Bandara Naha Antarabangsa

Bahasa Melayu tidak gunakan istilah bandara (pendekan pada kosa kata bandar udara atau lapangan terbang) yang telah ditetapkan dalam kamus bahasa Indonesia. Saya gunakan bandara sebab ia sangat mudah ditulis, tidak panjang dan rasanya sesuai menggambarkan kegiatan di tempat ini.

Bandara Naha Antarabangsa sudah dibuka untuk operasi pada 17 Feb. 2014. Sebelum ia dibuka Naha atau bandar raya Okinawa telah menerima penerbangan dari Taiwan, China, Korea dan Hong Kong.

Saya harap dari pembukaan bandara ini akan bermula penerbangan terus dari Singapura dan Malaysia.

Ini pautan untuk pelancong: http://www.okinawastory.jp/en/

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沖展 (Seni visual Okiten)

 

 Every year Okiten holds a massive art show that exhibits art in various forms be it painting in oil, water with photography and the latest in visual displays. One of my sisters-in-law won first prize in calligraphy this year. Unfortunately, cameras are not allowed in the halls, so all these images I nibbed from Okinawa Times that organized and sponsor this event yearly.

 This is the art of glass-making. Blown up glasses are crafted into art deco, table wares, fashion accessories and such. Originally, glass blowing started in Okinawa from the beer bottles that American Yankees discarded. Due to the lack of materials to make household utensils, the local Okinawan collected those beer bottles and recycled them. This custom still remind now and has flourished as a thriving cottage industry amongst the locals.

This kimono is typical local design. The weaving industry has started way back in history. The local produced their own clothes and the weaving design is mostly basket-weave (tenun reraga). Mostly the locals use cotton for the kimono.

This year there is a big crab sculptured from wood. That's the artist with the big saw. But the crab looks real to me. The artist did a good job with the fine details in that giant crab.

This event is held every year around early April. Some of the art paintings are beyond words in its fine work and details of making.

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Salam Safar 1.2.34

Hari ini kita sudah masuk bulan Safar 1.2.34

Teringat masa saya kecil orang tua-tua ada sebut Mandi Safar. Kononnya pada bulan Safar, ramai-ramai ke laut dan mandi buat buang celaka, cuci nasib tak untung dalam air laut.
Alhamdulillah saya dilahirkan pada zaman yang bukan jahiliah begitu.

Bercakap hal laut. Masa saya pergi Padang, Sumatra Barat balik bercuti bulan Oktober 2012 lepas, kami lalu Kampung Air Manis dan menyelusuri Pelabuhan Teluk Bayu. Bila kami berhenti di Pantai Malin Kundang, drebar kami selaku pembawa pelancong juga sibuk suruh ambil gambar pandangan pantai. Kata drebar itu pantainya cantik. Lalu dengan ghairah saya pun menjenguk pantai yang dikatakan cantik itu.
Terkejutnya saya melihat tahap kecantikan pandai itu. Terus terang saya kata pantai ini berselerak dengan sampah sarap, tin minuman, plastik bungkus makanan, payung patah, kertas kotor dll.
Itu lah tahap kecantikan pantai sana.

Apa agaknya reaksi orang-orang yang terpahat dengan tahap itu datang ke Okinawa dan menyaksikan sendiri pantai Okinawa yang tidak ada satu sampah pun? Yang ada hanya pasir putih berkilat sepanjang pantai, seluas mata memandang dan pesisir ombak jernih bersama ikan-ikan yang riang berenang mengelilingi kaki?

Selamat bulan Safar dan nombor tarikh yang cantik ini 1.2.34

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Mozuku seaweed

Mozuku seaweed and other seaweed like nori, hijiki, konbu are best for maintenance of hair growth, slowing down balding head and lovely set of thick hair for new-born baby *this is what the nutritionists in Japan claim*

The mozuku in the cup is best served chilled with lemon/lime/shikuasa juice. 

*Rumput laut mozuku juga nori, hijiki, konbu dan lain-lain jenis rumput laut mengekalkan kesegaran rambut dan perempuan hamil jika mempraktikkan pemakanan ini merimbunkan rambut untuk bayi yang dalam kandungan *para nutritionis di Jepun mendakwa*

 In Malaysia as Mr. Leo Aws claims the people in Kelantan consume it as "sare".
 In Wales (my experience of living there), they take it as laver or laver bread ( bara lawr). The people in Wales are known for their very dark hair. Mr. Bean is born in Wales and most people in Wales look more or less like Mr. Bean.

