I like plane rides and I always take the window seat. When I look outside and see skyscrapers turn into spectacles, it allows me to visually see the bigger perspective on life. And then, that’s when I’m free to do all my big thinking. (Also, considering over 33 hours spent on an airplane/airport this time – big sleeping too, haha). There is so much more I wish I would’ve shared on my blog than what I did. However, this is my feeble attempt to sum up my all that I have learned and felt over the past year in Okinawa as a Kenpi Government Exchange student. Identity: Coming to Okinawa helped me realize who I am. I know and can say with pride that I am 100% Okinawan and 100% American. When I was younger, I went through a lot of stress which was inevitably created by the culture crash in my Japanese-run home and American-run society. Never will I allow myself to struggle because of these two worlds again. I learned and have come to understand both and because of this, I have found peace within myself. My relatives helped me so much throughout this year. Yasunori ojisan would always introduce me to everyone and say my hometown is Okinawa-shi (where my dad grew up). In the beginning of my trip, there was a part of me still ashamed to speak Japanese because my parents are both completely Japanese, but my accent is not like a native’s. However, whenever peopled asked me where I was from, my uncle would always say Okinawa-shi, but she was born and raised in America, and now she came back home. Every time I met relatives I have never met before, they would always introduce themselves to me and then say, “welcome back home”. I don’t know why, and I can’t explain it, but whenever I think about them saying that it always brings tears to my eyes, and I just feel safe, like I belong. It’s a new feeling, and I really like it. Wherever life may take you, may you never forget where you came from. Whatever god you may serve or religion you have faith in, one thing is concrete; a shared thread amongst anyone, anywhere. That is, that you, have a mother and father that gave birth to you. And they have mothers and fathers which gave birth to them. And THEY have mothers and fathers that gave birth to THEM, and so forth. In other words, before you, there were many, many, many people who helped bring your life into this world. Remember that, and may you be blessed with the opportunity that I had to realize this, and forever respect and honor this simple, and yet such beautiful fact. Know your roots. Peace: Studying at Ryudai, at any given moment, I was surrounded by friends with well over 20 different backgrounds including the Middle East, East Asia, South America, Europe, the Pacific Islands, etc. The one thing I constantly kept asking myself throughout this year, is “How can so many people from so many countries get along so well, and yet ‘war’ is still a notion in our existence? The absolute first step in any relationship and especially in international relations is communication. Through communication, we can understand one another, and then can we work toward achieving peace. There are so many cultural differences existing in our world. We can either choose to let that create problems, or learn from it, and let that create better lives for ourselves. Because really, isn’t that the whole point of this short span of time we call life? To spend it in happiness, love, and laughter, and helping one another obtain joy? Communication. Understanding. Peace. Friendship: I found a deeper realization to the meaning of friendship and relationships. I realized that time is not the most significant factor in a relationship. What matters is spending each second of your life and those you spend it with to the fullest potential. Not worrying about the past, the future, what may or may not be, but right now in this moment, what you are experiencing…THAT is what is important. Okinawa changes you. I can’t explain it. You get sucked up in its energy and you can’t help but be engulfed within its positive atmosphere. In Okinawa, I felt like everything was so pure, and everyone connects with their hearts. People really want what’s best for YOU. When an entire community is like this, its vivacious energy is so reinvigorating and so powerful for the soul. I learned from my relatives, that it’s not about if you’ll ever see the person again or not. It’s all about the moment you met them, and from that moment on, you are connected with that person, and the world. And as a human being, it is your duty to forever treasure that connection. Icharibachode = “Once we meet, we are brothers and sisters” Reliance: I am very independent and my biggest weakness before coming to Okinawa was having the courage to reach out to others for help and to rely on other people. I think I felt ashamed or embarrassed that I would seem weak or incapable if I did this. However, Okinawa is a community built on the principle that everyone helps each other out. It is just a known and given concept. Everyone knows that they wouldn’t be where they are without the help of those around them. I learned how to ask for help, and