JAWing On – Life on Okinawa

These local handcrafted ceramic coasters were a gift. There are several local artisan workshops and gift shops on island where this traditional style of handicraft can be found.

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This particular design of the lion dog or shisa pair is quite common on island. Whether being sold as souvenirs at gift shops or talismans to protect one’s residence at DIY stores, the piar can be found almost everywhere.

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This is the other half of the lion dog pair of knickknacks. It isn’t uncommon to see the dogs with balls.

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This is a lion dog knickknack that I picked up at a local store. This version is a little unusual in that it has a baby, which I’ve never seen before.

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Although not as common as in previous years, water rationing is a fact of life on island. (I know that sounds funny coming from an area that’s surrounded by water, but that is salt water.) As a way to prepare for such a probability, many home are equipped with personal water tanks.

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We must have one of the busiest residential streets on island. Another typhoon condition declared, and another cherry-picker repair crew appears.

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A random shot of a local residential street late in the afternoon on a sunny August day.

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I was taking random pictures the other day and ended up with this unexpected picture of the late afternoon sun’s rays beaming down from a telephone pole next to the former van’s parking space.

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Another rooftop view of the local scenery from in between buildings.

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