February is getting dangerously close to being old news, which is bad news for me because I haven't been recording any news at all! February has so far been defined by new friends and fabulous weekends. On a bike ride to a near by beach with a Japanese friend of mine, two girls approached us and asked if we could take their picture. Six days and one invitation later, I was in a car full of mostly American teachers on our way to see hanami, cherry tree blossom viewing, at a castle ruin up north. I became pretty good friends with two or three from the group, two American teachers and one from New Zealand. Our time at Nakijin Castle (the ruins) was so amazing: sunny blue skies, bright pink cherry blossoms and a delicious picnic.

I have actually been really anxious since the holidays have ended (trying to NOT be unemployed come August 1st/life/not becoming fat/figuring out people in Okinawa/blahblahblah) but the sunny days of February (who would have thought!) have proven to be a huge stress reliever.

A few highlights: I received an orchid from this guy I met randomly when I was walking down the street. The orchid sits in my apartment and has bumped the classiness level up by about a million notches. It is really beautiful. The best part is that, according to a book my mother sent me, the orchid means "refined beauty", the perfect gift from a stranger who otherwise knew nothing else about me (haha)! He must have known all about secret flower meanings and how to use them to woo unsuspecting foreign girls!

Last weekend I spontaneously went salsa dancing at a club I have frequently heard about since coming to Okinawa. It quickly became clear that not a drop of Latin blood flows through my veins, and people who asked me to dance gave up pretty quickly on wow-ing me with their moves and instead took me to rest my white-girl-hips and chat, which was fun too! I met a few professional athletes, foreign teachers as well as local Okinawans. Not bad for a Friday night!

Sunday was sunny sunny seventy-five and sunny. What a treat! Even better, I went with two of my Japanese friends and their military friends from the base to go zip-lining on a course up north that takes you through forests and looks over the beautiful cerulean blue of the ocean. Afterwards we hopped in the car heading further north to what can only be described as a hippie/hipster/commune/resort/restaurant/camp/organic farm/PARADISE in The Middle Of Nowhere, Okinawa. This magical and mystical place, also called Beach Rock Village, is a cafe/hotel run by 10-12 volunteers who come to work/live in this truly breathtakingly beautiful Okinawan mountain top oasis for anywhere from 2 weeks to 6 months. They grow their own food, raise chickens for eggs, and even have goats that I think they use for milk. Scattered all around the property are simple yet beautiful shelters, some made of wood, others of canvas. There are decks and ladders that reach up into the trees for guests to eat meals and look out over the view. Beach Rock Village was hands down one of the most amazing places I have ever been and I hope to go back soon.

Other weekends have been spent wandering around back alleys of Okinawan market places, riding my bicycle to beaches with friends, meeting and greeting local shop owners, going to Okisho high school graduation, seeing flamenco performances, cooking healthy foods, and reading lots of books.