Drums in the deep

Kouri island stands uniquely among several dozen sub-islands that pockmark the perimeter of mainland Okinawa. The terrain forms a prim and proper circle of rock, like a beautiful calligraphic dot that occasionally graces the “Tenshi” Japanese calligraphy.

On a recent sunny afternoon my wife and I decided to zip over and circumnavigate Kouri. A round trip will take an epic 10 minutes, in which time we had seen most of what the land had to offer (including the instagrammable “Heart Rock”). The extensive journey had left us with quite the appetite, and we quickly decided to stop at a small, warmly lit restaurant/shack with an ocean view. No sooner had the engine of our car turned off when we heard a “Konnichiwaaaa” echoing from the entrance. The petite woman, who I was surprised had the vocal chords to make such a noise, bowed and quickly placed a can of tea in each of our hands. She began to clap and sing a welcome song. As the restaurant’s only guests, at this point, there was no turning back. We had to order. A quick and thoughtful peruse of the menu didn’t provide any home runs, so we pointed option one, the seafood platter. The lady bowed again, gave us a buzzer, and showed us to the rooftop.

The next 5 minutes were spent in a blissful calm as we watched the blue waters of the East China Sea wash over the shallow reefs below. The silence was only broken by the beep of the buzzer, so I headed down to collect our vittles. One long “Konnichiwaaa” later and I returned with a bowl of zombie tongues, raw sections of heart, slivers of fat, and green alveoli. The morbid array was juxtaposed by a wad of wasabi that was somehow molded into the form of Pikachu, like a victorious Pokémon proudly atop its kill…

I’ll translate. Zombie tongues: the subtly sweet and briny gonads of sea urchins; heart and lard: an assortment of raw fish; Alveoli: salty sea grapes.

This was our chance to dive in. To experience the “raw” nature of delicacies that give Okinawa a well-deserved seat at the round table of seafood lore.

Bang. Boom. Pop. “Konichiwaaaa”. We turned to see the lady marching up the steps, proudly hammering away on a small drum. She burst into a second round of song, bowed, gave us little packets of seaweed, bowed again, and marched back down the steps. We were in shock. What had we done to deserve such treatment? It felt like being royal guests who somehow realize they’re at the wrong party. We reluctantly picked up our chopsticks and began to nibble on the urchins “you know whats”. It’s not for the faint of heart.

We now had to manage to get all these Halloween decorations into our stomachs. But how? Teamwork. On the count of three each of us took a large bite followed by a grimace. Just focus on the ocean. Bite. Grimace with “eeeuuuhhh” sound effects. Focus on the sun now beginning to set beyond the horizon. This would all be over soon.

“Konnichiwaaa!”

I nearly choked. She was back, and holding another round of soup to help the food slide down. No drum this time, but eyes that made it difficult to differentiate genuine joy or forced enthusiasm. She kindly offered to take our picture, and I felt bad, so we smiled, thanked her, and quickly downed the soup after she left before she could bounce back up with more seaweed or wasabi.

As we made our way out we found her standing at the entrance, and she offered to take another picture to remember the experience. We politely declined. She bowed one final time, said “Arigatōgozaimasu”. Yet another song wafted with us as we jetted back to our car.

Keys in. Engine on. Let’s bounce. One last glance in the rearview mirror and she was waving. The woman was nearly doing jumping jacks to see us off. Wide eyed, we looked at each other and laughed. Just not hard enough to re-expose our Halloween assortment.

So, if you’re ever in Kouri island and want the most authentic experience you can imagine, please don’t hesitate to dive into eating the sea life of Okinawa. We’ll let you find the place on your own. I’m sure, like us, it’ll be etched into your memory. What. An. Experience.

(as an aside, I have nothing against this restaurant or what I’m sure is amazing food to so many, so think of this as more of a reflection of my “uncultured-ness” rather than a bash on anything presented).

November 3, 2026 0

The Offshore Rope

Yep. You read the title right. That’s literally the translation for Japan’s Ryukyu island of Okinawa. Like a twisted rope the island stretches nearly 70 miles from southeast to northwest with an average width of just 7 miles.

Many come here for the stunningly serene and glassy ocean water that hosts a wide variety of aquatic life. Others drop in for the incredibly delicious food such as the signature “Soba” dish of wheat flour noodles swimming in a pork broth.

