006: Japan 1, N. Korea 0!

Whoops! I'm a day behind. . . let's try to catch up, shall we?

On Friday morning, I made the wise decision to go sample pastries at Kokusaidori and Makishi Market. I also passed through the artsy street, Heiwadori, and admired some of the goods on display. 

However, the real treat was visiting OIST: Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology. A Caltech alumnus had visited his alma mater in the spring and told me to make some room to go visit this up and coming university, soon to be accredited to receive about 20 graduate students. They currently have strong projects in robotics, neuroscience, and genetics, but they welcome any and all scientists: their mantra is interdisciplinary, collaborative research. In fact, there are no divisions at all! All the labs are interconnected and conducive to cross-field conversations and exchanging of ideas. It doesn't hurt that the campus is gorgeous.

For more information, you should check out http://www.oist.jp/en.html. I especially recommend that people looking for grad school (*cough* TECHERS PAY ATTENTION *cough* ) check out this amazing opportunity. Many fantastic researchers are getting involved in this project, and they're eager to find fresh, innovative minds to help get the university on the road. It's especially critical given that Okinawa is the poorest prefecture of Japan, and they need a jumpstart in the science department: OIST will likely play a huge role in developing an interest in science and research in the native students.

Anywho, my day at OIST started at around noon. An administrative assistant, N-san [abbreviated, obviously], drove me from my hostel to the campus -- about an hour's drive. We took a detour to the local farmers' market, Onna no eki, where I sampled my first sata andagi (sweet deep fried buns) and goya (bitter melon). I also got the chance to see many fresh Okinawan goods, such as beni-imo (sweet potato), shiiquasa (Okinawan lime), and a certain variety of lettuce that is apparently unknown to even main islander Japanese (it has a "gooey" inside similar to aloe). While I did my foodie touring, I talked with N-san about the current state of Okinawa and her own history. As a native-born Okinawan, she was an invaluable resource for me to learn from -- not to mention an awesome person! She not only organized my tour, but also took me out later to a football bar (more on that later).

Sata andagi! Only ¥90. . . 

Goya chanpuru! (chanpuru = "mixed") The tofu negates the bitter taste of goya. 

Some quick and dirty trivia I got:

1. Okinawans are fiercely independent: they are neither Japanese nor American, although elements of both cultures pervade the island. 

2. Women are more independent than on the main island. They say "heat makes the men lazy."

3. Okinawans never walk, nor do they go to the beach. If they do, it's not to swim: it's to have barbecues.  They are flummoxed by the tourists who come to sunbathe, snorkel, dive, etc.

Anywho, we eventually ended up at OIST and I got a nice tour complete with video, powerpoint presentation, and a walk around all the facilities. Everything is so new!! It blew my mind after years of working in laboratories that are decades old. I got a sneak peek at the curriculum as well. . . it's pretty awesome, and also quite self-directed. Coming from Caltech, I really liked the emphasis on being able to pursue whatever you really loved wholeheartedly.

My tour completed, I was about to head home to a dinner solo. . . until I found out that there was a football game, Japan v. North Korea! So, N-san took me to a bar that her friend owned and we sat down at a table with a couple Japanese university students. They were, ah, *very* enthusiastic about the game. Every near hit merited screaming, every foul merited swearing. . . you get the picture. They were very friendly though! And made the game much more exciting. Although, it was already quite tense since there were no goals until the last 2 minutes! The bar EXPLODED when Japan scored their winning goal: lots of clapping, cheers of "NIPPON!", handshakes, and beer guzzling! 

Understandably, they were very curious about me too as the lone gaijin in a Japanese bar. Interestingly, they wanted my opinion on which player looked best. N-san told me it was because they had no idea what American women found attractive -- they also said I could choose among them, of course ;) While I couldn't follow the conversation most of the time since they spoke too fast, the environment was incredibly fun. They also made it very clear that I was welcome as a nakama, a word that doesn't translate well into English but might be thought of as "blood brother." 

NIPPON! 

I'm sure there's more I had to say as well, but I'll leave it for tomorrow. . . tata!