They finally brought a machine to our demolition site, but it is still a slow process as it appears that they are sorting out the metal still. Here is what is left of the house
Here they are starting to tear down part of the office
Last week we took Akihiro's grandpa and his cousin to Okinawa (a southern island) for two nights. We were quite a crew--three of the four of us qualifying for handicapped status! Me pregnant, Grandpa in his wheelchair, and Akihiro's cousin had a stroke in his teens (I think) and has limited use of the left side of his body. We definitely used those "priority seats"! The flight went better than I thought, but I ate almost the entire time to keep my stomach under control. My lap was covered with cracker crumbs by the end of the flight. Hoping that I don't have to eat for 11 solid hours on the way to America!!! Anyway, when we arrived, we went to visit an old castle that had been rebuilt. The island had has a lot of Chinese influence and we could see this in the architecture and walls.
Here is a model of how it was used--see the little carts that the VIPs rode in?
We went for supper to try some of the food famous to Okinawa. I liked their use of a peanut for a chopstick rest!
This looks awful, but it was really good--it is chicken that is breaded in toasted seaweed.
The next morning we went to a memorial for WWII. Okinawa was the first island to be attacked by U.S. forces. There were walls with names of Americans and Japanese who died--I think that this just covers the deaths in Okinawa.
It was a very peaceful place--right next to the ocean, but I shuddered to think of how it looked in time of war. We saw some awful pictures in the museum.
Then we headed to another museum. This one was dedicated to a girl's private high school in Okinawa that the students were turned into workers in cave hospitals and then when the war got really bad, they were basically abandoned and left to fend for themselves. They hid in caves which were subject to flame throwing attacks, etc. The survivers wrote their stories and they are on display here. Akihiro had bought me a book in English of all of the stories some time ago and I had read it--how awful--I think I cried. As I walked through these two museums, I hung my head, embarrassed to be an American, but everyone was nice to me and Akihiro said that perhaps it is somewhat shameful for Japanese as some leaders were stubborn and many innocent civilians were killed because of it. Here is one of the caves that the girls hid in. These girls survived.
Then we headed off for a more light-hearted experience--a large aquarium. This is the second largest tank aquarium in the world. There were two huge sharks and lots of big sting rays, etc.
A few eccentric things along the way...a gargle fountain--right next to the drinking fountain--it says--not for drinking or eye wash. What kind or water must it be?
...and this sign. Is this really a problem that people don't know how to use the toilets???
Back home, the cherry blossoms are blooming beautifully along our river path. Also another interesting flower that I don't remember from other years.
I got some feedback that people enjoyed my "glorying" in my pregnancy symptoms. Some days, though, I am far from "glorying"--much to my shame. I am now officially in the second trimester, but haven't had any reprieve yet--am waiting. Another thing I have to glory in, is that my husband still loves me, though my already-present acne has become quite a mess--making me look like a teenager going through puberty. And, he still loves me, even when I cry--sometimes for a good reason (I miss my mom), and sometimes for no reason at all. Ah, the glories of being a ninpu (Japanese word for pregnant lady)--actually most days I feel more like a "wimp"!