#((there can be one nice and peaceful interaction on central island this week))

[dcggersedge]

Good. Cause she definitely wouldn't.

"You're making it a little easy." She admits with just enough guilt in her tone not to feel too bad about it. But it's...nice. It feels good. It's the most personal they ever gotten about anything ever, but Yunaka doesn't feel like the floor is going to swallow her or that she needs to run or...well, maybe that's just because it's not about her.

He's doing some teasing of his own, with that offer of his! Yunaka stares at him with wide eyes. The staring only stops when she snorts and falls into a fit of giggles. She lets go of her hand to push herself up. "Won't kiss me, but right to the bedroom? Didn't think you had it in you, Prince."

On her feet, she takes the time to stretch out her back. The stars above them keep their watch. Yunaka starts to dust the sand off the back of her legs. "Sure, my room is empty right now too. Some company'd be nice."

There's still sand, but that'll be a problem for whoever's bed she takes. Her hands are held out to Alfred to pull him up. "Come on, bed time!"

She doesn't magically sleep better than she normally does. She still wakes up periodically to scan the room, eyes at the ready and knife in hand under her pillow, which she slipped there when Alfred wasn't looking. But in the dark, she can see the rise and fall of Alfred's breath in his bed throughout the night and...and yeah.

Company is nice.

end

just you, me, and this brick wall you built between us!

[nyame-adi]

So the flavour of the month(year and forever because I just love this place) is still Switzerland and in continuation from last weeks post here are:

10 things I wish I knew before I moved to Switzerland

You do not have to carry the whole of the UK in your suitcase

Moving to a new country, you would want to prepare to make your transition as smooth as possible in real african nature  my mum had it in her mind that it is smartest thing to get me to clear out the shelves in Argos, Lidl, Ikea and Tesco- basically everywhere that would take our money! – Guys I went to this country with 4 suitcases a blender, a sandwich maker( I DIDNT EVEN LIKE SANDWICHES LIKE THAT TO CARRY ONE) cutlery, vaccum packed pillows and plenty packs of Maggie cube, the list extends,  but it was too much.Now, I’m not knocking being prepared for a big move and sometimes it is much cheaper to bulk buy, but I learnt the hard way…. you need to be reasonable with the lists you make. I made a list based of what I would need for university but in reality I  realised when my tenure ended(the hard way) that I packed wayyyyy too much. This included some things  I never used(not proud to say it) – coming home was misson impossible, getting on 2 trains with a journey of a duration of 2h30 from Lucerne to Zurich, navigating the airport before catching a flight to the UK with +4 suitcases BY MYSELF.Lesson:  You do not need to carry a sandwich maker unless you really like sandwiches otherwise then do you. okay well the main lesson is be kind to yourself and let the things you don’t need go.

Take ALL your seasonings with you

If you like flavour – just to do it, thank me later because the seasoning game in switzerland is WEAK, sorry not sorry. As someone who loves food and cooking I remember struggling to find common jerk seasoning – alternatively amazon is the plug for all your tropical sun seasonings – have no fear amazon is here. I did hear from my aunt that if you’re in Zurich you will be able to get supermalt, african seasonings and food items in and around Stauffacherstrasse, tram stop Helvetiaplatz, been there once or twice and there’s a nice little community of africans there.Lesson:  Jollof without Maggie/stock cube is not Jollof.

Time is your friend

I think that goes for everything – take time and settle into your environment because its not going anywhere, in my previous post  I mentioned I took quite a while to settle into my environment (which is normal) but rushing the process or feeling bad for not adjusting is not going to help anything if anything it really kills the vibe.Lesson:  Take time, Enjoy the View and settle in.

Almost everything closes on a Sunday – Don’t eat all your snack on Saturday

Self explanatory really, do all your shopping in the week and leave sunday for Church and chilling less commercialism enhancing the quality of life.Lesson:  Get Organised! Leave that packet of popcorn for tomorrow, you will not die. HA BA!

Make friends

NO ONE IS SAYING GO AND CARRY THE WHOLE NEIGBOURHOOD ON YOUR HEAD. BUT no interaction is done with only one person (As in yo, yourself and you). I’m an introvert so I can easily get aorund by being locked in a cocoon and coming out when I feel like it which is usually NEVER! Nothing good comes from being in a foreign land alone.Proverbs 13:20 : Walk with the wise and become wise, for a companion of fools suffers harm.Lesson: It easier to get around if you know people who can direct you accuratey and with love. No man is an Island and sometimes you can be your own companion of fools.

Home is where YOU make it

Get comfortable – HI HELLO WAKE UP, this is where you are at now! looking back at what WAS home will rob you from what is NOW home, focusing too much on where you want to be will steal todays joy. Buy that lamp you wanted! Create that chill corner! Do what you got to do. The worst thing for me was being somewhere I called home that didn’t feel like…home because I chose to blame my environment for not being like what I knew.Lesson: Get settled girl, take responsibility for your HOME – rest your roots and ease them out when it is time to bounce.

Stienhofstrasse outside my window

Stienhofstrasse accomodation

Stienhofstrasse

Should have been #1 – Your faith will keep you

Its easy to be very anixous when you are away from home and I can’t lie I did and still do sometimes fall into the trap. If you’re like me you’d think youself into oblivion and if you do not CHECK. YOUR. SELF. You’ll just spin into a web of fears. Take it easy! Foh Ril! this is a good time to get grounded and cling on to God replace those thought’s with His wisdom and knowledge all packed into His divine word.

