We’re ten days into running our Overseas Yes Kickstarter fundraiser, and we’ve already gotten 25 backers who believe that launching more sites for military families living the OCONUS life is a worthy cause. But we still need more pledges; of the $5,000 needed to create and run a site for families in Bahrain we’re still not quite a quarter of the way to reaching our goal, and ultimately we hope to raise $20,000 to launch and run four new sites. You can read more about our ideas and goals at our Kickstarter site… but in the meantime, here are testimonials from current readers about the importance of having these sites available for a wider community.
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1. From Christine B.: “When we found out we were moving to South Korea, the joy of finally knowing where we were going was quickly replaced by a sense of panic. Where were we going? What was it like? I quickly scoured the internet for anything I could find on Korea and thankfully stumbled upon the Korea Ye! site. It became “home” for me, where I’d go to find out about area customs, places to go, how to handle aspects of the move. The articles on Korea Ye!, and my eventual part in writing for the site, have made our stay in Seoul so much easier and a great success.”
2. Sibo L: “I found the Korea Ye website before moving to Korea, and many of the articles helped to give me an idea of what to expect once I was there. I browsed through posts about the base resources, how to do things, housing, local resources, and things to see, and it immediately made me feel comfortable to know that there were many foreigners/military families who loved being in Korea. The one thing I knew I would have once I moved to Korea was lots of time that I needed to fill with activities.
What makes Korea Ye unique from a general tourism website is the personal perspective of the articles. Even though I do use other tourist sites for support information, the first hand stories from people just like me gives me a realistic perspective about the things I am researching. I find that invaluable. In return, I enjoy sharing my experiences with readers as well.”
3. Sara W: “Okinawa Hai has been the most valuable source of information since we found out about the PCS to the island. It has been an invaluable tool to navigating the island for our family. As a previous visitor, I had zero knowledge outside the bases and most basic tourist spots. I found out that there were several times I was within walking distance of one of the most beautiful, unique beaches on the island (Seaglass Beach) my first time here and had no idea!
It has not only been helpful with different off-the-beaten path stores and restaurants, it really helped to give my family and myself a little more information on what kind of area and culture we would be moving to. The different layouts and floorplans of base housing and restaurant lists were our definite go-to’s when we first arrived. I spent hours scouring the website prior to our move and thanks to all the contributors, felt much more confident about coming to live in a foreign place. The unknown can be scary; Okinawa Hai is a great tool to overcome that fear. Domo arigato, Okinawa Hai!”
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4. Jennifer S: “When we first arrived in July 2014 our oldest daughter found the website and from there our adventures began. With my husband arriving before us he had not ventured out because he wanted to experience with the family. So we started searching different things to do so every weekend we went out on an adventure. The kids would search something and while my husband was at work we ventured out to find the right place to spend our weekends. I’ve used the website at least 2-3 times a week just looking at the different places, stores, beaches and more to figure out next adventure.
We will be on island at least for two more years and more likely up to 5 years. Whenever I see someone asking about what there is to do I refer them to the website. We do not live on base; we live out in Okinawa City, Mihara and since I drive my son to school I drive the same way 4 times a day so almost every other day I go off on a different path just to figure where it goes. For most of my husband’s co-workers who have lived her at least 2 years they say we have seen more than them.”
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5. Martha H: “Okinawa Hai helped in deciding whether I was OK with moving there (odd situation—we had a bit of a choice), with finding toddler-friendly things to do on the island, and with dealing with logistics on our way out of the country with a dog. In turn, I was able to share on Okinawa Hai about some of my more unique experiences after I got my footing. Especially when you’re having a hard time or when budget is a major factor—as it is for many military families—it really, really helps to have a little nudge, a little extra info so you can plan best, or just a great idea to get out of the house.
Yes, most bases do have Facebook groups, but let’s be real for a second: those, alone, are only marginally helpful. That’s all I’m going to say about that.“
6. Amanda M: “Okinawa Hai has been a huge asset in my family’s move overseas. This is our first overseas duty station and I remember feeling overwhelmed with the preparation; until I found Okinawa Hai. I spent hours reading article after article and learning everything Okinawa has to offer! The home layout articles on the various bases made my husband and I excited and a bit more at ease about moving to a foreign country without a home picked out.
I was surprised to find so many different restaurants here on this small island! I have made a list of restaurants to try, as well as, correlated the list to a push-pin map so I know that if we go up north for the day, there will be yummy restaurants for us to enjoy. The first week we were on island, I was stuck in the hotel and just had to get out. I looked on Okinawa Hai for activities close to Kadena Air Base and found a roller-slide park. It was fun and juvenile and I was so glad Okinawa Hai had an article on it; otherwise I would have never found the park. I always have tabs open on my computer with Okinawa Hai articles of places I want to visit, restaurants to try and adventures to experience. I would love to be able to contribute my time to a wonderful website and Facebook page.”
