happy new year!!

to start off, i had a wonderful time at home. i already can't wait to see you again! :) and a few are starting to make plans to come visit.. you better be good and save your money! :)
i arrived back in okinawa on the 30th. i wanted to do something fun for new year's eve (and japanese style), so i looked up some events happening around the area and called lina (a high-schooler at new life) to come with me. we ended up going to american village.. they had "countdown street live" which had live performances from 4pm-12:15am. there are shops all around american village and jusco (giant target), so we had fun browsing while we waited for the countdown to get a little closer. i had a wonderful new year's eve dinner that consisted of mcdonald's :) a little different than my traditional seafood dinner with the family haha. after we watched a couple bands perform, lina and i decided to go on the ferris wheel! i've driven passed and seen that ferris wheel so many times.. it was about time i rode in it! it looks like the thing hardly moves, but it only takes about ten minutes to go completely around.the wind started blowing really hard at the top.. a few screams came from lina :) she also freaked out when i stood up and was walking around hahaa decoration for the new yeari finally did it! :) it was an exciting momentin front of one of the shopping centers at american villagewhen we got back to the concert, i was soo excited that breakdancers were going to perform! the japanese are really talented in music and dancing.. and breakdancing is no exception!! (and for the anonymous friend.. this is a video) :)

throughout the night there were many famous bands from okinawa. this band has one of their songs on tv for a hotel.. i'm thinking that i've actually seen it before because the song sounded really familiar! i'll have to listen closer now when i watch japanese tv!aria asia was amazing!!! there was guitar, bass, drums, and she played the violin.. so beautiful!! and the guy also had an electric guitar.. such a great sound!here's a video of them performing...


the countdown is at zero!!! happy new year!the lights on the ferris wheel counted down to zero and then started flashingthen fireworks exploded over the ocean some of the other bands joined aria asia on stage and together they performed a traditional okinawan folk song called shima-uta. the video is too large to upload it here, which makes me sad because i wanted you to listen to it!!people from the audience got onstage and started dancing to celebrate.. so fun!i had to get her cd!we had a little adventure trying to get out of the parkade (mine was the only car left and all the exits were closed but one.. that was fun trying to figure out which one haha!). it was an unforgettable new year's eve celebration.. hello 2009!!