Iced tea.
Fireworks.
Cicadas.
Sun.
Blue skies.
Showing posts with label okinawa. Show all posts
Showing posts with label okinawa. Show all posts
Tuesday, July 05, 2011
Thursday, June 09, 2011
Summer's Here!
The sweltering heat is back.
the best part? the green mobile's air-con isnt working so the both of us sweat like pigs every time we sit in the car.
that aside, it's the third week of work and so far things are pretty interesting. although it's only a part-time job, i help administer scholarships and summer exchange programmes at the university's foreign students' centre and the work isnt repetitive, which is something that i like. plus i get time for myself in the afternoon since i leave work at 3.30pm every day. it's my idea of a good compromise between earning some pocket money and still having the leisure of spending (late) afternoons at home.
just this afternoon, i was on my way home from dropping ken off to a work dinner when i decided to make a quick detour to the department store.
the following is what happens when i am left to my own devices. two belts of the same design in two different colours. i just got too tired trying to figure out which colour to buy.
just allow me to say this: hurray to pocket money!!
the best part? the green mobile's air-con isnt working so the both of us sweat like pigs every time we sit in the car.
that aside, it's the third week of work and so far things are pretty interesting. although it's only a part-time job, i help administer scholarships and summer exchange programmes at the university's foreign students' centre and the work isnt repetitive, which is something that i like. plus i get time for myself in the afternoon since i leave work at 3.30pm every day. it's my idea of a good compromise between earning some pocket money and still having the leisure of spending (late) afternoons at home.
just this afternoon, i was on my way home from dropping ken off to a work dinner when i decided to make a quick detour to the department store.
the following is what happens when i am left to my own devices. two belts of the same design in two different colours. i just got too tired trying to figure out which colour to buy.
just allow me to say this: hurray to pocket money!!
Friday, April 22, 2011
Last Weekend
Turned out to be a pretty lovely one.
okinawa heralded the arrival of spring with the nation's first fireworks display of the year. we make it a point to attend the festival every year since it's held at the beach just ten minutes from our apartment. usually, the streets leading up to the venue would be flanked by food and game stalls and the place would be thronged with visitors, but this year, such pasar-malam gaiety was nowhere to be seen.
despite the shadows cast by last month's earthquake and tsunami, we had one of the best (free) seats in the house. beer, fried chicken, great company and an hour and a half's worth of man-made stars exploding across the sky. you can't possibly ask for more.
the day after, we marked Qing Ming by trooping down to the family grave for some tomb-sweeping. okinawa is the only prefecture in japan that still observes chinese customs such as lunar new year and qing ming, and the similarities with the practices carried out in singapore are uncanny. tombs in okinawa are huge and tortoise-shaped, making them very similar in appearance to some of the older chinese graves back home. offerings to ancestors consist of paper money (yellow in colour too!), joss sticks, brewed tea and お節-like food consisting of stewed pork, fish tempura and rice cakes. what's most interesting about qing ming in okinawa is that everyone sits down to a picnic at the grave after tomb-sweeping is complete.
i went armed with a camera to fulfill my intention of chronicling the day with photographs, but that task had to be set aside when i was handed a pair of workgloves and a small parang. the next time though, those gloves are coming off for some picture-taking!
two hours of grass-cutting and a short picnic later, us and the rest of the extended family ended the afternoon by settling down to a fancy japanese lunch at one of the city's fanciest hotels.
okinawa heralded the arrival of spring with the nation's first fireworks display of the year. we make it a point to attend the festival every year since it's held at the beach just ten minutes from our apartment. usually, the streets leading up to the venue would be flanked by food and game stalls and the place would be thronged with visitors, but this year, such pasar-malam gaiety was nowhere to be seen.
despite the shadows cast by last month's earthquake and tsunami, we had one of the best (free) seats in the house. beer, fried chicken, great company and an hour and a half's worth of man-made stars exploding across the sky. you can't possibly ask for more.
the day after, we marked Qing Ming by trooping down to the family grave for some tomb-sweeping. okinawa is the only prefecture in japan that still observes chinese customs such as lunar new year and qing ming, and the similarities with the practices carried out in singapore are uncanny. tombs in okinawa are huge and tortoise-shaped, making them very similar in appearance to some of the older chinese graves back home. offerings to ancestors consist of paper money (yellow in colour too!), joss sticks, brewed tea and お節-like food consisting of stewed pork, fish tempura and rice cakes. what's most interesting about qing ming in okinawa is that everyone sits down to a picnic at the grave after tomb-sweeping is complete.
i went armed with a camera to fulfill my intention of chronicling the day with photographs, but that task had to be set aside when i was handed a pair of workgloves and a small parang. the next time though, those gloves are coming off for some picture-taking!
two hours of grass-cutting and a short picnic later, us and the rest of the extended family ended the afternoon by settling down to a fancy japanese lunch at one of the city's fanciest hotels.
