GIF of American Village Ferris Wheel

It Doesn't Really Bounce

Here's what happens when an unsteady iPhone is used to create an animation.

Last night I had the opportunity to visit American Village in Chatan.

Sometime, in the future, I'll have to go back with a real camera and a tripod.

The place is some kind of tourist trap if, you ask me.

You know how, back in the USA, they have Chinatowns, where Chinese hangout.

Well, over here, somebody got the idea to make an American place, for Chinese to visit.

It seems to be working quite well. Americans, Chinese and Japanese people go there.

Let's backtrack, to yesterday morning. I had an appointment at the hospital in Nago City.

After a whole month of taking pain-killing drugs, I told the doctor, I'm done with that crap.

I feel fine and was really getting tired of, not-being-able-to-drink-beer.

Immediately after taking the snaps of that amusing ride, I had another mission to accomplish.

That was: Get back into my hometown and drink some cold Orion Draft Beers.

The wife decided to stay at home and I promised, I'd be back early.  So, here's what I did.

Got a ride in a taxi, with a friend and was in the front door promptly, at 4 AM.

If, you like touristy stuff, visit the American Village Ferris Wheel.

It's time for me to run. I have some catching up to do!

End of the Week Snapshot -- Gotta Go

Beer Is Great Medicine

Sometimes, I wish I'd have brought a camera along, when I'm off duty.

Things like this, just happen when I'm out at night, preparing for the next day.

There's sort of a custom, where you order two drinks at a time, I've developed.

One, is for me and, the other, goes to whoever brings my first beer of the evening.

The model, offered to let me take this photo, and she was smiling.

Well, I told her, not to worry about her hair and posing with a pretty smile.

All, I wanted was an image of her standing behind those beers. Good practice shot.

But, the beer mugs, are a little off center and, you can't read the Orion Beer part. Dagnabbit !

It's good enough reason, to go back and, do it right next time. Huh?

What's this Got to Do with Medicine?

In case nobody has noticed, I haven't done much work around here, this past week.

A couple of days were lost do to painkilling drugs, the doctor's been feeding me.

Whatever muscle, I yanked wrong, doesn't hurt anymore.  I'm fit and fine.

But, the doc says, I have to keep taking the stuff, until it's all gone. Groan.

Painkillers and muscle relaxers, make me feel like a wet noodle.

They trick your brain. Don't drive or operate machinery. But, can you drink?

That depends, on which kind of drugs you're taking, I figured it out.

Last visit to the doctor, I wore an Orion Beer t-shirt and, asked him if, I could drink the stuff.

He said, "Beer in moderation is OK."

So, I tell whoever is waiting on me, to bring my beers in moderation. No more than, 2 at a time.

Then, I joke and tell them, "Remind me to slow down, when I hit number 17."

An Important Notice

Readers of this blog might want to check the view meter. It's nearing 2,000,000.

More than likely, my celebratory giveaway will be closed after tonight.

The Rules Are Here

Arrangements for selecting winners, must be done tonight.

It could be next weekend, before arrangements, to pick winners are completed.

That means, I have to get outta here and do some more work.

In Japan, we call that nominicating. Drinking while talking, work stuff.

If, I nomicate properly, Miss Pick a Winner, could be discovered tonight.

All I have to do, is locate a beautiful girl, to make the selections.

Tell them something like, "Would you want to get some good exposure on my blog?"

Er, maybe I should say, "Just a little exposure."  Hah !

See you next week.

Travel Photo: Orion Beer Lanterns at Night

 

May Be Seen Throughout Okinawa

 

 

Fooling around with some new equipment, I ended up at the other side of town.

The sun went down and I remembered, I was supposed to get home early tonight.

There's no time to process all the shots I took today so, I'll just post this one.

Camera:  Pentax K1

Lens:  Pentax - D FA 15-30MM at 22MM

Exposure:  f/11  1/13   ISO 800

Location:  Kin Town, Okinawa, Japan 

Date and Time:  MAY 12 2016  7:21PM

A Wagyu Burger in Kitanagusuku Okinawa

Sign Said Freshness Burger

 

That sounded kind of silly, to me but, I looked at a menu in the window.

The promise, I made to the gal in the Orion Beer restaurant, got broken, right then.

She was nice enough to let me take some photos so, I told her, I'd be back for lunch.  Liar !

 Welcome to Freshness Burger

Once, I saw the advertisement for a Wagyu Burger, the Orion Beer girl was history.

Wagyu beef is supposed to be some of most expensive and delicious cow meat in the world. 

When I saw the price, advertised on a poster, I knew I had to give it a try.

Heck, if you didn't order anything but the hamburger, it cost less than 10 bucks !

Quiet Uncrowded Atmosphere

 

 

When Doc Graff and I, walked in to the place, the population doubled.

We placed our orders and, asked if photography was allowed.

The hamburgers are hand made and, it's not a fast food joint so, we had to wait awhile.

It's fun, to go poking around with the camera, when the place is almost empty.

The was no need to worry about anybody, moving and ruining my shots, in the low light.

Somebody decorated the place with Norman Rockwell paintings.

