Nago Cherry Blossom Festival

January 28, 2014

Cherry Blossom Festival

On Saturday evening, we enjoyed the company of some of Jim’s friends and coworkers in a sort of “house warming” party. There was good food, laughter, and talk about work and military politics. I joked with the other wife who came, “Do they every talk about anything else?” I suppose in a world disconnected from the other categories of small talk (local politics, professional sports, even the weather – which doesn’t change much) there is only one thing left – work. Not divulging any classified information of course, but not anything I understand or could participate in. Even so it was a fun time.

We learned of the Nago Cherry Blossom Festival taking place over the weekend, in celebration of the first cherry blossoms in all of Japan blooming.  The cherry blossoms have cultural significance in Japan. See the excerpt below from http://www.livescience.com/28424-cherry-blossoms.html

In Japan, cherry blossoms also symbolize the transience of life, which is a major theme in Buddhism. The cherry-blossom tree is known for its short but brilliant blooming season, a natural process that metaphorically describes human life.
Additionally, cherry blossoms have long held significance to Japanese nationalism and militarism, anthropologist Emiko Ohnuki-Tierney wrote in her book "Kamikaze, Cherry Blossoms, and Nationalisms: The Militarization of Aesthetics in Japanese History" (University Of Chicago Press, 2002).
A fallen cherry blossom symbolizes a fallen samurai who sacrificed his life for the emperor. During World War II, the flowers took on a similar meaning when they were painted on the side of kamikaze warplanes.

We went to Nago for the festival Sunday. On the way, we happened upon a marathon in progress. Traffic stopped until all the runners had passed.

This guy is in first place, and our first clue to the cause of the traffic jam.

In addition to the adorable Shisa barricades, there are also dolphins.

The picture just doesn't capture the color of the ocean, bright blue in some places and so deep in others.

When we got to Nago, we took a shuttle to the top of a hill (mountain?) where the cherry trees were plentiful and picturesque. There were a number of walking paths (and plenty of stairs). It started raining just as the shuttle was returning to deliver another load of people, and pick up those ready to leave. We hurried up all those stairs to the top and were just able to fit on the shuttle bus. The bus had two fixed seats on each side with an aisle down the center, and an additional seat pulled out the side of the chair! What a novel idea, and with the generally slow speeds on Okinawa it would be safe enough.

Mountainside of Cherry Blossoms

The city far below

A viewing platform in the distance

The rain made for beautiful pictures

Fascinating yellow flowers were large and looked almost papery

Traffic was thick as we went back to the pick-up spot, so the shuttle let us off near the main street where a parade of Eisa was making their way through town. We watched the singing, dancing and drumming until they reached the end – the giant 300 year old tree. 

The music was performed live!

The cross street at the end of the parade began the carnival games and food vendors. My first thought was that they reminded me of the town in Spirited Away where the parents turned into pigs! The carnival games were simple, with stacks of interesting prizes. The one I liked best was where you could catch little gold fishes (for a fee, of course). I saw a few proud little youngsters carrying a small plastic tank with fish in them.

Looks remarkably similar to Spirited Away

Chocolate covered banana guys!

At the end of the carnival street was a tall stone staircase. Curious what was at the top, Jim and I began the climb. A couple hundred stairs later, we were far above the city at a shrine. People would throw a coin or two into the bucket, ring the bell, and say a sort of prayer or homage. Back down the stairs to the bottom, my knees were a little bit shaky!

You can see how small the town is at the bottom of the stairs

We sat and ate some squid and shrimp cooked in a batter. Kind of like a loaded biscuit. They were very good! Then we moseyed back through the carnival street towards the car, stopping at a couple of the food vendors to sample their fare.

Shrimp and squid dumpling-things

Sausage lollipop

All together it was a beautiful experience, and I’m very grateful we didn’t miss it, even though my calves are still sore from all the stairs. 

The Antonym of Productivity

January 24

Well my friends, this week I have become the epitome of unproductive. I have lounged about the apartment in pajamas reading. One day I didn’t even get out of bed until Jim was on his way home for lunch! Just before I sank into an eternity of bonbons and bathrobes, I managed to pick the most beautiful day of the month to go out and do something. I won’t brag too much about the weather out of respect for my favorite Iowans are huddling together to keep warm in frigid arctic temperatures.

