I really should be better at posting all the photos I take.

This post is not sponsored.

So I was recently, suddenly, aggressively targeted on Instagram by Pocket Dispo ads. It felt like I saw the ad every time I opened the app to watch some reels and stories.

But hey, you are seeing this post so it obviously worked on me.

I did see the trend emerge of using the lens from used-up disposable cameras and jerry-rigging it to a mirrorless digital camera, some use some cardboard and duct tape, some drilled a hole into a camera body cap. I did not have desire to do that so it seemed that I will just pass on the trend.

But there are more resourceful and enterprising people than me who decided to 3D-print a mount for the disposable camera lens so you don't have to dismantle a disposable on your own and glue it into a camera body cap.

It was recently my two-year anniversary of arriving on island to be with my husband (he's been here almost five), so we decided to finally drive up to Cape Hedo to celebrate the occasion. 

Cape Hedo Google Maps Pin

You can climb up the inside of the bird, but then you can't see the bird structure and the windows are pretty small. The outdoor deck is a much better spot for photos of the view and the giant bird. 

Okinawa Rail Observation Deck Google Maps Pin

This observation deck had a much better view than the other ones we went to. Too bad I couldn't get more photos because there were people coming in every few minutes to also admire the view and take photos.

Kayauchi Banta Google Maps Pin

My husband ended up answering a survey of the dam's visitors by some younger men who I assume worked there. One of them spoke pretty okay English and my husband spoke pretty okay Japanese so that was fun. They asked where we were from, what we liked about the park, and even where we already ate or where we were planning to eat lunch.

Benoki Dam Google Maps Pin

Before heading back home we stopped by Hill Valley Jr. for lunch. We still can't find a burger spot here that grills their patties over charcoal (which was how our favorite burger place did it back in the Philippines).

It's a fun addition to my measly M100 kit (I have one other lens aside from the kit lens). I love that it's flat and thin and makes my camera even easier to carry around and stuff into my small bag. I've always wanted to shoot more using a cheap film camera but the actual film costs adds up and I still have to pay to have those developed and have like 10 good photos out of 36.

This lens is a nice middle ground for the cheap, old camera look and not be afraid to run out of film.

We had our first Gyukatsu Motomura at the Namba Midosuji branch when we went to Osaka early this year. There was a line outside when we got there around late afternoon, the restaurant was packed, and there was still a small line when we were finished. When we got back to Okinawa, we learned that a branch was opening in Naha. We decided to visit for our anniversary meal.

We haven't even had normal premium steak, it's not something we seek out to specifically eat so we have no baseline of what good steak is. I think the most we do is our occasional Yappari Steak that is served on a sizzling hot stone and you get to decide how done you like it. And that's at maximum JPY1,500 for a 200g cut of beef.

While writing this I actually just recently learned, through looking at other blog posts about the place, that Gyukatsu Motumura is wagyu beef. Which is fun because it somehow slipped our minds and we have been saying to ourselves, "if normal premium beef is this good, then what more of wagyu or kobe?" 

So we do actually know what wagyu tastes like. Because we have been eating it.

At JPY 2,300 per 1.5 cutlet (195g) set meal, this is a special occasion meal for us. Still, at this price point, if you're a tourist in Japan, I would definitely recommend putting it in your must-try lists.

The beef is tender and fatty, even if you like it well done, it's still flavorful and won't get chewy. 

The set meal in Naha did not have the grated yam that is meant to be a rice topping like it did in Osaka. I think you're supposed to ask for it to be served to you in this branch. It's definitely an acquired taste/texture. I tried it in Osaka but I am not a fan of slimy textures in food.

The price also includes rice refills. Sitting on the counter made this easier because we were right in front of the rice cooker. We'd just hand off the rice bowl and it'd be filled right there and be handed back.

Is it gimmicky? Maybe. Is it delicious? Absolutely. We'd probably go back for another special occasion.

The temperature's getting hotter and the hydrangeas are in bloom. We planned for a visit to the Hydrangea Garden Yohena in Motobu, in the northern part of the island. 

For some reason I dug out my Canon camera, a mirrorless I bought many years ago and just used occasionally because we have phones that take good photos now! Well I'm glad I brought it out. An honest-to-god full camera sensor with even just a kit lens is still leagues better than what my tiny phone camera lens can offer.

The garden was exactly that, a garden that your grandmother might tend to, just a bit bigger. It did remind me of how my grandmother's garden was when I was growing up, full of fruit trees and flowers she would tend to.

I don't think I've seen hydrangeas before moving to Japan. I did hear about it because of Gossip Girl, hence the title. And now I've come to learn that hydrangea season in Japan signals the start of rainy summer season, much like how sakura season signals the start of spring.

The majority of the blue hydrangea bushes were front and center as you climb up the hill after the reception desk (tickets were JPY500 each). A couple more colors (white, purple) were scattered throughout the garden amongst other flowers.

Getting home and working on the photos I took, I realized how much I was missing out on not bringing my camera to places we go to. I regret not bringing it to Osaka during our trip earlier this year. I could have taken more beautiful photos! But no sense dwelling on that. I'll make sure I bring it along on our next trip.

As I was editing these photos, I realized, hey, I take pretty good photos. You can disagree, I like them okay. Then I compared it into my foray into vlogging and how much I hated having to setup my phones every which way for multiple shots, it ate so much into my routine which I really like to stick to and not have unplanned variations. Things took twice as long when I needed to film them. I didn't like it.

I also disliked having to edit my vlogs twice, once for the long-form video for Youtube which I actually like doing, and again for the cut-up short-form videos that I must feed the algorithm gods of Tiktok and Instagram. 

Then I thought, hey, whatever happened to blogs. I liked writing, god knows how many blogs I abandoned when I was a teenager, and I like taking photos.

I should start a new blog.

While researching which platforms are cool for blogging now, I found out that blogging is a whole new beast now because of SEO and rankings and affiliate marketing and whatever. Everyone's looking into blogging to monetize their niches.

But what about the journal-type blogs that talk about whatever they want. It's too small a community now it doesn't even have its own subreddit: personal blogging.

Will anyone read this aside from my husband (he's not even subscribed, he just knows about it) and my sister (who I told to subscribe under threat)? I'm not sure.

But for the most part, this is just for me. No algorithm to feed, no deadline to push out a product. I would just like to rediscover writing my thoughts down and at the same time having a place to post the photos I take. Let's be honest, Instagram cares fuck all about photos now.