The Little Engine That Could...Very Quickly

Our sleek, ultra modern little engine that could.

Despite the language barrier, it wasn't too difficult to navigate the train system and many signs were marked in Japanese, German and English.

When Matt and I were planning our trip to Kyoto, we decided that getting there was going to be part of the fun. We booked flights to Tokyo so we could take the shinkansen from Haneda Airport to Kyoto Station. The shinkansen is Japan's high speed train system, but the word also refers to the trains that run at speeds up to 300km (186+) miles per hour. I am a particular fan of train travel, since it got me from here to there during several of my trips to Europe and provided great views of the countryside. However, unlike Europe, where the train quality varies greatly from country to country (live chickens, rioting Australians, gourmet dining car - I can tell some tales), the shinkansen has a reputation for state of the art technology and cleanliness. Matt and I enjoyed our ride immensely even though we didn't catch a glimpse of Mt. Fuji through the cloudy skies as we passed by.

Coming Soon..........

Six little Miffys and Me

Ladies and gentlemen, Belletrist readers of all ages....My independent study is almost complete (with relatively little stress other than the desiring of lattes and our modem quitting on me earlier today) and I am looking forward to some relaxation and posting our Kyoto blogs. Be prepared for some of the most gorgeous blossoms you have ever seen, kimonos, swords, temples, shrines, gardens and more....

Back from Kyoto

We returned from our long weekend in Kyoto on Monday evening. Although we were happy to be back and snug in our own apartment, I can safely say we left a city that is now very dear to us and that we will remember for a long time to come. We had an incredible time and took over 4G of pictures on our new digital camera. I can't wait to share some of our favorites on the blog, but for the sake of finishing up my independent study, I am going to wait until next week when my papers are turned in and I'm free of academic responsibility.

Now that we are back on Okinawa, we have barely had time to unpack before Matt was back to the clinic and I had to teach preschool on Tuesday morning. Matt had a relatively easy first morning back with far fewer patients than usual (he saw 274 in March alone), and I was treated to a special surprise at preschool - it was Teacher Appreciation Day! The mothers of the preschoolers I have come to know and adore over the past several months prepared a large basket full of all kinds of treats that they presented to me at the end of the morning. When I got home and examined my gift, I found boxes of chocolates, two cookbooks, bamboo spoons, gourmet cookies and coffee, DVDs, books and more. It was a really, really nice gift, but I hope they know that one of the best things about the entire experience has been the absolute joy of working with their little ones. I always look forward to my preschool mornings and the smile I leave with lasts for days.

The best part of preschool yesterday was the honoring of Mitsukp, the Japanese lady who has been helping with the church's preschool classes for many years and is retiring this month. The other teachers and I lined all of the children up in the hallway and gave them a flower to present to her when they filed in the room. She was in tears she was so touched and I think many of the mothers were misty-eyed as well (and so were a few of the toddlers that didn't want to give up their flowers!). I have had the pleasure of working with her in my room and she is wonderful with the children, so it was great to see her recognized for her work. Did I mention that she's in her late-80's? Indeed, and she can juggle and play ring-around-the-rosy with the spunk of a teenager.

Well, I must get back to writing on Japanese literature. Check back late next week for the start of the Kyoto blogs. I look forward to sharing our adventures in city exploring, sword hunting, kimono dressing and much more with you! Until then, take care and keep in touch!!

Springtime in Japan

Cape Zanpa Lighthouse

Spring may be my favorite season on Okinawa. The sky is sunny, and it's warm with a nice breeze. We've had some thunder showers at night, but by morning, the rain has cleared and only fresh puddles and the sound of tires swishing through them remain. The beautiful weather has allowed us to enjoy some of the scenic spots on the island in the past few weeks. Easter weekend, we joined the Snyders on an excursion to Cape Zanpa on the Yomitan peninsula and watched the waves of the East China Sea crash along the rocky shoreline from both the ground and the top of the lighthouse. Last week, we showed Anna around the island and admired the vibrancy of the blooming flowers and the lush green foliage growing almost every place we turned.