My wife and I? We came because we had to. We were ordered to, courtesy of the United States military. Forced to serve on a subtropical island for a marathon 3 years… We couldn’t be happier. As we drive our little “kei cars” around the island we cannot mistake how noticeable the military footprint is here. Of the 1.47 million inhabitants, 50-52,000 are affiliated with the U.S. Armed Forces in some way. Look up from your acai bowl as you traipse along Naha’s seawall and within about 2-3 minutes you’ll likely spot several F-15C/D Eagles or a much larger C-130 Hercules running a maneuver above (you’ll most likely hear them before you catch a glimpse).

Anyways, yes, we are here for the long haul. My wife will be working at a Naval clinic while I managed to secure a postdoctoral scholar position in nearshore oceanography at the beautiful Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology. So this is the launching point. The breath before the plunge. What does this mean for you, dear reader? I want you here, journeying with me as I navigate life in a completely different environment. Get ready for some insights into the oceanography and geology of the island, local customs, and fun anecdotes about the way life is lived that I think we could all learn from. It will be quite the azure adventure… Stay tuned.

September 26, 2026 0

The Soul

He steps with a splash into the puddle. Unlike its kin, this puddle is perennial, fed by the mist of a waterfall that never sleeps. He turns, breathes in the cold humid air, and sees her. She smiles and a thousand butterflies jump from the walls of his heart. He’s enamored. Taken hostage by her laugh. She urges him to “look up” at the natural beauty surrounding them. He pauses and soaks it in. A moment later, they move together as the trail winds through a moss-laden forest. An hour passes. Clouds argue with the sun over what color to paint the earth, and occasional beams of golden light bounce off the trees above. He raises his gaze to meet the horizon, feeling full. Light.

This is one of many examples of what makes us truly human. To experience the natural world. Each other. The reality of allowing our senses to take in our surroundings. Knowing nothing and no one can take it away from us.

Let’s face it. Technology is exploding. And those who control it will continue to strive for our attention. Now, more than ever, we must hold on to what truly matters. Real connection.

Let this push you this week, this month, and this year, to find ways that allow you to be human. Write that letter to your friend. Mess up a word or two on an email without Grammarly AI or prompts. And find ways with me to continue nurturing the thing that this impending intelligence can never take away. Our ability to connect, feel, believe, and love.

October 4, 2025 1

Secrets of a Successful Career, by Heather Merrill (Guest Post)

My mother’s wonderful and insightful post about what’s made her career successful. After 20 years of taking care of three little minions (us) full-time, she went back into the workforce and has been on the job for the past 15 years. It’s been amazing to see her overcome challenges and thrive in a demanding career. Here are some of her reflections:

Warning: These are not popular on LinkedIn

Having accumulated a few years of work experience, I’m now reflecting on what leads to a successful career. It’s not always the formulas you read about on LinkedIn. Is a successful career staying at the same company for years, even though you should quit to thrive? Is it never getting fired, laid off or treated unfairly? Is it not having to prove yourself over and over? Is it all about remote work? Does success mean you don’t have to apply for countless jobs or endure rejection? I don’t think so. It’s how you navigate through those inevitable struggles that builds a rewarding and successful career.

Here are eight qualities that can lead to success:

1. Gratefulness: Cultivate gratefulness by getting involved in the lives of others less fortunate than you. Have you spent significant time with anyone who can’t afford an education or who comes from a background with unspeakable hardship? Find a way to rub shoulders with them, whether it’s volunteering for an inner-city non-profit or traveling to another country. A wider perspective cultivates gratefulness.

2. Wisdom: I hear people say they don’t want anyone to tell them what to do, that we should believe in ourselves and forge our own path. They say things like, “I’ll learn to be a parent on my own. Past ways of parenting are outdated.” Frankly, that kind of thinking is foolish. Hasn’t anyone before you learned something valuable? Why would we deny ourselves the treasured insight others have painfully gained? Wisdom is seeking out answers from those who’ve gone before us, and who learned the hard way. Grab every opportunity to gain wisdom.

3. Honesty: This quality has been diluted to the point where we think it doesn’t apply to things that make our lives harder. There are exceptions where we don’t really need to be honest, right? Should we really pretend we’re accomplishing a full-time remote job and yet spend most of our time on a side hustle? Honesty in the short-term can hurt. Yet, having a high level of integrity can take you a long way in your career. You’ll have peace of mind. Success will come to you. Dishonesty always catches up to you. I don’t think anyone gets off easy in the end.