realized there is always a time for giving help, and receiving help. Which brings me to my next point… My Entourage: Never in my life will I ever know the concept of loneliness ever again. In this world, in pursuing my goals, I have the best, the brightest, the most elite force of friends and family in all corners of the WORLD supporting me day and night. I’m not just talking about those who I met in Okinawa, but all the precious people I’ve met in my life up until now. I was just blind before, but Okinawa helped me open my eyes to see how lucky I am. Something my uncle said that really stuck with me are the meanings of my Chinese character names. Makishi = “The road to true happiness” and Kay= “blessed”. I always interpreted that to be that I, am blessed on my road to true happiness. But, my uncle told me that my name means blessed, meaning I’m supposed to bless those around me with happiness, and in that I will find my own. I get it now. It’s all about the circle of all the relationships you have. It’s about sharing and spreading. Good or bad, it’s never, ever only just about you. Responsibility: I realized we can never forget what happened in history. I can’t tell you what dates which exact events occurred, but, I can tell you what I felt through what I learned, and I can tell you that these feelings will be turned into actions. We are in the process of creating history. Okinawa is interesting because it’s a small island, and everything has an effect on you. And, if you look at it the other way around, you have an effect on everything. Politics, business, etc. it all seemed so close - like the individual feels like they have more control. I realized that we are living history and the next chapters must be directed and written by us. It’s such a thrill knowing that we are making a difference. The only question is, what difference are we going to make? If life’s gonna happen anyway, I know I’d rather be an actress, than seating in the audience as a viewer. Just seems more fun that way. So what now for me? Next on my plate is South America. I want to learn the lifestyle and culture of some of my best friends that I met in Okinawa. Also, I found out that I have a ton of relatives that immigrated to S. America … so on a mission to find them!! My goals in life are to make the people around me find peace within themselves. Because joy is a sustainable way to live life, and if one more person feels it, than aren’t we one step closer to our goal as a human race? Communication. Understanding. Peace. Happiness is infectious. -- I just want to say thank you for those who read my blog entries, and for all those people out there who supported me in all sorts of ways. Don’t worry, I received your thoughts and positive energy… and it helped me be where I am today. This is not enough, but …thank you so much. For those who read one of my first entries, I mentioned my friend I met my first weekend in Okinawa, Gen ojisan who owns a soba shop. He told me that I would receive a lot of power from Okinawa and return home stronger, and a better version of myself. He couldn’t have been more right. -- OK, off to conquer more of the world with the better version of myself!! ~Ciao for now~  Friends, family, and teachers who came to see me off at the airport. I was so surprised at how many people came!!! <3  Ryugei circle's goodbye party for me.  Makishi family's goodbye party for me.  一組と二組の最後の飲み会で★  Kempi exchange students' graduation ceremony. Takae and I performing Asado ya Yunta on sanshin with our wonderful backup singers! 6 Comments 琉球大学琉球芸能研究クラブ第１４回発表会: Sanshin Performance 01/03/2011
A little outdated, however, nonetheless below are some pictures of my sanshin performance I had at the National Theatre of Okinawa on Saturday, Dec. 4 2010. -- It was such a neat experience having the opportunity to perform at one of the most prestigious theaters in Okinawa. The things I took away most from this event was being able to work side-by-side with my fellow circle members in order to put on this show. A lot of effort went into making this a seamless event. The Japanese are very diligent and detail-orientated. When it comes to group work, they know how to organize and delegate. Being engrossed in the Japanese society, it was interesting being able to observe the evolution of each group member from the very beginning to 8 months later. One characteristic of the Japanese social structure I found very prominent in my observation was the unspoken rule that each person "knows his/her place" in the group. That is, in any society you always have leaders that rise to the occasion. This is no different with the Japanese. However, what I noticed is, unlike the American society (that I experienced), there are very few leaders, and those who are unspokenly deemed as the 'alpha' of the group, remain as the alpha as all others act and even talk as subordinates. Once everyone's 'roles' are assigned, people remain and act in their 'roles'. How do I think this is different from American society? In the American society (that I experienced) there are more leaders who come to the forefront. Also, those