Spending the day on Kokusai Street

Today we went with some friends to Naha, one of the two major cities on the island. There's a particular street in Naha, Kokusai Street, that is pretty much THE place to shop. Lots of touristy stuff, lots of restaurants, and plenty of farmer's markets, junk shops, and things like that.

It's also home of the one restaurant on the island that serves one of my guilty pleasures:
That stuff is pho king awesome. Srsly. They also had a wickedly awesome business card holder, which I photographed because I'm easily amused:
Then we went out walking, checking out the various sights and shops on Kokusai.
And the farmer's market.
And the meat market...
Of course, we behaved like respectable Americans, being ambassadors of our country and...
Um. Anyway.

Seeing this was almost like being back home, minus the palm tree:
And I suspect this establishment will be getting some of my money in the future...
It's a Seattle thing, you wouldn't understand.

Onward. This is something I've been meaning to photograph, and finally remembered today. Space is scarce here, and electricity is expensive as hell, which makes drying clothing a bit of a catch-22. The Japanese, however, have no difficulty conserving both space and electricity while drying their clothes:
And while I have ADD, here's a passenger on the back of someone's bicycle:
Speaking of the cute and the random...
Here's some Ryukyu glass, which is very popular here.
There are lots of Shi Shi dogs to be found on Kokusai Street.
LOTS of Shi Shi dogs...
Shi Shis, the Cubist phase:
Finally, one tasty treat we've been introduced to since we've lived here is dragonfruit. On the outside, they're best described as the bastard lovechild of a mango and an artichoke, and on the inside, it's either white or purple (depending on the type) fruit that tastes like kiwi. They are AWESOME.
There you have it...another day on Okinawa. We're heading out again next weekend, so expect more pictures soon. ;)

Also just a quick note to say...Infinity Pools is sold! More info to come, but it'll be out this spring from Amber Quill. Stay tuned for details.