He painted scenes of American life, to show the world, as he saw it, through his eyes.

The only art, on the walls of this establishment, were all works of Norman Rockwell.

It was sort of like being in some American history museum. But, I only snitched this photo.

Food Began to Arrive

 

First the fries, which are grown way up in Hokkaido, showed up at the table.

These things were yummy and, came out piping hot.

Don't ask me, why Japanese people eat their hamburgers, wrapped in wax paper.

They say "In Rome, do what the Romans do." So I pretended to be Japanese.

 In ten or fifteen minutes, I woofed everything down and, used about a dozen napkins.

Somehow, when I eat stuff like this, food, grease and cheese, runs down my beard.

Next time, I'll remember, to bring my own fork and knife.

It was a decent meal.  All the vegetables were fresh and tasty. I'd rather eat it off a plate.

There was so much food, I didn't even think of asking for second helpings or, desert.

Will I Ever Go to Eat in Kitanakagusuku Again ?

 

Now that I'm back in the office and, my research is done, I've been thinking.

A food dude from the UK, named Harry Wallop, did a review on Wagyu hamburgers. 

He says, they stick breadcrumbs in the beef, to bring down the cost. Hah !

So, next thing, I did was checkout the Freshness website and, learned something.

All the vegetables are grown on Freshness farms sites.

They get the safe and fresh beef patties, from Australia !

Here's a Freshness Burger Menu in Japanese and English if, you want to try some.


Feeling a little bit guilty, about that pretty Orion Beer gal, I left behind, I'll go back.

And, just tell her, "I said I'd be back for lunch. But, I didn't say, what day."

"So, here I am. Please, show me the menu!"

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 !

It's Mugishokunin Time So I'm Outta Here

That Would Be Orion Beer

Most of the day was spent cleaning camera gear and developing photos.

Three days of salt water and sand can damage a lot of expensive equipment.

So, I did plenty of cleaning and, even washed my tripod.

After catching up on all the emails and social media, I screened photos the rest of the day.

 There's no sense in getting burnt out looking at sabani boat images.

So, I figure it would be a good idea to loosen up with some Orion Beer. 

More Sabani Photos Were Uploaded to Facebook

Surprised While Taking Fern Photos in Yambaru Forest



Who Would Have Guessed: Insect Repellant ?

 

 

It's November and Christmas is just around the corner.

When we went north in Okinawa, I offered Map It Dude some bug spray.

He was hiking, to the highest peak on this island.

Not me. Been there before, a few times and decided not to do the 2 hour climb.

I said, bug spray and insect repellant are in my pack.

"Nah, there won't be any mosquitoes; it's too cold for them."

There wasn't any wildlife, being active so, I decided to shoot plants and ferns.

I, left the bug spray and crèmes in the vehicle.

Shooting images of ferns from different angles can keep me busy for a few hours.

It was so quiet, in the jungle, you could probably hear a snake slithering.

But, that wasn't the only thing that surprised me.

The weather warmed up and, it woke up the mosquitoes.

There were plenty of fern photos taken so, I headed back down the trail.

That's when I met these red ferns, alongside the highway.

Confirmation, on their names is pending, along with lots of other things.

Remember that movie star, Robert Redford ?

Well, he gave me an idea.

For the time being, I'll just call these guys the Redfern Brothers.

Does anyone else have a better idea ?


NOTE: The weather in Okinawa, Japan can fool you sometimes.

So, it's a good idea to always be prepared for tropical sunshine.

Insects don't follow the calendar; they follow the thermometer.

And, the weather on the Ryukyu Islands doesn't necessarily follow any calendar, either.

In years past, I recall going to the beach, to swim, during winter months.

The sun doesn't burn me and bugs won't bite me, usually.

Most of the repellants and cremes, I carry, are for others to use.

Something tells me, the secret ingredient, that protects me is in Orion Beer.

Well, the past few days I was on some strong medicine, trying to kick a cold.

Doctors orders:  No Alcohol

Those pesky bugs feasted on me, yesterday because my Orion levels were depleted.

The cold is all gone.  No more drugs.

Downtown, I have some catching-up to do.

Have a great weekend !

A Buddhist Church That Tickled My Fancy

That You Tube is the best thing that came along since they invented canned beer.

Just a few minutes ago, I found this Buddhist Church video.

It made me run and grab a six-pack of beer out of the refrigerator.

A popular song in Okinawa, Japan is Ojii Jimanno Orion Beer.

They were singing the song, on stage, at the Gardena Buddhist Church.

Shucks.  I've drunk enough (lots) of that stuff in my lifetime.

I may have been declared a saint, three or four times over, already!

 Where the heck is Gardena, anyway?

Exclusive Tour Ryukyu Dudes Do the Caves (Photos)

Matsuda Caves in Ginoza Okinawa

These photos give a quick review of the day's events.

Today RyukyuRusty, Map It Okinawa and I got a special treat.

We had a guided tour (what I call it exclusive) through this cave.

Shinobu Miyahira (blue shirt) briefed us on everything.

He knows the history of the place, the wildlife that live there and the dangers you may face.