What if i get lost on my walk? What if someone kidnaps me? What if i run out of money? What if i get ill? Who will care for me? What if i don’t make friends?

Lesson: Matthew 6:34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. Stay humbled and find peace, John 14:27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.                             

This is your passport in (to Germany, France, Italy, Liechtenstein)

Switzerland is beautiful nestled between other picturesque countries. Unlike the UK it is more feasible to access these places without having to do too much. Infact some countries do not even require getting on a plane to get there.

ZURICH TO MUNICH: 370 KM ; 3h30 on cars; 3h45 by Flixbus; 4hrs by train; 50 mins -1hr by flight

ZURICH to LYON: 419 KM; 4h51 by car; 5h by train; 1hr-1h30 by flight

ZURICH TO COMO: 235 KM; 2h51 by car; 3h by train; 55min flight to Milan and 40 min train journey

ZURICH TO VADUZ: 109 KM ;1h5-1h30 by care; 2h40 train; no flights …Lesson : This leads me to the next point.

Day trips for the win

Need a say more? I used to get so bored staring out my window wishing I could do more with my time. Its not until I took my first trip to Bellinzona that I realised that THIS DAY TRIP THING IS A SHOUT! All it requires is a little planning so you don’t miss your bus or train back home and this can be done pretty easily – when I had last visited Switzerland I took a day trip which took me through the North of Switzerland up until Stein Am Rhein( boardering Germany) and back to Zurich – We had multiple stops and our tour guide provided us with many a dead joke, jkjk, she brought the vibes and told us many a story paired with a couple history lessons –  I booked the day trip on the day  (early morning of course) at the ticket office in Carparkplatz Sihlquai 2 minuets from Zurich Central Station.

Lesson: Can’t put a price on the experience

No experience is too expensive

Especially if it will infrom your understanding of the world today.

So there you have it 10 things I wish I knew before I moved to Switzerland.

      10 things I wish I knew – Switzerland So the flavour of the month(year and forever because I just love this place) is still Switzerland and in continuation from last weeks post here are:

[lgraberg-blog]

Decreased cost of communication as the enabler for increased flexibility

Looking at the current situation in the world related to human evolution over the past millennia contributes to a macro perspective that easily enables an understanding of today's accelerating technological development. This perspective makes the book "The Future of Work" to an important contribution to understanding where we are and what direction we can choose to go. I think Clifford Stoll, in his article "Why the web won’t be nirvana[1]" from 1995, expressed that frustration and uncertainty that many had in the 90s. I guess that he would have enjoyed reading the book “Future of Work���, which admittedly was published a decade later.

For me it was a mind-blowing experience, while reading the book, to realize the fact that the cost of communication is one of the main factors that can explain how humanity has developed from a very decentralized structure through a continuous centralization with its peak for approximately 250 years ago. Since then we have had a slow, but the clear trend towards decentralization. That said, among the conflicts we see in the world today there are few if any, traditional wars between countries. The war on terror might be in the grey zone, but except that the conflicts we see today are civil wars. Some of these are due to a continued decentralization process. Examples from Europe are the Catalonia area in the northeastern part of Spain that wants separation from Spain and the people of Corsica island who wants separation from France. Even if some experience the world today as unstable, the truth is that we live in the most peaceful time ever. This is partly due to (increased) trade between the countries, which in turn is made possible through technological solutions based on decreased communication costs.

There are of course clouds on the horizon with the negative developing atmosphere between the US, Russia, China, and North Korea… As “Future of Work” rebuttals there has been a prevailing trend throughout history: “Falling communication costs made bigger organizations possible”, due to the two obvious advantages that larger groups were:

- better at producing "economic" goods

- better at fighting

Many still think the future battle is about occupying land, as our ancestors had to struggle with. It might be, but the new battle is also about concurring “land” in the virtual space. Will we see the same mechanisms and development in the virtual space, as we did in our real world? I leave this section with a question mark.

AI and robotization will continue as emerging trends precisely because this will lead to what has been an important driver for people over the past 200 years: Increased degree of freedom, and thus flexibility. In other words, the trend pointed out in the book will only continue due to the assumption that the cost of communication will still decrease.

Not all of the world's population is fortunate to have access to the Internet to the extent that well-developed countries have. The prices for both hardware (laptops, tablets, and smartphones) and transmission costs are all decreasing, and for me, it seems that the more digital mature a nation is, the lower is the level of communication costs. The share with access to smartphone aged 9-79 in Norway in 2017 was 91%[1], and 94%[2] of the same group had a computer at home.  Norway is known to be an expensive country to live in, but the cost of electronic devices and broadband data connectivity is among the cheapest I’ve seen.

Last year I got fiber cable installed in our house with a capacity of 500 mbit / s (!). When I leave home, I am automatically connected to the 4G LTE network at a speed of 30 mbit / s, which is enough to watch the news, sports broadcasts and listen to podcasts and music streaming. Even with Norway's geographically demanding landscape, we have a 4G coverage of 99.8% (and people actually book in the strangest places). Only in a few remote areas, you can hide ;-)  Today I pay less than $30 for 75 GB of data via 4G per month. That was unthinkable for just a couple of years ago. But the most interesting change, in my opinion, is that “over night” it was made possible to use the same data plan in the whole EU (European Union). I address my greatest thanks to the competition authorities in the centralized (!) organization of the EU in Brussels. This is an example of a centralized organization that enables increased competition and further lower communications costs. I can now use my Norwegian 4G subscription during my two weeks summer vacations in Europe, and it makes it much easier to interact with Europe while traveling the rest of the year as well.