Saturday, March 19, 2011
Saving Lives
To prepare for the father-in-law's eventual discharge from hospital, the entire family was herded to a lifesaver's course yesterday.
while ken's dad is out of the woods, he remains susceptible to cardiac failure. although we have indicated to doctors our intention to care for ken's father at home, the hospital reminded us that we'd have to do so with the knowledge that an episode similar to what took place last month might happen again with little or no forewarning. so in the case of an emergency, the family would have to function as the first and most crucial source of medical aid.
under the watchful eyes of ken's father (who sat in for the course), we were briefed on the proper way to call for an ambulance and given a demonstration on administering CPR. we even had a go at the AED (automatic external defibrilator). if ken's dad had been a plastic CPR doll, he'd have come back to life no less than 8 times in an afternoon.
there's something very heartwarming about ken's 83 year-old grandfather as he listens intently to the nurse, carefully taking notes. the man is still very light on his feet despite his age, but performing CPR for a full 2 minutes at a go is no mean feat even for me, let alone for a tiny old man tasked with caring for a person 20 years his junior.
there are still many things we have yet to figure out. like fitting everyone's schedules so that ken's dad will not be left alone at home, or applying for the right kinds of public health insurance and inquiring about day care and home nursing.
but i'm sure we will get there. for now, i am really liking my new family.
our kit for the day:
the family being briefed on the importance of CPR:
ken's dad watches on intently:
ken's mom giving mouth-to-mouth:
ken and his grandfather's turn to try:
while ken's dad is out of the woods, he remains susceptible to cardiac failure. although we have indicated to doctors our intention to care for ken's father at home, the hospital reminded us that we'd have to do so with the knowledge that an episode similar to what took place last month might happen again with little or no forewarning. so in the case of an emergency, the family would have to function as the first and most crucial source of medical aid.
under the watchful eyes of ken's father (who sat in for the course), we were briefed on the proper way to call for an ambulance and given a demonstration on administering CPR. we even had a go at the AED (automatic external defibrilator). if ken's dad had been a plastic CPR doll, he'd have come back to life no less than 8 times in an afternoon.
there's something very heartwarming about ken's 83 year-old grandfather as he listens intently to the nurse, carefully taking notes. the man is still very light on his feet despite his age, but performing CPR for a full 2 minutes at a go is no mean feat even for me, let alone for a tiny old man tasked with caring for a person 20 years his junior.
there are still many things we have yet to figure out. like fitting everyone's schedules so that ken's dad will not be left alone at home, or applying for the right kinds of public health insurance and inquiring about day care and home nursing.
but i'm sure we will get there. for now, i am really liking my new family.
our kit for the day:
the family being briefed on the importance of CPR:
ken's dad watches on intently:
ken's mom giving mouth-to-mouth:
ken and his grandfather's turn to try:
Sunday, June 06, 2010
The Future of Futenma
An extremely robust argument that echoes my sentiments on the issue of the Futenma relocation. Copyright laws or no, this article deserves to be reproduced in its full glory.
-----------------------------------------
Futenma is undermining Japanese democracy
By DEBITO ARUDOU, The Japan Times
Times are tough for the Hatoyama Cabinet. It's had to backtrack on several campaign promises. Its approval ratings have plummeted to around 20 percent. And that old bone of contention — what to do about American military bases on Japanese soil — has resurfaced again.
The Okinawa Futenma base relocation issue is complicated, and Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama has devoted too much time to a battle he simply cannot win. If the American troops stay as is, Okinawan protests will continue and rifts within the Cabinet will grow. If the troops are moved within Japan, excessive media attention will follow and generate more anti-Hatoyama and anti-American sentiment. If the troops leave Japan entirely, people will grumble about losing American money.
So let's ask the essential question: Why are U.S. bases still in Japan?
One reason is inertia. America invaded Okinawa in 1945, and the bases essentially remain as spoils of war. Even after Okinawa's return to Japan in 1972, one-sixth of Okinawa is technically still occupied, hosting 75 percent of America's military presence in Japan. We also have the knock-on effects of Okinawan dependency on the bases (I consider it a form of "economic alcoholism"), and generations of American entrenchment lending legitimacy to the status quo.
Another reason is Cold War ideology. We hear arguments about an unsinkable aircraft carrier (as if Okinawa is someplace kept shipshape for American use), a bulwark against a pugilistic North Korea or a rising China (as if the DPRK has the means or China has the interest to invade, especially given other U.S. installations in, say, South Korea or Guam). But under Cold War logic including "deterrence" and "mutually assured destruction," the wolf is always at the door; woe betide anyone who lets their guard down and jeopardizes regional security.
Then there's the American military's impressive job of preying on that insecurity. According to scholar Chalmers Johnson, as of 2005 there were 737 American military bases outside the U.S. (an actual increase since the Cold War ended) and 2.5 million U.S. military personnel serving worldwide. What happened to the "peace dividend" promised two decades ago after the fall of the Berlin Wall? Part of it sunk into places like Okinawa.
But one more reason demonstrates an underlying arrogance within the American government: "keeping the genie in the bottle" — the argument that Japan also needs to be deterred, from remilitarizing. The U.S. military's attitude seems to be that they are here as a favor to us.
Some favor. As history shows, once the Americans set up a base abroad, they don't leave. They generally have to lose a war (as in Vietnam), have no choice (as in the eruption of Pinatubo in the Philippines), or be booted out by a dictator (as in Uzbekistan). Arguments about regional balances of power are wool over the eyes. Never mind issues of national sovereignty — the demands of American empire require that military power be stationed abroad. Lump it, locals.
But in this case there's a new complication: The Futenma issue is weakening Japan's government.
Hatoyama has missed several deadlines for a resolution (while the American military has stalled negotiations for years without reprisal), enabling detractors to portray him as indecisive. He's had to visit Okinawa multiple times to listen to locals and explain. Meanwhile, the opposition Liberal Democratic Party claims Hatoyama is reneging on a promise (which is spoon-bitingly hypocritical, given the five decades the LDP completely ignored Okinawa, and the fact that Hatoyama has basically accepted an accord concluded by the LDP themselves in 2006). And now, with Mizuho Fukushima's resignation from the Cabinet, the coalition government is in jeopardy.
Futenma is taking valuable time away from other policies that concern Japan, such as corruption and unaccountability, growing domestic economic inequality, crippling public debts, and our future in the world as an aging society.
As the momentum ebbs from his administration, Hatoyama is in a no-win situation. But remember who put him there. If America really is the world's leading promoter of democracy, it should consider how it is undermining Japan's political development. After nearly 60 years of corrupt one-party rule, Japan finally has a fledgling two-party system. Yet that is withering on the vine thanks to American geopolitical manipulation.
We keep hearing how Japan's noncooperation will weaken precious U.S.-Japan ties. But those ties have long been a leash — one the U.S., aware of how susceptible risk-averse Japan is to "separation anxiety," yanks at whim. The "threatened bilateral relationship" claim is disingenuous — the U.S. is more concerned with bolstering its military-industrial complex than with Asia's regional stability.
In sum, it's less a matter of Japan wanting the U.S. bases to stay, more a matter of the U.S. bases not wanting to leave. Japan is a sovereign country, so the Japanese government has the final say. If that means U.S. forces relocating or even leaving completely, the U.S. should respectfully do so without complaint, not demand Japan find someplace else for them to go. That is not Japan's job.
Yet our politicians have worked hard for decades to represent the U.S. government's interests to the Japanese public. Why? Because they always have.
The time has come to stop being prisoners of history. World War II and the Cold War are long over.
That's why this columnist says: Never mind Futenma. All U.S. bases should be withdrawn from Japanese soil, period. Anachronisms, the bases have not only created conflicts of interest and interfered with Japan's sovereignty, they are now incapacitating our government. Japan should slip the collar of U.S. encampments and consider a future under a less dependent, more equal relationship with the U.S.
-----------------------------------------
Futenma is undermining Japanese democracy
By DEBITO ARUDOU, The Japan Times
Times are tough for the Hatoyama Cabinet. It's had to backtrack on several campaign promises. Its approval ratings have plummeted to around 20 percent. And that old bone of contention — what to do about American military bases on Japanese soil — has resurfaced again.
The Okinawa Futenma base relocation issue is complicated, and Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama has devoted too much time to a battle he simply cannot win. If the American troops stay as is, Okinawan protests will continue and rifts within the Cabinet will grow. If the troops are moved within Japan, excessive media attention will follow and generate more anti-Hatoyama and anti-American sentiment. If the troops leave Japan entirely, people will grumble about losing American money.
So let's ask the essential question: Why are U.S. bases still in Japan?
One reason is inertia. America invaded Okinawa in 1945, and the bases essentially remain as spoils of war. Even after Okinawa's return to Japan in 1972, one-sixth of Okinawa is technically still occupied, hosting 75 percent of America's military presence in Japan. We also have the knock-on effects of Okinawan dependency on the bases (I consider it a form of "economic alcoholism"), and generations of American entrenchment lending legitimacy to the status quo.
Another reason is Cold War ideology. We hear arguments about an unsinkable aircraft carrier (as if Okinawa is someplace kept shipshape for American use), a bulwark against a pugilistic North Korea or a rising China (as if the DPRK has the means or China has the interest to invade, especially given other U.S. installations in, say, South Korea or Guam). But under Cold War logic including "deterrence" and "mutually assured destruction," the wolf is always at the door; woe betide anyone who lets their guard down and jeopardizes regional security.
Then there's the American military's impressive job of preying on that insecurity. According to scholar Chalmers Johnson, as of 2005 there were 737 American military bases outside the U.S. (an actual increase since the Cold War ended) and 2.5 million U.S. military personnel serving worldwide. What happened to the "peace dividend" promised two decades ago after the fall of the Berlin Wall? Part of it sunk into places like Okinawa.
But one more reason demonstrates an underlying arrogance within the American government: "keeping the genie in the bottle" — the argument that Japan also needs to be deterred, from remilitarizing. The U.S. military's attitude seems to be that they are here as a favor to us.
Some favor. As history shows, once the Americans set up a base abroad, they don't leave. They generally have to lose a war (as in Vietnam), have no choice (as in the eruption of Pinatubo in the Philippines), or be booted out by a dictator (as in Uzbekistan). Arguments about regional balances of power are wool over the eyes. Never mind issues of national sovereignty — the demands of American empire require that military power be stationed abroad. Lump it, locals.
But in this case there's a new complication: The Futenma issue is weakening Japan's government.
Hatoyama has missed several deadlines for a resolution (while the American military has stalled negotiations for years without reprisal), enabling detractors to portray him as indecisive. He's had to visit Okinawa multiple times to listen to locals and explain. Meanwhile, the opposition Liberal Democratic Party claims Hatoyama is reneging on a promise (which is spoon-bitingly hypocritical, given the five decades the LDP completely ignored Okinawa, and the fact that Hatoyama has basically accepted an accord concluded by the LDP themselves in 2006). And now, with Mizuho Fukushima's resignation from the Cabinet, the coalition government is in jeopardy.
Futenma is taking valuable time away from other policies that concern Japan, such as corruption and unaccountability, growing domestic economic inequality, crippling public debts, and our future in the world as an aging society.
As the momentum ebbs from his administration, Hatoyama is in a no-win situation. But remember who put him there. If America really is the world's leading promoter of democracy, it should consider how it is undermining Japan's political development. After nearly 60 years of corrupt one-party rule, Japan finally has a fledgling two-party system. Yet that is withering on the vine thanks to American geopolitical manipulation.
We keep hearing how Japan's noncooperation will weaken precious U.S.-Japan ties. But those ties have long been a leash — one the U.S., aware of how susceptible risk-averse Japan is to "separation anxiety," yanks at whim. The "threatened bilateral relationship" claim is disingenuous — the U.S. is more concerned with bolstering its military-industrial complex than with Asia's regional stability.
In sum, it's less a matter of Japan wanting the U.S. bases to stay, more a matter of the U.S. bases not wanting to leave. Japan is a sovereign country, so the Japanese government has the final say. If that means U.S. forces relocating or even leaving completely, the U.S. should respectfully do so without complaint, not demand Japan find someplace else for them to go. That is not Japan's job.
Yet our politicians have worked hard for decades to represent the U.S. government's interests to the Japanese public. Why? Because they always have.
