Hey gang...
It was a little hairy here the past couple days with the Typhoon heading directly to Shanghai (worst one to hit in 10 years), and with 200,000 people evacuated out of Shanghai, but must've been on the coast, 'cause in the city we just got rain and some wind...and I think the Typhoon petered out before it got to us.

Uchinanchu.NET is now launched... feel free to "introduce" yourself on the forums...

Heading to Beijing in a couple of days...

Aloha!
Daniel

Hey Gang,

I'm in Tokyo now...stop over on way to Shanghai... I just emailed Val a copy of Ulupalakua in C,
Uke only, no singing...the one they are singing to, in case anyone wants it, contact Val (I hope it's
OK to have you be the distributor of the mp3).

Dave's dad, Goro Arakawa is here with his Uke, so maybe I'll learn to play... he's got a whole list
of songs he wants to play to entertain the others...

See ya,
Daniel

Hey gang,

Dave Arakawa and Laverne Higa want to invite you guys to the HUOA Sponsored Autumn Okinawa Dance Matsuri, this Saturday, from 5-10pm at the Hawaii Okinawa Center. Live Music, food booths, Bon Dance!

Dave and Laverne have authorized FREE admission to HUOA Leadership Tour members, so attend and take advantage of this.
Just give them the secret handshake at the door and they will let you in. :)

I went last year... it was fun... i took some pictures:
http://www.sashikichinen.com/images/bondance06/

See ya,
Daniel

OK Gang...

I guess we are hanging at Maru's Friday night, from around 6pm.
Maru's is right near the intersection of King St. and Isenberg, just
the 2nd lane on the left after Longs, as you come down King St.

I checked and they'll reserve a few tables for us.
They don't have "real" dinner service, but the pupu platters are
pretty good... enough to be filling. Just ask Tavia!

I thought we were banned from Maru's after our last trip there
(following Kochi event), but I guess they already forgot... haha.

They have Karaoke there, for the singers such as Dean/Laverne

Meeting tonight at HOC, 7pm Wednesday, Sept 12.

I'll try to setup a video teleconference to get Troy connected, so he can laugh at
our Hula... but he has to hula on his side so we can watch him, too... maybe
projected large on the wall...

Laverne has some good ideas to arrange the hula dancers (something about
hiding me in the back where no one can see me).

I think there is some talk about another Leadership Tour get-together,
probably either at Senor Frogs or Yardhouse(both in Waikiki) either
tomorrow or Friday night. We can gonna talk about it tonight.

Reminder:
Leadership Tour Meeting: Thursday, Sept 6, 7pm HOC
Joint meeting with HUOA Study Tour to learn about the history of Okinawa with particular reference to the Battle of Okinawa and their great effort in the Promotion of Peace after the war.

Guest speaker will be Mr. Takejiro Higa.

Hula Practice afterwards?

Following Meetings:
Wednesday, Sept 12, 7pm
Wednesday, Sept 19, 7pm

I thought I'd relate a part of last week with you folks.

Last week Thursday night, I attended a dinner at the Willows restaurant. My club, Urasoe shijin kai, hosted several visiting officials from the city of Urasoe, in town for the festival. As I am going to Okinawa soon, the club officers sat me at the vistors' table. I was the only person on the table that didn't speak Japanese. I used up all my phrases and the little Japanese I know in the first five minutes.

Hey gang,

OK, here's my first cut at posting the video from Laverne's camera (Thanks Laverne!)

I think you can download the appropriate file from here:

http://www.uchinanchu.net/avi/huoa/kane2.avi [10 MB]
http://www.uchinanchu.net/avi/huoa/wahine2.avi [10 MB]

Someone let me know if it works or not. I was able to view it using
VLC on a Mac. I didn't have time to test better or make it nicer... but figured
I'd put it up for those who wanna check it out.
GIRLS! DON'T DOWNLOAD THE BOY'S VIDEO AND MAKE FUN OF US!!!