In addition to lowering communication costs, the trend is enhanced by increasing communication quality. These changes enable flexibility. The book «Future of work» also raises the importance of values. The vast majority would prefer a flexible job and employer, rather than the opposite. Many Norwegians do actually have a flexible work situation and prefer to work remotely from their hut in the mountains if they can. They have a choice. I guess this is as effective as working at the office, especially Fridays. Many Norwegians choose this nowadays, and the trend is increasing. Those who have the opportunity to travel to their cabin on Thursday night enjoy a nice ski trip in the evening. Working remotely Friday, and then go skiing right after work and throughout the weekend. During the weekend, I guess they are "in mode" feeling happy and lucky. Then you do not need yoga or cohabitation therapist - this is a real work-life balance for many Norwegians. Other countries have other prominent values, and the point is that a connected world with communication costs down to zero will give people the basis for enormous flexibility.

Another example from my employer; The Norwegian government. Following the bombing attack at the government quarter on July 22, 2011, which caused major damage to the government building, a new design of new government buildings is finally ready. To many people's surprise, solutions with fewer office space than the number of employees are being built. Some employees are traveling, some participate in external meetings, some have a day off, but the most important basis for such a choice is flexibility. These choices from the Norwegian government facilitate a flexible workplace, seen in relation to when you are in the office and where you actually sit when you are at work.

  Such a fundamental change with the increased degree of decentralization requires a cultural change. It's about how we look at management and leadership, mostly the ladder, with a basic belief in a Y-human view according to the categorization developed by MIT professor Douglas McGregor in the 60s. With a Y- human view, you believe that your people take pride in their work, and choose to work, not because they have to but because they want to.

I believe the idea behind distributed leadership, which is alien to many cultures today, will be seen as a natural element in future, globalized and national, organizations. Labor should not be used to perform mechanical tasks, but to add value through intelligent collaboration. I have the belief that we are developing a suitable use of machines in the future, and that humans will secure mechanisms that keep the development of AI in an appropriate direction. Machines will augment man, rather than replace man.

[1] http://www.medienorge.uib.no/statistikk/medium/ikt/388

[2] http://www.medienorge.uib.no/statistikk/medium/ikt/251

[3] https://www.newsweek.com/clifford-stoll-why-web-wont-be-nirvana-185306

[crimsonblackrose]

Paris exhausted me. There were so many things I wanted to see coupled with the strikes that was the one two punch combination that left me a zombie. After Paris I had a week to regroup and repack for my Seollal (Lunar New Year) trip to Okinawa. A week that pre-Paris me had filled with plans like: hiking, hosting, packing, and cleaning. Pre-Paris me made the worst decisions.

So by the time my flight to Okinawa had come around I was a little wary. All I wanted was a peaceful and relaxing vacation. It’d be the last one until I return to the States.

Like Paris and a couple other trips this year I made a pdf guide to try and organize myself. You can check it out here: Okinawa.

So maybe you’re wondering, where is Okinawa? Okinawa is an island off the coast of Southern Japan. It reminds me a bit of Jeju-do, which is off the southern coast of Korea. In both cases they were originally their own country with their own people and cultures until Japan and Korea took them over. (A bit like Hawaii). Okinawa is actually closer to Taiwan than mainland Japan.

Okinawa, once upon a time was the Ryūkyū islands (though not all of the islands) and due to its location the people who lived on the islands frequently traded and interacted with China and Korea and several other countries in the area. The results of which can be found within the foods and traditions.

At one point in the 17th century swords were banned which led to the creation of several Okinawan martial arts, the arguably most famous of which is karate.

In 1879 Japan decided to annex the Ryūkyū islands. Also after the Battle of Okinawa in World War II the island found itself occupied by the United States army from 1945-1972 and there are active American army bases still on the island which adds a controversial USA style residue.

Something else found around the island are Shisa or シーサー. These creatures are a cross between a lion and a dog and can be found throughout the island in pairs. One will have its mouth open while the others will be closed. The one with an open mouth is said to eat evil spirits while the one with the closed is meant to keep good spirits in. They are from the Ryūkyū period and can even be found in cute but silly looking souvenirs. Or in many souvenir/tourist spots you can make your own set to take home.

This shisa has it’s mouth closed and is keeping the good vibes in. 

Another uniquely Okinawan thing you’ll find often, even just by sound is the Sanshin, or 三線.  It is a three stringed snake skinned banjo. Classes are offered to learn how to play, the instrument is sold as souvenirs, and you’ll see people just chilling and playing them depending where you are. Many old traditional Okinawan songs are played using this instrument.

 Okinawa is also one of the first places within Japan to experience cherry blossoms. This special type of sakura is called Kanhizakura and is a darker color than the cherry blossoms found in the rest of Japan. They start blooming on the northern side of the islands in late January and through early February which is around when Seollal this year was. (January 24th-27th) So I was actually quite excited to see them. I’ve always wanted to attend hanami of some kind but the dates of cherry blossom viewing and my time off never coincided.

