One Month Anniversary!

It is hard to believe, but today marks one month since arriving in Okinawa. We have already seen and tasted a lot, but the list of places to visit and eat continues to grow. The nice thing about being here for a short period of time is that we make the most of our days here. We definitely are trying to fit it all in somehow! Today is also our nephew and cousin Kyle's birthday. Tanjoubi Omedetou, Kyle!

To continue from my last post, you may be shocked to learn that not one week into third grade, Maddox found herself at Captain Kangaroo's. Lucky for her, Captain Kangaroo's is not the imaginary principal's office of my childhood, but a great burger joint in Nago, about 45 minutes north of here. As much as we want to try the local cuisine, sometimes we just want a good burger. 

It was worth the drive for us, and Maddox even chose to do some schoolwork during the meal. Or maybe she did think she was at the principal's office.

The fries must have been good brain food.

I keep thinking that I can get a cute selfie of me with the girls. You know, just to prove that I am actually here. Instead of cute, I will settle for acceptable. 

Why can not I figure out where to look? I look like a robot! Anyway, the burger and beers made me smile.

Later that weekend, we went a little south from our location to the Village of Yomitan to watch a Youth Eisa Festival at the local baseball stadium. Eisa is a traditional Okinawan folk dance that involves singing, drumming, and a sanshin (local 3-stringed instrument ) accompaniment.   

Although this is not video from where we were, you can get the gist from the video below. Although this video just shows men, the performances we saw included women as well, mostly singing and dancing.

I find performances like these so incredible, not only because they highlight the unique qualities of a particular culture, but also because they underscore the common elements across many cultures. The drums, the bright colors, the chant-like singing: there is a heartbeat at the center of it all that touches me.  Of course, for our kids, the heartbeat at the center of it all may just be the next Taylor Swift or global boy band, but I hope some of these cultural experiences make an impression on them, too. At least we can say we tried!