007: agu, shurijo, and beach!

On Saturday, I woke up very early as usual and realized something: I still hadn’t tried a proper meal at Makishi Market! This seemed a great loss to me, so I rushed out to have some breakfast. Noting how much money I had left for food, I decided to treat myself to a local specialty: agu, or black pig. Agu were originally imported from Hawaii, since the war left Okinawa a barren, charred wasteland of its former self. To this day, there are not many animals endogenous to Okinawa. That said, they have a thriving agriculture business in sugar cane, tropical fruits, sweet potatoes, etc.

Agu, or "black pig" -- Okinawan specialty! Part of a ¥1300 set. . . 

The woman who ran the restaurant I stopped at looked a bit surprised when I ordered agu so early in the morning, but the order arrived quickly (and sizzling-hot!). The meat is extremely tender, juicy, and delicious. After a few minutes, she also brought me little Japanese snacks (wasabi peas, mixed crackers) that she wanted me to eat that second. It took a little while of me smiling nervously and gesturing at my stomach to convey how full I already was, but I assured her that I would try later and gave her thanks repeatedly. She then grabbed her English-speaking assistant to translate: “She thinks you’re very beautiful, and that your Japanese isn’t too bad.” J

I also talked briefly with another older woman who walked through and sat down across from me. In Okinawan restaurants, you just sit down wherever – it’s a great way to meet new people and start interesting conversations, like at the bar the other night. Of course, my vocabulary is very limited, but I got across that I was from California and visiting Okinawa for two weeks. She also called me a “cute pretty lady” and then took her order to go after wishing me luck on my trip.

Note: In the past few days, I have gotten a lot of “kiirei!” (pretty!), “kawaii!” (cute!), and even someone who cornered me on the street to say they had never seen eyes like mine before. Personally, I think it’s just because I stick out like a sore thumb. 

Full to bursting, I trundled back downstairs and went through the markets one last time. Yet another older woman found me and tried to convince me to buy her goods: spiny lobster, fugu, and brightly colored tropical fish. She also told me the Okinawan names for the creatures; although Japanese dominates the island, the older generation still speaks Okinawan on occasion. It’s completely different! I should mention, too, as one of the OIST faculty put it: “Okinawa has the world’s largest population of centenarians, probably due to diet, and it shows in how the original culture has been preserved. There are a lot of people who remember what Okinawa was like before the war, and want it to return to its old ways again.”

I apologize that I keep getting off topic: I’ve learned far too much in the past few days! 

~*~

Shuri Castle is the palace of the Ryukyu Kingdom, the former rulers before Japan conquered the islands. Ironically, the Japanese set their military headquarters in Shuri Castle during WWII and as a result it was shelled for three days straight -- the original castle is completely pulverished. However, in 1992 they rebuilt the castle grounds based on old photographs and other records. すごいですね？

On the way up to the castle, I ran into an elderly Japanese couple quite by accident. They were travelers as well, coming from Osaka. I greeted them as warmly as possible in Japanese as we made the trek up the hill, only to find to my surprise that the husband spoke English! We introduced ourselves – their family name was Hakoya – and learned that they had two daughters only a little older than me. Maybe for that reason, they “adopted” me for the rest of the visit. They always made sure that I was close by, and offered explanations in English about the various landmarks in the site. They also paid for my visit to the reconstructed tea room, which offered jasmine tea and traditional Okinawan pastries.

The gate at the entrance to Shuri Castle!

Gaijin-san desu ne? Shashin wo totte kudasai?

We had to take off our shoes at the entrance and carry them in plastic bags! 

Traditional tea and Okinawan pastries in a reconstructed tearoom. 

Reconstructed gardens surrounding tearoom.

The throne of the Ryukyu kings.

Miniature of the castle, portrayed in its glory days prior to conquest. . . 

Adopted by Hakoya-san!

As I was leaving Shuri Castle, I suddenly got a call from the OIST faculty. Could I make it to a beach BBQ in Kadena? (Answer: of course I could, and I didn't mind taking a ¥850 bus to catch it!)

At the end of the day, I was driven back to Naha by an OIST member who was Japanese, but had lived in the U.S. (San Francisco) and other countries. We had a great conversation about Okinawan culture, the reasons behind my trip, and finding one's path in life in general. She also bought me a gigantic meal from Starbucks. . . even in Japan, people think I don't eat enough! I have truly been stricken by how kind people are, though: even when I insist that I have a fellowship and can pay for myself, people won't take no for an answer. They also seem to be proud of the fact that I chose Okinawa over any other place, even though I can barely scratch the surface in 2 years, let alone 2 weeks.

If only I could remember more Japanese, I would feel much better. Or rather, I wish that I had more experience speaking outside of classes because I can barely follow actual conversations due to speed, vocabulary, etc.. Ah well -- this is a start! またあした！