Suggestions for omiyage for your relatives and friends:
1. coffee
2. calendar with Hawaii photos
3. whiskey (either buy here or at airport duty free)
4. HUOA pin (buy at festival)
5. Some kind of macadamia nut candy (chocolate-covered, etc)
6. Local kind cookies
7. Hawaii t-shirts
8. samll packets of beef jerky (Costco)

Tipping in Okinawa is not required, but as a gesture of thanks I leave a small goodie bag for the housekeepers everyday. I leave candy with a note in Japanese "domo arigatoo."

If you plan to do alot of shopping by credit card, you should call your credit card company and let them know that you will be in Japan using the credit card. You don't want to be denied access on the trip.

I exchanged my dollars at Pacific Money Exchange, 339 Royal Hawaiian Ave. (one-way heading makai), 924-9318. You should call them to make sure they can make the exchange. It's on the left-hand side of the street, mid-block. You can park right in front of the business.

Aloha everyone,

On Monday Oct.1 @ Naha Terrace Hotel-pupu party at 6:30 pm. Casual attire is fine!

Any more suggestions?

Aloha,
Jennifer

Laverne suggests doing Xmas shopping in Okinawa, and had some great tips on everything from where to shop, what to buy, to what best Awamori places are, to how to handle the customs declaration forms. But I already forgot what she said, so please Laverne, tell us again here...

OK, there has been a bunch of discussions on best way to exchange money from US Dollars to Japanese Yen. Place your thoughts here...

I've heard we should change anywhere from USD$1,000 to $3,000, depending on if you're a shopper or not.

I heard several different ways/places to exchange money...and what a decent exchange rate is... I do know exchanging money at a bank in Japan can be a slow and tedious task. I had to show passport, sign forms, wait for approvals, etc, etc, just to change a few hundred dollars.

So, any suggestions for places to exchange money to Yen?

Hey David,

Thanks for instigating a great "meeting" for the Leadership Tour participants to get to know each other better. Maybe too well!

It was fun seeing some people behave a little more uninhibited than normal...

Kochi was a cool venue, with delicious food.

Thanks also to the hardy ones who moved the party over to Maru's down the street, to hang in another Okinawan-owned bar & grill, and see some of us in karaoke action. Dean, Laverne, Russ, others?

Hope the others can make it to the next fun function...

Hey Gang:
(per Jane)

Jane confirmed with Tom Yamamoto (hula guy) he can make our 8/2 meeting so the meeting is set for Thursday, Aug 2, from 7pm - 9pm-ish.
No food this time, so eat dinner before, or brown bag it.

Agenda/Topics/Reminders:

1. Have your meshiai info ready
(name, name in Japanese, HUOA club, title, phone, cell, email)
2. Have your greeting rehearsed and ready (see below)
3. Tom Yamamoto will teach us the hula/song.
4. Those who still haven't turned in essay/photo, please turn in ASAP.

I ripped the Hawaiian songs we listened to the other night that we are supposed to hula to.

Songs:
'Ulupalakua
That's The Hawaiian In Me

To listen to the songs (if your browser can play mp3 files):
Link: ulupalakua+.mp3

Or right click [ctrl-click on a mac] the link above to download the 3.8mb file.

Let me know if you guys have problems.

Both songs are on the one mp3 file.
Put it on your iPod! :)

Email from Russ:

Aloha everyone. I trust you all are having a great weekend.

Please find attached a copy of a design I had made for my company last year, but did not use yet. I will gladly modify the design for our use on the tour. Let me know your thoughts. Too cutesy? My intent for the shirts was the kids market, so I will understand the criticism, if any.

Hey folks...
David Arakawa wanted me to let you guys know about a class being given by the Okinawan Genealogical Society of Hawaii.

Okinawan Genealogy 101
August 4, 2007 (Saturday)
8:00am - Noon
Jikoen Hongwanji
1731 N. School St.

Topics:
- Okinawan History, Culture, Geography
- Resource Centers in Hawaii & Okinawa

Cost:
Members: Free
Non-members: $25
(includes a Guidebook, refreshments and handouts). New Members who wish to purchase Guidebooks, cost will be $10.

Please remit registration form with payment to:
Tom Shimabuku
1177 Queen St. #2509

wassup is this private?