Here we are over a month later. Lots of things have happend: my computer has been fixed, I went to Thailand with my son for two weeks (too cool of a trip - we will be going back in June or July to show it to my husband)....

I am finally caught up with my work - so I went stumbling and found this cool site:
This site describes in detail how to dye yarn with Kool Aid. I always thought that "stuff", the Kool Aid was poison - the taste, the smell and the really bright colors. This site makes it clear to me : There is a use for Kool Aid and it is dying yarn - bright colors are great for yarn!!!!
Check-out the site at :
http://www.snowangels.com/sketchbook/?page_id=418

I will be trying to get some of the Thailand pictures up in a few days..... ( I took 3 memory sticks for the camera and got them almost full......).

Cool idea for Origami paper....

I found this on another blog - Craft Avenue.
Using seed packages to decoupage on a flower pot. The idea made me think and why not use some Japanese origami paper to create an Asian flower pot.... Put a hibiscuss flower in it and it will become that Asian gift for a friend or a hostess......

I have added a link on the left below my etsy store link - so go and check it out!

Have not done much crafting this week!

My computer just took a dump: I have no internet, but my husband is workin just fine. I have tried everything I can think off, but nothing... So now, I will pay someone to look at it!
We went to the Local Azaela Festival on the north end of the island. It was stunning and we took over 200 pictures : everything from a butterfly resting on a piece of railing in a jungle, some really funky trees against the sun and of course the blooms..... Since I can not access them right here to add a picture please check out my husbands site. The link is on top of the page to the left!

I have however been shopping and I found stamps, stamps and more stamps. Some rather usual and some a bit unusual.... I will be listing them on etsy this week and next week. We are going to Thailand for spring break the beginning of April (we moved here to see Asia and now is as good as a chance as ever...) and will be gone from 4/2 until 4/11.

The restrictions have been lifted....

The restrictions imposed on us by a general were partially lifted after 2 weeks. We are now allowed to go anywhere between 5 am and 10 pm. For the service members alcohol of base/camp is still not allowed and there is a curfew of 10 pm for all. We can however go to a movie on base at 9pm and go home, we can just not be walking the streets or be in restaurants, bars etc. The local business owners are pretty happy with the exception of the bar/strip joint owners....
The local English paper had quoted some of the local Japanese activist on the lifting of the restrictions. One comment by a lady in charge of a women's organization made me pretty upset: she thought that 2 weeks were not enough and we were not all sorry and apologetic for what a few have done (see my previous post on the subject) She suggested a 3 month or longer restriction for all including women and children. I am sorry, but I did not do anything wrong nor will I do anything wrong in the near future (drinking and driving, breaking into residences or kissing on 14-year old girls) . I am as disgusted by the behavior of a few, but I do not need to apologize for them, nor do I need time to reflect.... I do however agree with the alcohol ban for service members and the curfew, since most of the bad things have been happening late at night and often involve alcohol!!!!
Since the restrictions (or as the military called it: period of reflection) have been over I have been trying to be extra courteous and polite when I am out amongst the Japanese. I want them to know, that not all Americans ( I am not, but they think I am) are ruthless, thoughtless, selfish brutes (that is how we have been described in the papers here). I think, that is what all of us here one Okinawa need to do. This is their country after all and we are invited guest.

My newest craft - japanese Washi

Since we live in Japan it is time to indulge a little into the local culture and to me that means the local crafts. I have a friend, Reika, who is half Okinawan and half Philippine. She taught some of us the traditional are of folding that beautiful origami paper into a Kimono design.

We added the little shoes (with string to make them the traditional shoes) and the fan. The wire behind the fan was taken from a typical Japanese greeting card (I have a few in my etsy store)... All the items were attached to a special almost square pretty decorated cardboard as a picture. From what I learned during the class this is a pretty traditional craft. I am still debating on how to frame the 3-D picture and who to give it as a gift to.

All together this was a lot of fun and I am looking forward to my next "cultural" craft class. I just signed up for 2 free classes on Camp Kinser for the end of the month. One is for decorating an egg with washi (Japanese paper) and the other one is for Japanese gift wrapping (that involves cloth, paper, string etc and looks always pretty elaborate to me). The egg decorating class made me think of beads (well, I can not hide it I am a beader at heart) and the idea of decorating some wooden beads with the washi is floating around in my brain. I will know more after the class....

FREE Shipping on selected items from www.koralle.etsy.com

Purchase any of the items listed above and receive FREE Shipping for your ENTIRE order: Purchase one of the items in the picture above from my etsy store and send me a convo with the message : Free Shipping from http://www.koralle-japan.blogspot.com/ (convo message needs to be send within 6 hours of purchase). I will then grant free shipping. If you have already paid for your items - I will refund the money with paypal, if you have not paid - I will send an invoice with paypal reflecting the FREE shipping. Please note that all payments have to be received within 48 hours of the purchase, to be eligable for the FREE shipping.
The item numbers are listed under the pictures in red and in the titles of all items at the end! The items are spread out amongst the sections of my shop. So happy hunting!
Here is a list of the items:
- Cute-Kawaii Japanese Note Book - Pink - USA HANA and her friends with names - Y59
- Pretty Patchwork Japanese Paper-Envelope-Sticker Stationery Set - Look on the bright side Y81
- Cute Little Japanese Envelope Set with Stickers - Good Friends - Y87
- Classy Japanese Envelopes - white with fiber - monutain and sun Y97
- Honey Bear and Bees Japanese Felt and Paper Sticker Set - Y138
- Japanese Origami Paper - Pastel Tones with Cute Prints - 6 designs - 36 sheets - Y186
- Lovely Japanese Self Sticking Cotton Cloth Ribbon - Rich Red with Pretty Colorful Fans Y356

questions??? There is a convo link on top of each etsy page!!!!

http://koralle.etsy.com

Soda machines - the Japanese have two or more everywhere

Here is a little about life on Okinawa, Japan. Some things stood out when I first arrived on the island. One of the dominant things were the Soda mashines: Well we thought, that there is a lot of them in the US, but the Japanese have us beat!!!! There are at least 20 of them within a 5 minute walking radius of my apartment building in a very residential neighborhood. The Japanese just love them. The coolest thing about them is that they are mostly filled with tea - green tea, hot tea, cold tea, black tea, lemon tea, apple tea etc. - and with coffee drinks - milk coffe, expresso, black coffee, hot coffe, cold coffee etc. The mashines often have hot and cold items in the same mashine. The hot items are really hot - even in the winter. They usually have a red button or a red label. That is how us non-japanese reading people identify them. The tea and coffe seldom is sweetend and sometimes even bitter. There are a few sodas and energy drinks along with water in the mashines. The fanciest mashines are coke mashines that have a TV screen in them - the TV shows a cute coke comercial over and over again.

Overall nobody has to go thirsty here, all one needs is a 110 Yen.....