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7. Jessica CB: “Okinawa Hai has been the single most useful tool my family and I have utilized to educate ourselves on everything to do with the beautiful island of Okinawa. The content is relevant, current, accurate and inspiring, and eased many of my initial concerns and fears that stemmed from unexpected overseas orders. Prior to the move, I viewed housing information with photos of the exact floor plan where we now live, learned about the car buying process, received advice for surviving the flight over, and even read tips about how to be a good sponsoree. All of my questions were answered through Okinawa Hai. Once on island, I was able to make educated decisions on preschools and neighborhoods, plus discover recommended restaurants, hair salons, beaches, festivals, and fun activities.
I arrived on Okinawa without a single acquaintance and having access to the plethora of helpful information on Okinawa Hai was truly invaluable. I look to Okinawa Hai each time I want to try something new and always discover more than I sought in the first place. I appreciate the Okinawa Hai website and associated online communities very much and would be honored to contribute as a moderator to continue Okinawa Hai’s place as a positive and helpful community resource.”
8. Keri C: “Okinawa Hai really changed my entire outlook on my move to Okinawa. While I was born and raised in the U.S., I always fancied myself a bit of a worldly, adventurer type at heart but without much experience doing said adventuring (aside from a trip to Taiwan back in 2006). Preparing for my move, though, I started realizing how different of an adventure *moving* to a foreign country is from *visiting* a foreign country. To make matters worse, my husband was already overseas for a year at that point on an unaccompanied tour and many of the things I had to do to prepare for the move I had to do on my own. As the stresses of moving and wondering, “What next? How do I even begin to check things off my list” started piling up, I reached out online for more information and that is when I encountered Okinawa Hai.
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What can I say about the site? It’s a wonderful resource. I found information about how to prepare my cats for the trip and all the paperwork involved to import them into the country (this eased my mind incredibly since my cats are my children and getting them safely to Japan with me was my biggest concern); I found articles about interesting cultural opportunities and fun outdoors activities (something that really spoke to this Arkansas girl’s heart); and, perhaps most importantly, I found a whole community was already in place where I could read about and interact with other people, just like me, who had the same fears and the same questions and *they made it just fine*.
Knowing that so many others had been through all the same steps, had encountered the same problems/obstacles and overcome them, really encouraged me. Even now, coming up on my first full year in Okinawa, I use Okinawa Hai regularly as a resource for places to visit, things to see, foods to eat.
Who knows what I would have missed out on had I not had this information available to me to steer me in the right direction?”
To order from either restaurant, there is a ticket machine located in the middle of the two counters. If you need to break a bill larger than 1,000 they will be happy to make change for you inside. The machine is in Japanese, but there are pictures on most of the items. My dining partner and I are pretty sure that the bottom row (with no pictures) is for drinks. All the prices are 200 yen. We always just press any 200 yen button and ask for melon soda.
So if you are heading north and need a quick snack or an ice-cold pop, stop in and check this place out. After looking up Antoshimo it appears they are a large chain with locations all over Asia.
4. Jennifer S: “When we first arrived in July 2014 our oldest daughter found the website and from there our adventures began. With my husband arriving before us he had not ventured out because he wanted to experience with the family. So we started searching different things to do so every weekend we went out on an adventure. The kids would search something and while my husband was at work we ventured out to find the right place to spend our weekends. I’ve used the website at least 2-3 times a week just looking at the different places, stores, beaches and more to figure out next adventure.
7. Jessica CB: “Okinawa Hai has been the single most useful tool my family and I have utilized to educate ourselves on everything to do with the beautiful island of Okinawa. The content is relevant, current, accurate and inspiring, and eased many of my initial concerns and fears that stemmed from unexpected overseas orders. Prior to the move, I viewed housing information with photos of the exact floor plan where we now live, learned about the car buying process, received advice for surviving the flight over, and even read tips about how to be a good sponsoree. All of my questions were answered through Okinawa Hai. Once on island, I was able to make educated decisions on preschools and neighborhoods, plus discover recommended restaurants, hair salons, beaches, festivals, and fun activities.
What can I say about the site? It’s a wonderful resource. I found information about how to prepare my cats for the trip and all the paperwork involved to import them into the country (this eased my mind incredibly since my cats are my children and getting them safely to Japan with me was my biggest concern); I found articles about interesting cultural opportunities and fun outdoors activities (something that really spoke to this Arkansas girl’s heart); and, perhaps most importantly, I found a whole community was already in place where I could read about and interact with other people, just like me, who had the same fears and the same questions and *they made it just fine*.
