today i got up and was showered and dressed by 6am. we left my uncle's house at 6:30am, my mom was driving. we got to naha by 7:00am, which is really quick. but everything slowed down from there as my mother kept trying to take pictures while driving. we bought breakfast at the family mart right next to the big banyan in the sky restaurant. i had riceball plain, riceball umeboshi, lipton apple tea, and salad w/ wafu dressing. we left there at 7:30am.

treetop restaurant

when we were closer to the airport, my mother didn't trust me again as to where to turn. then we went to the wrong terminal (international, we were supposed to go to domestic) and then didn't turn in the right area for parking. we got to the airport at 8:00am, but i can't remember if that was when we reached the airport or when we finally got inside the airport. it took 20 minutes to check-in and then we did some more omiyage shopping. i needed to make sure i had something for everyone. my mom bought me a backpack because the adidas bags i was using for carry-on items were too heavy and awkward to carry. the backpack she got me is great. i love it. thanks mom!

taking off from okinawa airport

then i was on my own. i boarded the plane at 9:40am. we were supposed to take off at 9:50am but were about 10 minutes late. a stewardess told me to turn off my ipod for takeoff--that's like only the second time in my life that the air waitresses have enforced the no electronic devices rule during takeoff/landing on me. the lady next to me on the flight kept coughing. i kept hoping she wouldn't get me sick. i think i was sitting in the same seat as the flight from osaka to okinawa. i took a nap most of the way to osaka.

the beauty of the ryukyu islands

i arrived at osaka airport and had a lot of time to kill so i sort of did things slowly. i went to the bathroom, walked by all the restaurants twice. there was hardly anything for a vegan to eat. i went into one of the restaurants and ordered zaru soba and edamame. the edamame had a buttery taste that worried me. as if it had been buttered but they were in their shells.

osaka airport

i browsed the stores to kill time but ended up not spending much time at the stores. man, the 5 hour layover was killer. i read magazines/books that i bought in okinawa as i snacked on the last of the brown rice cereal. then i realized that i didn't have the chinsuko i got in okinawa so i had to buy some sort of food gift to take back to the office. most food stuffs were not vegan and i thought if the office doesn't like what i buy, i will end up eating it so i wanted to make sure i got something that wouldn't make me sick. i also wanted to spend the rest of my yen so i looked for more possible omiyage--had to make sure i had gifts for everyone.

on the flight i was at the window seat and some guy was in the aisle seat. i didn't want to bother him so i only went to the bathroom once during the entire flight. i watched "laws of attraction", played backgammon, watched "stand by me", and slept. i woke up for the in-flight meals. that was about it.

in-flight meal

another in-flight meal

almost home!

i arrived at LAX and there was a 3 hour layover. i wanted to go to the gate and wait. there was nothing for me to do at LAX. the lady working the gate was surprised because i was really early for my flight. she couldn't believe i wanted to go to the gate. it was at a separate part of the airport that you have to take a bus for. she let me go on the bus. i sat there listening to music and reading here and there of "pillars of the earth". i tried not to fall asleep because i didn't want someone to walk away with my stuff. my flight was sandwiched inbetween 2 flights to san jose(!!!) so why the hell did my mom get me a flight to san francisco?!

"excuse me, next stop please!" (santa cruz)

when we were flying over santa cruz, i was wondering why i couldn't just be let out of the plane. we arrived at sfo 10 minutes later. twiddle thumbs was there. my bag was the first to come off the baggage carousel. no one checked to see if i had the right tags. we left and headed to palo alto to eat at a vegan restaurant called bay leaf cafe. i ordered what i had been craving in japan: hummus! damn, it was good. i had a yin sandwich and tried the inka grain drink. its taste reminded me of black coffee.

hummus!