Now, we are preparing to head to Kyoto to participate in one of the Japanese's favorite spring pastimes, viewing cherry blossoms. We fly to Tokyo tomorrow, and after a couple hours on the famous bullet train (and hopefully a glimpse of Mt. Fuji) we will arrive in Kyoto, former capital of Japan and home to important historic and cultural sights as well as some of the most beautiful places to view the blossoms in the country. I'll be posting pictures and stories when we return next week. In the meantime, I hope springtime has touched your part of the world and that you are able to enjoy it sometime this week. Have a great weekend!

Sushi!

Nigiri - (clockwise from back left: octopus, eel, squid, salmon)

Maki - Yoshi Rolls with crab, avocado and salmon roe.

After a great afternoon at Ryukyu Mura and a quick trip for Anna to pick up some souvenirs, we ended the day at Yoshi Hachi's sushi restaurant. Something Anna had requested before her visit was that she would like to eat a lot of interesting Japanese food and Matt and I were more than happy to comply with her request. As I was loading our pictures, I realized I haven't said much about sushi on the blog and thought now might be an opportune time to discuss one of our favorite Japanese delicacies.

The word sushi actually refers to the rice which is prepared with rice vinegar and sometimes other ingredients such as sesame seeds and sugar or salt. In Japan, the word sashimi refers to raw, sliced fish served by itself without rice. Raw fish served on top of a hand-formed mound of rice and sometimes banded with a strip of nori (dried seaweed) is called nigiri, and if it is served in rolls it is referred to as maki. Maki is probably the most popular form of sushi outside of Japan - think California rolls (cucumber, crab and avocado) or Philadelphia rolls (salmon, cream cheese and cucumber). There are a zillion different names for the specific ways the maki are prepared, but I figure I won't throw out more Japanese words than I already have in this blog.

Though both of our sushi experiences started with rolls back in the States, I would have to say that Matt and I really enjoy nigiri (particularly eel and salmon) because you get a better sense of flavor, but maki also remains a mainstay of our order at any sushi restaurant. Nigiri tends to be easier for me to eat because sometimes the maki are large and difficult to maneuver gracefully with chopsticks from plate to soy dish (loaded with ginger and wasabi) to mouth. We also like trying new and exotic types of nigiri such as octopus and blowfish (but we will never again order uni!).

Ryukyu Mura

Our next stop was a step back in time at Ryukyu Mura, a historical and fully functioning Okinawan village. Much like Colonial Willamsburg, Ryukyu Mura features costumed guides that allow visitors to explore the village and learn about local customs and activities. It was a great day to be there because it was sunny and the azaleas were in full bloom. While their bright pink blossoms fluttered in the cool breeze, we strolled along the stone paths and were able to look at several traditional family homes dating back to the Meiji era (1868-1912). It was great fun to look at all the shisa perched on the tops and eaves of the tile-roofed buildings. And at one home, I got to pluck out a few notes on a sanshin on the front steps with the help of a guide. We also visited a working pottery studio and got to see how black sugar is made. One of the highlights of the visit was our visit to the Habu Pit, but I will save that story for when Matt loads the video footage to our computers. For now, I hope you enjoy a few pictures from the village.

I was far from a natural, but it was pretty cool to try my hand at one of the instruments that is important to eisa music. When we first arrived at the village we watched a show with traditional dances and sanshin music.

A traditional Okinawan home which also housed an indigo-dyeing exhibit. Okinawa is know for its colorfully-dyed bingata fabric and kimono.

Azalea blossoms and a Torii gate. In Hanakotoba, the "language" of Japanese flowers, azaleas symbolize patience and modesty. They bloom for a two-month period and are celebrated with several festivals in Japan.

Goat in the livestock shed. Okinawans kept many types of livestock including chickens, pigs and oxen (and some still do, which might account for the roosters in our neighborhood that crow at 4 a.m. :) ).