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Yukihiro Peace song

Okinawa Peace Memorial Park
Ti's the season again in Okinawa. The season in commemoration of Okinawa independence from American colonialism, memorial of the WW2 deaths, remembrance of WW2 that took place on this island and other islands around it (see the movie Letter from Iwojima).
There is a huge cenotaph on the south of this island where every name of WW2 victims are engraved on stone memorials. Every year more names are added as victims of WW2 die off.

Requiem Concert for Peace
The City of Itoman where the Peace Memorial Park is located, hold many events for this occasion. Last week I went to a concert requiem with Peace as the theme.
The items included songs of peace by chorus of school children and a stage show. But one interesting item was the declamation of poems or tanka the Japanese called it by a group of ladies. These tanka are selected amongst thousands contributed especially for this events. Of course the main theme for these tanka are World Peace.

The Rocker, Yukihiro

Actually, I was really pulled along to attend this occasion. A friend from my haiku group is a fan of a local rocker who was giving a performance for this concert. So I went along, as I've met this rocker on a Live Show as a birthday treat from this same friend. Actually, my friend was impressed with this rocker by his kindness to perform free for an autism charity events that my friend is organizing. After hearing the normal payment that comes with him, I thought that was a kind thing to give a free show based on his value for one night.
So I became another of his fans. If you guys want to hear his songs, go to YouTube and type on the search bar Peace Yukihiro or Yukihiro Okinawa or go to his blog www.yukihiro-okinawa.com
Anyway, see how I was squeezed in this picture by the enthusiatic rocker and my friend.

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Simple Life

Winter Sunflower

Winter Sunflower

Looking at the mess in the tatami room, I told myself to get out of the house, no matter the familiarity with a ship in a storm.
So, I practically pulled hubby and go up north. Not to far but it was a good rest for my head and eyes.
We reached a field of winter sunflower. That's me in my peachy cap hiding in between the flowers.
I think they grow the flowers for the seed, maybe to make cooking oil or to sell as bird's food.

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Cotton Plant

Cotton Plant
Everywhere cotton plants (Pokok Kekabu) are at their blossom peak in Okinawa now. My brother-in-law showed his surprise when he visited us last week, to see the variety in Okinawa has pink flowers. He said in Malaysia and Singapore the flowers are white.
I remember my grandma had a cotton tree standing in the front yard. One of my visits there, she told us she wanted to cut the cotton tree.
When I heard her decision, I thought that would be my last cotton tree. I doubt anyone in Malaysia would be interested in cotton trees anymore. During its hey-day, the cotton trees products pods of cotton, my grandma made beautiful soft pillows and mattresses for us. It was that cotton tree that inspired me while plotting novel Pulut Sakura Serunding Kasih.
For sure after that cotton tree was cut off, I never once see any cotton tree in Malaysia. I sort of missed that cotton tree as it brought back lots of good memories of my childhood.
My cousins used to gather the pods and picked cotton from it and filled up sacks of cotton.
But the story of cotton trees in my life did not stop there.
When I moved in on this island, I saw streets here lined with cotton trees. Then, when it's time for the pod to break, the winds spread the cotton like snow flecks in winter.

Tersipu-sipu
buah pokok kekabu
terpancut isi.

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Pickled Kedongdong

kedongdong

A couple of days ago, I went to a friend's (Uehara at Ozato) orchard and picked all these kedongdong. These are just from one tree and she has 3 others. I managed only one tree. That is enough.
Uehara said they grow these kedongdong for fun. Watching the fruits are such joy for them! Actual fact is she has no idea how to eat it! Like all Japanese.
I'll pickle those big fruits and the rest I'll make some traditional dishes out of it like sambal belacan kedongdong, yummy and maybe fish curry kedongdong (same like my mom used to add green mangoes) or masak lemak pedas with ikan saba kedongdong.
Cooking is invention and I always invent new dishes combining the best of Japanese and Malay dishes.

Kedongdong haiku:

Sambal kedongdong
the smell of the belacan
is lost when alone.

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Oleander sky

*Pink Oleander

This is Oleander. This flowery shrubs run all around the military bases in Okinawa together with the barb wires. After every barb wires that protect the people and property on the bases, they put up this shrub.

So, you think the American military intends to make Okinawa scene pretty?
Think again. Not that innocent!

The leaves of this angelic flower is poisonous. The white liquid that flows from the leaf contains an allergic substance that irritate the skin.

So, now it is clear why this innocent shrubs with beautiful flowers goes around the military bases.

Stand guard, tall and strong
catching breeze running the sky
Oleander blockade.

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*image from google

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