My goal was the Nago Cherry Blossom Festival which was due to happen while I was in Okinawa. The cherry blossom festival was scheduled to happen at Nago Central Park (名護城公園) from January 25th-26th. But according to Google maps it was a 2 hour bus ride away from Naha where I was staying and about a 23 minute walk from where the bus would drop me off in Nago city.

Normally I’d do that. I’d get up early, hop on the bus and then just spend the entire day in Nago before catching a bus home. But I just really wasn’t feeling it. I wanted my trip to Okinawa to be an actual vacation and not me running around trying to cram every possible thing I wanted to do into my short time there until I exhausted myself. (see Paris) So I came up with a compromise. I’d check and see where the cherry blossoms generally were popular to visit in Naha and I’d go there. If they weren’t blooming at all then I’d do the bus. If they were blooming even a little I’d take a cooking class.

If you’re curious about other places you can see cherry blossoms in Okinawa during late January/ early February I suggest checking out these posts that I used to decide for myself. Japan also tends to have a cherry blossom forecast you can check. As a general rule the northern side of the island  blooms first and then makes its way down south.

Matcha’s Top 5 Cherry Blossoms 

Gina Bear’s Blog: Alluring Sakura Spots

The weather in Okinawa is tropical. It’s pretty warm. I was visiting in winter and during the time it gets the coldest. Generally from December through February the lowest it might get is around 9.6°C and with highs of 26.9°C (between 49-80°F). While I was there in late January while the forecast called for low 70°F (21°C) it ended up being more on that high end of nearly 80°F for most of the trip. Meaning I had packed for a warm spring and ended up in summer style weather. It did however rain towards the end of my trip which cooled things off a lot.

I highly suggest making sure you take care of yourself and prepare for the heat. In the summer it gets a lot hotter. If you’re curious to read more about the monthly weather, what you should wear or how much rain and typhoons they get on average I suggest checking out this website here.

As you can tell, since I went in winter and it was in the upper 70’s it gets hot in Okinawa. I was expecting from the weather reports I saw before I left for it to be spring like in weather and so I packed accordingly…which wasn’t right. I should’ve packed for summer. Clothing wise this is what I wish I’d packed. If you want to print it you can print a copy of my okinawa packing list by clicking on the link.

I suggest packing for warmer weather that might cool off with a breeze or some rain. The jeans I packed were too hot until it started to rain towards the end of my trip. At which point it was nice and cool. Also definitely take a fan. While for most of my trip I was good.

I, and a lot of people, while leaving Okinawa at the airport were dying while in line to go through security. There were only 4 doors and a lot of people trying to get through and the airport didn’t have any air conditioning on, at least that was noticeable. I whipped out a wooden fan I got in Malaysia and I’m pretty sure it’s the only reason I didn’t pass out. It also let me bond with a family whose grandma had a similar fan and whose grand-kid got excited every time they spotted me with my fan.

Also a side note for people with allergies. Due to the climate there are a lot of flowers in bloom and they’re everywhere.

The connecting platform from the airplane to the actual airport was filled with orchids. There were orchids everywhere in the airport. (It’s lovely) There are also a large amount of well loved stray cats.

I saw many people halting their daily business to stop and check on the cats or feed them and a lot of the cats seemed friendly. However if you have allergies and are extremely sensitive to cats or flowers make sure to pack your most trusty allergy medicine.

Something to note in Okinawa is that the usual transit passes you use in the rest of Japan do not work. There’s are lot of different passes for different regions of Japan. I have two. I have a Pasmo and a Icoca which usually covers where I tend to want to travel. Neither work in Okinawa. Other IC passes also don’t work.

The first thing you should do is decide what you want to do while in Okinawa. I wanted a super chill vacation so I wanted to stay in Naha as much as possible. Especially after seeing that the cherry blossom festival was a two hour bus ride away and there weren’t tours available that I could find in English. I had already booked my hotel in Naha for the entire time I was going to in Okinawa. So I suggest even before booking your hotel decide what you want to do and where you want to go. Then try and figure out logistics. If you want to travel around beyond Naha (the city nearest the airport) then one way to do that is to get an Okinawa bus pass. A 1 day pass is 2,500 yen, a 3 day pass is 5,000 yen. It is 500 yen more to add on the Yui rail. It does not however “include buses that pass the highway such as limousine buses, line No. 111 and No.117, and regular sightseeing buses.” You can pick up or buy the pass in the International arrival terminal at Naha airport.  (These tickets are also available at other locations if you want to buy them later in your trip. You can check out the locations here.)

I had planned to get this ticket because it’s what everyone suggested getting online for getting around while in Okinawa. But because I was mostly staying in Naha it wasn’t worth it for me. Instead they suggested I go to the Domestic arrivals terminal and get the Naha bus pass. (660 yen per day just for the bus. If you want to add the monorail it’s 1,000 yen) After some back and forth in my limited Japanese and the staffs limited English I finally understood why they weren’t selling me a 3 day transit pass. Let alone why they weren’t wanting to sell me any bus pass. The Naha bus pass works for that day. Meaning if you start using it at 5pm it will only work until the last bus of that day. It’s a bit expensive to even do this. My hotel which was the only goal for that day other than eating and going to a nearby park was accessible via the monorail. It was more financially responsible to just go to the monorail and buy a one way pass to my nearest station and walk the ten minutes to my hotel. Due to my hotels location I was also near a ton of popular things to do including a lot of restaurants. And it turned out most of what I wanted to do was arguably within walking distance.

