Boots:  1331

Good morning 4:45am.
Ala Moana waist high and good.
Diamond Head shoulder high and fun.
Trade winds down to 20mph.
Sunny and warm.
Going to the sea.
Have a wonderful day!

Spent time trying to sew.  No, I’ve never taken a sewing class but I clearly remember my Grandma on her sewing machine all the time making clothes for me and my siblings.  She practically made everything we wore as a kid.  So I’d give it a try.

I could barely thread the needle, I poked myself a few times, then I started to get really dizzy.  So I stopped and took a break.

The ocean fixes everything.  I was dizzy and frustrated but once I jumped into the ocean, I was as clear and calm as can be.  Diamond Head was so fun!  Sharing some waves with a few of my friends.  Surfing is much better than sewing.  

Spending a couple days in Otaru was one of the highlights of my trip. I heard it was really touristy there but there was hardly anyone around.  The streets were empty so I just walked around exploring the hidden alleys and eateries.  

From far away, you could hear this beautiful piano music.  I just followed the melody and ended up right here.  It’s a street piano so anyone can just go up and play.  I sat on the table right in front and enjoyed this for a while.  It was really beautiful.

This is a little town I will definitely visit again.  The local vibe, the musical boxes, the Otaru glass, and all the delicious food everywhere you go.  

I went to Times today to buy rice.  I passed by the snack section and OMG, it was so expensive!  That’s 2,700 yen!  Crazy!

No wonder many Japanese don’t come to Hawaii anymore.  This is the most expensive Hawaii has ever been.

The water in Okinawa is very clean.  It’s so clean that you can open your eyes underwater and see clearly.  When ever I take my friends from Hawaii surfing there, I like to watch their facial expressions when a wave just explodes over the reef.  It’s pretty intimidating because we don’t have waves like this in Hawaii.  This is more like Tahiti.  

I still can’t believe how thick the waves were when we paddled out.  And I still can’t believe that Nakahodo-san was surfing out there by himself before we got out.  That’s pretty crazy.  It’s a very high risk wave with huge consequences.  I would never surf out there alone.

Carter paddled into his first wave I think he was surprised how steep the wave was.  And how shallow it was too.  Thank goodness he completed that wave.  

One mistake and you’re going to get smashed into the reef.  It happened to me 10 years ago and I still get nightmares about it.