Southern paradise

I was almost late rushing over to Haneda airport through traffic as fast as the very kind and very racing circuit minded taxi driver could get me there. The taxi wasn't late in arriving for me, oh no, he arrived with plenty of time to spare. It's just that silly girl who left everything until the last moment and couldn't decide on which outfits to pack and then packed too much and had to open everything and re-assess so that I wouldn't be charged extra at the baggage weigh in.
Eight of the twelve of our group were on this flight with the other four coming on Sunday because of other commitments, two in the afternoon and two, including Hitomi, in the evening.
I arrived at 13:40, ten minutes later than our travel planner had suggested and I was the last one to arrive. Our usher just gave me a rolling eyes look as I booked in. Four of the girls were from our agency, T.W, me, Harumi, a girl that I'd see at the new faces get together last May and a girl I hadn't met before, named Midori.

We all checked in and chatted and introduced ourselves and took drinks and snacks and a couple of the girls went up to the sixth level to look out from the sky lounge but not me. No thank you, I could look down from the airplane window if I wanted to do that but Jazzy baby has never ever been one to enjoy the heights! Well not those heights if you know what I mean. I had an aisle seat anyway and it's much closer to the drinks trolley when it comes along (laughs), complete with helpful stewardess.

Our flight left at 14:40 and arrived at Naha at almost 17:15 where we quickly transferred to another aircraft to fly us the two hundred and fifty kilometers across to Miyako Island. Since the second aircraft was much smaller I had no choice but too look outside. I have seen seas of many shades of gray and some dark to medium blue and some green but here the sea was pure azure and it blended into the sky perfectly. We landed at 18:30 and the Tokyu hotel shuttle bus took us out of town past endless fields of cane to the hotel which is right on the coastline. Sun, sea, sand, fun and all expenses (within reason they say) paid and a salary too. What more paradisaical is that? The four of us girls from the Yoshie agency all had one room together, four others had another room together, which means that the four arriving on Sunday, including "Miss You-babe" have another room that as of Saturday evening, stood empty. Will anyone notice if I sneak into her room at night?
The usher and the make up girls had one room and the photographers and assistants had two other rooms.

After we scrambled for who was having which bed, we went downstairs and had our evening meal together which was Okinawan style sorba noodles with fish and a mango salad and then after our wonderful meal together, we learned about 'Otori'. Otori is a local custom where we seated at the table are given a drink called Awamori. We pour the drink in the glass of the one sitting on our left and one for our self. Then we stand and I toast her with good health and other compliments. Then we drink together to the applause from the others at the table.
My stars talk about fire water! I can see now why we also had glasses of iced water in front of us along with large jugs to refill them. After my Awamori I drained that ice water and grabbed the jug for a second. T.W, who was my immediate left, wondered if her tongue had caught fire (no hot tongue jokes please). No respite for her, she had to pour one for herself and one for the girl on her immediate left and toast her.
I was kind to push my third ice water next to hers, she needed it much more than I did after the toast and a second Awamori. I had time to recover as it progressed all around the table until Midori, the girl on my right, poured them for us and toasted me.
Fire in the hold!
That is really strong stuff despite her nice toast.
After the ceremony I had a few vodka and oranges as we all got to know each other with happy smiles long into the evening. The table talk went from past work to past boyfriends and yes, even I have had boyfriends (did that surprise you?) and I went on to past girlfriends too, which brought up lesbianism in a light vein but the talk soon went back to boys and penises.
I blame the drink!

Sunday was a free day and I just lay in the sun on a lounger phoning Dad and my brothers and a few friends.
After lunch T.W, some of the girls and I went down to Maehama beach where we found we could ride horses. I love horses and we all enjoyed a trek along the beach towards Kuima Bridge and then back through the forest towards the hotel again. My horse was an old chestnut mare called 'Hanabira' which means petal in English. She was quite a well behaved horse.

Just before 7pm Hitomi and the other three girls arrived.
You cannot imagine how I felt seeing her again and her happiness was written across her face.
We just hugged and I whispered words into her ear. She held me tighter and then she went to check in with the others. Harumi, the girl I know in my room, gladly exchanged the bed she had (because it wasn't close to the window), for the bed in Hitomi's room which was very nice of her and very understanding.
Our room is Hitomi, T.W, Midori and I.
We lay together on the bed for a while just holding each other and talking quietly as the other two slept.
Work starts tomorrow. Hitomi is out in the morning session and I'm out on the afternoon schedule.

Megumi, Cho, T.W, Rei, Hitomi, Ren (Rei's sister), a strange girl and Naomi (the Usher)
  
Points to note:  

• T.W has my white dress on and Cho has T.W's rose print dress.
• See the earlier picture outside the bar.
• How many of us actually have that rose print dress? (I'm glad I didn't bring mine!) 
 

Here is a joke I heard at the table:

There's this guy who goes out on a ship. The ship hits a storm and he's the sole survivor who finds himself on a tiny deserted island. He's a practical guy and makes a shelter, water and a food supply and everything is fine except that he's lonely of course.
About a year later another storm deposits the most beautiful Hollywood actress (I choose Eva Mendes) as another sole survivor on the beach. He rescues her and she's very grateful and it only takes about three months before she's totally grateful and he's doing her every morning and every night and three times on Sunday.
After a while he looks quite sad and despondent.
What's wrong she asks?
I need you to dress up as a guy he replies.
(Gay alert you might suspect?)
I want you to dress up like a man and walk around the island eastwards, I'll walk westwards and when we meet on the far side pretend you're an old friend and we haven't met for a long time and ask how I am.
She considers his request as quite strange but she's very grateful remember.
She dresses as a guy and sets off along the beach to the east.
Frank (yes I called my shipwrecked hero Frank) walks along the beach to the west.
An hour later they meet on the far side.
"Hello Frank, it's been a long time, how are you?"
"Hey I've been great thanks. You'll never guess who I'm fucking!"

Yes I laughed at this one.