(The Enogawa brothers make up the red shishi team. They're veterens of the neighborhood)
Here's a few videos from the graduation ceremony and from the shishimai:
Memoirs of a Geisha.. I mean Gaijin.. I mean Haafu in Okinawa, Japan
(The Enogawa brothers make up the red shishi team. They're veterens of the neighborhood)
Here's a few videos from the graduation ceremony and from the shishimai:
Here's a video of Audrey swimming in the ocean.
Local Koja Matsuri (Ken the flag bearer with his two daughters Audrey and Emma)
Audrey climbing all over her Mom's beautiful red kimono
Audrey and her Kirin Gumi Classmates (Giraffe Class)
Akemi says that she's glad that as a Dad, I'm able to handle both the video camera (in my left hand) and the digital camera (in my right) all at the same time with Emma climbing on my back... She said she just wished that she had an extra camera to take a photo of me being a gung ho "Japanese Dad" as she called it at Audrey's pre-school events. She said that she didn't think that American men acted that way... Also I'm contemplating doing some English lessons to Japanese students on the side for a little "stash away" cash. Because my wife has me on a measley weekly allowance, I have about 10 dollars of "fun" money all to myself per week. Therefore at 15 dollars per hour with 3 to 4 students a class at two classes a week, I may even be able to spend 100 dollars without my wife even having to know (or give me the evil beady eye). Do I have time to do this, probably not. But same as Shishimai, I'm just going to do it and see what happens later. Somehow, it will work out I'm sure. Here's a shot of me with a class I taught for the Japan Air Self Defense Force in Onna Village, Okinawa. Some of them went to place high in the JASDF annual English speech contest.
On a side note, life is quite busy for me these days. Okinawa living has really settled in my soul recently. I think I've become very normalized to this place and feel like I've lived here forever. Although still a constant source of stress is my maladaptive Japanese which gets me by just fine (in a humbling and ever so frustrating manner). I find myself really tiring of speaking in Japanese recently... I blunder with simple sentences these days it seems. I'm sure I've just arrived a low point in my life force curve and its bound to go up sooner or later. But who cares now that I have Audrey as my personal translator. She makes life easier around Grandma's house, that's for sure. Anyways, I'm rambling and its time for bed. Until next time!
I have to admit, I've been feeling more and more guilty about not making entries into this blog as of late. It's the type of guilt one feels for eating that extra piece of cake or wasting an entire Sunday lazing around the house watching TV. It's a guilt that gets easier and easier to shrug off as the weeks go by. In fact, if it wasn't for my weird ability to get involved into things I have no business getting involved in, I might have thrown in the towel weeks ago.
Out of boredom, I ever so often go visit the local "izakaya" or Japanese pub just down the street from my house. I know Mama-san there who is a very kind and easy-to-smile Okinawan women who after losing her husband to cancer, has been trying to succeed in running her own business. I get to talking to her about my interests in things Okinawan, and she suggests to me that I talk to the Koja (the name of my neighborhood) Community Center leader. Next time he comes in, I'll give you a call she says. So I meet up with him in about a weeks time and I get to drinking with this guy and I end up meeting the whole Shishimai or "Dragon Dance" troop in one of their monthly "Nomikai's" (basically, its a drinking party). I get to drinking and have a great time and go home. The next week, I find my name on the local list of Dragon Dance team members as a "Sanshin" (Okinawan banjo-type instrument) player. Wow, my cell phone number and home address are posted on that list and everything! How did that get there, I think to myself (no recollection whatsoever of telling ANYONE I would join their troop). Then I think, crap I guess I better go through with it. And that's how it all started.
(The Koja Shishimai Troop, Okinawa City, Okinawa Japan)
Turns out, the shishimai troop is the first troop to come out of Okinawa City in 30 some odd years. We are practicing hard every week for an upcoming Prefecture wide competition in September. Nevermind about my PE exam or my more than full time work schedule, and not to mention my two kids at home. Okay, I have no time for this but I simply can't resist!
I actually don't know much about the Shishimai so I don't think I can do it justice but the basic premise is that its origins are from the Chinese "Dragon" dancing festival. You've all seen it, 10 chinese guys running down the street carrying a dragon costume along with various dancers and musicians. Looks interesting right? So the Okinawa's have something related but very different. First of all in Okinawa, its not a dragon. Its actually a "Shisa", which is kind of like a mystic creature (mix of a dog and dragon) which Okinawan's traditionally put in front of their houses to ward off bad spirits. You can see an example of contemporary and very cute shisa on the top of my blog page. These of course are cute little tourist trinkets and aren't the real thing. The shishimai troop is basically made up of 3 main groups, I think... You have the drummers or "taiko" group. You have 2 dragon dogs or "Shishi" which are each comprised of two men inside that shag carpet costume. Then you have the "sanshin" group with accompany the drums for a musical background to the performance. You also have misc people that blow seashell horns and bang on metal chimes. Apparently, the Okinawan Dance of the Dragon Dog is made to look very realistic, where the movements of the Shishi are imitated against the real movements of a canine or "dog" for the lay person. In contrary, the movements of the Chinese Dragon are more "unworldly" like a floating/flying mystical creature.
I actually don't really know very much, but I'll figure it out as I go along I guess. Meetings with the Shishimai group are always an intersting mixture of half-understandings and blurred messages due to my ever-so-maladaptive Japanese skills. Anyways, I'll post more later after we perform in this local festival "Manta Matsuri" on the 10th of August. Its our first performance as a troop and is a vital practice for the real deal in September. Until next time, peace out. Oh, check out the kick-butt taiko drumming group on the video link below. The first time I saw these kids go at it, my eyes actually started to tear up.
The good thing is our neighborhood is located on a dead end street so we really don't have to worry about cars. There are about 10 houses in the area and there are kids ranging from 2 to 16. So I think this will be a really nice neighborhood for the girls for awhile. I'm still quite pleased with this house we got in Okinawa City. I feel like I can settle here. I just need to make sure I can continue to find and do work for somebody. But so far so good and I expect things will be okay. If not, I could go work as a civilian on one of the bases here. For now, its just fun watching my two girls grow up.
With all the kids being born in the Bull family these days (Big congradulations to Peter and Lara!! Good job and otsukare sama). Makes you realize what a treasure you really have in kids. Boy, they are frustrating - but make your short time in the world worthwhile. I say this now while my kids are still young and adore me. Just wait another 10 years when they refuse to sit at that same table as their Dad in a public place... Or does it come sooner than that?
Tired tonight, planning to go to sleep in ten minutes but before I do, I wanted to share with you all my girl's new hair styles. Emma's is pretty damn cute I have to say. I didn't think they'd look good with short hair and I resisted this change. But Akemi was right in insisting. It is hot and humid here in Okinawa. It's not fair, I'm a man and don't know how it feels to have to live with long hair she says... So I diplomatically conceeded.
AUDREY FRONT AND SIDE SHOTS
EMMA FRONT AND SIDE SHOTS
Well, that's all I've got people. I need to quit working so hard, I'm too tired by the time I get home... Until next time.
But its not all fighting and psychological warfare... There are really nice childhood experiences abound. I'd like to illustrate this for you. For instance sometimes we all enjoy a really good game of hide and seek. Please click on the next freakin adorable video link:
And here are the sisters dancing together to a "Wiggles" tune on the Disney Channel: