day six

Yesterday we went to a museum in Naha City, the permanent collection held Lacquerware. Some of it dated back to 1600's. I was amazed at the shapes of things they made, one being a version of the modern day thermos. It was an octagonal shaped box, it had a 5" base and it gradually got wider at the top to about 10". It was made of wood and with a complicated handle and lid, and the entire thing was lacquered in red. Sitting beside the wooden box was a metal pot with a small spout and it was covered in a cozy made of padded muslin. No photography allowed in the museum, bummer. This was my favorite piece, next to the medicine carrier, which I won't even begin to describe, it was fairly complicated. 

The museum was situated next to City Hall. How many of you have seen a City Hall that has a "lion-dog" -- the Shisa -- as it's main feature of adornment? This building was huge!

Beginning. 

Middle. 

End.

One of my favorite things about being in Okinawa is the food. Even though I love Japanese food, the presentation is even BETTER! I'm convinced that the novelty of presentation makes it so much more enjoyable. So here's a photo of our lunch yesterday at this hip little restaurant in Naha. My Aunt Aiko chose this restaurant, and we met her three daughters there. The food arrived in these stacked hexagonal boxes with a lid and a small covered cup of miso soup. When the food arrived, each person nestled their hex-bowls together like honeycomb and began eating one of the 7 items contained in these boxes. There was okra lightly steamed (which I usually would pass on) it had a bright green color. Remember those little seeds that are perfect round balls inside of okra? Well these seeds were bright white and the okra was sliced at a diagonal. I was told the okra was picked very young, keeping it super tender. Two of the boxes were divided in thirds, the okra shared space with steamed pumpkin, the kind of pumpkin with the dark green rind, and then a salad. Another box had rice, cauliflower and eggplant. Now, let me tell you about this egg plant, I don't like egg plant and I never eat it in the U.S., it's just too slimy for me. This egg plant was different, it was tubular, cut down the middle and chopped in 1" sections and steamed. When I turned it over, it looked like a snake! Really, before the eggplant was steamed, they scored the outside of it diagonally both ways. It looked like a snake!!! Now there's two reasons why I wouldn't eat it, but you know what? I did eat it, I ate the okra and everything else. I'm in Japan and I want to experience all this stuff because I know it's vastly different from what I have ever known. And the eggplant and okra were okay, not amazing, but not at all like what I have experienced in the U.S. So, I'm glad that I tried it. 

After lunch my Mother wanted to visit some relatives since this is her home city. We drove for 15 minutes, stopped and visited for 10 minutes, got in the car and drove another 10 minutes, stopped and visited for another 15 minutes, got in the car again… you get the idea. We did this for about 5 places, and I was exhausted. Not only physically, but also mentally. Each stop meant that I had to remember the basic Japanese greetings, which I am sure I'm not saying right. I do say 'do mo ari-gato' (thank you) a lot. Hi, means yes, or okay. I say that a lot too. Anyway, it's a mental gymnastic adventure saying the right Japanese words at the right time, remembering to make eye contact, bow slightly, always smile. We went to my grandparents home after all the visiting, this is where we stayed during my last visit 32 years ago. My grandparents are deceased but my uncle now lives there. I took a short "eye/mind" rest on the tatami mat floor near the shrine. Much needed -- I knew I had to gear up for the evening party at the Karaoke House. 

So there was a party held in our honor at this Karaoke (Kah-dah-oh-ke) House. My cousin Hiroke (He-do-kee), about my age, has about 8 of these businesses. It's a big building with about 30 rooms. Each room has banquette seats along 3 of the walls, and several tables and banquette seats throughout the middle across from those tables. Then, of course, the big flat screen tv and these cool iPad looking things that you program the songs you want to sing to -- and don't forget the microphones. They are big and silver, definitely designed to give you the feel that you are there for a performance. My Uncle Naoshi sings beautifully and he took Karoake quite seriously. Most songs were old Okinawan songs that really brightened the hearts and faces of the older people there. A Beatles song made it on the list, a test from my cousins to see if I'd bite, but I regret to say that I did not have the mental stamina at that time of night to perform for everyone. 

Attending the party were my aunts, uncles and cousins (the Noha family) and my grandmother's sister's very large family, the Tokashiki family. Fortunately, I've been a Herrell for 19 years now, I'm used to this type of gathering. Actually, I never realized I had a big family! I wish I could have had Bill here for a little "overwhelm-the-inlaw" payback. Food was brought in by servers, and if we wanted more, we just called from a phone by the door. Tea, juice and coffee were flowing, but no alcohol!  If you get caught drinking and driving in Japan you can get fined heavily, like $5,000 and I don't know what else. Anyway, we ate a lot, and visited and sang, took a lot of pictures and I shared a slide show I put together on my laptop. At the end of the evening Hiroke got on the mic and wished me well, was glad I made it back after 30 years, and hoped I would come back again. It took another 45 minutes for everyone to clear out. Since my grandmother died several years ago, the Noha's and the Tokashiki's do not get together too often and they decided at this party to make sure they met once a year for a reunion. Now I have another excuse to come back. As we said our goodbye's, I was amazed at how respected and loved my mother is, and consequently me, by our family here in Okinawa. She is viewed as kind and cheerful, her family adores her and genuinely misses her. I learned that my grandmother was an excellent cook and everyone preferred her cooking to anyone else. My grandfather was considered an honest man, to a fault. Both were so respected and my mother said that their goodness reflected on her and perhaps she didn't deserve it. I pondered this… her goodness reflects on me and I hope I can do the same for my children and husband, and anyone else I am close with. When I hear of friends taking trips with their mother or father, I hope they can experience a new perspective of their parent and learn even more of what there is to love about them.