These are some of the souvenirs I got in Okinawa:
(clockwise from left)
- chillis in Awamori alcohol
- a pineapple
- candy
- a lunchbox cloth
- `Shisa` lion-dog figures
- black sesame & salt seasoning
The pineapple was a gift from the landlady [ooyasan] of the cabin where we stayed. She is the owner of a pineapple farm. We ate a lot of pineapple while we were there...
I really enjoy beachcombing - walking along the beach, looking for interesting things to collect.
Here are some of the things I picked up from the beach at Ishigaki Island. I found a lot of small cowrie shells, which I like. Unfortunately they`re quite sun-bleached (dry & white). Maybe one day I`ll try to polish them and make them shiny.
Do you like beachcombing? What do you like to pick up?
While we were driving at night on Ishigaki Island, we saw an animal crossing the road. I was able to get out and take a photo before it escaped.
Can you guess what it was?
Here are some more photos I took on Ishigaki Island:
- hibisicus flower
- butterfly (sorry, I don`t know what kind)
- palm nuts
- silver-eye bird
- Ishigaki Island beer
*click on the picture to enlarge
During the Golden Week holiday, my family & I visited Ishigaki Island, in Okinawa prefecture. It was the first time I had been to Okinawa.
Of course I went snorkelling & saw lots of colorful tropical fish. I also saw a stingray [レイ], a big brown moray eel [ウツボ], & a massive white sea cucumber [ﾅﾏｺ]. I have an underwater camera, so I spent a lot of time trying to take photos of fish (but not the moray eel - those things are scary. And not the sea cucumber -they`re kind of disgusting). It was fun, but tiring.
There were also a lot of nice butterflies - I saw at least 15 kinds of butterfly that I`d never seen before. There were also a lot of hermit crabs [yadokari]. They`re pretty funny.
To celebrate the arrival of warm weather, here`s a song called `Come on Spring` by Australian group Antenna, from 1998.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zq_x9kLQLLg&feature=related
There are things I like & don`t like about this song & video:
- I like the song.
- I don`t like the singer.
- I like the guitarist – Dave Faulkner from excellent 80`s/90`s (& recently reformed) band The Hoodoo Gurus.
- I don`t like his cap though (he`s trying to hide that he`s going bald [hage])
- I`m not sure about [bimyo] his shirt either.
- I`m definitely not sure about [sugoi bimyo] the singer`s shirt - wow!
- The lyrics are a bit rubbish: “Come on spring. Do your thing. What`s your story? Come on spring. Do your thing. Have you got something for me?" Yawn [akubi].
- But, as I said, I like the song. I hope you do too.
This a tree near a friend`s house. What is interesting about it? Can you guess...?
UPDATE:
Answers are in comments!
On Sunday I joined some friends in Gifu Park for a Cherry Blossom Viewing [Hanami] party. The weather was really nice, and there were a lot of people there. Everyone seemed to be really enjoying themselves, especially the guys who ended up in the pond...
The next day I took my wife, kids and hangover to look at the cherry blossoms at Kasamatsu Minato Park, which you can see in this picture.
Have you been to see the cherry blossoms yet?
I managed to write & send a couple of postcards when I went to Ise & Toba. I sent this one to my school. Why did I do that? Well, one reason is that I am trying to encourage my students to write postcards to our school whenever they travel overseas (in English of course!).
Another reason is that I just enjoy writing & sending postcards.
Do you have Teragoya`s address? Please send us a postcard sometime!
On Saturday I taught a student who has a glass-blowing studio in a small town north-west of Gifu City called Ibi.
I went riding around there a few years ago, & afterwards did this woodblock print (10x16cm). I wonder if he recognises this place?
If you have the chance, I recommend a visit - it`s peaceful & scenic, with a nice river. You can get there by train from Ogaki (it`s the last station on the line).
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These are some of the souvenirs I got in Okinawa:
I really enjoy beachcombing - walking along the beach, looking for interesting things to collect. 
While we were driving at night on Ishigaki Island, we saw an animal crossing the road. I was able to get out and take a photo before it escaped.
Here are some more photos I took on Ishigaki Island:
During the Golden Week holiday, my family & I visited Ishigaki Island, in Okinawa prefecture. It was the first time I had been to Okinawa. 
This a tree near a friend`s house. What is interesting about it? Can you guess...?
On Sunday I joined some friends in Gifu Park for a Cherry Blossom Viewing [Hanami] party. The weather was really nice, and there were a lot of people there. Everyone seemed to be really enjoying themselves, especially the guys who ended up in the pond...
I managed to write & send a couple of postcards when I went to Ise & Toba. I sent this one to my school. Why did I do that? Well, one reason is that I am trying to encourage my students to write postcards to our school whenever they travel overseas (in English of course!).
Jeremy 
TERAGOYA Ichi 
KUMA 
birdy 
１５ichigo 
内倉憲一 
TERAGOYA Ginan 
Tiny 
エメラルド 
TERAGOYA Gifu