My day of productivity began with preparing for the party tomorrow evening. I marinated the ribs and mixed up some chip dip. Just sour cream and a ranch packet, a cop-out I know, but it’s almost the end of the month and the food budget is running thin. Then I started on a walk to Torii station, to check the mailbox. Olivia sent something last week, which unfortunately hasn’t yet arrived. The walk took me through some of the Okinawan countryside. I saw a lot of fields, and occasionally livestock including chickens and cows.

Fascinating trees. I wonder what that fruit is?

Cows. Many were kept in sheds, probably to shield them from the hot sun and because there isn't much room for grazing pastures.

A bailer.

Prettily painted water basins

I sat at the library for a while and read until the Kindle battery said it was running low.  I haven’t charged it since before traveling here. Well rested, I walked home by way of a Patisserie (Bakery) and brought home a few goodies.

Treasures from the patisserie

Croissant like roll with ham, egg salad and melted cheese (Swiss?) and a dollop of ketchup. Really delicious, actually!

I sampled the one with ham, and discovered it has an egg-salad filling and a bit of cheese melted over the top. Very tasty!

After so much walking, I think I might just kick my feet up and read… J

A Few shots from a sunset walk with Jim yesterday evening

Low tide - normally the bottom step is under water

Looking up at the Red Bridge

Gnarly roots. No really...

Its hard to capture in pictures just how green the water is

A Quiet Week

January 21, 2014

View off the back balcony - the back yard

I’ve been in Japan for over a week now, and we have settled into the apartment very well. We have explored the stores at the nearby shopping center to learn what they provide including a local grocery store. I couldn’t read any labels or signs, which encourages me even more to learn the language, but we managed to identify and purchase a few items I have made into dinner – soba noodles, tofu, fish, green onions, and some very tasty sweet rolls. I hope to make more trips to that store as it is very conveniently located and to get a better grasp on Japanese cuisine.

Fresh meat/fish section at the Japanese grocery store. Yes, that is an octopus tentacle

The finished product: Soba noodle soup with chicken dumplings and tofu on theside

While Jim is at work I have finally started making a picture book of our first adventure on Okinawa, while not thoroughly engrossed in a fantastic book series Olivia introduced me to, “Eragon” by Christopher Paolini. I have just finished the second book in a four part series, and have been utterly unproductive since I started them! I have enjoyed the lazy vacation of no responsibilities, but I feel guilty when Jim comes home from a day of work to realize I didn’t even fold the clothes that have been dry for two days. I have promised Jim (and myself) to get a few things done before starting the next book.

Jim enjoyed a four day weekend from work in honor of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. In that time we were able to spend time on Skype with Olivia watching a movie and playing a game of Settlers of Catan. She decided it is much more boring when she can’t move her own pieces or keep her cards secret. Even so she did manage to be the winner of the day. We were also able to continue the bible study we’ve been doing with Jim’s family, the only difference being two of us were one Skype instead of one.

Jim made some fantastic rice pudding for breakfast

Our inventive arrangement so Olivia could see the status off the game board

After a week of quiet I decided I would like a fish for a pet. A rather simple animal to keep, I thought a fish would manageable for Jim to care for when I am gone. We have the tank set up and an aquatic plant in it, but are supposed to wait a week before introducing a fish to the tank, to be sure the natural chemicals in the new ecosystem (ammonia and nitrates) have balanced. I hope to bring home a fish or two this next weekend.

The empty fish tank. The plant on the right is real, the others are decorations in case I manage to kill the real one.

Another new splash of life and color would be the recently adopted porch plants. Not house plants, mind you, because they will live on the porch. That way God has a chance of saving them with rain and sun. I know one is a tiny rose bush, and one is a common non-flowering plant, but the others are a mystery. I couldn’t read the labels, only chose some that looked pretty and inexpensive. Any ideas, flower enthusiasts?

Step 1: Buy stuff

Step 2: Organize the plants and pots

Step 3: Move plants to pots

Beautiful but not aromatic

A miniature rose

This one is very fragrant, and the shape reminds me of a hyacinth

Fun feathery petals

What a remarkable shape, we  couldn't resist 

A nicely colored foliage plant

This one I have seen plenty, and I believe it to be hardy

The weather here has been very pleasant, with temperatures consistently in the low 60s. A few times last week I hoped to go for a walk, but it has been cloudy lately and I thought I might get rained on. I am constantly wondering if the sounds overhead are thunder or planes, until the planes pass by, at least. Maybe, eventually, I’ll get used to it.

We have a bit of a get together planned for this coming weekend, sort of a “come see the new place kind” of thing. It will be a great opportunity to meet more of the friends Jim works and spends time with. I only hope the apartment is ready for guests. Wish me luck!