So I bought a one way ticket via the monorail  (Yui Rail) and spent the rest of my vacation walking around the neighborhood my hotel was in.

I’m really grateful that neither bus shop sold me tickets. I’m glad that both booths knew that it wasn’t financially worth it for me to buy a pass with them. Because I’d never been to Naha before and the number 1 suggested way to get around is via a car. So I had assumed everything would be too far away for me to walk. But because I had planned to stay in Naha it was better for me to just walk. Or buy tickets at the station for the monorail.  You can get a one day or two day monorail pass if that will be better for you financially. These run 800 yen for a day pass and 1,400 yen for two days.

  If you want to the local IC card (similar to the Pasmo or Icoca) which is what I was looking for, it is called OKICA pass and can be purchased at the ticket machines. To get the card you must load up in increments of 1,000 yen and you will loose 500 yen as a card deposit when you first get the card. The purchase amounts for the card are 1,000, ￥2,000, ￥3,000, ￥4,000, ￥5,000 and ￥10,000. If you would like to take the bus and trains around Naha often then I suggest getting this card because it will make your commute around Naha faster than buying a ticket one way. The ticket machines have an English option so follow the instructions to get your card.

I did not get one of these cards since I took public transportation a grand total of twice. Once from the airport and again back to the airport. But if you want to explore more of Naha and be able to easily jump between bus and monorail I suggest getting this card. (For me to get to and from the airport those two times I spent a grand total of 600 yen which is why it was not worth it for me, even in retrospect.)

The regular paper pass work via scanning a QR code. Scan when entering the monorail and when leaving. When you’re done with your ticket there is a bucket you can drop it in or you can keep your ticket.

One of my favorite things to do when travel is try the local specialties. It’s become even more of a thing since living in Korea and whenever I mention traveling, even just to a different part of Korea, my coworkers want to know above all else if I ate the foods of the region and if it was good. Food is also a huge part of Okinawan culture, they believe that food is medicine and the proof is in the pudding as they have the longest life spans.

I didn’t manage to try everything they’re famous for but I tried a lot. I’m going to make a quick list for you and then in upcoming posts go more into detail on which places I went to try the foods.

Super special local ingredients!

Goya ( ゴーヤー)– Goya or Momordica charantia is a super healthy food and looks a bit like a bumpy cucumber. It is chock full of vitamin c and is considered the perfect thing to eat when it’s hot out to protect your stomach from the heat. Usually when it gets too hot out the appetite decreases. It’s believed the Goya keeps that from happening.

umi-budō (海ぶどう) – Umi Budo or Caulerpa lentillifera is known as a couple of different things, green caviar and sea grapes are the top two. Umi budo is neither a fruit or an egg but instead a satisfying to eat type of seaweed. Rather than leaves sprouting from the main stem there are a whole bunch of tiny orbs. If you like salty and popping boba in your tea then I suggest giving these a try. They’re a lot of fun, almost an edible equivalent to popping bubble wrap. It’s usually served covered in vinegar at room temperature.

Shiiquasa (シークヮーサー ) – This citrus fruit has various spellings and names in English. Among which include  shiikuwasha, shiiquwasa, or shequasar or the scientific term: the Citrus depressa. It’s is a very sour fruit similar to a lemon or lime and sometimes confused with a calamansi (though it is similar). It can be found in various types of juices on the island as well as as a chip flavoring and in ice creams.

Benni Imo 沖縄の紅芋 – This is a relative to the sweet potato, taro, ube, or yam. However it is dark on the outside and bright purple on the inside. It gets used a lot in Okinawa for various fun desserts with no artificial coloring due to the natural dark purple color.

Maasu 真潮 – Massu or Masshu is very simply salt. There are about 150 types of salt uniquely made in Okinawa. And you’ll find a lot of things have salt to them. Some of these are quite fun like salt ice cream and cookies. As a person who grew up in the United States where salt is arguably over used, living for the last 5 years in South Korea where sugar is grabbed in almost all instances I would have use salt, meant my savory salt taste bud was in absolute heaven in Okinawa.

Aguu あぐー豚 – Aguu is Okinawan pork. Aguu is used commonly in many dishes so if you do not eat pork or meat make sure to double check with the restaurants that this is not used. It is a local special ingredient and every bit of the pig is used in some part of Okinawan cuisine. If you’re sensitive please take care when walking around in Okinawa as pig heads are commonly on display as a showcase to their importance within the culture or as part of souvenirs. I usually did not get too close to see if some of the ones on display were real or fake. Aguu itself is considered a very special type of pork and has become rarer than it use to be. Due to this the pork you eat in Okinawa might not automatically be aguu, and if you do find aguu  it will be expensive.

kokuto 黒糖 – Kokuto is a local type of brown sugar made from a very sturdier type of sugar cane on the island that can withstand typhoons. It’s considered one of the world’s healthiest brown sugars.

peanut tofu– most tofu found in the world is made out of soybeans, but in Okinawa you can buy and try tofu made out of peanuts. Note peanuts is a popular ingredient, if you have allergies make sure to double check before eating things in Okinawa.

pineapple and mango- Pretty sure most people know what these are.

Alcohol and spirits

Awamori– local very strong rice liquor, it has no added sugars and is low in calories. If you want to enjoy it it is highly suggested to add at least ice or water (hot or cold). If you want all the calories then have it in a cocktail. Popular cocktails according to an Okinawan guide are: Mango Harusa (local mango, orange and shiiquasa), Awamori twice (milk and chocolate liquor), and Ryuku tonic (lychee).