The time has come to stop being prisoners of history. World War II and the Cold War are long over.
That's why this columnist says: Never mind Futenma. All U.S. bases should be withdrawn from Japanese soil, period. Anachronisms, the bases have not only created conflicts of interest and interfered with Japan's sovereignty, they are now incapacitating our government. Japan should slip the collar of U.S. encampments and consider a future under a less dependent, more equal relationship with the U.S.
Monday, May 31, 2010
Sunday, May 23, 2010
A Response to Kwan Weng Kin
An article in The Sunday Times last week prompted me to do what I normally would never have even considered doing - writing in to the ST Forum.
ST's senior japanese correspondent, kwan weng kin (whom i've actually sort of liked up until last week for his usually succinct but informative features on japanese politics and society), wrote a page-long, two-part feature on okinawa outlining its uncomfortable history with mainland japan and the problems caused by the large US military presence in the prefecture.
i thought he did a wonderful job of giving the average reader an insight into the current situation in okinawa in the first part of the article, but the latter portion was full of gross misrepresentation and sweeping generalizations.
i quote here three of his ludicrous observations:
"the prefecture has the highest unemployent rate in japan, yet most okinawans are said not to be unduly worried. in okinawan society, family ties remain very strong and unemployed siblings can expect support from family members - a fact that critics say may, however, rob young okinawans of their desire to become financially independent."
"okinawans are also extremely fond of drinking, especially the local awamori...hangover or no hangover, most okinawans routinely report to work late in the morning after a bout of serious drinking the night before. co-workers however, do not bat an eyelid."
"there is also a widening gulf between young and old okinawans in terms of language. okinawans aged 50 and above are apt to use dialects among themselves. most young okinawans however, influenced by television and radio programmes, speak only standard japanese."
what total bullshit. i have been living in okinawa for three years, been in personal contact with many okinawans and none of my experiences come close to any of the things put forth by kwan weng kin. it is highly disappointing and embarrassing to admit that an experienced journalist from our national paper should resort to mere hearsay and popular stereotypes in covering a story. everything in the article stinks of ethnocentricism, the type of cultural-blinder experience one is apt to suffer from after spending too much time in centres of power.
i decided i couldnt have another person perpetuate another stereotype about okinawa because the place and its people are mired in enough externally-inflicted controversy and misunderstanding already.
so i fired a response to st forum and forwarded the contents of my letter to kwan weng kin's sph email. i'll be posting his response here in the event that he does reply.
in the meantime, here's what i wrote. i hope my letter gets published.
------------------------------
I read with much concern Mr. Kwan Weng Kin’s article on Okinawa (“A Country Within A Country: Okinawa”) in The Sunday Times on 16th May 2010.
As I have been living and studying in Okinawa for three years, I was heartened by Mr. Kwan’s efforts at informing readers about the conditions of a place that remains largely unknown to most people in Singapore. However, I was deeply disappointed to discover that Mr. Kwan has chosen to paint what I felt was a skewed depiction of the Okinawa people and their attitudes towards life and work.
Admittedly, the image of Okinawans as a group of happy-go-lucky merry-makers has been prevalent in most popular discourse concerning Okinawa. Such stereotypes have been further reinforced by the booming tourist trade in Okinawa, which bills the prefecture as an “island paradise” for tens of thousands of mainland Japanese holiday-makers who flock to the islands each year. The battle for the tourist yen thus necessitates the juxtaposition of the average Okinawan against the “typical worker bee Japanese” (as put forth by Mr. Kwan) – the Okinawan makes hay while the sun shines, enjoys the slow life and most certainly drinks too much for his own good.
Throughout his article, Mr. Kwan repeatedly prescribes to such stereotypes and even appeared to suggest that the cause of the high unemployment rate in Okinawa lies not in the many structural conditions plaguing the islands, but with the people themselves. Not only did Mr. Kwan fail to mention how the disproportionately large presence of U.S. military bases may be driving away potential corporate investment, which would help to propel economic growth and provide more jobs, he has also overlooked how Japan’s protracted economic recession might have further exacerbated the lack of work opportunities in Okinawa, which has the lowest minimum wage levels in the nation.
Unlike Mr. Kwan’s account of a widening language gap between the old and young in Okinawa, the imposition of an aggressive language assimilation policy during the Meiji era has meant that most Okinawans under the age of 60 were schooled in standard Japanese and are thus no longer able to speak the Okinawan dialect.
