Killer Coffee & the Radio

I nearly bumped into the car in front of me tonight from laughing so hard at this radio clip.

Killer Coffee

Here's an interesting thing about the radio here in Oki. We really can only get one English radio station (from American Forces Network). Sometimes I can get a Japanese station, but it has some pretty crazy stuff on it. We used to at least get AM so I could listen to NPR, but that's been down for a year now.

So, it's usually a gamble what you're going to get on the radio, but tonight it was pretty good!

Connected!

Perry came over and helped Noa set up a wireless connection for my new toy.  Here I am with Gunnar for my first picture taken with the MacBook camera - in my dining room!  Woohoo!  I'm connected!

Japanese Innovation

Noa and I decided to have breakfast for dinner. Just as I'm about to open the egg package, I realize that once again I am looking at innovative Japanese packaging. The eggs are in a clear, plastic container, which you don't have to open to see if any eggs are broken. I know that a few of the more expensive brands in the states do this, but are they sealed?? It's nice to know these eggs haven't been touched by who knows who. Also, there's a paper in there on the top with the date clearly labeled so that you can see how fresh the eggs are.

Another example of simple, but careful, deliberate quality in Japanese culture. Brilliant!

Oh, and they tasted good too.

Weekend Highlights

It's been a great holiday weekend! Gotta love those 3-days off! Here are some of the recent events for Team Juloa:

Puppy Playdate:

Sadie and Gunnar got to stretch their legs with Emma, a golden retriever, who didn't know what to think of these two stick dogs who move faster than the 2 year-old boy she currently has to keep up with. Needless to say, after all the running around, my dogs were pooped out for a day straight afterwards.

Sorry for the pet eye in the photo - I only had my little camera with me.

Lunch on the Sea Wall:

We joined some friends for a curry buffet on the sea wall after church on Sunday. The weather couldn't have been better. Here's a picture from my seat.

Football Monday:

Tom and Laura hosted a football party Monday morning. Noa and I had to get up at 4:15 am in order to drive over there and catch the first game, which started at 5:00 am. Thankfully, the Pats won, but sadly, they'll be playing the Giants in the Superbowl (wished it could have been Green Bay). Oh well - the party was fun anyway. Even if I did fall asleep for part of it.

Welcome to Mac World:

After much debate, I joined "Mac nation" today by purchasing my first Mac, thanks to my grandfather. I can't wait to start putting photos on there and learning the ropes. I know everyone is so excited for the MacBook Air, but I need more than that could offer (such as a DVD burner). Besides, knowing my luck, I'd break it in half. I'm really happy with my choice.

And for those of you craving some Japanese culture, here's a sign I pass often on the way home from my friend's house. Did you know that crime preventic begins in the home??

The Cave

I often get grief about working on weekend days. I know, I know - weekends are supposed to be for fun and relaxation, but the demands of a Kindergarten teacher these days are numerous.

This weekend, in addition to cleaning out a spare classroom with my co-workers, I built a cave* with Teresa. We are doing a unit on winter and hibernation, so a cave is a nice addition to the classroom. We built a frame with 2X4s and then covered it with paper. I'll be putting bears in there and brown blankets and pillows to make it cozy. Cute, huh?

*Yes, I know that caves generally are not square, but due to time and money constraints I had to go with a simple design.

For Charlie

As a tribute to one of my favorite websites, which is no longer getting published, I wanted to post a cute picture of Sadie and Gunnar together. Instead of "cute," this is what I got:

Guess I don't have any photogenic Charlies in my house! Gunnar even stuck his tongue out afterwards! The nerve!

New Year, New Look

I've been making a few changes to the blog for 2008. I've got a new color scheme going, although I'm not sure that I like it yet. I'm hoping to add an album on here as well, so check back for updates!

Family Fun, Part 2

The Bragdon family adventures in Okinawa continued:

A visit to the Nago Pineapple Park - loved the fresh pineapple!!

Eating at Pizza in the Sky (it was really cold - we had to use blankets to keep warm during the meal, but it was still really fun).
Anoli and myself
Bowling at Foster - my dad almost got recruited to join some Marines in the bowling tournament that night.

Anoli, who's not too shabby herself when it comes to bowling, gave me pointers since I'm not very good.
We visited the Ryukyu Glass Village.
Beautiful!

My dad insisted we find the Ginowan Bell (which I had never heard of before). He and Noa found it one day and brought the rest of us to see it. The bell is located on the grounds of the Convention Center and Tropical Beach. It is a symbol of the "bridges" made by Okinawan ancestors of the Ryukyu kingdom to the rest of the world. This bell is a replica of one from 1458 in Shuri Castle.

Noa, dad, and Anoli posing with the bell.
It was in the high 50s/low 60s that day but the strong winds made it awfully cold. We walked the Convention Center grounds and enjoyed seeing the waves crash against the jacks, although we did get slightly wet in the process. Usually this water is pretty calm so to see these it so active is a real treat.
Spectacular!
On New Year's Day we saw a performance of Tops in Blue.
And, of course, we couldn't have the family leave without some karaoke! It was a blast!

Sadly, my family had to go back to the states yesterday. We'll miss you guys!