Things I will miss

The sun breaking through the clouds outside my apartment

Well, here I am. Last day in Okinawa. I've been walking around in a bit of a daze. Every time I do anything I find myself thinking, "this is the last time I will make coffee here. This is the last time I will drive down the 58 to Chatan. This is the last time I'll take out the trash" and I get all teary. Of all the countries and places I've lived, Okinawa has by far been my favorite and made the deepest impression on me (not counting my home town of Chapel Hill, mochiron). It will be hard to leave, and impossible to forget. In order to come to terms a bit with my departure, I've spent some time thinking about what I will miss here. I'm sharing my list with you! Some random photos inserted.

THINGS I WILL MISS ABOUT OKINAWA

-The blue sky, wider than anywhere else in the world!
-The ocean: deep blue or sparkling green, always in sight
-The ever-present sea breeze
-Warm soybeans with salt
-The smell of tatami when you enter a house
-Futons for sleeping
-Taking off your shoes. Indoor slippers.



-Tropical flowers, overrunning sidewalks and concrete every which way
-The Tea Lady, always bustling about, clattering cups and boiling water
-Little peeping voices at school, "good-o morning-u Joyce-sensei!"
-The Japanese culture of napping and snacking
-Beni-imo ice cream. Orion beeru
-Weekends with Tonaki Jon at my place; Yvonne in her box-apaato; Jeffu
-Snorkeling: the beautiful world under the water. Coral. Nemo.

-The reef, waves breaking out to sea instead of at your feet.
-Sea chicken mayo onigiri
-Junko-sensei's laugh. Ginowan High school and its teachers
-Izakayas
-Chatan and the many walks, talks, and lattes shared with friends there.
-The Ferris wheel: emblem of Mihama
-Gajimaru (banyan) trees and their magnificent roots-The crazy man who wears a bushel of plastic flowers on his bike helmet and lives at my intersection
-Jusco! Mr. Donut! Arinkurin! Lawson's! Paul and Mike's! Hinotama Hall! Blue Seal! the Tropical Beach, Sunset Mihama, Okume, Sunabe seawall, Fabu, Day's Café, my neighborhood GEO (even though I left without paying my 4000yen fine!)
-Islands… Tokashiki, Tonaki, Kume, Miyako, Ishigaki, Iriomote, Okinawa
-Street festivals and eisa dancing
-Caramel popcorn at the movies
-Pericula with friends
-Sitting on the floor in restaurants
-The ceremony of shoes
-Cellphone accessories
-The ping-pong
-Turtle-back tombs: stately and quiet among the weeds, behind the houses, everywhere
-Shiny happy people (shiny because they're sweating, happy because they're in Okinawa)
-Tuesday night dinner's at Deej's
-Bento boxes at school lunch
-Cute-ness: appropriate for everyone!
-Engrish engrish everywhere
-Christina and Amy in Nago
-Sunsets from my balcony. From my beach. From the high way. From everywhere!

-Karaoke with friends
-Cicadas in the morning, like an army of minstrels attacking the island at full blast
-Naps and deep thoughts on the matter of Life in the teacher's dusty tatami room, where no one ever went but me.

last but not least...
-203 koupo shima: my little quiet home by the sea.

1. view from my kitchen window
2. view from my balcony

Just so this whole thing doesn't sound too sappy, there are a few things I won't miss about Okinawa:

1. The lack of road names, combined with people's general inability to give directions to the simplest place where they have been a million times
2. pig ear cartilage as a snack

BYE EVERYONE! THANKS FOR SHARING OKINAWA WITH ME!