In my personal interactions with Okinawans, I have found them to be a hardworking, optimistic and friendly group of people who are nevertheless deeply concerned with the many social and political problems afflicting their hometown. Perhaps on his next visit to the prefecture, Mr. Kwan should consider venturing outside of the tourist haunts and spend more time interacting with the local people in order to gain a more accurate understanding of the situation in Okinawa.
ST's senior japanese correspondent, kwan weng kin (whom i've actually sort of liked up until last week for his usually succinct but informative features on japanese politics and society), wrote a page-long, two-part feature on okinawa outlining its uncomfortable history with mainland japan and the problems caused by the large US military presence in the prefecture.
i thought he did a wonderful job of giving the average reader an insight into the current situation in okinawa in the first part of the article, but the latter portion was full of gross misrepresentation and sweeping generalizations.
i quote here three of his ludicrous observations:
"the prefecture has the highest unemployent rate in japan, yet most okinawans are said not to be unduly worried. in okinawan society, family ties remain very strong and unemployed siblings can expect support from family members - a fact that critics say may, however, rob young okinawans of their desire to become financially independent."
"okinawans are also extremely fond of drinking, especially the local awamori...hangover or no hangover, most okinawans routinely report to work late in the morning after a bout of serious drinking the night before. co-workers however, do not bat an eyelid."
"there is also a widening gulf between young and old okinawans in terms of language. okinawans aged 50 and above are apt to use dialects among themselves. most young okinawans however, influenced by television and radio programmes, speak only standard japanese."
what total bullshit. i have been living in okinawa for three years, been in personal contact with many okinawans and none of my experiences come close to any of the things put forth by kwan weng kin. it is highly disappointing and embarrassing to admit that an experienced journalist from our national paper should resort to mere hearsay and popular stereotypes in covering a story. everything in the article stinks of ethnocentricism, the type of cultural-blinder experience one is apt to suffer from after spending too much time in centres of power.
i decided i couldnt have another person perpetuate another stereotype about okinawa because the place and its people are mired in enough externally-inflicted controversy and misunderstanding already.
so i fired a response to st forum and forwarded the contents of my letter to kwan weng kin's sph email. i'll be posting his response here in the event that he does reply.
in the meantime, here's what i wrote. i hope my letter gets published.
------------------------------
I read with much concern Mr. Kwan Weng Kin’s article on Okinawa (“A Country Within A Country: Okinawa”) in The Sunday Times on 16th May 2010.
As I have been living and studying in Okinawa for three years, I was heartened by Mr. Kwan’s efforts at informing readers about the conditions of a place that remains largely unknown to most people in Singapore. However, I was deeply disappointed to discover that Mr. Kwan has chosen to paint what I felt was a skewed depiction of the Okinawa people and their attitudes towards life and work.
Admittedly, the image of Okinawans as a group of happy-go-lucky merry-makers has been prevalent in most popular discourse concerning Okinawa. Such stereotypes have been further reinforced by the booming tourist trade in Okinawa, which bills the prefecture as an “island paradise” for tens of thousands of mainland Japanese holiday-makers who flock to the islands each year. The battle for the tourist yen thus necessitates the juxtaposition of the average Okinawan against the “typical worker bee Japanese” (as put forth by Mr. Kwan) – the Okinawan makes hay while the sun shines, enjoys the slow life and most certainly drinks too much for his own good.
Throughout his article, Mr. Kwan repeatedly prescribes to such stereotypes and even appeared to suggest that the cause of the high unemployment rate in Okinawa lies not in the many structural conditions plaguing the islands, but with the people themselves. Not only did Mr. Kwan fail to mention how the disproportionately large presence of U.S. military bases may be driving away potential corporate investment, which would help to propel economic growth and provide more jobs, he has also overlooked how Japan’s protracted economic recession might have further exacerbated the lack of work opportunities in Okinawa, which has the lowest minimum wage levels in the nation.
Unlike Mr. Kwan’s account of a widening language gap between the old and young in Okinawa, the imposition of an aggressive language assimilation policy during the Meiji era has meant that most Okinawans under the age of 60 were schooled in standard Japanese and are thus no longer able to speak the Okinawan dialect.
