

"Hah. I found it before six, this morning, 10 meters from your house," I told him.

"And, it was dead," I added.

 After a few other people at the bar confirmed what the bird was, it was time to move on.

It's always best to get more opinions. And, beers, too.

The Next Bar Hit the Jackpot

 

There was a woman.  She looked at the photo and said, "Akachobin."

And, she said the birds make a real loud scary noise in the jungle, especially at night.

They scare her.  So, I told her, "Don't go in the jungle at night."

And, she made the noise !

So, I put my cell phone away and had a few more beers.

I could hardly wait for morning.

Late night research kills me.

But, the wife knows it's important.

THE BIRD SOUNDS LIKE THIS

 If you live on the island of Okinawa and hear one, don't call me.

Send me mail (ryukyumike [at] gmail.com) and, I'll come shoot it for you, with a camera, of course.

The cell phone is just for emails, cmails and crappy photos.  I can't hear it.


OTHER RESOURCES:

ARKive

Avibase

Bird Ecology Singapore


Watch a Kingfisher Eat a Snail Without Swallowing the Shell at Nature Society Singapore