who may not be the primary alpha of the group still are active and have moments where they 'take the lead'. Which is good, which is bad? My answer to this question in comparison to any culture will ALWAYS be: neither. It is what it is. There is both good and bad to each one (in my opinion). In the Japanese society, it is nice because there is no power struggle and issues seem to get resolved more fluidly due to less petty arguments amongst people trying to resolve the issue 'their own way'. In the American society, it is nice because you have a more active group as a whole. That is, aside from the alpha leader, each person acts more like a mini leader. Thus, generating a wider range of options to select from in order to solve various issues. Japanese characteristic that I really like: One custom the Japanese have that I really admire and did not experience in American clubs/circles is the "reflection/opinion" time. At the end of each practice, our sanshin group always reserves some time for members to report to the group their opinions of that day's practice. It is 99.99% of the time modest, "I messed up here and should have practiced more, sorry...I will try harder" type of comments. I really like this. It keeps everyone in check that there is always more room to improve no matter how much progress you have made already. Also, it unites the group and makes each connection amongst each member stronger. It keeps everyone "in their place," if you will, tying in the above observations as well. In summary, I got closer to my circle members, had a wonderful time, and can say I performed at the Kokuritsu geki jyo!! :)  All the first year students performing: Juku no Hara, Asado ya Yunta, and Binuchi. I'm sitting in the second row, third person from the left.    To introduce all their senior members, they did a rip-off of a medley of Japanese anime characters.  My wonderful family and friends who came to support me! Ojisan, Yasumasa, Danieru, Jim, Pia, Lin, Yasutomi, Mariela, Erica, Erika, Takae, Seichiro, Nor. Representing:Taiwan, Okinawa, Hawaii, Bolivia, Argentina, Peru, Malaysia, and Japan. (I think we just made this an international event, haha!) Buku Buku Cha 11/18/2010
What is Buku Buku Cha? Buku buku cha is traditional Okinawan tea. It is known for its foam-like bubbles (the "buku buku" part) which are laid on top of the tea. Genmai, or "brown (unpolished) rice" is used to make buku buku cha. The other Kenpi students and I are currently taking classes to learn this traditional tea ceremony. Our teacher informed us that many of our ancestors performed this ceremony and were given this special tea to drink before they immigrated outside of Okinawa. A sweet cake or chinsuko is eaten before drinking buku buku cha to enhance the flavor of the tea. -- It's a very slow process. To be honest, the first time I saw buku buku cha I didn't think much of it and thought it seemed rather a grueling process to have to set-up and perform. However, once I started going to the classes, I realized - like many other formalities, there is a long, exuberant, rich history, and meaning behind all the actions. Anytime I am involved with anything related to Okinawan culture, I feel a deep connection with my heritage; it's so refreshing and I never tire of it. It's strange because it's not like I feel connected to one particular person of thing; I just feel connected to a whole. I guess that's why I started playing the sanshin when I lived in America and didn't even once come to Okinawa yet at that time. It's a fascinating and exhilarating experience to discover the power and beauty of one's culture.   Matsuda Relatives 11/07/2010
Matsuda is my grandma's brothers and sisters, and they are absolutely AWESOME. My perception on senior citizens have morphed thanks to all my relatives. No longer will I look at a 70 year old and call them 'old' now, since my 70-year old relatives refer to the phrase, 'when I get old,' in their speech, and point to their 90-year old relatives and call them 'old.' haha. My grandma was supposed to make it back to Okinawa for her oldest sister's (Oba) 88th birthday in 2009. However, grandma passed away a year before that day came around. Today I went to Hokubu to meet Oba. She was involved in a car accident this April and has been in the hospital ever since. Next year, she will be 90 years old. Up until the car crash, she was apparently a typical, genki obasan; making friends with whoever was lucky to walk into her life. However, since April, she has been hooked up to ivy lines, and has to be fed through her nose via a tube. She isn't able to speak; sleep and lying in her bed pan has turned into her daily routine. My other relatives hesitated to take me to visit her at first since her comprehensive abilities have slowly sunken as well. They were worried that even if I met her, she wouldn't understand that I am her sister's granddaughter. However, I persisted that I've made it this far to Okinawa, and she's family, so I should see her. They agreed. We went during lunch time, so all the patients were gathered in the common area and