In my personal interactions with Okinawans, I have found them to be a hardworking, optimistic and friendly group of people who are nevertheless deeply concerned with the many social and political problems afflicting their hometown. Perhaps on his next visit to the prefecture, Mr. Kwan should consider venturing outside of the tourist haunts and spend more time interacting with the local people in order to gain a more accurate understanding of the situation in Okinawa.
Sunday, March 14, 2010
A New Watering Hole
Since I'm due to return home in less than two weeks, I've been spending more time with Seiko of late.
seiko, who's from miyako, an island about 50 minutes away by plane, only began living on the main island of okinawa when she started attending university. since i'm only familiar with certain parts of naha and places closer to the school and my home, seiko and i are perpetually like two tourists whenever we're out. i'm always getting lost in the car and she's always squinting at the map.
since the beginning of the spring break seiko and i have started taking little road trips to places that we've heard so much about but never had the time/opportunity/guts to go to. so far we've discovered and eaten at new cafes, munched on handmade tarts at tiny bakeries and shopped for souvenirs at far-out shops selling knick-knacks and designer chocolates.
just this week, we finally found the up-and-coming settlement of minato-gawa 港川 after an hour of hard searching. minato-gawa, which sits just minutes behind the island's major traffic pipeline route 58, is uncomfortably located in a tangle of metal factories, car workshops, condominiums and even a swimming school.
once you get past all that however, you'll find yourself surrounded by a collection of 40 or so single-storeyed houses shaped like rectangular boxes and doused in happy shades of paint. minato-gawa was originally the site for cluster housing for the american soldiers in the 70s, and since prefectural authorities loosened up much of the red tape governing the rental and sale of houses in the area, everyone from the architect to the tart-maker has moved in, creating a mixture of shops, offices and houses that is altogether spontaneous and irresistably charming.
here are some pictures of minato-gawa (tried my hand at a free photo collage software i got off the internet):
seiko, who's from miyako, an island about 50 minutes away by plane, only began living on the main island of okinawa when she started attending university. since i'm only familiar with certain parts of naha and places closer to the school and my home, seiko and i are perpetually like two tourists whenever we're out. i'm always getting lost in the car and she's always squinting at the map.
since the beginning of the spring break seiko and i have started taking little road trips to places that we've heard so much about but never had the time/opportunity/guts to go to. so far we've discovered and eaten at new cafes, munched on handmade tarts at tiny bakeries and shopped for souvenirs at far-out shops selling knick-knacks and designer chocolates.
just this week, we finally found the up-and-coming settlement of minato-gawa 港川 after an hour of hard searching. minato-gawa, which sits just minutes behind the island's major traffic pipeline route 58, is uncomfortably located in a tangle of metal factories, car workshops, condominiums and even a swimming school.
once you get past all that however, you'll find yourself surrounded by a collection of 40 or so single-storeyed houses shaped like rectangular boxes and doused in happy shades of paint. minato-gawa was originally the site for cluster housing for the american soldiers in the 70s, and since prefectural authorities loosened up much of the red tape governing the rental and sale of houses in the area, everyone from the architect to the tart-maker has moved in, creating a mixture of shops, offices and houses that is altogether spontaneous and irresistably charming.
here are some pictures of minato-gawa (tried my hand at a free photo collage software i got off the internet):
Saturday, August 22, 2009
Summer Beckons
Ken and I decided to leave our mundane lives behind for a very short one and half-day getaway to Nago, which is about 70 km north of where we stay.
the weather was good, the hotel was surprisingly comfortable and the beaches offered some much-needed respite from his work and my thesis-churning. all it took was 35 hours away from the humdrum and we were back to where/who we were six years ago.
we packed a barbeque set and two camping chairs, stocked up on the meat and drinks and returned to the same island we camped at in 2007. while we had company on our private beach the form of a father and three-sons team along the other end of the shore, it turned out to be a good thing because their lamp provided just enough illumination for us when our own bonfire died out.
after dinner we sat on the shore and competed to see who could spot the most number of shooting stars.
i saw one, and he claimed he saw two stars colliding.
the next day we played with fishes in the hotel's stretch of beach and relaxed with a sauna and dip in the hot bath. ken had his very first facial while i waited with a copy of the newspaper.
on our way home we managed to catch the sunset.
someday all short trips would be made this way.
The view from our hotel room:
The one with Ken looking like Sha Wujing in Journey to the West:
The lighthouse at Cape Zampa:
Sunset from Zampa:
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)