Almost caught up now! Yesterday morning I went to school with Kaylyn again. I don't do much, but I enjoy walking around and seeing the different classes. There is a pool on top of the school and the students have swimming a couple times a week. I walked up and was able to watch a few classes. I was also kept company by a few 1st grade girls who weren't able to swim for some reason. We couldn't communicate at all, but sang some of the English songs that they know, thumb wrestled, and play rock, paper, scissors, a popular game for them. They were extremely friendly (hanging all over me) and cute. They were also very fascinated with my camera and took a few pictures for me.

My pool friends. The girl in the middle was the one that was the most energetic; I'm not sure why she looks so serious here!

The showers...so cool! A bunch of kids walk into the middle and they turn on automatically.

As much as I've raved about the school, the school system here is unfortunately not that great. Just like in the states, they suffer from lack of funding. I'm not sure how they were able to build this school, but others don't compare. They're extremely old and are massive concrete buildings that look like prisons because they can't afford to paint them. Even though the girls' school is new, they are already short on resources. There are limited computers and they are already unable to keep printers filled with ink and laminating paper in stock. The school year starts in April, so this school's only been in use for a couple months.

After school, Kaylyn and I went to lunch at a place they call "the gorilla" because there's a huge king kong at the entrance. You pile raw meat and vegetables and then cook it at a grill in the middle of your table. I think it's called "sukiyaki". There were a few things like small silver fish, octopus, liver, pig tounge, etc. that I didn't try, but what I did have was delicious.

Raw meat.

Cooking it at our table.

Part of my lunch: rice and curry, sopa (noodles and sauce), fruit, coconut jelly, mochi, jelly (like jello, in the plastic cups), calimari (yes I ate a piece of it), and green melon slushi.

We then walked around another mall that had a Toys R Us inside. It's similar to ours but with different toys of course. Also very expensive.

These miniatures are so tiny and very popular.

These are rhinocerous beetles that are very popular with the boys here as pets.

Thursday nights are another lesson time for me. We go to an apartment in Naha (the capital) that sensei rents for lessons. I'm really enjoying my lessons with him. Last night wasn't the greatest though because I haven't really been practicing (did I say that?) and we're getting into pieces that I haven't played in a while and are a little more difficult. Group class is on Sunday and there are several things he wants me to play, so I need to get on it. That's the main reason why I didn't go to school today with Kaylyn. My last lesson with sensei is on Monday. : (