performing exercises (including a modified version of kachashii) before their meals were served. My great aunt was in the corner, unable to move. She didn't look like she was in good condition at all, and I was nervous as to what I should say or if she indeed would not understand who I was. I walked over with Sakai ねーねー (my mom's cousin), and Kenhachi ojisan and obasan. Sakai ねーねー kneeled down to oba's ear, and with a shout-like whisper told oba that I was Kazuko's (my grandma) granddaughter, Kay. I looked into her eyes and no sign of apprehension was visible. But then, Sakai ねーねーgrabbed my hand and placed into Oba's hand. Oba kept looking in my eyes this whole time. Then, all of a sudden, out of nowhere, something in the atmosphere triggered something in our consciousness, and we both started welling up with tears. Oba wasn't able to speak because she was physically impaired. I wasn't able to speak because I was consumed by the moment and was helpless to do anything else but feel the spiritual connection with Oba, with my grandma, with myself, and with the soul essence of what it means to be human. We stayed like that for a while. I showed Oba pictures of grandma and my mom. She was struggling against her limits to try and talk, and kept trying to unplug the tubes attached to her face. Sakai ねーねー had to stop her and place her hands in a mitten and tie it to the armrest precisely for that reason. Oba laughed with her eyes. Apparently my grandma talked about me a lot and would bring pictures and news articles of me whenever she would visit Okinawa. She kept telling everyone that one day she'll come back to visit Okinawa with me. I think that one day was yesterday. After I showed Oba the pictures, she looked beyond to a point not existent in that room. She was not in that room, and that clock on the wall could not define where in time she was either. She was dreaming with her eyes open to a place and time which details I do not know. However, which feelings I was connected with.  me, Oba, and Sakai ne-ne-   Oba waving her mitten around, hahaha   カーウガミ:Kaaugami 10/16/2010
What is Kaaugami? Kaaugami is an event celebrated by the people who used to live together in the same neighborhood block. It is a day to offer prayers and gratitude to our past ancestors. Kaaugami happens once a year on the ninth day of the ninth month in reference to the lunar calendar. "カー" in Uchinaaguchi = 井戸 "ウガミ"=祈る "Kaa"=water well "Ugamu"=to pray It is believed that when one passes away, their soul turns back into its original formation; water. Thus, the gathering occurs around the neighborhood well; representing our ancestors' presence. What do we do at Kaaugami? We offer incense and prayers, eat lots of food (because this is Okinawa and every event always involves lots of delicious food :D), and just be in the company of relatives and neighbors. Details of the Day Today I met, yet again, another handful of relatives. I was introduced to everyone by the kaichou. He explained how my parents immigrated to America and I am in Okinawa for one year as a Kenpi exchange student. My uncle also gave a mini speech and told all the ojisans to "恵を苛めて頂戴” basically to bully me around so I can learn Uchinaaguchi. :D Everyone was like, "Okay!" hahaha. Personal Remarks It's so exhilarating discovering I have more and more relatives. Yes, many are distant relatives; but, that's what makes it all the better to see the tight knit community Okinawans have. Even though I've never met them before, they all accept me with open arms. Many of them look at me, smile, and say "do you know I'm a Makishi too? We're related dayo!" haha. It's the first time I've been literally surrounded by people I can call 'relatives'. It's a new found feeling, and it's an awesome new found feeling. I have amazing friends that I call 'family,' but it's different to point to these people and say we share the same blood. Since there were so many Makishi's that lived in the same neighborhood block, there are adjectives added onto 'Makishi' in order to identify which Makishi one talks about. For example, I am "Gajumaru Shichaa," or "Under the Gajumaru tree Makishi." And, there are so many! For example, "Left Makishi," "Right Makishi," "Middle Makishi," etc. to describe where their houses were. The real place where we are supposed to hold Kaaugami is located inside the Kadena Air Base. Since ordinary citizens are not allowed on base without being escorted by a military servant, the members of this neighborhood transfered the event location to another place in Koza City (the place I went to today). The transfer happened a long time ago and involved prayers to the ancestors in order to apologizeand ask for permission due to the necessity of the situation.  playing: Kajiyadefu, Goiin Bushi, Agichikuten  From one generation to another. My favorite picture of the day.  To my L: Makishi Gwaa. To my R:Takemoto san  more Makishi's!!  Orie!       Cuba and Okinawa 09/25/2010
