Oh, The Places You’ll Go! Part 2: Japan

Everyone!

Hope everyone fared well in this weeks crazy weather! No matter where you are in the world, unfortunate weather circumstances have been devastating lately, most recently hitting the east coast of the United States was Hurricane Sandy. Although this is not this weeks topic, I want everyone to know that if you would like to help the Hurricane Sandy relief effort you may donate through the American Red Cross website by clicking on the link below. Anything helps those in need and just remember that you never know when you may need a helping hand!

Donate at http://www.redcross.org/charitable-donations

On a brighter note, I would like to talk a little bit about Japan and everything it has to offer. I grew up in a military family and moved around a lot as a child. One of my many homes was in Japan where my two younger sisters were born. I lived in Okinawa which is where the United States Marine base is located and was there for about 3 years. I actually started kindergarten there which caused me to be younger than my entire class because they start school at 4 instead of 5! It was always funny telling people I had lived in Japan and my sisters were born there because the response was always the same. “So can you speak Japanese”, and the answer is no, I cannot. I was so young when I lived there that any Japanese I could speak is long gone from my vocabulary. You know what they say, “if you don’t use it you lose it!” (Very true in this case!!!) The other question I always got was “So do your sisters look Japanese?” I used to look at people like, seriously are you asking me that right now! Obviously they don’t look Japanese just because they were born there. My parents’ ethnicity does not just magically change because we live in a new location! The stereotypes are so ridiculous that you often miss the fact that I lived in a foreign country for several years and could be asking me way more interesting questions.

While I did live on a military base, I did get the chance to travel to some beautiful places. One of my favorite things to do there was go pineapple picking. Just like here in the US where people go apple picking, in Japan they go pineapple picking and if you have never had a fresh pineapple then you are missing out! Not only are these pineapple plantations HUGE but they smell amazing and are really a beautiful sight.

If you get the chance to make to Japan you should also try to visit some of the tourist attractions. If you want to see something truly beautiful then check out Wakayama or any of the other waterfall sites. These locations have huge waterfalls that are spectacular on their own but they also have exquisite gardens that make the scene breathtaking. I for one love to sightsee which is why you will notice all the recommendations I have usually tie into their visual appeal.

Finally, just something crazy that might make you want to visit Japan is that since the islands are so small and the population so large, it is not uncommon to see a parking lot that looks like this

Oh, and my dogs species originated in Japan. I have a Japanese Akita named Kawaii which is Japanese for cute. Isn’t she adorable!!!

“Every day you have the opportunity to learn and experience some-thing and some-one new. Seize the opportunity. Learn and experience everything you can, and use it to change the world.”

Rodney Williams (born 1959);