Orion– the local beer. If you like this beer then you’re in luck. You will find souvenirs for it everywhere.

wine– due to the large amounts of fruit grown on the island you can try all sorts of fruity wines like pineapple, mango, guava, and shiiquasa.

Foods!

Goya Champuru – you might recognize that first word. Goya is bitter melon and Champuru essentially breaks down to stir fry. Goya Champuru is a great way to try bitter melon. Common ingredients include goya, tofu, egg, pork belly and/or Spam.

Rafute– this dish is a sweet meat. It’s made from pork belly cooked in Awamori and a local type of miso. Depending on who makes it it may be sweet or salty but it will be melt in your mouth soft. For some people that is a textural no-no with meat.

Okinawa soba– Usually soba is quite thin and dark looking, however the Okinawan style looks a bit more like udon with its paler 100% wheat made chewy noodles. It usually comes with some sort of pork. Commonly pork belly or spare ribs.

Taco rice– It’s exactly what it sounds like. Instead of a taco shell either soft or hard you’ve got a taco salad essentially on a bowl of rice. Not everyone’s cup of tea but I loved it.

Mimiga– I didn’t manage to give this a try but it is boiled and steamed pork ears. Note that if you have peanut allergies make sure to let them know because it’s usually covered in a peanut dressing.

Sweets

Santa Andagi– nicknamed Okinawan brown sugar donuts these are not what most would consider a donut. They are instead balls of fried dough. They aren’t super sweet and tend to be very crunchy on the outside. They’re fun to try and they come in other flavors but the traditional old school flavor is brown sugar. 

Salt ice cream– exactly as it sounds. Also depending on location you can try flavored salts on top of your ice cream.

Okinawan salt cookies

Chinsuko– a cookie similar to a short bread cookie that comes in a lot of different flavors. They’re quite good. When it comes to souvenirs though you may notice that they’re being sold in joke boxes because Chinsuko is similar to a slang word for penis,  “chinko”.

Beni Imo Tart– a bright purple sweet potato tart which can be found at almost any souvenir shop. You should also be able to sample these at many of the shops to see if you like it.

Beni imo soft serve– if the tart isn’t up your alley you can also try beni imo in the form of bright purple ice cream in many locations.

This of course isn’t everything that is exclusive to Okinawa or all they have to offer but this is a lot of the main ones I ran into and ran into often.

While Japanese is spoken in Okinawa and they’ll understand you if you say the basics, Okinawa has its own language that predates even the Ryūkyū Kingdom.

Languages are confusing and I am no expert. I only learned two phrases, one on a tour and the other at a show, but I figure if I share them so you’ll pleasantly surprise those you meet.

First up is hello. But as a note the language is gendered. So from my understanding what you say depending on the gender you identify as.

Since I identify as female I would say Haitai はいたい as a greeting to the people around me.

For those who identify as male you say Haisai はいさい . 

Thank you is nifee deebiru 御拝でーびーる. It is not a gendered phrase.

If you want to memorize hello in Okinawan there is a song that is played practically everywhere, even if it’s just a little jingle on the Yui rail or at the airport called Haisai ojisan (ハイサイおじさん). If you want to hear the song a version of it can be heard here. If you go to any traditional performance there’s a good chance this song will be played accompanied by the sanshin.

  Okinawa Paris exhausted me. There were so many things I wanted to see coupled with the strikes that was the one two punch combination that left me a zombie.

[indochinavoyages]

How to plan the best Vietnam itinerary 2 weeks

How to plan the best Vietnam itinerary 2 weekshttps://http://bit.ly/2ImO3E8

Vietnam itinerary 2 weeks, 3 weeks or just 10 days, which one is sufficient? This is always a question when you are thinking of visiting Vietnam. Should it be a trip just Vietnam or a combined one with a few days extension to the famous Angkor Wat in Cambodia? How much does 2 weeks in Vietnam cost? When is the best time to go? etc. These concerns are quite understandable when you are a Vietnam first-timer and wishing to make the most out of it.

Things you should know before visiting Vietnam

With more than 3,000 kilometers of coastline, the country of Vietnam is stretched along the North to the South with two large deltas – Red River delta and Mekong delta by its ends. This geographic feature creates different climate zones and climate seasons. The North of Vietnam, which shares its North and Northwest border with China and Laos, have 4 distinctive seasons. While the South, which shares border with Cambodia and gulf of Thailand, inherits two separately wet and dry weather seasons.

  [caption id="attachment_14038" align="alignnone" width="960"] Vietnam map[/caption]

Apparently, the long and narrow country enables Vietnam to have a diversified ethnics and minority groups, mostly stretching along its border and in the mountain areas. In the flat land, there are metropolises in the 3 main regions of the country from North, Central, South which are Hanoi, Hoi An and Ho Chi Minh city consecutively; where life exposing with its traditions, living habits and dynamically bustle daily activities.

  [caption id="attachment_14039" align="alignnone" width="960"] Vietnam from North to South[/caption]

So if you want to capture every sights and corners of the country, it’s impossible to do in a Vietnam itinerary 2 weeks but at least Vietnam itinerary 3 weeks or more should be required. Anyhow, if your time frame is just about this given time, you should work on some destination search readings and feel what you want from that wish list, then prioritize them from the time frame. Planning an affordable one, matching your time and not to miss any nice sightseeing Vietnam has to offer, is in fact, not a big deal. Don’t forget to focus on the below key points, you will better plan a trip exactly for you without doing too much hassle works.