NUTSHELL: Cuba gradually infusing capitalism into their economy. -- I agree if they want to "shake the economy out of its torpor," they need to instill regulations and at the very least a standard for both state and private sector work. I remember being in Cuba and store attendants literally just sitting behind the desk IGNORING you for 10 minutes before acknowledging you even exist. WHY? Workers get paid under the state. Income is based on being a citizen and not on results. In that respect, I strongly support capitalism, which produces results. Two points: - The genesis of a 'capitalist' economy is exciting, kind of like a honeymoon. It may be all champagne bubbles and starry eyes now, but the future depends on a lot of variables. That said, I really do hope the Central Bank of Cuba steers away from corruption (e.g. as in the case of bloated state payrolls) as it would cause a linchpin in the steady growth of the Cuban economy. - Cuba would be a great case study of a REFORMED ECONOMIC model where money is not the epitome of success. Where an increase in SOCIAL QUALITY AND ECONOMICS is not looked at as two separate entities; but rather unified in order to create BALANCE in a HOLLISTIC LIFESTYLE. (Which is what I think modern day capitalism is greatly missing). Incidentally, Cuba should look at Okinawa (especially it's outer islands) for economic and social growth models due to similar variables such as climate and population. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/25/world/americas/25cuba.html?src=un&feedurl=http://json8.nytimes.com/pages/world/americas/index.jsonp Sanshin Camp at Tokashiki Island 09/06/2010
The sanshin circle I am involved with at Ryudai had summer camp from 9/2 to 9/6 on Tokashiki Island. The main focus during this time was to fine tune the songs we are performing at our hapyoukai in December. All the first year members will be playing: Asado ya Yunta, Jyukyu no Haru, and Binuchi. The official name of my club is: 琉球大学の琉球芸能研究クラブ a.k.a. 琉芸 -- My favorite spot to solo practice was on the veranda in the picture below. From there you could see out to the beautiful ocean to another smaller island not too far from the distance while a slight breeze blew by making what would be a hot, humid day, seem just perfect. I feel like I'm experiencing a lot of these 'first time' moments, but, not to intentionlly overuse the phrase - for the first time, I felt the songs I played on the sanshin come alive. Something about being in Okinawa, being surrounded by the beautiful nature, being surrounded by wonderful people； one has to try (really hard) to be in any sort of negative mood whatsoever. Also, during this camp, I was able to delve deeper into the mechanics of playing the sanshin. I had no idea how complex the kunkunshi was until I learned from my senpai what a few of the symbols meant; and realized this is only the beginning! A few new things I learned were: the 'numi' - where it sounds like a small 'tsu' enters in the beginning of the note. Also, the greater than sign means you let go of your fingers on the neck of the sanshin once, etc. Learning the sanshin on a deeper level made me appreciate it more and got me more excited to fine tune my playing.  My view while practicing sanshin <3   Ryugei group photo  First-year members before our Kouryukai  Zamami Island in the back   Another amazing view while practicing my sanshin お盆（ナカビ）：Obon Day 2 08/23/2010
  This is your new blog post. Click here and start typing, or drag in elements from the top bar.         お盆(ウンケー): Obon Day 1 08/22/2010
What is Obon? Obon is an Okinawan cultural holiday to honor the departed (deceased) spirits of one's ancestors. It's a 3-day event:
The spirits of ancestors are supposed to revisit the household altars. It has been celebrated in Japan for more than 500 years and traditionally includes a dance, known as Bon-Odori. -- Day 1 (Unkei) is usually spent with your family branch. I spent mine at the Goeku home (my dad's oldest brother's place who upkeeps the butsudan for our family). Day 2 (Nakabi) is then spent with relatives; making rounds around town. Day 3 (Uukui) is then again spent with your family branch.     Sana: My cousin Rio's daughter (2nd oldest)  Yuki: My cousin Rio's oldest son  My cousin Rio's youngest child  Burning incense (senzou) and placing them on the alter to welcome our ancestors (Uuto-to)   Tomoaki: My cousin Terumi's 2nd child (just a few weeks old!)  Chi-chan: My cousin Terumi's oldest daughter   Top to bottom: Yuki, Chi-chan, Sana  Left to right: Yuki, Yasunori ojisan, me, Chi-chan, Terumi ne-san(Tomoaki), Goeku no obasan, Yasumasa, Rio, Rio's husband, Sana  Sasuga the Makishi family: no one's looking at the camera! hahaha   Yasumasa and Sana pointing out that Yasumasa needs to shave. haha!  Sana, Yuki, Yasumasa Picada de Vespa 08/20/2010
Got my Capoeira nickname the other day: Picada de Vespa. It means 'Sting of the Wasp' Capoeira nicknames are usually given to describe the way you play. The following videos are from that day's roda! :D Video 1: Centrado (my instructor and I) Video 2: Gallo and I Incidentally, I was featured on the front cover of the sports section in the Okinawa Marines magazine.  |  いちゃりば ちょ-で- (Icharibachode)
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