Pizza in the Sky

After our visit to the aquarium, the three of us headed for the elusive Okinawan restaurant popularly referred to as Pizza in the Sky. Located on the northern part of the island, it is advertised by word of mouth and the driving directions are involved as well as hard to come by. Luckily, another group passed their directions along and we headed up narrow and winding roads to our destination. Pizza in the Sky is an apt name, because the restaurant is located on a mountaintop with great views and serves one type of pizza daily - the only choice is what size pizza you would like to consume. We relaxed in the casual atmosphere and Anna and I sampled some tasty apricot sake to complete the meal.

Churaumi Aquarium

All of what is exciting about Okinawa isn't found above land, but also under the vast sea that surrounds our tiny island chain. Although our SCUBA lessons are on hold until after Matt's cast comes off, we were able to get a taste for what we might see at the Churaumi Aquarium in the northern region of Motobu. The aquarium features one of the largest tanks in the world that holds several impressively large whale sharks and manta rays. It also has many smaller tanks full of fish and other creatures that inhabit the ocean near Okinawa, many of which are exclusive to this part of the world.

Manta Ray 

Eels

I like this fish because it is orange.

Elephant Shark w/ ray in background

Hello! Kitty: Capitalizing Kawaii on Kokusai

In my reading on Japanese aesthetics, the idea of "kawaii" (pronounced kah-wah-ee) is credited as the driving force in Japanese consumer culture. Though defined with a string of adjectives (try "dear, darling, lovely, charming, attractive, winning"), the easiest way to understand the essence of kawaii can be summed up in one word: CUTE.

In Japan, the cute factor is extremely high and can be found almost everywhere - even on signs for road construction and the logos of rental car companies. It often determines the success of marketing campaigns and television shows and is considered a desirable trait in the actions of young women. Think of some of the Japanese characters that have entered the mainstream American culture: Pokemon's Pikkachu is cute, cute, cute as is the grand dame of cuteness, Hello! Kitty and her group of adorable animal friends.

During my time here, I have relished in the kawaii that abounds in Japanese culture. I have readily adopted Miffy (a sweet little cartoon bunny) as my kawaii mascot, but Hello! Kitty (who I am posed with here on Kokusai Street) is also a favorite. However, Matt remains for the most part unaffected. His only comment in response to all of the kawaii that surrounds us :"Please don't squeal like that again."

Hello! Kitty dressed as a girl shisa. Doesn't that little red paw look so cute?

Hello! Kitty dressed as a boy shisa. They aren't ferocious like most shisa, but fun nonetheless.

Kokusai Dori: Okinawa's Most Famous Street

On Wednesday, we joined Brittany, Denise and their young ones to head south to Naha. The gardens we had planned to visit were closed so we headed to Kokusai Street for some shopping in an urban Okinawan environment.

Although it was a weekday, the street was bustling with activity - tourists finding Okinawan souvenirs, shopkeepers displaying their wares and Okinawans conducting business as usual in their capital city. Much like the images of modern Japanese cities you see in the media, Kokusai was rife with colorful advertisements and electronic billboards. The familiar faces of comic heroes and cartoon characters jumped out from almost every surface and in the form of statues for tourists to pose with for a fun photo opportunity.

Further down the street, Denise led us to Heiwa Dori, a side street leading to the Makishi Machigwa (Public Market). At the market, hundreds of stalls sell everything from clothing to fresh fish. It was amazing to see all of the meat and fish on display as well as Okinawan produce and baked goods. We were able to sample Okinawan seaweed, fish cake and sugar cane candy and I bought a bundle of sunflowers to brighten our apartment.

Heiwa Dori - I was glad Denise took us here because I might have passed by and missed a unique adventure.  

One of the many photographic opportunities on Kokusai Street. This one was as Okinawan as it could possibly get - we're between two shisa dressed as eisa drummers while sitting on a goya, the native vegetable that is credited with Okinawan's health and longevity.