Some advice to choose the best Vietnam itinerary 2 weeks

Be more specific about what type of traveler you are

After reading highlights of places to visit, see what you want to do, including your special interests, you might take some suggestions below:

If you are a type of traveler who counts experience of a country on the whole picture, let make it a bit of everything here and there. Let’s plan for some mountains, some downtown, see the main sights, go to some outdoor markets, take some home visits along the road, try some different eats both in local restaurant and from street sides. This route might work well with Hanoi (3 days) – Halong (2 days) – Sapa (2 days 3 nights by train) – Hue (2 days) - Hoi An (2 days) - Ho Chi Minh (2 days) - Mekong Delta (1 day).

If you are likely a beach breaker and wish to see Vietnam in a slow pace, looking for some leisure days and doing not too much of the sights, see if this version might work: Hanoi (2 days) – Halong Bay (2 days) – Hoi An (4 days) – Saigon & Mekong (2 days) – Phu Quoc Island (3 days).

What if you are after history, people and in love with cultural identity of the destination, consider a different two-week travel itinerary in Vietnam which perfectly fit for you as Hanoi (2 days) – Ha Giang (4 days) – Ninh Binh and Halong Bay (3 days) – Hue (2 days) – Hoi An (3 days).

  [caption id="attachment_14040" align="alignnone" width="960"] The peaceful Hoi An ancient town[/caption]

What if I wish a bit more than just traveling to Vietnam in 2 weeks?

Some people who tend not to see one destination at a time but several. This is when after taking a long flight from the other side of the global, people just don’t want to waste that flight time and see just one place. It’s often the case when a lot of people from North America and the Europeans plan to see Vietnam in two weeks, including a short extension to either Luang Prabang in Laos or Angkor Wat in Cambodia. It means that you are going to squeeze your Vietnam program a bit and to save time for the extension. Southern Vietnam itinerary is worth to be put off in this case.

  [caption id="attachment_14042" align="alignnone" width="960"] Angkor Wat - Cambodia[/caption]

Now, see if this suggested itinerary will fit with the Ankor Wat lovers; Hanoi (2 days) – Ninh Binh & Halong Bay (3 days) – Hue (2 days) - Hoi An (3 days) - Siem Reap - Angkor Thom - Angkor Wat (4 days). The same itinerary will also work if you like the Laos extension for the last 4 days out of the Vietnam itinerary 2 weeks. It is totally doable this way as Danang International Airport is now serving direct flights both to these two cities – Luang Prabang and Siem Reap.

  [caption id="attachment_14041" align="alignnone" width="960"] Luang Prabang - Laos[/caption]

Extra points need to be noticed

Remember, after doing some reading for destination guides that are available on Travel Fish or Vietnam highlights, you can feel exactly what you want and may be you can even work out a perfect itinerary based on some suggested hints above. Though travel by plane from North to the Central or from the Central to South takes only an hour, it takes more time to travel for sightseeing around a region as the roads are not that good to the western standard and with a slower speed limit. Let count this when you build up your travel itinerary to make sure the pace suits you. Another way is you can contact a reputable travel company in Vietnam and ask for bunch of questions. There will always be a travel consultant to be in charge taking care of you, to answer all you need to know and it’s totally free.

Weather makes any matter?

Like the wealth of its attractions in Vietnam that you can’t do all in 2 weeks trip, there will never be 100% perfect weather time to travel into this country. If you are very much keen on the sights of Hanoi, its nearby Red River delta and the northern mountains, the best time of year is from October to April, except a bit drizzle in early March.

  [caption id="attachment_14043" align="alignnone" width="960"] Hoan Kiem lake - Hanoi[/caption]

Though May and June are not too bad but the heat might be concerning as climate often get up to 36 - 38 degree Celsius. Hoi An should be cautioned with the first 3 weeks of November as annual flood season while Phu Quoc will offer compliment raining and thunderstorm most of October. Knowing these facts, you will better planning your itinerary and to benefit from doing the good homework during your travel time.

Pricing wise

Is Vietnam the cheap travel destination?

No, it has never been cheap but cost of living and the daily life consuming is quite affordable and inexpensive. You can get a nice meal everywhere such as Vietnam street food from US$2 for instance a bowl of Pho, Bun Cha or a big loaf of Banh My. Anyhow, for services engaged in the inbound travel industry which requires business norms and standards internationally, it seems a bit higher than the local living cost.

  [caption id="attachment_14044" align="alignnone" width="960"] Delicious Bun Cha[/caption]

Accommodation

A decent Airbnb homestay or 3-star hotel in pretty central location might range from US$35 - US$55, depending on its service quality and location that is convenient to other necessities; and US$55 - US$100 to a deluxe level of accommodation, equal to 4* hotel ratings and > US$100 for luxury choices. This expense is counted as the major part in your tour price package. It’s suggested to mix the range and type of accommodation for the 2 weeks Vietnam trip, just make sure you are doing it where and when wisely. For example, if you have a busy day with sightseeing in Hanoi, it’s better to book with a small & boutique 3* hotel in Hanoi Old quarter. But if you are at the leisure part of the trip in Phu Quoc, it should be in a pretty nice resort where a private beach would be a big plus.