4. Hard work: When each of my 3 kids was around six years old, I taught them to work by rewarding them with small change. They were overjoyed to get that quarter when they worked for me. I kept that motivation going by appropriately rewarding hard work. Later they started a lawn mowing business and worked other jobs during the school year. Pulling weeds and sweating in the hot sun wasn’t beneath them and didn’t make them crumble. Today, they’ve all finished college debt-free, and make their own living. There’s a proverb that says, “A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest and poverty will come upon you like a robber.” (In modern terms that could be gaming, scrolling, binging…) The downhill slide isn’t rare, I’ve seen it happen to people I know…

5. Relationships: No matter how skilled and successful we are, healthy relationships are essential to a healthy life. This means being able to give without requiring anything back. It means inviting people over even when you feel it’s one-sided. It means tuning into the needs of people around you and taking action instead of texting good thoughts. Pepper your day with acts of kindness. What a stress reliever and mood uplifter! You’ll also be surprised to find a great support network is there when you need it.

6. Balance: This is the secret ingredient to succeeding in most everything. Too much work, too much eating, too much alone time, too little exercise, too much talking and not enough listening. The list can go on and on. Evaluate where you can achieve more balance in your life. It might be easing your political dogma, adjusting your spending or even finding a new home for the dogs that wreck your family peace. Whatever it is, balance helps you persevere through the hardest of times. Prioritize what’s important and work towards balance. I’ve seen balance even save a marriage…

7. Purpose: Why do we work? If we don’t have an answer to that, it can lead to a lot of dissatisfaction in our jobs. Take some time out to reflect. Do you work so you can have certain luxuries? Or to give more away? Or because the job itself is intrinsically satisfying? Or because you’ve tied yourself down with debt? Or to better the lives of your family? Whatever it is, be sure your job serves a purpose that means something to your heart. With purpose, what might look menial or trivial on LinkedIn, can be fulfilling and rich to you. Don’t be driven by appearances, but by purpose.

8. Forgiveness: This is very misunderstood. Forgiveness by its own nature is unjust. It’s giving something to someone who doesn’t deserve it & may not have asked for it. Extending forgiveness hurts. So why is it important? Because holding un-forgiveness is personally harmful. It creates negativity, anger, bitterness and other unwanted baggage. Do you want to be a LinkedIn whiner? Longer term, do you want to have an ugliness about you? Forgive the person who fired you. Forgive the company layoff. Forgive the slights and the ghostings. Believe it or not, you’ll find yourself happier. When the next opportunity arises, you’ll be an appealing hire.

If you patiently pursue these qualities, no matter what happens this year, I’ll bet on your success!

You can find her original post HERE.

January 14, 2025 2

Tips for working from home well

Over the past several years, one of the notable impacts of the COVID-19 Pandemic is how it has changed our work lives. Pre-pandemic, only 7% of the workforce (with jobs that allowed for it) worked from home full-time¹. A more recent report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics reveals this number has jumped to 22.8% as of last August².

If you’re among many people who, like me, enjoy the 5-second commute from your home to your… home, here are a few ways I’ve learned to make the home office a more productive and enjoyable place.

It’s so helpful to have my office space in a different room than my bedroom. I know some people can’t afford this luxury, but it truly helps to compartmentalize my work life and home life. It’s not quite a “Severance” of work and home life. But it does help to leave some of the difficulties of work in the office (room).
Unless you really need it, keep your phone out of the office space. If you leave it in your kitchen or living room, you’ll be continually less likely to go check it. It tends to take the form of a little devil on my shoulder if it stays on the desk, personally.
Take frequent breaks. Go for a 5-minute walk, do some jumping jacks, or crank out some push-ups in your yard. For me, this is a challenge (it’s easy to get sucked into the code, like Neo from the Matrix). But when I do pause, I find I’m a tad bit less cranky at the end of the day (my wife thinks so too). Plus, you can take that time to call friends/family or even, dare I say, write a blog post. If you want more stories on the benefits of taking frequent breaks during work, NPR’s TED Radio Hour has a great Podcast called “Body Electric”.

Welp, time to get back to the black box that is Python. Do you have any ideas on what has worked best for you working from home?

*Working from our guest room today. If you zoom in you’ll see this post on the screen. Inception…*

References

January 8, 2025 3