Standing to his left, Lorenzo Ken Tumacder, was our English translator.

Safety was everyone's concern. There are plenty of places you can slip and fall.

The guides outfitted us with boots and miners hats.  It gets real dark inside the caves.

And, there are plenty of places to accidentally bang your head.  So, that's what I did, a lot.

The guy wearing the white jacket is Terumasa Ikehara.

White stuff is easier to see in the dark so, I stuck close by him.

Kei Hamahiga and Hayato Nakama were in black shirts.

If they got too far in front of you, they would disappear, in the dark.

Everyone, there was helpful.  They held our cameras while we climbed.

And, caught us when we slipped.  Or, warned us about banging our heads.

All the way through, I kept wondering about the place.

Like, when they were preparing for tourists -- did they find any signs of humans were ever there ?

 

 Sure enough.  Look what Emi Kinjo found.

She was An Orion Beer Campaign Girl.  And, found an old Orion Beer can.

 After about two and a half hours (that seemed like one) of cave exploring, we were done.

Probably, I collected more mud that anyone else.

So, you don't see me in this photo.  I was busy smoking and shooting.

It looks like some sort of farewell photo, but, we weren't done, yet.

When you get an exclusive tour, like this, some paperwork has to be done.

It was really like a questionnaire.

We could rate the tour and guides.  And, make suggestions.

Well, I'm a grandpa and I don't like writing.

So, I said to Lorenzo, "Here, you do it".

 And, we gotterdun.

Look Forward to the Grand Opening 

 

A few days ago, I was worried about the impact tourism would have on the Village of Ginoza.

More than anything else, I am concerned about the environment.

From what we saw and heard today, this cave is in good hands.

They are knowledgeable about the stalactite and stalagmite formations and their preservation.

They are concerned about the wildlife within and around the caves.

The caves will open to the public sometime in Spring.

Standby for an exclusive-exclusive report if they let the Ryukyu Dudes in again !

Old Goat Back from Long Weekend (Photos)

These photos are just a quick preview of this old goat's weekend.

It started, sometime Saturday at a place nicknamed The Shark's Fin.

Some world class kayakers invited me to hangout with them.

We fooled around on the beach until sunset.

After sunset, the kayak people were celebrating the end of the day.

Now, I want to be a kayaker, too.

See the dude sitting in the kayak ?

He made that thing, himself.

All that's wrapped around the frame, to make the contraption float is Plastic Wrap !

He put the kayak in the ocean and paddled-away.

 After the kayakers passed out awards and certificates we found a karaoke bar.

And, sort of, took over the place.

We were singing karaoke, drinking and having a great time, well into the night.

When they ran out of Orion Beer, we went back to our campsite.

 This is a photo of the Sharks Fin taken at 5:33 this morning.

I was up at sunrise because I had to go to another island.

They had goat fights.

It was a long, and busy weekend, for this old goat, and I had a blast.

It's time to shut these computers down, go home, shower and get some sleep.

Sometimes, I forget.  I ain't exactly a kid, anymore. I just have fun until I pass out.

That's the best way to enjoy being an old goat.  More later.....

A Sea Kayaking Affair: You Ever Had One ?

 Sea kayaking affair ?  Shucks.  Never heard of one, before.

But, I met these honeymoon people kayaking, one day and took their picture.

Now I'm learning a little bit about sea kayaking.

And, there is a big kayak affair happening in Okinawa, this month.

 QajaqJPN Official Website

The folks sponsoring this event, called Guts 2012, have all the details.

They have an expert named James Manke, from Canada coming over to teach.

Just poking around on the Japan website, I watched some of the videos.

Those sea kayakers do some pretty wild stuff.

Like, they fool around in waves big enough to qualify as tsunamis !

The Greenlandstick Users' Trial Stages is one of the things everyone wants to qualify in.

The three day event takes place just a few miles up the road from my house.

It will happen November 23-25th so, I plan on checking it out.

Now, there's no way I'd try to challenge someone from Canada at using a stick made in Greenland.

But, we might do one of my favorite, redneck sports.

See who qualifies best at chugging Orion Beer.

See y'all soon sea kayakers !

Today She Went for One of Those Last Rides With Me

Tough Decision and Not Sure How She'll Handle It

 

Looking at some old Orion Beer posters brought on a flood of memories.

So, I didn't say a word and just took pictures.

Those were the good old days.  Hah !

Keeping everything inside myself, I just went around taking photos.

We've been through a lot together.  This just didn't seem like the place to break the news.

So, I took her out in the country where I'm more comfortable.

A little river, running over the rocks, made me relax.

 Pretending I was doing something important, I still didn't say anything about it.

Maybe It's Best Not to Tell Her

 

If you found a younger, sexier model, what would you do ?

Would you take her for one last ride, and not say anything about it ?

I Will Always Love Her

 

And, I hope she finds someone else, who will treat her better than I did.

See, I'm taking her for one more ride.

The Canon G12, that took all the photos above, is being traded-in.

They have a new Canon PowerShot G1 X that I think I'll love, even more ! 


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