  [caption id="attachment_14045" align="alignnone" width="960"] Private beach in Phu Quoc Island[/caption]

Same thing goes with Halong Bay, which is often a lifetime experience on board a cruise in the middle of Tonkin Gulf. It’s highly recommended to hook up with a nice boat, generally from 4* rating up. This will make your trip not in the same tone in term of accommodation and to enjoy the best where it comes to the best and save big when you don’t really need to spend.

  [caption id="attachment_14046" align="alignnone" width="960"] A lifetime experience on board a Halong Bay cruise[/caption]

Other expenses

They are based on how you pick the tours to be privately served or group shared; where the cost involves with tour guide, vehicle used and some other built-in costs of a tour nature. Fondly, some of the day tours will be more interesting if you joined the group other than doing privately. Remember, you can always ask and have the travel consultant explained for you and to suggest you when you should make it a tailor tour join the group in your complete travel itinerary in 2 weeks.

For years in the industry, I have found out that if you travel privately with some mixture of 3-star & 4-star accommodation in a Vietnam itinerary 2 weeks, the cost is roughly at US$ 125 - 130/person per day and 2 weeks is about most sufficient. If you like a bit of everything and while gaining some cultural interactions for traveling to this country, Vietnam Cultural Highlights 14 days is a perfect Vietnam travel itinerary in 2 weeks in such a case. Let’s follow the above tips then check further from the booking guide and planning with our travel consultant for an irresistible Vietnam tours 2019 that you deserved.

  Tim Lee - CEO

#Indochinavoyages #Indochinatours #Timlee #Vietnamtours #HaGiangVietnam #NorthVietnamtours

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July - August 2016.

As hiking lovers, we spend 2 weeks in the volcanic islands of the Canaries. Different environments are present over those islands : dry and dusty (almost like over the moon), humid and verdant. Coasts are often crowded but when you go inland, calm takes place.

First stop : Gran Canaria. We spend the 3 first days in the capital : Las Palmas de Gran Canaria. We rented bikes and we visited the city in that way. I think it is the funniest and easiest way to see the city because cars are numerous. For the meal, I advice you to go to the dam. There are several restaurants and it is really pleasant to eat in front of the sea. 

We opted for a B&B, the Twenty-seven degrees, which is the best solution for the one who have a little budget.

Nice to see in the capital :

1. La Casa de Colón : it’s a museum dedicated to the history of the Canary Islands. This is the perfect place to learn more about Canarian and American cultures before the arrival of Europeans.

2. El museo Elder de la Ciencia y la tecnología : In this museum dedicated to science and technology, it is forbidden to not touch. And this is due to the fact that the Elder Museum relies on interactivity, in order to understand what is explained on the information panels, through different experiences.

Then, we rented a car to reach the central part. We spent some night in our tent in a camping belonging to the Municipalidad. Unfortunately, there aren’t numerous and poor in equipment. If you love the adventure, the real one, it’s for you. Otherwise, I advice you to sleep in an hotel or an B&B. These campings aren’t guarded, so be vigilant! One night it was really strange because we heard some animal breathing. I was really scared but in fact, it was just a dog.

Do you know El Roque Nublo and El Pico de las nieves? These two are the highest point of the island. When we travel in a country, the aim is to reach the highest point. This hike is quite accessible if you are used to walk. According to me, It’s better to have a minimal of physical condition because some climbs are difficult. I you don’t want to walk, you can go by car over the peak and admire the panorama.

Over the NW part of the island, at Agaete (small port city), you can find natural pool, Las Salinas de Agaëte. Crystalline water has a comfortable temperature. It’s an ideal place to refresh during a hot summer day

Next discovery : Tenerife. As we were near the port, we decided to take the ferry to spend some days in Tenerife and climb the emblematic Pico del Teide (3718m). We got up at 03.30 A.M in order to have fresh temperature to climb. The beginning was quite easy but when we reached 3000m it became harder for me because of the altitude. I had difficulties to move forward but we finally reached the peak at around 08.00 A.M. and it was really spectacular. Just below, you can see the wonderful view of the sunrise during the ascent.

We waited for the telepheric (to go down) with few people who also made the ascent. This was a privileged moment. I was tired but serene. A few minutes later, the place was going to be invaded by plenty of tourists and the magic would disappear. It was really the most beautiful experience of this trip!

If you want to make the ascent, you normally have to make a reservation some weeks ago because a limited number of people can go to the peak per day. Of course, you can climb until the teleferic summit but without the reservation you can’t pass the barrier to go to the peak. If you decide to do the ascent and you don’t have the permission, you should pass the barrier before 09.00 A.M. as we did!

Some few days later, we took the ferry to come back at Gran Canaria. We rode towards the western part to discover a hidden pearl, la playa de Guïguï. To see this beach, you have to “climb” more or less 2km with a height difference of 700m. Once at the top, you have to do the same, downward to reach the beach. It was hot the day we did it. Just before the arrival, in the middle of nowhere, a guy who live in a small hut, sold some fresh soda! It was really amazing! 

In the Canary Islands, there is something for every taste : if you are a lazy person and who prefere going to the beach everydays, the coast are for you. But if you prefere the adventure, walking, see a lot of awesome view and so on, I advice you to travel inside the island, it’s quiet, peaceful and far away from the tourists!

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